Oliver Glasner believes Crystal Palace's problems are mental, rather than tactical, as the pressure builds on the Eagles boss ahead of Sunday's London derby versus Tottenham.
Palace are one of four teams yet to win a Premier League match this season – a new record through eight games of a single campaign.
That is despite them winning six of their final seven games of 2023-24, leading some to tip them as surprise candidates for European qualification in pre-season.
Reports have suggested Glasner's position could be under threat if results do not improve before the November international break, but the Austrian is simply focused on giving his players the support they need.
"At the moment we don't score goals, we should score more. Then it's always tough, one mistake and we get punished," Glasner said.
"I think we've all had better times in football, better times in sports. The players tried everything to win the game, but at the moment, we have to be honest, it's not enough.
"Everybody's frustrated, everybody's disappointed. It's our responsibility, especially mine now, to get chins up, the head up of every single player, to support them.
"At the moment I don't think it's a tactical problem, it's a mentality problem. It's a lack of confidence, we can see it, and so this is what we have to change."
Tottenham, meanwhile, have won three of their last four league games after fighting back to beat West Ham 4-1 in another London derby last week.
Ange Postecoglou withdrew James Maddison at half-time in that game, allowing Dejan Kulusevski to thrive in a number 10 role, and he thinks there is more to come from the Swede.
"Deki's been great all year. He obviously feels more comfortable in that area, he's much more involved in the game, which I think is key with Deki," Postecoglou said.
"He wants to be involved and playing on the wing, sometimes he could get a bit frustrated in himself that he wasn't involved.
"I think we can get more goals out of him, more assists. All season, he's been great. I think he's maturing, as well. He's been captain of his country, which gives him even more self-belief. I think there's more to come."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Crystal Palace – Eddie Nketiah
Since scoring a hat-trick against Sheffield United in October 2023 for Arsenal, Palace striker Nketiah has played 804 minutes in the Premier League without finding the net.
He is currently on a run of 30 shots without scoring in the competition, and if the Eagles are to ease the growing pressure on boss Glasner, they may need him to find his shooting boots.
Tottenham – James Maddison
Spurs midfielder Maddison could make his 200th Premier League appearance in this match.
Maddison ranks first in the competition for passes played into the opposition penalty area this season (72), while he has five assists in his last 11 games.
MATCH PREDICTION – TOTTENHAM WIN
Tottenham have won 19 of their 30 Premier League games against Palace (seven draws, four losses), their highest win rate against any fellow London side in the competition's history (63%).
They will be confident of another victory here. Postecoglou's side have won three of their last four Premier League matches (one defeat), as many as they had in their previous 11 games (three wins, one draw, seven losses).
One could argue their performances have warranted more points this season, too. Spurs are second only to Manchester City for shots (145), shots on target (55), touches in the opposition box (355) and successful opposition half passes (2,069) in the Premier League.
Tottenham also rank top for passes played into the opponent penalty area (306) and expected goals (16.95 xG).
Palace, meanwhile, won five of their first seven home leagues matches under Glasner (one draw, one defeat), scoring 22 goals, but have since gone four without victory at Selhurst Park (two draws, two defeats), failing to net in three of those games.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Crystal Palace – 25.9%
Tottenham – 50.1%
Draw – 24%
Anthony Edwards sank two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining and the Minnesota Timberwolves spoiled Sacramento’s opener by beating the Kings 117-115 on Thursday night.
Edwards was fouled by Domantas Sabonis on a drive with the game tied and calmly hit the free throws to give him 32 points.
Keegan Murray's 3-point attempt rimmed out at the buzzer for the Kings.
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 33 points in his second game after being acquired in a trade from New York this month.
Demar DeRozan scored 26 points to lead the Kings in his debut for Sacramento after being acquired this summer in a sign-and-trade from Chicago. Sabonis added 24 points and Murray had 23.
Edwards and Naz Reid hit back-to-back 3-pointers that started an 11-0 run for Minnesota that turned a five-point deficit into a 105-99 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
After going 13 for 41 from 3 in the opener, Minnesota shot 20 for 50 from long range against Sacramento. The 91 attempted 3s are the most ever for the Timberwolves in the first two games of a season.
