Tottenham's Dejan Kulusevski has revealed head coach Antonio Conte wants him to "kill the opponent in a sporting way" in order to become more ruthless.
Spurs sit fourth in the Premier League having won two and drawn one of their opening three games as they look to follow up last season's fourth-place finish, where a strong run at the end meant they pipped fierce rivals Arsenal to the final Champions League qualification spot.
Kulusevski has impressed since arriving from Juventus at the beginning of the year and has started this campaign well, scoring and assisting in the opening day 4-1 victory over Southampton.
But the 22-year-old says Conte is demanding even more from him, despite the versatile winger having 15 Premier League goal involvements in 21 appearances since his arrival in North London in January.
"I can attack the goal more for sure. Sometimes I'm just in a different world when I play," Kulusevski told Standard Sport. "I feel so comfortable sometimes, so I just play and have fun. But [Conte] doesn't want me to have fun. He wants me to kill the opponent in a sporting way.
"I feel very good. I think I can do better but the important thing is always to be humble, to work harder because we have a goal this season and I think we can do it.
"For sure it's easier with a pre-season. You have more time to adapt. Last season you came into the game and you had one chance. If you played bad you did not play again. It was more pressure. Now I feel much better, a better start and physically in better form."
Spurs' strong opening to the season has been aided by their threat from set-pieces, with Harry Kane scoring headers from corners in successive games after bagging against Chelsea and then Wolves at the weekend.
And Kulusevski has playfully suggested that new set-piece coach Gianni Vio should be asking for a better contract because of Tottenham's newfound potency from dead-ball situations.
"I told [Vio] three times that we have to give him more money. He has to get a pay rise for sure! Shout out to him. He's very important," Kulusevski added.
"He makes a difference, like you can see. At the end of the day, we won on a set-piece so we have to keep working on that. It's not the funnest thing in the world but it makes results. It helps a lot. We have to keep listening to him and do what he says.
"I don't remember that we scored so many [from set-pieces] last season but it's very important. Now we have to get better. Every time we get a set-piece we have to believe we can score."
Casemiro was spotted at Old Trafford ahead of Manchester United's Premier League fixture with Liverpool as the midfielder prepared to be unveiled as the Red Devils' latest signing.
The Brazil enforcer is joining United from Real Madrid in a deal reportedly worth an initial £60million (€70m), having won an incredible 18 trophies during a nine-year spell with Los Blancos.
Having bid farewell to Madrid in a press conference earlier on Monday, Casemiro was seen at pitchside ahead of United's clash with Liverpool, in which Erik ten Hag's under-fire side will bid to end an eight-match winless run against their rivals.
Casemiro starred as Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid claimed their 14th European crown with a Champions League final win over Jurgen Klopp's team in May, and should offer increased protection to a United defence which capitulated to a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brentford last time out.
Earlier on Monday, Casemiro took to social media to thank Madrid for the emotional send-off he was afforded after a hugely successful spell with the club.
"The truth is that I never dreamed of such a farewell to Real Madrid. Never," he wrote on Twitter.
"Excuse the emotion that was impossible for me to contain. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for so much love. Here a Madridista leaves. Good luck and Hala Madrid!"
The competition for the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback job for the season opener is complete.
Baker Mayfield will start in Week 1 when the Panthers host his former team – the Cleveland Browns – on September 11.
"When we started this process, we were looking at three things," Carolina coach Matt Rhule said on Monday. "Number one, mastery of the offense, number two, situational football excellence, and number three, moving the ball and getting guys involved. That's been our focus all along.
"Baker has made a lot of improvement, a lot of growth in all three areas in a short amount of time."
Mayfield and Sam Darnold had been battling for the starting job since the Panthers acquired Mayfield in a trade with the Browns in July.
"All along, we've felt like we need to have a really strong quarterback room, and have every quarterback ready to play," Rhule said. "The reality of this league is most teams will play multiple quarterbacks. Sam has worked incredibly hard, played really well for us during training camp, and will be ready to go if and when it's needed."
Rhule was not ready to name a starting QB after the Panthers’ 20-10 loss to the New England Patriots on Friday – a game in which neither Mayfield nor Darnold played – but with rookie third-round draft pick Matt Corral suffering a Lisfranc ligament tear in his foot in that game and the season opener now less than three weeks away, he is ready to give Mayfield the opportunity to lead the offense in Week 1.
