Renuka Singh, Alyssa Healy set to return to action in what will be the first international at the New Chandigarh stadium

Sruthi Ravindranath13-Sep-20251:11

Healy: ‘India a sleeping giant for a long time now’

Big Picture: A dry run for the ODI World Cup

Can either team get better preparation than this in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup? India get to face the defending champions, while Australia get to play one of the tournament hosts and have a chance to acclimatise to the conditions well before other competing teams.Having won nine of the 11 ODIs they have played this year and having beaten England in their backyard in July, India will carry a lot of confidence into this series. However, Australia can be a formidable opponent: they have beaten India in 12 out of the 13 ODIs since Harmanpreet Kaur’s epic knock in the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-finals.India were whitewashed 3-0 in the last two series they had played against Australia. Four out of the last five times they’ve met in an ICC tournament, India have lost, including the semi-final of last year’s T20 World Cup. India will want to use this series not just as a dry run to get their team combination right but also to come up with plans to get past the Australia hurdle. If India win this series, they will enter the World Cup as favourites.Australia, meanwhile, haven’t played ODIs this year since January, when they wiped England out 3-0 in the Women’s Ashes. The last tournament they played was the T20I series against New Zealand in March. But they have ten players who were also part of the 2022 ODI World Cup side in this squad, and have lost just three out of 28 matches they played since that tournament. So, they will back themselves to shake off the rust and hit the ground running. They will be playing in New Chandigarh, a non-World Cup venue, but they will benefit from some quality practice, specifically against spin in the middle overs, which is expected to play a big role in the ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Related

• Harmanpreet says India believe they can beat Australia 'any day'

• Australia ready to embrace 'little bit of unknowns' at ODI World Cup

• Healy hopes wicketkeeping 'tinkering' avoids recurrence of injury

• She gets knocked down but she gets up again: Sneh Rana's journey

Form Guide

India WLWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWWW

In the spotlight: Alyssa Healy and Sneh Rana

A ruptured plantar fascia at the 2024 T20 World Cup, a knee injury during the WBBL, and a stress fracture in the right foot during the Women’s Ashes. Australia captain Alyssa Healy has been dealing with recurring injuries since late last year which also affected her wicketkeeping. But she made a strong comeback for Australia A in the recent white-ball series against India A, making scores of 91 and 137 not out in the last two one-dayers and also keeping wicket, saying she made a few wicketkeeping ‘tinkering’ to avoid such injuries. A force for Australia in World Cups, she will hope to remain injury-free as she gears up for her first ODI World Cup as captain.Offspinner Sneh Rana has been on a roll ever since her comeback into India’s white-ball sides. A superb WPL season resulted in an ODI call-up, and she impressed immediately with 15 wickets in five games in the tri-series in Colombo in May. She followed that up with three wickets in the ODIs against England. With India expected to go spin-heavy for this series, and the World Cup that follows, Harmanpreet indicated during the squad announcement press conference that Rana will continue to be crucial in the middle overs.Alyssa Healy is set to return to action from injury•Getty Images

Team news: Renuka Singh returns from injury

With Renuka Singh back for the series from injury, she is expected to start ahead of Arundhati Reddy, who had played the ODIs against England, with Kranti Goud as the other fast bowler. India are also likely to go in with Rana, N Sree Charani and Deepti Sharma as spin options.India (probable): 1 Pratika Rawal, 2 Smriti Mandhana, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 N Shree Charani, 10 Kranti Goud, 11 Renuka SinghWill Australia tinker with the XI that last played against England in January? Though left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux is back in the side after a lengthy injury lay-off, she has not been given the green light to play. Healy said Molineux wasn’t “quite ready for the ODI format” and that Australia are “ready to have her back when she’s ready to go” at the press conference on the eve of the first ODI.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt, wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Ash Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Georgia Wareham, 9 Alana King, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Megan Schutt

