Barry Bonds had plenty of epic at-bats in his career as the greatest slugger the baseball world has ever seen.

In a video for the San Francisco Giants YouTube channel, Bonds sat down with commentator Duane Kuiper to share memories of some of his most iconic moments at the plate at Oracle Park.

One of those battles was a matchup against Dodgers closer Eric Gagne in April of 2004. At the time, Bonds was the three-time reigning NL MVP, and Gagne was the reigning NL Cy Young winner. This was the type of battle that lives in the dreams of baseball fans.

According to Bonds, he was able to get the pitch he was looking for thanks to a clever bit of gamesmanship. The drama started when Gagne delivered a heater inside that nearly clipped Bonds.

“I thought he broke my rib cage, because he came in tight. That was like 101 [mph]. When he cut me inside I was like, ‘Oh no.’ I knew it was on,” Bonds explained. “You’ll see me stare him down going, ‘That wasn’t the deal brother, but if you want to play the game, we’re going to play the game.’ I just wanted to send a message, don’t do that.”

Bonds then broke out a trick that his father taught him for dealing with a flamethrower.

“My dad always told me that if a guy throws that hard, send him a message and pull it very, very hard foul, and I guarantee you the next pitch is away.”

Bonds pulled one very, very hard. And when the next pitch was delivered away, he smacked it out of the park.

There’s nothing like a chess match between two of the best in the business.

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and Arsenal keeping a clean sheet.

Mikel Arteta’s side matched a 122-year club record on Tuesday night by doing so for the eighth game on the bounce in their Champions League win over Slavia Prague.

To their credit, the Czech side came out of the blocks like a house on fire, but after the 20-minute mark, the Gunners established control over the game that remained until the final whistle.

However, while most of the team impressed, there was one player who looked off the pace and was far less effective than Mikel Merino.

Merino's night vs Slavia

With Viktor Gyokeres joining Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus on the injury list over the weekend, Merino was once again drafted in to start up top.

Given the fact that the Czech giants hadn’t lost a home game since December, it was always going to be a challenging evening for the makeshift number nine, and early on, it looked it.

However, just 35 seconds into the second half, the Spanish international once again found himself in the right place at the right time and buried a brilliant cross from Leandro Trossard.

It wasn’t a lucky or scrappy goal, though; it was a well-timed run and a proper centre-forward’s finish on the half volley.

With his name on the scoreboard, the 29-year-old seemed to grow in confidence and just 22 minutes later headed home his second from a Declan Rice delivery.

He did more than bag a brace, though, as in his 95 minutes of action, he played one key pass, took 52 touches, covered 10.2km, made three interceptions, two clearances and three recoveries.

It really was a man-of-the-match display from Merino and one that should fill Arteta with confidence ahead of a tricky game away to Sunderland on Saturday.

However, there was another starter who more than likely played himself out of the team.

Arsenal's underwhelming star

Unfortunately, while the likes of Merino, Trossard and Rice were looking brilliant against Slavia, Ethan Nwaneri was not.

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Now, there is no denying that the 18-year-old is an extraordinarily talented prospect and someone who still seems destined for big things.

However, it is also true that he was the most underwhelming player for the Gunners on Tuesday night and looked like an inexperienced youngster.

For example, while he did get himself into promising areas on several occasions, he’d then either lose the ball, play the wrong pass or hold on to it for too long.

As content creator Alex Moneypenny points out, the Hale Ender will have to “prioritise retention” more if he “wants to go to the next level.”

It might sound harsh, but the Sun’s Chisanga Malata was also unimpressed, awarding the teen a 5/10 match rating and writing that he “was anonymous in the first half and struggled to get into the game.”

Unfortunately, his statistics more than back up such an appraisal, as in 65 minutes he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.04, failed to complete a single cross, took 30 touches – 18 fewer than David Raya – completed just 18 passes, lost possession six times and won two of seven duels.

