Nick Cushing is relishing the “underdog” title put on his New York City FC side as they prepare for their first-round playoff tie against FC Cincinnati.

The Pigeons finished the regular season with a 2-0 defeat to CF Montreal but had already confirmed their spot in the postseason with an impressive victory over rivals, New York Red Bulls.

Cushing acknowledged his side could have finished further up the Eastern Conference rankings, but said his team have shown positive signs they can compete in the playoffs.

“Whether we are the underdog or not, we always fancy ourselves,” Cushing said. “I have huge belief in every guy in that dressing room, and they have huge belief in each other.

“We’ve had some disappointing results and that’s why we sit where we do in the league. The most consistent teams are at the top, but we have also shown a positive reaction to those difficult results.

“For us, it’s about taking the positives. We have always done that. We have always faced up to the areas we need to improve and have always fronted the disappointment.

“We’ve had some top games against Cincinnati, and we’re confident we can put performances in, and we’re motivated for the end.”

Cincinnati, meanwhile, ended the season third in the division, finishing their campaign on a high with a triumph over the Philadelphia Union away from home.

The Orange and Blue have struggled for continuity within their squad in the regular season, with coach Pat Noonan forced to play 42 different line-ups in all 42 matches across all competitions.

Noonan deployed winger Luca Orellano, who has been shortlisted for MLS Newcomer of the Year, as a striker, with the Argentine impressing in that role.

And the Cincinnati boss believes that Orellano can make an impact in a more central role, but said improvements were needed for the visit of NYCFC.

“Yeah, there was a bit of risk in that," Noonan said of starting a player in a new position in such an important matchup. 

"If you're looking at our goal threats, as far as personnel and who's contributed pretty consistently, it's been the three that were up top today, with Lucho, Yuya and Luca.

"There were still a few moments where I think he could have been more patient. But, for having not played in that specific role up to this point, I thought he did a good job."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

Acosta has been the standout player for Cincinnati during the regular season, with his 30 goal contributions in the MLS the highest in the division (level with Lionel Messi and Evander).

He has recorded 13 goal contributions in his career against NYCFC (six goals, seven assists), including contributing to eight goals in his last five MLS matches against the Pigeons (four goals, four assists), contributing to at least one goal in each of those games.

NYCFC – Alonso Martinez

Martinez has scored eight goals in nine appearances since the MLS returned from the Leagues Cup break in August, tied with Messi and Luis Suarez for the most goals in the league in that time.

The Costa Rican has scored one goal against Cincinnati in his three appearances against them, but has only won one match against the Orange and Blue (L2).

MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

This will be the first postseason meeting between Cincinnati and NYCFC. The Pigeons defeated Cincinnati in the last meeting between the two sides, after the Orange and Blue had won the previous five fixtures in all competitions.

Despite being favoured by Opta’s data-led simulations, Noonan’s side won only one of their final six regular-season home matches (D1 L4), including losing the last two in a row at TQL Stadium. Cincinnati had lost six of their previous 39 home league games before losing four of the last six.

But NYCFC have struggled away from home. They won only one of their final 13 away matches in all competitions (D6 L6) dating back to June. That run included a 4-2 loss against Cincinnati in the group stage of the Leagues Cup in August.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Cincinnati – 46.9%

Draw – 26.4%

NYCFC – 26.7%

Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream says it is business as usual for Dean Smith's team as they approach Sunday's MLS Cup Playoff clash with Orlando City.

Charlotte went unbeaten through their final five games of the regular season to finish fifth in the Eastern Conference, while Orlando finished one point clear of them in fourth.

They visit Florida for the opening match of a three-game first-round series on Sunday, having ended a six-match winless run on the road by trouncing D.C. United 3-0 last week.

Former Fulham captain Ream, who has played a key role since returning to the United States in August, says nothing will change about their work in training ahead of the game.

"We're just going about it in the same way we have been doing in the last couple of weeks, doing the right things in training," Ream said.

"We have to make sure we take that into the game this weekend.

