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New Zealand women’s star bowler on their Northern Hemisphere tour last winter, Rachel Pullar of Otago, has ruled herself out of consideration for the New Zealand team for the World Series of Women’s Cricket that starts at Lincoln University at the

Lynn McConnell25-Dec-2009New Zealand women’s star bowler on their Northern Hemisphere tour last winter, Rachel Pullar of Otago, has ruled herself out of consideration for the New Zealand team for the World Series of Women’s Cricket that starts at Lincoln University at the weekend.Pullar’s absence will be a significant blow for the TelstraClear White Ferns as they attempt to compete with Australia, India and England in the four-way series. It is understood she intends on travelling overseas.She was easily the most dominant bowler on New Zealand’s tour, taking 21 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 6.76.Also missing from the side is Fiona Fraser who has a back problem that has ruled her out for the remainder of the summer while Anna Corbin shattered a thumb at practice last week and is also out for the rest of the season.With Kathryn Ramel’s retirement, New Zealand will only be able to call on four players who remain from the CricInfo Women’s World Cup-winning side of 2000 – Emily Drumm, Rebecca Rolls, Haidee Tiffen and Nicola Payne.What that does, however, is provide more opportunities for the New Zealand A players who are taking part in a series of warm-up games, starting with a match against New Zealand at the High Performance Centre tomorrow.Two members of the squad of 14 will be added to the New Zealand side for the match. Other games follow against India on Wednesday, Australia on Friday and England on Saturday.The first match of the WSWC is to be played at Bert Sutcliffe Oval on Sunday between New Zealand and Australia.The New Zealand squad for tomorrow’s game is: Nicola Payne, Rebecca Rolls, Emily Drumm, Kate Pulford, Haidee Tiffen, Aimee Mason, Frances King, Nicola Browne, Louise Milliken.White Ferns coach Mike Shrimpton said there were five or six names on the selectors’ short list but the A team had everything to play for. The key thing for the selectors would be assessing which players were best equipped to make the step up.”There’s no shortage of talent, it’s just knowing who to pick,” he said.

For a long time it appeared that the five overs Graeme Swann bowled in a one-day international against South Africa, at Bloemfontein, on the 1999-2000 tour might be the sum total of his England career

Andrew McGlashan in Durban30-Dec-2009For a long time it appeared that the five overs Graeme Swann bowled in a one-day international against South Africa, at Bloemfontein, on the 1999-2000 tour might be the sum total of his England career. Another player picked too young, discarded back to county cricket and never picked again. But a second chance eventually came, firstly in ODIs in 2007 and then, finally, late last year in Test cricket. He hasn’t looked back.When he trapped Dale Steyn lbw to seal a crushing innings-and-98-run victory over South Africa, at Durban, it was his 54th wicket for the year, putting him second behind Australia’s Mitchell Johnson. That scalp also completed career-best match figures of 9 for 164 and sealed consecutive Man-of-the-Match awards.To think Swann was left out of England’s side at the start of the West Indies tour in February. He didn’t play in Jamaica and was again omitted for the abandoned Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Perhaps he’d impressed Andrew Strauss with his sandcastles in the underprepared outfield, because two days later at the ARG he was back in the fold, took 5 for 57, and hasn’t stopped taking wickets since.”Two man-of-the-match awards in two games, I’ll take that to finish off the year quite nicely,” he said. “Straussy left me out in Jamaica, so I thought ‘right, I’ve got to show him what a mistake he’s made here’.”It’s been magnificent for me. It started in the West Indies where, although we didn’t end up winning the series, personally for me it was a breakthrough series. Then there was the Ashes which is seven weeks that I’ll never forget. I’m certainly going to look back on 2009 with a fair bit of fondness.”Swann is one of the chirpiest cricketers around even after a tough day the field – which is why he is often wheeled out to discuss England’s less-flattering efforts – so it was no surprise that he wore a permanent smile as he sat beside Strauss. When Strauss was asked about Swann’s efforts this year he said it was difficult to discuss them with his team-mate sat beside him. Swann just put his hand on Strauss’s shoulder as if to say ‘it’s okay skip, I can take.'”He’s had a massive impact on our side in the last 12 months,” Strauss said. “He’s always been a very attacking spinner, never one that settles at going for two an over; he’s always given it a rip and bowled an attacking line. In Test cricket, with the extra pressure that batsmen are under, that can be invaluable. On the field, he’s been exceptional and he has off the field as well.”Graeme Swann collected career-best figures of 9 for 164 in the game and his second successive man-of-the-match award•PA PhotosSwann was just 21 when he was first thrown into international cricket by Duncan Fletcher and has long-since become the only member of the team still playing for England. Only two others from the XI – Vikram Solanki and Chris Read – still play first-class cricket and are unlikely to get another chance.”I don’t think he’s changed a huge amount in that time,” Strauss said. “That was very early in his career, and he was picked probably before he knew his game 100%. Now, he knows how to bowl people out and he’s a very clever spin bowler and his batting has been a massive plus for us as well.”As an opposition captain, there’s nothing worse than a guy who really has no fear of getting out and plays outrageous shots. It’s hard to stop that. He’s more mature, but he still hasn’t lost that sense of enthusiasm and fun which is important.”Swann’s form has been the key reason why England’s four-man attack policy has worked because he has been able to wheel away at one end, while also playing an attacking role. His latest success, which follows 5 for 110 in the first innings at Centurion, came on a day where Test cricket showed offspin is still very much alive.Over in Melbourne, a few hours before Swann finished off South Africa, Nathan Hauritz claimed his maiden first-class five-for as he took 5 for 101 to help Australia to victory against Pakistan. Despite the development of the doosra and carom-ball, Swann was confident the conventional style of his art still had a future.”Deep down, yes I did,” he said. “But I’m quite shy and retiring, never one to voice my opinions. The game goes in circles. In three or four years’ time, we’ll be completely out of vogue again so I’ll just enjoy the fairground ride while I can. It will come back round, sooner or later, that a brilliant mystery spinner will arrive and I’ll be defunct.”Swann doesn’t have to worry about becoming defunct any time soon. Shane Warne often says spinners only start coming into their prime at 30, and Swann is now that age, so there should be many years ahead. It was a long wait, but well worth it.

