Premier League 2025-26 — Man City routs Chelsea to close gap on leaders Arsenal Manchester City ignited the Premier League title race with a second-half blitz that sealed a 3-0 win against Chelsea as it closed the gap on leader Arsenal on Sunday.Pep Guardiola’s side produced a devastating spell immediately after half-time, with Nico O’Reilly and Marc Guehi scoring in the space of six minutes at Stamford Bridge. Jeremy Doku wrapped up a statement victory to ensure City took advantage of Arsenal’s shock 2-1 home defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday.Second-placed City is now only six points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, setting up a seismic showdown against the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium on April 19.Having beaten Arsenal in the League Cup final and thrashed Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals, City is hitting form at just the right time.Its bid for a seventh English title under Guardiola appeared to be fading after successive draws with strugglers West Ham and Nottingham Forest in their previous two league matches. A disjointed first half against Chelsea suggested City might waste a golden opportunity to pile pressure on Arsenal. Nico O’Reilly (c) continued his goal-scoring form and found the opener for Man City. | Photo Credit: AFP Nico O’Reilly (c) continued his goal-scoring form and found the opener for Man City. | Photo Credit: AFP But Guardiola’s half-time team-talk had the desired effect and City can now target next weekend’s do-or-die visit from Mikel Arteta’s spluttering team.If City wins that blockbuster clash, it will be within three points of Arsenal, which blew substantial leads in the 2023 and 2024 title races, allowing Guardiola’s men to pip them to the trophy.Arteta said the defeat to Bournemouth was a “punch in the face” and City’s success in west London was another body blow for the Spaniard. City has won 29 of its 32 league games in the month of April in recent seasons, underlining its ability to thrive when the title pressure mounts.After winning its first four league matches following Liam Rosenior’s arrival from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca, Chelsea has won just one of its last seven, losing three in a row and faced with some difficult questions.Chelsea, which hasn’t beaten City since the 2021 Champions League final, was again without Enzo Fernandez after Rosenior’s controversial decision to drop the Argentine midfielder for hinting he might leave in the summer.Cherki sparklesSixth-placed Chelsea looked subdued without Fernandez and it trailed four points behind Liverpool in the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top-five finish.Lacking energy and cohesion in a sloppy start, City was fortunate not to fall behind when Marc Cucurella’s clinical finish was disallowed for a tight offside. City also let Pedro Neto in far too easily for a stinging strike that forced Gianluigi Donnarumma to save at his near post. Rayan Cherki set up the goals for Nico O’Reilly and Marc Guehi. | Photo Credit: Reuters Rayan Cherki set up the goals for Nico O’Reilly and Marc Guehi. | Photo Credit: Reuters It took City 35 minutes to mount an incisive raid as Bernardo Silva stretched to meet O’Reilly’s cross, but Robert Sanchez made a fine save from the midfielder’s close-range effort.City stepped up after the interval and O’Reilly made the breakthrough in the 51st minute.Rayan Cherki whipped an in-swinging cross from the right wing towards O’Reilly and the City left-back reprised his League Cup final heroics with another clinical header from close range.Six minutes later, Cherki again showed the creative genius that has won over Guardiola despite some impetuous moments in his first season in Manchester.The France playmaker glided past a gaggle of Chelsea players on the edge of the area before threading a sublime pass to Guehi, who looked more like a forward than a centre-back as he smashed a perfect strike into the far corner from 12 yards.City benefitted from wretched Chelsea defending for its third goal in the 68th minute.Sanchez rolled the ball to Moises Caicedo even though the Chelsea midfielder was surrounded by three City players and Doku pounced, racing into the area to drill home.Published on Apr 12, 2026 #Premier #League #Man #City #routs #Chelsea #close #gap #leaders #Arsenal

In the IPL 2026 game against Delhi Capitals on Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, as Anshul Kamboj ran in to bowl the 18th over from around the wicket, aiming for wide yorkers, it was hard not to think back to Chennai Super Kings’ previous game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where Tim David had taken apart the death overs.

The aftermath of that defeat had triggered comparisons across leagues, pointing to a familiar pattern in the Super Kings setup: a one-dimensional death-overs plan built around wide yorkers from around the wicket, seen across the SA20, MLC and IPL.

The idea is simple. Keep the ball out of the batter’s reach. But it is also a narrow-margin method. Miss even slightly, and the same delivery becomes a scoring option, as RCB showed.

After losing Nathan Ellis in the pre-season, CSK’s approach took shape quickly. Matt Henry and Khaleel Ahmed were tasked with making early inroads, using seam movement and inswing. The middle overs were about control, before returning to wide yorkers at the death, regardless of personnel.