Minutes

65′

Expected Goals

0.03

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.01

Assists

0

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Accurate Passes

18/19

Touches

30

Lost Possession

6

Tackles (Won)

1 (0)

Ground Duels (Won)

6 (2)

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

Fouls

2

Ultimately, Nwaneri is an incredible talent and will surely get back to his best this season, but due to his poor performance against Slavia, he should be dropped for the Sunderland game.

Arsenal "warrior" who won 100% duels is looking like Arteta's new Gabriel

Arsenal may have unearthed another Gabriel during their 3-0 win over Slavia Prague.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 5, 2025

Manchester United find themselves building something worthwhile under Ruben Amorim and could now be set to outstrip their rivals to sign Leicester City sensation Jeremy Monga.

While having to settle for a draw at the City Ground last Saturday may have been a frustrating outcome, there were plenty of positives on show as the Red Devils came from a goal down to claim a point at Nottingham Forest.

Four Premier League matches unbeaten may not have the same ring to it as five wins in a row. However, there is undeniable progress being made at Old Trafford, and Amorim’s side are starting to find consistency in time for the festive run of fixtures.

Still, the former Sporting boss is keen to seek more improvement, pointing out that his side suffered from lapses of concentration that ended their hopes of another victory on the road.

He said on Match of the Day: “If I think about game, we lost control for five minutes. I feel in the recent past if we had had this situation, going from 1-0 up to 2-1 down, we would’ve struggled so much more than we did today.

“My feeling is that we played well but we dropped a little bit of energy. When we are full of energy, we are the better team. My players are giving everything but we have the potential to do better and sometimes we have these moments.”

There is a feeling that the best is still to come under Amorim. His reign has taken time to get off the ground, but the January window and beyond offers another chance to shape his team with key reinforcements.

With that in mind, the Red Devils are feeling some optimism that they could beat bitter rivals Manchester City to sign a top talent.

Man Utd looking to beat Man City to sign Leicester City star Jeremy Monga

According to Football Insider, Man Utd hold optimism that they can sign Jeremy Monga from Leicester City, and they could land him for as little as £2 million due to the fact the 16-year-old isn’t yet eligible to pen a professional deal at the Foxes until he turns 17.

Coming under the bracket of nominal compensation, the Red Devils’ target has registered a solitary strike and an assist in 12 appearances this campaign, breaking Jude Bellingham’s record as the Championship’s youngest ever goalscorer against Preston North End.

Compared to Ousmane Dembele by Ben Mattinson, he came close to joining Manchester City and Liverpool earlier in the year, and the Red Devils see Monga as the next in a line of poaching elite talent from other clubs following their additions of Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi Martin.

Manchester United are keen to back Amorim over the coming years, and securing prodigious stars who can potentially go on to become worth millions is an effective way of breeding squad improvement, factoring in financial limitations.

Man Utd are also preparing a big-money bid for a star from South America

That process will take time and effort, granted, though profiling players like Monga is the way to go if the Red Devils have designs on eventually rejoining the Premier League elite.

علّق حازم إمام، نجم الزمالك السابق، على أداء الفارس الأبيض خلال الفترة الأخيرة، متحدثًا عن أبرز نقاط القوة والضعف التي ظهرت في مواجهة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي بكأس الكونفدرالية، ومحللًا قرارات الجهاز الفني ومستوى عدد من اللاعبين.

وقال حازم إمام في تصريحات إذاعية عبر إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “الزمالك، من وجهة نظري، قدّم مباراة جيدة إلى حدٍّ ما، لكنه فريق محيّر بالنسبة لي، في مباراة زيسكو، ورغم الفوز، لم يؤدِّ الفريق مباراة قوية، كما لعب وهو يفتقد عبد الله السعيد وعددًا من اللاعبين المهمين مثل دونجا، في ظل إصابات ومشكلات عديدة داخل الفريق”.