"Like I said all along, when we know we know," Rhule said on Friday, "And we’ll announce something when it’s right."
Rhule did not say anything about the starting job being Mayfield’s all season, so it’s certainly possible Darnold could take over if the 27-year-old struggles or the losses pile up and the team needs a spark.
The two signal-callers will be forever linked as the top two quarterbacks taken in the 2018 draft, with Mayfield going first overall to the Browns and Darnold being chosen third by the New York Jets.
Mayfield started 59 games in his four seasons in Cleveland and helped lead the Browns to their first playoff victory since the 1994 season in 2020.
He battled injuries in 2021, however, and his production on the field dipped as he posted an 83.1 passer rating – fourth lowest among the 30 QBs with at least 350 pass attempts – as Cleveland struggled to an 8-9 record, prompting the team to pursue Deshaun Watson in the trade market.
Darnold spent three seasons with the Jets before being traded to the Panthers for draft picks last April. He won his first three starts with Carolina last season before finishing 4-7 with nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions and a 71.9 QB rating – one spot worse than Mayfield.
Thomas Tuchel has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association (FA) over comments he made about referee Anthony Taylor in the aftermath of Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Tottenham.
Chelsea were denied a London derby win by Harry Kane's 96th-minute equaliser in their first home game of the Premier League season on August 14, leaving Tuchel fuming over a series of perceived errors from Taylor.
Tuchel claimed neither of Tottenham's goals should have stood, insisting Richarlison blocked Edouard Mendy's line of sight from an offside position when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg first levelled, before Cristian Romero pulled Marc Cucurella's hair in the build-up to Kane's late header.
The Chelsea boss then claimed "it would be better" if Taylor no longer officiated his team's games, adding: "I can assure you the whole dressing room of us, every single person, thinks that."
It was reported last week that the FA was investigating those comments, and a spokesperson for English football's governing body confirmed Tuchel's charge on Monday.
"Thomas Tuchel has been charged with a break of FA rule E3 in relation to comments that he made after Chelsea FC's Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur FC on Sunday 14 August 2022," a statement read.
"It is alleged that the manager's comments in his post-match press conference constitute improper conduct as contrary to FA rule E3.1, they imply bias and/or question the integrity of the match referee, and/or bring the game into disrepute."
Tuchel, who has until Thursday to respond to the allegations, has now been charged with improper conduct twice in the last week, with both instances relating to the thrilling draw against Spurs.
Both he and opposite number Antonio Conte were issued red cards after becoming involved in a touchline fracas at full-time, with the German subsequently handed a suspended one-match touchline ban.
Chelsea have collected four points from their first three games of the new season and host Leicester City in their next Premier League outing on Saturday.
Jamaica Basketball Association President Paulton Gordon hopes the recently concluded P.H.A.S.E 1 Elite 1 Caribbean Basketball League at the National Arena in Kingston will revitalize interest in the sport locally.
“Well, I’m hoping that it gives it a shot in the arm,” Gordon said in an interview with Sportsmax.TV on Saturday.
“Coming out of the pandemic, we wanted an activity that would stimulate interest and create more awareness as it relates to basketball and I think this will do it,” he added.
The league was the first of its kind to be played in the Caribbean and Gordon says he’s glad that Jamaica was able to be a part of history.
“Bringing pro basketball to Jamaica has always been our intention. We decided that we’d try to do a pilot during the summer and, based on the feedback, I think we have accomplished most of our objectives,” he said.
“The players are excited; the fans are coming out and entertainment around the games has been good. We’ve gotten good feedback as it relates to the packaging and production of the event from overseas and I think we’re on our way,” he added.
With the presence of both North American and local players in the teams, Gordon says he’s also encouraged by the lack of a skill gap between the two sets of players.
“I had some discussions with some of the coaches and some of the GMs. What I’m happy about is that there isn’t a big disparity between the North American players and our local players. The teams have integrated quite well and, just looking on, there’s not much difference you can see between the skill level of the overseas players and our local players,” he said.
Bournemouth midfielder David Brooks hopes to make his comeback in the near future after signing a long-term contract extension with the Premier League club.
The 25-year-old missed the majority of last season after he was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma in October.
But the Wales international, a member of Rob Page's squad at Euro 2020 last year, was given the all-clear in May and returned to a modified training programme.