"I was expecting to come in and push myself and push the other guys around me from the get-go. It doesn't always work that way but I'm very pleased with where we are."

Orlando, meanwhile, are appearing in the postseason for a fifth straight year, and forward Duncan McGuire has enjoyed being part of a fluid attack under Oscar Pareja this term.

"I'm very excited to get to the playoffs. I think the way we've shown ourselves on the field in the past few months, it's a really good brand of football that I'm excited to be part of," McGuire said.

"The way we finished the season, locking in fourth place, is huge for us, and then we're very excited to host games, which helped us in the first round last year.

"We're very excited to get to Sunday, getting a bunch of numbers forward has allowed us to be successful offensively, having so many goalscorers across this team."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Orlando City – Facundo Torres

Torres has been involved in five of the 10 goals Orlando have scored against Charlotte (three goals, two assists against them), including recording two goals and an assist in the two meetings between the sides this season.

Charlotte FC – Patrick Agyemang

Agyemang's goal last Saturday took him to 16 goal contributions for the season (10 goals, six assists), equalling Karol Swiderski (2022 and 2023) for the most in a single campaign in Charlotte's MLS history. 

No other player in team history has ever recorded 10 goal contributions in a single campaign.

MATCH PREDICTION – ORLANDO CITY WIN

Orlando ended a four-match winless run against Charlotte (two draws, two defeats) with a 2-0 victory in the last meeting between the sides on September 18. That win was the first of the sides' seven all-time meetings to be decided by more than a one-goal margin.

While Charlotte collected 13 points from their last five matches of the regular season, their best return in any five-game span in their MLS history, the Lions enter this one as favourites.

After missing the playoffs in each of their first five MLS seasons, Orlando have reached the postseason in five straight campaigns dating back to 2020, and their big-game experience could be key here.

They have won six of their last eight home matches in MLS play, drawing one and losing one, with five of those victories coming by a margin of more than one goal. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Orlando City – 52%

Charlotte FC – 23.5%

Draw – 24.5%

Reigning champions Mona High produced a six-star performance to start the second round of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup as they hammered St Jago High 6-0 in a lopsided Group One affair at Stadium East Field on Friday.

A brace from Javier Dunn (30th, 56th), and one each from Denzel McKenzie (11th), Demarion Harris (37th), Carlton Brown (67th), and goalkeeper Riquelme Edwards with an 83rd-minute penalty conversion, did the damage for Mona High.

The win saw them take an early lead in the group, which also includes Campion College and St George’s College.

Earlier, St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) came from behind to hold Wolmer’s Boys to a 2-2 stalemate in the curtain-raiser of the double-header. Both STATHS and Wolmer’s Boys have a point in Group Three, with Hydel and Kingston College set to lock horns in the other group fixture on Saturday.

In the feature contest, Mona were always favoured to come out tops given their impressive run of form so far this season, while St Jago progressed as one of the best third-placed teams.

It took Mona little time to assert their authority on the encounter as McKenzie drove home a firm effort from just over 20 yards out for his 13th of the season.

The lead was doubled in at the half-hour mark when Dunn slammed home a right-footer past Adriano Lawrence in goal for St Jago to finish off a decent build-up.

Harris then got in on the act seven minutes later as he fired home after St Jago failed to clear their lines from a corner to put Mona 3-0 up at the break.

The one-way traffic continued on the resumption as St Jago’s lone clearest shot on target was Reece Roman’s 54th-minute shot from a distance.

Two minutes later, Dunn extended Mona’s lead when his intended cross swirled towards goal and left the hapless Lawrence beaten all ends up.

As if things couldn’t get worse for St Jago, Brown struck what might arguably be the goal of the season as he unleashed a delightful drive from the top of the centre circle that gave Lawrence no chance at a save.

Edwards then capped the win with an easy conversion from the 12-yard spot after Brown was felled inside the danger area.

Earlier, STATHS came from behind twice, including a stoppage time equaliser to deny Wolmer’s Boys three points.

