By Han Bing. In the 23rd round of the Chinese Super League, Shenhua defeated Henan 4-1, but the match was still directed by the Chinese coaching team headed by Mao Yijun. The new manager Vladan Milojevic will make his debut on the 18th at home against Guoan. Facing an opponent that has remained unbeaten in their last 10 matches across two competitions, securing a win in his first game will be a tough challenge.

After completing another tough two-game road trip, head coach Muscat led Port back to Shanghai. On the night they defeated Three Towns, he told the players good news: two days off! During this period, the players had been playing continuously and their nerves were tense, so they really needed a break. Of course, Muscat also wanted to relax.

Christos Tzolis has become one of the most talked-about names after Arsenal's 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield. With two assists and an energetic performance, the £34 million new signing shows that the "Gunners" may have discovered a special attacking weapon, rather than worrying too much about the void left by Leandro Trossard.

Cheng Yong reports: In the 23rd round of the Chinese Super League, the initial focus was on the three relegation-threatened teams, all of which lost; then on when Chengdu Rongcheng would break out of their slump, and they came from behind to win. However, ultimately, the referees became the center of attention: from this round onward, the CSL began testing the referee VAR on-site broadcast system. The two test matches for the VAR on-site broadcast system in the 23rd round, aligning with the system, were Wuhan Three Towns vs. Shanghai Port and Zhejiang vs. Chengdu Rongcheng.

Reporter Lu Mi reports: In the 23rd round of the Chinese Super League, as Chengdu Rongcheng came from behind to beat Zhejiang, ending their winless streak, the title suspense has almost vanished. However, the battle for the runner-up spot and AFC Champions League qualification has become increasingly fierce. Tongliang Long held onto second place for most of the first half of the season. Later, Yukun, West Coast, and Yingbo also joined the competition. Now, two traditional giants, Taishan and Guoan, have emerged from their point-deduction difficulties, launched an aggressive point-grabbing mode, and declared their entry into the race for the runner-up.

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe hopes to generate profit by selling academy players in order to catch up with the club's main Premier League rivals. The Red Devils are now placing greater emphasis on nurturing young talent, not only to help them break into the first team but also to sell more youngsters and improve the club's financial situation.

Reporter Wang Wei reports that the 2026 Guangdong Provincial City Football Super League (Yuechao) playoffs' eight-team qualifying round is about to kick off fully. On the eve of the matches, the reporter interviewed the head coaches of three teams competing in the play-offs: Zhaoqing, Yangjiang, and Shanwei.

On August 17, Beijing time, the long-awaited blockbuster football transfer has finally received its official seal. According to the latest report from The Athletic's top journalist David Ornstein (DO), Barcelona and Manchester City have reached a full agreement for the transfer of Spanish midfield linchpin Rodri.

Special Contributor / Liu Zhun The 2026 China League One season is halfway through, and Changchun Yatai remains unremarkable on the standings, far from the image fans hold of the former Chinese Super League stalwart. However, looking back eight months, the team had already staged a dramatic turnaround. Once on the brink of dissolution and just one step away from falling to the China League Two, Changchun Yatai now stands firm in the professional league, playing steadily and recovering step by step.

The 2-4 defeat in the friendly match against AC Milan could turn Manchester United from being a contender for the Premier League title into a true dark horse.