Pitch and conditions

This will be the first international fixture at the New Chandigarh stadium, which has hosted 11 IPL matches in the last two years, so the conditions are a bit of an unknown for both sides. The weather is expected to be a bit cloudy on Sunday, with the possibility of showers in the afternoon, and clear for the rest of the day.Georgia Voll and Ash Gardner at the nets•PTI

Stats and Trivia

• India last beat Australia in an ODI at home in February 2007. They have lost all ten encounters since.
• Harmanpreet is set to become the third Indian to feature in 150 Women’s ODIs.
• Megan Schutt is set to become the ninth Australian to feature in 100 Women’s ODIs.
• Since June 2024, Smriti Mandhana has scored 1346 runs in 23 ODI innings, 581 runs more than the next best batter. She has scored six hundreds in this period, three more than any other batter.

Quotes

“No doubt, they [Australia] have been very dominating. They have played well all over the world and dominated. But we are also at a stage where, as a captain, we have the belief we can beat them on any day. The processes in the last one and a half years has been good, we have improved quite a lot. Even in England, we beat one of their best sides. These show that we are on the right track.”
“This is the most stable Indian team I’ve seen and I think they’re in a really good place heading into this World Cup, so I’m looking forward to that challenge. The rivalry continues to grow. I know how much they love beating Australia and I know how good they are in their home conditions and that’s really a challenge for us. I think it’s going to be a really enjoyable, hard-fought series.”

Newcastle have found the crowded fixture list to be quite challenging and Steve Bruce decided to experiment by going back to playing two strikers against Everton, but it was a gamble that didn’t pay off.

Joelinton and Andy Carroll are too similar as they both excel in the air with respective averages of 5.1 and 6.3 aerial duels won per game, but the Toffees were able to deal with their threat, winning 2-1.

That was despite the former managing an incredible 24 aerial duels won, which suggests that the problem was a lack of understanding from Bruce’s side because of the formation change.

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A return to 5-2-3, which has brought a lot of joy this season with wins against Manchester United and Sheffield United, should serve them well, particularly as it provides more width and allows Miguel Almiron to play in his natural position on the wing.

That change should be significant enough for the Magpies to improve against Leicester, but in order to deal with the likes of Jamie Vardy and James Maddison, Bruce should consider recalling Javier Manquillo to replace DeAndre Yedlin.

It is little coincidence that the USA international hasn’t played throughout Newcastle’s recent good spell, with his last start prior to Everton coming against Aston Villa, which the Magpies’ lost 2-0.

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With Manquillo in the side they have lost just two out of their last six matches, and the defensive shape will be integral against a team who put five goals past them earlier in the season.

Joelinton playing on the left is a risk but he offered a lot more than Christian Atsu did when he was substituted onto the pitch on Saturday, and against Burnley, the Brazilian demonstrated he could be effective on the wing with two key passes and 90% pass accuracy.

Jonjo Shelvey could also have more room to manoeuvre without Almiron in the middle and that could be imperative to launching counter-attacks, something that could be a crucial method to the home side picking up points.

It is important Bruce sets up right as the previous match showed a worrying lack of strength on the bench, with two individuals really underperforming.

Arsene Wenger’s surprising reluctance to spend this summer – thus far parting with just £10million to sign former Chelsea No.1 Petr Cech – unsurprisingly has many doubting the Gunners’ Premier League title credentials for this season.

Indeed, Arsenal still seem a few key components short of a title-winning side when compared to the quality on display at Manchester City and Chelsea’s superlative team ethic.

But there’s still a week to go until the summer transfer window draws to a close at 6pm on September 1st and we know Arsene Wenger has plenty of money in the bank – enough to sign any player in the world, barring Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Lord Harris.

We also know that Le Professeur is no stranger to last-minute deals, with Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck arriving in north London on summer deadline day in 2013 and 2014 respectively, so could we see some late signings turn up at the Emirates this week?

Football Fancast takes a look at five players who might be in the frame for a last-minute move to Arsenal…

EDINSON CAVANI

The prevailing Arsenal transfer rumour to emerge from the tabloids over the last few days is that the north London outfit have turned their attentions to PSG’s Edinson Cavani after receiving a tacit snub from priority target Karim Benzema via Twitter. How modern of the Real Madrid striker.