Wolmer’s opened the scoring in the seventh minute when captain Daquan Duhaney comfortably slotted home from close range.

However, the lead was short-lived as STATHS pulled level through Kennardo Gordon, whose deflected effort flew past Wolmer’s goalkeeper Yuri Dryden.

Wolmer’s regained the lead in the 34th minute courtesy of Alex Wright’s easy tap-in.

STATHS launched a series of attacks in the hunt for the equaliser and would have had on a few occasions, but for some excellent glovework by Dryden, who literally three his body on the line to keep Wolmer’s in front.

But, STATHS were not to be denied, as they inevitably got back on level terms when Ajetai Marshall fired home in the 90+5 minute to keep his team in the hunt for a quarterfinal berth.

The top two from each group will contest the quarterfinals.

Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz fell 3-0 to powerhouse France in an international friendly contest that demonstrated their tenacity as much as it did the defensive lapses at the Stade Auguste-Bonal on Friday.

Facing a French team ranked 10th in the world, the Reggae Girlz showed early cohesion and confidence that hinted at the prospect of another brave performance similar to when they held the same opponents to goalless stalemate at last year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup.

But as the game wore on, France’s unrelenting pressure found cracks in Jamaica’s defence, resulting in two costly errors in the first half that set the tone for a challenging evening.

Clara Mateo (22nd), captain Wendie Renard (39th) and Sandy Baltimore (48th) got on the scoresheet for France, who in all honesty, could have won by a much wider margin.

Despite the result, Reggae Girlz Head coach Hubert Busby emphasized the value of facing elite teams like France.

“Coming up against a really good French team in a really competitive environment was always going to be tough, but I thought overall, as the game went on, the team got better. Again, I think these are the games that we want to play and we have to just keep on building on what we want to do as we head into the next window,” Busby said in a post-game interview.

“When you bring in new players into the group, you can see that they are a little bit disjointed, so the more that we can continue to be together and keep building as a group, the better we'll be. So as of right now, we kind of turn the page and get ready for the next window in Jamaica when we host South Africa. And then we look to build on the, the principles that we've laid this week and look to correct some of the things that we didn't do as well in tonight's match,” he added.

The Girlz showed no signs of being intimidated in the opening minutes, as they moved the ball effectively and kept France’s backline engaged at times.

But as France settled and pressed deeper into Jamaica’s territory, the Girlz’s defence began to struggle under the mounting pressure. The French breakthrough came when Chantelle Swaby attempted to clear, but the ball went astray and into the path of Mateo, who swiftly fired past Rebecca Spencer in goal for Jamaica.

France continued to apply pressure and consistently found gaps in Jamaica’s defence as they created numerous chances which required Spencer to be on her toes. On one of those occasions, the Tottenham Hotspur goaltender got down well in time to parry an effort from Kenza Dali.

However, minutes later Renard eluded Allyson Swaby and Vyan Sampson deep in Jamaica’s 18-yard box and used the full length of her lanky figure to soar high head home Mateo’s weighted corner kick to put France 2-0 up at the break.

Busby, seeing the need for adjustments, made tactical changes in the second half, particularly in the middle of the park, with hopes of getting in behind France’s high defensive line.

Still, the Girlz struggled to contain the French attackers and another defensive mishap saw them fall further behind. This, as Baltimore rifled a left-footer past Spencer after Delphine Cascarino’s cross eluded Tiffany Cameron, who attempted to head clear.

Though three goals down, the Girlz tried to play their game and Jody Brown skipped a defender on a break in the 63rd minute, but her shot was charged down by a second defender.

Five minutes later Kayla McKenna had a grand opportunity to pull one back for the Girlz, but her first touch to get around France’s goalkeeper Constance Picaud in a one-on-one situation was too heavy and the opportunity went begging.

France thought they had another when Renard again headed home from close range, but the goal was called back by VAR for an offside in the build up play.

John Mousinho was left upset and disappointed by his Portsmouth side as they remained bottom of the Championship following a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Friday.

