Dwight McNeil is relishing playing in a central role in Everton's attack, as he aims to get Sean Dyche's team up the Premier League.

McNeil scored twice in the space of seven minutes, with his first being a wonderful strike from outside of the box, as Everton came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Saturday.

That marked the Toffees' first league win of the season, with Newcastle United next up at Goodison Park.

McNeil, who scored and assisted in Everton's 3-0 win in the corresponding fixture against Newcastle last season, has created 21 chances in the Premier League in 2024-25, more than any other player. Only Bukayo Saka (nine) and Cole Palmer (seven) have created more big chances than the 24-year-old's six, too.

His form has picked up since moving from the left flank into a role behind striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and McNeil is enjoying the positional switch.

McNeil told evertonfc.com: "Every time I've played centrally I've enjoyed it, because I feel like I'm always involved in the game.

"I've really enjoyed it. I know there is still a lot of work to be done – in and out of possession – for me to improve in that position, but I'm doing that in every game. For me, I've always found the best way I learn and improve is by actually playing and experiencing it for real.

"The stats, I don't really focus on them. For me, I think stats, at times, can overshadow what players actually do on the pitch. I find stats difficult because rule number one for me is to always just play well, and I know myself if I've done that or not. If I'm playing well and enjoying my football, all of that stuff comes with it. 

"My focus will always be on playing well, helping the team in any way I can and enjoying it, and, of course, getting on a winning run. That's the biggest thing for me – helping the team win games."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Everton - Ashley Young

Young has assisted a goal in each of his last two Premier League appearances, which is as many assists as he got in his previous 117 games combined.

At the age of 39, Young is the oldest player in Premier League history to assist a goal in consecutive games.

Newcastle United - Anthony Gordon

Former Everton winger Gordon has been involved in 13 goals in 23 Premier League appearances in 2024 for Newcastle (seven goals, six assists).

However, Gordon is yet to score or assist against his old club and has only scored one goal in his last 15 games at Goodison Park, which came against Crystal Palace in October 2022.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE WIN

Everton have lost just three of their last 20 Premier League home games against Newcastle (W12 D5), though two of those defeats have come across their last four such meetings (W2), including a 4-1 victory at Goodison Park in April 2023.

Newcastle have won five of their last eight Premier League meetings with Everton (D1 L2), as many as in their previous 24 against them (D6 L13). However, they failed to win either meeting with the Toffees last term (D1 L1).

Only Aston Villa and Manchester City (seven) have picked up more points from losing positions in the Premier League this season than Newcastle (five) – the Magpies have only lost two of their last seven games when conceding first (W2 D3), having lost 11 of their previous 13 games when going 1-0 down.

After losing their first four Premier League matches this season, Everton have picked up four points in their last two games (W1 D1). Dyche's side are looking for consecutive wins for the first time since April.

Newcastle have won 11 points in their six Premier League games this season (W3 D2 L1), their most at this stage of a top-flight season since 2011-12 (12) and Eddie Howe’s best start to a league season since 2010-11 in League One with Bournemouth (11 points).

Everton have won six of their last eight Premier League matches at Goodison Park (L2). Since the first game in this run on April 6, the Toffees have won more home points than any other Premier League side (18).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Everton - 30.9%

Newcastle - 43.9%

Draw - 25.2%

Steve Kerr believes the competition for places will allow the Golden State Warriors "a chance to reinvent ourselves" ahead of the new NBA season.

The Warriors are aiming to improve on a difficult 2023-24 season, during which they finished 10th in the Western Conference and missed out on the playoffs for only the third time in 12 years.

Kerr struggled to find his strongest combination and constantly rotated during the campaign, using 27 different starting line-ups.

Aside from Stephen Curry, who he sees as a guaranteed starter, the head coach does not think choosing his strongest team will be an easy task either.

However, Kerr is aiming to use the selection dilemma to his and his players' advantage.

"There is competition across the board," he told reporters. "It's not as simple as: 'Who is going to be the two?' It's got to be: 'Who is going to be the five? Who's the four?' We know that Steph is the one, but what's the combination?"