The Uruguay international is certainly of a similar mould to his Bernabeu counterpart, boasting the strength, power and aerial ability adored in the Premier League and also well proven at a major club, with 56 goals in 96 appearances helping fire the Parisians to back-to-back Ligue 1 titles.

That tally epitomises what the 28 year-old does best – simply put, scoring goals. In addition to a one-in-two strike-rate for PSG, he conjured up a rather incredible 104 in 138 during three seasons with former club Napoli.

But is the 6 foot centre-forward a realistic target at this point in the transfer window? Well, it’s looking increasingly less likely that PSG will sell Zlatan Ibrahimovic as previously expected and the friction between the strikers – both battling for the lone front-man spot in Laurent Blanc’s starting Xi – has been well documented over the last year or so.

That being said, PSG’s valuation of Cavani could be an insurmountable stumbling block for Arsenal. They invested £55million in him just two summers ago and will expect further compensation if they’re to relinquish him so late in the transfer window.

GONZALO HIGUAIN

Following Napoli’s failure to qualify at the end of last term, Gonzalo Higuain will be the most talented and proven striker in Europe not plying his trade in the Champions League this season.

That suggests he might be whisked away from Stadio San Paolo before the 6pm deadline on September 1st and Arsene Wenger’s interest in the Argentina international is well known, having almost brought him to the Emirates from Real Madrid in summer 2013.

No doubt, the 27 year-old is a prolific goalscorer, recording of 217 goals in 459 outings from his spells with River Plate, Real Madrid, the Naples outfit and Abliceleste; which tends to see him billed as a somewhat limited fox-in-the-box poacher.

But in truth, Higuain is a more holistic presence than he’s often given credit for. He’s claimed eleven assists in 52 outings for his country and 15 over the last two campaigns in Serie A. In fact, he spent most of last season playing on the wing.

Napoli have continually insisted any potential suitor must activate the 6 foot striker’s £67million release clause, which admittedly is incredibly steep – especially considering Wenger refused to pay around half that sum two years ago.

But the sheer presence of the release clause at least gives the Gunners a valuation to try and work down from. Furthermore, Higuain rejected a one-year contract extension earlier this month, suggesting there might be some disagreement between player and board level Arsenal can take advantage of.

MARIO GOTZE

If there’s one major name still for the taking in the final days of the summer transfer window, it’s Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze.

The German international is best famed for his winning volley in last summer’s World Cup final but his club career has taken quite the significant set-back since and he’s been surprisingly vocal about his disillusionment at the Allianz Arena throughout the summer.

Indeed, despite a decent return of 31 goals in 95 appearances, Pep Guardiola has often dropped the 23 year-old forward for Bayern’s most important fixtures – particularly in the Champions League – leading agent Volker Struth to claim the former Barca boss has ‘destroyed’ his client and Gotze to allege a breakdown in communications.

Arsenal are hardly in need of another attacking midfielder. In fact, almost their entire midfield consists of No.10s being played out of position to get them all on the pitch at the same time.

But that’s never stopped Arsene Wenger before and Gotze’s arrival, at the very least, would give the Frenchman more options in the attacking third whilst affirming the club’s ability to attract major names in the transfer market.

Under no immediate obligation to sell, however, Bayern could still demand anything upwards of £40million for 5 foot 9 attacker.

LARS BENDER

Francis Coquelin’s start to the season hasn’t been nearly as convincing as his emphatic form towards the end of last term, so we might see Arsene Wenger finally splash some dosh on an overtly physical, genuine holding midfielder in the next few days. Don’t all start rolling about laughing at once, now.

Earlier this week, reports linking the Gunners with Bayer Leverkusen’s Lars Bender once again re-emerged.

The 26 year-old is the epitome of Germanic industry, boasting stamina, grit, determination and tenacity in abundance, famed for his ball-winning abilities, last term averaging 2.9 tackles and 3.2 interceptions per match in the top flight alongside 4.4 tackles per match in the Champions League.

