Paul Pogba insists he is "not a cheater", but acknowledges he must take responsibility for the failed doping test that led to his ongoing ban.

The Juventus and France midfielder was suspended for four years in February by Italy's national anti-doping tribunal, after a drugs test revealed elevated testosterone levels in his system.

However, earlier this month, Pogba's ban was reduced to 18 months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled his consuming of the banned substance "was not intentional".

It means the 31-year-old can resume training in January and will be available to play from March, and he is desperate to be back doing what he loves.

"This is not me, I'm not a cheater," Pogba told Sky Sports. 

"I'm someone that loves my sport, I love the game and I would never, ever cheat. I like to win fairly. I'm a bad loser, but I'm not a cheater.

"I take some responsibility because I took the supplement. I didn't triple-check, let's say it like that, even if it came from a professional. If I have to be punished, I am fine with it, but it should never be four years.

"I would just like to be on the pitch, any pitch. First, it's with Juventus. I want to be in training with team-mates, it's tough to be alone, playing passes on to the wall.

"My main focus is to get back in training, be fit and to be on the pitch doing what I love."

Lionel Messi is backing Lautaro Martinez to win this year's Ballon d'Or, believing his Argentina team-mate deserves the accolade "more than anyone else".

The two players were on target during the world champions' commanding 6-0 victory over Bolivia on Tuesday, Messi bagging a hat-trick while setting up Lautaro for their side's second goal.

It has been a 2024 to remember for Lautaro, who top-scored with 24 goals as he captained Inter to the Scudetto last season.

The forward was also the leading marksman during the Copa America with five goals, including an extra-time winner as Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 in the final.

Lautaro's exploits have seen him shortlisted for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, with the winner being announced on October 28.

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior is among the favourites to land the accolade, along with Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri.

However, eight-time winner Messi feels his compatriot should be the leading candidate for the award.

"He had a spectacular year; he scored in the [Copa America] final, he was the top scorer. He deserves the Ballon d'Or more than anyone else."

Carlos Alcaraz set up a mouth-watering 6 Kings Slam semi-final showdown with Rafael Nadal after a straight-sets win over Holger Rune.

The winner of this season's French Open and Wimbledon, the Spaniard took just 72 minutes to wrap up a commanding 6-4 6-2 victory in Riyadh.

The first set was neck and neck until game nine, when Alcaraz broke before holding to 15 to move halfway towards victory.

The four-time major champion then broke in games three and five to take complete control of the second set, which he eventually wrapped up to book what could be one last showdown with the retiring Nadal.

"I tried to adapt my game a bit to the conditions on the court," he said during his on-court post-match interview. 

"At the beginning, I struggled a little bit with my returns. I had to find the solutions, but once I did, I started to play better and better, and he struggled a little bit more than me."

On the prospect of facing Nadal, he added: "Since I started playing tennis, I have watched his matches. He's still my idol. He's been a really important person for my life and my career. He was one of the reasons I wanted to become a professional tennis player.

"Playing against him once again is going to be tough for me, but I'm going to try and enjoy it. I'm going to go full power; he's going to be stronger than ever before."

Data Debrief: Solid service from Alcaraz

Alcaraz will be relishing the prospect of going head to head once more with Nadal, who he partnered in the men's doubles at the Paris Olympics.

The world number two set up the clash after a dominant display on serve. Indeed, he won all nine service games, winning 37 of 45 points, and hit six aces while not facing a single break point.

Nuri Sahin has called for calm after Borussia Dortmund's slow start to the season, urging supporters not to cast doubt on the path the club are on. 

Dortmund sit seventh in the Bundesliga standings after claiming 10 points from their opening six games, though they entered the international break on the back of a defeat. 

Kevin Vogt and Yorbe Vertessen's goals helped Union Berlin to a 2-1 win, marking Dortmund's second consecutive away loss, taking only one point on their travels so far.

Sahin, who was appointed Dortmund's boss in June, has insisted his team's away form is a priority, though his full focus remains on this Friday's home clash with St. Pauli. 

