Cyril Ngonge scored twice in an electrifying performance, as Napoli breezed into the Coppa Italia last 16 with a crushing 5-0 win over Serie B Palermo on Thursday.

Ngonge struck first in the seventh minute with a left-footed drive that bounced in front of Salvatore Sirigu before squirming under his body into the net, leaving the goalkeeper shaking his head in disbelief.

Sirigu was at fault again five minutes later when Ngonge lashed another left-footer from a difficult angle, the ball flying across the face of the goal before nestling in the side netting to make it 2-0.

Palermo gave the hosts a scare as Matteo Brunori struck the post 29 minutes in, but Napoli were too big, too strong and too quick for their second-tier visitors, with Juan Jesus nodding home from a corner to make it 3-0 just before the break.

The visitors' hopes of a comeback were shattered when they were reduced to 10 men just before the hour mark. Aljosa Vasic was given a straight red card for dangerous play after catching Billy Gilmour in the face.

David Neres slotted home the fourth in the 70th minute, pressing to help win the ball back before coolly knocking into the net.

Scott McTominay then came off the bench to score with his first touch, rifling home a pass from fellow substitute Romelu Lukaku seven minutes later to complete the rout.

Data Debrief: A perfect performance

Conte's first game in charge was in the first round of this competition, and the Partenopei edged their way through with a penalty shootout win over Modena.

It was a totally different performance this time around though. They had 16 shots, seven of which were on target, accumulating just 1.55 expected goals. 

Ngonge's part was perhaps the most impressive - he scored with both of his shots, with those chances equalling just 0.09 xG, though he just could not snatch a hat-trick in the second half to round off a brilliant game. 

A late Julian Alvarez goal earned Atletico Madrid a dramatic 1-0 win at Celta Vigo on Thursday to lift them to third in LaLiga.

Atletico looked to be heading to a second straight draw, but the substitute was alert in the final minute of the 90 to ensure they returned to Madrid with all three points.

Goalkeeper Jan Oblak was key as Celta suffered their first home defeat of the season, producing an excellent save to deny Iago Aspas at his near post just before the break.

He kept his side in it throughout a poor showing, also keeping out Borja Iglesias twice after the break as Celta struggled to find their clinical edge.

But big-money signing Alvarez struck in the dying minutes, stretching out a leg to meet Antonie Griezmann's pinpoint cross to poke his second goal of the season past Vicente Guaita.

Data Debrief: Atleti ride their luck

It was not a vintage performance for Atletico by any stretch of the imagination, which was only confirmed as Oblak was awarded player of the match at the end of the contest.

The visitors only had two shots on target (from eight attempts), with both of those coming in the final 11 minutes as they accumulated just 0.63 expected goals.

Celta's profligacy came back to haunt them though as they had 10 shots, four of which hit the target, with three of those classed as big chances. They created an xG of 1.37, but just could not find a way past Oblak.

Sean Dyche hopes Everton's impending takeover will help bring "stability" and "clear up the noise" surrounding Goodison Park.

The Friedkin Group, who also own Serie A side Roma, reached an agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri's majority stake in the Toffees earlier this week.

The takeover is subject to approval from the Premier League and if the group passes the Owners' and Directors' Test, though it could reportedly be completed in the next eight to 12 weeks.

And Dyche believes the move will provide a timely lift for Everton, who have collected just one point from their opening five Premier League matches this season.

"It looks like a stronger situation than the past," he told reporters ahead of Saturday's showdown with Crystal Palace.

"There is a long way to go to get everything to a final point, but the early signs look favourable in the situation. We will have to wait and see.

“Openly speaking, [the takeover will bring] more stability. It has been on unsettled ground for such a long time now, with varying situations and various opinions.

"It will clear up the noise that surrounds Everton Football Club."

Dyche, who is into the final year of his contract at Goodison Park, expects to meet with the Friedkin Group "at some point" for discussions surrounding his future, which is reportedly uncertain given the Toffees' poor form.

