The Los Angeles Angels have no plans to trade two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani this offseason, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters Monday.  

Ohtani is entering his final season of team control before he becomes a free agent next offseason. The Angels agreed to pay Ohtani $30million in 2023 to avoid arbitration, but speculation has persisted that Los Angeles is at a crossroads with the Japanese-born star.  

"Because he's obviously such a good player, we're not moving him. Ohtani is not getting moved," Minasian said at the GM meetings in Las Vegas. "He'll be here to start the season.  

"I know there's been rumors and all types of things, but he will be part of the club. We love the player and I think the goal is for him to be here for a long time."

Minasian said that the Angels’ potential impending ownership change would not affect the club’s willingness to offer Ohtani a contract that is sure to be enormous.  

"At the end of the day it's ownership's call," Minasian said about a potential deal with Ohtani. "But I make the recommendations and I think everybody's on the same page. Easy player not to move."

Ohtani, 28, was named one of the three finalists for the American League MVP Monday after winning the award in 2021. He hit .273 this season with 34 home runs and 95 RBI. As a pitcher, he finished with a 15-9 record and 2.33 ERA while making a career-high 28 starts.  

The Angels have missed the playoffs every season since Ohtani joined the team in 2018 and have made just one postseason appearance since his co-star, Mike Trout, made his debut in 2011.  

It must not be a great time to be a Los Angeles Lakers fan right now.

Granted, pre-season optimism hits followers of any NBA team, and the glass-half-full theory around the Lakers was that Darvin Ham would be able to get a tune out of a team of superstars that has flattered to deceive since 2020.

So far, that has not happened, and despite still being early in the campaign, things are already threatening to get away from them.

Monday's 139-116 defeat at the Utah Jazz took the Lakers to 2-8 from their first 10 outings, and they are about to face a Clippers side that is hitting form.

Having started their season with a 103-97 win against the Lakers before another victory in Sacramento, Tyronn Lue's team then lost four in a row as people started to question if they were going to go the same way as their neighbours.

However, back-to-back wins against the Houston Rockets followed by successes against the Spurs and the Cavaliers either side of a loss to the Jazz have the Clippers at 6-5 and in seventh place in the Western Conference.

The Lakers are just one place off bottom in the West, having lost their first five games before a brief hint of a turnaround with wins against the Nuggets and the Pelicans was extinguished by three more defeats.

LeBron James did not feature against the Jazz on Monday due to a sore foot, but reports suggest that was the result of playing the night before, so Ham may be able to call on his experience on Wednesday.

While the debates still rage about the use of Russell Westbrook, he scored 22 points in Utah with a team-leading five assists as well as three rebounds, while Anthony Davis' 29 points will likely need to be repeated if they are to have a chance against their local rivals.

Paul George will have something to say about that after his 26 points in the win against the Cavs, on a night in which the Clippers shared the wealth, with six different players reaching double figures for points.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Los Angeles Clippers – Paul George

It was not only against Cleveland that George has thrived this season, boasting an average over his first 10 outings at 25.3 points per game, with Marcus Morris Sr claiming the next highest average with 15.0.

George only scored 15 against the Lakers last month, but he has pushed on to become the league's 14th highest scoring player per game so far in a team that has struggled for high scores.

Los Angeles Lakers – Anthony Davis

Should he play, it'll probably be James again, who in spite of questions about his age is still averaging 24.3 points per game; but with uncertainty about whether he will feature, as mentioned, Davis will need to perform well either way.

The 29-year-old is currently matching his points per game from last season (23.2), with his rebound numbers slightly up so far (10.3 from 9.9).

KEY BATTLES – Clippers must find points from somewhere

The Clippers may have recovered in recent games, but they are still struggling to score points, with their average of 103.8 the lowest in the NBA by more than three (the Wizards have the next lowest with 107.0).

With Kawhi Leonard still sidelined, the onus will fall on George, but others will need to step up and help him put numbers on the board.

The saving grace is that they come up against a Lakers team averaging 116.3 points conceded this season, with just six teams in the league allowing more against per game.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Recent contests have been dominated by the Clippers, with their opening-game victory last month their eighth in a row against the Lakers, who have not beaten their rivals since July 30, 2020 during their bubble season success.

Barcelona coach Xavi said he was proud of his team for overcoming several "unfair" decisions after they recovered from Robert Lewandowski's red card to clinch a dramatic 2-1 win at Osasuna.

Things looked bleak for Barca when they went into half-time a goal and a man down at El Sadar, with David Garcia heading Osasuna into the lead amid a potential foul on Marcos Alonso, before Lewandowski picked up a second booking for a poor challenge on the goalscorer.

Things went from bad to worse at the break as Gerard Pique – who was named on the bench for his final match before retirement – received a red card for dissent without even entering the fray.