"It's not that I want to run away from away games or anything, but it's just a fact that we've only picked up one point from the three away games in the league...," Sahin said. 

"If you're 16th in the away table, you're not going to achieve your goals. You have to build on that.

"We can very happily do that before the game against Augsburg... Then we can talk about it. But now my full focus is on the home game against St Pauli.

"To cast doubt on our path after six matchdays would be fatal.

"That's not what we're doing. We're going to go our own way. Of course, you have to make adjustments with every game you play."

Sahin also took the time to congratulate former coach Thomas Tuchel, who on Wednesday was confirmed as England's new boss. 

Tuchel managed Dortmund for two seasons between 2015-2017, leading them to the DFB Pokal in his second term at the helm. 

The German won 67 of his 107 games in charge (D23 L17), ending with a win percentage of 62.6%, a total he only bettered during his time at Paris Saint-Germain (74.8%). 

Sahin worked with Tuchel for two seasons, and wished his former manager well in his new adventure.

"I can only congratulate the FA on getting a great coach. I dare not say, whether it will work out or not," Sahin said.

"I have great admiration for Thomas Tuchel. I know that he can give this team a lot... congratulations to a very good head coach."

Jannik Sinner brushed aside Daniil Medvedev to reach the semi-finals of the 6 Kings Slam with a straight-sets triumph at the inaugural event in Saudi Arabia. 

Sinner, fresh from his Shanghai Masters victory last week, needed just over an hour to down his opponent, emerging a 6-0 6-3 victor in a repeat of this year's Australian Open final. 

The Italian asserted his dominance from the off, breaking Medvedev's serve in the opening game before hammering home his advantage to take the first set at a canter. 

Medvedev, however, responded well in the second, trading blows with Sinner, but was undone in the fifth game as the world number one broke his serve once again. 

Sinner held his serve and, despite squandering one match point, made no mistake at the second time of asking.

A showdown with Novak Djokovic, who he beat in last week's Shanghai showpiece, awaits in the last four.

"It was a very good performance, considering I only arrived here a couple of days ago," Sinner said. 

"I only had one practice session, but I was looking forward to coming here. It's something very new. We are six of the best tennis players in the world."

Fabian Hurzeler failed to put a ceiling on Brighton’s potential after watching his side roar back from two goals down to beat Tottenham 2-0 ahead of the international break.

The 31-year-old, appointed at the start of the season, was facing criticism after the Seagulls had gone four Premier League games without a victory, though he silenced those doubters, with Brighton now sixth in the standings ahead of facing Newcastle at St. James’ Park on Saturday.

And despite only being in the infancy of his tenure on the south coast, Hurzeler is confident his side can continue to build on their impressive start to the campaign.  

“I don't judge the performances by the results because in the end I'm completely convinced that if you focus on the process the results will come,” Hurzeler said.

“It’s normal to have ups and downs, and we had a small down against Chelsea. But we learnt from it and if you improve individually and as a group will always get better.

“The league is so competitive, you must work hard for momentum and use it when you have it. But, of course, I have a lot of trust in the potential of my team.”

For Newcastle, a goalless draw at Everton last time out made it four Premier League games without a win, but the Magpies sit level on points with this weekend’s opponents, separated only by goal difference in the standings.

After starting the campaign with three wins from their first four games, Eddie Howe acknowledged his side’s drop-off, but knows his side have room for improvement, which he hopes will start on home soil against Brighton.

“So far, we have seen that the group is together. We have seen that the group is motivated to do well, and we know we can play better, and we know we can do more so that is the challenge that I have to set to the players,” Howe said.

Howe was also hopeful that both Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson would be available for the visit of the Seagulls, with an attacking edge needed having scored just three goals in their last four matches in all competitions.

"We hope so. They are two huge players for us. When you take any focal point out of a team it has an impact. Would it have made the difference today,” Howe said. “I'm not sure but we are looking forward to having them back."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Newcastle – Anthony Gordon

Gordon has enjoyed games against Brighton in recent years, scoring two goals in four appearances against them, only finding the net more against Manchester United (three) in the Premier League.