When asked about his future, he told reporters: "It is not really relevant. I was brought here as a custodian and to do a specific job and I continue to work hard at that.

"We have to change the results, but the workload here has been considerable.

"I don’t know what their strategy is, what their belief is and the culture they want to make at Everton Football Club. They might be looking at the history or the future. I will have to wait and see."

Coco Gauff says her main focus is on improving her serve after adding Matt Daly to her coaching team ahead of the China Open.

Daly, who has previously coached former Wimbledon semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov, has linked up with Gauff and her long-term mentor Jean-Christophe Faurel, following her split with Brad Gilbert earlier this month.

The world number six is gearing up for her first tournament since her US Open title defence ended at the hands of Emma Navarro in round four at Flushing Meadows.

Gauff, who hit 19 double-faults during that defeat, has failed to progress beyond the last 16 in any of her last five events, having previously reached three successive semi-finals at the Italian Open, French Open and Berlin Open.

But the 20-year-old is looking forward to a fresh start, and is already seeing the benefits of her work with Daly, ahead of facing Clara Burel in Beijing on Friday.

"There are other parts of my game that I want to work on, too, but the focus right now is the serve," she told the WTA Insider.

"When I serve well, I play pretty well. For me, that's the basis for my game. Already, the little bit we've done has made a drastic improvement to where I was three weeks ago.

"At this point, there's not a crazy amount, like going through a technique change or resetting everything. It's just subtle things that, doing it for a week now, will help me.

"I'm super excited about a new change and, hopefully, to improve other parts of my game. 

"Working with Brad was really great and, obviously, we had a great partnership. It was just time to do a reset, a refresh and add some things in my game that I felt like I need to do to have a better season next year."

Rangers kicked off their Europa League campaign with an excellent 2-0 victory at Malmo on Thursday.

Nedim Bajrami opened the scoring after just 56 seconds at Eleda Stadion, and though Malmo carved out a couple of good opportunities, Rangers delivered a controlled display to get three points on the board.

Anders Christiansen squandered Malmo's best chance to restore parity early in the second half, slicing high from the centre of the area.

His miss summed up Malmo's night in front of goal, as they failed to direct a single shot on target.

Malmo were made to pay for their profligacy when Ross McCausland took it down on the edge of their box and drilled home a fine finish to send the travelling Rangers support into raptures.

Data Debrief: Seven heaven

At the seventh time of asking, Rangers claimed their first win over Swedish opposition in European competition, while Malmo are now winless in 15 games in a major continental tournament, losing 14 of those, including each of the last eight.

Rangers accumulated 2.5 expected goals and created five big chances, and Philippe Clement will be thrilled with how his side controlled much of the encounter despite handing possession over to Malmo.

Bajrami's strike got the ball rolling. It was the first time Rangers scored in the opening minute of a major European match since October 1998, courtesy of Gennaro Gattuso against Beitar Jerusalem in the UEFA Cup.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be open to returning to Manchester United as manager, admitting he "would say yes every day of the week" if the possibility arose.

Solskjaer was dismissed by the Red Devils in November 2021 after just under three years in charge at Old Trafford.

The Norwegian, who initially replaced Jose Mourinho on an interim basis in December 2018, led United to a second-place Premier League finish in the 2020-21 season, but a run of six defeats in 11 matches culminated in his departure.

Erik ten Hag - the man who permanently succeeded him at Old Trafford - has come under increasing pressure following a difficult start to this term, which has brought just three wins from the Red Devils' opening eight games.

And Solskjaer, who has worked as a technical observer for UEFA since leaving the club, refused to rule out a second stint in charge if called upon.

"If the family [United] asks, I would say yes every day of the week," he said during a Q&A at the Oslo Business Forum.

"It feels wrong to talk about jobs that other people have now, but I would say yes, of course."