Connor Ogilvie handed Portsmouth a deserved lead a minute before half-time after a corner kick found the defender unmarked at the back post to fire home. 

But Wednesday responded strongly after the break, levelling through Josh Windass who finished from close range after Michael Smith's clever knock-down. 

Smith then sealed the win in stunning fashion in the 70th minute, rifling a sweet first-time strike from outside the box into the top corner against his former club. 

Portsmouth are still without a win at Fratton Park since their return to the Championship, and have now lost 12 points from winning positions in the second tier this season, more than any other team.

"I’m disappointed, especially with the nature of losing after going a goal up into half-time," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent. 

"It was a contrasting performance, from Tuesday night at Cardiff, but ultimately, we haven’t done enough to win the game and weren’t quite good enough to do it.

"I’m still really upset with the fact we lost it, but there was a very different message to the players in the dressing room compared to Tuesday.

"That being said, we still have to be a lot better."

But for Sheffield Wednesday and Danny Rohl, they are now unbeaten in their last three away games, and moved into the top half of the table ahead of this weekend's action. 

The Owls face Premier League side Brentford in the last 16 of the EFL Cup next Tuesday, and Rohl believes the comeback win can only be a positive moving forward.

"It was a strong comeback after being 1-0 down," Rohl told BBC Radio Sheffield. 

"First half we were okay but we changed things at half-time. Coming from behind at Coventry and now here shows a step forward in our development.

"It's just three points, we climb the table eight places with a win but if you lose you drop down.

"But for me it's more important to improve and there is still room for that."

Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood is not aiming to rival the "formidable" Erling Haaland for the Premier League's Golden Boot after netting a brace against Leicester City. 

Wood took his tally to seven for the season with two second-half goals in Forest's 3-1 win over rivals Leicester, after Ryan Yates saw his opener cancelled out by Jamie Vardy.

The 32-year-old's double saw him move level with Stan Collymore on 22 Premier League goals for Forest, with only Bryan Roy (24) scoring more for the club in the competition.

Only Manchester City's Haaland (10) has scored more times than Wood this term, though the New Zealander was not getting carried away with his fine start to the campaign.

"I just want to keep scoring as many as I can. He's [Haaland] a very formidable man, and he's probably going to score 30 goals this season," Wood said.

"He's a very formidable man to chase. He's {Nuno Espirito Santo] come in and put an emphasis on putting the ball in the box. He's worked on that in the training pitch."

It's been a remarkable turnaround for Wood, who has flourished under Nuno Espirito Santo since his arrival at the City Ground.

Since Nuno's first game in charge of Forest in December 2023, only Haaland (18) has scored more non-penalty goals in the Premier League than Wood (17).

"It's consistency with what Nuno's been working on. We got better and better last season but we also conceded poor goals at times," Wood continued.

"I think consistency is the biggest thing. I wouldn't say it fuelled us, we conceded a lot of set-piece goals and we worked at that and we've got to keep going."

Nuno also sung the praises of his in-form forward, saying Wood deserves all the praise he is receiving at the moment. 

"He's done an amazing job. He's very honest and he gives everything on the pitch for us. We are delighted and we want to continue. Chris deserves his plaudits," Nuno said. 

For Leicester, meanwhile, it marked a tough encounter for Steve Cooper, who was facing his former side for the first time since leaving the club almost a year ago. 

Coming into the game on the back of consecutive wins, the Foxes' defensive lapses were ruthlessly punished by Forest. 

James Justin's poor clearance allowed Yates to open the scoring, before Harry Winks' poor pass and Wout Faes' mistimed header were gobbled up by Wood. 

“It's self-inflicted, no doubt about that, and it's on us. We all have to take responsibility for how the game panned out," Cooper said.

"We made poor mistakes for the goals, no doubt about it, and we were punished for it but I just think conceding so early on in the second half was obviously not a good thing.

"We have to take responsibility for it. It's a setback after winning a few games coming into this.

