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The Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants agreed to an absolutely shocking blockbuster trade on Sunday, with Rafael Devers being dealt to the Giants in exchange for a package surrounding starting pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks.

The trade, which was first reported by Robert Murray of FanSided, came out of left field, as there had been nothing reported about the two teams discussing the groundbreaking deal.

According to Peter Abraham of , the Red Sox's decision to trade Devers stemmed from the positional dispute the team had with him during spring training, and again during the regular season. Devers, who had only ever played third base, wasn't happy when asked to move to designated hitter after Boston signed Alex Bregman. After eventually agreeing to DH, he was once again miffed when he was asked to play first base due to a season-ending injury sustained by Triston Casas.

Devers' unwillingness to step up and help the team out in a moment of need was reportedly a major concern for the organization, who felt that Devers did not live up to the responsibilities that come with the $313.5 million deal he signed in 2023. Instead, they offloaded him and his contract to San Francisco. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Devers did not demand a trade away from the organization.

The Giants will take on the remaining $250 million owed to Devers in his contract, which doesn't expire until after the 2033 season. He'll make $27 million in 2026 and then $28.5 million for the remaining seven seasons.

Rest of India’s Yash Dhull produced a valiant 92 in the fourth innings to briefly threaten a come-from-behind win, but Vidarbha tore down his resistance to win the 2025-26 Irani Cup for the third time since 2017-18.Starting the final day at 30 for 2 in pursuit of a 361-run target, Rest of India lost overnight batter and captain Rajat Patidar early when he drove uppishly for a caught-and-bowled to Aditya Thakare. Ruturaj Gaikwad then lasted only 19 balls before edging Darshan Nalkande to the wicketkeeper.Ishan Kishan, the other overnight batter, lost his patience after 64 balls and came down the wicket to hole out on 35 to deep midwicket off left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey. When Saransh Jain was lbw off left-arm spinner Harsh Rakhade, Rest of Irani were reeling at 133 for 6.However, 22-year-old Dhull, batting at No. 6, gave Rest of India hope by scoring at a brisk rate alongside a more subdued Manav Suthar in a 104-run seventh-wicket stand. Dhull struck eight fours and a six for a 117-ball 92 before playing an uppercut off Yash Thakur to deep third that couldn’t clear the boundary. The frustration – and relief – was clearly visible on the faces of the namesakes as they exchanged words after the dismissal. Next ball, Thakur cleaned up Anshul Kamboj’s stumps with a length ball jagging in, and with Rest of India at 237 for 8, victory was in sight for Vidarbha.When Dubey tossed one up to Akash Deep next, his expansive cover drive found air and when he looked back, his poles were flattened. Suthar battled on with the No. 11 Gurnoor Brar to earn his sixth first-class fifty. Dubey picked off the final wicket to finish with 4 for 73.Earlier in the game, Vidarbha rode on Atharva Taide’s 143 and Yash Rathod’s 91 in the first innings to post 342. Thakur then took a four-for to skittle Rest of India for 214 despite half-centuries from Patidar and Abhimanyu Easwaran. A four-wicket haul from Kamboj in the third innings then restricted Vidarbha to 232. But a target of 361 in the fourth innings turned out to be too steep for Rest of India.

Manchester United are reportedly battling Arsenal and Real Madrid to complete the signing of a quick Bundesliga defender.

The left-back situation at Old Trafford is one that Ruben Amorim will be keeping an eye on, with his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation requiring a player who can excel in a left wing-back role.

Luke Shaw has been used more as one of the three centre-backs for United this season, with age and injuries arguably making it harder for him to be the marauding force that he used to be down the left flank.

Meanwhile, Patrick Dorgu is a good player with plenty of promise at wing-back, providing power and quality, and Diogo Dalot’s versatility allows him to do a job on both the left and the right.

United could need to look at more depth moving forward, however, especially with Shaw never too far away from an injury absence, and it looks as though Nathaniel Brown has emerged as a strong option in that area of the pitch.

Man Utd keen on signing £56m-rated Brown

According to a fresh update from Bild [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are in the mix to sign Brown from Frankfurt, but Arsenal and Madrid are providing stiff competition.

He is said to be “on their radar” as they eye up fresh faces in 2026, with the German left-back a new target for the Red Devils who is valued at £56m.

Brown stands out as an exciting target for United, with Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche heaping praise on his many qualities as a player.

