At 26 years old, Kai Havertz has more experience than most.

The former Leverkusen man has a history of game-winning goals. His most famous is perhaps his Champions League-winning goal for Chelsea against Manchester City in 2021. It was a goal that denied Pep Guardiola and gave Thomas Tuchel glory. For Havertz, it wasn’t the only one though. A year later, he scored an extra-time penalty to win the Club World Cup for Chelsea. This season, Havertz scored the injury-time winner for Arsenal in the League Cup semifinal against his former team.

His injury-time winner against Sporting in the Champions League quarterfinals was decisive for Arsenal and their run to the final. And against Burnley, although fortunate to avoid red for a poor tackle, his header set up Arsenal’s Premier League title that was confirmed soon after, following Manchester City’s draw. In short, pressure is no problem for the Germany forward.

This is made all the more impressive by how much time he has missed with injury. On the opening day of the season, Havertz picked up a knee injury that saw him out for most of the first half of the campaign. Not long after his return, he picked up a muscle injury. Many players might have struggled to have delivered so quickly with so much on the line, but Havertz is not most players. The German has been back in regular action since March, and swiftly reminded onlookers of why is the man for the big moments.

“That’s what kept me alive every single day,” Havertz told Viaplay after winning the Premier League. “I have to be honest, some days I was in some dark places for sure, but I woke up every morning and just tried to work hard to be back as soon as possible. Now, to be here and celebrate that victory, it’s unbelievable and it shows you that everything is possible and you can work hard and you can always turn it around.”

Hope for Germany

Julian Nagelsmann will be watching on with a keen eye, hoping that he will retain his magic touch come the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico this summer. 

Havertz has 21 goals for Germany, but has been less decisive in national colors compared to his clubs. Nevertheless, he will be the man to lead Germany’s line at this World Cup and he has shown glimpses of how comfortable he is with that role too.

His goal against Denmark in Euro 2024 set Germany on their way and against Ghana in March this year, Havertz shook off his lack of match practice to start Germany’s comeback. His form is trending in the right direction and a second Champions League-winning goal in May would not only be a milestone for Havertz, but would also leave Nagelsmann and Germany fans hopeful that more will be to come this summer.

The man whose career started at Leverkusen before he rose to prominence as a 17-year-old finishing exams and playing in the Bundesliga, Havertz’s career was at a crossroads when he joined Arsenal in 2023. Three years later, Havertz is in the right place at the right time. If he can deliver in the Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday, he will join a rare list of players to have scored in multiple Champions League finals. More than that though, he will have cemented his place as one of the most successful German footballers of all time. To reach such a peak in the weeks before a World Cup will be what Nagelsmann is hoping for. The pressure is on. For Havertz, that just means another day at the office.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer after a trophy-laden 10 years at the Etihad Stadium

Former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster has admitted that he was ‘scared’ of facing Manchester City under Pep Guardiola’s leadership. The Spanish coach took charge of his final City game at the weekend, bringing an end to a trophy-laden 10 years.

Foster was one of the many goalkeepers tasked to try and stop the City side, who have dominated the Premier League. He was on the losing side in every one of his appearances against Guardiola’s side, both for West Bromwich Albion and Watford.

But what was it like coming up against his team?

“He’s changed the landscape,” Foster told the MEN. “I don’t know whether he’s changed it forever, but he definitely has changed it for a sort of 10-year period whilst he’s been here.

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“You know, when I was playing in the Premier League, if I knew we had Man City on a Saturday afternoon, honestly, you’d spend all week just thinking, ‘Oh, for God’s sake, here we go again, here we go again.”

“I think I did the calculations once, I think I’ve let something like 80 goals in against Man City, just me personally, they used to scare the life out of us. I remember once being 5-0 down after 18 minutes when I was at Watford, 18 minutes and you’re 5-0 down. We lost 8-0 at the end of the day.”

Foster also highlighted the key to Guardiola’s success at City.