Brooks is eager to resume his career soon after putting pen to paper on a deal until at least June 2026.
"I am so pleased to have signed this deal and am looking forward to the next few years with this great club," he told the club's website.
"Of course, the last year has been extremely difficult for myself, my family and friends but I'm now in a position to resume my career, and getting this deal over the line is the icing on the cake.
"I am working hard alongside the excellent coaching team at Bournemouth and am hoping to be back on the pitch soon.
"In the meantime, I'll be supporting the lads every step of the way."
Shubman Gill made his first international century as India beat Zimbabwe by 13 runs to seal a 3-0 ODI series whitewash on Monday.
India started the match chasing a 15th consecutive ODI win against their hosts, as well as a second successive clean sweep on one-day tours of Zimbabwe, and they were not to be denied in a high-scoring contest.
Gill's landmark knock came after a solid start from opening duo Shikhar Dhawan (40) and KL Rahul (30), while Ishan Kishan made 50 as the tourists posted 289-8 at Harare Sports Club.
Brad Evans (5-54) recorded the best figures of his fledgling ODI career and although Sikandar Raza made a brilliant 115 off 95 balls, Zimbabwe fell short on 276 all out.
The wickets began to tumble when Zimbabwe threw caution to the wind midway through the innings, losing Regis Chakabva (16), Takudzwanashe Kaitano (13), Ryan Buri (8) and Luke Jongwe (14) in the space of just under 10 overs.
Raza led a terrific fightback, hitting three sixes and finding the rope nine times before he was caught by Gill off the bowling of Shardul Thakur in the penultimate over, and Avesh Khan finished off the job by cleaning up Victor Nyauchi.
Avesh took 3-66, while Axar Patel (2-30), Kuldeep Yadav (2-38) and Deepak Chahar (2-75) also made an impact with the ball.
India have now won seven consecutive ODIs away from home, their best run since a sequence of nine in a row between July 2017 to February 2018.
Mohammad Hasnain has replaced the injured Shaheen Shah Afridi in Pakistan's squad for the Asia Cup.
Afridi was ruled out after sustaining a knee ligament injury during the first Test against Sri Lanka last month.
The left-arm paceman's absence has presented Hasnain with an opportunity to join up with the squad for a tournament that starts in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.
Hasnain has been playing for the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred, but will cut short that spell to report for international duty.
The 22-year-old quick has feature in 18 Twenty20 Internationals, taking 17 wickets at an average of 30.70.
Pakistan face fierce rivals India in their first Asia Cup match in Dubai on Sunday.
Faf de Klerk and Warrick Gelant are back in the South Africa team to face Australia in the Rugby Championship at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
De Klerk has completed his return to play protocol after missing the second Test against New Zealand due to concussion and replaces Jaden Hendrikse at scrum-half.
Gelant gets the nod over Jesse Kriel, who was unable to return after taking a blow to the head early in the 35-23 loss to the All Blacks at Ellis Park.
Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber has also made three changes to the replacements, with Hendrikse, Elton Jantjies and Frans Steyn on the bench.
Herschel Jantjies, Willie le Roux and Jasper Wiese miss out as the world champions look to respond to their loss in Johannesburg.
"This is a very important clash for us to set the tone for our Rugby Championship tour and we feel that continuity in selection is important to build momentum in our campaign," Nienaber said.
"Warrick was in good form for the Stormers earlier this season and he has been working hard at training, so we thought it would be good to give him a run on the wing. He also combined well with Damian Willemse in the Rugby Championship, so we are excited to see what they offer us in the match.
"Faf, meanwhile, is back from concussion and his experience will be important in this game.
"We also feel it is important to give the likes of Ox (Nche), Joseph (Dweba) and Duane (Vermeulen) another opportunity to further build combinations and give them valuable game time as we build toward the Rugby World Cup next year."
South Africa team to play Australia:
Damian Willemse, Warrick Gelant, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk; Ox Nche, Joseph Dweba, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Jaden Hendrikse, Elton Jantjies, Frans Steyn.
World number two Alexander Zverev has withdrawn from the US Open as he recovers from ankle surgery.
The German went under the knife after tearing all three of the lateral ligaments in his right ankle during his French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal.
Zverev will not make his comeback at the final grand slam of the year in New York, as his withdrawal was announced on Monday.
The 25-year-old reached his only major final at Flushing Meadows two years ago, losing to Dominic Thiem.
