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Joe Hart on Man City, Arsenal’s title defence and Chelsea’s hopes

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5 hours ago

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With Pep Guardiola stepping down after a trophy-laden decade in charge, new Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has big shoes to fill at Etihad Stadium, but Hart reckons most of the pressure on the Italian will come “externally”.

Having – briefly – broken the transfer record for an English player to acquire midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m, Maresca looks likely to lose Spain’s World Cup Golden Ball winner Rodri to Barcelona, although Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, is in talks to join from Lille for £85.6m.

And the club still want to bring in Chelsea’s Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

All this against the backdrop of a disappointing 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal in Cardiff on Sunday.

Hart, who won two league titles with City, said: “I think the club isn’t heaping massive expectation on this season. I think they still believe that they’ve got the team and they’ve got the quality to challenge.

“I still feel they’ll want to be pushing on all fronts. But the same sort of pressure, as an organisation, I don’t think will be on this season… I don’t think they’re going to be put under that pressure internally.

“Externally, there’s always going to be the noise. Maresca will come immediately under fire in terms of how people want to jump all over Man City if they do struggle.

“Internally, I think they’re intelligent enough as a business to understand that what’s going on right now is going to be difficult.”

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How to watch Nationals vs. Rangers: TV channel and streaming options for August 18

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4 minutes ago

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August 18, 2026

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The Washington Nationals take a three-game losing streak into a home matchup versus the Texas Rangers, at 8:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Cal Quantrill (4-4, 3.44 ERA) gets the start for the Rangers, who are 61-64 this season and second in the AL West. Jackson Kent (0-0, 6.75 ERA) is expected to start for the Nationals, who are 60-66 and fourth in the NL East.

How to watch Washington Nationals vs. Texas Rangers

Nationals vs. Rangers odds

  • Favorite Moneyline: Rangers -154
  • Underdog Moneyline: Nationals +125
  • Total: 8
  • Total Over Odds: -102
  • Total Under Odds: -128

Injury reports

Rangers

Kyle Higashioka: 10 Day IL (Flexor tendon), Josh Jung: 10 Day IL (Calf), Jose Corniell: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Nathan Eovaldi: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Danny Jansen: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Robert Garcia: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Jack Leiter: 60 Day IL (Ankle), Jalen Beeks: 60 Day IL (Back), Michael Helman: 60 Day IL (Hand), Carter Baumler: 60 Day IL (Ribs), Jacob deGrom: day-to-day (Tricep)

Nationals

James Wood: 10 Day IL (Oblique), Drew Millas: 10 Day IL (Finger), Connelly Early: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Josiah Gray: 60 Day IL (Elbow), DJ Herz: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ken Waldichuk: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Richard Lovelady: 60 Day IL (Tricep), Mitchell Parker: 60 Day IL (Elbow), PJ Poulin: 60 Day IL (Flexor)

Stats to know

  • Texas’ Brandon Nimmo is slashing .271/.337/.436 this season with 13 home runs, 47 RBIs and an OPS of .773. He has a 21.5% strikeout rate and an 8% walk rate in 502 plate appearances, and he has scored 51 total runs. Nimmo has recorded six steals on seven attempts.
  • In 443 plate appearances, Ezequiel Duran has slashed .263/.317/.432 this season. He has hit 13 long balls and driven in 64 runs with a strikeout rate of 23.9% and a walk rate of 7%. He has nine stolen bases on 11 attempts. He has come around to score 55 times.
  • CJ Abrams is hitting for a .278 BA, .354 OBP and .529 SLG with a 23% strikeout rate and an 8.8% walk rate. His OPS is .884, which ranks 10th in MLB, and he has scored 77 runs. In 525 plate appearances, he has hit 29 home runs (9th in MLB) and driven in 91 runs (2nd in MLB). Abrams has recorded 24 steals on 29 attempts.
  • In 512 plate appearances, Daylen Lile has posted an 18.8% strikeout rate and a 5.7% walk rate while slashing .245/.295/.410 with 15 home runs, 65 RBIs and 62 runs scored. He has stolen 12 bases on 17 attempts.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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How to watch Braves vs. Twins: TV channel and streaming options for August 18

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11 minutes ago

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August 18, 2026

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The Atlanta Braves meet the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday at Target Field, at 7:40 p.m. ET. Tyler Mahle (4-9, 4.64 ERA) will start for the Braves, who are 74-51 this season and first in the NL East. Zebby Matthews (6-8, 5.34 ERA) is expected to start for the Twins, who are 61-65 and third in the AL Central.

