Sports
Man City Demon v Bournemouth Must Start Every Game if Pep Wants PL Title
Manchester City put on an excellent display as they beat Bournemouth 3-1 on Sunday. And one player, based on his dazzling performance against the Cherries, simply has to start every game for Pep Guardiola’s side moving forward.
Erling Haaland, in typical fashion, gave the hosts the lead after being played through on goal by Rayan Cherki, cooly slotting past Dorde Petrovic. But Bournemouth hit back shortly after, as Tyler Adams capitalised on an error from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City restored their lead just minutes later, though. Haaland once again raced through on goal, rounding the on-rushing Petrovic before finishing from a tight angle.
Although Andoni Iraola’s side kept knocking on the door in search of an equaliser, the hosts cemented their dominance when Nico O’Reilly grabbed a third on the hour mark. A win catapults City to second in the league, a point ahead of Sunday’s opponents.
Cherki Shines Against Bournemouth
Although Haaland will claim the headlines for his brace, equal praise should be given to the playmaker tucking in behind him. Cherki helped run the show against Bournemouth on Sunday, providing an impetus that had been lacking for large portions of City’s loss against Aston Villa.
It was the Frenchman’s header which allowed Haaland to open the scoring, but he was equally important in the second goal. Spinning away from Bournemouth defenders, he then laid the ball on a plate for O’Reilly outside the penalty area, with the left-back marching forward and finishing superbly to put the game out of reach.
Aside from the two assists, Cherki was accurate with his crossing and most of his passing, playing two key passes and getting on the ball whenever possible, looking to drive the team forward. Also fulfilling his defensive duties by completing three out of three tackles, he’s wasted little time in striking up an effective partnership with those around him, and looks to be an excellent replacement for City’s former playmaker, Kevin De Bruyne.
Check out Cherki’s statistics against Bournemouth below:
|
Rayan Cherki’s Statistics – Man City 3-1 Bournemouth |
|
|---|---|
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Key Passes |
2 |
|
Passing accuracy |
85% |
|
Shots (On Target) |
3 (1) |
|
Touches |
69 |
|
Tackles (Won) |
3 (3) |
|
Recoveries |
3 |
|
Ground Duels (Won) |
10 (3) |
Although he’s got a long way to go before he matches the legacy left by the Belgian at the Etihad, Sunday’s performance proved that the 22-year-old can be a creative force against exceptional teams. City face a difficult challenge in closing the gap to Arsenal, who sit six points clear at the top of the table, but you wouldn’t put it past Guardiola’s side if Cherki continues to shine.
Supporters Loved What They Saw From ‘Demon’ Cherki
The sentiment that Cherki has to start whenever possible was one echoed by supporters who watched him in action against Bournemouth. One fan remained confident that they could catch Arsenal, stating: “If Cherki starts playing regularly at 10 we can still win the league man.”
That was echoed by another supporter, who said: “If Cherki stays fit, City win the Premier League this season. It’s that simple. Completely a different team when he’s on the pitch.”
One more fan wrote: “Them Cherki debates were just disrespectful, he’s a joke.” While another simply said: “Cherki changed my life”
His talent was never in question at former club Lyon, with Thierry Henry hailing him as “extraordinary,” and many believe that he is playing his best football now that he is playing alongside one of the best players in the world in the form of Haaland. One person said: “Two assists for Cherki in 30 minutes, what’s funnier is that anyone who knows him a little bit knew this would happen as soon as the coach started him with best ST in the world. Guy was making old Lacazette look like his former self loool he’s a demon.”
With both players forming an excellent partnership, City are certainly not out of the title race just yet. But Guardiola simply has to play Cherki if he wants to claim a seventh Premier League title.
British No.1 Emma Raducanu has been spotted enjoying some time off with a new love interest in Battersea Park, and it has come to light that her new ‘boyfriend’ has undergone some significant personal heartbreak over the years.
The 23-year-old tennis star was photographed with 32-year-old public relations executive John Friend on a park bench and the pair appeared to be comfortable in each other’s company, even sharing an embrace.
They are rumoured to be dating, and it is hoped that the relationship will add some stability for the 2021 US Open champion after some turbulent years with injuries and coaching changes.
Who is Emma Raducanu’s New Boyfriend
Friend is the director of his own public relations company, JSGF, and previously served in the British Army as a paratrooper in the elite 4 Para reserve regiment.
Earlier in life, he attended the prestigious private Harrow School in London. He’s also said to have connections to British tennis as his father reportedly served as a committee member on the Queen’s Club real tennis committee. Raducanu finished as the runner-up at this year’s Queen’s.
Raducanu’s Boyfriend’s Personal Tragedy
In 2022, Friend’s brother Will died at the age of 33 after being struck by lightning in the United States.