Holmgren’s all-around performance powers Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, Chet Holmgren added 25 as part of a stellar all-around game and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 102-87 in the season opener for both teams.
Holmgren proved to be a handful at both ends of the floor. He tied a career high with 14 rebounds and had five assists and blocked four shots. Reserve Aaron Wiggins added 15 points.
It was an important divisional game right out of the gate. The Thunder and Nuggets both finished 57-25 last season, with the Thunder earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by virtue of a tiebreaker.
Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokić had 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his 131st triple-double.
Jokic's point guard partner, Jamal Murray, had 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting. Christian Braun added 16 points, while Aaron Gordon, fresh off signing a new contract extension, added 12 points. Denver missed 32 of 39 3-pointers.
New addition Russell Westbrook was held to six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Doncic, Thompson pace Mavericks
Luka Dončić had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Klay Thompson added 22 points in his Dallas debut and the Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-109 in the opener for both teams Thursday night.
Kyrie Irving had 15 points for the defending Western Conference champions, who got eight assists from Doncic and seven rebounds from Thompson.
Thompson set a franchise record in a debut with six 3-pointers.
He scored 14 points after halftime and was 4 of 5 from long range, as Dallas went 13 of 21 from deep after making just 6 of 23 in the first half. The five-time All-Star and four-time champ with the Warriors also had seven rebounds and three steals.
Victor Wembanyama shot just 5 of 18 from the field for 17 points to open the young French phenom's second year with the Spurs. Jeremy Sochan and Julian Champagnie scored 18 apiece.
Chris Paul had three points on 1-of-6 shooting to go with eight assists and seven rebounds in his Spurs debut.
Anthony Edwards sank two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining and the Minnesota Timberwolves spoiled Sacramento's opener by beating the Kings 117-115 on Thursday night.
Edwards was fouled by Domantas Sabonis on a drive with the game tied and calmly hit the free throws to give him 32 points.
Keegan Murray's 3-point attempt rimmed out at the buzzer for the Kings.
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 33 points in his second game after being acquired in a trade from New York this month.
Demar DeRozan scored 26 points to lead the Kings in his debut for Sacramento after being acquired this summer in a sign-and-trade from Chicago. Sabonis added 24 points and Murray had 23.
Edwards and Naz Reid hit back-to-back 3-pointers that started an 11-0 run for Minnesota that turned a five-point deficit into a 105-99 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
After going 13 for 41 from 3 in the opener, Minnesota shot 20 for 50 from long range against Sacramento. The 91 attempted 3s are the most ever for the Timberwolves in the first two games of a season.
Holmgren's all-around performance powers Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, Chet Holmgren added 25 as part of a stellar all-around game and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 102-87 in the season opener for both teams.
Holmgren proved to be a handful at both ends of the floor. He tied a career-high with 14 rebounds and had five assists and blocked four shots. Reserve Aaron Wiggins added 15 points.
It was an important divisional game right out of the gate. The Thunder and Nuggets both finished 57-25 last season, with the Thunder earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by virtue of a tiebreaker.
Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his 131st triple-double.
Jokic's point guard partner, Jamal Murray, had 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting. Christian Braun added 16 points, while Aaron Gordon, fresh off signing a new contract extension, added 12 points. Denver missed 32 of 39 3-pointers.
New addition Russell Westbrook was held to six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Doncic, Thompson pace Mavericks
Luka Doncic had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Klay Thompson added 22 points in his Dallas debut and the Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-109 in the opener for both teams on Thursday night.
Kyrie Irving had 15 points for the defending Western Conference champions, who got eight assists from Doncic and seven rebounds from Thompson.
Thompson set a franchise record in a debut with six 3-pointers.
He scored 14 points after halftime and was 4 of 5 from long range, as Dallas went 13 of 21 from deep after making just 6 of 23 in the first half. The five-time All-Star and four-time champ with the Warriors also had seven rebounds and three steals.
Victor Wembanyama shot just 5 of 18 from the field for 17 points to open the young French phenom's second year with the Spurs. Jeremy Sochan and Julian Champagnie scored 18 apiece.