The returns were poor. Henry leaked runs at 13 an over across three games, Noor Ahmed went wicketless till the contest against DC, and the predictability at the death allowed RCB to score over 85 in the last five overs, including a 30-run over off Jamie Overton. Punjab Kings had earlier chased down 200-plus in Chepauk without much resistance.

The game against Delhi, however, hinted at a shift. CSK brought in Akeal Hosein for Henry and handed a debut to the left-armer Gurjapneet Singh.

What went right for CSK’s bowling against DC?

Set 213 after a Sanju Samson hundred, Delhi was off the block in a jiffy, racing to 61 in 4.5 overs.

The first check came through Khaleel, who removed KL Rahul, with Pathum Nissanka following soon after. At 66/2 at the end of the PowerPlay, the chase was still on track.

The expected move was Noor in the seventh over, in line with CSK’s usual pattern. Instead, Ruturaj Gaikwad turned to Gurjapneet, reading the assistance for seam off the red soil surface. The debutant responded immediately, striking with his first ball.

ALSO READ | Phone in IPL dugout — RR manager Bhinder under scrutiny from Anti-Corruption Unit

More than the wicket, it was the method that stood out. Gurjapneet went hard into the pitch, using chest-high, bodyline deliveries to push David Miller onto the back foot. This was not containment. It was an attempt to disrupt.

With two new batters at the crease, Overton followed with a similar approach. Having been expensive earlier while chasing wide yorkers, he shifted back to his strengths, hitting the deck at pace and extracting uncomfortable bounce. Strokeplay became restrictive, and the pressure told. Overton finished with 4/18, breaking the chase open.

At the death, there was also a subtle adjustment. Kamboj ran in with a field set for the wide yorker, but targeted middle stump instead. The line change, combined with the visual cue of the field, forced indecision. Execution, rather than variation alone, made the difference.

This time, the plan held.

Whether this marks a lasting shift is still uncertain. But for the first time this season, CSK’s bowling looked less like a fixed template and more like a set of options.

Published on Apr 12, 2026

#IPL #Wide #yorkers #hard #lengths #CSK #template #solve #deathover #issues">

IPL 2026: Wide yorkers or hard lengths? CSK might have found a template to solve death-over issues In the IPL 2026 game against Delhi Capitals on Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, as Anshul Kamboj ran in to bowl the 18th over from around the wicket, aiming for wide yorkers, it was hard not to think back to Chennai Super Kings’ previous game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where Tim David had taken apart the death overs.The aftermath of that defeat had triggered comparisons across leagues, pointing to a familiar pattern in the Super Kings setup: a one-dimensional death-overs plan built around wide yorkers from around the wicket, seen across the SA20, MLC and IPL.The idea is simple. Keep the ball out of the batter’s reach. But it is also a narrow-margin method. Miss even slightly, and the same delivery becomes a scoring option, as RCB showed.After losing Nathan Ellis in the pre-season, CSK’s approach took shape quickly. Matt Henry and Khaleel Ahmed were tasked with making early inroads, using seam movement and inswing. The middle overs were about control, before returning to wide yorkers at the death, regardless of personnel.The returns were poor. Henry leaked runs at 13 an over across three games, Noor Ahmed went wicketless till the contest against DC, and the predictability at the death allowed RCB to score over 85 in the last five overs, including a 30-run over off Jamie Overton. Punjab Kings had earlier chased down 200-plus in Chepauk without much resistance.The game against Delhi, however, hinted at a shift. CSK brought in Akeal Hosein for Henry and handed a debut to the left-armer Gurjapneet Singh.What went right for CSK’s bowling against DC?Set 213 after a Sanju Samson hundred, Delhi was off the block in a jiffy, racing to 61 in 4.5 overs.The first check came through Khaleel, who removed KL Rahul, with Pathum Nissanka following soon after. At 66/2 at the end of the PowerPlay, the chase was still on track.The expected move was Noor in the seventh over, in line with CSK’s usual pattern. Instead, Ruturaj Gaikwad turned to Gurjapneet, reading the assistance for seam off the red soil surface. The debutant responded immediately, striking with his first ball.ALSO READ | Phone in IPL dugout — RR manager Bhinder under scrutiny from Anti-Corruption UnitMore than the wicket, it was the method that stood out. Gurjapneet went hard into the pitch, using chest-high, bodyline deliveries to push David Miller onto the back foot. This was not containment. It was an attempt to disrupt.With two new batters at the crease, Overton followed with a similar approach. Having been expensive earlier while chasing wide yorkers, he shifted back to his strengths, hitting the deck at pace and extracting uncomfortable bounce. Strokeplay became restrictive, and the pressure told. Overton finished with 4/18, breaking the chase open.At the death, there was also a subtle adjustment. Kamboj ran in with a field set for the wide yorker, but targeted middle stump instead. The line change, combined with the visual cue of the field, forced indecision. Execution, rather than variation alone, made the difference.This time, the plan held.Whether this marks a lasting shift is still uncertain. But for the first time this season, CSK’s bowling looked less like a fixed template and more like a set of options.Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Wide #yorkers #hard #lengths #CSK #template #solve #deathover #issues

