Sports

Heading into this Premier League weekend, Manchester City were top of the table and Arsenal were in second place.

It all feels extremely familiar.

In 2022-23, Arsenal lost home and away to City, and finished five points behind them. Last season, Arsenal beat City in London but drew with them in Manchester and ended up two points adrift of them in the final standings. When the margins separating the winners and losers in title races are tiny, winning away to your rivals for the trophy is important. But does the fact we are so early into the new season mean another stalemate at the Etihad Stadium today (Sunday) would suit Mikel Arteta’s visitors?

Both sides recorded goalless draws in their Champions League openers in midweek, but Pep Guardiola’s side head into this game with an extra 24 hours of rest in their legs and with Erling Haaland one away from becoming the first player to reach double figures for goals in his first five appearances of a Premier League season. However, he’s facing a defence who have conceded just three times in nine Premier League away games across the calendar year so far.

We asked our City writer (Sam Lee), one of our Arsenal writers (Art de Roche) and one of our data and tactics experts (Thom Harris) to ponder some key questions ahead of the fixture.

Will Arsenal’s mindset be that winning is essential this time?

That would definitely have been the case if they had not won at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, but that result changes things ever so slightly. Three points today would see Arsenal leapfrog City, but returning to north London with a draw shouldn’t be catastrophic. While many assumed they settled for a point on their last visit to City, Arsenal’s approach was similar to their two previous wins over them and that north London derby win last weekend. Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard squandering chances was the difference. This time, they will look to be just as competitive but will need to be more clinical in those key offensive moments.

Art de Roche

(Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

I agree with Art — while it might not feel like it at the moment, City will drop points somewhere along the line, and it’s surely advisable to focus on staying within touching distance rather than going all out for a victory here and risk falling five points behind and having to play catch-up at this early stage. A point would be a precious one, and if Arsenal can keep it as tight as they did against Tottenham, they may well get a chance or two to nick all three anyway.

Thom Harris

Will City be able to cope with Arsenal’s set-piece threat?

Obviously, Arsenal are strong in that department but it is not as if City are particularly weak. Of the six first-team defenders likely to be selected, only 5ft 6in (169cm) Rico Lewis is small for a defender. The rest are Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Josko Gvardiol. Height is not the only determining factor, of course, and City are pretty tenacious when challenging for balls into the box, and it should not be underestimated that they know a thing or two about screening themselves; they have even benefited from NBA tactics via the Boston Celtics. City can be caught out from set pieces at times — who doesn’t? — but because they know that many teams visiting the Etihad will be focused on nicking an advantage from dead balls, they have to put in at least equal amounts of work to stop that from happening.

Sam Lee

Set plays are highly situational; a lapse in concentration, a lost individual duel or a particularly good cross can undo hours of hard work during the week. Still, the general dead-ball trends are revealing — while Arsenal have been extremely dangerous when it comes to attacking set-pieces since the start of last season, City have been by far and away the best at defending them. The below scatter chart tells us that Guardiola’s side have conceded just 1.6 goals per 100 set pieces, not including penalties — that equates to three in the last 186 they’ve faced – the best defensive rate among the 17 Premier League ever-presents in that time.

Records are there to be broken, though, and City haven’t looked completely infallible; Ethan Pinnock alone had three chances from corners at the Etihad last weekend, while fellow Brentford defender Nathan Collins was only denied by an instinctive Ederson save early in the first half. Having said that, the cautious, data-led suggestion would be that these two teams cancel each other out once again.

Thom Harris

(Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Is Haaland vs Arsenal’s centre-backs the key battle?

It will be one of a few key battles. Arsenal shut out Haaland in all three meetings last season (including the Community Shield), with the striker failing to even have a shot on target in any of those matches. Key to that was how William Saliba and fellow centre-back Gabriel took turns in getting tight and physical with him. They did not allow him to get any momentum, whether it was when running in behind or simply in getting a feel for the game. Replicating that will be important, as will how Arsenal decide to approach defending certain spaces. Their wingers were essential to keeping Spurs quiet last Sunday, and similar work could help in Manchester.

Art de Roche

Haaland is obviously City’s main scoring threat, but while we have all focused on his nine league goals in four games, including those back-to-back hat-tricks, it has probably gone unnoticed that there are not many goals coming from their other players. In that sense, if he cannot get service, or if he does but misses his chances, it severely impacts City’s chances of winning. On the other hand, we know he often goes through games without having many touches, and that this is largely by design — so he can pin centre-backs and create space in midfield for City’s other forwards.

(Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)

In that sense, it is possible that he could win the battle by getting four touches and doing nothing of note all afternoon, as long as he keeps Saliba and Gabriel occupied and lets his colleagues get on with it. Whether Haaland scores or not will have a big say in the actual result, but it is just one aspect of this game — City will have to be good enough to get through the Arsenal press to try to create chances for him anyway.

Sam Lee

I very much agree with Sam here; the two centre-backs could nullify Haaland for 99 per cent of the game, only to be undone by a moment of quality — much like they were in City’s 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium in February 2023, when he scored with virtually his first sight of goal with less than 10 minutes of the 90 to go.

Unstoppable 💪

Erling Haaland scored his 26th Premier League goal of the season against Arsenal 🤯#PLonPrime pic.twitter.com/uy2aXK91Lm

— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) February 16, 2023

The signs are encouraging for Arsenal, though — that is Haaland’s only goal in 359 minutes against the Saliba and Gabriel partnership across all competitions, racking up just 0.58 xG in close to four full games. His only truly dominant performance against Arteta’s side came when Rob Holding stepped in for an injured Saliba later that same season. I’ll continue to sit on the fence — keeping Haaland quiet is probably necessary for an Arsenal win, but it won’t guarantee one either.

Thom Harris

Should we expect a classic between the league’s best two teams?

While it would be nice, I am not expecting an all-timer of a game. After the three matches between the sides last season, and Arsenal’s recent matches against Spurs and Atalanta, it feels like another 90 minutes of tension is on the horizon. Arteta tried to go blow-for-blow against City in his first title challenge in 2022-23, but individual mistakes crept in and allowed Guardiola’s side to run away with the match. His switch to more of a ‘Plan B’ for bigger games was a welcome change last season and has kept Arsenal in these encounters. If the Spaniard had the midfield three he envisaged in the summer (Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino) available then things may have been different, but he doesn’t — so expect more of the same.

Art de Roche

I remember one thing very clearly from after the goalless draw at the Etihad in March: I did not want the two clubs to meet again in the Champions League semi-finals, which was possible at the time. I had been expecting a good game before kick-off that Sunday, because most of City’s recent title deciders, home or away, had been pretty dramatic, with excellent football on show — and we obviously got nowhere near that. It may just be that was what Jurgen Klopp brought to the party when his Liverpool team were City’s main challengers, and Arteta has a different way of facing these big games.

That said, it is not like Guardiola never chooses a defensive approach. City’s game plan at the Emirates last year was to escape with a 0-0, given he was concerned about the absence of a suspended Rodri from his midfield. And City were not at their best in the return game, either. It is not controversial to say that if Arteta wants his team to dig in, then it is harder to imagine a classic, just by the nature of the encounter. It could still be a good game if both teams take their chances, of course, but who says Arsenal are going to go with the same game plan anyway?

Sam Lee

Very happy to be wrong on this one, but I feel like an early-ish goal is the only thing that will relieve us from another tense battle of attrition.

Thom Harris

This fixture ended 6-3 in 2013 but today’s game is unlikely to have nine goals (Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)

Who will be the bigger miss, Kevin De Bruyne (if he doesn’t recover) or Odegaard?

Although De Bruyne is one of the Premier League’s best-ever midfielders, City’s strength in depth makes his absences easier to deal with. Arsenal have lacked any real tempo without Odegaard, as he is instrumental to what they do on the ball in all thirds of the pitch. Considering there has been such a stark stylistic difference without him in the side, it does not feel too rogue to suggest that Arsenal’s captain would be the bigger miss. Aside from goal contributions, Odegaard is almost always the player who sets the tone for Arsenal with and without the ball, and he will be a massive miss during this ongoing injury lay-off.

For an example of how influential he is, last season he was one of just two Arsenal players to be involved in at least two actions that were either build-up, chance creation or a shot per 90 minutes. The other was Bukayo Saka, with Odegaard understandably registering higher numbers in build-up and chance creation.

Art de Roche

I agree with Art. City have proved they can get by without De Bruyne basically every time he has been injured, going back years. Given his quality, that is quite an achievement. He missed a lot of 2018-19, quite a bit of 2020-21 and half of last season, and City won the title in all three years anyway. They have always had the players, or tactical tweaks, that mean they can more than make up for De Bruyne’s absence. In 2018-19, it was Bernardo Silva operating from the middle, two years later they embraced the false-nine system which involved Bernardo and Ilkay Gundogan pinging the ball around for fun, and last year they just kind of got by in a variety of ways, with no particular stand-out replacement. On the other hand, Odegaard is one of Arsenal’s (and the Premier League’s) best players, and they do not have equivalent squad depth.