Chris Paul had three points on 1-of-6 shooting to go with eight assists and seven rebounds in his Spurs debut.
Cooper Kupp caught a touchdown pass and Puka Nacua had 106 yards receiving in their returns from lengthy injury absences, and Matthew Stafford passed for 279 yards and four TDs in the Los Angeles Rams ' 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.
Demarcus Robinson caught two TD passes from Stafford as the Rams (3-4) won back-to-back games for the first time this season with 386 yards from an offence that looked exponentially more dangerous with its top two receivers back in uniform.
After missing the previous five games, Nacua had seven catches while posting the eighth 100-yard game of his short career. Kupp returned from a four-game absence with five catches for 51 yards, including a 27-yard grab for a key first down late in the fourth quarter.
Kyren Williams rushed for 97 yards and caught an early TD pass for the Rams. Robinson caught a 25-yard TD pass late in the third quarter to put Los Angeles ahead, and he caught a 10-yard TD throw with 6:17 to play for a 28-20 lead.
Sam Darnold passed for 240 yards for the Vikings (5-2), who followed up their first loss of the season with an ineffective defensive performance.
Justin Jefferson had eight receptions for 115 yards, while Josh Oliver and Trent Sherfield caught TD passes from Darnold. Minnesota was held to two field goals in the final three quarters.
Eddie Howe admits to being concerned about Newcastle United's attacking shortcomings as they prepare to visit Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.
After taking 10 points from their first four games of the campaign, Newcastle have since failed to win any of their last four, drawing two and losing two.
They were beaten 1-0 by Brighton and Hove Albion last time out, a game in which they fired off 21 shots worth 2.02 expected goals (xG), but only hit the target six times.
The Magpies have now gone over a month without scoring from open play since a 3-1 defeat to Fulham in September, failing to net in their last two matches.
"We are going through that spell where we are not scoring. That is always a difficult period for any team," Howe said as he looked ahead to Sunday's trip to Stamford Bridge.
"The positive is we have been creating chances. We had the moments and maybe in previous games we haven't had those opportunities.
"I always believe if you continue to create you will get your rewards. I think that is what we have to work towards.
"We can't feel sorry for ourselves. We have to get on with it on the training ground and focus on those big games."
Chelsea, meanwhile, suffered just their second Premier League defeat under Enzo Maresca last week, going down 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield.
Their last three league defeats have come against last season's top three sides (also 0-5 versus Arsenal in April, 0-2 against Manchester City in August). The Blues are unbeaten in 19 games against all other teams (13 wins, six draws), scoring 54 goals across these matches.
Maresca received a double boost despite the result at Anfield, as Reece James and Romeo Lavia returned from injury lay-offs, and the Italian was delighted to see them back in action.
"I am very pleased," he said of the duo. "I am very happy for Reece, for Romeo, for both of them. Hopefully they can stay fit.
"There were many positives, probably the only thing which wasn't positive was the result."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chelsea – Nicolas Jackson
Jackson has been involved in 13 goals in his last 13 Premier League appearances (nine goals, four assists). He also netted the opener in a 3-2 win over Newcastle back in March.
Newcastle United – Harvey Barnes
Barnes has been involved in four goals in his last five away Premier League appearances (three goals, one assist), scoring in his last two games in London against Brentford and Fulham.
The only two Magpies players to score in three in a row in the capital are Peter Beardsley in 1994 and Callum Wilson in 2020.
MATCH PREDICTION – CHELSEA WIN
Newcastle have won two of their last four Premier League games against Chelsea (one draw, one defeat), as many as they had in their previous 13 (one draw, 10 losses).
They have a poor record at Stamford Bridge, though, where Chelsea have only lost one of their 29 Premier League matches against Newcastle (21 wins, seven draws) – a 2-0 defeat in May 2012 memorable for Papiss Cisse's stunning volley.
Howe has won two of his Premier League games against Chelsea in charge of Newcastle – only Alan Pardew (four) has beaten the Blues more in the competition with the Magpies.
Howe also beat the Blues four times while with Bournemouth, meaning he could become just the third manager to win three Premier League games against them with two different clubs, after Kenny Dalglish (Blackburn/Liverpool) and David Moyes (Everton/West Ham).
