Arsenal expect William Saliba to remain at the club, Juventus could target Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the summer, Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness turned down Manchester United.

Arsenal are confident France defender William Saliba, 23, will remain at Emirates Stadium despite interest from Real Madrid. (Express), external

Juventus could move for Everton’s 27-year-old English forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who will be out of contract in the summer. (Corriere dello Sport – in Italian), external

Manchester United approached Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness, 42, to replace Erik ten Hag over the summer but he turned them down. (Bild – in German), external

Manchester United are still in with a chance of recruiting former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel, despite the 51-year-old being linked with the England job. (Teamtalk), external

Chelsea moved quickly in the summer when they beat Bayern Munich to the signature of Genk’s 19-year-old Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders, who will move to Stamford Bridge next July. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Sacha Fenestraz believes one of the reasons his time in Formula E came to a premature end is because he failed to match team-mate Oliver Rowland, who he claims “is easily on a par” with Max Verstappen.

The French-Argentine endured a difficult sophomore season in the all-electric championship for Nissan, claiming only five points finishes from 16 races and ending the campaign 17th in the drivers’ standings.

This was in stark contrast with Rowland, the Briton claiming two wins in Misano and London and being a championship challenger for much of the season on his return to Nissan.

Speaking to exclusively to Motorsport.com’s Latin American edition, Fenestraz said several factors meant he was unable to showcase the same flashes of speed seen during his maiden season, including being up against Rowland, whom he compared with three-time Formula 1 champion Verstappen.

“I came into the season saying to myself ‘I want to be the leader of the team, I want to beat him’ but I think it was unrealistic because we are talking about Rowland, who was in his seventh season in Formula E,” he said.

“For me it was only my second season. It’s a championship that if you look at it, all the drivers at the front are drivers who have been in Formula E for years, they have a lot of experience, they are also much older drivers.

“And me, at 24 years old [at the time], I don’t have the same experience as a driver like him and also, Oliver at his best is easily on a par with Verstappen.

“He’s very good friends with Verstappen and this year Verstappen was telling Oliver that it’s a pity he’s not in Formula 1 because he’d be overshadowing him, so people inside motorsport know the potential he has.”

Oliver Rowland, Nissan Formula E Team, 3rd position, with team mates including Sacha Fenestraz, Nissan Formula E Team, celebrate at the podium ceremony

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Fenestraz also revealed he had been assured by Nissan’s management that he would be retained for the 2024/25 season at the start of August and see out the final year of a three-year contract.

But he claimed he found out through social media less than a month later he had been let go, having been replaced by former team-mate Norman Nato, and that he “didn’t take it well”.

Fenestraz had also turned down another team’s offer to drive in Formula E prior to being let go by Nissan but with testing for the new season commencing in less than a month and only two spots yet to be announced on the grid, both at ERT, he has had to turn his attention to other championships.

This includes a return to Super Formula, where Fenestraz was prior to his two-year stint in Formula E after finishing runner-up in 2022, as well as the World Endurance Championship, having been offered a works drive with an unnamed team.

“Fortunately, I have offers, there are opportunities out there,” said Fenestraz. “The truth is that we have the possibility of returning to Japan with Nissan or Toyota.

“Also, now I received an offer for a double programme with WEC and IMSA, with a LMDH car, with a manufacturer.

“I have a meeting with my manager in London and from there we will say what to do and announce. I think it will be announced between now and November or December for sure, but the decision from my side will be very soon.”

MIKE De Decker pulled off a shock by defeating Luke Humphries in an epic World Grand Prix final.

And the Belgian was so surprised that he almost forgot to collect the trophy.

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After the contest, the 28-year-old lapped up the applause from the fans at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena.

As his walk-on song, Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds played on and the crowd sang along – De Decker danced on the stage.

But behind him master of ceremonies John McDonald was waiting patiently to hand him his trophy.

Eventually, De Decker clocked McDonald before grabbing the trophy from him and showing it off to the crowd.

