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Making sound plans and sticking to them was how Pakistan overcame their fielding lapses and an unresponsive pitch in the first Test against Bangladesh

Umar Farooq in Khulna29-Apr-2015There are good days and there are bad days. Neither lasts forever. After spending 15 of the miserable variety in Bangladesh, Pakistan enjoyed a “flawless” one in Khulna according to spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed. The bowlers stuck to plans, catches were taken safely and batsmen chugged along at almost four runs an over. Mohammad Hafeez scored his eighth Test hundred and, with Azhar Ali, led Pakistan to finish 105 shy of Bangladesh’s 332 with nine wickets in hand.Four wickets. Pakistan’s yield after their bowlers had thrown everything at an unresponsive Khulna pitch all through the first day. But on the second, they wrapped up the Bangladesh line-up in a session. Six wickets for 96 runs because Pakistan decided not to let a flat track bog them down.Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah might have economy rates over three, but they shared five wickets between them. Fast bowler Wahab Riaz chipped in with the other three and captain Misbah-ul-Haq had contributed by having the right men patrolling important areas in the field.”It was really tough to get wickets here but quality bowler does adjust in any condition,” Mushtaq said. “Our bowlers knew exactly how to test the batsmen and when to attack and contain.”Pitch at times wasn’t even helping spinners as the batsmen had enough time to adjust and play with freedom. But we had a plan with our field placements for them today to help the bowlers to get wickets. We didn’t believe that Bangladesh would collapse this way as the pitch was slow but our bowlers bowled very well and the fielders today supported them to make it our day.”Yasir was injured during the ODI series and recovered only two days before the Test. Yet his control was admirable and dismissed Bangladesh’s in-form captain Mushfiqur Rahim. Zulfiqar conceded 99 in 32 overs, the most by a Pakistan bowler, but trapped Shakib Al Hasan in the fourth over of the morning.”I was expecting Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar to take more wickets, they deserved it after the way they bowled. But then again we missed a lot of chances the other day and it didn’t go well. But I believe they did well and combined well with the fast bowlers. We have done great to execute the plan.”So what did Pakistan do to reverse a tour where nothing had gone right? “If you focus too much on the opposition strength then you may undermining your strength so we rather spend time to see what we can do better,” Mushtaq said. “What we did between yesterday and today was to motivate players to quickly make up from the mistakes and do their best.””To avoid repeating the fielding mistakes [on the first day], Waqar made a plan to get the right fielders at the right places. So we knew Asad Shafiq is a good fielder at leg-slip. He took another vital catch at midwicket, an outstanding take that repaired day one’s mistake. So despite fielding for 120 overs, players still had the spark.”More of Pakistan’s plans fell in place with the bat. “The idea today was to avoid losing wickets and get as many runs as we can,” Mushtaq said.” This wicket requires some caution, but if you are not positive as well and don’t attack the bowlers, there are limited scoring options. Full credit goes to Hafeez. He played an outstanding innings even with the slowness of the pitch and of the outfield.”

Harbhajan Singh has been recalled to the India squad for the solitary Test in Bangladesh in June. Ravindra Jadeja has been dropped from the squad that toured Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-20154:52