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Arsenal will not buy a replacement for Petr Cech this summer according to fellow goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, per Football.London.

Cech is set to retire at the end of the season, but the Gunners are not set to dip into the transfer market to replace him.

What’s the word?

Cech will bring down the curtain on a trophy-laden career at the end of the season.

He has won four Premier League trophies, along with four FA Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League.

But the Czech Republic international has fallen out of favour under Unai Emery and has made just seven league appearances this season, per Transfermarkt.

He has been usurped in the pecking order by Bernd Leno, signed from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

And Martinez has now revealed that the Gunners intend for him to become Leno’s deputy once his current loan spell with Reading ends.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

“I have three years left on my contract at Arsenal,” he said. “Now Cech is retiring I was told when I came to Reading that next year they want me to be the backup. But I’m not thinking about next season yet.

“I am not thinking about what may happen in the summer, we will look at it then. All I know is Reading is my team now.”

Lack of funds?

Emery was restricted to just one January signing, a loan deal for Denis Suarez of Barcelona.

And while that deal is said to include a purchase option, per BBC, Martinez’s words may set alarm bells ringing for Gunners supporters.

The 26-year-old has made just 14 appearances for the Gunners in total, per Transfermarkt, but may now be relied upon to be Leno’s No.2.

If the German picks up an injury, few at Arsenal even know if Martinez will be able to replace him.

This certainly appears to be a worst-case scenario option for the Gunners, who may eventually have to sell before they can buy.

Whatever happens, there does not appear to be a lot of money available to Emery at the Emirates Stadium.