Earlier, De Decker pulled off the most astonishing of shocks to beat Humphries 6-4 in a thrilling contest.

It was the 100-1 shot’s first major title – that won him the £120,000 jackpot.

He admitted: “It feels amazing. Oh my goodness I’m over the moon. 

“I’ve been happy with my performances this week but this tops it off. 

“The way Luke has been playing since last year. Being the person who beats him in a final, picking up this trophy, I have no words. I’m so happy. 

“I was cool in patches. I was really nervous and then calmed down. But I did it. He’s such a nice person.”

Humphries, who picked up £60k, said: “I’m obviously gutted to lose. I’m so proud of Mike, he showed so much bottle.”

Incredibly, because of his success, De Decker has moved up 12 places in the world rankings to a career high World No24.

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And then there were four. The Dodgers and the Yankees were preseason favorites to play for their respective pennants. The Mets and the Guardians were expected to reset in 2024 after finishing third in their divisions last year. 

None of that matters now, as they’re all four wins from playing in the World Series.

With two fascinating matchups set for the league championship series, FOX Sports MLB experts Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner preview and predict the upcoming round in this week’s roundtable.

1. Who is more likely to bust out in the LCS after a quiet division series: Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge?

Kavner: I think they both do, but I’ll go with Judge here. The last time he played against Cleveland, he homered four times in three games. He has an OPS over 1.600 against the Guardians this year. Granted, he’ll only be seeing the best of one of the top bullpens in baseball. But I think he can do some serious damage against that rotation and break out of his postseason funk. His last game of the Royals series was at least a little more encouraging.

Thosar: Judge. I think the Yankees as a team will be extremely confident entering the ALCS against the Guardians; New York has defeated Cleveland all three times they’ve faced off in the playoffs since Judge’s 2017 rookie season. In their most recent October meeting, which took place in the 2022 ALDS, the Yankees eliminated the Guardians with help from homers from Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. But more than that, Judge has a .947 OPS across 37 career games against Cleveland, and he looked much more like himself in the final two games against the Royals in the ALDS. He seems close to breaking out and having that signature postseason moment.

2. Who would the Yankees rather have faced, the Guardians or the Tigers?

Kavner: The Tigers. Detroit was running on good vibes and a no-name pitching staff (outside of Tarik Skubal) through an incredible late-season run, but the Guardians were the better team all year, have Jose Ramírez and will deploy the best bullpen in the sport. Steven Kwan and Lane Thomas are also getting hot at the right time, perhaps giving the Cleveland lineup just enough to make this interesting.

Thosar: The Tigers. Even with Tarik Skubal being the biggest threat to the Yankees, after the Tigers and Guardians went to a Game 5 and Detroit was forced to use him, that would’ve limited the number of outings from Skubal in a potential ALCS to just one start — unless the series reached a Game 7. The rest of Detroit’s rotation wasn’t scary enough to pose as a legitimate threat to guys like Judge, Juan Soto and postseason hero Giancarlo Stanton. The Yankees offense would’ve outslugged the Tigers’, and that goes a long way in a seven-game series. Cleveland will be more of a threat in that department with Jose Ramirez leading the way.

3. Whose pitching are you more confident in, the Dodgers‘ or the Mets‘?

Thosar: The Mets’. Beyond the fact that the Dodgers will have to deploy a bullpen game not once, but twice to get through the seven-game series … the Mets’ pitching staff is actually solid. Kodai Senga had one bad pitch to Kyle Schwarber in his postseason debut, and he’s expected to go a bit deeper into his start next time out. That opposing hitters haven’t seen him pitch in a year will be an advantage for him. But the Mets’ secret weapon continues to be Jose Quintana, who has allowed three earned runs over his past eight starts dating back to August 25, including two huge postseason outings against the Brewers and Phillies. The dominant stretch Quintana and the Mets have enjoyed is just not normal, and the rotation gives them a huge advantage right now.