However, goals from Pedri and Raphinha saw Barca stage a stirring second-half comeback to go five points clear of Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga, leaving Xavi ecstatic.

Asked what he told his players at the break to spark the turnaround, Xavi said: "To have faith that with 10 we could dominate the match, we had to be intelligent, and our moments would come.

"It's a very good victory, one of courage, of family, and it was celebrated a lot in the locker room. It was very complicated to play with 10 and I am very proud of the team.

"We have grown. We are a family, a group, a spectacular dressing room, with the desire to win, and it shows. I am proud."

Reflecting on the display of referee Jesus Gil Manzano, Xavi said his team had been hampered by numerous poor decisions.

"We feel harmed," he said. "The first goal was not even a corner, then there was a foul and then Robert was expelled. They were very unfair decisions, but the referee decides and we can't do anything."

Raphinha's winner – a well-executed header from Frenkie de Jong's lofted pass – was the eighth goal scored by a Barcelona substitute in LaLiga this term, more than any other team.

Meanwhile, the Blaugrana's tally of 37 points after 14 games is their joint-third highest at this stage of a season in LaLiga (after claiming 40 points in 2012-13 and 2013-14), and Raphinha believes they have the fight required for a title race.

"I had to think fast," the Brazil winger said of his goal. "The goalkeeper thought I was going to control the ball and that's why he came towards me, but I knew he was going to do that.

"We knew it was going to be very difficult, and it was. It was complicated by the expulsion of Lewandowski and from then on, we knew we would have few chances to get the result.

"The game was very difficult, but if we want to win LaLiga, we have to win these games and, like today, we also have to know how to suffer."

Lorenzo Musetti enjoyed a winning start at the ATP Next Gen Finals in Milan after seeing off Tseng Chun-hsin in straight sets on Tuesday.

The highest seed at the tournament after Holger Rune's withdrawal, world number 23 Musetti eased to a 4-2 4-2 4-2 victory in just 70 minutes at the Allianz Cloud Arena.

The home favourite is making his second appearance at the event and arrives after an impressive year on the ATP Tour that yielded titles in Hamburg and Naples.

"It was really nice," Musetti said during his on-court interview. "I remember playing here from last year. The crowd here is really amazing. They gave me extra energy. I am pretty confident and happy with the win."

Elsewhere in Red Group, third seed Jack Draper was beaten 4-3 (7-5) 4-3 (7-5) 4-3 (7-5) by Dominic Stricker, who became the first player in Next Gen Finals history to win three successive tie-breaks.

Ranked 111th, the Swiss debutant hit 14 aces on the way to overcoming the world number 41.

Meanwhile, in Green Group, San Diego champion Brandon Nakashima prevailed in an epic five-set thriller against Matteo Arnaldi 2-4 4-3 (9-7) 4-3 (7-4) 3-4 (4-7) 4-2.

The fourth seed is aiming to go the extra couple of steps this year, having reached the semi-finals 12 months ago.

"Right from the beginning, it was a lot of critical points, the sets were going by fast, so I just tried to adapt as quick as possible," Nakashima said. "The tie-breaks, I was kind of lucky to squeeze them out, and today I think it was just all about finding a way out here.

"He's a super tough opponent, he was playing really well, and it was just some critical points in the end that helped me get over the line."

The day's other match saw Jiri Lehecka celebrate his 21st birthday by defeating Francesco Passaro 4-1 4-3 (9-7) 4-1 in just 67 minutes on his debut.

Stefano Pioli was left frustrated as his Milan side were held to a 0-0 draw by winless Cremonese in Serie A on Tuesday.

An impressive performance from Cremonese goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi saw him deny the likes of Divock Origi and Junior Messias as Milan dominated the first half.

Origi thought he had broken the deadlock soon after the break, but a VAR check ruled him offside before Cremonese saw out the remaining minutes to pick up a valuable point and prevent Milan from keeping pace with leaders Napoli, who beat Empoli 2-0 earlier on Tuesday.

Attempting to win their second straight league title, Pioli's men now sit eight points Napoli, and the Milan head coach was disappointed in their display as they failed to pick up all three points on the road for the fourth game in seven to start this season, having only dropped points away from San Siro five times last campaign.

"We could have done more tonight," Pioli told DAZN. "We played a decent first half, but the second was not up to par.

"We did not create enough to be really dangerous. With our quality we could do more, despite the few spaces granted by Cremonese.

"In the second half there was little fluidity and clarity. We won a few offensive duels and so it is difficult to score."

Pioli acknowledged the lead that Napoli now hold over his side, and spoke of his desire to see an improved display at the weekend as they look to bounce back against Fiorentina.

"Eight points are a lot," Pioli added. "We don't like this result, but on Sunday we have the opportunity to redeem ourselves.

"We didn't want this gap. Congratulations to Napoli but we could have done more."