ESPNcricinfo profiles the Super League teams in the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2010MumbaiIt’s time for Rohit Sharma to regain the focus•Cameraworx/Live ImagesDefending champions for the last two years they might be, but Mumbai’s reign at the top is far from cosy. The questions from the beginning of last season still remain.One glaring problem is the shaky middle-order. Barring Ajinkya Rahane and Wasim Jaffer, there is nobody else who has shown the consistency and the runs to give hope. This could be a vital season for Rohit Sharma. Despite possessing the right skill-set, he is yet to achieve the fluency and command that his talent deserves. Last year he was unlucky to miss out on the semi-final and final thanks to national duty, after scoring his first first-class triple-hundred, but he has enough time to impress this season and jump to the front of the queue once vacancies arise in the Indian middle order.If Mumbai have to retain the supremacy, they need their bowlers to hunt in packs. Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar continue to impress in patches, but age is catching up with this stoic pair. Dhawal Kulkarni will miss out on the opening match, serving an eight-day ban during the Irani Cup, and Mumbai will feel the pinch against a stubborn Saurashtra middle order. With four away matches scheduled this season, the bowlers have their task cut out.For years Jaffer, Agarkar and Powar have guarded Mumbai with unflinching resolve. It is now time for the younger generation to start taking over.What they did last season
It might seems unbelievable now, but Mumbai finished third in their group, with just one outright victory, against Himachal Pradesh at home. In the knockouts, though, they started to seize the opportunities. Haryana were brushed aside through a large first-innings lead in the quarter-final; Abhishek Nayar’s battling century along with Powar’s delectable, loopy offbreaks gave Delhi no chance in the semi-final.Mumbai reserved their best for the gripping final, a match full of drama, tension, steel, and excitement. Vinayak Samant’s gritty fifty, in his last match for Mumbai, and Aavishkar Salvi’s brilliant five-for, got Mumbai a 103-run lead. However, Karnataka’s new-ball pairing of R Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun reduced Mumbai to 51 for 5 in the second innings. This is when Mumbai showed their big-match temperament, first through a 95-run sixth-wicket stand between Kulkarni and Abhishek Nayar, and then through hostile bowling from a pumped-up Agarkar and Kulkarni to seal a six-run win, leaving Manish Pandey heartbroken after his stylish century.Men to watch
Rahane, the second-highest run-getter over the last two seasons, will remain Mumbai’s bulwark in the top order. The middle-order’s inability to build on solid starts only adds weight to Rahane’s big centuries, built mainly on his aggressive yet studious style of batting. He will definitely need the support from Rohit. With the elevation of a contemporary like Cheteswhar Pujara into the Test ranks, Rohit is bound to feel the heat, and this season could be a personal quest for him. Harmeet Singh, the young left-arm spinner, who grabbed a seven-wicket haul in his debut match last season, could be the surprise package.DelhiDelhi will hope Shikhar Dhawan can turn out for them for the majority of the season•ESPNcricinfo LtdTwo months before the last season began, Delhi’s biggest ticket and most influential player, Virender Sehwag said he was contemplating leaving his team to play for Haryana. In the last three seasons, this team that belongs to one of the most dysfunctional of the India’s major cricket associations has won the title in 2007-08, was knocked out of the League in 2009-09 and reached the semis in 2009-10. The Delhi that turns up this season could feature a team following any of those scripts.They will begin on the edge itself. Their opening game against Bengal will be the first four-day fixture to be played at the Feroz Shah Kotla after the abandonment of the ODI between India and Sri Lanka last December. Delhi have as many as six current international stars in their side – Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma, Virat Kohli and most lately Shikhar Dhawan could each turn up at different points in the season and find their way into the Delhi XI. Or, if distant stars collide, they could all do so simultaneously.What keeps Delhi’s engine going however is the middle-order consisting of Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia, and the strong bowling attack, which will be shepherded by new coach Manoj Prabhakar. He worked with the Delhi team that won its seventh title in 2007-08, but was kept out of the frame for the next two years. Now he replaces Vijay Dahiya who stood down after three years in the job. Prabhakar will work with former India pace bowler Sanjeev Sharma as his assistant. Last week, Prabhakar said his goal was to prepare a team, “with a solid combination of seniors and juniors that can’t be pushed for the next five years and who play three Ranji finals in the next four years”. Now that would be predictable, but would that be Delhi?What they did last seasonWhat Delhi didn’t do last season was play at the Kotla, their traditional home venue. Delhi played three of four home games at the old Roshanara Club, which can produce a competitive green top but contains no dressing rooms. Scoring first-innings points away in Baroda, Delhi then dropped them to Karnataka at the Roshanara and then suffered defeat against Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow. They returned home for two victories against Saurashtra and Maharashtra, the weaklings of the group. They earned enough bonus points against Maharashtra and so conceding the first innings lead to Bengal couldn’t deprive them of a place in the knockouts. Roshanara was lined up for parties in the Christmas – NewYear week and the team had to take its quarter-final to the Palam ground whose track is affectionately called “a road.” Once Tamil Nadu’s first-innings score of 400 for 5 was turned into 463 all out, and Delhi’s middle order kept its head, they were through to the final four. There they ran into the old enemy, Mumbai and Ramesh Powar’s 5 for 47 meant that Delhi’s campaign was over.Men to watchLast season, Parvinder Awana was the team’s leading wicket-taker with 29 wickets from 8 matches but it was the tall left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra that made those lamenting the lack of India’s spinning options sit up and take notice. Rookie left-arm fast bowler Pawan Suyal could be their trump card. The team will want opener Mayant Tehlan to shake off a poor last season and seize control of the slot vacated by Aakash Chopra’s departure to Rajasthan. Keep an eye out for wicketkeeper Punit Bisht, Delhi’s top run-scorer last season (543 at 67.87, two hundreds and two fifties) in a line-up chockfull of batsmen.HaryanaDifferent colours, different format, different team – but Haryana will want Hemang Badani to retain his class•ICLHaryana have clawed their way back into the Super League after three years and their challenge this season will be to compete, rather than conquer. The coach Ashwini Kumar says as much. “I want us to maintain our place in the Elite League, and am not setting lofty ambitions. We will take the season one game at a time,” he says. It was a policy that worked well for his team last year as they dominated the Plate League with three victories and two draws with first-innings leads and a fluent win in the semis to qualify for the Super League quarter-finals. There, they had their moments against eventual-champions Mumbai, but lost the initiative to concede a huge first-innings lead that shut them out of the event.One of the reasons for the reversal against Mumbai was the failure of their main batsman, Sunny Singh, who went into that game after topping the Elite run-charts with 617 at an average of 88.14. Sunny, along with opener Rahul Dewan, was instrumental in Haryana’s Plate dominance, while Sachin Rana and Ankit Rawat offered creditable support. The bowling, led by left-arm seamer Sanjay Budhwar (20 wickets), was adequate if not exceptional. Amit Mishra’s presence for two matches when he was away from India duty gave the attack teeth, and his misfortune could be Haryana’s gain if he does not make the cut for the South Africa tour.What they did last seasonSunny set up his prolific season with an attacking triple-hundred as Haryana piled on 546 to dominate the draw against Madhya Pradesh. He struck another ton against Jammu & Kashmir in a low-scoring game that was affected by rain, before Yuzvendra Chahal ensured Haryana secured the first-innings lead again. Budhwar and Rana helped them recover from 92 for 5 on the opening day against Andhra before Joginder Sharma’s second-innings century helped them set up a hard-fought win. They finished their league engagements by hammering Kerala by an innings to set up a semi-final clash with Tripura. Mishra proved his worth in that game after the batting failed, bagging 5 for 41 to give Haryana another decisive first-innings lead.After restricting Mumbai to 55 for 4 in the Elite quarter-final, Haryana’s attack stepped off the throttle to let Ajinkya Rahane and Ajit Agarkar script a strong fightback. Despite a composed 71 from Dewan, Haryana stumbled against the might of Mumbai’s all-round attack to concede the first-innings lead and bow out of the tournament.Men to watchHemang Badani, the former Tamil Nadu player who has represented India in ODIs, joins Haryana after a period of upheaval following his ICL stint. Badani’s presence will bolster the middle order considerably, and if Sunny and Dewan can replicate their form from last season, Haryana’s opponents will struggle to bowl them out. Rana and Mishra will miss the opening fixture with injury and India duty respectively, but expect big things from them during the course of the season.