However, since enjoying an eight-game unbeaten run in London in the Premier League between October 2022 and October 2023, Newcastle have lost five of their last seven games in the capital (two wins), so they approach Sunday's contest as outsiders.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chelsea – 51.2%
Newcastle United – 25.8%
Draw – 23.1%
Antonio Conte is anticipating an emotional occasion when his Napoli side meet his former club Lecce on Saturday, but he knows the Serie A leaders have a job to do.
Conte started out in the youth ranks at Lecce in 1985 and made his debut the following year, before going on to become a household name as a midfielder with Juventus and Italy.
Napoli, who went through three coaches and finished 10th last season, have taken 19 points from his first eight matches at the helm to lead the Scudetto race at this early stage.
While Conte is looking forward to his reunion with Lecce, his primary focus is on keeping the Partenopei's strong run going.
"There are feelings, but there is also professionalism as well. You have to separate those things," Conte said on Thursday.
"Lecce represents my origins, the dusty pitches, my father's team, where I grew up and went through the ranks up to Serie A.
"It's always held a special place in my heart. Nobody will take that away from me, but there's still an opponent to take on."
Discussing the options in his squad, the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss added: "I make choices based on what I see, maybe certain things that aren't always seen by everyone else, even if you seem to know at least 85% of what goes on. I try to put the best team out in the formation that I think suits us best.
"It's an important game against Lecce if we want to continue getting results. I still have tomorrow to make the final decisions and draw up my starting XI."
Napoli are yet to field star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and close-season signing David Neres in the same lineup, but Conte feels the pair can play together in the right scenario.
"It's important to remember that when you play against a team that blocks off five channels, there's a need to drop a winger into midfield, like [Matteo] Politano, or drop a midfielder deeper to create a five like other teams do," Conte said.
"We could also play [Stanislav] Lobotka or [Billy] Gilmour deeper so that there's not a numerical inferiority.
"If teams don't line up against us like that, then there's a possibility of seeing Kvara and Neres together, but balance is the basis of everything."
Jose Mourinho sarcastically branded referee Clement Turpin "one of the best in the world", following his dismissal during Fenerbahce's draw with former club Manchester United.
The Turkish side earned a share of the spoils in Istanbul, where Youssef En-Nesyri was on target in the second half to cancel out Christian Eriksen's earlier effort.
Although, it could have been more for the hosts, who saw a penalty appeal waved away after Manuel Ugarte collided with Bright Osayi-Samuel.
Mourinho was sent to the stands for his furious reaction to the challenge, and the former United boss lifted the lid on his interaction with French official Turpin later in the referee's room.
"I watched the incident back, and I don't want to speak about it," he told TNT Sports.
"He told me something incredible. He told me that at the same time, he saw the action in the box and my behaviour. I congratulate him, it's incredible - his peripheral vision!
"He had one eye on the penalty situation and one eye on my behaviour on the bench – that's why he's one of the best referees in the world!"
Nevertheless, Mourinho was full of praise for his players following their performance, after they took their points tally to five after the opening three matchdays.
"They got a point against us, not us against them," he added. "We played amazingly. I told the players: 'if we play like this in the Turkish league, we will destroy every single team'.
"The Premier League has more quality, more intensity, more pace, more everything.
"In England, you'll probably talk about one or two players from United who didn't play. You don't know how many of our players didn't play, we had injuries. We had to solve an amazing puzzle.
"My boys played an amazing match. We had a phenomenal performance. My goalkeeper didn't make a save."
Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president, Christopher Samuda, has expressed understanding and empathy toward the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) as they face the challenge of hosting a scaled-down version of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
With the event, traditionally a grand celebration of sport, culture, and unity, being reduced in size due to economic pressures, Samuda acknowledges the difficulties facing the CGF while also stressing the need to find ways to address the impact this decision will have on several sports that have been cut from the programme.
Diving, rugby, squash, badminton, table tennis, hockey, triathlon, and cricket are among the sports that will not feature in the 2026 edition.
