Manchester City needed a talisman to step up at Stamford Bridge and Rayan Cherki delivered in the way Kevin De Bruyne used to

18:48, 12 Apr 2026

Rayan Cherki swung the corner into the box as Manchester City looked for an opener. It was the Frenchman’s shot that had earned the set-piece, but his final delivery was rubbish and went straight to the first man.

City got another go though, because Marc Cucurella’s clearance went straight out for another corner and the Blues could keep their foot on the gas. This was three minutes into the second half and summed up how badly both teams had been misfiring.

Cherki had been poor, yet with City needing inspiration at Stamford Bridge he stepped up and won them the game. His next run at the Chelsea defence came seconds later and earned a corner, and soon after that a clever ball into the box was headed home by Nico O’Reilly.

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From nowhere, City had swarmed Chelsea and – even better – they did not let up. After 10 minutes of dominance to start the second half, another good ball from Cherki found Marc Guehi and the former Chelsea youngster controlled and finished like Erling Haaland to send the away end into rapture.

City found themselves with an unexpected opportunity in West London after Arsenal’s surprise home defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday. Win here and the pressure would firmly be on the league leaders when they travel to the Etihad, with the title race in the hands of both teams waiting to be grabbed.

But this is not the all-conquering City team of old, where experienced pros such as Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan would steer the side over the line. This is a new team that has been too inconsistent to take advantage of the other opportunities they have had, which is why they are not closer to the top of the table.

A sloppy first half threatened another one of those days, with Rodri setting the tone for an error-strewn opening where neither side looked good enough to win. With the pressure on though, Cherki and City raced through the gears and blew Chelsea away.

By the time Jeremy Doku had stroked home a third after disarray from Robert Sanchez and Moises Caicedo, the delirious City fans were asking Arsenal if they were watching. If Mikel Arteta and his players were, it will have been with gritted teeth and through their fingers; a winning margin of three makes serious inroads on the goal difference front as well, with Arsenal now just leading by three.

This may not be the City team of old but that doesn’t mean they are not dangerous. Needing a big performance to set up a grandstand of a game next week against the Gunners, the Blues delivered it in style.

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Akwa Ibom-born coach, Daniel Japhet, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, guided Atlantic Business FC to their first-ever TCC Cup title after a dramatic final victory over Dino FC.

The final, played at the Remo Stars Stadium, ended 1-1 after normal time before Atlantic Business FC won 3-2 on penalties to lift the trophy.

It was a historic moment for Coach Japhet, who has built a strong reputation in Nigerian football for his focus on player development, attacking football, and close relationship with his squad.

The coach, who has previously worked with clubs such as Cofine FC, Akwa United, Vandrezzer FC and Dakkada FC, has now added a major trophy to his growing coaching profile, further boosting his reputation as one of the most promising young coaches in the country.

FINAL MATCH REPORT

The game started at a fast pace, with Dino FC striking first in the 3rd minute through Timi Destiny, who reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the box.

Atlantic Business FC responded strongly and gradually took control of the game. Their pressure paid off in the 37th minute when Adamu Terungwa dribbled past two defenders before curling in a fine equaliser.

Both teams pushed for a winner in the second half, but neither side could find a breakthrough, sending the match into penalties.

In the shootout, tension ran high as both teams missed crucial kicks. Samuel Obudu and Friday Cornelius missed for Dino FC, while Atlantic Business also had setbacks before holding their nerve in the decisive moments to seal a 3-2 win.

The victory marks a major breakthrough for Coach Daniel Japhet, who has long been praised for his ball-playing philosophy and ability to give young players freedom to express themselves on the pitch.

At Atlantic Business FC, he has steadily built a competitive team and came close to success in previous tournaments before finally securing a maiden trophy.

For Dino FC, it is another painful final defeat in the competition, while Atlantic Business FC celebrate a season to remember with their first TCC Cup triumph.

READ ALSO: Beşiktaş in Talks to Sign Nigerian Teen Donald Godwin

Each week, we track our version of the “Nopedy Nopes” in the Minnesota Vikings’ orbit — the takes that miss, get weird, drift away from reality, or just plain fell flat compared to expectations.

Three fresh Vikings misses hit trade talk, quarterback chatter, and draft noise.

This round focuses on draft chatter, roster battles, and one wild podcast opinion as the regular season sits about five months out.

This Week’s Nopedy Nopes Hit Chicago, Quarterback Talk, and Draft Buzz

The Vikings Nopedy Nopes with the draft 11 days out.

The Nopedy Nope: The Vikings will do trade business with the Bears in Round 1 of the draft.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recommended one trade for each NFL franchise that should consider during the draft, and here’s his proposal for the Vikings:

Barnwell explained, “Ryan Poles has already addressed some of his team’s weaknesses this offseason, but the Bears should still hope to add something meaningful on the edge. Montez Sweat is a very solid starter on one side of the line, but Dayo Odeyingbo is coming off a torn Achilles and didn’t look good in his debut season as a Bears player before the injury.”