Milan drew a blank despite Pioli introducing Rafael Leao with half an hour to play, but the head coach refused to criticise the substitute for the little impact he had.

Pioli explained: "I think it's wrong to point the finger only at a single player [Leao]. If you don't work well as a team, the results won't come. The overall performance was not up to par.

"We expected this attitude from Cremonese. We had some opportunities to score goals, but if you don't unlock them immediately then everything becomes more complicated."

Sadio Mane will undergo an X-ray after sustaining a shin injury during Bayern Munich's 6-1 victory over Werder Bremen, head coach Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed.

The Senegal skipper limped off in the 20th minute at the Allianz Arena, where Serge Gnabry hit a hat-trick as the Bundesliga leaders moved four points clear at the summit. 

Mane now faces a race to be fit for his nation's World Cup opener against the Netherlands on November 21, with Bayern awaiting further tests to determine the severity of the issue.

"He got a blow to the shin," Nagelsmann told Sky. "Maybe, you have to go under the X-ray machine and see if there is something there.

"This is an unpleasant place. I hope there's not something, but I don't know exactly."

Bayern made it nine successive wins, while equalling a club-record by netting four or more times for a fourth successive home league match.

Nagelsmann praised his side after they took their Bundesliga goal tally to 47 already – more than any other team across Europe's top five leagues – though he felt the margin of victory could have been greater.

"Goals are what makes football so appealing," he added. "After 14 matchdays, we have 47 goals in the Bundesliga, that's extraordinary.

"Today, we could have done a lot more. We have good quality on the field and a good spirit. We are very quiet, stable. We played a nice game for the fans."

Graham Potter is one of the best coaches in the Premier League, and Chelsea will be rewarded for sticking with him, according to Pep Guardiola.

Chelsea face Guardiola's Manchester City in the EFL Cup third round on Wednesday – a task Potter is unlikely to relish given recent results.

After a nine-match unbeaten run to start his Stamford Bridge reign, Potter lost 4-1 at former club Brighton and Hove Albion last month.

A narrow defeat to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday was a second in a row domestically, and pressure is already building on the coach.

But Guardiola thinks highly of his opposite number, and he said ahead of their meeting: "I'm not the right person to say that because it's not my business. But if Chelsea accepts my humble advice, with no intention, give him time and he will do well."

The City boss added: "I have a lot of admiration for his work. What he did at Brighton is beyond exceptional, and I'm pretty sure with time he will do a good job.

"I don't have any doubts about this. It's the same with Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton.

"When they start losing games, it's a question of time. If they are patient, he will have an impact in England and he will have it as Graham has done in this country.

"He's one of the best managers, from my point of view, we have in this league."

Guardiola will encounter another man under pressure on Wednesday as former City star Raheem Sterling returns to the Etihad Stadium with Chelsea.

Sterling scored against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League last week, but that was only his fifth goal for Chelsea. He netted 17 for City last season.

"No, no, I cannot judge," Guardiola said. "In the case of Oleks [Zinchenko], Gabi [Jesus] and Raheem, I want the best.

"So, my gratitude to all of them, especially these guys, is immense, immense for what they have done for this club. Just hats off.

"Thank you so much, and I wish him all the best and, hopefully, he's happy there.

"I definitely hope [Sterling gets a good reception]. I always like clubs when they welcome the guys who had been here many years and have been key figures and important roles in our team in all these years.

"Because maybe you forget what happened in the last month, but that is not a reality [of] what happened in a period of six, seven years he was here.

"He deserves it, of course. The same is going to happen with Gabi. When the game starts, of course, you want to beat them. But I think in England, people appreciate that."

There is little point in scrapping the EFL Cup because UEFA and FIFA would just create another competition in its place, according to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

City face Chelsea in the third round of the competition at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday and should they progress, their next game in the competition would be scheduled for the week commencing December 19.

That would cause selection headaches for many competing teams as the World Cup final takes place on December 18.

"If England decide to play this competition [the EFL Cup] then we play this competition because if we don't play the competition, UEFA and FIFA are going to create a new competition. That's for sure," Guardiola said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"They're not going to give us long weeks off. If you cut off this one then another one comes. So no official game [but] friendly games. And after three weeks, start another season.

"Every season is the same so that's why it's not any better. Just put it on the table but [I don't] pay much attention because the things where you cannot control. Why waste energy? Why?"

Several coaches, including Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, have raised consistent concerns about the schedule in England, particularly with the World Cup starting in Qatar later this month.

Guardiola indicated he shares those frustrations, and aired his concerns about a "crazy World Cup" but conceded that complaints do not change anything.

"It is tougher. It is more intense," he said. "Since day one, I said many times, when I was in Barcelona and managing even maybe at Bayern Munich, I listened to the news in England and all the managers complained about the schedules, schedules, the schedules, and 'Why do you play on Saturday at 12 when we play on Wednesday in the Champions League, and the other countries can play on Friday to be more ready for the Champions League?'