“They’re ruthless. Like, I think back to the squad of [Sergio] Agüero and Vincent Kompany and David Silva, you know, those guys just, ah, it’s scary,” he said. “Kevin De Bruyne, it was just a keep-ball session for them, and it was great to see that if you can get technically gifted players, really technically gifted players, world-class players, but then mix it with that work rate, which I think Pep introduced, then you are on to a winner.

“If you look at the PSG side now, that’s dominating and has dominated Europe for the last year and a half, two years, that’s what they are, they’re world-class players technically wise, but work rate is much more than every team they come up against, so they’re blowing teams away. It’s a perfect combination, I think Pep really did introduce that to not only the Premier League but to world football.”

Foster had an unconventional journey to eventually face Guardiola’s world-class side. As a teenager, he worked in a kitchen while playing for his local non-league side, where he was spotted by a Stoke City scout.

He is now part of promoting Kellogg’s free football camps to give children the chance to play football over the summer holidays. “These camps that Kellogg’s are putting on, they’re so well-organised and so well-run,” he said.

“And I know what it’s like being sort of at that higher level of football. This is where you can unearth some real gems as well, you know. There’s players that have made it to upper levels, higher levels, professional levels off of like these camps.

“People would think they’re just like a silly sort of babysitting exercise sometimes, they’re really not. They’re so well-run, so well-structured. They get proper, you know, authenticated coaches on board, and it’s a real chance to shine a light on some of the talent that just maybe sometimes go under the radar.”

He has also highlighted how the camps could help unearth the next gem who could go on to make an impact in the Premier League in the future

“There will be people at these camps that they’ll see these little shining stars and go, ‘Actually, do you know what? We’ll give him a chance, we’ll get in touch with him, we’ll get his contact information, he can come for a training session for us,’ and you never know from that point onwards,” he said.

“So I do, I think not only the facilities, the organisation of these pitches and these camps that Kellogg’s are putting on, there’s always that little chance as well that somebody might be watching. Because that’s what happened to me, I was in the right place at the right time.”

Ben Foster has teamed up with Kellogg’s, and other EFL players to offer more than 39,000 free Kellogg’s Football Camp places in partnership with the EFL, Manchester City, Celtic FC and Rangers FC. Places available via the QR code on selected packs or at www.kelloggsfc.com. T&Cs apply.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The Minnesota Vikings’ roster feels pretty well set as of late May, but that may not stop the organization from trading wide receiver Jordan Addison, says Pro Football Network.

That website sized one player per team last week who could be traded before too long, and Addison got the nod up north.

Vikings WR Room Would Make an Addison Trade … Complicated

PFSN: Vikings Main Trade Bait = Addison

Addison got the tap on the shoulder from PFSN’s Jacob Infante, who explained, “Rather than continue to improve in Year 3, Jordan Addison saw his production drop in 2025, finishing with a career-low 71.0 PFSN WR Impact Score and posting career-low numbers in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.”

“He missed three games due to suspension last year, and he was arrested for trespassing in January. His drop in production and off-field concerns could make him a trade candidate for the Minnesota Vikings.”

Addison briefly frequented the trade rumor mill earlier in the offseason, but when the Vikings exercised his fifth-year option and drafted no rookie wideouts, the theories died off. Infante is trying to resurrect them.

How Much Could Vikings Get?

If the Vikings decide to trade Addison, starting with a 2nd-Round pick seems reasonable. He’s young, productive, and assuredly has the potential to be a WR1 when he gets the ball. However, there’s a catch: his off-the-field issues have prevented him from reaching superstar status, and he has yet to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season after three years.

Minnesota has also structured its wide receiver lineup with this in mind. Jauan Jennings recently joined as the 2026 WR3, providing Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy with another solid target behind Justin Jefferson and Addison. Additionally, Jennings serves as a reliable backup if either Jefferson or Addison gets injured.

Trading Addison now would ravage that strategy. The Vikings brought in Jennings to enhance their offense, not to create another gap.

The timing also suggests that Addison is likely staying put. If Minnesota truly wanted to move him, the April draft would have been the optimal time, not late May or early summer. As it stands, Addison looks set to remain a Viking through 2026 and likely beyond.