وتابع: “مباراة زيسكو جعلت الكثيرين يتحدثون عن حالة الفريق، وعن عبد الرؤوف وتغييراته، ثم فجأة تجد نفسك أمام فريق مثل كايزر تشيفز، وهو فريق محترم للغاية ويقدّم كرة جميلة، كما أن فرق جنوب إفريقيا دائمًا ما تُرهق الفرق المصرية بأسلوبها المعتمد على التمريرات”.

وأضاف: “وجدت أن الزمالك بقيادة عبد الرؤوف وضع تشكيلًا جيدًا للغاية، ووضع محمد إسماعيل في مركز مهم، وأود الإشادة بكلٍّ من عبد الرؤوف وإسماعيل، فاختيار إسماعيل في هذا المركز كان موفقًا جدًا، إسماعيل قدّم مباراة ممتازة كمدافع وسط (رقم 6)، رغم أنه لم يسبق له اللعب بهذا الدور مع الزمالك، وواجه مباراة كبيرة خارج الديار، ومع ذلك كان رائعًا”.

وواصل: “إسماعيل أعجبني كثيرًا؛ يقطع الكرة جيدًا، ويجيد المراوغة والتمرير، وهذا أمر غير معتاد كثيرًا في لاعبي مركز 6، لديه رؤية، ويلعب الكرة بثقة، وأعتقد أن استبداله كان بسبب حصوله على بطاقة إنذار وخشية حصوله على إنذار ثانٍ”.

وأردف: “الكثير من اللاعبين في مسيرتهم ينتقلون من مركز إلى آخر ويتحولون إلى لاعبين أفضل، مدحت عبد الهادي مثلًا كان يلعب كجناح أيمن في الناشئين، ثم تم توظيفه كقلب دفاع، وأصبح من أهم مدافعي الزمالك ومصر”.

وأضاف: “إسماعيل لاعب جيد أيضًا في مركز قلب الدفاع، لكني أعجبت به كثيرًا في مركز الوسط المدافع في مباراة الأمس، لأنه يمتلك روؤية ومهارات”.

طالع أيضًا | “على مسؤوليتي”.. شوبير يرشح لاعبًا لـ الزمالك بعد أزمة عواد وينتقد الإدارة

أشار: “الفرقة كلها كانت جيدة؛ فتوح قدم أداءً ممتازًا، وعمر جابر، والونش، وحسام عبد المجيد، وصبحي حتى اللقطة الشهيرة، أما ناصر ماهر فلم يكن في أفضل حالاته، وسيف الجزيري دائمًا ما أقول إنه أفضل مهاجم في الزمالك، ولا يجب إبعاده أبدًا”.

وتابع: “سيف الجزيري سجّل هدفًا لم يُحتسب بداعي وجود التحام، وعندما أعيدت اللقطة لم يظهر أي خطأ، نحن في 2025 ونلعب في إفريقيا دون وجود تقنية الفار! الزمالك بالأمس تعرّض لمواقف كانت بحاجة لمراجعة فار، وكذلك الأهلي في مباراته”.

وأكمل: “الزمالك قدّم مباراة كبيرة وكان يستحق الفوز، لأول مرة منذ فترة أرى الزمالك أمام فريق جنوب إفريقي، وهو في وضع غير جيد، ويقدّم هذا الأداء، سجّل هدفين، وسيطر على الكرة، بينما لم يصنع الفريق الجنوب أفريقي أي فرصة خطيرة تقريبًا سوى كرة سيرينو”.

وشدد: “البعض يلوم محمد صبحي على الهدف، وهو بالفعل يتحمل جزءًا من المسؤولية، لكن في المقابل كان يمكن للزمالك إنهاء المباراة بنتيجة 2–0 أو 3–0 بسهولة، خصوصًا في فرصة بيزيرا التي أهدرها بسبب اللعب الفردي وعدم التمرير لزملائه”.