He’s well experienced too, as a 19-cap international who has made 39 appearances in European competitions, and a natural leader, currently donning the skipper’s armband at Leverkusen.

The Bay Arena outfit will be incredibly reluctant to sell their captain without much time to source a replacement. But rated at around £18million, the Germany enforcer is certainly within Arsenal’s financial reach.

GRZEGORZ KRYCHOWIAK

A potential alternative to Lars Bender and more realistically attainable from Arsenal’s perspective, the Gunners have been linked with Sevilla’s Grzegorz Krychowiak for much of the summer and with a £21million release clause in his contract there’s still plenty of time to broker a last-minute deal.

The Poland international was in sensational form during his debut campaign at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan last season, averaging 3.3 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2.1 clearances and 3.4 successful aerial duels per match in the league whilst helping Los Rojiblancos defend the Europa League title to earn a place in La Liga’s Team of the season.

He’s an old-fashioned screener – almost a third centre-back in front of the back four through his defensive qualities and imposing 6 foot 1 frame – which is precisely what the Gunners need to plug up those gaps on the counter-attack.

Krychowiak has insisted he’s by no means pushing for a move this summer with Sevilla now looking forward to a season in the Champions League.

But still a drastic step up from the Spanish outfit, it seems almost improbable he would reject the chance to join the Emirates ranks – providing Arsene Wenger stumps up enough cash to activate his buy-out fee, of course.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has sent his star players a warning that they could be dropped for kids if they do not improve upcoming results, according to reports from the Mirror.

The Blues have started their title-defending campaign in miserable fashion, only accumulating 8 points from their opening seven games and sit 14th on the table.

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And ahead of his return to former club Porto where he guided the Portuguese side to Champions League glory back in 2004, Mourinho has warned his stars they could be axed and replaced with his younger players.

Mourinho said: “If the season goes in one direction, that it becomes closed and we can’t win [trophies], I will go just with the kids.

“It makes no sense, when you have nothing to win, to play the older players.

“I’ll play the players we’re waiting for instead. I can arrive in a moment where I will look to the kids and say, ‘Let’s go. Non-stop.’ I am ruthless.

“But at the moment everything is open.

“It’s difficult to win the Premier League, but possible. It’s difficult to win the Champions League, but possible. It’s difficult to win the [domestic] cups, but possible.

“I explained to the players that when the situation is open I have to do both things: To try to prepare the kids for their future and at the same time to try to bring the best out of the other players — the players with more stability and experience.

“Our problem is we are not performing in a continuous way.

“We have no problems physically or tactically. It’s the same – as when we make changes they improve the team.

“Clearly it’s an attitude perspective of some individuals. And when you have individuals with that unstable attitude in terms of motivation, desire and commitment, you will pay.”

During the weekend, the champions lost two points against Newcastle United, only managing to draw 2-2 after initially going 2-0 down.

Mourinho’s return to the Stadio do Dragao will also see ‘the Special One’ meet Iker Casillas for the first time since their public bust-up back when the two were at Real Madrid.

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The League Cup is often seen as the ginger step child of competitions. What should be noted is that in the last two seasons the winner of the February final has gone on to take the Premier League crown. This is no coincidence. The timely boost gives a club the final push over the line.With this in mind, all clubs should aim to win it every year, no one should feel too big to single out trophies they don’t need to win. This week in particular demonstrates the added value of the League Cup as five teams can use it to help their league campaigns.First up on Tuesday are two big London sides that need their ties for different reasons. For Arsenal the trip to Sheffield Wednesday can be an exercise in maintaining momentum. The old cliché about winning becoming a habit can be demonstrated here. If they can bag a handful of goals the confidence will continue to rise which will only help their push for the league title.

Chelsea on the other hand face an entirely different prospect. They are victim of another famous cliché, the dreaded Tuesday night away game to Stoke. Usually a loss in the League Cup wouldn’t be a problem for José’s men, but in the current climate he needs a convincing victory. Reports suggest a defeat to Liverpool at the weekend will see him sacked. The best way to head into that game is with a comfortable victory tonight.

