Manchester City take on Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final and are in a much better position than they were a year ago

When Newcastle beat Liverpool to win last year’s Carabao Cup final, Manchester City were in a mess. They had drawn at home to Brighton the previous day, having lost limply away to Nottingham Forest the previous week.

With just two wins from six Premier League games that included a surrender at Anfield and a mauling at the Emirates, the Blues were outside of the Champions League places and Pep Guardiola was publicly questioning whether his players realised the improvement that was needed if they were going to secure a top-four target that was their minimum requirement.

With Arne Slot showing Liverpool there could be trophies after Jurgen Klopp, the City ship looked to be sinking fast despite a new contract signed by Guardiola when their troubles began. So it is to the credit of many that the Blues arrive at Wembley for their first Carabao Cup final in five years looking back on course.

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Even if the shaky results of the last few weeks do not make it feel that way, City are in a much better place now. They are 13 points better off in the Premier League and fighting for a title, and despite more disappointment against Real Madrid they had been one of the top eight teams in the first Champions League phase.

Much will be made of the £440m that the club have spent since January 2025 to rescue their position, but some of the most importance changes have come from the players that were already at the Etihad. Bernardo Silva as captain with Ruben Dias as his second in command have reset standards in a dressing room that slipped after so much success, from celebrating moments together in matches to making sure everyone turns up on time for training and meetings.

“We talked about it and it was something we did and I feel like it’s taken a very much better route now and it was needed,” Dias said. “Lots of things changed after that period, we need to set the standard for a new season. It was needed and I felt like we did it at the right time.

“I feel like sometimes, while winning, you get into certain patterns that are working in the moment but then there’s always – and this goes in behaviours day to day, it goes in tactics, it goes everywhere in football, as it goes in life – an update, sometimes doing something different again.

“By doing so you commit everyone to it, you put everyone on the same boat, same mentality, same standards and same responsibilities and I feel like it was more than anything about that. On the pitch, body language, it’s so important.

“Discipline in the everyday – every day be on time, that kind of stuff. It’s part of being in this club, the way we deal with all the things that are happening while performing obviously on the pitch but mostly off the pitch, on the day to day, when the news is on and these kind of things where we try and isolate ourselves and focus on what we have to do because that’s the only thing we should be focused on.”

Ever since the Club World Cup, Guardiola has spoken positively about the atmosphere in the squad. Whatever happens this season, it is a team that he loves again and respects for the effort they have shown both individually and collectively.

But as well as fighting Arsenal this season – a tough enough battle on its own – they are also battling against the weight of City’s extraordinary record in the last 10 years. This season has rightly been seen as a reset, yet there is little time allowed for transition with a club and a growing fanbase that expects trophies and glory.

The Carabao Cup was Guardiola’s first trophy in English football and helped set the standard for a team that would go hard at every competition and challenge others to do the same. It is important in its own right, but also for what else it can lead to.

Given Sunday’s opponents are also leading the way in the Premier League and have to visit the Etihad next month, it feels like there is a lot riding on this final in terms of what it could do for the rest of City’s season but also as a marker of how successful their rebirth has been.

As the players look around in the Wembley dressing room, Dias will be there to tell them to forget about all of that and just focus on the 90 minutes that are in front of them.

“Obviously arriving to that game there’s still a lot to play but then but arriving to that game we’ll know that it’s another trophy,” he said. “Obviously it’s a special final because it’s against one of our main rivals. The message is clear. We go there, we want to win it and we know what we have to do.

“When that game arrives, and that game will obviously be a massive final for us, that will be the only thing that matters then. In terms of everything else, if we do it right then we’re not even thinking about it. The goal is to isolate it, know that there’s a trophy there to grab and do everything we can to do it.”

Shakur Stevenson has voiced his frustration at a lack of willing opponents in the past, but Tim Bradley believes that there is an obvious fight in front of him – that being against the only man Stevenson appears unwilling to face.

Stevenson became boxing’s third-youngest four-division world champion when he claimed Teofimo Lopez’s WBO super-lightweight world title back in January, rising in the pound-for-pound rankings off the back of that career-best triumph.

At present, Stevenson’s number one challenger is close friend Keyshawn Davis, who knocked out Jamaine Ortiz on his undercard that night in January.