Will had been living in the US at the time, and it occurred while he was boating near Masonboro Island in North Carolina. Paramedics attended the scene, but they were unfortunately unable to revive him.
The incident attracted media coverage at the time as Will was married to actress Bevin Prince, who is best known for playing Bevin Mirskey on the series One Tree Hill. The couple had been married since 2016.
In 2018, Friend also lost his mother to breast cancer, and in 2024, his other brother also passed away aged 33. After the death of his mother, the family formed a charity in her memory to raise money for Action Against Cancer.
Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon Heartbreak
Raducanu just yesterday withdrew from Wimbledon after scans revealed she had a stress fracture in her lower leg.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sadly I’ve had to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon,” she confirmed on her Instagram page.
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“I’ve done everything possible to try to get to the start line tomorrow, but after a final scan tonight, the niggle I’ve been managing has developed into a stress fracture.
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“Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process.”
Despite her withdrawal from the tournament, she has secured a £40,000 pay day.
Ayyoub Bouaddi is set to be sold this summer with Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool among the teams interested, but Lille are hoping for a one-year loan-back or pre-agreement to try and keep the player with them for an extra year.
GMS understands Lille want a minimum of €80m for the Moroccan midfielder, but that price could rise to €100m+ for clubs seeking an immediate sale. Bouaddi has also been tracked by PSG, but the French champions are currently prioritising adding an attacker, with Yan Diomande their top priority.
Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are all interested in the 18-year-old, who has impressed so far at the World Cup, including in Morocco’s opening draw with Brazil.
GMS understands Manchester City are one of Bouaddi’s most active suitors, but Lille anticipate several approaches after the World Cup. City want to add another midfielder, even after the £116m arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal are also intent on signing a new midfielder. Along with Bouaddi, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Alex Scott are all on their radar.
Manchester United will sign at least one more midfielder following the arrival of Ederson from Atalanta. The club are in talks with West Ham over Mateus Fernandes, and face competition from Spurs. Scott and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba are two other options.
And Liverpool could reinforce in central midfield, especially if Curtis Jones or Alexis Mac Allister are sold. The former has drawn interest from Inter and Nottingham Forest, but clubs must meet a £40m asking price.
Chelsea are another Premier League club assessing the midfield market and have seen a £8m bid rejected for Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka. And Spurs want to sign two midfielders, with West Ham’s Fernandes and Tonali two active deals they are working on.
Bouaddi has already made 96 appearances for Lille across three seasons having come through the club’s Academy. In January 2026, he became the youngest player to make 50 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille, breaking a record previously held by Eden Hazard.
Lille are aware he will be difficult to keep hold of, but are hoping to strike a deal seeing the teenager stay for one more year.
A breakdown of prices has been revealed for classic food and drink items at Wimbledon this year, including the iconic punnet of strawberries and cream, and a glass of Pimms.
Strawberries and cream are the delicacy most synonymous with Wimbledon, and are believed to have been served at the tournament as early as the Victorian era, when they were only available in the country for a few weeks in summer.
The price of this seasonal snack has always remained affordable, but has risen this year by 15p to £2.85.
The classic treat was held at £2.50 for 14 years between 2010 and 2024, rising to £2.70 last year before another slight increase for 2026.
Another British classic strongly associated with Wimbledon is Pimms, a gin-based liquor usually topped with lemonade and filled with fruit and herbs such as strawberries, cucumber, oranges, lemon, and fresh mint.
The summer garden party staple was first served at Wimbledon in 1971 when the tournament opened its first Pimms dedicated bar, and every year well over 80,000 pints are drunk by spectators.
This year, one glass will reportedly set you back £13.45, up £1.20 from last year, meaning a combo of the two Wimbledon classics will cost £16.30.
Price jumps are happening across the beverage menu too, with a pint of Wimbledon’s lager sponsor, Stella, reported at £8.95, up 10p from last year.
Champagne drinkers are not safe from inflation either, with a mini bottle of Lanson Le Rose rising by £1.50 to £31.35, while a full-sized bottle is priced at a whopping £102, up £1.10 from the previous year. However, the price of a refillable bottle of Evian water will remain unchanged at £5.
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The Brit had to withdraw from the Grand Slam the night before it was set to get underway.
A spokesperson for the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) told The Sun: “Food and drink inflation continues to be a challenge nationwide, and we are not immune.
“However, we pride ourselves on creating a menu that utilises British, seasonal produce to keep costs to a minimum wherever possible, and offering a variety of food and drink to help ensure there is an option for every budget.”
To limit your spending, Wimbledon also allows spectators to bring their own drinks, with each person restricted to the equivalent of either one bottle of wine or Champagne (750ml), two cans of beer/lager (500ml each), or two cans of premixed aperitifs.
The tournament runs from the 29th of June, through to the 12th of July, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in SW19.
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