The England international has created more chances (15) for the Magpies than any other player, while he also has the joint-most completed dribbles (11) in Howe’s ranks, alongside Bruno Guimaraes.

Brighton – Kaoru Mitoma

Mitoma has carried the ball further than any other winger in the Premier League this season (1568 metres), though his assist against Tottenham last time out was his first goal contribution in four matches.

Meanwhile, only Cole Palmer and Jarrod Bowen (eight each) have created more chances following a ball carry than Mitoma (seven).

MATCH PREDICTION: BRIGHTON WIN

Brighton have lost just two of their 14 Premier League meetings with Newcastle (W5 D7), though both defeats have come across their last three visits to St James’ Park.

However, the Seagulls have impressed in front of goal this year. They have scored two or more goals in each of their last three Premier League games, last having a longer such run in January 2023 (five). Indeed, they’ve netted multiple goals in five of their seven league games so far this season, having failed to do so in any of their final 13 games in 2023-24.

No team has conceded fewer second half goals than Brighton in the Premier League this season (two), with their latest goal against them coming in the 70th minute (vs Nottingham Forest). However, opponents Newcastle have also shipped a joint-low two goals after half-time.

Although this weekend’s hosts have lost just one of their last eight Premier League games (W4 D3), Newcastle are winless in their last three (D2 L1). However, at home, the Magpies are unbeaten in their last 11 (W6 D5).

They are also unbeaten in their last three Premier League games against Brighton at St. James’ Park (W2 D1), having failed to win any of their first four against them without scoring a single goal (D2 L2).

However, only Nottingham Forest (four) have had fewer shots than Newcastle following a high turnover in the Premier League this season (five), while the Magpies have also faced the most such efforts in the competition this term (18).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Newcastle – 50.4%

Draw – 24.3%

Brighton – 23.3%

Thomas Tuchel wants "to put the second star on this shirt", as the new England head coach set his sights on World Cup glory in 2026.

The 51-year-old was announced as Gareth Southgate's successor on Wednesday, agreeing an 18-month contract that will begin on January 1.

Former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Tuchel is the first German to manage the Three Lions, and only the third non-English coach in history after the late Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

Southgate came within whiskers of ending England's wait for major international silverware, suffering successive European Championship final defeats against Italy and Spain.

Tuchel, who has also managed Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, is excited to be working with such a talented group of players, and hopes he can help get the group over the winning line.

"I want to put the second star [for a World Cup win] on this shirt," he told reporters during his press conference at Wembley. "We will work hard for the biggest target in football, making our dream come true at the World Cup [in] 2026.

"I understood very quickly that it is a big job. I always think the job you are in is the biggest job, and it makes no sense to compare, but it feels big and feels like a privilege.

"I think it is pretty obvious I am very emotional. I love what I am doing and am passionate about football. This role just brought the young me alive and brought back my teenage days, to get excited for such a big task.

"Once I made a time frame up in my mind from January [2025] to the World Cup, I already felt excited.

"It suited my passion to push this group of players, and to be part of this federation with such a strong record in the last tournaments - to push it over the line and to try to put a second star on the shirt."

Lee Carsley will continue in his role as England's interim head coach for the remainder of the ongoing Nations League campaign, before Tuchel takes over the reins.

The German also addressed critics believing an Englishman should oversee the national team, believing his previous stint at Chelsea between January 2021 and September 2022 - during which he won the Champions League and Club World Cup - stands him in good stead.

"All of those supporters maybe felt my passion for the English Premier League and the country, and how I love to live and work here," he added.

"Hopefully, I can convince them and show them and prove to them that I am proud to be an English manager, and do everything to show respect to this role and this country and the target for the next 18 months.

"Everyone can be assured we will do it with passion and emotion. We will try to install values and principles and rules as quickly as possible to make the dream come true."

Ben Duckett conceded Pakistan "bowled so well" and "were right at" England during the second day of the second Test in Multan.

Duckett top-scored for the tourists, with a knock of 114 giving him his fourth Test century.