"We have to accept it, completely on us and me and we’ve got punished for the poor giveaways on the goals."

Sweden put one foot in the second round of the Women's Euro 2025 qualification play-offs by beating Luxembourg 4-0, while Czechia routed Belarus 8-1.

Sweden, semi-finalists at the last European Championships in 2022, were comfortable winners in the first leg of their tie, with Arsenal's Stine Blackstenius and Chelsea's Johanna Rytting Kaneryd joining Filippa Angeldahl and Evelyn Ijeh on the scoresheet.

They were not the most convincing victors of the day, though, as Czechia ran riot in Velika Gorica despite going down to 10 players when Eliska Sonntagova was sent off in the 55th minute.

Katerina Svitkova and Kamila Dubcova both scored twice for Czechia, who had six different goalscorers in their win.

Earlier on Friday, Norway all-but secured their spot in the next phase with a resounding 5-0 victory in Albania.

Arsenal's Frida Maanum opened the scoring, driving home after latching onto Caroline Hansen's flick, before centre-back Guro Bergsvand added a first-half brace to take the game away from the hosts.

Lyon great Ada Hegerberg came off the bench on the hour mark and scored with her first touch – a sumptuous volley – just 45 seconds later, then Mathilde Harviken round off the scoring in the 74th minute.

Portugal also recorded a dominant success, winning 4-1 in Azerbaijan after racing into a three-goal lead within the first 26 minutes.

Early goals from Ana Capeta, Tatiana Pinto and Diana Gomes put the visitors in command, with Diana Silva restoring their three-goal advantage late on after Nazlican Parlak had pulled one back for Azerbaijan.

There were also victories for the Republic of Ireland, who triumphed 4-0 in Georgia, and Scotland, who edged out Hungary 1-0 on their travels.

The return fixtures take place on Tuesday, with 14 ties taking place in total to decide who advances to the second round, set to take place in November and December.

Seven more places are up for grabs at the tournament, which will begin in Switzerland on July 2 and finish on July 27.

Sarina Wiegman believes England's 4-3 defeat to Germany was exactly the preparations needed in order to defend their European Championship crown next year.

In a repeat of their 2022 Euros final, Germany exacted their revenge at Wembley, helped by an impressive first 30 minutes. 

The visitors were awarded a penalty when Millie Bright tangled with Linda Dallmann, with Giulia Gwinn firing home before notching her second seven minutes later. 

Klara Buhl added Germany's third in the 29th minute, but the Lionesses responded with a penalty of their own when Gwinn was penalised for handling the ball in the area. 

Georgia Stanway tucked away the spot-kick and grabbed her second soon after, flashing the ball into the top corner from close range after being picked out by Beth Mead.

But after the break, Germany were awarded another penalty when Alessia Russo was penalised for fouling Pia-Sophie Wolter, with Sara Dabritz scoring from 12 yards.

However, Lucy Bronze handed England a lifeline 10 minutes from time after pouncing on an error by visiting goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, but Germany held on for the win. 

"That is why we play those games. Top level games where you get challenged and if you don't get the things right then you get exploited," Wiegman said.

"That is what we want; to see where we are at, get as much information as possible and get players minutes to build connections.

"That is what we want to build preparations for the Euros."

But there were concerns about England's defence at Wembley, with several errors allowing Germany to capitalise at Wembley. 

Captain Leah Williamson's misplaced pass ended up in Bright bringing down Dallmann, before Jess Carter failed to track Gwinn as she raced through unmarked to fire a second past Hannah Hampton. 

Hampton was then beaten at her near post by Buhl's strike, with the Lionesses giving Wiegman plenty of food for thought at full-time. 

"Losing the ball at moments that we should not lose the ball. Germany challenged us but if we had taken out more of those unforced errors then they can't counter attack," Wiegman said.

"There were moments that they challenged us tactically - we wanted to press higher but we needed to find out the triggers.

"When do we stay compact and wait, versus when do we go?"