Agarkar: Picking Harbhajan is a big call

Offspinner Harbhajan Singh has returned to India’s Test squad for the first time in two years after he was picked for the only Test in Bangladesh from June 10 to 14. The selection committee, which met in Mumbai on Wednesday, retained the majority of the squad that toured Australia in 2014-15 with the exception of left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.Fast bowler Mohammed Shami was not picked because of the knee injury he suffered during the World Cup that also ruled him out of the IPL. No first-choice players had requested rest despite having played the World Cup and the IPL back to back and so the selectors were able to pick full-strength squads for both formats.Sandeep Patil, India’s chairman of selectors, said consideration had been given to the number of left-handers in the Bangladesh Test squad before the decision to pick a second offspinner was made. However, Harbhajan played only three first-class matches in last season’s Ranji Trophy – six wickets with a best of 3 for 51 – but has been in impressive form for Mumbai Indians this IPL season, picking up 16 wickets in 14 matches.”The Bangladesh batting order has six left-handers, keeping that in mind, we discussed with the captain and we felt it was necessary to have a second offspinner,” Patil said. “I also want to point out we not only discussed Harbhajan. We also discussed other youngsters and considered them. Ultimately the selection committee and the captain felt this was the right choice for this particular tour.”Patil said Harbhajan had not been picked in the ODI squad because the selection panel felt “chopping and changing or disturbing the combination” of the team that had reached the World Cup semi-finals was unnecessary.In an interview with , Harbhajan described his recall as “a fresh beginning”, and said he was ready to play for another four-five years.”It feels like a fresh beginning for me,” the offspinner said. “It’s a new innings which I want to start on a confident note and make the best possible use of the chance that I have got.”For me, there is nothing more precious than the India jersey. For the past two years, I have been working hard for this day. Not for a single day, nor for a single moment, did I have a feeling that I won’t play for India again.”At this point of time, I am ready to play for another four to five years. I am confident that I can represent India in all formats to the best of my abilities.”Addressing his first press conference after becoming the head of India’s selection panel in October 2012, Patil did not say which players had been discussed at the selection meeting. “It will be difficult for me to say who all would be discussed. Those who we felt – the selection committee and captain felt – were discussed. There was no discussion about Yuvraj Singh.”Patil said there had been “no emotional angles, emotional attachments” while picking the squads. “We look for the performances, the fitness and the combination – whether a bowler or batsman fits in that combination. Last two years we have been trying … we have made some mistakes, and may be, we will make some more mistakes but we have to learn from the mistakes. Indian cricket has gone through transition period and we are just trying to settle down.”A day before the selection meeting, Mumbai Indians had beaten Chennai Super Kings to qualify for the IPL final, and Harbhajan had spoken of a “burning desire” to make an international comeback.He last played Test cricket in 2013, when he was picked for the final two matches of the home series against Australia that India won 4-0. Harbhajan took only five wickets in those games at an average of 40.80, compared to R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja whose 29 and 24 wickets in four Tests came at 20.10 and 17.45 apiece. Subsequently the selectors and team management under the captain MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher retained Ashwin and Jadeja, and dropped Harbhajan, who had played 101 Tests.Harbhajan’s decline had begun on the 2011 tour of England, where an injury forced him to return home after the first two Tests. He had taken just two wickets in the 70 overs he bowled at an average of 143.Test squad: Virat Kohli (capt), M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, Ishant SharmaODI squad: MS Dhoni (capt), Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Stuart Binny, Dhawal Kulkarni

It was a day when optimism got the better of everyone. Another match at Uxbridge, another droll pitch – another draw.

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Uxbridge24-Jun-2015
ScorecardAustralian overseas player Joe Burns played an important hand to steer Middlesex from trouble on the final day•Getty ImagesIt was a day when optimism got the better of everyone. By the end, there were some notes: Joe Burns registered his highest first class score in England – a composed 87. James Harris showed some nice touches with the bat to score his maiden first-class fifty for Middlesex. James Franklin backed up 135 in the first innings with an unbeaten 91 in the second. He was happy to put the team’s needs ahead of his own. Another match at Uxbridge, another droll pitch – another draw. “I wanted to get our over-rate up and get out of here,” Franklin concluded.At the start of the day, the prospect of Joe Burns and Paul Sterling getting through the first hour and then adding considerably and stylishly to a Middlesex total that stood at 76 overnight. Both would then be heralded match-winners and cheered through the streets of Uxbridge in a parade that would culminate in front of the driving theory test centre. But that was not to be.Daryll Mitchell on Moeen Ali

“It’s not been easy, what with our last game over in two days, to get Mo plenty of overs in. But he got a great opportunity to get plenty of overs in here and he’ll be a lot better for that sort of bowl. Hopefully he’ll take that into the international scene.
“I think he’s improving. He’s back to somewhere near where he wants to be. He’s got better and better the more he has bowled. He was seriously undercooked at the beginning of the season and struggled in the West Indies, but he’s got better, particularly with the white ball, he’s been brilliant for us. Come that first Test I think he’ll be where he wants to be.”