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In the IPL 2026 game against Delhi Capitals on Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, as Anshul Kamboj ran in to bowl the 18th over from around the wicket, aiming for wide yorkers, it was hard not to think back to Chennai Super Kings’ previous game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where Tim David had taken apart the death overs.
The aftermath of that defeat had triggered comparisons across leagues, pointing to a familiar pattern in the Super Kings setup: a one-dimensional death-overs plan built around wide yorkers from around the wicket, seen across the SA20, MLC and IPL.
The idea is simple. Keep the ball out of the batter’s reach. But it is also a narrow-margin method. Miss even slightly, and the same delivery becomes a scoring option, as RCB showed.
After losing Nathan Ellis in the pre-season, CSK’s approach took shape quickly. Matt Henry and Khaleel Ahmed were tasked with making early inroads, using seam movement and inswing. The middle overs were about control, before returning to wide yorkers at the death, regardless of personnel.
The returns were poor. Henry leaked runs at 13 an over across three games, Noor Ahmed went wicketless till the contest against DC, and the predictability at the death allowed RCB to score over 85 in the last five overs, including a 30-run over off Jamie Overton. Punjab Kings had earlier chased down 200-plus in Chepauk without much resistance.
The game against Delhi, however, hinted at a shift. CSK brought in Akeal Hosein for Henry and handed a debut to the left-armer Gurjapneet Singh.
What went right for CSK’s bowling against DC?
Set 213 after a Sanju Samson hundred, Delhi was off the block in a jiffy, racing to 61 in 4.5 overs.
The first check came through Khaleel, who removed KL Rahul, with Pathum Nissanka following soon after. At 66/2 at the end of the PowerPlay, the chase was still on track.
The expected move was Noor in the seventh over, in line with CSK’s usual pattern. Instead, Ruturaj Gaikwad turned to Gurjapneet, reading the assistance for seam off the red soil surface. The debutant responded immediately, striking with his first ball.
ALSO READ | Phone in IPL dugout — RR manager Bhinder under scrutiny from Anti-Corruption Unit
More than the wicket, it was the method that stood out. Gurjapneet went hard into the pitch, using chest-high, bodyline deliveries to push David Miller onto the back foot. This was not containment. It was an attempt to disrupt.
With two new batters at the crease, Overton followed with a similar approach. Having been expensive earlier while chasing wide yorkers, he shifted back to his strengths, hitting the deck at pace and extracting uncomfortable bounce. Strokeplay became restrictive, and the pressure told. Overton finished with 4/18, breaking the chase open.
At the death, there was also a subtle adjustment. Kamboj ran in with a field set for the wide yorker, but targeted middle stump instead. The line change, combined with the visual cue of the field, forced indecision. Execution, rather than variation alone, made the difference.
This time, the plan held.
Whether this marks a lasting shift is still uncertain. But for the first time this season, CSK’s bowling looked less like a fixed template and more like a set of options.
Published on Apr 12, 2026

#IPL #Wide #yorkers #hard #lengths #CSK #template #solve #deathover #issues">IPL 2026: Wide yorkers or hard lengths? CSK might have found a template to solve death-over issues

The idea is simple. Keep the ball out of the batter’s reach. But it is also a narrow-margin method. Miss even slightly, and the same delivery becomes a scoring option, as RCB showed.

The game against Delhi, however, hinted at a shift. CSK brought in Akeal Hosein for Henry and handed a debut to the left-armer Gurjapneet Singh.

What went right for CSK’s bowling against DC?

Set 213 after a Sanju Samson hundred, Delhi was off the block in a jiffy, racing to 61 in 4.5 overs.

The first check came through Khaleel, who removed KL Rahul, with Pathum Nissanka following soon after. At 66/2 at the end of the PowerPlay, the chase was still on track.

ALSO READ | Phone in IPL dugout — RR manager Bhinder under scrutiny from Anti-Corruption Unit

This time, the plan held.

Whether this marks a lasting shift is still uncertain. But for the first time this season, CSK’s bowling looked less like a fixed template and more like a set of options.

Published on Apr 12, 2026

#IPL #Wide #yorkers #hard #lengths #CSK #template #solve #deathover #issues

Cherki sparkles

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