First-half goals from Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi eased Leicester to a 2-0 victory and into the second round of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Burton.

On a relatively trouble-free night for new Leicester boss Enzo Maresca, the Foxes quickly got the game under control with Iheanacho taking just six minutes to breach the Brewers defence with a calmly taken side-foot effort into the corner of the goal, converting skipper Marc Albrighton’s cross.

Leicester dominated possession but Albion provided stubborn resistance and as the half wore on the hosts grew into the game, with debutant Ryan Sweeney seeing a header frantically cleared away from danger.

City then doubled their lead in first-half stoppage-time, Ndidi finding the top corner after Iheanacho had raced clear and set him up.

Iheanacho almost grabbed his second two minutes into the second half but was denied by a good save from Jamal Blackman as Leicester looked to put the game firmly beyond the League One side.

Wanya Marcal-Madivadua and Harry Winks also went close to a third for Leicester before the hour mark.

Burton almost set up a potentially nervy ending through substitute Josh Gordon but his effort curled narrowly wide of Jakub Stolarczyk’s post.

Ryan McLean’s injury-time strike completed a remarkable turnaround for AFC Wimbledon as they stunned Championship visitors Coventry 2-1.

Mark Robins’ side enjoyed plenty of the ball in south London and deservedly led through a Matty Godden penalty.

Despite creating a number of excellent opportunities, they were dealt two sucker punches right at the death, Omar Bugiel lashing home an equaliser four minutes from time, before McLean’s calm finish sent Plough Lane into raptures.

They should have been ahead within 90 seconds, however, James Tilley inexplicably side-footing wide from eight yards having been found by the weaving Aron Sasu.

Godden and the busy Tatsuhiro Sakamoto were then denied in quick succession by Nik Tzanev in the Dons goal, before Joe Lewis chopped down Haji Wright – Godden making no mistake.

Godden, Gustavo Hamer and Jake Bidwell continued to work the Wimbledon keeper, though the pick was a brilliant reaction save from less than a yard from Ellis Simms.

And just as it seemed Coventry had got away with their profligacy, Johnnie Jackson’s men turned the tie around.

McLean’s cross was met perfectly by Bugiel, striking home having timed his run into the penalty area superbly, with McLean himself showing coolness of mind to turn in a cross deep into added-on time; a remarkable way in which to score his first goal in professional football.

Katie Archibald “struggled with the pressure” after narrowly missing out on a medal in the women’s omnium to close the track events at the UCI Cycling World Championships.

Archibald came into the worlds on home turf in Glasgow still grieving her late partner Rab Wardell, who died suddenly at home last year, and had spoken of her desire to honour his memory in competition this week.

She did that and more as she helped Britain to women’s team pursuit gold at the weekend, and she then delivered an attacking performance in the points race to round out the omnium but was narrowly denied bronze by Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky as American Jennifer Valente successfully defended her title.

The two-time Olympic champion left nothing in reserve in the deciding points race, but had left herself with too much to do after mistakes in the tempo and elimination races midway through the competition, starting the final event down in eighth and hauling herself up to fourth.

“It’s nice to at least finish on a race where I feel like I’ve given it my all,” the 29-year-old said. “I’ve had this anxiety building since May, really, feeling like you’re going to be trotted out for slaughter. I thought once I got racing that maybe it would be OK.

“But the scratch race didn’t go to plan, the tempo went so far from what I wanted it, then I made a massive mistake in the elimination race – a passive mistake, which is more frustrating.

“I came off so low after the elimination but the pressure was gone then. I was at the bottom of the pack. I’ve struggled with the pressure.”

Having left herself with work to do, Archibald began the points race in determined fashion, launching her first big attack 15 laps into the race and needing only five laps to catch the back of the pack, picking up 20 points to vault into medal contention.

She launched another big move with 31 laps to go but this time dragged Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen and Kopecky with her, keeping both of them ahead in the standings behind Valente.

