New Man City signings desperate to win - Dias

Manchester City have brought in summer signings who are “desperate to win” and the whole squad is “buying into the idea” of new manager Enzo Maresca, says new captain Ruben Dias.

City spent a Premier League record £458m during the recent transfer window, with incomings including midfield trio Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.

But the club also recouped more than £300m in sales and lost the experience of players such as 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, former captain Bernardo Silva and England international John Stones.

Dias has been part of City’s leadership group since joining from Benfica for £65m in 2020 and has now been handed the armband by Maresca.

“In terms of the role I have, it goes down to trying to be the best version of yourself, and in terms of that, nothing has changed,” Dias told the Football Interview.

“So many people have left and so many winners have left, and now new people have joined with a lot of ambition and people that are desperate to win and that is also what makes the club keep on going.

“Others, Enzo included, that have been here and have won so much here and can very clearly point the way of how to do it and the things that are the most important and undeniable.

“But then as well, [there is the] ambition from us that are here and still want to be here and keep on winning. They are joining and full of ambition and with all the dreams in the world. The mix of these makes it work.”

Not only have there been major changes in the playing squad, but also in the dugout too, with Maresca replacing the legendary Pep Guardiola, who stepped down at the end of last season after 10 years in charge.

Maresca was previously assistant to the Spaniard at Etihad Stadium, before spells at Leicester City and Chelsea.

Dias said Guardiola’s departure was not an “easy moment for the club”, while Maresca was the “perfect person for the job” as he “knew the house so well”.

City have started the season in perfect fashion, claiming four straight victories in the Premier League and Champions League, but face their sternest test so far with a trip to Manchester United on Sunday (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Asked how the Italian is doing things differently to his predecessor, Dias said: “There’s obviously many things from training session to some details about the way we press, details about the way we defend and that make all of these Enzo’s idea.

“I feel like everything is making a lot of sense. Everyone is buying into the idea. Everyone’s excited about it and there is a lot of joy in training, which is massively important.”

The speed of change at City means Dias is now one of the longest-serving players at the club.

The 29-year-old has played over 250 games, winning four Premier League titles, the Champions League and two FA Cups.

He is one of only four players remaining from the 2023 Treble-winning squad, alongside Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rico Lewis.

Last summer, Dias committed his future to the club by signing a contract extension until 2029, with the option of a further year.

He added: “I am 29, I am going to be 30 next year but I am excited about all of this and all the things with the club, the new manager, new players, the new challenge, guys that I was so close with leaving.

“It’s the circle of life, you can call it and it is just how things are. I am appreciative of all of it - I’m appreciative of the memories I have with all the ones that left and I’m excited with the memory about the memories I’m going to make with the ones that have just arrived.

“I am still very ambitious. I took the decision of being at this level because I feel like I have won so much but maybe the thing that would be my biggest reward would be to be here so many years playing at this level and having the consistency of being ambitious for so long.

“I am excited. I think excited is the word.”

Signed instead of Rashford, Gordon is proving worth at Barca

Anthony Gordon has called Barcelona “the biggest club on the planet” and said he had dreamed about playing for them as a child.

Anthony Gordon has only played five matches for Barcelona since joining in May, but the England winger is making a big impression.

The former Newcastle United player has provided four assists already for the free-scoring Spanish giants.

The 25-year-old is still hunting his first goal but has slotted seamlessly into Barcelona’s attack - in the left-wing spot that was often filled by on-loan Marcus Rashford last term.

And Gordon is not just making an impression on the pitch.

He delivered his welcome speech in Spanish - a language he said he learned with the help of one of Newcastle’s Spanish physios - before adding a couple of phrases in Catalan when speaking with fans.

While there were some questions over the decision to pay £70m for Gordon, it is easy to see why Barcelona’s supporters are already chanting his name.

When Gordon completed his move this summer to become only the second English player to join Barcelona on a permanent deal, after Gary Lineker in 1986, there was plenty of curiosity surrounding the transfer.