“Yes! Because he has three exceptional abilities that you can’t learn. He’s smart and tactically astute, has fantastic technique, and is very fast. And all of that is necessary to have a great career ahead of him. Now is the wrong time to think about who might leave us and when. They’re both young and should stay with us a while longer.

“Can (Uzun) has developed tremendously compared to last year. It’s a shame he’s injured now. And Nene (Brown) is simply exceptional. He’s made outstanding progress, especially when it comes to defending at a high level. Just look at how he plays against top opponents in the Champions League.”

At 22, Brown would be a long-term addition for United, challenging Dorgu for minutes, and he will surely add to his one solitary cap for Germany at senior international level as the years pass.

Berta given edge over Man Utd in race for 2026 free agent with strong Arsenal connection

Andrea Berta could secure a bargain next year.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 15, 2025

He has averaged five tackles per game in the Champions League this season, highlighting his tenacity off the ball, while three assists in all competitions shows he can also create in the attacking third.

"Explosive" Dorgu star can take new Man Utd role when Amad & Mbeumo go to AFCON

“The game has evolved, and technology and analytics, and we now have to see a new way of finding ourselves back to being very competitive,” Lara says

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2025West Indies are “not in the same level-playing field as other playing countries”, and an emergency meeting of Cricket West Indies (CWI), which included Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Desmond Haynes, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and current head coach Daren Sammy, among others, has ended with a roadmap of sorts in place for a revival, but “it’s a long road, it’s not going to happen tomorrow”. One of the immediate decisions is, as Lloyd said, to ask the ICC for a “special dispensation” – extra money keeping in mind West Indies’ glorious past.While those in attendance at a press briefing at the end of the two-day meeting in Trinidad – CWI bigwigs as well as Lloyd and Lara – said that a lot of ideas were thrown about, it was not yet time to announce them since they had to go through an internal process before being put into action. There was trepidation too, since the downward spiral of West Indies cricket has been quick and seemingly without end: “Hope to see them come to fruition,” Lloyd said. “Sincerely hope this doesn’t come to some damp squib.””We have identified a list of about a hundred things that we have to improve, but probably among the top five: facilities at every level for our cricketers; practice pitches across the region; the quality of our domestic tournaments, there’s definitely a skills deficiency at various levels that don’t get highlighted till they reach international levels and then you see the glaring deficiencies vis-a-vis our international counterparts, which again is systemic,” Chris Dehring, the CWI chief executive said.Related

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“As the batting coach [Jimmy Adams] pointed out, it’s very difficult to change habits when you are getting somebody who has made so many runs at regional level but clearly has deficiencies when it comes to international level. It’s very difficult to change in a couple of weeks. There are issues concerning strength and conditioning, which again points back to facilities which are available to youngsters and emerging players and ‘A’ teams, etc.”Dehring said that, among other things, CWI planned to have “a proper high-performance centre established in the region, a prototype that will then be modelled and imitated across the region, in other countries, [and] academy systems to ensure that the West Indies way of playing cricket is both documented and taught from very early”.Twenty-seven all out and the aftermathThe last time West Indies played Test cricket, at Sabina Park in Kingston against Australia, they were bowled out for 27, the second-lowest innings score in Test history and the lowest since 1955. The meeting was announced soon after that. Since then, West Indies have played ten white-ball games, winning two and losing eight.”It’s been that case for years, where we are not in the same level-playing field as other playing countries,” Lara said. “Back in the days when skill was the prominent factor, we excelled, we were the best team in the world. But the game has evolved, and technology and analytics, and we now have to see a new way of finding ourselves back to being very competitive.”I said not a level-playing field because a lot of the countries are far ahead in these sorts of areas. The skill factor of the game is still there, but not as prominent as it was in the past.

“What motivates youngsters today? It might not be just representing West Indies 365 days of the year. It might be playing in an IPL or a BBL or something else. We have to find out those interests and see where West Indies cricket can still benefit from the youngsters”Brian Lara