BarodaThe sooner Irfan Pathan stands up, the better for Baroda and for India•Associated PressBaroda have been rebuilding over the last two seasons, experimenting with young players as the old guard makes way for new, much like the Indian team. This year marks an almost-final break from the past, with the 22-year old wicketkeeper Pinal Shah replacing Connor Williams as captain in Irfan Pathan’s absence. Veteran Jacob Martin has retired, while Satyajit Parab, is expected to at the end of the season.Coach Mukesh Narula says that Pinal – who led Baroda on the successful tour of Kenya and in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament – has been steadily groomed for the responsibility. Narula says Pinal has been appointed to have a sense of continuity in the leadership, given that Irfan could be called up for national duty.Irfan, who topped Baroda’s runs and wickets charts last year, is rehabilitating from a persistent back injury and will miss the first two games, according to Narula. They will however be boosted by the presence of Ambati Rayudu, who has left Hyderabad to join them. Narula is confident that his inexperienced team can make the knockouts, though they narrowly missed out in the previous two seasons. They will fancy their chances in a relatively lightweight Group B.Among the bowlers whose actions came under scrutiny last season, left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar has left Baroda. Left-arm medium-pacer Sankalp Vohra worked on his action during the off-season and bowled in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament recently.What they did last yearThey managed only five points from the first four games, getting thrashed by Karnataka after following-on, and conceding a 265-run first-innings lead to Delhi. Irfan rose to the occasion, taking seven wickets and guiding Baroda to victory with an unbeaten half-century against Saurashtra. His seven wickets and centuries from Williams and Shatrunjay Gaekwad set up another win over Maharashtra in Baroda’s final match. The late surge was not enough, however, as they fell short of the third-placed Delhi by one point.Men to watchIrfan, when he comes back, will be the key. He averaged almost 50 with the bat last year, and took 22 wickets at less than 19 runs each. More than the numbers, it’s his presence that uplifts the entire team, according to Narula. MS Dhoni has been voicing India’s lack of a fast-bowling allrounder in every forum, a role Irfan performed well in the past, before his bowling fell away alarmingly. This tournament will be crucial for him, especially with the World Cup less than four months away.