The CGF initially struggled to find a host after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year, before Glasgow, known for its rich sporting history as a host city—including hosting the 2014 edition of the game—stepped in to save the 2026 Games. However, this comes with the reality of hosting a more compact edition than previous iterations.
For Samuda, the situation is an unfortunate but understandable outcome in a global landscape.
“The circumstances in which the Commonwealth Games Federation unavoidably found itself inevitably led to a scaled-down edition of the games. I regret the exclusion of badminton, table tennis, squash, and hockey; for those sports, the Jamaica Olympic Association has earmarked for real transitioning. The CGF’s decision was clearly influenced by commercial factors and the economy of a diminished sporting agenda, for at the end of the day, the games must be viable to ensure sustainability,” Samuda said.
However, Samuda also noted that the decision to reduce the scope of the Games, which will see several sports omitted from the 2026 programme, raises important questions about the future of those disciplines within the Commonwealth sporting family.
He argued that the CGF must find ways to compensate the sports that have been excluded, as they are integral to the diversity and spirit of the Commonwealth Games.
“Going forward, however, the CGF has to develop a strategy that will compensate those sports that are being excluded so as not to lose the interest and confidence of their international federations, commercial partners, and most importantly, the players and athletes for whom sports exist,” he reasoned.
Despite the current challenges, Samuda remains optimistic about the future of the Commonwealth Games and the role it plays in uniting nations through sport. He sees the 2026 edition in Glasgow as an opportunity to innovate and adapt, ensuring that the Games remain relevant in a changing world.
The Games will feature a 10-sport programme across four venues within an eight-mile corridor, with more than 500,000 tickets made available for spectators.
Athletics and swimming are included as compulsory sports for 2026, while there will also be track cycling, gymnastics, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls, and 3x3 basketball.
“It is critical that the next games, while being an economic reinvention, should retain that unique traditional value that has given many sports and invaluable space on the Commonwealth sporting agenda and which have made it competitive as a sporting and commercial product amidst growing competition for the partnership dollar and public viewership and appeal,” Samuda said.
James Maddison compared Tottenham team-mate Mikey Moore to Neymar, following the 17-year-old's "fearless" display during the victory over AZ.
The academy graduate made only his second senior start for Spurs, who edged out their Eredivisie opponents 1-0 to maintain their perfect start in this season's Europa League.
Moore played 88 minutes and produced an impressive performance, with only Maddison registering more touches in the opposition box (12 to six), passes in the final third (27 to 25) and dribbles (five to four) among Spurs players.
The winger also went close to breaking the deadlock with his fifth-minute header going wide, but his display was enough for Maddison to make a notable comparison.
"I thought we had Neymar on the left wing!" the England midfielder told TNT Sports. "He is fearless, [he has] that young, fearless mentality.
"He's a brilliant lad, he has bags of ability. I will, hopefully, help him with wise words, but he has all the ability, and well done to him."
Richarlison settled the contest with his 53rd-minute penalty, but only after winning a battle of wills with Maddison, as both players briefly discussed who would take the spot kick.
Maddison, who skippered a much-changed Tottenham, eventually presented his team-mate with the ball, with the Brazilian marking his first start of the season by getting on the scoresheet.
"Initially, we both wanted to take it," Maddison explained. "I'm a senior player, I was captain today, I was going to take it, but I thought Richarlison has come back from an injury. It's difficult for a striker - a first goal gives confidence.
"It was a split-second decision to let him take it. [It's] leadership. Even if I wasn't the captain, I still like to think I would make a decision that is best for the team. Hopefully, that gives him a big boost."
Vaclav Cerny shone as Rangers cruised to a commanding 4-0 victory over FCSB in the Europa League on Thursday.
The Czech winger scored twice and provided an assist for Tom Lawrence, while Hamza Igamane was also on target during a dominant performance by the hosts at Ibrox.
Nicolas Raskin had already had a long-range effort pushed away when Rangers broke through in the 10th minute. Cerny drove down the right flank and cut the ball back for Lawrence, whose first-time shot bounced in beyond FCSB goalkeeper Stefan Tarnovanu.
Cerny doubled the lead just after the half-hour mark, pouncing on loose possession by the visitors before bending into the bottom-left corner from 20 yards out.