“It’s a long road; it’s not going to happen tomorrow. It was not about the 27 runs. If it was 57 or 107, will we be feeling any better? I don’t think so. It was the fact that we’ve got something to address, and for us to get back on top, or to be a competitive nation in world cricket, we’ve got to address these situations and address them shortly, quickly, and hopefully we can reap the benefits in the years to come.”The challenges are “systemic”, director of cricket Miles Bascombe said, and that they were “across our cricket system”. The goal now, he said, was “identifying the challenges at every level of our production pipeline […] and how to put all of that together. To have a holistic solution and then we will engage all of the stakeholders necessary to help us along the way.”Club vs country, the losing battleIt’s not new, the notion that modern-day West Indian cricketers, called mercenaries in the past, have prioritised franchise T20 leagues around the world, where they are in big demand, and the West Indies team has suffered as a result.If that is the case, what is the way forward?”West Indies cricket is still very important in the minds of all youngsters, male and female, and when looking at cricket as a career,” Lara said in response to a question. “I think you have to understand that in different eras and decades, there are different motivational factors. In the ’50s and early part of the ’60s, we were thinking about the independence – we can show our colonisers that we can play cricket, we can govern ourselves. In the ’70s and ’80s, I believe that under Sir Clive, it was all about trying to be the best in the world. After learning from previous decades.Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have primarily been in action in T20 leagues over the past many years•BCCI”Presently, if I can fast forward, the game has now very much commercialised. The franchise system is definitely in the mind of every young person, and every parent as well. When you see what’s happening around the world with the IPL, the American cricket league [MLC] and much else. The motivational factors we have to tap into: what motivates youngsters today? It might not be just representing West Indies 365 days of the year. It might be playing in an IPL or a BBL or something else. We have to find out those interests and see where West Indies cricket can still benefit from the youngsters.”It’s unfortunate [that] a young man at the age of 29, like Nicholas Pooran, will call an end to his international career. Find out why these things are happening and how we can stem that sort of situation and we get the best players to play for West Indies. Australia, India and England and these countries benefit from wholeheartedness from their players, the passion that they have playing for their country. We have to get that to return to West Indies cricket.”The solution, Bascombe said, was that, “We will never be able to compete with franchise money, everybody acknowledges that. So it has to be pride. Pride in the performance and pride in representing the West Indies.”That, looking at the past many years, might be easier said that done.”People must realise that T20 is an exhibition and Test cricket is an examination. When you are getting offered the type of money that these guys are being offered, there’s only one way they’ll go. It’s a lot of money,” Lloyd said. “The point is we have to try and keep the guys that we have, teach them the right things, and hope that our cricket will still be in shape.”

They came together at 84 for 5 and put on a partnership of 271 and it’s still going strong

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2025

Harry Brook brought up his first Test century against India•AFP/Getty Images

Tea Harry Brook picked off his ninth Test century in an afternoon session bossed by England, with India still smarting from Jamie Smith’s astonishing 80-ball hundred on day three of this second Test at Edgbaston.Both Smith (157) and Brook (140) went into tea unbeaten and dominant, the hosts 355 for 5, still trailing India by 232 but bossing matters ever since Mohammed Siraj removed Joe Root and Ben Stokes in consecutive deliveries. That left England 84 for 5 in the 22nd over, still trailing in their first innings by 503.They have not looked back since Smith walked out and drove the hat-trick delivery for four down the ground. The keeper-batter went into lunch unbeaten on 102, his second Test hundred, with 17 boundaries. Brook, meanwhile, still had nine runs of his own to pick off for his century.He’d get there four overs into the second session, guiding the ball through the cordon, between gully and second slip, off Prasidh Krishna for his 13th boundary to take him to three figures off 137 deliveries. It was Brook’s first century against India, and only his second at home, having fallen for 99 in his first innings of the series at Headingley.Mohammed Siraj struck twice in an over early on day three•Getty ImagesSmith had polished off his three-figures in one session, joint-third fastest on deliveries by an Engishman, and now has his second-highest first-class score. The keeper-batter was more or less a-run-a-ball up until he locked horns with Krishna in the over before the drinks break. With Shubman Gill chasing the match earlier than he needed to, Krishna was ordered to bounce Smith, who cashed in handsomely with four fours and a six smashed high over fine leg, taking the over for 23.Having reached his hundred with back-to-back fours off Ravindra Jadeja in the final over of the morning, both he and Brook played the afternoon steady. Only 106 was added in the 28 overs between lunch and tea, with the collective slowdown evident in the fact it took 101 deliveries for this sixth wicket stand to move from 200 to 250.Now at 271, it is the third-highest partnership for the sixth wicket and lower against India. The second new ball, which is just five overs away, feels like India’s only hope of splitting Smith and Brook, though Nitish Kumar Reddy did find Smith’s edge on 121, but Rishabh Pant could only get fingertips to the chance.