Chris Wood continued his fine form for Nottingham Forest as his two goals helped them to a 3-1 East Midlands derby win over former boss Steve Cooper and Leicester City.

Ryan Yates profited from Leicester’s failure to clear their lines for the opening goal, curling an effort beyond Mads Hermansen for only his second Premier League strike.

The Foxes drew level through talisman Jamie Vardy soon afterwards, though, with the veteran forward rounding off a fine move with a neat finish at the near post.

But two goals in 13 second-half minutes from Wood sealed Forest's win, the striker finishing brilliantly on the turn before heading home to make it a brace against his former club.

The result moves Forest to within a point of the top four ahead of this weekend's action, while Leicester remain in 14th.

Data Debrief: Wood hands Leicester an early Halloween scare

Having scored 20 goals in 62 appearances in all competitions for Leicester, Wood has found a new home in the East Midlands with Forest.

The New Zealander's brace moved him level with Stan Collymore on 22 Premier League goals for Forest. Only Bryan Roy (24) has scored more for the club in the competition.

This season, only Erling Haaland (10) has scored more goals than Wood (seven), while since Nuno Espirito Santo's first game in charge of Forest, only Haaland (18) has netted more non-penalty goals in the Premier League than Wood (17). 

Forest have now won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since December 2023. The Tricky Trees have won four of their nine league games this season (D4 L1), as many as their final 18 of last term (W4 D4 L10).

Erik ten Hag is sure that Manchester United's ongoing injury woes are holding them back in their quest for continuity on all fronts. 

Ten Hag watched on as Antony was forced off during their 1-1 draw with Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, despite no one being near the Brazilian. 

The Red Devils were already without 10 first-team players for their trip to Turkiye, nine because of injury, as their struggles from last season begin to resurface once again. 

Last campaign, United suffered 45 injuries, more than any other team in the top flight, and they have again endured a stuttering start to the season as a result.

Ten Hag's side have won four of their 13 matches in all competitions (drawn five, lost four), while also ranking in the bottom 10 for expected goals against (xGA) with 12.4 in the Premier League.

The likes of Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro and Tyrell Malacia are all yet to make an appearance this term, and Ten Hag believes it has become a problem at Old Trafford.

"Yes, it holds us back in our levels and also in our position in the league," said Ten Hag. "When you don’t have the players available, you can't line up the best team."

Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount are other notable absentees, but defender Jonny Evans is expected to return to the fold ahead of United's fixture with West Ham on Sunday.

The Red Devils hoped they would solve their problems through the hiring of Gary O'Driscoll from Arsenal as their new head of medicine 12 months ago.

However, that has failed to transpire, and Ten Hag knows his side will struggle to fulfil their potential until an answer can be found.

"We need more players available often," he said. "We all have to work together on this point - the players, the coaching staff and all the other staff.

"We have to do better at that because we know when we have them we are a really tough team to play and we can be really successful."

Enzo Maresca is unfazed by a daunting set of fixtures that pits Chelsea against Newcastle United, Manchester United and Arsenal within a fortnight, taking confidence from the Blues' performance at Anfield last week.

Chelsea suffered just their second defeat of the Premier League season last Sunday, going down by a 2-1 scoreline against early pacesetters Liverpool.

However, Maresca said there were plenty of positives for Chelsea to take from a game that saw Reece James and Romeo Lavia return from injury, and his much-changed side then crushed Panathinaikos 4-1 in the Europa League on Thursday.

On Sunday, they welcome Newcastle to Stamford Bridge, before going to Tyneside for a swift rematch in the EFL Cup's last 16 on Wednesday.

League games at Old Trafford and at home to Arsenal then follow before November 10, a run that could provide the sternest examination of Maresca's credentials to date.

"The Liverpool game was very good. We were good with the ball and without the ball," Maresca told reporters at Friday's pre-match press conference.

"For sure there are many things we could do better. We could attack better in the final third. But the guys were brave, trying to press man-to-man.

"We need to play against all of them. We have met Liverpool and now have three games in a row against Newcastle, Manchester United and Arsenal. But the Premier League is tough."