Kavner: I’d take the Dodgers’ bullpen here, but overall, in a longer series like this in which it’ll be harder for them to ride their relievers day after day the way they’ll have to, I have to lean the Mets overall. Who would have thought back in the summertime that would be the case? Yoshinobu Yamamoto finally delivered a solid starting performance, but it’s hard to feel great about the state of the Dodgers’ rotation, especially when Yamamoto will likely only be able to start once this series since he won’t be going on short rest. The Dodgers’ pen worked wonders in a five-game series, with the pitching staff coming together to hold the Padres scoreless for the final 24 innings. But there might need to be multiple bullpen games for the Dodgers in this one, and that can wear a group out over a long series. The loss of Alex Vesia, who hurt his intercostal last series, is a significant one, and the Mets’ Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana have looked sensational in October.

4. How would you set the Dodgers’ starting rotation for this series?

Kavner: We know it’ll be Jack Flaherty for Game 1, and the Dodgers will need some length out of him. Then it gets interesting. I would use a bullpen game in Game 2 with Landon Knack pitching the bulk innings, whether starting or with an opener, so the relievers can then reset on the off day before potentially three straight days of games. That would leave Walker Buehler for Game 3 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Game 4. Flaherty could come back to start Game 5. There’s an off day before Game 6, so the Dodgers’ relievers could reset again for another all-hands-on-deck bullpen game in that one with Buehler ready for a Game 7.

Thosar: Jack Flaherty for Game 1, followed by Walker Buehler for Game 2, then Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Game 3, and then a bullpen game for Game 4, and run that order back for the remainder of the series. It will be interesting if the Dodgers will have to stick to giving Yamamoto the five days’ rest versus four, in which case they’d end up with two bullpen games and Yamamoto would only pitch Game 4 of the series. But this is the time to push him and take the risk of pitching their ace on four days’ rest to optimize his usage within a thin pitching staff. I would avoid that second bullpen game if possible.

4. What is the Mets’ blueprint to an upset?

Thosar: Their starters pitching as deep into games as possible and, of course, getting on base and continuing to set up big situations for Francisco Lindor. The Mets have the upper hand over the Dodgers with their starters (and that’s including the excellent results of David Peterson out of the bullpen) and they can avoid overusing their somewhat turbulent bullpen if Senga, Quintana, Sean Manaea, and Luis Severino do their thing for 5-7 innings. The Mets offense has, for the most part, been good at passing the baton, avoiding anxious at-bats, and trusting that the big hit will come eventually — even if it takes them nine innings to get a lead.

Kavner: I think the Dodgers’ offense might be enough to get through, but I wouldn’t even consider this an upset if the Mets win. Since June, they’ve been the best team in baseball. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have a decimated rotation, their starting shortstop out for the series and Freddie Freeman playing on one leg. That said, as much late-game magic as the Mets have provided during their run, they’ll need to flip the script a bit and get out to early leads. If their lineup, which has been one of the most productive this October, can get to Flaherty early, it not only puts them in the driver’s seat of the series by potentially stealing a game in Los Angeles, but also puts the Dodgers in a real predicament moving forward with their heavy reliance on the pen.

Bonus: Who will win each LCS?

ALCS — Yankees vs. Guardians
– Thosar: Yankees. I just said Cleveland would make this interesting, and I believe that, but the AL became the Yankees’ to lose when the Astros got bumped out early. They have the offensive edge and the rotation edge in this series, and even the incredible Emmanuel Clase demonstrated that he’s not infallible.
– Kavner: Yankees. Other than the fact that they’ve been down this road before, they have an extra weapon in Juan Soto this time around, which has led to one of their deepest lineups in years. I’m expecting Cleveland to serve as the elixir to Judge’s postseason underperformance, and Gerrit Cole to raise it up a notch because he’s not one to forget old grudges (yes, I’m referring to Josh Naylor implying he’s Cole’s daddy with one of the more memorable, and silly, home-run trots we’ve seen in recent Octobers). This is the easiest path the Yankees have had to the World Series in years, and I’d be surprised if they allowed themselves to get complacent when they’re this close to winning the pennant.