Liverpool could do with a win, too. For all his charisma Klopp has yet to taste victory for the Reds. Bournemouth were unlucky when they faced Liverpool at Anfield in the league and will be looking for revenge. Klopp needs to get the ball rolling and the secondary competition gives him some scope for experimentation.

Also in need of trying new things are the two sides that left the Manchester derby goalless. Louis Van Gaal could “rest†Wayne Rooney to try new set-ups without his captain. The voices from United’s own fans are starting to grow in volume and they’re all suggesting Rooney needs to be dropped. Only Van Gaal knows if his refusal to do so is down to loyalty or fear there isn’t a better option.

The League Cup provides a good disguise for him to flirt with the idea against a Middlesbrough side that shouldn’t cause too many problems.

His counterpart from Manchester, Manuel Pellegrini, also can use the midweek home fixture to experiment. It’s appears he has a reluctance to test young Kelechi Iheanacho for extended periods. In the derby Wilfred Bony wasn’t having his most effective game but lasted until the 83rd minute.

Aguero’s boots are big ones to fill and Bony has a month to win over his doubters. In an ideal world Pellegrini would like to see him have a strong half, score a goal, then give Iheanacho a big run out. Crystal Palace will be no pushovers but Pellegrini takes the competition seriously and will attempt to secure the tie. He just needs to make sure he uses it to try the odd thing he’s not comfortable doing in the league.

Normally League Cup games in October carry little importance but this year they could help shape the entire season.

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At the moment everything is looking great at Manchester City. Unlike their presumed title rivals at the start of the season (I’m looking at you, Chelsea) there aren’t many areas of concern within the squad.

This resurgence to the top is in part down to the summer overhaul that brought in fresh faces and competition for places, and it’s unlikely Manuel Pellegrini will rest on his laurels now. The resulting change in performance and attitude, typified by the impressive Champions League away victory against Sevilla, shows it doesn’t pay to remain static in the transfer market.

While the Citizens aren’t in dire need of reinforcements, and will be cautious of the inflated January prices, they may try and secure some deals and offload those deemed surplus to requirement to clear the decks before the summer.

With this in mind we take a look at the five Manchester City players most likely to face the axe should the move be right for the club.

Martin Demichelis

The veteran Argentine defender had a difficult start to life at the Etihad. In the early days his positioning and lack of pace routinely left him caught out, exposing himself or his defence. The best example was when he was sent off against Barcelona in the Champions League, conceding a penalty in the process.

Those were dark days for the centre back but there was no doubt he had ability. Over time he settled into Premier League life and went from the easy target of the boo boys to the only defender City could rely on in Vincent Kompany’s absence.

Last season he verbally coached the inexperienced Eliaquim Mangala through matches. But time and transfers have caught up with him. He’s now behind the expensive signings Managla and Nicolas Otamendi and it’s just a matter of time before he returns to River Plate or has a spell at Rosario Central before retiring.

His enduring legacy will be the advice he passed on to Bacary Sagna, speaking from first-hand experienced, he pointed out that if you get a haircut as a Manchester City defender then your form will improve immeasurably.

Gael Clichy

Last season the left back position was Gael Clichy’s without question. Aleksandar Kolarov was continually linked with a return to Serie A when it looked like he was nothing more than the Frenchman’s understudy.

Injuries this year have derailed Clichy’s season while Kolarov has been able to perform to a consistent standard.

There’s a perception that the left back area is one position City could do with upgrading. If they do find a world class talent to fill the slot, at this moment in time, it’d be Kolarov City would keep to challenge the new signing.

Eliaquim Mangala

At first look it seems highly unlikely the young French defender, that was signed for such a large fee, would be moved on. That price tag has been a heavy one to carry around. Reports range from the £32m to £42m as the sticky issue of dual ownership gets in the way, but one thing is certain: it was a hefty fee.

What makes it seem even less likely is how his form has improved. His start to the season, when he partnered Kompany during a run clean sheets, was proof he had settled.