"There were complaints but nothing changed. What is going to change? They have 18 teams [in the Bundesliga], we have 20 teams, and one World Cup in this schedule. A crazy World Cup and the players don't rest. I will rest but the players won't rest with the pressure and the tension to go to the World Cup.

"Against Brentford [on Saturday] the players will have one eye on the World Cup. So what happens if you have an injury against Brentford?

"But the schedule is the schedule, the calendar is the calendar. You have to adapt and nothing's going to change. I tell you my opinion.

"We're going to cancel [the EFL Cup]? No, so we have to do it, go and that's all. Nothing's going to change."

Mikel Arteta admits his spell in charge of Arsenal has been "very, very intense" after reaching 150 matches in the Gunners' dugout.

The Spaniard hit the milestone during Sunday's 1-0 win over Chelsea that sent his side back to the Premier League summit following a brilliant start to the season.

Arteta has now matched the number of appearances he made for the Gunners as a player between 2011 and 2016, during which time he won the FA Cup on two occasions.

Speaking ahead of his side's EFL Cup showdown with Brighton, the manager reflected as he approaches nearly three years in the role, having replaced Unai Emery at the helm in December 2019.

"A lot has happened in those two different experiences, but this one has been very, very intense," he said. "The way it started in the middle of the season, and then with two years of Covid, and all the things that we had to go through.

"And now a different phase in the last year or so when football is back to normality, and we start to see more what we want from the team."

Mikel Arteta acknowledges his spell in charge of Arsenal has been "very, very intense" after reaching 150 matches in the Gunners' dugout.

The Spaniard hit the milestone during Sunday's 1-0 win over Chelsea that sent his side back to the Premier League summit following a brilliant start to the season.

Arteta has now matched the number of appearances he made for the Gunners as a player between 2011 and 2016, during which time he won the FA Cup on two occasions.

Speaking ahead of his side's EFL Cup showdown with Brighton, the manager reflected as he approaches nearly three years in the role, having replaced Unai Emery at the helm in December 2019.

"A lot has happened in those two different experiences, but this one has been very, very intense," he said. "The way it started in the middle of the season, and then with two years of Covid, and all the things that we had to go through.

"And now a different phase in the last year or so when football is back to normality, and we start to see more what we want from the team."

Raphinha fired 10-man Barcelona to a dramatic 2-1 win at Osasuna in LaLiga, as the Blaugrana recovered from Robert Lewandowski's first-half dismissal to go five points clear at the summit.

Barca fell behind to David Garcia's early header on Tuesday and were a man down when Lewandowski picked up a second booking for a reckless foul on the goalscorer.  

Unused substitute Gerard Pique ended his Blaugrana career with a whimper when he also saw red for berating the officials at the break, but Xavi's men hit back in the second half, first through Pedri.

Despite Osasuna looking the more likely victors late on, Raphinha came off the bench to nod in five minutes from time, snatching a crucial victory in Barca's final game before the World Cup.

Gerard Pique was sent off in his final match before retirement without getting as far as the pitch as Barcelona played at Osasuna on Tuesday.

With Barca 1-0 down away from home at half-time, Pique, who was named on the bench, was shown a red card for dissent at half-time by referee Jesus Gil Manzano.

Pique had been seen in animated discussion with the official after Robert Lewandowski was earlier given his marching orders.

After an emotional send-off at Camp Nou at the weekend, an eighth LaLiga dismissal brought a premature end to his career.

Milan were held to a goalless draw after a wasteful display meant the champions picked up just a point away at winless Cremonese in Serie A on Tuesday.

Stefano Pioli's side dominated the first half, though a magnificent performance from Cremonese goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi kept out efforts from Divock Origi and Junior Messias.

Origi saw a goal disallowed in the second half and despite some late pressure, the hosts clung on to pick up just their seventh point of the season.

Milan cut Napoli's lead at the top to eight points, but just a draw against such a lowly side will be frustrating for Pioli's men as they lose pace on the table-toppers.

The Rossoneri controlled possession early on, but struggled to create anything clear-cut until Brahim Diaz poked Messias' cross wide after 23 minutes.

They had an even better chance soon after when Origi was slipped through on goal by Ante Rebic, though the former Liverpool striker's low shot was saved by Carnesecchi.

More impressive work from Carnesecchi was required soon after, first diving to his right to palm away Malick Thiaw's header from a corner, before a smart stop to deny Messias ensured Cremonese made it to the break level.

Origi thought he had broken the Cremonese resistance 11 minutes into the second half, but his sliding finish was ruled out by VAR after he was adjudged to be offside.

Rafael Leao was then thwarted by Carnesecchi as Milan pressed for a winner, but they could not find one as they were forced to settle for a point.