It was a significant investment in a player who, despite enjoying an outstanding Champions League campaign, had been inconsistent in the Premier League and posted relatively modest numbers.

Newcastle finished 12th in the league, while Gordon managed six league goals and two assists in 26 appearances - with three goals coming from the penalty spot.

Naturally, that raised questions about whether he could slot straight into Barcelona’s starting XI.

Just a few months earlier, Gordon had been given a glimpse of exactly what playing at the Nou Camp would feel like when Newcastle travelled to Barcelona for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

The Magpies were beaten 7-2 on the night - losing 8-3 on aggregate - but for Gordon, there was something significant about being in Barcelona and the occasion offered a taste of the stadium he would ultimately find himself calling home.

His European record also told a very different story to his domestic campaign.

Gordon netted 10 goals in 12 Champions League appearances, consistently raising his level against the best teams in Europe.

Only Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe (15) and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane (14) scored more than Gordon in the Champions League last season.

The Englishman has hit the ground running in Spain and become an influential presence in Hansi Flick’s Barcelona attack.

Gordon’s pace and directness are well suited to Barcelona’s attack.

“Our idea of play is much more linked to Anthony’s,” Barcelona sporting director Deco replied when asked why they had chosen Gordon over Rashford. “His style fits with what the coach is looking for.”

And it seems Gordon has settled in very quickly.

“I feel at home already,” Gordon said. “The city is amazing. The guys have made me feel so welcome. I think I will get better and better the longer I’m here.”

Playing primarily from the left, he has given Flick another way of hurting opponents.

His ability to attack space stretches the defence, while his movement without the ball creates opportunities for team-mates.

That has been particularly noticeable alongside Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

Barcelona boss Flick said: “I think as a striker, from his side, you want to score goals. He has had some chances and he missed them. But he has made the final pass to prepare the goals and this is also very important.”

Gordon produced two assists in the space of four minutes against Elche in his debut league game.

He went one-on-one with the Elche keeper and had the opportunity to score a debut goal.

However, Gordon chose to square the ball across the face of goal for Fermin Lopez, who made no mistake from close range.

That moment revealed plenty about Gordon’s mentality to supporters. Rather than chasing the glory of a debut goal, he prioritised the better option for the team.

“You always want to win but it’s always about the team first,” Gordon said after the match. “Especially at this club.”

For Barcelona supporters, it was another indication they had signed a player who is not simply interested in making an individual impact, but in doing whatever it takes to help the team succeed.

Flick’s side have exploded out of the blocks this season, scoring 22 goals across their first five games while conceding only three.

It is the club’s most prolific start since Flick took charge in May 2024.

Goals have come from all over the pitch, with Raphinha (eight) and Lamine Yamal (five) leading the way.

But Gordon’s qualities have proved particularly valuable, with his ability to make aggressive runs and press from the front fitting naturally into Flick’s system.

He can stay wide and isolate a full-back, attack the space behind a defence or drift inside and combine with Barcelona’s other forwards.

And when the ball is lost, his willingness to immediately press helps Barcelona when they are out of possession.

It would be premature to suggest Gordon has answered every question after only a handful of games.

Maintaining this level of performance and intensity over an entire season will also be a challenge.

But that is a very different conversation from the one surrounding him before his move.

Instead of asking whether he belongs at Barcelona, people are now discussing just how important he could become.

Dictator meme shows lack of human awareness - Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe has criticised a viral meme which superimposes his face on the body of a dictator, saying it shows “a lack of political and human awareness”.

The Real Madrid and France forward, 27, said he understood there was a “funny side” to the AI-generated meme, but that it downplayed serious issues.

It is seemingly used by some fans on social media to reflect the way Mbappe dominates matches, while others have suggested it refers to his influence at clubs.

Speaking in an interview with France Football, Mbappe said: “There’s a funny side to it because you can sense that, for some people, it’s good natured.