Archibald tried another big attack going into the final sprint but Kopecky came around her before the line to take the bronze medal with 133 points to Archibald’s 127.

British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said: “Katie’s shown an incredible resilience. She’s had an incredibly tough year.

“For those of us who have found ourselves in those situations at different times, you know, just getting through the day and getting on with it again tomorrow is tough.

“I’m pleased that she’s felt the team and her team-mates have been able to help her with that feeling of family, love and support.

“But we so admire the resilience that she’s shown to get up every day, get back on the bike, get back into training and be in a position to turn up here, really get out and deliver her best – and to honour her former partner Rab – while recognising the support and love she’s had from across the country.

“This is just one step as she continues to grow, as she continues to grieve – and hopefully she continues towards Paris and LA. She’s a stand-out character, stand-out performer with some great team-mates around her.”

The Premier League may have to scrap its mid-season break due to the overcrowding of the football calendar.

The change could come into effect next season with FIFA’s revamped 32-team Club World Cup set to take place in the summer of 2025, as well as a larger-scale World Cup the following year.

The Premier League introduced the break – which this season will take the form of a structured two-week period in January – in 2018 in a bid to ease the workload on players, but chief executive Richard Masters admits it is under discussion as it could become unworkable.

“It is one of the things we are discussing with the FA and EFL. We want the Premier League, the big cup competitions and the EFL to flourish and that requires an adjustment,” he said.

“It is the last season where it’s recognisable under the current international match calendar, where the Premier League starts on a particular weekend and the FA Cup final has its own weekend and you have the Champions League after that and a mid-season player break in the middle.

“A lot will have to change because of the additional European dates. We are also very much aware of the changes to FIFA’s competitions. The World Cup is getting bigger, an additional group stage game is going to be added. Inevitably that’s going to take up more calendar space.

“You obviously have the views of the players’ union and the players being expressed very strongly now.

“From a leagues perspective, the European Leagues and World Leagues Forum are very clear on this, there has to be a forum for domestic competitions to be able to discuss the impact of regional and global decisions on the calendar.

“There’s lots of dialogue with UEFA, very little dialogue with FIFA.”

There were almost double the usual amount of yellow cards shown over the first weekend of the EFL season as the crackdown on time-wasting and player behaviour came into force.

Masters expects the same in the top flight until players and managers get used to the law changes.

“I think these things will level out,” he added. “It’s not the first crackdown that the governing bodies have had, in relation to surrounding referees for example.

“Players and managers need time to adjust and actually the officials need time to adjust.

“But over a period of time, rather than it to sort of dissipate and not have impact, everyone’s behaviour adjusts and things settle down.

“There will be more yellow cards. I don’t know whether a doubling of yellow cards is a good thing or a bad thing. It certainly sends a message that the officials are true to their word.”

Chief executive Richard Masters has confirmed the Premier League is investigating Chelsea regarding “historic” financial issues that the club reported.

It was reported on Tuesday the Blues are the subject of a Premier League investigation for alleged breaches of financial regulations during Roman Abramovich’s time at the club.

Current owners Todd Boehly and the Clearlake Capital Consortium, who took over last summer after Abramovich was forced to sell following sanctions as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, reportedly flagged the potential issue to the Premier League and Football Association themselves.

That now appears to have been confirmed by Masters, who said: “We don’t comment on investigations unless they are out in the public domain. You obviously know who has been charged, that much is clear.

“We have been pretty open about the historic issues with regard to Chelsea because they self-reported to the Premier League and to the FA so it is obvious we are looking into that.”

UEFA announced last month it had been approached “proactively” by the club, who agreed to pay 10million euros (£8.57million) to Europe’s governing body after owning up to “incomplete financial reporting” between 2012 and 2019.

Chelsea said in a statement at the time their new owners became aware of potential impropriety when carrying out a “thorough due diligence process” prior to the purchase.

According to reports, no charges have yet been brought by the Premier League, but, even though the allegations relate to a previous ownership, possible sanctions could include a fine or points deduction if the club are found guilty of any wrongdoing.