واختتم: “هذه الفرص لا تتكرر كثيرًا أمام فرق قوية، وعليك أن تسجّل لتتجنب أي أخطاء قد تحدث، الكرة التي سكنت شباك صبحي لم يتعامل معها بشكل صحيح، فدخلت هدفًا، ومنحت كايزر تشيفز نقطة وأملًا جديدًا، لكني أعتقد أن الزمالك والمصري هما الأقرب لحسم المركزين الأول والثاني في هذه المرحلة”.

Manchester City return to action in the Premier League this afternoon as they welcome Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth to The Etihad.

The Cityzens booked their place in the last eight of the League Cup on Wednesday night with a 3-1 win against Championship side Swansea City away from home.

That night in Wales provided some players with an opportunity to show that they deserve to start in the Premier League, and Rayan Cherki grasped that chance with both hands.

The key change Pep must make to the Man City starting XI

France international, Cherki, came off the bench against Villarreal and Aston Villa in the last two games after returning from injury, and finally made a return as a starter against Swansea in the League Cup.

Cherki, as shown in the graphic, was incredibly influential in the 3-1 win over the Welsh outfit, with a staggering 119 touches across the 90 minutes, which led to him creating six chances for the team.

The French magician buried a composed finish into the bottom corner for his goal and played a slick pass through for Omar Marmoush to score in the second half.

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Cherki is not the only player who should keep his place in the starting line-up from the win, though, as Pep Guardiola should also unleash Marmoush from the start to make Erling Haaland completely unplayable.

Cherki is not the only Man City star who can make Haaland even better

Haaland has scored 11 goals in nine matches in the Premier League, five more than any other player in the division, so you could argue that he already looks unplayable.

However, the Norway international blanked against Aston Villa last time out in the Premier League, as he only had 0.23 xG worth of chances, with Savinho and Oscar Bobb on the flanks to support him.

Savinho and Bobb, who are goalless in the Premier League this season, did not create any ‘big chances’ between them, which is why Cherki and Marmoush should be unleashed alongside Haaland against the Cherries.

They could provide a tangible threat at the top end of the pitch that the other two forwards have been unable to, which could then create more chances and more space for Haaland because of the attention that they can draw from opposition defenders.

Marmoush, who scored against Swansea, has proven that he can provide a consistent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals, for Eintracht Frankfurt and since his move to Manchester City in January.

Omar Marmoush (24/25)

Bundesliga

Premier League

Appearances

17

16

xG

8.87

5.49

Goals

15

7

Minutes per goal

97

170

Big chances created

11

8

xA

4.14

2.12

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Egypt international produced 15 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 16 appearances in the Premier League last season, which shows that he hit the ground running in English football.

Marmoush, who was described as a “proper maverick” by analyst Ben Mattinson, also has good memories against today’s opponents, as he won the club’s Goal of the Season award with a sensational long-range strike.

The former Bundesliga star has the quality to be a real difference maker for the Cityzens, as evidenced by his statistics, and Cherki, given his output against Swansea, falls into the same bracket.

Their combined presence at the top end of the pitch against Bournemouth could draw some of the attention away from Haaland, giving him more space to work with, which could make him completely unplayable.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Oct 31, 2025

The Norwegian star is already the best striker in the Premier League, given his goal return this season, but selecting Cherki and Marmoush could take him to another level entirely.

The New York Yankees have a glaring need at third base, and not too much time to figure out a solution.

MLB's trade deadline is rapidly approaching, looming just three weeks away, and the Yankees find themselves in a bit of a rut. The team limped through the month of June, going 12-14, before getting swept in a four-game series at the start of July.

With Jazz Chisholm Jr. set to return to his more trained position of second base, New York is set to deploy Oswald Peraza at the hot corner. He has an OPS of .487 and an OPS+ of 37. For a team hoping to contend for a World Series, that won't suffice.

Finding the right third baseman within the organization seems unlikely at this point, so a trade feels like the best route to address the position. There could be a few third baseman available on the market, and the Yankees should absolutely be making phone calls in the coming weeks in order to get a deal done.