With Norway coach Stale Solbakken expected to step down at the end of their 2026 World Cup campaign, Solskjaer admitted he would also be tempted by the opportunity to take charge of his nation.

"I am a proud Norwegian," he added. "Of course, if the question arises - when Stale decides to give up - I will happily engage in discussions."

Daniel Ricciardo will leave RB with Liam Lawson replacing him for the remainder of the Formula One season.

Speculation surrounding Ricciardo's future has been confirmed as the Australian's second F1 stint was brought to an end after he lost his seat at RB.

Ricciardo is 14th in the drivers' championship standings, while he recorded the fastest lap during last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix - the 258th and final race of his F1 career.

The 35-year-old has chalked up eight wins and 32 podiums along the way, notably finishing third in the drivers' championship in 2014 and 2016.

Lawson, who deputised for the injured Ricciardo in five races last season, will step up from his reserve role to partner Yuki Tsunoda for the final six races of the 2024 campaign, starting at next month's United States Grand Prix in Austin.

The 22-year-old recorded an impressive ninth-place finish in Singapore during his short stint, and RB boss Laurent Mekies feels it will be "a natural transition" for him.

"Everyone would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us," Mekies said.

"He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone to develop and foster a tight team spirit.

"Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track, and never without that smile. He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family.

"I'd also like to take this opportunity to welcome Liam. He already knows the team well. He drove for us last season, and coped well under difficult circumstances, so it'll be a natural transition.

"It's great to see young talent from within the Red Bull family make the next step. We're looking forward to getting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together."

Julen Lopetegui believes West Ham have deserved more than just four points from their opening five Premier League games but called on his players to be more clinical in front of goal.

The Hammers exited the EFL Cup in midweek against Liverpool despite taking the lead, with a second-half collapse seeing them end up on the wrong end of a 5-1 defeat at Anfield.

Lopetegui has endured a frustrating start to his West Ham tenure thus far but is hoping that a victory against Brentford this weekend will kick his side into gear.

"I am sure that these players will overcome but it is true that we need one win, and we want to win the next match,” Lopetegui said.

"Brentford are a strong team and we have to head into the match with big energy and commitment. In the Premier League, each match is very difficult for every team.

"We have had good moments, but we need to be more consistent to make sure we win matches.

"In the matches we have lost we have deserved more, but I repeat, we have lost them, and we don’t find excuses, and we have to improve."

Another head coach hoping to see his side rediscover their goal-scoring touch is Brentford’s Thomas Frank after seeing his team lose to Tottenham last time out.

Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring with just 23 seconds on the clock for the visitors, only for Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison to respond to relieve the pressure on Ange Postecoglou.

While the Bees head coach acknowledged the gulf between both sides, he said that his problems have not been made easier with the absence of some of his key players.

"I'm very pleased with the performance, I think we did a lot of good things,” Frank said.

"We need to take those chances if we want to get something here, playing against a very good team who have performed well over the first five games.

"We are playing against a team whose end stand is bigger than our stadium in terms of capacity. That shows the difference. No complaints.

"It's my job to put a competitive team out there but it doesn't help when we have five potential starters out."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brentford – Bryan Mbeumo

Mbeumo has been involved in 13 goals in his last 14 London derby appearances in the Premier League (10 goals and three assists).

He’s also scored four of Brentford’s seven league goals so far this season.

West Ham – Jarrod Bowen

Bowen has scored more league goals against Brentford than he has against any other side in his career (seven), also netting a hat-trick against the Bees in a 4-2 Premier League win last season.

MATCH PREDICTION: BRENTFORD WIN

Brentford have won four of their last five home league games against West Ham (D1), winning all three against them in the Premier League.

The Bees have also scored at least twice in all six of their Premier League meetings with the Hammers, the joint-most one side has faced another while scoring multiple goals each time in the competition’s history (Arsenal also six vs Reading).