Zverev stated after his operation that surgery was "the best choice" to ensure his ligaments heal properly and he could return to competition "as quickly as possible."
The US Open gets under way next Monday, with doubts remaining over whether Novak Djokovic will be able to play due to the 21-time grand slam champion opting against receiving a coronavirus vaccine.
Jose Mourinho has blasted the "scum" who claimed Felix Afena-Gyan was responsible for Georginio Wijnaldum's broken leg.
Wijnaldum fractured the tibia in his right leg during a training session on Sunday, just a fortnight after joining the Serie A club in a season-long loan deal from Paris Saint-Germain.
It has been claimed in certain quarters that teenage Ghana forward Afena-Gyan was to blame for an injury that could rule the Netherlands midfielder out of the World Cup in Qatar.
Roma head coach Mourinho hit back at those accusations in an Instagram post ahead of the Serie A encounter with Cremonese on Monday.
"Sometimes football can be s***. In only two weeks, Gini became one of us because of his human qualities (his football qualities we already knew)," he wrote.
"Sadly, in a very unfortunate accident he had a bad injury that will keep him away from playing for a long time.
"But it's not just football to be s*** sometimes, people can also be… Those who initiated the rumours that a top kid like Felix could be responsible for what happened are real scum.
"Let's all be together tonight: we play for @officialasroma, for gwijnaldum and for @ohenegyanfelix9."
A heavyweight unification bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk "will be made", says promoter Frank Warren, who also did not discount the possibility of an all-British bout between Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Usyk retained his WBA, WBO and IBF titles, and also claimed the Ring Magazine belt with a split-decision victory over Joshua on Saturday to take his record to 20 professional bouts undefeated.
WBC champion Fury appeared to reaffirm his retiremenet ahead of the fight, but subsequently suggested promoters and fans "get [their] cheque book out" after the Ukrainian's win.
Warren, who handles Fury's bouts, has suggested the pair could square off next - and finally deliver the division's first undsputed champion since 1999.
"He and Usyk would be a really good fight," Warren told BBC Radio 5 Live. "It's a fight that I think will be made because both teams would like to see that happen."
Britain's Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield to become the last undisputed heavyweight champion over two decades ago, but there has not been a bout with all four belts on the line since the WBO title was included in 2007.
"Usyk said after the fight that it's the only fight he's interested in, and it's certainly the same case with Tyson," Warren added.
"It's just a matter of where it will generate the most income because it's a unique fight, a historic fight.
"It's the first time for God knows how long that the four belts are on the line. Both fighters are undefeated. The whole world of boxing will be captivated by this fight."
Warren has also not ruled out seeing the long-awaited clash between Fury and Joshua, though the likelihood of such a fight following the latter's third defeat in his past five fights seems questionable.
Joshua first lost the WBA, WBO and IBF titles to Andy Ruiz Jr, though despite winning them back in the rematch, subsequently lost them to Usyk again last year.
The prospect of an all-British unification bout between Joshua and Fury was floated at multiple points during their reigns but ultimately never materialised, and Warren said Joshua will have to win some more fights before he can be considered a contender for Fury.
"If AJ manages to get a couple of wins under his belt - and I believe Tyson will beat Usyk - that may be a fight to be made," Warren added. "But AJ's got to re-establish himself before you can even think about fights like that."
Casemiro said the qualities of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric made it "easy" to star in Real Madrid's midfield ahead of his move to Manchester United, as he backed Los Blancos to replace him from within.
The Brazil international is joining United in a deal reportedly worth an initial £60million (€70m), having won an incredible 18 trophies during a nine-year spell with Madrid.
Casemiro lifted the Champions League on five occasions during his time in the Spanish capital, and produced a masterful performance as Carlo Ancelotti's team clinched their 14th European crown against Liverpool in May.
Modric, Kroos and Casemiro have been key throughout one of the most successful spells in Madrid's history, starting together in four Champions League finals (in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022), and the 30-year-old admits he will miss the duo.
"All the titles that you win, all the training sessions, the games you play, they make you happy, just realising you are a Real Madrid player," Casemiro said at a news conference on Monday.
"This era, winning five Champions League titles, is a once in a lifetime experience and very special to me, something I'll never forget.
"Speaking about Kroos and Modric, they're my great friends, and apart from on the pitch I also think about them as two fantastic people and the great friends they've been to me.