Here are a few players they could target:

Eugenio Suarez, Arizona Diamondbacks

Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis continue their unbeaten Europa League run, powered by the resurgence of former Manchester United winger Antony. The Brazilian has been in exceptional form, scoring crucial goals and earning his manager’s full trust after their 2-0 win over Lyon. Pellegrini now sees Antony as undroppable, insisting his consistency and impact make rotation impossible as Betis eye the knockout stages.

Antony’s fairytale revival at Real Betis

Betis are quietly turning heads in Europe. Their 2-0 win over Lyon at La Cartuja kept them undefeated in the Europa League, placing them on eight points from four games and within touching distance of qualification. 

If there is one player symbolising Betis’ European charge, it’s Antony. Once a divisive figure at United, the Brazilian winger has found redemption in Seville. In just seven La Liga appearances this season, he has scored four goals and registered one assist, adding vital contributions in the Europa League as well with two goals and an assist in three games.

Pellegrini has been clear: Antony’s current form makes him undroppable.

“He and Abde [Ezzalzouli] are in great form, that’s why we rotate them less,” the Betis boss explained. “The players have no problem playing on Thursdays and Sundays. They're both inspired and scoring goals. I'm happy with the team's performance, because we can change six or seven players and the team stays the same.”

Antony’s recent brace against Mallorca, including a long-range strike and a deft curler into the far corner, showcased the confidence that once defined his early Ajax days. Also, the fact that Antony missed majority of the pre-season training with Betis and yet is able to fit right in and perform at this level, provide more reasons why the Pellegrini considers him a vital component of the starting XI.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBetis march on as Pellegrini’s plan delivers

For head coach Pellegrini, it was more than just another group-stage victory as it reflected the team's tactical balance, squad depth, and the emergence of Antony as Betis’ new attacking heartbeat as he clinched his second consecutive goal.

“We were very solid,” Pellegrini said in a post-match interview. “They had very few chances on our goal and were a team that had won three matches in Europe and hadn't conceded a goal. A very complete match overall.

"As a team we functioned very well, with many recoveries in the first half. We stole four very dangerous balls and rushed our finishing. With the two goals, we returned to our normal rhythm and the second half was calm, dominating the game and trying to find the third goal."

The Chilean manager’s trademark composure and structured approach have given Betis both resilience and rhythm, the kind of qualities that have eluded them in past European campaigns.

Betis thriving under Pellegrini's guidance

Under Pellegrini, Betis have embraced an identity rooted in patience and precision. Their Europa League campaign has featured strong results – a 2–2 draw against Nottingham Forest and a 2-0 win over Lyon – built on controlled possession and disciplined defending, with just two goals conceded in four matches.

Antony thrives in this setup. Operating on the right wing, he stretches defences, presses high, and links play with quick one-twos – the exact traits Pellegrini values. His 13 chances created underline a growing playmaking instinct, while his defensive contributions help maintain shape when Betis are out of possession.

With Betis targeting a top-eight finish to avoid February’s playoff round, Antony’s influence could be the difference between another respectable run and genuine contention. His chemistry with forward like Ceric Bakambu and winger Abdessamad Ezzalzouli adds further fluidity to Betis’ evolving attack.

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AFPCan Betis win a trophy this season?

Antony’s loan spell at Betis is fast becoming one of the most successful redemption arcs in recent European football. After struggling to adapt at Old Trafford – where he managed just 12 goals across two Premier League seasons, the Brazilian has rediscovered both confidence and consistency in Spain.

For Betis, it’s a timely resurgence. Pellegrini’s men sit comfortably in the upper half of La Liga and are now among the dark horses in the Europa League. The coach’s trust in Antony has been repaid with end product, work rate, and professionalism – qualities that once came into question in England.

As the season progresses, Antony’s challenge will be sustaining this level, converting flashes of brilliance into long-term reliability and with last season's wound still fresh after defeat in the Conference League final against Chelsea, Pelligrini and Co. will leave no stone unturned into making this season a productive one clinching a few trophies on the way.