Newcastle United reportedly want to sign Lucas Digne in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: On his way out?

Last month, it was reported that the Everton defender had a row with Rafael Benitez over how he was being used tactically, and he has since missed their last three games in the Premier League.

As such, he has been linked with a move away from Goodison Park, and the recent announcement of the signing of left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko has only enhanced those rumours. Therefore, January may be the perfect opportunity for the Magpies to pounce.

The Latest: Digne wanted

As per ESPN, Newcastle want to sign Digne, but Chelsea, Inter Milan and Napoli are also interested in his signature.

Everton want a fee of at least £25m to let him go, which would ‘not deter’ the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, but talks are expected to take place with Chelsea.

The Verdict: Sign

If an opportunity presents itself to lure Digne away from Goodison Park, the Magpies simply have to take it.

Described as an ‘exceptional’ player by Noel Whelan, the France international would surely be a starter at St James’ Park, as he averaged more tackles, interceptions, clearances, shots, dribbles and passes than Jamal Lewis and Matt Ritchie in the top flight so far this season (WhoScored).

Despite not setting up a goal in 2021/22, Digne is also known for grabbing plenty of wand of a left foot’. He would certainly seem to be a smart signing for the Toon.

In other news, NUFC have sent an offer for this La Liga maestro

Giovanni Reyna was left out of the Nottingham Forest squad for their vital Premier League clash against Liverpool on Saturday – GOAL explains why.

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Reyna on loan at Forest from DortmundIs yet to make his first startRuled out of clash against LiverpoolWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international has endured a miserable start to life in the Premier League since joining the relegation-threatened side on loan from Borussia Dortmund in January. He is still waiting on his first start for the club, but wasn't given a run-out when they took on Jurgen Klopp's title contenders.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE EXPLANATION

Reyna was left out of the team because the 21-year-old had sustained a knock, reports. The attacking midfielder was given a brief cameo in their last match but was then deemed unfit to play against the Reds. He is, though, expected back in training next week.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Reyna has made just four appearances for Forest in all competitions since his January move. All four of those have been as a substitute as he racked up 38 minutes in the Premier League and came off the bench late in stoppage time as they lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup.

He is in dire need of a return to first-team action as he looks to get back into contention for a place in the USMNT starting XI ahead of the Copa America this summer.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Reyna will surely be hoping that Forest's poor recent run of form will eventually lead to him getting a chance from the start. After eventually being beaten 1-0 by Liverpool, Nuno Espirito Santo's side remain just one place above the relegation zone and the USMNT midfielder will undoubtedly believe he can make a positive contribution to try and help carry the club to safety. Indeed, next up for Forest is Brighton away on March 10 but it remains to be seen if Reyna will be involved.