NLCS — Dodgers vs. Mets
– Kavner: Dodgers. This one feels like a toss-up. Both teams are riding strong vibes into the NLCS, and both teams beat what I would consider to be the top two clubs in the NL to get here. They’ll each have to avoid an emotional letdown afterward, and ultimately I think the Dodgers’ experience in these spots help. I think their offense carries them in a series that could go the distance.
– Thosar: Mets. Pitching rules October, and I’m not convinced the Dodgers have enough of it to sustain them in a long series. As evidenced by some of my previous answers, I think the Mets have the arms to get it done because, well, they already have. Their most important postseason games have featured guys like Quintana, Manaea, Peterson and even Tylor Megill stepping up and staving off the opponent long enough to keep their own offense in the game. That’s a major asset to have — even in the face of a talented Dodgers lineup.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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Kyle Larson took a commanding victory at the reconfigured Charlotte Roval, ahead of Christopher Bell and William Byron. Larson then took daughter Audrey for a ride around the track in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after she retrieved the checkered flag for him.

“It’s the first time in my playoff career I’ve not been close to the cut line so it was good to have a little bit of a stress-free week,” said Larson. “I think it’s the first time I’ve been here without crashing. Good weekend … Obviously, we’re here at Hendrick’s home and got so many people here from there. Gonna be fun to celebrate with them. Knowing that I don’t really use the sim much and I was in the sim this week, so huge thank you to the guys there. It really helped me get into a rhythm early on and help us kind of fine tune our car. Hats off to everybody there.”

Though Larson was cruising, drivers situated near the cut-off were put under incredible pressure — namely, Tyler Reddick, who had a roller coaster of a race. It started with a Stage 1 win for the 23XI Racing driver, only to then crash into the side of his boss Denny Hamlin at the start of the second stage, damaging both cars. The team was able to make repairs and he made a heroic drive through the field on fresh tires.

With a handful of laps remaining, Reddick closed the gap to Joey Logano and overtook him on the track — as well as in the points standings — for the final transfer spot.

Logano, a two-time NASCAR Cup champion, was one of two Penske drivers who were eliminated from the playoffs. Austin Cindric, who finished fourth, also fell from title contention. Daniel Suarez and Chase Briscoe were also eliminated. Logano missed advancement by just four points.

The complete top-ten: Larson, Bell, William, Cindric, Chase Elliott, AJ Allmendinger, Shane van Gisbergen, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney.

Race rundown

Van Gisbergen led from pole position early in the race, but as expected, those who didn’t need stage points chose to pit just before the stage end. This allowed Reddick to win the opening stage, which became crucial later on.

At the start of Stage 2, Reddick and the others who didn’t short-pit were now deep in the pack. It didn’t take long for trouble find him. As the field stacked up due to the spun car of Austin Dillon in Turn 7, Reddick came in too hot and slammed into the side of Hamlin. The resulting damage forced Reddick to make a green-flag pit stop, complaining on the radio that something didn’t feel right in rear. 

When Chase Briscoe’s flat tire caused a debris caution, both Reddick and Hamlin were among those who came to pit road. Reddick had an extended stop as the team to fix the toe link in the right rear. Unfortunately for Briscoe, he was unable to continue, ending Stewart-Haas Racing’s 2024 title run.

Alex Bowman went on to win Stage 2, and varied strategies put A.J. Allmendinger and Joey Logano out front for the final stage.

Daniel Suarez went to pit road under caution at Lap 57 for possible brake issues. The hood was raised on the No. 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet and brake fluid was poured in.

With 43 laps remaining, Larson moved into the race lead with a dive under Allmendinger at Turn 7 and never looked back. A wayward wheel for Austin Dillon brought out a late yellow, but it did little to change the outcome as Larson marched onward to his 29th career victory.

As the points reset for the Round of 8, Larson is atop the championship standings with a 33-point buffer on the cut-line. Christopher Bell is +13, Tyler Reddick +10, and William Byron +4. Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman start the round in the elimination zone.