"The starting line-up is going to have to be dependent, not only on the first five fitting, but the second fitting as well. We've got a lot of work to do to figure out line-ups. All the guys can do is compete.

"This feels like a new beginning for us, whereas last year felt like an extension of who we already were. It gives us a chance to reinvent ourselves a little bit.

"It's easier when you know your starting five, and you know your first four guys off of the bench. [It is] way easier as a coach knowing that.

"But, we don't have that. So, let's turn that into a positive and turn it into competition. Let's establish our identity out of that competition."

Carlos Alcaraz described Jannik Sinner as "a beast" and the world's best player after downing the Italian in Wednesday's remarkable China Open final.

Alcaraz and Sinner battled it out for over three hours in the Beijing showpiece match, with Alcaraz eventually triumphing 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 7-6 (7-3).

The Spaniard took the decisive tie-break with a remarkable run of seven straight points, having lost a tie-break in the opening set to fall behind.

At the age of 21 years and 150 days, Alcaraz is the youngest player to defeat the world number one in an ATP event final after losing the opening set since Juan Martin del Potro (20 years, 356 days), who came back to beat Roger Federer at the US Open in 2009.

Speaking after his sixth career win over the Italian (four defeats), Alcaraz outlined his belief he had overcome the very best in the sport.

"He could have won in two, I could have won in two, he could have won in three. It was a really close match," said Alcaraz. 

"Jannik, once again, he showed that he's the best player in the world, at least for me. 

"The level that he's playing, it's unbelievable. It's a really high quality of tennis. His shots, physically, mentally... he's a beast."

Sinner breezed into a 3-0 lead in the third-set tie-break, only for Alcaraz to show extraordinary resilience to maintain his 100% record against Sinner this year, having previously beaten him at Indian Wells and Roland Garros.

"I never lost hope. Honestly I knew that every tie-break Jannik plays is almost on his side," Alcaraz said of the decider. 

"I thought that in the third set, I'm not going to lie down after two mini-breaks for him. I thought, 'okay, I have to give everything that I have just to try to give myself the opportunity to be close'.

"During the whole week I've been playing great tennis. Probably sometimes the luck went to my side a little bit in the matches."

Erik ten Hag insists Manchester United are "going to make a success of the season", despite their difficult start to the 2024-25 campaign.

United are 12th in the Premier League, having collected just seven points; their joint-fewest after the first six games in a single season (matching their total from 2013-14 and 2020-21).

Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Tottenham at Old Trafford provided their latest setback, while increasing the pressure on Ten Hag, whose side face Porto in the Europa League on Thursday before returning to Premier League action against Aston Villa three days later.

Against Spurs, United conceded in the first three minutes of both halves in a single Premier League game for only the second time, while allowing their third-highest xG (4.59) by an opponent since records began in 2009. 

Ange Postecoglou's side also created nine big chances, with a team only registering more in five previous games in Premier League history.

The Red Devils also have an xG against of 11.04, a tally only lower than Brentford and the three promoted sides, but Ten Hag is confident the tide will turn.

"We are going to make a success of the season," he told Sky Sports. 

"Nothing is easy, but this is nothing for me to panic about. We can sort [the problems] out, this team can sort this out."

The Dutchman also insists he is concerned by the latest speculation surrounding his future at Old Trafford, where he has ended both his previous campaigns with silverware.

"I'm not thinking about it, I'm not anxious," he added. "We created a togetherness in the summer with the ownership and the leadership.

"We made this agreement, and we were all behind it. We know the strategy [is to bring in] young players in a transition period.

"They also know in May in all my last six seasons, there were always trophies, and that is what we are aiming for."

Carlos Alcaraz struck seven successive points in a deciding tie-break to seal a remarkable victory over world number one Jannik Sinner in the China Open final.

The leading lights of tennis' next generation of stars battled it out for well over three hours in Beijing on Wednesday before Alcaraz finally prevailed 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 7-6 (7-3).

Having cruised into a 5-2 lead in the opening set, Alcaraz wobbled to allow defending champion Sinner to reel off four of the next five games to force a tie-break that the Italian won with three breaks of serve.

An hour-long second set was settled in Alcaraz's favour, but a topsy-turvy decider went the distance.