The Czech grabbed his second in the 55th minute. A lovely exchange of passes released him, and he ran half the length of the pitch unchallenged before cutting inside and slotting home.
Igamane put the icing on the cake 18 minutes from time. Connor Barron robbed FCSB of possession and found the substitute, who drilled into the bottom-right corner.
Data Debrief: Cerny matches Morelos as Rangers claim biggest Europa victory
Cerny became only the second Rangers player to be directly involved in three or more goals during a single Europa League match, after Alfredo Morelos against Royal Antwerp in February 2021.
Registering 23 shots - their highest total in a single Europa League game - the hosts claimed their first European victory by four or more goals since beating Hapoel Tel Aviv 4-0 in the UEFA Cup in February 2007. It was also their biggest Europa League win since the competition's rebrand in 2009-10.
As for FCSB, they have now lost each of their last eight European matches against British opposition by a combined scoreline of 24-2, conceding three or more times in six of those eight games.
Manchester United were held to a third straight Europa League stalemate, as they squandered a 1-0 lead to draw 1-1 with Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in Istanbul.
After being held by both Twente and Porto, United travelled to Turkiye requiring a win to ease the mounting pressure on boss Erik ten Hag.
However, they were unable to hold on after Christian Eriksen gave them an early lead, with Youssef En-Nesyri heading a second-half equaliser to lift Fenerbahce to five points from three Europa League matches.
Fielding a strong lineup, United went on the front foot early on and were rewarded after 15 minutes, Eriksen firing home after being fed by Joshua Zirkzee on the edge of the area.
Marcus Rashford went close to doubling United's lead after cutting in from the left-hand side, but the Red Devils were indebted to Andre Onana for preserving their lead in the 39th minute.
Onana got down to his right to claw En-Nesyri's header away, then sprung to his feet to tip the Moroccan's second effort away in an incredible double-save.
En-Nesyri was not to be denied four minutes after half-time, though, getting between Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez to direct Allan Saint-Maximin's cross past Onana.
Fenerbahce wanted a penalty when Manuel Ugarte collided with Bright Osayi-Samuel, with Mourinho sent to the stands for his furious reaction to the challenge, but they largely failed to trouble United's goal after drawing level.
The visitors were also unable to find a winner, Rashford missing their clearest chance when he could only prod Diogo Dalot's inviting cutback wide.
Data Debrief: Six of the worst for United
United have now gone six games without victory in European competitions, drawing four and losing two, their longest such run since an identical streak between 1980 and 1983.
They have won just one of their last 11 matches in Europe overall and are now without a win in their last three trips to Fenerbahce, losing two and drawing one.
There was to be no statement victory for Mourinho, either. He has only won two of his last 18 matches against teams he has previously managed, drawing five and losing 11.
Richarlison's penalty extended Tottenham's 100% start to their Europa League campaign, as they edged out 10-man AZ 1-0.
The Brazilian marked his first start of the season with the only goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as his second-half spot kick made it three wins from three for the hosts in this competition.
Ange Postecoglou's side created the better opportunities in the first half. Mikey Moore headed wide from a Timo Werner cross, while the German shot straight at AZ goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro.
At the other end, Fraser Forster produced a superb reflex save to push away Alexandre Penetra's header.
Spurs broke through within eight minutes of the restart, though, Richarlison calmly converting from 12 yards after Maxim Dekker tripped Lucas Bergvall in the box.
Rodrigo Bentancur made a timely block to prevent a potentially swift equaliser from Ernest Poku, but that was as close as it came for the visitors, who had David Moller Wolfe sent off for a second bookable offence when he felled Brennan Johnson five minutes from time.
Data Debrief: More home comforts for Spurs
Tottenham maintained their hugely impressive record on home soil in the Europa League. They have now won all seven such matches, while scoring 19 goals without reply.
As for AZ, their miserable travels to England continue. They have now lost all nine of their away matches against English opponents in all competitions.
Any hopes they had of ending that dismal streak were extinguished when Moller Wolfe was dismissed for the second match running.