Then, when Moeen Ali bowled Paul Stirling through the gate, we were on the cusp of England’s spinner ripping through the rest of the Middlesex line-up, before taking it upon himself to hammer the winnings runs. The critics, for now, would be silenced. This, too, failed to materialise: while he did bowl 28-overs in this innings, more than he has done in any Test or Championship match this summer, he got little assistance from the surface.After a casual hit in the nets with Steve Rhodes yesterday afternoon, he had an even more relaxed hit when he came to the crease in the second over of Worcestershire’s second innings to face some complimentary overs of spin from Ollie Rayner and Stirling.Once they had clawed back the minus-four overrate, Nick Compton came into the attack with some offbreaks and Sam Robson took over from the pavilion end with spin that was more misery than mystery. Having been the recipient of three superb deliveries, Robson contributed 12 rancid ones of his own.But the players were not to blame as this day that promised much turned into an admin exercise. Both teams did what they could to force and scrounge a result. Blame should be cast, with great force, at the pitch (where presumably the life would be sucked out of it). It was the wet-blanket of this affair; the neighbour puncturing your ball, the one who says the gig’s too loud, the person who read BYOB and brought broccoli.There was nothing in the pitch for seamer, spinner or even really batsman. John Simpson showed that even wicketkeeping was tough at times. Who knows, maybe one day cricket will develop that fifth suit that Uxbridge was intended for.Franklin described it as “a tough pitch to play cricket on”, while Worcestershire skipper Daryll Mitchell seemed at a loss to find an appropriate word. He eventually decided on “tough”. His side benefitted most from what movement there was on the first morning when they reduced Middlesex to 51 for 4. All things considered, he was buoyed by the fight from his batting, singling out centurion Tom Fell, while also championing his bowling attack for being so frugal on an outfield so bare.”It was pretty hard-fought, but to go at less than three-an-over was a pretty good effort. James Franklin batted brilliantly but unfortunately we couldn’t knock them over second-time around to give us some sort of chase.”A pair of 103 run stands – the first between Burns and Franklin, the second between Franklin and Harris – saw Middlesex to safety. Burns fell short of his hundred when he directed a bumper from Jack Shantry straight to Joe Leach at deep-square leg. Leach took to the attack with the new ball and got Simpson to play on before trapping Rayner lbw.The 12 points they take back to Worcester sees them jump to seventh, two points ahead of Hampshire and Nottinghamshire. In a match that boiled down to taking the positives, Worcestershire will have the most.

After India Women’s spinners squeezed Sri Lanka Women to 89 for 9, the top order cruised to an easy win, completing a 3-0 series sweep

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Ekta Bisht led a solid bowling performance for India•West Indies Cricket BoardIndia Women’s spinners stifled the Sri Lanka Women batting, squeezing them to 89 for 9 in their 20 overs, before the top three knocked off the target in 13.5 overs to complete a nine-wicket thumping in the third T20I in Ranchi. The win secured a 3-0 series sweep for India.Left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht was the standout bowler for India, claiming 3 for 17 in her four overs, while offspinners Anuja Patil and Deepti Sharma took 3 for 30 in eight overs between them. In a good team effort, all of India’s bowlers except Poonam Yadav kept their economy rates below 5.After opting to bat, Sri Lanka got off to a poor start, losing Oshadi Ranasinghe fourth ball, before captain Shashikala Siriwardene was run out four balls later. A 33-run partnership between Nipuni Hansika and Chamari Atapattu provided Sri Lanka respite, but it was brief – when Bisht had Hansika stumped off the first ball of the tenth over, it opened a passage of play in which five wickets fell for 11 runs in 5.3 overs.An eighth-wicket partnership of 39 off 29 balls between Eshani Lokusuriyage and Ama Kanchana then steered the tourists to their final total of 89 for 9.India made light work of the chase, as openers Vellaswamy Vanitha and Smriti Mandhana put on 64 in 8.4 overs. Vanitha’s dismissal was Sri Lanka’s only success with the ball; Veda Krishnamurthy joined Mandhana to knock off the remaining 26 runs with 37 balls to spare.