Frank’s side have opened the scoring in the opening 23 seconds in both of their last league games (22 seconds v Man City and 23 seconds v Tottenham) but have gone on to lose both times. Indeed, since the start of last season, the Bees have dropped more points from winning positions than any other side (36).

But having lost their first five Premier League games against Brentford, West Ham won their last league meeting with the Bees 4-2 in February.

However, the Hammers have conceded more goals in 2024 than any other current Premier League side (53), with the Hammers shipping 3+ goals in eight different games so far this calendar year.

West Ham, though, will be hoping to continue their solid run away from the London Stadium. Despite losing three of their five home games this season, they have found success on their travels, going unbeaten so far (W1 D1).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brentford – 43.4%

Draw – 25.1%

West Ham – 31.5%

Paulo Fonseca insists AC Milan's derby victory over rivals Inter is "irrelevant" unless the Rossoneri beat Lecce on Friday.

Milan claimed bragging rights in Derby della Madonnina on Sunday, with Matteo Gabbia's late effort sealing a dramatic 2-1 victory at San Siro.

The Rossoneri subsequently ended a run of six straight defeats against the Nerazzurri stretching back to September 2022, while moving Fonseca's side level on eight points with their rivals.

Three points adrift of leaders Torino, Milan can move top of Serie A with victory over Lecce, who have won just one of their opening five matches this season.

And with his side riding the crest of a wave after beating the reigning Scudetto winners, Fonseca highlighted the importance of ensuring his side do not come crashing back down to earth.

"There are lots of motivations to win tomorrow," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference. 

"For me, it's a dangerous match after the derby. We have to be careful, we can't make any mistakes. We have to win.

"A win in the derby brings confidence, it brings a different atmosphere. But I always try to be balanced. One match can change everything, it helps the players' confidence, too. But it's just one match. If we don't win tomorrow, people will say we could be relegated. 

"For this reason, we have to forget about the derby, focusing on the next game, which is the most important. The atmosphere is positive, we are happy, but it's important to understand that the derby is over, it's irrelevant now.

"It's very, very important [we capitalise on our momentum]. We have to confirm that we are growing. The victory in the derby makes more sense if we also win against Lecce, because we need to start recovering some points."

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal’s fixation on rectifying their near-miss in the Premier League last season is the difference for his players this time around.

After battling to a 2-2 draw against Manchester City last Sunday, the Gunners booked their place in the EFL Cup fourth round with an emphatic win over Bolton Wanderers, with several of their emerging talent starring at the Emirates.

Ethan Nwaneri and Jack Porter stole the limelight in midweek, with the former grabbing two goals on his senior Arsenal start, with Arteta also giving four more teenagers the chance to shine against the League One outfit.

But speaking ahead of this weekend’s fixture against Leicester, the Arsenal head coach believes his squad’s hunger to achieve this season is the difference when looking at the previous groups he has managed for the Gunners.

“Well, I think it’s the time in your career, you know that you start to dream, or to pursue certain objectives, targets and when you have accomplished them you want something else,” Arteta said.

“At that moment if the team, the club cannot provide that you need to do it elsewhere, it’s something natural, I think.

“I have all kinds of dreams, but it’s a nice one to have it’s a positive. What is a reality of a dream is the team I have that I have to manage.”

Leicester, meanwhile, needed penalties to ensure their progression in the EFL Cup against Walsall on Tuesday, with Danny Ward saving all three of the hosts’ spot-kicks.

While progressing to the next round, the travelling Foxes faithful made their opinions heard at the end of the contest, and their players face an almighty task of getting their first three points on the board at the Emirates on Saturday.

The Leicester head coach acknowledged the enormity of the task at hand, explaining he has lofty ambitions of his side reaching the level that was on show when the Gunners faced Pep Guardiola’s side last Sunday.

"It was an intriguing game for sure. They've played another game since, watched the game closely last night against Bolton Wanderers,” Cooper said.

“Our focus is on us, so we've got to do everything really well in the game.