Sam Lee

(Michael Regan/Getty Images)

I’ll play devil’s advocate. City have scored 17 goals against Arteta’s Arsenal in the Premier League; De Bruyne has had a hand in six of them, despite playing around 54 per cent of the total minutes. His impact on this often title-tilting fixture is unparalleled, and City will clearly miss his clinical edge in games such as this. He has started the season in dominant form too, second only to Dwight McNeil of Everton for chances created, while his 162 passes in the attacking third puts him 65 clear of any other player in the division.

The argument that City are more equipped to deal with De Bruyne’s absence is fair, but there is nobody quite like the Belgian for blowing games like this wide open, and given Arsenal’s recent solidity, the defending champions could miss that spark.

Thom Harris

(Top photos: Getty Images)

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Lando Norris wins his third Formula One race of the season, taking the Singapore Grand Prix 20 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen.

This narrows the driver championship gap to 50 points, with Verstappen still in the lead.

Norris was still leading by the end of Lap 1, and he began building a gap to Verstappen, getting over 11.5 seconds clear by Lap 17. But behind the leaders at the start, it was a messy Turn 1 as numerous cars ran wide. Franco Colapinto divebombed his way into the top 10, a spot he held until he pitted on Lap 30. Sergio Pérez struggled to pass him for a period of time.

“He’s very good,” the Red Bull driver said over the radio on Lap 16. “Difficult to pass, Colapinto.”

It became evident during the early stages of the Singapore GP that the undercut was looking strong. This is when a car pits before those in front to gain an advantage.

Lewis Hamilton was among the first frontrunners to pit, swapping his soft tires for hard tires on Lap 19. But he later said over the radio that he felt they’d have trouble later on, adding that he was already struggling with the hard tire by lap 23. The Singapore GP is traditionally a one-stop race unless the race is neutralized.

It seemed like it would be a runaway for Norris, who was building a notable lead. But by around Lap 30, he reported over the radio that he had front wing damage and began slowing. However, when he pulled into the pits, McLaren didn’t change his front wing — it just tweaked the setup and swapped the medium tires for the hard compound. Norris was later told over the radio that it was a “small issue but nothing serious.”

All eyes fell on Oscar Piastri as the race reached the middle stages. George Russell pitted on Lap 29, and the McLaren driver lurked behind him. Piastri began taking time out of Verstappen’s laps, moving into second as the Dutchman pitted. But the McLaren driver could feel his tires dropping off, finally pitting for hard tires on Lap 39. It was a late pit stop, a bold move by McLaren at a track where overtaking can be difficult. But he had a notable tire offset.

Piastri emerged from the pits behind the Mercedes duo and wasted no time passing Hamilton. He began hunting down Russell for the final podium position, nailing the overtake on Lap 45 at Turn 4 as he took the long way around the Silver Arrow.

The race settled from there. Norris had a close call when he clipped the wall, the same place where Russell crashed last year, but he put together a fastest lap shortly after, nearly two seconds quicker than Verstappen’s previous lap. Meanwhile, Pérez reported over the radio that he had no traction and was “bouncing like a kangaroo.”

Colapinto was right on his tail, putting the Red Bull under pressure, but the Williams driver ultimately finished outside of points, never getting around Pérez.

In a twist at the end, Daniel Ricciardo pitted for a third time in the final few laps, swapping for a set of soft tires. He was flying, and at the time, Norris had the race’s fastest lap. Ricciardo instead took the fastest lap, spoiling Norris’ chance at his first grand slam.

📻 GP: “Your old pal Daniel got the fastest lap at the end there as well.”

📻 Verstappen: “Thank you, Daniel.”#F1 #SingaporeGP

— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) September 22, 2024

Here’s how the top 10 finished:

1. Lando Norris
2. Max Verstappen
3. Oscar Piastri
4. George Russell
5. Charles Leclerc
6. Lewis Hamilton
7. Carlos Sainz
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Nico Hülkenberg
10. Sergio Pérez

This is a developing story.

Top photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Texas redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning’s highly anticipated starting debut had its share of ups and downs, but the Longhorns dominated overmatched Louisiana-Monroe 51-3 on Saturday night before 102,850 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Manning, the son of Cooper Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie Manning, finished 15 of 29 passing for 258 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Manning started on Saturday night in place of injured starter Quinn Ewers, who is recovering from a strained oblique suffered last week in a win against UTSA.

Manning led the Longhorns’ first team offense for 10 series, leaving the game early in the fourth as true freshman Trey Owens entered. Here’s what we learned from his performance.

Manning’s top highlights

It’s clear to see why Manning was such a coveted recruit. His arm strength and accuracy were impressive on Saturday night. The deep balls he uncorked typically landed at or near their intended targets, and he completed passes of 56 and 46 yards.

ARCH MANNING RESPONDS AFTER HIS INT 🔥

A 56-yard DIME right to the hands of Isaiah Bond 😤 pic.twitter.com/mZ1aDgpLzT

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 22, 2024

The 6-4, 225-pound Manning didn’t seem to get rattled at any point, even when taking big hits. He got right back up each time. And he operated the offense like a veteran quarterback.

ARCH MANNING DROPPIN’ DIMES vs. UL Monroe 😳

A 46-yard throw and catch to Matthew Golden 💪 pic.twitter.com/xWJtwqYu8A

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 22, 2024

He bounced back from an interception on his first drive to lead four consecutive touchdown drives, which pushed Texas out to a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter. It was an up-and-down showing from there, and he threw another interception late in the first half, but he finished strong with two more touchdown drives of 66 and 63 yards in the second half. — Sam Khan Jr.

Scouting Arch’s first start

It was hardly perfect, but Manning looked firmly in control of the offense, wasn’t confused or overwhelmed by any checks or changes and kept things moving against an inferior opponent without issue. Texas put Manning in several play-action situations, allowing the big-armed sophomore to throw a few pretty deep balls. Like a lot of quarterbacks his age, Manning still defaults to the deepest throw in the concept. He forced one into multiple defenders early on and got picked off. He threw another one into two more defenders a little bit later and nearly completed it. More experience should build more comfort and clean up most of the current hiccups in Manning’s game.

He’s still a little late with his general pocket processing, especially if the coverage isn’t something he was anticipating or a route gets thrown off-kilter. A lot of that is timing, though, and Manning’s a young backup – so that’s understandable. In general, this will go in the books as a terrific experience for Manning as he was able to put both great throws and correctable mistakes on tape. He’ll gain confidence and learn a ton at the same time. — Nick Baumgardner

Texas continues to play its QB situation correctly

Although Manning’s highs were impressive, his mistakes showed his youth and inexperience. From forcing throws he shouldn’t to simply lacking the polish that Ewers has from his 25 career starts, it’s clear that Manning still has room to grow.

Manning’s potential seems limitless given his raw physical skill. Saturday’s extended action will be a good teaching tape for coach Steve Sarkisian. — Khan

GO DEEPER

How Texas is achieving rare QB harmony with Arch Manning, Quinn Ewers

Arch’s first college interception

Right now, Manning’s biggest areas for improvement are general pocket awareness and moving quickly through his progressions when his first read is taken away. The first pick of his college career, on Texas’ opening drive, was an example of both. Manning took an unnecessary hit because he stared down a read far too long, rather than either moving off that receiver and onto his No. 2, or scrambling. Then he forced a throw into three defenders. Everything about Manning’s pass mechanics, from his feet to his release, is ahead of his years. The basics of playing quarterback against live defenders, though? Still a work in progress, as expected. — Baumgardner 

Arch Manning throws his first career interception on the opening drive of the game. pic.twitter.com/2wXd8q4HcK

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 22, 2024

Should Quinn Ewers be looking over his shoulder?

No, there is no quarterback controversy in Austin. Quinn Ewers led Texas to the College Football Playoff last season, coming within an end-zone deflection against Washington from advancing to the national championship game. Just two weeks ago, Ewers shredded Michigan in the Big House, a performance so impressive it helped vault the Longhorns to the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll a week later. Once he returns to health, Manning will return to being the best backup quarterback in the country.

Obviously, it would become an issue for Sarkisian if Ewers comes back but struggles, especially with games against Oklahoma and Georgia looming back-to-back in mid-October. But if and when Texas loses for the first time, it will probably not be due to its passing game, which has thus far been the biggest strength of the team. — Stewart Mandel

(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)

The hot dogs are out of my house. Something about the way Mike Tomlin emphasized how we don’t want to know what’s in them forced me to chuck them … maybe forever.

Mike Tomlin just compared the Steelers locker room to a hot dog. pic.twitter.com/Fxsl12h1nv

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 17, 2024

Tomin’s 2-0 Steelers are starting Justin Fields in their home opener and hoping the ingredients in this offense start cooking up something delicious. I’m hearing they feel that they are close to it, too. Fields is getting more confident and comfortable in Arthur Smith’s offense. Russell Wilson continues to rehab his calf strain, but he’s still not at 100% health. While the offense is still moderately conservative, they’ll try to take off against the Chargers.

Jim Harbaugh and company, on a mission to go 3-0 for the first time in 22 years, have their own QB problems. Justin Herbert has a high ankle sprain but is trying to play in Pittsburgh. (Context: Former Titans QB Ryan Tannehill had this injury last season; he missed two games.) For Herbert to play, I’m told the team is going to want to see that he can plant his foot and even get up on his toes.

That’s two injuries in two months to the same side for Herbert. He missed most of training camp with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot. I’m told the QB, who is known in the building for his toughness, is trying to play. L.A. is already planning a run-heavy game against a very stingy Pittsburgh defense with or without Herbert under center.