How to watch Atlanta Braves vs. Minnesota Twins

Braves vs. Twins odds

  • Favorite Moneyline: Braves -139
  • Underdog Moneyline: Twins +115
  • Total: 8.5
  • Total Over Odds: -120
  • Total Under Odds: +100

Injury reports

Braves

Reynaldo López: 15 Day IL (Knee), Robert Suarez: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Spencer Strider: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Spencer Schwellenbach: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Joey Wentz: 60 Day IL (Knee), Joe Jimenez: 60 Day IL (Knee)

Twins

Austin Martin: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Joe Ryan: 15 Day IL (Glute), Pablo Lopez: 60 Day IL (Elbow), David Festa: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Cole Sands: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Mike Paredes: 60 Day IL (Oblique), Anthony Banda: 60 Day IL (Lat), Mick Abel: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Stats to know

  • Matt Olson is hitting for a .264 BA, .341 OBP and .552 SLG with a 25.1% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate. His OPS is .893, which ranks 9th in MLB, and he has scored 88 runs. In 545 plate appearances, he has hit 36 home runs (2nd in MLB) and driven in 77 runs (15th in MLB).
  • In 534 plate appearances, Ozzie Albies has slashed .251/.307/.422 this season. He has hit 20 long balls and driven in 64 runs with a strikeout rate of 14% and a walk rate of 7.1%. He has come around to score 72 times.
  • Minnesota’s Brooks Lee is slashing .243/.299/.421 this season with 18 home runs, 66 RBIs and an OPS of .721. He has a 16.6% strikeout rate and a 6.8% walk rate in 482 plate appearances, and he has scored 54 total runs. Lee has recorded seven steals on 11 attempts.
  • In 491 plate appearances, Josh Bell has posted a 20.8% strikeout rate and an 8.1% walk rate while slashing .256/.318/.424 with 16 home runs, 74 RBIs (18th in MLB) and 62 runs scored.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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How to watch White Sox vs. Cubs: TV channel and streaming options for August 18

Published

18 minutes ago

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August 18, 2026

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The Chicago Cubs are looking for continued power from a hitter on a hot streak versus the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday at 8:05 p.m. ET, at Wrigley Field. Pete Crow-Armstrong is currently on a two-game homer streak. Kevin Gausman (6-11, 4.53 ERA) gets the start for the Cubs, who are 73-53 this season and second in the NL Central. Bryan Hudson (3-4, 3.14 ERA) is expected to start for the White Sox, who are 65-59 and first in the AL Central.

How to watch Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs

White Sox vs. Cubs odds

  • Favorite Moneyline: Cubs -175
  • Underdog Moneyline: White Sox +145
  • Total: 9
  • Total Over Odds: -118
  • Total Under Odds: -102

Injury reports

Cubs

Dansby Swanson: 10 Day IL (Side), Matt Shaw: 10 Day IL (Hand), Hoby Milner: 15 Day IL (Appendicitis), Gavin Hollowell: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Phil Maton: 15 Day IL (Knee), Edward Cabrera: 15 Day IL (Blister), Daniel Palencia: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Riley Martin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Porter Hodge: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Justin Steele: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Shelby Miller: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Hunter Harvey: 60 Day IL (Tricep), Cade Horton: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Christopher Austin: 60 Day IL (Knee), Ben Brown: 60 Day IL (Neck)

White Sox

Joey Bart: 10 Day IL (Hand), Kyle Teel: 10 Day IL (Ankle), Chris Murphy: 15 Day IL (Flexor), Davis Martin: 15 Day IL (Finger), Tanner Murray: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Prelander Berroa: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ky Bush: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Mike Vasil: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Jordan Leasure: 60 Day IL (Flexor), Brooks Baldwin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Drew Thorpe: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Stats to know

  • Crow-Armstrong is hitting for a .281 BA, .379 OBP and .550 SLG with a 27.1% strikeout rate and an 11.8% walk rate. His OPS is .929, which ranks 3rd in MLB, and he has scored 89 runs. In 561 plate appearances, he has hit 30 home runs (7th in MLB) and driven in 78 runs (12th in MLB). Crow-Armstrong has been crafty on the base paths, recording 31 steals on 38 attempts.
  • In 562 plate appearances, Alex Bregman has slashed .255/.347/.407 this season. He has hit 16 long balls and driven in 61 runs with a strikeout rate of 15.7% and a walk rate of 11.2%. He has come around to score 69 times.
  • Miguel Vargas is hitting for a .239 BA, .345 OBP and .489 SLG with an 18% strikeout rate and a 12.8% walk rate. His OPS is .834 and he has scored 84 runs. In 538 plate appearances, he has hit 28 home runs (11th in MLB) and driven in 72 runs. Vargas has recorded 12 steals on 14 attempts.
  • In 502 plate appearances, Chase Meidroth has hit 12 long balls, tallied 49 RBIs and scored 71 runs. He is batting .275/.351/.411 and has posted a 22.9% strikeout rate and a 9.8% walk rate.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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