However, Stevenson has said no less than $500 million would get him in the ring with Davis, who he sees as a brother to him. Keyshawn has echoed the sentiment. In other words, the pair have zero interest in facing off.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, two-division conqueror Bradley encouraged Stevenson and Davis to put their relationship to the side and fight one another, informing Davis that he will remain in Stevenson’s shadow unless he can defeat him.

“I know you guys said that you shouldn’t fight each other, you guys don’t want to fight each other, you made that promise to yourselves. However, Keyshawn understand this, right now, Shakur is the man, he is the man right now, you were on his undercard and you will continue to be on his undercard.

“Both of you guys don’t have guys that want to face you, I don’t know if you are okay with being second, Keyshawn? I don’t know, but there is only one seat at the top and that is where Shakur is going to be, he is going to be on that throne.

“The only way that he is going to get off that throne is by being dethroned. That is the only way. So, when you look at the end of your career, look ahead, because like I told you, you are always going to be second, because you have to dethrone the king.”

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“I am just saying, man, you guys are complaining about nobody wanting to fight you guys, fight each other. It’s that simple. If you are okay with being second, Keyshawn, that is fine bro.”

The WBO mandatory is not yet due for Stevenson, and Davis has already said he may move up to welterweight despite only having one fight at super-lightweight under his belt. The pair have time yet before they are forced to make a tough decision.

Manchester fighter Lerone Murphy saw his hopes of a title shot go up in smoke as he was edged out by Movsar Evloev in a controversial decision at UFC London.

Murphy succumbed to a majority decision defeat despite his Russian opponent having a point deducted in the fourth round for a second low blow, with the judges scoring the bout 48-46, 48-46, 47-47 in Evloev’s favour.

Coming up short in what was seen as an eliminator to decide featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski’s next challenger, “The Miracle” also lost his undefeated record in the process and leaves the O2 Arena now 17-1-1 as a professional.

Murphy, 34, took a moment to get going in a close first round but began to really find his rhythm in the next two, with his movement and sharp striking starving 32-year-old Evloev from obvious takedown opportunities.

It meant Evloev, who was firing striking offence of his own, barely shot for a takedown in the first 10 minutes and even when the Russian eventually took Murphy to the mat in the third, the Briton showed off impressive defence to quickly get back to his feet.

As the fight entered the championship rounds with Murphy in control, Evloev was deducted a point after falling foul of his second low blow of the night, which left Murphy crawling in agony.

This appeared to vastly diminish Evloev’s chances of victory without a finish but he nevertheless ended the bout in style, dominantly taking the final two rounds to force the fight to a decision.

All three judges contentiously scored the third round in Evloev’s favour while two gave the Russian the first round, delivering him a crucial victory and taking his own unbeaten record to 20-0.

Murphy was gracious in defeat and called on matchmakers to ensure Evloev gets what is due to him, saying: “Make sure Movsar gets the title shot, he deserves it.”

In the co-main event, Paddy Pimblett’s teammate Luke Riley went 2-0 in the UFC as he swept the scorecards against Michael Aswell Jr, finally getting a victory on the board for the Liverpudlians after Kurtis Campbell was knocked out by Danny Silva in the main card’s opener.

Riley had spoken honestly about whether he deserved the headliner spot ahead of Michael “Venom” Page but the 38-year-old veteran’s bout with Sam Patterson failed to deliver, with fans raining down boos as Page was declared the winner after both fighters failed to show much activity.

Christian Leroy Duncan, meanwhile, will hope to enter the middleweight rankings after overcoming Roman Dolidze after an impressive performance, while Polish light heavyweight Iwo Baraniewski pulled off a stunning 28-second knockout over Austen Lane to maintain momentum.

Similarly to the main card, the prelims were also a mixed bag for the Brits but were rounded off by an absolute barnburner between Welshman Mason Jones and Axel Sola, who engaged in a firefight of eccentric striking.

“The Dragon”, who spent two years out of the UFC before making his return to the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion in 2025, saw a deserved unanimous decision victory go in his favour before making an impassioned post-fight speech to the London crowd.

The card also kicked off in style as London-bred debutant Shanelle Dyer sent the early-arriving fans into raptures, knocking out Ravena Oliveira with a stunning headkick in the second round.

Her triumph was followed up by Great Britain Top Team teammate Nathaniel Wood, who eked out a split-decision victory over debuting Belgian featherweight Losene Keita, extending his win streak to four against very tricky opposition.