“This is the level we want to be at, these are the games we want to be playing but we want to be playing them with the right attitude, with the right mentality, like I said, with the ambition of being able to succeed and If we can get the result that we're craving for then there's no better time."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal – Raheem Sterling

After marking his first start for Arsenal with a goal in the EFL Cup in midweek, Sterling will be pushing for a start against an opponent he has flourished against in recent years.

The 29-year-old has netted a brace in his last two Premier League appearances against the Foxes, one with Man City (December 2021) and one with Chelsea (August 2022).

Only three players have scored multiple goals against an opponent in a Premier League match with three different clubs – Robbie Fowler vs Bolton (Liverpool, Leeds, Man City), Darren Bent vs Bolton (Charlton, Tottenham, Sunderland) and Andrew Cole vs West Ham (Newcastle, Man Utd, Man City).

Leicester – Jamie Vardy

Vardy has started the season with two goals in five appearances, moving him eight goals away from scoring 200 goals for Leicester in all competitions.

But during his time in the Premier League, he has often loved coming against the Gunners. The veteran striker has scored 11 goals in 16 games against Arsenal, the joint-most he has netted against a single club in the competition alongside Watford.

MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN

Arsenal boasts an impressive record against this weekend’s opponents, winning their last five Premier League games against Leicester, their joint-longest winning run against the Foxes in their league history (also five between 1908 and 1914 and between 1930 and 1932).

The Gunners have also won 16 of their last 17 Premier League games against promoted sides, with the exception being a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in May 2023. At home, the Gunners are unbeaten in 39 such games (W34 D5) since a 1-0 loss to Newcastle in November 2010.

But Arteta will be hoping for cooler heads upon their return to the Emirates. Arsenal have received six cards (four yellow and two second yellow) for either time-wasting or not retreating in the Premier League this season, two more than any other club.

Leicester, meanwhile, travel to the capital in hopes of improving their record in North London. The Foxes have won just one of their last 26 away league games against Arsenal (D4 L21), picking up a 1-0 victory in October 2020.

But since their return to the division, they have shown little signs that may change. Cooper’s side remain winless in their five Premier League games so far this season, drawing three and losing two. Only in their relegation campaign of 2022-23 have they gone six without a win from the start of the campaign in the competition.

But the Foxes have both scored and conceded in all five of their league games so far this season – only in their title winning campaign of 2015-16 have they had a longer such run from the start of a campaign in the competition (first nine).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Arsenal – 75.9%

Draw – 14.5%

Leicester – 9.6%

JJ Redick says the Los Angeles Lakers are mulling plans for the first time LeBron James and son Bronny James share the court together this season.

Bronny is gearing up for his first NBA season with the Lakers, who drafted the 19-year-old in the second round after he played a single campaign at USC.

He and LeBron - a four-time MVP - will become the first father-son duo in NBA history when they take to the court during the upcoming season, which begins against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 22.

And Redick says plans for how to commemorate the historic moment are still in the air, but insists both players will be involved in the decision-making process.

"We obviously have talked about it as a staff, and we've gotten into some specifics of what that might look like," Redick told reporters during a press conference on Wednesday.

"But we haven't committed to anything. And obviously, there's a discussion to be had once we're all together with Bronny and LeBron, too. They should be a part of that discussion as well."

Redick is embarking on his first venture in the NBA, having been appointed the Lakers' 29th head coach in June.

Along with managing the James duo, the 40-year-old will be looking to improve on the franchise's first-round playoff exit last term, but is not fazed by the prospect.

"I don't look at it as a challenge," he said. "It's unique from any other challenge of coaching a player or coaching a relationship.

"Bronny, I feel very fortunate that I get to coach him because he's young, and he's hungry, and he's got a lot of inherent skill sets that we can really mould into a really good NBA player.

"On top of that, he's a fantastic kid. He's extremely coachable. He's got the right spirit and energy every single day."