But then the club signed Nicolas Otamendi for £32m. He was seen as replacement for Martin Demichelis and a way of adding depth to the squad. During negotiations City offered Mangala to Valencia on loan, the Spanish club refused.

This shows City have no qualms about ensuring Mangala gets first team experience elsewhere and the start Otamendi has made to life at the club shows he’s already above the Frenchman in the pecking order.

Only a consistent run of injuries to Kompany will prevent City flirting with the idea of loaning out Mangala.

Samir Nasri

After Manchester City brought in over £100m of midfield talent during a busy summer period of moves, it was obvious some existing players would be fighting to save their careers.

A quick glance at the options available to Pellegrini in the midfield department made it clear who had their work cut-out keeping a place in the squad. Players like David Silva and Yaya Toure are almost in a position where they can’t be dropped when fit. Jesus Navas is the manager’s personal favourite and this season he has gone some way to repaying the faith.

Sat awkwardly in a corner with a big neon light over his head is Samir Nasri. A perceived trouble causer and acerbic character when behind closed doors and not always willing to put in a shift when on the pitch.

He does offer something different, and has saved games for City, like the League Cup final against Sunderland and the away tie to Roma in the Champions League. Sadly for Nasri, the club want to progress and already it’s clear Kevin De Bruyne offers all the Frenchman can and more, without being ineffective for the majority of most games.

Any half-decent offer will see City wave Nasri a farewell.

Wilfried Bony

We save the most controversial to last. It appears ludicrous to suggest Manchester City would contemplate selling a striker when it’s already been pointed out they need to add in this area.

What makes it seem even more unlikely is the how Bony himself was a January panic buy that was a little overpriced. Yet, he makes this list and with good reason.

It should be pointed out, he will only be shifted on when the club locate and acquire a direct replacement. The bad news for Wilfried Bony is that search process will already be under way. And he only has himself to blame for this.

He has been unlucky with injuries that have hindered his City career, even now he faces another lay-off. But there wasn’t a Manchester City fan alive that wasn’t 100% behind him when it was clear Sergio Aguero would be out for an extended period.

Sadly he never took the bull by the horns. There have been flashes of excellence, mainly when the Ivorian has relied on instinct, at other times his touch has looked clunky and his mental state unsure.

If a team offer City a decent portion of the fee they paid for the former Swansea man, they could be tempted to cut their losses and move on without him.

Things change fast in football. It wasn’t so long ago that Manuel Pellegrini was being applauded for Manchester City’s finest hour in the Champions League, when they turned over Sevilla 3-1 away from home. After that night it was suggested City had finally matured and managed to tactically crack Europe.

Fast-forward to last Saturday evening and suddenly he is naïve. Does the truth lie somewhere between these extremes and is the Chilean too stubborn to change?

Following the result it seems many Manchester City fans had the foresight of Nostradamus, claiming they knew a defeat was on the cards once they saw the team sheet. Admittedly, it’s easy to point out faults with Pellegrini’s weekend selection but the way the opposing managers have been portrayed after the event is embarrassing.

Jurgen Klopp has been described as the meticulous planner to Manuel’s cobbled together one-dimensional plan. While it’s true – and clearly evident – that Klopp does approach each game with a deep level of research, it’s ludicrous to suggest Pellegrini picks his team as if he’s playing Fantasy Football.

Looking at the highly debated team selection there are obvious areas to criticise. The omission of Fernandinho is the most startling. Every attack minded side needs a player to do the work behind the creative types. It’s often a thankless task but when missing it’s glaringly obvious how important it is.

At first glance it is even more baffling because he only played 13 minutes while away on international duty so it’s safe to assume he wasn’t too fatigued. Pellegrini can’t use trans-Atlantic flight as an excuse when one half of his centre-back pairing, Martin Demichelis, did the same.

Regardless of presumed tiredness, another factor should be taken into account; recently Fernando has been winning over his critics. Fernandinho can’t be expected to play every game so when he’s rested – for whatever reason – there needs to be an understudy Pellegrini can trust. Fernando failed the audition, and it’s not his first attempt at the role. Now it seems Fernando is only a viable option if Fernandinho is there to hold his hand.