“Then there’s a side that’s a bit less funny, because we know the damage people like that have caused throughout history.

“Being compared to people who murder others, or who have made millions upon millions of people miserable… I don’t think I’ve done that in my life.

“On one hand, I know it’s done lightheartedly and doesn’t go that far, but it sometimes reveals a lack of political and human awareness among people.”

Mbappe also referenced the “Mobut” nickname he was called by France team-mate Ousmane Dembele during the 2026 World Cup.

That nickname comes from Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator who ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo - formerly Zaire - for three decades.

“Ousmane, that’s a different thing. He took that from social media. He’s just having a laugh,” Mbappe said.

Like Benzema & as good as Haaland - Alonso on Joao Pedro

Joao Pedro has scored 25 goals since joining Chelsea at the beginning of last season, including one in a Club World Cup final success

Xabi Alonso says Chelsea striker Joao Pedro is similar in style to his former Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema - and at a comparable level to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

The Brazil international, 24, has scored twice and provided two assists in his first three games of the season - and was named the Premier League’s Player of the Month on Friday.

It was the first time Joao Pedro has won the award as he finished ahead of team-mate Cole Palmer, who was Chelsea’s previous recipient in September 2024.

When asked whether the forward could be compared to the prolific Haaland, who won last season’s Premier League Golden Boot with 27 goals, Blues boss Alonso said: “I would say yes.

“If you count how many top strikers we have in the Premier League, I’m sure that Joao [Pedro] is there, Haaland for sure is there. So I would rate him that way.”

Joao Pedro signed a new contract at Stamford Bridge last month to stay until 2034, and was handed Chelsea’s number nine shirt at the start of the season.

He became the club’s first striker since Diego Costa to score 20 goals in a single season during his debut campaign and has struck 25 times and had 11 assists in 57 matches since joining last summer.

In his last 57 matches for City, Norway’s Haaland has 42 goals and supplied nine assists.

Benzema won multiple Champions League titles and the Ballon d’Or while at Real Madrid

Unlike Haaland, who is a specialist goalscorer, Joao Pedro has played as a midfielder, number 10 and winger during his career and possesses a more rounded skillset.

Alonso, who made 195 appearances alongside former Ballon d’Or winner Benzema at Real Madrid, said there were also similarities between the Frenchman and Joao Pedro.

“In many things he reminds me of Benzema, because he is good in the box, he is good out of the box, he is good coming to his left side, he is good with the head, he is very complete, he is intelligent,” added the Spaniard.

“So yes, he is still young, still things to develop, but many, many absolutely outstanding qualities that he has.”

Benzema, now 38 and a free agent, has scored 523 goals in 994 appearances for France, Lyon, Real Madrid and Saudi Arabian sides Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal.

Meanwhile, Joao Pedro was a surprise omission from Brazil’s squad for the World Cup this summer, but has since been recalled for September’s international fixtures against New Zealand and India.

Asked whether the omission by Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti, who coached Alonso at Real Madrid, had provided added motivation this season, the Chelsea boss said: “He had enough motivation.

“He already had enough within him, so I didn’t need to go there. It was painful for him, but that is in the past. We are now focused on what he is doing well and what he can do better.

“He has been outstanding. Not just in football terms, but in his personality, his maturity and his desire. He has a very clear goal this season, which is to have a great campaign and score a lot of goals.”

Who am I? Guess Bundesliga star No 3

We’re marking top-flight German football being shown live on the BBC Sport website, app and on BBC iPlayer every Friday with a Bundesliga edition of our Who Am I? game.

This Friday, Union Berlin host Schalke at 19:30 BST - and you can watch live on BBC iPlayer or on the BBC Sport website and app.

The rules for this quiz are simple. We want you to guess the Bundesliga footballer in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess, you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.

Three is a good score. Four or five points is exceptional.

Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Adam Ellis.