Rising heavyweight Mario Pinto, of Portuguese descent but raised in the English capital, also maintained his undefeated record with a scorecards win against Felipe Franco.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the home fighters, however, with both Louie Sutherland and Shem Rock failing to bounce back from debut losses to go 0-2 in the UFC.

Sutherland was finished early on against Brando Pericic while Rock – another member of Pimblett’s gym Next Generation MMA – was convincingly beaten by Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady, with all three judges scoring the bout 30-27 for the Palestinian.

With his UFC future uncertain, Rock may have found himself in even more hot water after instigating a post-fight scuffle after the buzzer, hitting Al-Selwady in the face after he had refused to shake the Liverpudlian’s hand.

“I don’t really think there’s too much to say about it; I only talk in the cage with my performance,” Al-Sewady said after the fight, who was pushed by a trash-talking Rock at the ceremonial weigh-ins.

“It was a desperate attempt to try to get under my skin. My opponent has been in my DMs for the last month – him and his crew of guys.”

The Vikings’ dead money situation was always going to grow worse. The only thing that was uncertain was how bad things would get.

As things stand, Minnesota is sitting on worse than $35 million in cap space that has been immobilized for the 2026 season (Over the Cap). No levers can get pulled or some sort of shenanigans to move money around. That’s an amount that must be burned up before moving onto the 2027 budget in March of 2027.

The Vikings’ Dead Money Lands at $35M

Lately, the news has focused on additions.

QB Carson Wentz is helping to fortify the depth under center. OT Ryan Van Demark is being viewed as a strong upgrade as the swing tackle, better equipping Minnesota to navigate the snaps/games where one of Christian Darrisaw or Brian O’Neill miss time. Mr. Wentz is chewing up roughly $3 million in cap space while Mr. Van Demark is likely chewing up $4.2 million in cap space.

With all of the shuffling from recent days, the Vikings’ cap space (and dead money) has been difficult to track. OTC puts Minnesota at somewhere around $4 million whereas Spotrac is a touch more optimistic, dropping down a $9 million number.

A major factor within the consideration of the budget is the dead money.

The $35 million that’s being immobilized is comprised of a lot of different players who have been shown the door. In particular, there’s the well-paid DT twosome who inspired a pile of optimism last offseason: Jonathan Allen ($12.6M) and Javon Hargrave ($10.5M). Missing on the trench defenders was costly, a reality that’s true metaphorically and literally.

Consider, as well, that Minnesota is digesting a touch beyond $3.5 million in dead money for the Harrison Phillips trade, a move that was at least partially in response to employing Allen and Hargrave.

Other medium-level dead money hits — Ryan Kelly at $3.3M, Harrison Smith at $3M (who still has a chance to play), and Garrett Bradbury at $1.6M — are joined by several more who left behind numbers in the six figures.

Next year, the Vikings’ dead money situation is already showing some wear and tear.

Part of the reason why cutting Allen and Smith in a post-June 1 manner creates more cap space for 2026 is due to pushing some of that dead money into 2027. Add up the future cap pain and Minnesota sees $12.266M taken out of next year’s budget already.

Worse yet, there are several Vikings players who are seeing their deals come to an end in a way that leaves dead money on the books.

Due to void year tomfoolery, Andrew Van Ginkel ($8.8M), T.J. Hockenson ($7.11M), Blake Cashman ($3.1M), and Jordan Mason ($2.4M) are going to take a bite out of the available spending power even though they’re not getting cut or traded, the usual outcomes that involve dead money. That’s more than $20 million tossed onto the pile if all walk away.

Avoiding the dead money charges will mean needing to extend these players. In that scenario, the Vikings will continue stretching things out, deferring the bill to another day.

In June, the Vikings are going to see roughly $12 million in cap space added to the mix. Look for more money to get tossed onto the pile with an extension for Brian O’Neill and possibly another player or two.

Stunningly, the Miami Dolphins are working through an NFL-worst $179 million in dead money.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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Marcus Rashford could return from his loan spell at Barcelona in the summer if the La Liga giants decide against triggering their £26m buy option

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has admitted that he or the club are unsure what will happen with Marcus Rashford at the end of the season.