Yet another disappointing result for Manchester City.

On Wednesday night, the Sky Blues were held to a 2-2 by Monaco at Stade Louis II in the Champions League, despite leading twice, only to concede a penalty in the final minute.

Let’s start with the positives for the Citizens, namely Erling Braut Håland, who scored two magnificent goals in the Principality, taking his tally to 52 goals in just 50 Champions League appearances.

He has reached that landmark so quickly that, as noted by BBC Match of the Day, he has to be compared to clubs, not players, having scored more goals in his first 50 Champions League outings than Panathinaikos, CSKA Moscow, Celtic, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Club Brugge, Lille, Anderlecht and Dinamo Zagreb… we could go on!

Despite these exploits, dating back to last season, Pep Guardiola’s team have now won only four of ten league phase fixtures, despite winning 28 of 36 group stage games beforehand.

A few donning all black on Wednesday night did not cover themselves in glory, giving Guardiola some big selection decisions ahead of Sunday’s tricky trip to Brentford, so should he leave out arguably his most trusted lieutenant?

Nico González's difficult night in Monaco

Just as Manchester City were seemingly set to pick up all three points, les Monégasques were gifted a route back into the game.

As the clock was about to hit 90, a Monaco free-kick played into the box found Eric Dier but, as he headed the ball towards goal, Nico González came charging in and kicked the England defender in the face.

After a very long VAR consultation, referee Jesús Gil Manzano pointed to the spot and, to the surprise of many, Dier himself stepped up, sending Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way and ensuring it finished 2-2.

More broadly, since arriving from Porto on deadline day in the winter for £50m, Nico has struggled to make an impact in sky blue.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Despite his compatriot Rodri’s continued injury issues, the la Masia academy graduate has started only 13 Premier League or Champions League games since debuting in February, deputising at Wolves on the opening day and against Burnley on Saturday.

Nevertheless, for someone who arrived for such a huge amount of money, and with impressive pedigree behind him, he is yet to consistently deliver, his only league goal for the club coming against Bournemouth in May, not that this is what he’s in the team for.

In summary, Nico is in danger of becoming the next Kalvin Phillips, signed for £50m to alleviate the burden on Rodri, before being cast aside and forgotten about, but there is another Manchester City player, who has made over 400 appearances for the club, who is at risk of losing his place in the team.

Pep must consider benching 'world class' Man City star

The Citizens’ trip to Stade Louis II this week evoked memories of their only previous visit to the Principality in March 2017, dumped out on away goals after a thrilling 6-6 aggregate draw.

That Monaco team, who would go on to reach the Champions League semi-finals and win the club’s only Ligue 1 title since 2000, contained Kylian Mbappé, Radamel Falcao, Fabinho, Benjamin Mendy, João Moutinho, Tiémoué Bakayoko, Thomas Lemar and a certain Bernardo Silva.

The Portuguese winger moved to Manchester for £43.5m the following summer, making 415 appearances for the club to date, winning 17 major honours to date, but he did not enjoy a happy return to the French Riviera.

The table below documents his statistics from Wednesday night’s draw.

As the table notes, despite registering plenty of touches, Silva did not do a lot with the ball.

He lost possession on 12 occasions, only Phil Foden of Man City players did so more, also losing five of the six duels he contested, meaning he still has no goals and just one assist to his name this season.

Speaking on Sky Sports News in 2023, one content creator labelled Silva “world class”, while Ben Littlemore of Transfermarkt argued last year that he was Man City’s most important player.

In Guardiola’s managerial career, Silva is the player he has picked most, 34 times above Kevin De Bruyne who is second on the list, but now might be time to start phasing out the 31-year-old.

On the bench on Wednesday, the Citizens had both Oscar Bobb and Savinho, with Jérémy Doku starting on the opposite flank, all of whom offer a lot more dynamism and direct attacking play than Silva, emphasising why two of that trio should be in the team to take on Brentford come Sunday afternoon.

Man City may rue losing "nightmare" for defenders who was their own Wirtz

Man City could have solved lots of issues if they’d kept this star.

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 27, 2025

Fakhar Zaman’s 60 off 36 set up the game for Lahore Qalandars, before Salman Mirza’s 4 for 31 sealed a rain-reduced 13-over PSL 2025 game in Rawalpindi on Sunday night. Peshawar Zalmi were guilty of overall sloppiness. They dropped at least four catches – including two off Fakhar – and their chase never left the ground, even if some late hitting narrowed the margin.The loss knocked Zalmi out of the competition, as they finished fifth on the table. For Qalandars, the win confirmed their place in the Eliminator, to be played on Thursday.