This is what I’m hearing this week:

• The Packers and Jordan Love made their decision on his status Friday but don’t want the Titans to know their final call.

• Bryce Young was stunned when told he’d been benched, and the offense is frustrated. One Panthers player said, “Young was making the same mistakes over and over.”

• The Vikings are the complete opposite side of the coin from the Panthers when it comes to quarterback development structures.

• Before the Jets acquired Aaron Rodgers, the team’s top choice for a veteran QB was Derek Carr.

• Kickers are the new star of the NFL.

• And the desperate Colts will try to be more physical on defense this week.

Love is a mystery (in terms of his Sunday availability)

Jordan Love has been keeping fans (and reporters) on their toes. The quarterback missed last week’s game against the Colts but was at practice all week. He was limited, but I’m told he’s getting better by the day. The team and Love made their decision on his status Friday afternoon but don’t want the Titans to know their final call. Matt LaFleur told reporters they will test the injury all the way up until kickoff but a veteran NFL trainer said, “this isn’t a type of injury you ‘test’ on the field; it’s been decided.”

In other words: the Packers are all in on keeping the competitive edge!

Under the original recovery timeline, the Week 3 game against the Titans was categorized as “a long shot,” but Love is rebounding quicker than expected. He is wearing a metal brace on his left knee and a black leg sleeve for added support. This wouldn’t be his first time playing with a brace; at Utah State, he wore one after tearing the meniscus in his right knee.

It’s over for Bryce Young in Carolina

The NFC South is spicy right now and could have the most wins of any division after three weeks. They also have the Panthers…

Things are bad in Carolina right now. After just two games in a new offensive system with a new head coach, the Panthers made a bold decision and pulled the plug on 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.

It’s over. No matter what Carolina says, rest assured: It’s over.

This isn’t an experiment.

This isn’t a Ross and Rachel break.

This is Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston over.

Bryce Young heads to the bench 18 games into his NFL career, with Andy Dalton (left) stepping in. (Grant Halverson / Getty Images)

The quarterback was stunned when told he’d been benched. On the field, the offense is frustrated. One Panthers player said, “Young was making the same mistakes over and over.”

Young was fully aware that he needed to improve, but he was reassured that he was still the guy. The coaching staff told him they were in this together. They told him that “he was fine,” and that they were all on board to reach their goals.

On Monday, it changed.

It’s why Young admitted he was surprised by the move — he thought he had more time. First-year head coach David Canales told the world it was his call, but it was hard to find anyone in the league who believed that owner David Tepper had nothing to do with this decision.

History in Carolina tells us that while Tepper has tried to be more hands-off and allow the football people to make the football decisions, it’s never that easy. Even people on the Panthers believe ownership said, enough. “Too much changed from Sunday to Monday,” one source added. Now, veteran Andy Dalton gets a shot at trying to give the offense some life.

Eighteen months ago, Tepper and the Panthers had a choice: Young or C.J. Stroud with the No. 1 overall pick. Tepper and company told people and were convinced that they found their Drew Brees in Young. The height and weight were always an issue for the team, but they were willing to pick outside the prototype quarterback in hopes of hitting the jackpot.

GO DEEPER

Bryce Young, Tua and Watson: An NFL tipping point, or billionaires’ business as usual?

Meanwhile, in Minnesota

When the Panthers benched Bryce Young, I texted the news to a trusted league source. He quickly responded: “They should bench their program.”

I usually think of college football when I hear “program,” but looking at quarterback development structures through that lens is informative. A program encompasses everything: Environment, support staff, planning, teaching philosophy, and the list goes on. Speak to folks around the league about QB development, and they’ll often mention all of these layers as being essential. Carolina is one side of the coin — Minnesota is the other.

Kevin O’Connell, who is currently in his third season as the Vikings’ head coach, has created an organizational environment built on intentionality. Circumstances have not always been optimal, but the varying factors have not pulled O’Connell away from his belief that growth and development require consistency over time.

Around the NFL, countless coaches and execs have paid attention to what O’Connell has accomplished. One opposing defensive coach said, “I’d trust KOC more than anyone in our league to get the most out of his quarterback.”

Sam Darnold’s first two games under Kevin O’Connell were two of the best games of his career so far. (Brad Rempel / Imagn Images)

Last year, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 7. A revolving door of sorts happened, with Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall and Josh Dobbs all starting at some point. Remember the run the Vikings had with Dobbs after acquiring him on a whim? This does not happen if not for an overarching philosophy centered around instilling belief and ensuring the player is not being asked to do more than they are capable of.

It helps to have a surrounding cast featuring Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, but the ancillary aspects speak to O’Connell’s program. Before the Vikings drafted quarterback J.J. McCarthy, they hired longtime NFL quarterback Josh McCown. After they drafted McCarthy, they explored the biomechanics space, even bringing in some of the game’s best minds to talk about quarterback movements.

All of this relates to the stellar play of their current reclamation project: Sam Darnold, a player who has bounced around four different teams (including the Panthers). Last week, after the Vikings beat the 49ers, San Francisco’s star edge rusher Nick Bosa said: “That’s an excellent coach … he’s just really good with the scheme. He knows how to scheme up the big-time players [against] the defense, and he’s got a lot of outstanding players and a good offensive line. You could feel it when you’re playing a good coach who knows what they’re doing.”

All of this brings up an interesting topic regarding the Vikings’ future. When the team hired O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in February 2022, it signed them to four-year contracts. This is their third season, and during training camp, Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf said extension talks would not be happening this season. Meanwhile, Mike McDaniel, who was hired at the same time as O’Connell, was extended by Dolphins owner Steve Ross.

It should be noted that extensions rarely happen after two seasons, but if optimal development programs are as hard to find as they seem to be, why not invest now? In the eyes of many around the league, O’Connell deserves a new contract. If one does not come, free agency is always an alternative.

GO DEEPER

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Before Rodgers, Jets wanted ‘future Hall of Famer’ Carr

Aaron Rodgers’ Thursday night performance against the Patriots was incredible. That is what the New York Jets had been waiting for.

Before they acquired Aaron Rodgers in the spring of 2023, the team’s top choice for a veteran QB was Derek Carr. Members of the organization eagerly recruited him, expressing their unwavering belief in his abilities. At a dinner, head coach Robert Saleh told Carr that he saw the quarterback as a future Hall of Famer.

While many doubted that assertion, Carr’s stellar performance so far in 2024, including Sunday against Mike Zimmer’s formidable Cowboys defense, suggests that Saleh might have been on to something. First-year Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has injected a new level of dynamism into the team’s offense, reminiscent of the high-powered Sean Payton-Drew Brees years.

Though as one defensive coordinator pointed out: “The Payton offense is out of the building, the run game has made a huge difference in making sure Carr is not carrying the offense solely on his shoulders. Credit to Carr too, who has been really efficient.”

Pre-snap shifts and play-action passes are all part of the offense, with Carr under center 70% of the time. That leads the league, and the Saints lead the league in points. Who saw that coming?

GO DEEPER

Why Derek Carr may have found the right fit in Klint Kubiak’s Saints offense

Kickers play the long game

If Taylor Swift was the talk of the NFL all of last season, this year there’s an even more popular star dominating the game: your team’s kicker.

Yep, this will be the only place you ever read that sentence. There is nothing sexy about kickers, of course, but what they are doing right now has everyone admiring elite feet. Kicking long field goals in the NFL all of a sudden looks easy. (It isn’t.) League-wide this season, kickers have made 35 of 39 (90%) of their field goal attempts from 50 yards or longer. What’s behind the long-range trend? I asked around the league.

The most common answer is that weather conditions and playing surfaces have been ideal. Most surfaces are in great shape this time of year — significantly, the natural grass fields — leading to fewer issues for kickers. We will likely see the success rate go down once it gets colder, windier, and the weather shifts.

One coach said: “There are more indoor stadiums. There are more specialist coaches. There is more exposure to kicking as a specialized skill. Guys are actually growing up aspiring to be kickers, compared to how it used to be when guys kicked and played another position.”

A general manager added: “Specialists are their entity, and that’s all they work on, so they should be good at it. Snap, hold, and kick timing can be worked on regularly so you can get good at the process. And teams likely really don’t spend too much time on FG Block since they’re devoting resources to other areas.”

Another head coach expanded on that last point: “Since the rule changes in recent years, it’s almost impossible to block a kick. You can’t cover the center, you can’t jump and land over the line of scrimmage, and you can’t push interior lineman … blocking kicks is almost a non-factor.”

Three of Ka’imi Fairbairn’s six NFL-leading field goals of 50-plus yards came in primetime on Sunday night. (Alex Slitz / Getty Images)

And a special teams coach added: “They’ve gone the way of a lot of the positions — personal coaches, and there is politics in that, but they do a really good job of refining their craft, swing mechanics, technique, strength. They have summits like the other positions do. They can self correct … and if they can’t there’s a talent pool to go get someone else. They don’t necessarily have the same career path where they have to have immediate success, and you may not hear about them for a few years. It truly has to be a passion for them.”

The strangest part about all these boots on fire is that the one kicker who has been burning up the record books for years, Baltimore’s Justin Tucker, is off to a slow start. He’s already missed two kicks — though his record for longest field goal, 66 yards, still stands. For now.