However, it was overshadowed by Pakistan's spin bowlers – particularly Sajid Khan, who ended the day with an impressive 4-86.

After claiming Ollie Pope early on, Sajid also struck out Duckett, Joe Root and Harry Brook, while Noman Ali took Ben Stokes as Pakistan picked up four wickets in the space of just three overs.

England finished the day at 239-6 – trailing their opponents by 127 runs – and Duckett could only salute the hosts' impressive bowling.

"Obviously, I'm happy with how I played," he told Sky Sports. "It would be nice to be going back out there tomorrow, maybe a couple of wickets less, but credit to them, I think they bowled so well throughout our whole innings.

"I felt like that's a period where you can step off and get some runs at the end of the day, but they didn't want to make it easy for us.

"I think they did [bowl slower] to me, knowing I was going to sweep a lot more. We thought the new ball was going to be the hardest phase, but looking back, that was when it was at its truest and sweeping was a lot easier.

"When that ball becomes a lot softer, it doesn't travel as far off the bat, and you're sweeping for two rather than four and the runs come a lot tougher.

"I think they bowled well, they were right at us until the end of the day, and got their rewards late on."

"We can see it's spinning, and I always think in situations like this, we can win that first hour tomorrow, get as close as we can to their score and then make it a one-innings match."

Mikel Arteta believes Kai Havertz still has a further level to reach after enjoying an excellent start to the season with Arsenal, who go to Bournemouth when the Premier League resumes on Saturday.

Arsenal emerge from the second international break of 2024-25 one point adrift of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table with 17 points from seven matches. 

With four goals and an assist, Havertz has been a key factor in their positive start, excelling in his new false nine role and scoring a crucial equaliser as they fought back to beat Southampton 3-1 before the hiatus.

Asked if Havertz was now playing with greater confidence, Arteta said: "You can tell. He takes the ball and he runs with the ball. 

"He's on the high press, he goes full gas, the way he holds the ball, the positions he takes in the box. When he plays as a nine, you don't know where he is, that's his football brain. 

"His focus now is, 'I'm going to win the game, I'm going to do it', and that's a different thing.

"He wants more and he's not satisfied with what he's doing because there is still, I think, another level from him."

Opponents Bournemouth are 14th with eight points, having suffered a demoralising 1-0 defeat to previously winless Leicester City two weeks ago.

After that game, boss Andoni Iraola told BBC Sport: "It's difficult to explain, you need to score. We had a disallowed goal, hit the post, the crossbar, we had enough chances to win.

"We have to give merit to their offensive side but on the other side we are missing very clear chances. There are chances that you cannot miss altogether. 

"We have to be more clinical and it is hurting us. All the games apart from Liverpool we have created more chances, but we are not getting the points."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo

Bournemouth have had more shot-ending high turnovers than any other side in the Premier League this season (18), while only three sides have faced fewer such shots than the Cherries (six).

Semenyo, who leads all Bournemouth players for goal involvements (four – three goals, one assist) and successful dribbles (12) this term could have a key role to play on the counter.

Arsenal – Kai Havertz

Havertz has been involved in 20 goals in his last 21 Premier League appearances (13 goals, seven assists). 

His first goal for Arsenal came in this exact fixture last season, as he converted a penalty in a 4-0 victory for the Gunners. Could he be in for more joy on the south coast?

MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN

Arsenal are unbeaten in all 10 of their games in all competitions so far this season (seven wins, three draws) – they last had a longer unbeaten run from the start of a campaign in 2007-08 (first 21).

They are chasing a landmark victory, as their 3-1 win over Southampton last time out was their 1,999th top-flight triumph. Victory here would see them become the second English side to reach 2,000, after Liverpool (2,065).

Bournemouth, meanwhile, have lost 11 of their 14 Premier League games against Arsenal, though all three exceptions have been at home (3-3 in January 2017, 2-1 in January 2018, 1-1 in December 2019).

But a repeat should not be expected here. Each of Bournemouth's last 10 Premier League wins have been against sides in the bottom half of the table. 