UAE will be looking to give a good account of themselves against a Sri Lanka side that will be boosted by the return of Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga

The Preview by Mohammad Isam in Dhaka24-Feb-2016Match factsThursday, February 25, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1330 GMT)0:59

‘Lucky to have this kind of practice before WT20’ – Herath

Big PictureAfter the 2-1 loss in India, Sri Lanka have a chance to ease their way into the Asia Cup by taking on the UAE in their first match. The return of the captain Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Rangana Herath and Nuwan Kulasekara will give the team a major boost as they look to start gathering themselves ahead of the World T20, where they have a title to defend.Sri Lanka have a well-balanced side for these two tournaments with an experienced batting line-up consisting of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal, Mathews and Chamara Kapugedara. The bowling attack has seam allrounders Dasun Shanaka and Thisara Perera, spin allrounders Shehan Jayasuriya and Milinda Siriwardana, as well as experienced spinners like Herath and Sachithra Senanayake. Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay is a newcomer and could be a surprise package.The game against UAE will give Sri Lanka an opportunity to figure out how they can balance their spin and seam allrounders, with special focus on Jayasuriya and Siriwardana. There is also the question of whether Kapugedara will be able to use his vast experience in Mirpur to Sri Lanka’s advantage.The match will be a major test for UAE as they look to continue their good form from the qualifiers, where they won all three matches against Afghanistan, Oman and Hong Kong. Some new match-winners have emerged, which could help them not be just another Associate participant among the big boys. Watch out for Rohan Mustafa, Muhammad Kaleem, Muhammad Usman, Mohammad Naveed and Shaiman Anwar.Sri Lanka have historically been ruthless against Associates, so there is danger of this game ending up as a no-contest early in the evening. That should be motivation enough for UAE to make sure they remain in the contest.Form Guide
(last five completed matches)Sri Lanka LLWLL
UAE WWWWLWatch out forLasith Malinga last played a T20 series against West Indies in November before injuring his knee. He is back in Sri Lanka’s leadership, and like the rest of the line-up, will slowly wade into action. His vast experience will be a test for UAE.UAE will have Rohan Mustafa tackling the likes of Malinga first up. Mustafa is one of the new UAE stars who can be expected to put up a fight as they look to give a good impression of themselves against a major opponent. His offspin, too, will be handy in his side’s bid to keep Sri Lanka down to a manageable total.Team newsThe big call for Sri Lanka is whether to play Herath ahead of their seam allrounders, given how Mirpur has been good for seam bowling on certain evenings. Sri Lanka could also be in a dilemma about Kulasekara, while Jayasuriya and Vandersay are handy spin options.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Niroshan Dikwella (wk), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Milinda Siriwardana, 6 Chamara Kapugedara, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Dushmanth Chameera, 11 Lasith Malinga (capt)UAE are unlikely to go with Zaheer Maqsood, Fahad Tariq and Farhan Ahmed unless there is an injury to one of the players who featured in the victory against Oman in their last qualifying match in Fatullah.UAE (probable): 1 Rohan Mustafa, 2 Muhammad Kaleem, 3 Mohammad Shahzad, 4 Shaiman Anwar, 5 Muhammad Usman, 6 Amjad Javed (capt), 7 Mohammad Naveed, 8 Saqlain Haider, 9 Ahmed Raza, 10 SP Patil (wk), 11 Qadeer AhmedPitch and conditionsMirpur had a green top for the Bangladesh-India encounter but it is unlikely that a similar pitch will be greeting Sri Lanka and UAE. A surface devoid of grass and with slower speed can be expected. There is rain in the forecast but nothing that should threaten the game.Stats and trivia This is the first encounter between Sri Lanka and UAE in T20Is, although the teams have met in ODIs in 2004 and 2008. Shaiman Anwar made only 48 runs in the three qualifying matches, but he is UAE’s highest scorer in T20s.

Chris Gayle might be the world’s most-feared T20 batsman, but in their four most recent games against him, Sri Lanka have felt they cracked Gayle – his scores in those matches: 5,2,3 and 3