Fakhar rocks the powerplay

Fakhar brought his most fearless self to the powerplay. His first six came off a bad short ball which he pulled for six. But the second big hit, one ball later, was imperious. He ran at Luke Wood and thumped him high over the long-on boundary.He would hit only one more six in his innings, but struck five fours, punishing errors in line in particular. By the end of the powerplay, he was 45 off 21 balls. Qalandars had sped to 80 for 1.

Qalandar’s top order pitches in

It wasn’t all about Fakhar, though. In the first four overs, Mohammad Naeem was, in fact, the primary blaster, hitting three fours and a six in his ten-ball 22. Later, Kusal Perera contributed 17 off eight balls, before Asif Ali smashed 18 off six (the first two deliveries he faced sailed over the boundary).Vitally, all of those supporting batters continued to take risks and push the run rate, despite Fakhar’s success at the other end.

Mirza’s powerplay strikes swing it

Although Zalmi always needed to go at almost 11.5 runs an over, there was an outside chance they could have made a strong charge, given the batting-friendly surface and the damp outfield. Mirza effectively killed the chase in his first two overs.His first wicket was down to a little good fortune, Saim Ayub treading on his stumps trying to play a back-foot shot. But in his next over, Mirza bowled Mohammad Haris and Max Bryant off successive deliveries. The ball to Bryant was especially impressive, he curved it away from the batter from over the wicket, then jagged it back into his stumps.Mirza would also dismiss Ahmed Daniyal in his last over.

While his time at the club didn’t end in the way many hoped it would, it’s impossible to overstate the impact Arsène Wenger had at Arsenal.

The Professor, as he was often referred to, helped turn the club into an international powerhouse during his 22 years at the helm, winning three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups, and seven Community Shields.

He also brought some of the best international players the league had ever seen to North London, including Thierry Henry, Robert Pirès, and Cesc Fàbregas.

The young Spaniard was sensational during his time at the club, and it looks like Mikel Arteta could have found his own version, and we aren’t talking about Martin Zubimendi.

Fàbregas' early Arsenal career

Arsenal agreed to pay Barcelona around £2m to sign Fàbregas in the summer of 2003, and while that now looks like a bargain, you have to remember he was still just 16 years old at the time.

He made his full first-team debut just a few months later, starting a League Cup game against Rotherham United in October, although he would finish that season with just three appearances and a goal to his name.

The following campaign would be very different indeed, though, as he would go on to make 46 appearances for the side, with 33 coming in the league.

Moreover, despite not even being 20 years old, the tremendously exciting Spaniard played a key role in the Gunners’ FA Cup triumph that year, making six appearances, five of which were starts and playing 86 minutes of the final against Manchester United.

By this point, it was crystal clear that the North Londoners had got their hands on a truly world-class player, and talent scout Jacke Kulig would later put it, he was “one of the best U21s in Premier League history.”

The following season saw him help the club reach their first Champions League final, and while they lost 2-1 to his former club, the Arenys de Mar-born ace played 74 minutes, even though he was still just 19.

In recognition of his ability and importance to the team, the mercurial midfielder was named captain in November 2008.

Appearances

303

Starts

266

Minutes

23847′

Goals

57

Assists

95

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

Minutes per Goal Involvement

156.88

Points per Game

1.99

However, much to the disappointment of the Emirates faithful, he would eventually push for a move back to Barça in the summer of 2011, with a tally of 57 goals and 95 assists in 303 games for the club.

In all, Fàbregas remains one of the most exciting young players to have ever played for Arsenal, but there is someone in the current squad who could also be in line for similar praise a few years from now, and we aren’t talking about fellow Spaniard Zubimendi.

Arsenal's new Fàbregas

Now, there is certainly an argument to be made that Zubimendi could be looked upon as the ‘new’ Fàbregas due to his technical skill and the fact that he’s a midfielder.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, in this instance, the player is a little more left-field: Cristhian Mosquera.

Yes, we know that he plays in a totally different position and, therefore, style to the former Arsenal star, but there remain a few key similarities between the pair.

First and foremost, like the Gunners’ former midfield maestro, the impressive centre-back has moved to the North Londoners at a very young age.