"It's very easy to play alongside them, I don't have much work to do, I will give them all the credit for all the work they have done. Of course, I will miss them a lot.
"It was difficult to talk to them, like it was in my conversation with the president. Toni sent me a message at 4am, asking me if all the rumours were true.
"I'm really loyal to all of my team-mates, not just these two team-mates, but I have to be sincere with myself. If my time here is over, I have to take a step forward. I'm going to a great club, the biggest in the UK.
"I will always be a fan, celebrate Real Madrid's goals and titles, which they will continue to win, no doubt about it. Real Madrid players are the best in the world and it's the best club in the world – it will always be like that for me."
With Kroos absent through illness, Madrid fielded a new-look midfield as they made it two wins from two outings in LaLiga by thrashing Celta Vigo 4-1 on Saturday, with Eduardo Camavinga and recent arrival Aurelien Tchouameni joining Modric in the starting line-up.
And Casemiro believes the presence of the two young French talents means Madrid may not need to replace him, adding: "Real Madrid is a club that always signs the best players in the world.
"Aurelien could also do the job, he's the kind of player that Madrid can rely on for many years to come. Toni and Modric will play at this high level but he can be a great asset as well.
"Camavinga already showed us how important he can be as well. Tchouameni is also a player that is very important, in the French national team as well.
"Real Madrid find themselves in a great place right now, they have great players and will continue to win important titles, that's what this club is about."
Cristiano Ronaldo is "one of the best players in history", so says Casemiro, who is thrilled to link up with his former Real Madrid team-mate at Manchester United.
Casemiro is set to join United in a deal reportedly worth £60million (€70m).
The 30-year-old leaves Madrid after nine-and-a-half years at the club. He has won the Champions League five times and collected three LaLiga titles among 18 major trophies in total.
Casemiro played alongside Ronaldo until 2018, when the latter left Madrid for Juventus, having become Los Blancos' record goalscorer with 450 to his name in all competitions.
Ronaldo returned to United last year and scored 18 Premier League goals, though the Red Devils recorded their lowest points tally in the competition's history (58) as they finished a disappointing sixth.
Uncertainty surrounds Ronaldo's future, with the 37-year-old having been keen to leave Old Trafford in search of Champions League football. While manager Erik ten Hag has insisted the forward is not for sale, reports last week suggested United might even agree to release Ronaldo on a free transfer.
Casemiro, however, is hopeful Ronaldo will stay put, as the Brazil international relishes the chance for a reunion.
"I haven't talked to Ronaldo yet but he knows what I think about him and the history he has made," Casemiro said in a news conference in Madrid on Monday.
"I know he will continue to be unique and I can't wait to start playing with him again.
"I hope he decides to stay because he is one of the best players in history, I am really excited to start playing with him and my new team-mates."
While Ronaldo is seemingly unhappy with playing in the Europa League instead of the Champions League, that is not an issue for Casemiro, who is targeting domestic success with United.
He added: "We won't play in the Champions League this year but it's one of the biggest teams in the world. Knowing the level of this team, we will have a great Europa League season."
Asked what he wants to learn at United, and what he wants to achieve, Casemiro said: "What I want is to transmit the way I feel about the club, my respect and everything that I did [at Madrid], I want to do there too.
"I want to show my fighting spirit, my capacity to work hard, my professional attitude and want to work hard every day to show how serious I am. I want to win the league there.
"I'm going through one of the best moments of my career, I feel really fit and mentally I feel great. It's a great moment to take this decision."
United play rivals Liverpool on Monday, but head into the fixture on the back of two defeats to open their Premier League campaign, having gone down 2-1 to Brighton and Hove Albion and 4-0 to Brentford.
Casemiro wishes he was available to play in that match, but as he prepares to settle into a new league, he also has to consider the upcoming World Cup, with the midfielder a key player for Brazil.
"It's a very important year for me," he said. "You always feel privileged to play for Real Madrid but this change is my big challenge right now.
"I spoke to my wife and she said that I look like an 18-year-old kid who is super excited about his new project, and I really do feel so excited about playing in the Premier League. If I could, I would play today against Liverpool.
"I'm really excited, it's a club with a great history and I will have to work hard to make a name for myself with United. I'm ready to work hard in order to face this new challenge.
"I'll make sure to help my new team-mates have a great season. We'll see what happens in the World Cup."
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