Nicolas Jackson was on target on Merseyside last time out, and he has now recorded 13 goal involvements in his last 13 Premier League appearances (nine goals, four assists).

The Senegal striker also netted Chelsea's opener when they last faced Newcastle, in a 3-2 victory in March, but he faces competition from Christopher Nkunku after the Frenchman scored in Greece on Thursday.

"We know Nicolas Jackson is very important for us," Maresca continued. "On the ball, he's scoring, assisting and linking with his team-mates. Off the ball, he's working hard, pressing the way we want to press. He's doing fantastic.

"We have Christopher Nkunku also who is going to help us because the season is very long, we have so many games, and also the gameplan can be more for Christopher than Nico. We can choose."

Stuart Pearce would not be surprised if this is Pep Guardiola's final season at Manchester City.

Guardiola joined City in 2016 and has since won six Premier League titles, including each of the last four, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

The Spaniard has taken charge of 485 matches in all competitions, winning 352 of those games to boast a 72.6% win rate.

However, he is currently in the final year of his contract and has hinted in recent months that he is closer to the end of his time at City than the start of it.

When asked if he thought Guardiola was in his final season, Pearce, who managed City between 2005 and 2007, told Stats Perform: "Yeah, I do.

"I thought that maybe last year as well. The intensity that he works at is quite incredible.

"You know, I think Jurgen Klopp stepped away from it because of the intensity he was working at. I think the same could apply with Pep as well.

"I mean how he drives, and you've only got to look at his body language game by game. The way he turns it out is quite incredible.

"But it wouldn't surprise me if this was his last season, and I think City have got to be guarded and ready for that because there could be a big drop-off when he walks out.

"You've only got to look across the city in Manchester and see the Alex Ferguson scenario when he left, the drop-off from there.

"But listen, Man City fans have got to look and say we've had a brilliant decade or so. They've been unbelievable, but they've got to replace him, and it'll be really important that they get the right replacement when the time's right.

"I personally hope that he stays in English football for another decade because, watching his teams and the brand of football that he's played at Man City, this is a football that I've never seen before in my lifetime."

City won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title last season and are tipped as the favourites to win the competition once more, with the Opta computer giving them a 73.6% chance of getting their hands on the trophy.

They have been pushed closely by Arsenal in the last two years though, edging the Gunners to the crown by just two points last season, snatching it on the final day.

The two sides faced off earlier this season, playing out an intriguing 2-2 draw, with the Gunners unable to hold out for a win with 10 men due to John Stones' late equaliser.

"I think the head-to-head between them has been absolutely brilliant," Pearce added. "You've got two heavyweights slugging it out there.

"Manchester City have set the pace over the last decade to be honest, and they're the team to chase in the main. Arsenal have arrived and to have a manager that's worked inside Manchester City adds a little bit more spice to the situation as well. And there's very little to choose between both of them.

"I was asked who I thought would win the league this summer and I said Arsenal. I think what Arsenal have got to do to close the gap maybe, to get their hands on the trophy, is probably make sure that they don't drop points like they did at home to Brighton.

"I think they can go toe-to-toe with Manchester City now, I really do. But Man City are magnificent. The manager in charge of the football club just drives them continually, which is incredible.

"Arsenal have closed the gap to, listen, it's such thin margins now, it's incredible. And on top of that, Liverpool had a change of manager that I thought, well, this might take them a little while to get over. It has galvanised them for some brilliant, brilliant results this season."

Manchester City did not anticipate the meteoric rise of Cole Palmer, who has become the best player in the Premier League since leaving for Chelsea.

That is the view of former City defender and manager Stuart Pearce, who believes Palmer's form could even lead to Phil Foden or Jude Bellingham being omitted from the England team.

Palmer left City for Chelsea in a £40million deal last year after struggling for regular minutes at the Etihad Stadium, and he has wasted no time in establishing himself as the Blues' star man.

He has 44 direct goal involvements (28 goals, 16 assists) in the Premier League for Chelsea, more than any other player has managed since the start of last season.