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Bangalore19-Mar-2016Chris Gayle might be the world’s most-feared T20 batsman. He has scored more World T20 runs than anyone else still playing. But in their four most recent games against him, Sri Lanka have felt they cracked Gayle – his scores in those matches: 5,2,3 and 3.Sri Lanka’s plans have revolved around Nuwan Kulasekara’s bowling, but Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga and even two offspinners, have played a role. When Gayle opens, Kulasekara has taken the new ball to deliver back-of-a-length deliveries, which pitch on around leg stump, then move across the batsman, off the seam.Mathews, also possessed of a good away-seamer to left-handers, has usually followed suit. The offspinners have often pitched it fuller, but have persisted with the leg stump line, and have turned the ball across Gayle’s body as well.The result was not just a muting of Gayle, but four successive dominations of him. Kulasekara bowled 22 legal deliveries to Gayle in those games, has conceded only seven runs and taken his wicket twice. Against all bowlers, Gayle has mustered just 13 from 42 balls.Though hot off his 47-ball ton against England, Gayle can expect a similar test in Bangalore, Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford said. Ford had been in charge during Sri Lanka’s march to the World T20 final in 2012, when they faced West Indies twice.”We have put a few things in place against in the past,” Ford said. “In 2012 we did quite nicely against him. Whether that still works – we’ll find out. We’re certainly not going to be telling everybody what we did in those two games to keep him quiet. It’s something that we are aware of in our group. It’s certainly something we’ll be trying to do again in this game.”Even if Gayle is trussed up at the top of the innings, however, Sri Lanka may be put under pressure by West Indies’ lower-order hitters, as they had been in that 2012 World T20 final. Sri Lanka’s chances have grown grimmer over the past few days, with Lasith Malinga forced to withdraw from the tournament.”The loss of Lasith makes a huge impact,” Ford said. “One has got to be realistic. The management and selectors are aware that it’s a different side at the moment. With Lasith it’s not just his experience, but also his brilliant execution of skill. For so long he’s done that death-bowling role. For so long he’s been able to strike up front and then finish the innings off so well. Finishing the innings is so important for momentum, etc. Now we’ve got to find somebody to do that.”Like against Afghanistan in their World T20 opener, Graham Ford hopes that the Sri Lanka can bat around one senior batsman•AFPKulasekara has lately performed the death-overs role alongside Thisara Perera, but the pair have reaped mixed results. Against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka leaked 72 runs in the final six overs of the innings.”But the group of lads that I’ve got – and the one thing I know about Sri Lankan cricket – is that they are great triers,” Ford said. “They are great workers. There are a couple of guys putting their hands up and saying: ‘I’ll do that job.’ With that sort of attitude I’m sure we can make something happen.”I just love the attitude of this group. As a coach you have a feeling of confidence when you know you know you’ve got a really good attitude within the group.”Among the other players now absent in comparison with the team Ford had coached in his first stint with Sri Lanka, are the old brains of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. While they were in the side, Sri Lanka established a reputation as one of the best tournament sides in the world. Though those players are gone, the men that remain from that era have retained that tournament know-how, Ford said.”There have been some brilliant, brilliant Sri Lankan cricketers who were wonderful at adapting to the situation, passing on information, thinking on their feet and strategizing,” Ford said. “I think some of the senior men that are left in the system have learned a great deal from those that have left the group. There’s still some very smart heads left. It’s that kind of sharing information that’s crucial to adapting to conditions and situations. There’s a fair amount of that still going on.”The senior group in the current side features Tillakaratne Dilshan, who had been Sri Lanka’s best batsman in their tournament opener against Afghanistan. Dilshan had been through something of a lean trot in recent weeks, even recording two ducks in the World T20 practice matches, but that doesn’t mean he was out of touch, Ford said.”People sort of felt Dilshan was out of form, but the way he’s been playing in the nets – he’s been playing superbly. That night [against Afghanistan] he put on a masterclass. It was just about him getting going. In the practice games he got two really good deliveries. No batsman likes to miss out and not score, but I don’t think he was particularly worried, because he was playing well in the nets, and had made a good score in the last match of the Asia Cup. He knew he was going pretty well.”Sri Lanka’s top order still appears vulnerable however, with the likes of Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne yet to make themselves reliable performers in the shortest format.”It’s nice if an experienced player bats a long period and the younger players bat around him,” Ford said. “But I do believe the younger players can start to do the same things Dilshan did the other night.”