Andoni Iraola's men are winless in their last 11 matches against sides in the top half since beating Manchester United 3-0 in December last year (four draws, seven losses).

Arsenal boast a tremendous record against the Cherries lately, too. Since Bournemouth returned to the Premier League in 2022, the Gunners have won all four of their meetings with the Cherries by an aggregate score 13-2, netting three or more goals each time.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Bournemouth – 16.1%

Arsenal – 65.2%

Draw – 18.7%

Marco Silva is hoping Fulham’s 3-2 defeat to champions Manchester City will give his players “courage” against Aston Villa upon their return to Premier League action.

The Cottagers went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s side before the international break but were made to rue missed opportunities during the contest, with Adama Traore the most notable for squandering some gilt-edged chances at the Etihad.

However, Silva is confident his team can take encouragement from their display as they aim to maintain their unbeaten record at Craven Cottage this season.

“To see City finish with three central defenders with five at the back shows that we were creating problems for them, not just in transition,” Silva said.

“It gives us courage. We know what we are capable of doing, and it gives us the confidence to keep going in the direction that we want to go in, and to stick with our philosophy as a team.

“Looking at the chances that we did create throughout the game and comparing with City, we deserved more. But that’s football.”

Unai Emery, meanwhile, insisted his Aston Villa side will be raring to go when they return to domestic action after their stalemate with Manchester United last time out.

It was the Villans’ first goalless draw at Villa Park in the Premier League since May 2021, while the expected goals (xG) total between the two sides was just 1.05 – the lowest in a top-flight match so far this season.

With the international break allowing Villa to recuperate after a busy September schedule that saw them start their Champions League campaign with two wins, returning players will be a welcome addition, the Spaniard believes.

“It’s a nice moment to rest. This week we are going to work and recover some players. We are going to add [Boubacar] Kamara and [Tyrone] Mings, which is very good news. Hopefully some injured players can come back for the next match against Fulham,” Emery said.

“We will need players. Today we were more or less with some players out and we needed fresh players with good legs in the second half to help get our objective in this match.

“The players were really focusing on this match and gave their best. I’m happy because we are feeling strong here with our supporters and keeping a good position in the league and Champions League targeting our objectives. We are going to try to get there.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fulham – Andreas Pereira

No player has played more passes (including crosses) into the opposition box than Fulham’s Pereira in the Premier League this season (64), with the Brazilian also creating the most chances from set plays (16).

Pereira has also created 23 chances overall this term (level with Cole Palmer and Dwight McNeil), a total only bettered by Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (27) in the Premier League so far.

Aston Villa – Jhon Duran

After netting in midweek while on international duty with Colombia, Duran will be hoping to continue his remarkable scoring streak at Craven Cottage.

Duran has four goals in just 184 minutes of action in the Premier League this season, averaging a goal every 46 minutes so far. This is the best minutes-per-goal ratio of anyone to feature for at least 90 minutes this term.

MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN

Fulham are unbeaten in their three Premier League home games so far this season (W2 D1). They last had a longer run without defeat at Craven Cottage from the start of a campaign in 2011-12 (four).

The Cottagers lost this exact fixture 2-1 in February last season, though they have never lost consecutive home league games against Aston Villa before.

However, they face an uphill task against Emery’s men, who are unbeaten in their last five league games (W3 D2), though their 0-0 draw with United last time out was their first clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches.

Visits to London have proven fruitful for the Villans in recent years. They have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games in the capital (W8 D3). Their eight wins in this time (all under Emery) are as many as they’d managed in their previous 48 top-flight games in London.

Villa have also won five of their last six Premier League games against Fulham (L1), including the last three in a row. It’s more wins than they’d managed in their previous 19 against the Cottagers in the top-flight (W4 D10 L5), while they’ve never won four in a row against them in their league history.

No team has scored more goals from crosses than Aston Villa in the Premier League this season (five). No player has scored more such goals than Ollie Watkins (two), while Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans have two such assists each – only Saka (four) has more.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Fulham – 40.5%

Draw – 25.5%

Aston Villa – 34%

Ben Duckett's fourth Test century was overshadowed by Sajid Khan's spin bowling as England ended the second day of the second Test 239-6 in Multan. 