Nick Compton’s good week continued when he was named the NatWest PCA Player of the Year

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2012Nick Compton’s good week continued when he was named the NatWest PCA Player of the Year while Joe Root, who was also called into the Test squad for the tour to India, was named the Young Player of the Year.Compton scored 1494 first-class runs for Somerset during the 2012 season and Root was close to a thousand including a career-best 222 against Hampshire.The overall England player of the year went to Ian Bell while Alastair Cook took the one-day award, a mark of his rise in the format, and Stuart Broad was named Test player.Back on the domestic scene, Warwickshire’s dominance of the County Championship was highlight by five of their players being included in the team of the year. Varun Chopra and Bell were part of the batting line-up while Jeetan Patel, Keith Barker and Chris Wright all made the bowling line-up. NatWest PCA Player of the Year Nick Compton (Somerset)
NatWest PCA Young Player of the Year Joe Root (Yorkshire)
ECB Special Award Bill Gordon
England FTI MVP of the summer Ian Bell
Friends Life t20 Player of the Year Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire)
Clydesdale Bank 40 Player of the Year Phil Mustard (Durham)
NatWest ODI Player of the Summer Alastair Cook
Investec Test Player of the Summer Stuart Broad
Sky Sports Sixes League Winner Gary Ballance (Yorkshire)
FTI Team of the Year Varun Chopra (Warwickshire), Chris Nash (Sussex), Ian Bell (Warwickshire & England), Steven Croft (Lancashire), Darren Stevens (Kent), Peter Trego (Somerset), Phil Mustard (Durham), Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire), Keith Barker (Warwickshire), Chris Wright (Warwickshire), Graham Onions (Durham)

Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson was spotted in Villarreal's dressing room just a day after the Blues suffered a 4-1 defeat against Newcastle.

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Jackson travelled back to SpainSpotted in Villarreal dressing roomLeave was pre-planned and approved by clubWHAT HAPPENED?

The Chelsea star – who joined the club from Villarreal in the summer for £30 million ($38m) – travelled to Spain less than 24 hours after the club's humiliating 4-1 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday. Jackson attended The Yellow Submarine's home game against Osasuna in La Liga, which they won 3-1, and was later spotted in their dressing room congratulating his former team-mates.

Advertisement(C)GettyImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mauricio Pochettino was left fuming after his club conceded four goals for the third consecutive game. He termed the match as their worst performance in the 2023-24 season to date and had also strictly mentioned that there would be "no off day" for his players after the disastrous showing at St. James' Park.

Getty ImagesWHY NICOLAS JACKSON TRAVELLED BACK TO VILLARREAL

However, Jackson's trip to Spain was pre-planned and approved by Chelsea before the disastrous result against the Magpies, according to . After a rough start to life in England, the Senegalese striker picked up form in the last couple of months. Prior to Saturday's clash, he had netted four goals in his last two Premier League appearances, which included a hat-trick against Tottenham.

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WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The Blues, who are currently struggling in 10th position on the league table, will aim to get back to winning ways on Sunday when they take on Brighton. Jackson will be in line for another start under Pochettino despite his brief return to Villarreal.

The England star scored twice before Kevin De Bruyne rounded out the scoring as the Premier League champions eased through at Ashton Gate

Phil Foden was on fine form as Manchester City cruised past Bristol City and into the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory on Tuesday.

Foden scored within seven minutes to give the Premier League champions an early lead in what looked destined to be a routine win for Pep Guardiola's side.

But Bristol City, buoyed by a dizzying atmosphere at Ashton Gate, came back stronger in the second half, and it needed two moments of magic from Kevin De Bruyne for City to take complete control of proceedings.

His through balled helped Julian Alvarez to eventually set up Foden's second, before the Belgium international took it upon himself to fire home a textbook long-ranger nine minutes from time, with City cruising to the sixth round in style.

On what turned out to be a comfortable night for Guardiola's men, GOAL rates Man City's players from Ashton Gate…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Stefan Ortega (6/10):

Only managed a half following an injury to his hand early on. Barely called into action before being replaced by Ederson at half-time.

Rico Lewis (6/10):

Some bright touches and flicks but positionally vulnerable at times. Arguably lucky not to concede a penalty in the opening stages.

Manuel Akanji (7/10):

Typically solid performance from the Swiss star, and made several last-ditch interventions to keep the home side at bay when they were in the ascendency.

Ruben Dias (5/10):

Looked more vulnerable than his defensive partner. Slower to the ball and occasionally ran ragged by the industrious Scott. Decision making put his side in danger at times, as Bell nearly capitalised on his error late in the second half.

Nathan Ake (7/10):

Assured performance in varying positions. Incisive passing linked up defence and attack succinctly.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Kalvin Phillips (6/10):

Enjoyed only his third start all season and did well. Nothing outstanding, but no real errors.