The forward is currently on loan at the Camp Nou from Manchester United after he was allowed to leave Old Trafford in the summer. Barcelona have the option to buy the England international for £26million at the end of the season.

Rashford has scored 10 goals and assisted a further 13 in all competitions for the Catalan side. However, he has started just once in the last seven games and been forced to sit on the bench in their convincing wins over Sevilla and Newcastle.

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A permanent move to Spain has been the most likely throughout the season, with Barca chief Deco teasing the club’s intention to keep Rashford beyond this season. However, Flick’s recent comments have placed doubt over their intentions to sign him permanently.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of their La Liga clash against Rayo Vallecano, he said: “We need everyone until the end, and we don’t know what will happen after that,” he said. “There’s time. There’s a World Cup.

“I believe in my players. Cancelo, Rashford… they give us quality. And the rest, too. We’ll talk at the end and see what happens. Now is not the time to say ‘I want this one, I don’t want that one.’ Anything can happen.”

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Re-elected Barca president Joan Laporta is said to be keen on extending Rashford’s loan, potentially with another temporary stay. “Marcus is performing very well with assists and goals, and Cancelo, on the other hand, is doing very well,” Laporta told RAC1.

“He has become a key player due to the injuries of both full-backs. We will try, in Barca’s interest, to ensure that Marcus can continue.”

It’s understood that United have no interest in vacating Barcelona’s hope of signing Rashford on another loan. United would be willing to take Rashford back – and sell him to the highest bidder ahead of next season.

His form in Spain has forced United chiefs to be confident of getting closer to £50m, should he return from Barcelona.

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First Published: Mar 21 2026 | 1:19 PM IST

Safe to say that Sungjae Im is feeling a little bit better.

It’s been five months since Im played a Sunday on the PGA Tour; he’s entering this one with a two-shot lead.

“I’m really thrilled about the birdie on the final hole, and to have a two-shot lead going into tomorrow,” Im said after a third-round 69 at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course. His birdie at No. 18 was just the third of the day.

The South Korean star had a lengthy, unconventional offseason. After finishing T27 at last August’s Tour Championship, Im played three fall events in Asia in October — including the Baycurrent, his most recent four-round effort on this tour — before turning his attention to military training.

Because he’d won a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games, Im was exempt from South Korea’s two-year military service. But he was still on the hook for several weeks of basic military training and volunteer work. That meant laying down his clubs for a three-week boot camp that yielded a new title — “9th Marine Brigade 91st Marine Battalion,” he wrote on Instagram — and emerged he said at the time “without any injuries.”

But Im suffered a setback as he prepared for the 2026 PGA Tour season, missing the first seven events with a wrist injury. He didn’t touch a club for more than a month and a half, he said, an unprecedented move in his 10-year pro career. And when he did return two weeks ago, he missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then again at last week’s Players Championship.

Still, Im said he found a silver lining in his lengthy layoff.

“So after the wrist injury, I wasn’t able to practice for two months. So I think a lot of my shots that I didn’t like from last year I was able to, once I started practicing, I was able to correct and it’s just been consistently getting better. Even though there were shots I’m not happy about, I feel comfortable now.”

Im said he felt some progress in his golf swing at the Players Championship despite a missed cut.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in the lead like this, and I’m sure I will be nervous, but the best I can do is just to play my own game,” he said.

Im said that while he’s eager to break a four-and-a-half-year winless drought, he’s found great satisfaction in his consistency. The 2025 season marked his seventh consecutive qualifying for the Tour Championship.

“Within that period of time I’ve been able to play really well. I’ve had some second and third places. For me, just being able to finish within the top and to have success in that way is important for me and been something that I’ve been happy with,” he said.

Now he’s on the verge of that win. After a spectacular two-eagle opening-round 64 and back-to-back 69s, he leads at 11 under par. Brandt Snedeker and David Lipsky (nine under) are T2, while Marco Penge and Matt Fitzpatrick (eight under par) sit T4.

The Vikings shook operations up just a bit during free agency, notably adding quarterback Kyler Murray and CB3 James Pierre, in addition to new punter Johnny Hekker and offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark. So, it’s time for a mock draft — version 3.0 — the second-to-last before the main event on April 23rd.

This seven-round projection leans defense early and keeps building Minnesota’s depth for the long haul.