England started confidently with the bat, but the loss of four wickets in three overs had the hosts in the ascendency at stumps, with Sajid ending the day 4-86.

Pakistan resumed at 259-5 but lost the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan (41), Salman Ali Agha (31) and Sajid (two) early on, with Brydon Carse and Jack Leach doing the damage. 

Leach would end with figures of 4-114 for the first innings, claiming the dismissal of Noman Ali (32) as England were set a target of 366 to chase. 

Zak Crawley (27) fell after 12 overs having had two huge let-offs before being caught by Rizwan, then Ollie Pope (29) fell to Sajid, who would later demolish the rest of England's top and middle order.

Sajid grabbed the wicket of Joe Root (34) before striking out Duckett, who had notched 114 runs from his 129 deliveries in a composed showing at the crease.

However, Sajid was not finished there. Harry Brook, England's star from the first Test, was bowled out for nine, while Stokes was given his marching orders by Noman Ali, as the tourists lost four important wickets in just 18 balls. 

Carse (two) and Jamie Smith (12) were able to halt the onslaught late on, and they will start day three at the crease with England trailing by 127 runs.

Data Debrief: Duckett outshone by Sajid

Duckett's knock of 114 was his fourth Test century and his second in Pakistan, with 23% of his runs so far coming from sweeps.

Only one England player since 2006 (Joe Root versus Sri Lanka in 2018) has scored more of his first 100 runs in a specific Test innings with the sweep shot.

But his display was overshadowed by Sajid's showing with the ball in hand. His spin proved difficult to manage on the Multan surface, and Pakistan will be hoping that he can continue that form on Thursday.

Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City if the club lied to him over their alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, says football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

City's legal battle with the Premier League is anticipated to last approximately another two months, with the verdict made public next year, after an independent hearing started in September.

The English champions have been charged with 115 alleged breaches of competition rules over an extended period of time, including breaking financial rules, and failing to comply or provide accurate information to the investigation.

Points deductions and fines are on the cards as possible penalties if City are found guilty, though Maguire believes the most significant impact could be breaking trust with manager Guardiola.

"Txiki Begiristain [City's director of football] is leaving, that's more likely to have an impact than anything else, because I think Pep's the type of guy for whom relationships are a very important thing," Maguire told Stats Perform.

"He has also said that every time he's spoken to the club in relation to these charges, they've said they're completely innocent.

"If they've been proven to have lied to him, he'll be off, because I think on a principal point of view, where's the incentive to stay?"

Any theoretical penalty would depend on the severity of City's breaches, but Nottingham Forest and Everton were both punished with points deductions last season for financial misdemeanours.

Guardiola has continually spoken out in defence of his club, insisting innocence until proven guilty, though Maguire believes the former Barcelona boss may have already decided on his future regardless.

"I suspect in his own mind, he's probably 99% certain as to what he's going to do next summer," Maguire said of Guardiola, who had been linked to the England job before Thomas Tuchel was appointed on Wednesday.

"He's a very intense individual. His commitment to Manchester City is 24/7 and, as we saw with Jurgen Klopp, that has an impact on the rest of his life. He's got a family, he's got his own health to consider, and much broader issues."

Relegation has also been mooted as the most severe punishment if proven guilty, although Maguire questioned whether this would inspire Guardiola to silence his doubters.

"If Manchester City lose the case and they're subject to a 100-point deduction, part of him would fancy Swansea on a Tuesday night, just to prove [a point]," he added.

"One of the criticisms of Pep Guardiola, which I think is completely lacking in validity, is that he's only managed to be successful because he's had clubs with big budgets in big divisions.

"Look at the number of Manchester United managers over the course of the last decade who have had big budgets in a big division, who have not been successful.

"If you take a look at Chelsea's managers, they've spent 1.3 to 1.4 billion pounds on players in the last two years, they've not won anything.  So, I think you have to be careful."