Soon, he’ll also be able to discuss a contract extension with the team. That could even begin this summer.

Why … Trade Addison?

Addison’s trade value starts with his talent. He has already demonstrated his ability to produce at a high level, is still young, and has three NFL seasons under his belt as he approaches his prime.

However, his situation is messy. Really messy, in fact. In 2023, Addison was pulled over in Minneapolis for speeding at 140 mph in a 55 mph zone. He claimed it was due to a dog emergency, and the incident didn’t create much controversy with the league. Most considered it a one-off.

The following incident was more serious. In 2024, he was found passed out and intoxicated in his car on a Los Angeles freeway, leading to a three-game suspension.

Then, during the 2025 season, he faced more boneheaded antics. Addison skipped a team walkthrough in London, which led coach Kevin O’Connell to bench him for a quarter in the next game. Three months later, he was arrested for trespassing at a Florida casino. Although the charges were eventually dropped, they added to a growing list of troubles.

That is the crux of the debate surrounding a potential Addison trade. While the player is valuable, his off-field baggage may make teams hesitant about how much they are willing to offer.

Unlikely to Ruin a Good Thing

The grand takeaway? The Vikings are unlikely to trade Addison. Why? They would’ve done so by now this offseason. They’ve had four months to formulate a plan, including players to sign in free agency and rookies to pluck from the draft. If offloading Addison were on the menu, that seems like a matter for February, March, or April — not whimsically after the draft.

Plus, the Vikings love Addison. They’ve had every reason to reevaluate their stance after his transgressions, and every time, they stood steadfastly behind him.

A more logical trade candidate may be safety Theo Jackson, who will fight for a roster spot among Josh Metellus, Jay Ward, and rookie Jakobe Thomas. Harrison Smith may even return one more time; he has not expressly retired.

Pro Football Focus recently identified linebacker Blake Cashman as a trade candidate, too, but like Addison, it doesn’t make much sense to get rid of a productive player.

Addison will turn 25 next January.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Dan Dakich took a jab at Cari Champion on Thursday after the CNN broadcast journalist’s comments on Caitlin Clark‘s favoritism among the WNBA referees. The NFL insider retweeted an X post featuring an article covering Champion’s remarks.

He called out the CNN broadcast journalist for frequently going after Clark.

“Always worried about the lil white girl,” Dakich wrote.

Champion voiced her concerns about Clark and the officials on Wednesday’s episode of the “Flagrant and Funny” podcast. The CNN broadcast journalist recalled an incident from last season where Clark told a referee to open their eye. She then compared the incident to a technical foul Paige Bueckers received for clapping in an 86-69 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Friday.

“That type of blatant favoritism annoys the hell out of me,” she said (Timestamp: 26:00). “I don’t know if this is her fault, because I think it might be unfair for me to say that this is her fault. But at the same time, it’s like, why is she getting this special treatment? And it just is, yet again, another example of the league and its fans… being so precious with her.”

“I don’t like you”: Cari Champion calls out Caitlin Clark for not taking ‘responsibility’

Later, on the podcast, Cari Champion criticized Caitlin Clark for her behaviour towards the referees. She recalled Napheesa Collier calling out the referees during the offseason following the Lynx’s loss in the 2024 WNBA Finals.

She praised the Lynx star for criticizing the referees in an appropriate setting, which, according to her, is off the court. Champion then took shots at the Fever star and the league’s treatment of her.

“The more we get to catch these glimpses of Caitlin Clark, I am like, ‘I don’t like you. I don’t like how you behave on the court.’ The league is positioning you to be its superstar because you are, and with leadership comes certain responsibilities,” she said. (Timestamp: 27:10)

“If you don’t want that responsibility, I understand, but the way that you behave, this entitlement that you behave, the way that you were talking to your coaches, you and Sophie (Cunningham), you enjoy that right?”

Later, Champion said that if Clark wanted to play the villain, then she would be coming at her. The CNN broadcast journalist urged CC stans to recognize the Fever star’s desire to play the villain.

Caitlin Clark has had a great start to her season. She is averaging 23.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists in five games on 43.2% shooting.