Having given up the first break, Sinner responded by hitting back in game eight to restore parity, with another tie-break required.

Sinner breezed into a 3-0 lead, only for Alcaraz to string together an extraordinary run of seven straight points to claim the crown.

Data Debrief: King Carlos

It is now 6-4 to Alcaraz in the head-to-head between the Spaniard and Sinner.

Alcaraz has now won all three of their matches this season, triumphing previously at both Indian Wells and Roland-Garros. It is the first time either of the duo has won three straight matches against the other.

At the age of 21 years and 150 days, Alcaraz is the youngest player to defeat the world number one in an ATP event final after losing the opening set since Juan Martin del Potro (20y 356d), who came back to beat Roger Federer at the US Open in 2009.

LeBron James believes it would be "unfair" to put too many expectations on the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers will be working under a new coach in the upcoming season, with JJ Redick having come in to replace Darvin Ham.

Los Angeles were defeated 4-1 by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs last season.

And though the core of a roster that reached the conference finals two seasons ago remains in place, James does not think expectations should be too high, too early.

"I don't have any expectations," James said after the first day of the Lakers' training camp.

"And that's unfair to put any expectations on us right now. The only thing that we can count on each other is how we come to practice and come to work every day."

James said it had been a "great first day" but stressed that it will take time for the Lakers to adjust to their new coach's methods.

He added: "It was very detail oriented.

"It's a collision course for all of us. We're all learning on the fly."

The Lakers kept hold of Max Christie over the offseason, and James believes he will be a crucial cog in 2024-25.

"I think Max will be a big part of our rotation," James said.

"He's gotten better and better and I'm happy we were able to bring him back in the summertime. I look forward to a bright season from him."

Paulo Fonseca viewed Milan's display in their Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen as their best performance of the season.

Milan went down 1-0 at BayArena on Tuesday, meaning they have now lost both of their matches so far in the new-look competition.

The seven-time European champions are now winless across their last six matches against German opposition in major competitions (D4 L2) since a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in April 2007.

Milan came on strong after Victor Boniface's goal early in the second half, though prior to that had been by far second best, mustering only one shot and 0.04 expected goals (xG) in the opening 45 minutes.

They hit the woodwork in the second half while Lukas Hradecky made a smart stop to deny Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and despite the rather grim match statistics, Fonseca believes his team turned in their best display of the campaign.

"We didn't win, but it's the game I've liked the most since I arrived here," Fonseca told Sky Sport.

"Especially in the second half. We played a fantastic game, it's not easy against a team like Leverkusen.

"We are sad and disappointed with the result, but I am satisfied with the courage and form shown.

"It was difficult for us. In the first half we suffered on the wings."

In the closing minutes, Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie made a challenge on Loftus-Cheek at the edge of the area, which the Milan boss believes should have resulted in a penalty.

"For me it's a penalty, it's an intervention on the line," Fonseca said. "What's strange is that they haven't even reviewed the situation. The referee during the game had no doubts, but I don't like to talk about the referee."

Speaking to Milan TV, Fonseca said his side deserved to get something from the game.

"I honestly think the result is not fair, in the second half we created many clear chances," he said.

"It's true that we didn't win, but there was an improvement in our growth. It was evident. This is why we must move forward, because the growth is evident." 

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso says his team "have to know how to suffer and fight" after their Champions League win over Milan.

Victor Boniface scored early in the second half at BayArena on Tuesday, and though Milan hit the woodwork as they searched for an equaliser, the Bundesliga champions held firm.

Leverkusen have now taken six points from their opening two Champions League matches.

After dominating the first half, in which they mustered six shots on target – only once ever having more on record (since 2003-04) when facing Real Sociedad in October 2013 (seven) – Leverkusen were less convincing following Boniface's goal.

But Alonso put that down to fatigue following Leverkusen's 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich on Saturday, in which his side were largely dominated but held on for a point.

"I think it's great news that German football is competitive. It's good news for us too to have achieved this result against Milan," Alonso told Sky Sports.

"Our first sixty minutes were good but in the end we suffered from fatigue after the game against Bayern Munich.