Kevin De Bruyne (8/10):

Initially sub-par performance from the Belgium star but made the difference in the game's key moments. Produced incisive passes for Mahrez and Ake which helped set up Foden's brace, before stroking home a long-range effort to finish the game late on.

Bernardo Silva (5/10):

Heavily involved in City build-up but had creativity restricted by resolute Bristol City defence. Involved in a feisty exchange in the dying embers, resulting in a booking.

Getty ImagesAttack

Riyad Mahrez (6/10):

Pinpoint assist for Foden's opener but kept at bay for most of the match before being hooked for Grealish on 71 minutes.

Phil Foden (9/10):

City's biggest threat by a mile. Expert finish from the angle for his side's opener, second effort deflected past O'Leary. Constantly involved in attack with multiple smart touches, the only blemish on performance was a second-half booking.

Julian Alvarez (4/10):

Assist for Foden's second masked an underwhelming evening for the Argentine. Swiped at a number of key chances and saw a close-range effort blocked late on. City threat came from elsewhere.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Ederson (6/10):

Replaced Ortega at half-time and had even less to do than his goalkeeping team-mate. Relaxed day at the office for the Brazilian.

Jack Grealish (8/10):

Came on at 1-0 and could easily have coasted the final 20 minutes. Instead, Grealish made a real difference and was an upgrade on Mahrez. Assisted De Bruyne with a cute pass to make it 3-0.

Sergio Gomez (N/A):

Only introduced for the final 10 minutes.

Cole Palmer (N/A):

Only introduced for the final 10 minutes.

Maximo Perrone (N/A):

Only introduced for the final few minutes.

Pep Guardiola (8/10):

A complete performance from Guardiola's men. City were able to weather a moderate storm from the home side at 1-0 before flexing their strength in depth to pull further in the ascendency. There will likely be sterner tests ahead, but this was an assured performance against an initially resolute Bristol City team.

Europe's premier club competition heads to Portugal with eight of the continent's biggest sides still in with a chance of lifting the trophy

After its unplanned, coronavirus-enforced hiatus, the Champions League is back.

After the culmination of the last 16 saw heavyweights Juventus and Real Madrid eliminated, the competition is down to its final eight sides.

The quarter-finalists have travelled to Lisbon for the final stages, all of which will be played as one-legged matches rather than the normal double-headers.

With the draw all mapped out, clubs know who their prospective opponents could be all the way through to the final. But who are the favourites, and which teams still have work to do?

Goal has ranked the runners and riders to work out who is in the best shape to lift the famous trophy on August 23…

Getty8Lyon

Despite holding a narrow advantage from the first leg, very few observers believed an undercooked Lyon side would have enough to knock Juventus out in Turin.

Rudi Garcia's side, however, stunned the Bianconeri as they just about held off Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. to seal their place among the quarter-finalists.

There they will face an in-form Manchester City, and as the clear underdogs on their side of the draw, it is difficult to see them progressing much further.

But then we said that before the last round, so…

AdvertisementGetty Images7RB Leipzig

They may not be able to call upon talisman Timo Werner in Portugal after he opted out of playing following his move to Chelsea, but RB Leipzig's chances may actually have improved over recent days.

Their quarter-final opponents, Atletico Madrid, have been thrown into chaos this week after two players tested positive for Covid-19, and Julian Nagelsmann's side will hope they can take advantage in Lisbon on Thursday.

Getty Images6Atalanta

Despite the three-month break from football, Atalanta have shown no signs of slowing down since football's resumption, with the free-scoring Bergamo outfit setting Serie A alight on their way to a third-place finish.

They now return to the Champions League with a quarter-final against PSG awaiting them and a potential path to the final which is far less daunting than what faces more established sides on the opposite side of the draw.

Josip Ilicic, who scored five goals across the two legs of their win over Valencia in the last 16, will miss the mini-tournament due to personal reasons, but Gian Piero Gasperini's side still have plenty of firepower to cause opposition defenders problems.

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Getty5Barcelona

It was far from a vintage performance from Barcelona, but Quique Setien's side got the job done against Napoli to book their place among the final eight.

This is where things get difficult though. A quarter-final meeting with many people's favourites, Bayern Munich, awaits them on Friday in a match some are predicting could get ugly for the Blaugrana.

Manchester City are also in their half of the draw, and thus Lionel Messi will likely have to be at his very best for Barca to even have a chance of reaching the final.

However, if any player can single-handedly drive his team forward through adversity, it is the Argentine magician.