He became the first player to score four goals in the first half of a Premier League game against Brighton and Hove Albion last month, and only City striker Erling Haaland (10) has bettered his tally of six top-flight goals this term.

While Pep Guardiola has said Palmer's sale was not a mistake, citing the fierce competition for places at City, Pearce believes his form will have surprised his former club.

"I watched Cole Palmer in the last internationals and he's so aware, before he gets the ball, of what is around him and he just manipulates that ball brilliantly as challenges come in," Pearce told Stats Perform.

"Now for what he's done, I don't think Manchester City envisaged how well he was going to do when he left the football club. 

"With Cole Palmer, it will be difficult to turn around and say he's not the best player in the Premier League at this moment in time, or certainly last season. 

"His goals tally and his assists tally are there for all to see. He's quite incredible. With his understanding of where to be on a football pitch, you almost want him to be the central figure."

Palmer has also made an impact on the international stage, coming off the bench to score for England in their 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.

Lee Carsley, who remains in interim charge of England until Thomas Tuchel takes the reins in January, has fielded Palmer from the right wing, but Pearce thinks he must be allowed positional freedom to show his best form.

"Last game [a 3-1 Nations League win in Finland] he played wide on the right, I think his instructions were to stay on the right because [Jack] Grealish comes off the flank a little bit more," Pearce said.

"It's about where best to play Cole Palmer to get the best out of him. I think it's tucked inside, inside right, number 10, wherever. 

"It's about getting that balance right and you might have to leave Foden or Bellingham out to accommodate him on any given day. Now that is a tough call for any manager, but he's been incredible for Chelsea."

Concacaf has conducted the official draw for the 2025 Concacaf U-17 Men’s Qualifiers. The region’s FIFA U-17 World Cup qualifying competition will take place from February 7-16, 2025, across six venues and include the participation of 35 Concacaf Member Associations. 

The new Concacaf U-17 Men’s Qualifiers consist of a single round, in which the participating Member Associations are split into eight groups. After round-robin play, where each team will play against each team in its group once, the eight group winners qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.   

The eight groups are as follows: 

Group A: Canada, Bermuda, Curacao, Anguilla, and Turks and Caicos Islands 

Group B: Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, British Virgin Islands, and Sint Maarten 

Group C: Mexico, Nicaragua, Barbados, Belize, and Dominica 

Group D: Honduras, Puerto Rico, Bonaire and Saint Martin 

Group E: Haiti, Guatemala, Antigua & Barbados, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 

Group F: United States, Cuba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and US Virgin Islands 

Group G: Panama, Dominican Republic, Aruba, and Grenada 

Group H: Jamaica, El Salvador, Cayman Islands, and Saint Lucia  

Matches will be divided across six venues: Bermuda will host Group A, Costa Rica Group B and F, Mexico Group C, Honduras Group D, Guatemala Groups E and H, and Panama Group G. 

Saturday's game between Bologna and Milan has been postponed due to heavy rain and flooding in the area, Serie A confirmed.

The clubs and the league organisers met on Friday in an attempt to find alternative arrangements, after Bologna mayor Matteo Lepore had earlier announced that he had ordered the suspension of the match.

An agreement could not be reached, with solutions such as playing the game in Bologna behind closed doors or at a neutral stadium rejected, and the game has been postponed with a rescheduled date yet to be announced.

"The match is postponed because, with a decision that in my opinion is incomprehensible, the mayor has prohibited the match from being played even behind closed doors," Milan chairman Paolo Scaroni told reporters after the meeting.

The municipality of Bologna said in a statement that the match would bring around 35,000 people near the most critical area of the city, causing problems due to the presence of fans and traffic closure in the surrounding area.

With both clubs involved in the Champions League, finding a new date for the postponed game will prove difficult, and Milan will now be without Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders for Tuesday's match against leaders Napoli.

Both players were set to be suspended for the Bologna game, but will now serve their suspension in the next match instead.