"We showed spirit and character, these three points are very good. In the Champions League you have to know how to suffer and fight, not just play well.

"We struggled a lot to score but maybe after the goal we changed our approach too quickly. Maybe we lacked something on a physical level.

"We had the right respect and took them very seriously. The last 20 minutes were not quite as good, but the players gave everything to get the three points."

Leverkusen are now unbeaten across their last ten home games in major European competition (W7 D3), their longest such run in club history.

Brendan Rodgers lamented "a game where every mistake we made got punished" after Celtic's 7-1 hammering at the hands of Borussia Dortmund.

Last year's Champions League runners-up Dortmund extended their club record unbeaten home run in the competition to 12 matches (W8 D4) in emphatic fashion on Tuesday.

Karim Adeyemi led the way with a first-half hat-trick as BVB led 5-1 at the break, with the forward becoming the first Dortmund player to score three goals in the opening 45 minutes of a major European game since Marcio Amoroso in a 2002 UEFA Cup semi-final against Milan.

Celtic, who equalised just two minutes after Emre Can had opened the scoring from the penalty spot at Signal Iduna Park, became the first British team to concede five goals in the first half of a game in major European competition since Cwmbran Town against Progresul Bucharest in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup.

For the third time in his managerial career, after 7-0 and 7-1 drubbings by Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain respectively in 2016 and 2017, Rodgers saw his side ship seven goals in the Champions League.

"I don't think I've been involved in a game where every mistake we made got punished," Rodgers told TNT Sports.

"It was a tough watch, to be honest. We weren't at our best. They showed why they are a top, top team. We didn't make the start we wanted.

"We went in high in confidence. We felt we were in a really good place. We had to start much better than we did, as we gave away really cheap goals. And we got punished for loose bits of play and passes.

"They were ruthless in their finishing. It was incredible to see.

"My job is to go away and inspire the players again. We need to learn from it or we will get punished at this level."

Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin, meanwhile, said his team have set a "benchmark" for their level of performance moving forward, after what has been an inconsistent start to the season.

Speaking to Amazon Prime, Sahin said: "Of course I'm extremely happy, but I can also put the game in Stuttgart [a 5-1 loss] into perspective – and today.

"What makes me happiest is how the guys worked up front. Goals like that come when you run up front like that. We didn't manage that at all in Stuttgart.

"With the speed and quality up front, we’re hard to beat. This coverage, the will to win the ball, has to be the benchmark. We've made steps in our notorious development."

Dortmund matched their joint-highest victory in the Champions League, matching a 6-0 win over Legia Warsaw in 2016.

Inter strikers Mehdi Taremi and Marko Arnautovic took their opportunity to impress in a 4-0 Champions League victory over Red Star Belgrade, says Simone Inzaghi.

Taremi converted a penalty and provided two assists, including one for Arnautovic, as Inter overwhelmed the visitors and forced them into costly errors at the back.

Their success came through an energetic pressing game from Taremi in particular, with Inzaghi keen to give the pair an opportunity to start ahead of Lautaro Martínez, who came off the bench to score, and Marcus Thuram.

"The lads were good, they played a serious game against a team that came to play a purely defensive game," Inzaghi told Sky Sport.

"Apart from a couple of counter-attacks that we could have read better and the first five minutes of the second half, everything went well."

He singled out Taremi, 32, and Arnautovic, 35, for praise, adding: "They are giving it their all, I have to make decisions game by game.

"They deserved this opportunity and took advantage of it very well.

"We have two strikers who are playing more, Thuram and Lautaro, but the season is long. Arnautovic and Taremi are two players that I wanted here.

"I am satisfied with how they work daily (in training) and they must continue like this." 

Martinez's goal, meanwhile, was his 13th in the Champions League for Inter.

Only Adriano (14) has ever scored more in the competition for the club.

After drawing 0-0 with Manchester City in their opening game, Tuesday's victory was another step in the right direction for Inter, who have not had the greatest start to the season in Serie A.

"We wanted this victory to follow up the performance in Manchester. We have to continue in this direction. I got the answers I wanted, I'm satisfied," Inzaghi said.