In another clinical display, Delhi Daredevils’ bowlers restricted table-toppers Gujarat Lions to 149, setting up a convincing eight-wicket win in Rajkot’s last game of the season

The Report by Nikhil Kalro03-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRishabh Pant blitzed his first limited-overs half-century to help Delhi Daredevils to a big win•BCCIIn another clinical display, Delhi Daredevils’ bowlers restricted table-toppers Gujarat Lions to 149, setting up a convincing eight-wicket win in Rajkot’s last game of the season. In the chase, Rishabh Pant and Quinton de Kock blazed a 115-run partnership off 81 balls – the side’s joint-fourth highest opening stand – to help Daredevils breeze to the second spot on the points table. Despite successive losses, Lions retained their place at the top. It was the 24th win by a chasing side in 31 games this season.After opting to bowl, Daredevils’ bowlers set up an advantage in the first four overs. It looked like Shahbaz Nadeem had trapped Brendon McCullum in front in the first over, but umpire Chris Gaffaney indicated that the batsman had got an inside edge. After facing three of the first 16 balls, McCullum charged at a Zaheer Khan slower ball. Like most of Zaheer’s offcutters this season, it beat McCullum’s wild swing and clipped the off stump.Two balls later, Dwayne Smith chipped a long-hop from Nadeem to long-on. In the same over, Aaron Finch, who replaced an injured Dwayne Bravo, got a leading edge off his attempted sweep to short fine leg. Lions’ three overseas batsmen were dismissed and already the middle order was limited to playing for singles and twos into Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium’s large pockets. The score at the end of six overs read 35 for 3, Lions’ lowest Powerplay returns of the season.Apart from a well-timed uppercut for six, Suresh Raina struggled to find his timing. Dinesh Karthik, though, accrued his runs through well-placed sweeps and flicks in the vast outfield. Just when it looked like Lions had consolidated after the early jolt, Raina was stumped after misjudging a googly from Amit Mishra.Thereafter, Ravindra Jadeja and Karthik resorted to the same as the previous few overs. The pair, however, set up a solid platform for the end overs. Lions found at least one boundary in every over after the 13th, except the penultimate one.The last five overs yielded 50 with hard-run twos contributing to the Lions score. Yet, the extent of the damage in the first four overs was so severe that Lions could only muster a sub-par 149.De Kock and Pant, promoted to the opening slot, effectively finished the game by plundering nine boundaries in a 61-run Powerplay. Pant was particularly dominant with scythed cuts off the seamers’ wide offerings. When the ball was straight, Pant used his strong bottom hand to whip fours through the arc at midwicket.After matching Pant in the Powerplay, de Kock laid anchor and milked the bowling for singles. Pant, though, did not slow down. He used his feet to smear and swipe towards the long-on region as he struck his first limited-overs fifty, off 25 balls.Both Pant and de Kock were dismissed after across-the-line heaves, but Sanju Samson and JP Duminy, who returned after regaining fitness, took Daredevils home with 16 balls remaining.

Pep Guardiola's side have been crowned Premier League champions and these are 10 key moments that helped them get there

GettySterling strikes late to fix Pep's 'worries'

It may seem hard to believe now but back at the start of the season Pep Guardiola admitted he was "worried" about his side's failings in front of goal. Less than 24 hours later Raheem Sterling popped up with one of the scrappiest goals of the season, in the 97th minute at Bournemouth, to spark wild celebrations in the away end as City snatched a late winner.

After not looking overly impressive in their first two games of the season, this was a chaotic end to their third, with Sterling sent off for his celebration and Sergio Aguero intervening as police man-handled fans who had jumped onto the pitch.

At the time, it was suggested that Sterling’s scuffed effort would be a turning point in the season, or would at least get them through until they signed Alexis Sanchez in the days that followed…

AdvertisementGettySadio Mane's red card derails Liverpool

One of the most needlessly controversial moments of the season, but one which set City on their way in the league, and seriously derailed Liverpool at the same time.

Mane, although he didn’t mean to do it, knocked out Ederson by kicking him in the face, so his red card was justified. City were leading 1-0 at the time but the space between Nicolas Otamendi at left centre-back and Benjamin Mendy at left-back was still being exploited by the Reds – until they went down to 10 men.

Jurgen Klopp’s side then simply folded, with City flowing through them at will. It certainly seemed that Sterling’s goal at Bournemouth had sparked them into life in front of goal, even if Alexis’ planned move had fallen through. City won this one 5-0, and then scored 19 in their next four Premier League games.