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And finally…

The desperate, 0-2 Colts will try to be more physical on defense this week against the Bears. The combined quarterback age in that game is 44: Caleb Williams in 22, and Anthony Richardson is 22.

I’m definitely not feeling 22. (I’m allowed one Taylor Swift lyric reference a season. Thank you.)

Make sure you check out the “Scoop City” Podcast this Tuesday to get more information and insight on the Week 3 games. Two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long will join co-host Chase Daniel and I to let us know which teams and quarterbacks have him in shock.

(Top photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)

Arch Manning, the most famous backup quarterback in football, will make his first college start Saturday night for No. 1 Texas against Louisiana-Monroe, replacing the injured Quinn Ewers.

The 19-year-old son of Cooper Manning, Arch represents the next generation of football royalty from the Manning family. His grandfather, Archie, starred at Ole Miss in the 1960s and played for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL. His uncles, Peyton and Eli, won two Super Bowls apiece in the NFL after decorated college careers at Tennessee and Ole Miss, respectively.

How did Arch get here and what’s next? Here’s a guide to what to know heading into the Longhorns’ game against the Warhawks, which will be streaming on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET Saturday.

What has Manning done at Texas so far?

Manning’s existence at Texas has been a bit of a throwback to the way quarterback development used to be before the transfer portal. Manning enrolled at Texas in 2023, redshirted and saw minimal time as the third-string quarterback behind Ewers and backup Maalik Murphy. He made his career debut in the fourth quarter of the Longhorns’ regular-season finale, a 57-7 win over Texas Tech, and led two drives.

Manning saw just 27 snaps in two games last year (he came in the following week to take knees and kill the clock in the Longhorns’ Big 12 championship game win over Oklahoma State) but Murphy transferred to Duke after the season. Ewers opted to stay at Texas for one more season rather than enter the draft, cementing him as the Longhorns’ starter for a third consecutive season.

Manning has been Ewers’ primary backup and is already seeing more game time in 2024, with 55 combined snaps in wins against Colorado State and UTSA. In the 12 drives Manning has led this season, the Longhorns have scored seven touchdowns. For the season, Manning is 14-of-18 passing for 318 yards and five touchdowns and has two touchdown runs.

He completed his first five pass attempts in a 52-0 Week 1 win against Colorado State, notching his first career touchdowns. Against UTSA, Manning entered for an injured Ewers in the second quarter and threw for four touchdowns and ran for a 67-yard score. He finished 9 of 12 passing for 223 yards in a 56-7 win over the Roadrunners. — Sam Khan Jr.

CAN’T TOUCH HIM 😮‍💨@ArchManning pic.twitter.com/65nR57qIR5

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 15, 2024

Why is Manning making his first start now?

Ewers left the UTSA game early in the second quarter with a strained oblique and did not return. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that Ewers was “questionable” for Saturday’s game against ULM and that the Longhorns would monitor his progress throughout the week. On Thursday, Sarkisian said Ewers made “great strides” in his recovery but in the interest of his long-term health and career, as well as getting him healthy for SEC play, decided to start Manning.

“I’m looking forward to his future as a player but also the future of the season for us and the longevity,” Sarkisian said. “Getting him possibly one more week healthier for the long term, I think is good for us as we’re getting ready for SEC play.”

Sarkisian added that Ewers’ goals — leading Texas to a national championship, being in the Heisman Trophy race and becoming a top-five NFL Draft pick — won’t be disrupted by missing Saturday’s game. And Sarkisian wants to see how Manning runs the offense and operates as the starter.

“(He) had a really good week to work, understands the plan,” Sarkisian said of Manning. “But it’s different when you’re the starting quarterback as opposed to coming in cold off the bench as a backup. So, different challenge for him. But I know that he’ll be more than ready to go out and operate and play football at a high level for us.” — Khan

GO DEEPER

Texas is college football’s new No. 1. What have we learned?

Will Texas have a QB controversy when Ewers returns?

No. Ewers is the starter. When he’s healthy enough to return, he will be QB1.

Manning is a superb talent and looks like he’ll be a star when his time comes. He’s good enough to start for most other programs today. But Ewers has risen to the occasion in big moments for Texas time and again and happens to also be an elite talent too. Like Manning in 2023, Ewers was the No. 1 recruit in the 2021 class. He’s a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa and took the Longhorns to the Playoff last year and beat Michigan in Ann Arbor this year. He has 25 starts under his belt and three years of experience in this offense. There is no quarterback controversy at Texas. — Khan

GO DEEPER

How Texas is achieving rare QB harmony with Arch Manning, Quinn Ewers

Does Louisiana-Monroe pose a challenge Saturday?

The Warhawks were picked to finish last in their division and got the fewest votes in the Sun Belt Conference’s preseason media poll, though they have had a nice 2-0 start under new coach Bryant Vincent. They dominated UAB, 32-6, on Sept. 7. ULM has 73 new players on its roster, headlined by Oklahoma transfer quarterback General Booty, who has a connection to Manning, even though they’ve never met.

Despite the feel-good nature of ULM’s start, don’t expect the Warhawks to be in this game deep into the second half. They’re ranked 100th in The Athletic’s rankings of all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams and are 44.5-point underdogs on Saturday according to BetMGM, because the talent gulf between the programs is significant. ULM is hoping to make a bowl game for the first time since 2012, while the Longhorns have their sights set on the Playoff and a national championship run. — Khan

GO DEEPER

Arch Manning won’t be only football royalty on field Saturday night. Meet General Booty!

How did Manning end up at Texas?

No recruit in the modern era attracted more general interest than Manning, who was ranked as the nation’s top prospect in the Class of 2023. Manning had his pick of any school in the country as one of the most coveted prospects in recruiting history, but he took official visits to three schools in June 2022: Georgia, Alabama and Texas.

He committed to the Longhorns just six days after his official visit to Austin and about 11 months after news broke that Texas would be leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. The Texas decision made a lot of sense for Manning, who could spend his early days with the program developing and learning behind Ewers before taking over the offense himself once Ewers headed to the NFL.

Sarkisian has long been considered one of the sport’s most prominent offensive masterminds and has spent his career coaching quarterbacks. After Manning issued his commitment, his high school coaches at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans — where his father and uncles played — could sense how at peace he felt.

“He’s just in such a good place mentally,” Manning’s high school coach, Nelson Stewart, said in October 2022. “He’s having fun … and he’s playing so free.” — Grace Raynor

GO DEEPER

Inside the Texas spending blitz that hooked Arch Manning and a No. 2 recruiting class

What was Manning like as a recruit?

Pundits docked Manning for the level of competition he faced while at Newman, a Class 2A school, but he was able to combat that stigma when Newman played one of its most difficult schedules in program history during his senior year and he opened the season with a 21-point road victory at Class 5A Hahnville. Among Manning’s most impressive traits were his ability to extend plays when things broke down and the patience to go through multiple reads in his progression — even scoring touchdowns on his fifth read at times. Manning broke Eli’s school record of 7,268 career passing yards and Peyton’s school record of 93 career passing touchdowns. He finished his high school career with 8,599 career passing yards and 115 touchdowns against 20 interceptions, throwing just two picks during his senior season.

But for as decorated as Manning was on the field, he was one of the most low-maintenance recruits in recent history off it. He stayed out of the spotlight as much as possible and announced his commitment to Texas by sending out his first and only tweet at the time to his personal Twitter page. Once he committed to the Longhorns, there was never any buzz about a potential flip and he signed the paperwork in a ceremony at his high school. — Raynor

GO DEEPER

How Texas landed Arch Manning

What is Manning’s NFL Draft future?

The 19-year-old Manning will be eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft after his junior year of classes, though he will have three years of eligibility for college football remaining after this season because he redshirted as a freshman in 2023.

Physically, at 6 feet 4, 225 pounds with legit speed, athletic burst and first-round arm talent, Manning looks like an ideal quarterback prospect. It’s possible he’ll add strength, only improving his burst and agility in the pocket and general durability long-term. Frankly, we don’t have enough data right now to give him a proper draft projection. The relief duty last week against UTSA was the most we’ve seen of Manning, and while it featured a lot of great stuff — both with his feet and arm — it also showed an inexperienced passer who missed a few reads and wasn’t always in rhythm.

However, Manning’s natural quarterback instincts — footwork and processing — are elite. He generally plays the game with a rhythm and shows an understanding of a complex offense. Most important: He’s patient. The fact he wasn’t afraid to go to a school like Texas and grind without drama — simply because he wants to learn from Sarkisian in a stable environment — shows a type of maturity not often seen from today’s blue-chip quarterback recruits. — Nick Baumgardner

(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)

Four of the NFL’s nine unbeaten teams meet Sunday, which should provide some buzz, albeit so early in the season.

While C.J. Stroud’s Houston Texans meet the resurgent Sam Darnold’s Minnesota Vikings, Justin Herbert — questionable with a high ankle sprain as of Friday — and the Los Angeles Chargers meet the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have one touchdown through eight quarters.

Elsewhere around the league, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussions land him on IR as doubts surrounding his career continue. The Saints’ offense is off to a torrid start. Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young has been benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. The Atlanta Falcons — coming off a thrilling win at Philadelphia — host the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s nightcap.