As always, these mock drafts are predictive, not necessarily what the author wants, but rather what he believes the Vikings will do on draft weekend.

A Full Seven-Round Prediction for Minnesota’s Draft Moves

The Vikings have nine picks this go-round.

**TRADE**
Vikings Get:
30th Overall Pick
2026 3rd-Rounder (Pick No. 215)
2027 3rd-Rounder
— for —
Dolphins Get:
18th Overall Pick (Kenyon Sadiq, TE)

Round 1 (Pick 30)
Emmanuel McNeill-Warren (S) | Oregon

It really doesn’t matter for the draft’s sake if Harrison Smith returns or retires — the Vikings need a young safety as their succession plan. After doing business with Miami above, the Dolphins fill their tremendous TE1 need with Sadiq, while Minnesota rolls with McNeill-Warren as the Smith replacement.

Round 2 (Pick 49)
Jadarian Price (RB) | Notre Dame

Lord, oh Lord, do the Vikings need to put their foot down and draft a rookie running back. The last elite one was named Dalvin Cook, and he joined the club nine years ago.

Price profiles somewhere between Tony Pollard and Javonte Williams as a pro comp. That will work for the 2026-2029 Vikings.

Round 3 (Pick 74) — from MIA
Sam Hecht (C) | Kansas State

A sneaky roster need right now for Minnesota? Center. Unless the team loves and trusts Blake Brandel or Michael Jurgens, it needs a center to replace Ryan Kelly, who retired last week. Hecht has the juice to be a Day One starter, and outside of signing a free agent like Ethan Pocic or Lloyd Cushenberry III, that’s what the Vikings need.

Round 3 (Pick 82)
Davison Igbinosun (CB) | Ohio State

Igbinosun is a “Brian Flores cornerback.” Our Janik Eckardt noted on his skill set this month, “Davison Igbinosun is a long, physical cornerback whose size, press ability, and competitive mindset translate well to boundary coverage roles. While his Combine testing reflects solid rather than elite athleticism, his experience against Power Five competition and reliable coverage traits give him early-round draft value.”

“In press-oriented systems, he projects as an early contributor with starter upside as technique refinement continues. Igbinosun projects as a Day 2 selection, most commonly in the Round 2–3 range. His size, physicality, and experience against top competition make him a strong fit for defenses that prioritize press-man concepts and boundary physicality.”

Minnesota could put his physicality to use sooner rather than later.

“Early in his NFL career, he profiles as a rotational outside corner and special teams contributor, with the potential to develop into a dependable starter in schemes that emphasize leverage discipline and physical coverage at the line of scrimmage,” Eckardt concluded.

Round 3 (Pick 97)
Bryce Lance (WR) | North Dakota State

Lance is a native Minnesotan — Marshall — who banked 2,157 receiving yards and 25 paydirts in the last two campaigns at NDSU. Meanwhile, with Jalen Nailor departed for the Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota has just Tai Felton and Myles Price as rosterable commodities on the current depth chart.

Kevin O’Connell can put Lance’s 6’3″ frame to work immediately.

Round 5 (Pick 161)
Reggie Virgil (WR) | Texas Tech

Why not two wideouts? Back-to-back even.

Felton barely played on offense in 2025, and some called that pick a dumb one in the first place. Price, the kick and punt returner, also doesn’t play much on offense. Lance and Virgil would add the WR depth needed after Nailor vamoosed.

Round 6 (Pick 196)
Nick Barrett (DT) | South Carolina

Barrett is known as a run-stuffing defensive tackle. The Vikings said goodbye to Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave at the beginning of free agency. Like Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins last year, Barrett is late-round DT depth.

Round 7 (Pick 234)
Quintayvious Hutchins (OLB) | Boston College

Bo Richter is the Vikings’ OLB4 after Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner. Hutchins is known for a combination of smoothness and a nasty streak, an ironic and fantastic combo.

Round 7 (Pick 240)
Nolan Rucci (OT) | Penn State

Christian Darrisaw’s ACL recovery has bent weirdly, and Brian O’Neill will turn 31 around Week 2. Next to Walter Rouse, Rucci is the new insurance.

Round 7 (Pick 244)
Brett Thorson (P) | Georgia

Thorson is the top rookie punting prospect in 2026, and after the Johnny Hekker signing this week, why not Thorson for a “may the best man win” competition later this summer in Eagan?