GettyMendy injury forces tactical rethink

Benjamin Mendy was one of City’s fundamental summer signings, designed to come in and provide the kind of dynamic attacking presence down the left-hand side that was simply lacking last year; the kind of thing Kyle Walker has been doing on the right-hand side all season.

The Frenchman looked impressive in his first few performances, particularly with his superb low crosses from the left, but he got himself in a mess trying to tackle Crystal Palace’s Andros Townsend back in September, and despite walking from the pitch, it was later confirmed that he would miss nine months with a serious knee ligament injury.

City hadn’t signed another left-back during the summer and this was seen as one of the worst-case scenarios, especially ahead of a key game at Chelsea. Yet Guardiola found the answer and changed City’s approach.

He converted Fabian Delph into a left-back who was comfortable slotting back into midfield when City had the ball, and tasked Leroy Sane, who had struggled for minutes at the start of the season, with providing City’s width on the left, with David Silva getting into the half spaces to provide an assist or goal.

The plan clearly worked and Mendy's injury, as cruel as it was, has hardly hampered the Blues.

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GettyCity prove their mettle at Chelsea

City may have only scored the one goal at Stamford Bridge but it was arguably the most important of their season. Guardiola’s men were clearly in fine form but they went to west London only 12 months on from when things had fallen apart after a fine start to the 2016-17 season, and many were wondering if City were the real deal, or would simply suffer the same old problems. Kevin De Bruyne provided the answer.

City dominated the champions with an impressive, confident performance, and the key moment was a precise strike from their Belgian midfielder, who had already began to show signs that he could become the pivotal player in this increasingly fine season. 

City celebrated wildly in the dressing room and victory gave them the belief to go and implement their game plan at some of the toughest grounds in England and beyond.

A substitute's job is to impact a game late on. Here are the guys who have scored the most goals when coming off the bench

Getty22Teddy Sheringham | 10 goals

For the majority of his career, Teddy Sheringham was a starter for the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United. However, as the sun began to set on his career and he began to show his age, he was no longer seen as a starter and began to play more off the bench.

Sheringham relished this role, scoring 10 Premier League goals as a substitute, although his most famous goal off the bench came in the 1999 Champions League final. 

AdvertisementGetty21Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink | 10 goals

One of the Premier League's most prolific strikers, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink also enjoyed a goal or two off the bench.

It was rare for Hasselbaink to not be starting games but when he came on he made sure to prove to his managers it was a mistake to not start him. He scored a hat-trick against Wolves in a 5-2 win in 2004 after coming on as a substitute for Chelsea.

Getty Images20Julian Joachim | 10 goals

A name not too many Premier League fans will remember, Julian Joachim scored almost a quarter of his top-flight goals when coming on as a sub.

Joachim played for both Leicester and Aston Villa in the top flight, and he scored the Foxes' first ever Premier League goal in a 3-1 loss to Newcastle on the opening day of the 1994/95 season.

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Getty19Louis Saha | 10 goals

Louis Saha could have been a Premier League legend had he been luckier with injuries and timing.

Saha was a top-quality striker at Fulham, scoring 13 in 21 in one Premier League campaign and it wasn’t long until the big clubs came calling with Manchester United snapping him up in January 2004 and he scored seven in 12 to take his tally up to 20 for the season.

Unfortunately for Saha, he quickly became third-choice striker at United after the arrival of Wayne Rooney and being unable to displace Ruud van Nistelrooy. Saha was largely limited to substitute appearances but he made them count, scoring 10 goals from the bench in his Premier League career.

Red Devils supporters staged a major demonstration ahead of the rivals clash and the match was called off – here are some images from the incident

Getty'When it rains the roof leaks'

Manchester United fans hold banners referencing the infamous Old Trafford roof leak of 2019, which has become a symbol of decay for some who are protesting against the owners.

AdvertisementGettyGreen & gold flares were let off

Green and gold-cloured flares were let off alongside red ones. The colours are synonymous with the anti-Glazer protests.

GettyFans storm Old Trafford pitch

Flares and sprinklers were let off when fans made their way onto the Old Trafford pitch, in front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.

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Getty'John O'Shea > Tampa Bay'

One fan held a poster declaring the superiority of a Manchester United legend over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – the NFL team also owned by the Glazers.