What will Sunday’s action bring? The Athletic’s NFL writers Mike Sando, Zak Keefer and Jeff Howe discuss.

We have a pair of matchups between unbeatens in Week 3 — Texans-Vikings and Chargers-Steelers. What are you watching for in each of these games?

Sando: I’ll be interested in seeing how Sam Darnold plays if the Vikings fall behind. Can he continue to avoid the errors that have marked his career? In the other game, I want to see how Chargers right tackle Joe Alt fares against the Steelers’ T.J. Watt. Alt has been pretty dominant so far. This will be a fun matchup and if Alt wins it, he’s going to be voted All-Pro this year. He might be anyway.

Howe: Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is off to a hot start, but C.J. Stroud is going to be his greatest challenge so far. If Flores can make life tough on Stroud, it could mean the Vikings have real staying power in the race for a playoff spot. The Chargers-Steelers game will be a brawl, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if neither team scores 20 points. I’m very interested to see how Justin Herbert and Justin Fields handle those stifling defenses. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has Herbert playing a more conservative style, and that could be important in a game like this. But with Herbert questionable with a high ankle sprain, the element of a measuring-stick game might be wiped away if he’s unavailable or significantly limited. I still think this will be a fun game from a defensive perspective, though.

Keefer: I’m with Jeff — the Texans’ offense struggled a bit in the second half Sunday night against an excellent Bears defense, and I’m wondering if Flores’ unit can give them some of the same problems. As for Chargers-Steelers, how many touchdowns will we see? Less than four? For a Pittsburgh team that’s 2-0 despite scoring one touchdown in eight quarters, I can’t see that formula working for long. The Steelers are going to have to unlock something offensively to keep winning games.

Panthers QB Bryce Young has been benched 18 games into his career as Carolina travels to Las Vegas to face the Raiders. What’s next for Young? Would the league benefit from sitting more rookie/young QBs to start their careers?

Sando: While the Panthers did a poor job supporting Young, the situation serves as a reminder against betting big on outlier quarterbacks. Young’s size was an issue coming into the 2023 draft. It’s a bigger issue now that teams have seen just how much his stature has complicated his ability to play well. The Panthers will either draft a quarterback early in 2025 or find a veteran. I don’t see Young in the picture.

Howe: The Panthers have to do everything in their power to rebuild Young’s confidence because he clearly hasn’t been playing with any. That’s on the Panthers for dropping him into a bad situation — three head coaches, a dearth of talent at the skill positions and a line that has failed to protect him. They can’t put Young back on the field until everything else is operating at a higher capacity, even if that’s not until 2025. I don’t think the league should change its consideration over how quickly to play its QBs, though. Quarterbacks enter the league far more ready to start now than ever before because of all the camps, all-star games and everything else that comes with the high school and college spotlight. However, if a team can’t protect its QB due to a lack of talent, it’s better to avoid shattering his confidence by playing him too early and exposing him to failure. I think that’s what you’re seeing with the Patriots and Drake Maye.

Bryce Young: “For the last year and these two games, every snap hit my hands and I didn’t do enough with it.”

h/t ⁦@SteveReedAP⁩ for the video. pic.twitter.com/l1QFOfjurl

— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 19, 2024

Keefer: Young’s benching is an organizational failure, and one of the worst we’ve seen in this league in some time. I don’t get the sense Dave Canales is ready to give up Young — he raved about his poise and processing in the preseason — so I’d assume the thinking is: Give the young quarterback a breather, let him reset, and see if he can rediscover his confidence on the practice field the next few weeks and months. And yes, I’ve long felt that only a select few rookie quarterbacks are ready for the rigors of starting a rookie season. But teams are in too much of a hurry to play the long game. It’s backfired before, and it backfired here.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve this week while in concussion protocol and can’t return to action before Week 8. Are the playoffs a realistic goal for Miami if Tagovailoa’s absence stretches even longer?

Sando: Not without acquiring a quarterback from another team. Tyler Huntley’s signing from the Ravens’ practice squad isn’t going to be enough, in my view. It’ll be fun to see if Mike McDaniel can scheme the Dolphins out of this, much the way Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur did for the Packers against Indy. I just don’t think that’s plausible for a long stretch. If Tagovailoa is out for a long time, Miami will need to do something to upgrade the position and send a message of hope to the locker room.

Howe: No, the AFC has too many quality teams, and the Dolphins have too difficult of a schedule. They’re going to need to play terrific defense and scheme up a run game and quick passing attack to play perfect complementary football to steal some games along the way, and I think that’s too much to ask. It’s not unrealistic to think the Dolphins can get to 3-3 by the time Tagovailoa is eligible to return, but a longer absence could cost him games against the Cardinals, Bills and Rams. That’s going to be a season-defining stretch regardless of who’s at QB.

Keefer: I don’t see this team making the playoffs with Tua sidelined for the next month — and likely longer. Tua may have limitations, but he’s an excellent fit for McDaniels’ offensive system, one built on speed. Tua’s accuracy is what makes it go, accentuating the talents of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Without the QB, the Dolphins lose a part of their identity, and I don’t trust the defense, either, not after the way Josh Allen and the Bills ran over them last week. It could be a long couple of months in Miami.

GO DEEPER

Bryce Young, Tua and Watson: An NFL tipping point, or billionaires’ business as usual?

The New Orleans Saints and their offense are the talk of the league as they host the Eagles in Week 3. What is so different about the Saints than in the past?

Sando: They have a very well-schemed rushing attack and it’s giving them a refocused identity, something they needed, in retrospect, after the transition out of the Drew Brees/Sean Payton era. Adding left tackle Taliese Fuaga in the draft was another important move. It’s not going to look as good when the Saints fall behind, but their rushing attack and defense have given the offense, and especially quarterback Derek Carr, a favorable context.

Howe: Klint Kubiak is off to a tremendous start. The Saints had gotten stale on offense under Pete Carmichael, and they had been looking to replace him after Payton stepped away. Now with an innovative coordinator, the Saints are clicking in a way we haven’t seen since Brees was running the show. Thing is, they’ve shown flashes in short spurts the past couple of years but never sustained it, so I’m intrigued to see if this continues.

Keefer: Early-down success in the run game has changed everything for the Saints, opening up the playbook on later downs, which has allowed Carr to be aggressive. Alvin Kamara has not-so-subtly reminded the league how dangerous he is, giving this offense the type of balance that’ll scare defensive coordinators for most of the rest of the season. To think: The Saints opened the season with 15 straight scoring drives. I’ll be eager to see how defenses counter them the rest of the way, and if they find any way of slowing them down.

Kirk Cousins’ prime-time record didn’t matter much Monday night, when the Falcons earned one of the best wins of Week 2 in Philadelphia. Sunday night, they host the Chiefs, who have won a pair of nail-biters to start the season. What are your thoughts on this matchup?

Sando: I think the Chiefs will start fast offensively and then get after Cousins when Atlanta has to depart from its run-oriented script. The Chiefs will do a better job in coverage as well.

Howe: Cousins’ game-winning drive was clutch and showed he can still play at a higher level, but it also masked a number of earlier mistakes when he didn’t trust his reads or simply didn’t see open receivers. Whether it’s the injury-related layoff or adjusting to a new offense and organization, Cousins is still playing catchup. I think he’ll get there eventually, but it looks like it’s going to require patience. However, there was a pivotal point midway through the Monday nighter when the Falcons recognized they could bully the Eagles with Bijan Robinson. They’ve absolutely got to see if that will work against the Chiefs because that’s a well-coached, veteran defense that I’d expect to give Cousins a headache if he’s put in too many passing situations.

GO DEEPER

An ‘alien’ is coming to Atlanta: Falcons admit Mahomes Week is different

Keefer: Impressive as Atlanta’s game-winning drive was, the Falcons were sloppy most of Monday’s game, and Cousins admitted he needed to be better in his postgame interview. The Chiefs, similarly, eeked out a narrow win over the Bengals they probably shouldn’t have had. In a game headlined by the offenses, I think Kansas City’s defense will be the difference. The Falcons still have a ways to go.

(Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)

OAKLAND — Juan Soto didn’t feel great.

When he woke up Friday morning, his left knee was stiff, swollen and achy. The night prior, he slammed it into the wall making a sliding catch at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, and with just nine games left in the season and a month until his hotly anticipated free agency, he was worried something might be very wrong.

Turned out, he wasn’t just OK. He was en route to delivering another signature moment in his first and — avert your eyes, New York Yankees fans — perhaps only season in pinstripes.

Soto battled through soreness in his knee to deliver 10th-inning, pinch-hitting heroics in a crucial 4-2 win over the Oakland A’s at the Coliseum.

“Showman-like,” said Gerrit Cole, the night’s other hero who allowed just one run over nine innings and 99 pitches.

Let’s run through the most standout parts of Soto’s brief, but impactful performance.

Soto. Clutch. pic.twitter.com/w8Xf28blfL

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 21, 2024

Playing through pain

Soto wasn’t totally ready. Though manager Aaron Boone’s initial lineup had the 25-year-old batting second and playing right field, Soto’s pregame work told the team to yank him out just hours before first pitch.

Earlier in the day, Soto received the best news of all: X-rays of his kneecap didn’t reveal structural damage.