Which brings us to another selection that has angered people, or rather, the non-selection of Nicolas Otamendi. The problem here is more embarrassing for City. The feeling is after spending in excess of £60m on Mangala and Otamendi, at this moment in time, they can’t be trusted to play alongside one another, despite the fact they once did for Porto.

Their individual performances and form prove they work best with an experienced head alongside them. Mangala looked a reborn player alongside Vincent Kompany this season and Otamendi turned in man of the match performances when partnered with the captain.

With the Belgium international taking one of his allotted injury breaks, Pellegrini reverted to a pairing he thought he could trust. Last season Martin Demichelis mentored Mangala through matches, routinely commanding and reaffirming the Frenchman’s movement and sense of position. But no partner could have coaxed Mangala through a game when he’s making the mistakes we saw on Saturday.

Another thing that links the Fernandinho and Otamendi omissions is the upcoming Champions League fixture against Juventus. It’s no secret that the club demand a clear improvement in Europe and Pellegrini knows topping the group will – drawing PSG, aside – make his life immeasurably easier in the next round.

This isn’t to say he didn’t respect Liverpool or underestimated them. But just as Bayern Munich and Barcelona are good enough to approach any fixture with complete faith in their game-plan, Pellegrini is right to do the same every time City play at home in the Premier League.

Liverpool are currently an unknown quantity under Klopp but the reason Pellegrini said he’d play the same eleven men again without changing a thing is because he believes that team should beat Liverpool – and he’s right.

Ultimately the majority of the blame has to fall on the shoulders of the players. It’s clear the team lack leaders. Their only true one that plays outfield is the injured Kompany. Hart does a valiant job but as a ‘keeper, he is isolated. Yaya Toure may wear the armband but he fails to motivate the side. There’s no doubt he can change a game but all-too-often he trundles around the pitch as if he’s been shot in one foot.

Pellegrini’s main job should be rooting out the bad attitudes that allow a lacklustre pace and low work rate enter proceedings. Some, like Fernando, can be forgiven for not living up to the task. At the weekend even Navas and Sterling can be excused for a lack of service. But as a whole the team needs to take responsibility for a lack of fight and rolling over.

It was City’s heaviest defeat at the Etihad and the worst performance since they have been restructured with heavy investment. If some of this is down to a naivety with Pellegrini it’s how he trusted his men to do the jobs they’d been assigned.

His belief has made him appear stubborn but he’s too far into his tenure, with too much spent on the current style, for a radical overhaul. It can be maddening when a manager comes across as a cantankerous fool but it will feel far more frustrating for him when he knows his players are under-performing.

Pellegrini’s main stupidity as been not addressing the lack of leaders and accepting blips will occur, like the Tottenham Hotspur game. Those blips are starting to come too frequently. He needs to address the effort of his players. Once he does, the tactics will work just fine.

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No club has ever got to Wembley in their first season – it just doesn’t happen. It’s like suggesting little Dave’s FC could reach the big time in the first five years, even though the goalkeeper is eighteen stone and they play at the local park with jumpers for goalposts.

But a new record could be created this season, and it’s not the only record they’re chasing.

Hereford FC are on the cusp of a trip to Wembley after securing an emphatic 6-0 win against Leicester Nirvana in the fourth round of the FA vase last week.

They’re now 7/4 to win the whole competition- pretty impressive seeing as the club didn’t even exist last May.

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A year ago the people of Hereford watched as the once-great Hereford United began to literally crumble away before them.

Off-field troubles and an erratic chairman ultimately led to its demise, and there was little anyone could do as weeds began to break through the Edgar Street pitch.

They were wound up in the High Court on December 19, 2014 where Chairman Andy Lonsdale failed to show because he was supposedly stuck in traffic. It was a heartache that had effected the home faithful for months, and there was a sense of relief as the Hereford United express crashed into an abrupt end.