Inter are unbeaten across their last ten Champions League games at San Siro (W8 D2), eight of which have been accompanied by a clean sheet. They have never recorded a longer such streak in the competition before (since the format started in 1992-93).

Raphinha believes Barcelona must be proud of their response after they bounced back from Saturday's defeat to Osasuna with a five-star Champions League display.

Barca opened in the Champions League with a 2-1 loss at Monaco two weeks ago and, after a great start to their LaLiga campaign that featured seven consecutive wins, slumped to a stunning 4-2 defeat at Osasuna over the weekend.

Yet Hansi Flick's team were back at their best as they cruised to an emphatic 5-0 win over Young Boys on Tuesday.

Raphinha, who was Player of the Match following a goal and an assist for one of Robert Lewandowski's two strikes, said the result was the confidence boost the team needed to keep improving.

"We knew that with this new Champions League format, after losing our debut at Monaco we needed to hit back quickly and decisively and that is what we did," Raphinha told Movistar Plus.

"The LaLiga loss at Osasuna over the weekend was an added pressure but the team responded well and I'm proud of our performance.

"In this new Champions League, not only every point but also every goal scored counts so the more, the better."

Flick echoed Raphinha's sentiment, even though he knows there is a long way to go.

"We have to start the games a bit stronger. We need to be more dynamic as a team from the start but at least it has been improving as the minutes have gone by," Flick told Movistar Plus.

"Nobody knows how this new Champions League will work but it is always good to have a good goal difference.

"I'm happy with Raphinha who played really well but we can't talk about just one player, the most important is to play as a team. Raphinha can only play this well if his teammates play well too."

In scoring twice, Lewandowski became only the second player to net 50 Champions League goals after turning 30, following Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mikel Arteta hailed Kai Havertz as "unbelievable" after the Germany international's star turn against Paris Saint-Germain.

The 25-year-old put Arsenal on the path to a 2-0 home win over PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday with a well-timed run and header in the 20th minute.

After taking 10 games to get off the mark for Arsenal last season, it was his fifth goal for the club in the 2024-25 campaign and he was deservedly named Player of the Match.

Havertz got both of his two shots on target, while also playing one key pass as he scored just his second goal in his last 14 Champions League appearances, with his other goal coming for Arsenal in November 2023 against Lens.

"He has been unbelievable. His football brain, the way he understands space, his timing, he brings people together," said Arteta.

"His work ethic is incredible and now he is a real threat around the box. He is one of our main players at the moment."

It was a satisfying night for Arteta, whose team dominated one of Europe's heavyweights in the first half and then comfortably contained them after the break, with Bukayo Saka doubling the Gunners' tally before half-time.

Saka has now been directly involved in eight goals in six home Champions League appearances for Arsenal, with all five of his goals coming at the Emirates. In Champions League history, only three players have more goals with all coming at one stadium – Diogo Rincon at NSK Olimpijs'kyj, Esteban Cambiasso at the San Siro and Lee Bowyer at Elland Road (six goals each).

"Really, really happy with the performance. We played an opponent that has a lot of personality, is really difficult to deal with when you don't have the ball," he said.

"The first half was very dominant and we created a lot of chances and then the second half was a different story.

"We suffered much more than we should have done. The Champions League brings different demands but I think we handled it really well."

Victory, following the 0-0 draw away to Atalanta, propelled Arsenal to eighth in the 36-team table and Arteta said it was far too early to start predicting how many more wins his side will need to qualify automatically for the last 16.

"I'm not even looking at the table," he said. "But I think it will be a long journey."

Another boost for Arsenal was the sight of new signing Mikel Merino coming off the bench for his first appearance in the second half after missing the start of the season with injury.

On the downside, full-back Jurrien Timber was forced off at half-time with a muscle issue.

"He was unbelievable in the first half, but he felt something muscular and he wasn't certain," Arteta said of the Dutchman.

"So I didn't want to take any risks. He's been out for a year and he's played a lot of minutes, probably more minutes than we would have wanted in the past few weeks."

The Gunners' defensive grit was also on show. Arsenal have kept 17 clean sheets in 32 games in all competitions in 2024, the most of any Premier League side. Indeed, across Europe's big-five leagues this year, only Real Madrid have kept more (18).