Granted, at 19, he is three years older than Cesc was, but as centre-backs tend to hit their peak two years later than midfielders, they are at a fairly similar point development-wise.

Moreover, even though he’s made the move while still being just a teenager, the former Valencia ace already looks utterly at ease in the Premier League and Champions League.

For example, he didn’t look remotely out of place when he came on for the injured William Saliba at Anfield.

Then, in the games against Nottingham Forest and Athletic Bilbao, he helped to keep two clean sheets while completing a staggering 75 passes in both games.

In fact, the 6 foot 3 “monster,” as dubbed by one analyst, has adapted to life in North London so well that one Arsenal content creator has gone as far as labelling him the “signing of the summer.”

In other words, we expect the Alicante-born titan to become a key member of the squad very quickly despite his age, much in the same way that Fàbregas did when he joined over 20 years ago.

Then, there are also the other, more surface-level similarities, such as both being Spanish and making the move to England from La Liga sides.

Ultimately, Arsenal look like they have hit the jackpot with Mosquera, and we would not be surprised to see him develop into a player as important to the club as Fàbregas once was.

Arsenal fans gave £60m ace the Madueke treatment all summer, now he's set to star

The Arsenal star could be in for a career revival this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 19, 2025

حقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، فوزًا مهمًا على حساب نظيره جيرونا، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

وفاز برشلونة بثنائية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وفي الدقيقة 90 خطف رونالد أراوخو الهدف الثاني لبرشلونة، بعد تمريرة رائعة من فرينكي دي يونج.

بهذا الفوز، ارتفع رصيد برشلونة للنقطة 22 في صدارة ترتيب الليجا، وتجمد رصيد جيرونا عند النقطة السادسة في المركز التاسع عشر.

طالع.. موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد الفوز على جيرونا في الدوري الإسباني

وسجل بيدري الهدف الأول لصالح برشلونة في الدقيقة 12، بعدما استلم الكرة من جناح برشلونة لامين يامال، ليمر أمام مدافعي جيرونا ويحرز الهدف بطريقة رائعة. رجل مباراة برشلونة وجيرونا في الدوري الإسباني

وفاز بيدري بجائزة رجل المباراة بعد الأداء المميز الذي قدمه في اللقاء بإحرازه الهدف الأول لصالح فريق برشلونة وتقديمه أداءً مميزًا للغاية أمام جيرونا.

In a thrilling Serie A encounter, AC Milan edged out Napoli 2-1 at the San Siro, with Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers putting Milan ahead before Kevin De Bruyne converted a penalty for Napoli. Despite the loss, De Bruyne shared a heartfelt message with Luka Modric, expressing admiration for the Croatian midfielder's exceptional talent.

Milan's resilient victory over Napoli

Milan secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Napoli at the San Siro, propelling them to the top of the Serie A standings. Christian Pulisic opened the scoring with an assist from Saelemaekers, and before the Belgian doubled the lead before half-time. Napoli's De Bruyne converted a penalty after Milan's Pervis Estupinan was sent off for a foul on Giovanni Di Lorenzo. Despite Napoli's late pressure, Milan held on to claim all three points.

AdvertisementDe Bruyne's shares heartfelt message to Modric

Following the match, De Bruyne took to Instagram to share a message with Modric, which said: "Everybody enjoys good football. Good to see you brate."

This gesture shows the mutual respect between the two midfield maestros. Despite the competitive nature of the match, De Bruyne's words are of nothing but admiration for Modric's exceptional skill and influence on the game.

De Bruyne's angry reaction to being subbed off

De Bruyne may have pulled Napoli back into the contest with his second-half penalty, but the Belgian’s night ended on a sour note. Coach Antonio Conte decided to substitute him in the closing stages, a move that visibly irked the midfielder. The ex-Manchester City player walked straight to the bench without acknowledging his manager, his frustration clear for all to see.

Conte later explained the change was a tactical one, aimed at injecting fresh energy into Napoli’s attack. He added that he hoped De Bruyne’s anger was directed at the result, not the decision.

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Getty Images SportA season of high expectations from Serie A

The match between Milan and Napoli highlighted the high stakes in Serie A this season. With both teams vying for the top spot, both the teams have brought in experienced and young talents to rejuvenate the team. With Inter making it to the Champions League final last year, the expectations from the Serie A clubs are high this time as well.