Fast forward thirteen months and Hereford have won 27 games on the spin and the team really has its mojo back. Masses of volunteers have offered their time and money to get the club back on its feet and led by Peter Beadle, the Bulls are shining once again.

They will travel to Hartley Wintney in the fifth round of The FA Vase at the end of the month, high on confidence and certain they will be cheered on by hundreds of travelling away supporters that create attendances and atmospheres akin to Football League clubs.

It would be the first time any English club has successfully reached Wembley in their first season, let alone winning the whole tournament. They have the firepower to do so – striker John Mills has scored more than 40 goals this season, while they have Mike “The Beast” Symons in their ranks too.

They sit top of the Midlands Premier League and promotion looks extremely likely this time round. They’re 12 points clear at the top and few would suggest a way it could all go pear-shaped from here.

Although they do play in the tenth tier of English Football, many would presume that it is Hereford United judging by singing that comes from the Meadow End every Saturday. After all, it’s the same terrace that erupted in 1972 when Ronnie Radford’s screamer hit the net in the famous cup win against Newcastle.

And it doesn’t feel like much has changed. Edgar Street still has its charming curved terraces and vociferous home support. The team name might have changed to “Hereford FC” but it is Hereford the people support.

Their new motto fits nicely in the whole story and a potential trip to Wembley could top the whole experience off…

‘Our greatest glory lies not in never having fallen, but in rising when we fall’.

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After a week of high intensity European football, we’ve got a full slate of Premier League matches this weekend. And there are certainly matches that are certain to win you discounted pizza from Papa Johns over the next 48 hours or so.

Yup, Papa Johns wants to football fans discounted pizza, all you have to do is correctly pick a team that will score at least two goals and Papa Johns will give you 50% off of a pizza of your choice. After you sign up, pick your team, and wait for the ball to find the back of the net twice.

This week will feature some Premier League matches that are tough to call. However, we here at FootballFancast give you our picks on which teams we think are likely to score at least twice.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs have been a good side to back to get some half price pizza this season as they’ve found the back of the net at least twice in 16 Premier League matches this season. They play at White Hart Lane where they’ve been able to put it past the keeper in eight Premier League fixtures. Spurs will take on a Bournemouth side who have conceded two goals in seven away matches this term.

Swansea City

Whoever Aston Villa are playing is always a reliable choice for 50% off pizza. That team this week is Swansea City, who will be expected to hand Villa another loss by more than one goal. Villa have conceded two or more goals in 11 of their 15 Premier League matches on the road. Swansea still need to win matches to secure their place in the Premier League next season and expect them to capitalise on this opportunity.

Leicester City

The Foxes should to continue their title winning form this weekend at Crystal Palace. Leicester have been one of the Premier League’s best teams on the road this year. In eight of their last ten matches, and in each of their last five fixtures at home, Palace have allowed two or more goals. With Spurs facing a weak Bournemouth side, Leicester will have to win to hold their lead and if they do then you should also expect to get 50% off Papa’s pizza in the process.

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Manchester United face West Ham this evening in a quarter-final replay that will be the last ever FA Cup fixture held at Upton Park, with the Hammers set for a future-defining move to the Olympic Stadium.

Four points adrift of a Champions League spot with just six games of the season remaining, the FA Cup represents the Red Devils’ best chance of finding a silver lining in what has been a largely underwhelming season at Old Trafford.

The official starting Xis were confirmed on Twitter around thirty minutes ago but not every Red Devils fan is happy with Louis van Gaal’s selection this evening – in fact, quite the opposite.

Whilst the return of Wayne Rooney, selected as a substitute, has been received warmly by the majority, the same can’t be said for Marouane Fellaini’s presence in central midfield.

The cumbersome lankster has come under continuous criticism this season and hasn’t actually been involved in a United fixture since their Europa League elimination at the hands of Liverpool last month.

There is certainly weight to the argument that his height and power could prove pivotal in a feisty FA Cup tie, but it’s safe to say United fans on Twitter aren’t too pleased. Here are some of the best responses to Fellaini’s involvement…