“Odeyingbo has no guaranteed money due in 2027, so this trade would be for a rookie who can rotate with him in 2026 before taking over as the starter next year. The Bears have an extra second-round pick after trading DJ Moore to the Bills, which would make this deal easier to stomach in Chicago.”

The trade deal is quite intriguing, all things considered.

“Brzezinski’s Vikings were the league’s third-oldest team on a snap-weighted basis last season, and that was with McCarthy and Max Brosmer taking the majority of the snaps at quarterback. Adofo-Mensah was wildly successful in free agency but struggled badly with his drafts, so the Vikings need to add more young talent to their core,” Barnwell continued.

“Picking up an extra second-round pick would make sense, especially after they made just one top-100 pick a year ago.”

The problem? The Vikings and Bears hardly ever do trade business.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on the likelihood of a Vikings-Bears trade. Interdivisional trading is taboo.

The Nopedy Nope: Kyler Murray will face a real quarterback competition at training camp.

NBC Sports’ Mike Florio opined on the Vikings’ QB setup this week, claiming, “The Vikings currently have four quarterbacks on the roster. There is no starter, for now. Coach Kevin O’Connell explained during a recent visit with PFT Live that, eventually, there will be a clear delineation of positions on the depth chart.”

“It will come down, undoubtedly, to Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy. O’Connell explained that he has no concern about McCarthy becoming disenchanted if he doesn’t win the job.”

Training camp will get underway in about 3.5 months.

Florio added, “The best news for the Vikings is that, however it plays out, they’ll have a solid No. 2 and (if Carson Wentz makes the final 53) a third-stringer who can win games if need be.”

“Last year, Wentz showed up less than two weeks before Week 1, and he played better than anyone could have expected. This year, he’ll be involved throughout the offseason program and training camp.”

Minnesota will claim there’s a quarterback battle in spirit, but it’s window dressing.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on a real Vikings quarterback battle; Murray will win it handily.

The Nopedy Nope: Cam Skattebo says CTE is fake, so that settles that.

In March, Skattebo said CTE was an “excuse” and that all one needs to do to combat asthma is to “breathe.” He later walked back the comments, but Cris Carter opined on the topic this week.

Carter stopped by the Fully Loaded podcast and told the show’s host, “So as far as CTE, the thing that I know is ever since I’ve been in the Hall of Fame, it has hit closer, and it’s hit very, very different because I can see annually guys deteriorate.”

“I can see the greatest athletes in the world psychologically, mentally, and physically succumb to age, dementia, CTE, and some of them have died, and the studies came back immediately with them. I’m going out of my way so that I can be the healthiest version of myself, but I’m terrified. I don’t live life terrified, but I’m terrified of the potential.

About 10 years ago, Carter said on the same topic, “I’ve had teammates who killed themselves: Andre Waters, teammate of mine in Philadelphia. I’ve had good friends of mine: Junior Seau, Dave Duerson. Great men, guys that have done tremendous things in their community. All of a sudden they became violent and took their own lives. So I worry. I worry what my future is. I wonder what’s going to happen to our generation?”

It’s a serious matter for Carter, and rightfully so. To claim otherwise is immature, reckless, and dumb.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on Skattebo turning CTE into a debateable issue. It’s not.

Toni Storm has gone on a sudden hiatus from AEW. Now, a popular star has sent a heartbreaking message.

Mina Shirakawa has been linked to Toni Storm ever since her AEW debut. She first started feuding with the Timeless One. However, the two women have since formed a special bond together. They even participated in the tournament to crown the inaugural Women’s Tag Team Champions. They came close to winning the titles but fell short. Despite this, they continued their tag team partnership. However, recently, Toni was attacked by a mysterious attacker. This was done to write the former Women’s World Champion off TV. During a recent episode of Collision, Mina Shirakawa and Harley Cameron were in a backstage segment. Both women were feeling down since their respective tag teams broke up. Hence, the Japanese star suggested they drink.

Following this segment, Mina Shirakawa took to social media to say that she is all alone after Storm’s hiatus.

“All alone…..”

Check out her tweet here:

Vince Russo commented on Toni Storm’s hiatus

Toni Storm is one of the top stars on the AEW roster. She has also been very entertaining with her Timeless gimmick. This has helped her get over with the fans and resulted in the company pushing her as the Women’s World Champion. Even after losing the Women’s World Title, she continued to be a prominent feature on TV as she continued to feud with Marina Shafir. She was set to compete against Marina Shafir on Dynamite, but she was taken out by a mystery attacker backstage and left in a pool of her own blood. This was done to write her off TV. Following this, it was reported that the Timeless One could be sidelined for the rest of the year.

Speaking on the Coach & Bro Show, Vince Russo compared Toni’s hiatus to a professional athlete getting injured.

“It’s no different than a pro athlete being out for a couple of years with an injury, and I hate that. That is so sad to me, man, especially when you’ve got a talent like Toni Storm. We get cheated. At the end of the day, the fan gets cheated.”

It will be interesting to see when Storm will make her return.