Following an internal investigation by Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), significant gaps in training have been identified, leading to stewarding practices at Caymanas Park falling short of international standards. As a result, SVREL Executive Chairman Solomon Sharpe has called for urgent intervention from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to address these issues and ensure the future integrity of horse racing in Jamaica.
The investigation was prompted after the Heroes’ Day race meet at Caymanas Park was abandoned on Monday, October 21, 2024. A group of punters reacted violently to the stewards’ decision in Race 2, leading to the event’s cancellation for safety reasons. Sharpe stressed that the current state of officiating is not up to par for a racing jurisdiction aspiring to world-class status.
“Our internal investigation has identified significant training gaps that have resulted in local stewarding practices falling short of international standards,” Sharpe said. He explained that while SVREL provides the facilities for racing, the stewards' oversight falls under the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), a government-appointed body. Sharpe believes this disparity between local and international standards must be addressed immediately.
In his statement, Sharpe emphasized that improving stewarding standards is critical for the growth of horse racing in Jamaica. He called for the implementation of mandatory certification programs for stewards, ensuring that they are properly trained to handle the complexities of modern racing. He also advocated for regular assessments and retraining of officials to maintain a high level of competence and consistency in their decision-making.
Sharpe further stressed the need for clear accountability frameworks to be established, so that all decisions made by stewards are transparent and based on consistent, well-defined criteria. This, he believes, would help avoid situations like the one on Heroes’ Day, where the lack of clarity led to confusion and frustration among punters. Moreover, Sharpe called for the introduction of an independent appeals mechanism that would allow for the review of stewarding decisions, ensuring fairness and trust in the system.
Sharpe explained that these reforms are essential to creating a level playing field and restoring confidence in the integrity of horse racing at Caymanas Park. He expressed frustration that despite previous discussions with the JRC about the need for improved officiating, little progress has been made.
The incident on Heroes’ Day, which caused significant financial losses estimated at over JMD$70 million, underscored the importance of addressing these issues urgently. While Sharpe acknowledged the passion of racing fans, he firmly condemned the violent behaviour that followed the stewards' decision, stating that it endangered lives and tarnished the reputation of the sport. "While we value our patrons' enthusiasm, any expression of discontent must remain within acceptable bounds of sporting behaviour,” he asserted.
Sharpe also expressed disappointment with the lack of response from industry stakeholders following the incident. He pointed out that many who are typically vocal about SVREL’s operations have remained silent on this serious breach of sporting conduct. He called on all stakeholders to take equal responsibility for the sport’s integrity and to advocate for improvements in officiating and the overall management of races.
“The growth and sustainability of horse racing in Jamaica require more than just infrastructure investment and promotional efforts,” Sharpe said. “It demands the consistent application of international best practices across all aspects of racing.”
SVREL remains committed to modernizing Caymanas Park and advancing Jamaican horse racing. However, Sharpe made it clear that this vision can only be achieved through collective responsibility, with all stakeholders playing an active role in improving the industry’s standards and holding each other accountable.
“The time has come for all stakeholders to demonstrate their commitment to the industry's growth not merely through words, but through actions, consistent engagement, and a willingness to address difficult issues head-on,” Sharpe concluded.
Jamie Smith says England are "pretty pleased with the position we are in", after the tourists recovered from a tricky spell on day one of their final Test with Pakistan.
England made a strong start with an opening partnership of 56 from Zak Crawley (29) and Ben Duckett (52), but wickets began to tumble as they slumped to 118-6.
Sajid Khan (6-128) did most of the damage for the hosts, but Smith settled things down with a solid knock of 89 before the visitors were dismissed for 267.
Shoaib Bashir, Jack Leach and Guy Atkinson then stalled Pakistan's momentum at the crease, as they finished the day 194 runs adrift at 73-3.
Smith hit seven sixes on the way to his first Test half-century outside of England, and was pleased with the way he and his team-mates responded to their setback.
"It's nice to do it away from home," he said. "You want to be known as someone who can do it in all conditions. It's nice to score runs wherever.
"We are pretty pleased with the position we are in. We are happy to put runs on the board. It is a decent score, especially from the position we were in.
"When they're on top, they definitely try and let you know that and put you under as much pressure as possible. So, it's nice to revert that onto them and put them under some pressure."
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