“It was really a relief,” he said.

A bigger relief? Getting the job done when Boone called upon him with the game on the line.

In the 10th with the score tied 1-1, after Anthony Rizzo led off with a single to right field and moved automatic runner Jasson Domínguez to third base, Boone figured it was the right time. So, Soto pinch hit for center fielder Trent Grisham.

With the count 1-1, Oakland reliever T.J. McFarland whipped an 88-mph sinker that went all the way to the backstop for a wild pitch. Domínguez slid feet-first under the pitcher’s tag. The Yankees had taken the lead.

Then, on the next pitch, Soto roped a slider to the right-field corner. The ball (exit velocity: 110 mph) zipped over the left fielder’s head, scoring pinch-runner Oswaldo Cabrera from second base.

Soto cruised into second base and then came out for pinch runner Jon Berti.

“What a big-time at-bat,” Boone said.

“That was awesome,” catcher Austin Wells said. “I mean, he couldn’t play the whole game? He came in at the end? Just a piece-o’-cake double. No, I’m glad he’s healthy, and he did a great job coming off the bench.”

It brought to mind Soto’s performance from nine days prior when he fouled a ball off his foot, went down in pain and then continued the at-bat only to crush a long two-run homer off Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans. The Yankees won the game 4-3.

Willingness to put his body on the line

On Friday afternoon, Soto spent time hitting in the cage with assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler and doing squats in the weight room. But he wasn’t ready. Soto and the Yankees decided to give him more time to rest. So, Aaron Judge shifted to right field and Grisham started in center.

Yet, by the time the middle of the game came around, Boone said that Soto approached him to tell him that he could hit if the game was on the line.

Soto didn’t have to do that. He could have taken the rest of the day to protect his knee — and his availability for the postseason. The Yankees clinched a playoff berth Wednesday and maintained their four-game lead in the American League East with eight games remaining.

But Soto wanted to play.

“I know we clinched and this and that,” he said. “But at the end of the day, the goal is to win the division, and we are really close. I didn’t think about any day off or anything. But we’re trying to be smart too and think about October and not think about right now. So, yeah, all the options came through my mind.”

Cole had a simple explanation.

“He loves the moment, man,” Cole said. “He loves it.”

Juan Soto discusses status of his knee, pinch-hitting, playoff anticipation and more. pic.twitter.com/WnpFPVpna2

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 21, 2024

A nod to his teammates and training staff

The Yankees’ dugout exploded after Soto’s double. It was clear how much Soto adores his teammates as he danced and sprayed champagne with them during Wednesday’s celebration of the Yankees nailing down a playoff spot.

But he put it into words Friday.

“These guys are unbelievable,” he said. “These guys are great. I love every single guy that is in here. We’ve been together since Day 1, and we’ve been showing love day in and day out, and it’s just a great feeling.”

Soto also credited the Yankees’ medical and strength staffers for their work on his knee.

“The trainers did a pretty good job to help me get the swelling down and it felt very good,” he said.

He added, “(The knee) reacted pretty well. So throughout the game, I was feeling good. It wasn’t sore or anything after all the work we put in, and that’s when I knew I had a good chance to be an option.”

(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

BALTIMORE — Logan Webb was a teenage pitching prospect, just a couple months removed from his high school graduation, when he received his unofficial welcome to professional baseball.

It was not a gracious welcome.

And Matt Chapman delivered it.

Webb was pitching for the Giants’ instructional league team in Arizona in the fall of 2014. It was a scrimmage against the A’s at old Indian School Park on the practice field that featured the same dimensions as the Giants’ waterfront ballpark in San Francisco — complete with the deepest expanse of Triples Alley in right-center field that measured 421 feet at the time.

“We used to have this rule where if you got 0-2, you had to throw a fastball outside,” Webb said. “That was the rule, don’t know why. And so I throw the pitch and Matt Chapman hits it off the 421-foot sign. I was like, ‘All right, this is professional baseball.’ I’d never had someone hit a ball like that off me. So yeah, Chappy actually gave me my first ‘welcome to professional baseball’ moment.

“And since that moment I was like, ‘I want to play with that guy.’”

Webb got the chance this season. And he’ll continue to have the chance for the better part of the decade. The Giants have plenty of unanswered questions about their direction, their roster construction and the future of their top decision-makers in baseball operations. But Webb, who turns 28 in November, is secured through 2028 after signing a five-year, $90 million extension last season. And now Chapman, 31, is locked in through 2030 after he and the Giants came to terms on a six-year, $151 million extension that includes a full no-trade clause.

The Giants have their unquestioned leaders in place: one on the pitching side, one to represent the position players. And the duo couldn’t be happier about the partnership that they are beginning to form — one that they believe will resonate far beyond the on-field symbiosis that results when you pair a three-time Gold Glove third baseman with a pitcher who routinely ranks among the league leaders in groundball rate.

In separate interviews, Webb and Chapman spoke about their mutual admiration, about the clubhouse culture and team identity that they plan to instill, and even about the personal life changes — a lack of sleep being among them — that they are about to experience together. Chapman and his wife, Taylor, became first-time parents when they welcomed a baby girl on Thursday. Webb and his wife, Sharidan, are expecting their first child to arrive in the first week of October.

“I can’t wait to be a dad,” Chapman said in an interview last week. “The timing is almost perfect, coming right at the end of the season. It’s a dream come true, honestly. I’ve always wanted long-term security just to know where I’m going to play and be able to set some roots somewhere. Now that we’re starting a family, it couldn’t be more perfect. We live in Arizona so spring training is right down the road as well. It’s a perfect setup. I get to play somewhere I really want to be.”

Chapman received waves of well wishes on Sept. 4, when news of his extension trickled through the clubhouse and he was a late scratch from the lineup so he could take his physical. Webb was among the players to offer congratulations. But there was more he wanted to express. It was something a little too personal to share in front of everyone else.

“So I texted him later that night,” Webb said. “And I told him, ‘The coolest part for me is our kids get to grow up together now.’ That’s awesome. We live five minutes away from each other in the offseason. I couldn’t be more excited for him, for his family, and selfishly, for myself. It’s going to be great.

“He and I have talked about it a lot. He brings a positive change to a lot of things. He and I are excited to keep trying to lead this team. We’re all in the same boat and we’ve got to right the ship. The San Francisco Giants organization is better than this. We see that. I know he sees that. We’ve got to keep pushing forward and signing Chappy is the best start we could have possibly had.”

No matter how the rest of the roster takes shape, or who is doing the shaping, the Giants know that they will have continuity in their clubhouse leadership for the foreseeable future: two players who not only have the emotional intelligence to read a room and the vocal skills to send the right message, but who also lead by example on the field in the simplest and most direct way.

By showing up.

Chapman, prior to going on the paternity list and missing this past week’s series at Baltimore, had played 95 percent of the Giants’ defensive innings at third base. And although Webb was unhappy with his performance in a five-inning start Thursday, he walked off the mound at Camden Yards as the major-league innings leader with 198 2/3. Even in a season that hasn’t been up to his standards, Webb has delivered 14 starts in which he’s completed at least seven innings while allowing no more than two earned runs. No other major-league pitcher has posted more than 12 of those starts.

“I didn’t realize what kind of competitor he was,” Chapman said of Webb. “Obviously, I knew of his success and that he’s talented, that he knows how to pitch and throw pitches for strikes and keep guys off-balance. But getting to play with him every single day, when he gets on the mound, he’s got that fire in him. I liked when I saw that. It’s everything you want to see in your ace.

“And watching him pitch every five days, I am more and more impressed with his ability to navigate a game and pitch deep into a game no matter what. He could give up runs early or not have his best stuff or he could get hit a little more than he anticipates. But he finds a way to get us deep in the game and have a chance. It’s kind of a lost art, that old-school way of pitching, and it’s been great to watch.”

What has Webb learned to appreciate about Chapman?

“That he’s been everything I heard about and more,” Webb said. “Great leader, gives it his all every single day, one of the best teammates. For me, it’s just exciting to know there’s a like-minded guy for what we want this to look like and he’s here with me for at least the next four years. It’s important you get guys like that. Coming up, I was lucky to be around really great Giants and I think he fits that mold to a T. Everyone saw what Buster (Posey) said about him. That’s the truth.

“(The front office) has a tough job to do. I don’t know everything that goes on. But from the get-go, BoMel (manager Bob Melvin) and some of the people here pinpointed a guy like Chappy and said, ‘I think that’s something we need here.’ And he’s been exactly that.

“He does all the right things. He runs every ball out. He makes every play. He understands every situation. He’s a brilliant baseball player, which is, I think, the most important thing. I’m just super excited to have a guy like that next to me and be able to share the same feelings and thoughts of what we want this to look like while we’re here.

“That’s a great face of the franchise to have.”

Chapman’s elite defense at third base has been a perfect match for a groundball specialist like Webb. (Andy Kuno / San Francisco Giants / Getty Images)

A shepherd is nothing without a flock to guide and the Giants were deficient in too many areas this season while plunging from contention. They will miss the postseason for the eighth time in 10 seasons since their last World Series championship in 2014. Aside from Webb, there are just a handful of players who remain from the 2021 team that won a franchise-record 107 regular-season games before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tense and tight NL Division Series. The Giants might have players who expect to win, but they do not have players who are accustomed to winning.

As important as leadership and clubhouse continuity might be, this is a roster that will require a significant infusion of talent — both from free agency and player development — to have consistent designs on October baseball again.

Chapman and Webb are already strategizing how they can help on that front, too.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but (Chapman) is saying hi to everyone who gets to third base,” Webb said. “Every player is going out of their way to say something to him. Maybe that’s a small thing. But I think that’s important for us in future offseasons. It’s been tough sledding (with free agents). I’ve been part of the conversations and it’s hard when you put effort into a guy and he goes somewhere else. So having Chappy will help for sure. It won’t just be a right-handed sinkerball pitcher trying to get a position player to come hit here, right? I can’t tell them what it’s going to be like.

“We’re still going to miss on guys. There are 29 teams who won’t sign (a free agent). But he’s very respected around baseball and they see how hard he plays every day and they want to be like that. It’s the same thing you saw with the Brandons and Buster and Longo (Evan Longoria). People around baseball wanted to play with those guys.”

Chapman said his ability to be an effective recruiter was among the reasons that a no-trade provision was a requirement to agreeing to terms. Chapman would have received no-trade protection after the 2028 season anyway once he achieved 10 years of service including five years with his current club. But the blanket security upfront was just as important, especially given the Giants’ recent pattern of transactions under Farhan Zaidi, who traded players like Mitch Haniger and Jorge Soler during or after the first season of a three-year contract.

Once Posey personally offered the no-trade protection while pushing the negotiations forward, the process wrapped up swiftly.

“It was the most important thing because if I’m going to be able to lead these guys in the clubhouse, I want them to know that I’m staying here,” Chapman said. “If I’m going to tell guys to sign here as free agents, why would they listen to me if I’m not going to be here or they think I might get traded? Being able to have control over that is huge, not just for the baseball side but for my life and for my family, knowing where I’m going to be. When you play long enough, that’s the situation you hope for.”

Webb, when asked in the past about taking a more vocal leadership role in the clubhouse, has expressed reservations because his job is to pitch every five days. He said he respects the everyday effort of position players too much to believe that he’s the right person when someone needs to be called out for a lack of focus or effort.

“He’s not wrong about that,” Chapman said. “I think position players have a bigger responsibility when it comes to leading because you’re in there every single day. Every team I’ve been on, position players have been the driving force, checking in with the guys, making sure we’re bringing it every day. But we can all pull from the same end of the rope. We all have the same goals. So this is exciting for me.

“I’ve never gotten a chance to set my roots somewhere. I knew Toronto was probably temporary and Oakland was temporary even though I gave everything I had every year there in both places. But knowing I get to really sink in here and will be here for the long haul, to be able to earn these guys’ respect and build that winning atmosphere, that’s the goal.

“And I think we bounce off each other well, Logan and myself. He’s got that laid-back personality, which I envy sometimes. I’m the one who’ll sometimes get fired up. It’ll be a good blend, I think.”

It might come with an official designation. The Giants haven’t had a captain since Jack Clark in 1984 — unless you count Brandon Belt’s unofficial declaration of his captaincy three seasons ago. It’s a mostly bygone tradition these days. But Melvin hasn’t ruled out making Chapman the team’s official captain next season.

The timing wasn’t right to consider anything along those lines this year. Not when Chapman was playing his first season in San Francisco. And certainly not when he arrived in mid-March following a lengthy contract stalemate.

But it’s clear that visibility and presentation are important to Melvin, whose first policy changes this past spring included the request that all players and coaches stand on the field for the national anthem — not as a show of patriotism but to demonstrate to their opponent that they were a united front and prepared to play.

There couldn’t be a more visible way to demonstrate Chapman’s leadership than to stitch a tackle twill “C” on his chest.

“I would love that,” Webb said. “I mean, do we do that here? If a guy like Buster wasn’t a captain, I don’t know how that would work. But if there’s a guy we’d change it for, I think it’d be Chappy. I don’t know who makes that decision, but if they ask my opinion on it, I’d love to have him as the captain.”

Whether he’s the captain or not, maybe Chapman can help lead in other areas, too. Now that he has a couple weeks’ head start on fatherhood, perhaps he can offer Webb pointers on how to change a diaper.

“They don’t know if they’re having a boy or girl,” Chapman said, smiling. “That’s crazy to me. The suspense would be killing me.”

(Top photo of Webb (left) and Chapman: Suzanna Mitchell / San Francisco Giants / Getty Images)

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One of the biggest critiques F1 Academy faces from new fans is that the cars are, to their eyes, fairly slow.

Some fans have likened it to a tractor. Even Max Verstappen has questioned the speed, saying in part to De Limburger, “The cars they drive are way too slow. If you ever want to get them into Formula One, it really has to go to a higher level.” But when you ask F1 Academy, it is the right car for the right level.

F1 Academy, the all-women racing series launched in 2023, is part of the F1 pyramid and aligns with the F1 calendar for seven race weekends a year — Saudi Arabia, Miami, Barcelona, Zandvoort, Singapore, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Some tracks, like Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, are straighter than others – like the banked corners at Zandvoort. This can give the impression that F1 Academy is slow, F1 Academy competition manager Delphine Biscaye said, particularly compared to the high speeds of the F1 cars.

F1 Academy’s cars are similar to Formula Four, an equal competition level, but with a noticeable tweak that aligns F1 Academy more with F1. It’s the right choice for this series because it helps prepare the young drivers for higher competition and growth.

A general view of the F1 Academy paddock during previews ahead of F1 Academy Round 5 at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 19, 2024, in Singapore. (Pauline Ballet/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

All about perspective

The car’s speed isn’t because of a lack of talent from the drivers. It’s the nature of an F4 car and the track configurations. More often than not, fans watch F1 Academy after tuning into one of the higher series driving on the same track now that the all-women category aligns with the F1 schedule.

“If you see us and then (F1) straight after, you think we’re really slow,” Biscaye said. She pointed out that at a track like Jeddah, these young drivers, some of which are in their teens, dart between walls at 200 kph. That kind of driving, she says, is “already a huge challenge for those young drivers. Men or a woman is the same. But with the age and the experience they have, it’s actually not that slow.

“If we were challenging someone to do the same, they would see what slow is.”

However, this needs to be weighed against the advantages that the F4 car provides. This level allows drivers to train, adapt and secure crucial track time, gaining experience at F1 circuits. Biscaye added, “The fact that we are on F1 tracks makes it look slow, but it’s got massive advantage for the drivers because it’s really prepared them for the next step.”

Tatuus CEO Giovanni Delfino echoed similar points. He describes the car as “easy to drive” and one that uses the safety specs of higher categories, giving a safe environment for drivers to learn how to navigate single-seaters.

“The power of the car is enough to have the performance we desire, but it’s not that much to make the car undriveable,” he said. “All the specs of the car are exactly what you find in (Formula) Regional and then in an F3 car. But what is changing from the higher category is the power weight ratio.”

F1 Academy may not be an FIA championship, but it does follow the regulations, like the power-weight ratio that the governing body dictates for each level. The most significant step is jumping from karting into a single seater, but from there, each step as a driver climbs the motorsport ladder is about the same difference. Delfino said drivers typically stay in F4 for one or two years, adding that “after two years of Formula Four, it’s easy to go (into) a regional car.”

“So in reality, this kind of car is helping you to get used to the dimension of a single-seater car, ​​to get used to the way to drive a single-seater car, to get used to the racing mode of a single-seater car.”

The nuts and bolts

The car is relatively similar to a Formula Four car, Biscaye said. For example, the chassis, designed by Tatuus Automobili, is the same as British, Italian and Spanish F4s. Biscaye said, “It’s only the aerodynamics that make a change.”

Delfino said the front and rear wings have been changed compared to an F4 car, which was a request from Liberty Media and F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff. From start to finish, the process took around three months, from identifying the best shape and creating the first prototype to testing. The production, though, takes another month to six weeks, Delfino said.

“We found that as a good compromise between what we can do and what we cannot do on a Formula Four because the rear wing is not homologated,” Delfino said. “So you can do more or less what you want in terms of homologation, even if it’s not recognized as a Formula Four wing. In (the) case of the front wing, then we had to keep some of the design of the Formula Four because it’s linked to the noses.

“So there’s also a crash homologation test that we have to perform before the current homologation, but the shape of the lateral parts of the front wing were free to be moved as Liberty Media wanted.”

Homologation is the approval process where the car is checked against technical regulations and the specification is frozen for the cycle defined in the rules, according to the FIA. This change to the wings allows the F1 Academy car to resemble the F1 cars and optimizes the aerodynamics, according to Biscaye. “The better aerodynamics allow us to have more overtaking, which was also something we wanted to create a more active racing.”

F1 Academy technically is not a FIA championship. However, certain parts of the car (like the chassis, engine, and gearbox) are homologated by the FIA. Aside from the percentages, the homologation process is nearly the same for Tatuus as for F1. Delfino said, “We have to homologate the car with 100 percent of the test, 100 percent of the loads. In Formula One, you can stop 80 percent.”

According to Delfino, the changes to the wings had “zero” impact on car performance “because they are not affecting the downforce of the car or the aero kit and the aero balance of the car.”

Right car, right series

Biscaye said the car largely remained unchanged heading into the 2024 season, aside from adding an onboard camera. There aren’t big changes planned for next year, either. It’s not that they won’t ever change the car; rather, the car right now is serving its purpose.

“Our goal is really to prepare the drivers physically, mentally, and giving them all the skills and the track time they need to progress,” Biscaye said, pointing out that the cars are safe and reliable. The reliability factor is crucial because this impacts the amount of track time the drivers have. As a support series on an F1 weekend, the teams only have a practice session or two before jumping into qualifying and the two races.

Biscaye said, “If you’ve got reliability issues, that prevents the drivers from running during the free practice; they actually lose a very important track time, and very important time to get to know the track and check the conditions and some tracks we can’t test before.”

Miami and Singapore are two tracks where the drivers can’t test beforehand as both are temporary circuits. So far, from a reliability standpoint, F1 Academy has had very few issues — close to none in 2024, Biscaye said. And it’s reasonably easy to maintain, which helps keep down costs for the teams. There are also limited track operational personnel who can work on the cars. Biscaye said, “So if you go with a more complicated car, then you would need more people. So you will increase the cost not just of the car, but the overall cost of operations of the team.”

This series is more straightforward than F1, allowing teams to focus on suspension and wing set-up changes and only a single tire compound. The goal is to focus on driver preparation and training, such as learning how to manage their brakes, clutch and tires.

F1 Academy cars wait in the pit lane during F1 Academy Round 4, Race 2 at Circuit Zandvoort on August 25. (Joe Portlock/Getty Images)

“We don’t realize, but when you are in karting and go to (single seater) cars, you discover the clutch,” Biscaye said. “If you’re just 16 and you’ve never driven another car, like that your parents get, you have no driving lessons in real life. So that’s the first time you will have a clutch and have to make a real start, and that’s already a huge step.”

Mental and physical training are also major learning moments at this level. Biscaye recalled a conversation with Courtney Crone, the wild card entry in Miami, during testing at Zandvoort earlier this year. She has good experience in single-seaters, but it was her first time in a F4 car. Zandvoort is a trickier track because of the banking, which Biscaye described as “very stiff and requires a lot of strength.”

“Courtney came out of the car and told me, ‘I was not prepared for this. It’s actually very demanding compared to some of the tracks and cars I’ve driven,’” Biscaye recalled. “So if you put all of this together, or if you take Jeddah where it’s more the mental and the focus (is higher) because of the walls and it’s technical, after three days of testing, the drivers are actually tired.

“I think that also shows the F4 car is the good step. If you want to make it safe and at the same time interesting enough to really train them and to allow them to really step from go-karts to maybe Formula Regional or Euro Cup or F3, you need this in-between. F1 Academy is giving them a huge training on track but also off track with all the support they have from the F1 team or from their F1 Academy team as well.

“They’re getting this, and that’s really the package that they need to be able to progress after.”

 Top photo: Joe Portlock/Getty Images; Design: Eamonn Dalton/The Athletic

It is the training drill that helped transform Raheem Sterling from a zippy winger who narrowly reached double figures each season into a back-post assassin who was among the most lethal goalscoring wingers in Europe.

The change happened in the 2017-18 season, Pep Guardiola’s second in charge of Manchester City, the club Sterling returns to face this Sunday as an Arsenal player.

It is Sterling’s current manager, Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s assistant from 2016 until 2019 when he left for the Emirates, who played a key role in extracting that staggering efficiency in front of goal.

Guardiola had assistants more senior than Arteta, who was in his first coaching role, so he had the bandwidth to focus on specialisms and learn from as many departments as he could.

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He kept finding himself gravitating to analysis, with his inquisitiveness leading down many a rabbit hole. His thirst to understand specific moments in the game on a granular level helped focus the work of Arteta and the analyst team but it also saw their research become part of the first-team decision-making process.

There were several projects they worked on which produced dramatic improvements: goalkeeper penalty tactics, the diagonal full-back-to-winger pass that Ben White and Bukayo Saka have perfected, and quantifying what made a penalty-box predator.

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Arteta started looking at wingers around the world, searching for the sweet spot with the use of data. He and the analyst team broke it down into which area these wingers scored most often from, how many touches they took and how quickly a shot had to be taken.

The higher the level, the less time and space players have to shoot. There were also zones identified where most goals are assisted and scored.

From that, a drill was deduced in the academy which Arteta modified and introduced into the first-team environment for Sterling to work on.

Arteta modified a training drill at City to help improve Sterling as a winger (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Guardiola’s fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura is credited with ensuring City train the way they play by making sessions game-realistic. Again, the club’s research informed their thinking as they found fast breaks required far longer sprints than would usually be associated with counter-attack training, so Buenaventura implemented a 60-yard sprint at the start of the exercise.

Sterling then had to shoot inside a marked square under pressure from defenders but the sprint meant that, by the time they got there, they had a lack of oxygen in the brain, which makes decision-making more difficult.

Arteta carried a stopwatch during the drill and if the shot was not taken in the allotted time, he called it dead and they would start over. The emphasis was on the need to act decisively, not to overcomplicate, which is what those privy to Sterling’s evolution at City believe was the key lesson he learned.

With little time to train due to the relentless schedule, these sessions after training were important in hammering home the message. Video work helped, too, with clips of wingers such as Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, whom Guardiola worked with at Bayern Munich, used in combination with the 16 cameras at the training ground to show exactly what they were looking for.

Clips of Ribery and Robben, who were at Bayern with Guardiola, helped explain what they wanted from Sterling (JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)

Sterling arrived in 2015 as a 20-year-old who had electrified Anfield with his dribbling as part of the Brendan Rodgers team that came agonisingly close to winning the Premier League in 2013-14. Manuel Pellegrini was the manager but when Guardiola arrived a year later there had to be a change to his game or he would not fit into his system.

As the change to Jack Grealish’s game since moving from Aston Villa in 2021 has shown, Guardiola asks his wide players to be more subservient to the team structure than some other managers.

One of the principles Guardiola introduced at City was the need to always look for the free man in possession. To do that, a player had to understand when he was in a clear one-v-one situation. If that was the case, they were encouraged to be aggressive and take on their man, but if they were doubled up on, logic dictated a team-mate must be free elsewhere.

Sterling got 10 goals and 15 assists in all competitions in 2016-17. It was a healthy return for a young player. He had got 11 and nine in 2014-15, and 11 and eight in 2015-16.

But it was not elite level and neither was Leroy Sane’s total of nine goals and five assists in his debut season after joining from Schalke. Once Arteta started working with the forwards more in that second season, it unlocked numbers that had hitherto been out of reach for players who thrilled but often flattered to deceive.

Success reinforces the habits, though, and that is why Sterling was so receptive to diluting some of his natural game in pursuit of being the difference-maker.

It almost became comical how many of his goals were scored from the same location. But this was not coincidence, it was design by Guardiola.

The most potent assist zone was identified as the byline area inside the penalty box. City worked tirelessly on finding their wingers in that position, and if one was there then the other should be on the opposite side ready for the cutback or to tap home the square ball across goal.

In 2017-18, Sterling got 23 goals and 14 assists. His shot conversion rate almost doubled from 10.9 per cent to 20.7 per cent as City won the league with 100 points — a total no other team has reached.

The next season, he got 25 goals and 14 assists, with Arteta’s final season at City (he left for Arsenal in December 2019) seeing Sterling record his highest goals tally of 31.

His numbers dipped slightly the next two seasons, albeit still scoring in double figures, before moving to Chelsea. His struggles there are no surprise when you consider the stability and structure of Guardiola’s football.

It had been the perfect platform, whereas Chelsea have adopted so many different identities and such an aggressive recruitment strategy that continuity and consistency were hard to find.

After being bombed out of the Chelsea squad this summer, with manager Enzo Maresca backtracking on previous comments about his importance, Sterling still had tens of millions he could have collected.

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When Arsenal’s sporting director Edu Gaspar presented the opportunity to reunite Arteta with his former winger, understandably, he had questions. Sterling is 29 now and has achieved almost everything there is to achieve.

“The first call I had with him, I knew in the first 10 seconds we have to bring him,” said Arteta earlier this month.

“That was my only question mark: what stage is he at in his career? After 10 seconds I knew already, before the next questions, that we needed him here.

“He looks great. He’s got a lot of energy, a smile on his face and he’s at it. He wants to prove a point and when someone’s got that in his belly, you sense it straight away. Obviously, I don’t need to know anything else about his quality and what he can bring to the team.”

The timing of Sterling’s arrival could not have been better. He had two weeks during the international break with only a handful of senior players to refresh his muscle memory on Arteta’s methods and the principles that took his game to a different level.

It has been five years since they last worked together, in which time both have evolved. Sterling has leant into fatherhood and his religion, while Arteta is a different beast to the coach he worked with one-on-one, having seen how he commands an entire squad. They will hope that shared maturity can make a difference on Sunday against City.

Sterling has performed well individually against his former club, scoring in both of Chelsea’s meetings against them last season. He has proven he knows how to hurt them and gave Kyle Walker a very difficult evening in the 4-4 draw last November.

Arteta has found a way to access Sterling’s untapped reserves before. He will be hoping he can do it again.

(Top photo: Arteta and Sterling at City in 2019; Marc Atkins/Getty Images)