Chelsea have been contacted for comment.

Goals from Jack Taylor and Sone Aluko saw Ipswich through to the second round of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Bristol Rovers.

The 2-0 scoreline confirmed the Tractor Boys’ dominance but the visitors had their chances and Ipswich goalkeeper Cieran Slicker kept a clean sheet for Town when he stuck out a foot to deflect a shot from Jevani Brown.

Ipswich took the lead in the 12th minute when a cross from Kayden Jackson was met by Taylor who fired the ball past Bristol’s goalkeeper Matthew Cox.

Rovers’ keeper was robbed of the ball by Freddie Ladapo and Taylor chipped towards an empty net but Tristan Crama rushed back to clear off the line.

Slicker was called into action for the first time in the 36th minute when he parried the ball away following a 25-yard effort from former Town midfielder Grant Ward.

Cox then pushed the ball out for a corner following a close-range effort from Ladapo and Slicker came to Ipswich’s rescue when he deflected Brown’s shot away.

Town sealed the win in the 76th minute through second half substitute Aluko, who was picked out in the penalty area by George Hirst.

Rangers left themselves with work to do to see off Servette after a narrow 2-1 win over the Swiss side in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round at Ibrox.

Skipper James Tavernier scored a penalty in the sixth minute before striker Cyriel Dessers knocked in a second eight minutes later for his first Gers goal.

The Light Blues were in command but, just before the break, Servette attacker Chris Bedia reduced the deficit from the spot after the VAR intervened to flag up a Dessers handball.

Servette’s hapless David Douline, who conceded the penalty for a foul on Todd Cantwell, was sent off in the 59th minute for picking up the second of two yellow cards for a foul on the Light Blues midfielder to leave his side with 10 men for more than half an hour.

However, the resolute visitors prevented further damage and will fancy their chances of turning the tie around in Switzerland next Tuesday night.

Veteran Gael Monfils stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the third round of the National Bank Open in Toronto.

The flamboyant former top-10 star has struggled with injuries over the past year and is ranked down at 276 but showed he still possesses the skills to trouble the very best with a 6-4 6-3 victory over fourth seed Tsitsipas.

The Greek, who won a title in Mexico last weekend, made a lot of mistakes, particularly on his forehand wing, but Monfils, three weeks short of his 37th birthday, was excellent in defence and attack.

Home favourite Milos Raonic continued his resurgence, meanwhile, following up his upset of Frances Tiafoe by seeing off qualifier Taro Daniel 6-4 6-3.

The former Wimbledon finalist did not compete between July 2021 and this June because of injuries and is unsure what the future holds but he has made it back-to-back victories at the Canadian Masters event for the first time in seven years.

He next faces American Mackenzie McDonald, who knocked out sixth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-3, while second seed Daniil Medvedev is safely through after a 6-2 7-5 win over Matteo Arnaldi.

Summer signing Jason Knight scored twice as Bristol City thrashed Oxford 5-1 in an entertaining Carabao Cup first-round clash at Ashton Gate.

Oxford’s Billy Bodin cancelled out Harry Cornick’s opener, but Knight’s brace either side of the interval put the hosts in charge before Nahki Wells and Kal Naismith added further goals.

The Championship side took a 15th-minute lead when debutant left-back Haydon Roberts combined well with Anis Mehmeti on the left and crossed low for Cornick to shoot home from close range.

But Oxford had created several chances before then and deservedly equalised on the half hour through former Bristol Rovers player Bodin’s looping far post header from a Fin Stevens cross.

City were in front again five minutes later ex-Derby County midfielder Knight fired past James Beadle from 12 yards after Mehmeti’s cross was only half cleared.

Knight came up with a repeat performance two minutes after the break, netting with another low drive from a Roberts cross.

Three minutes later, Wells broke clear on to a defensive error and rounded Beadle before slotting the fourth.

Naismith volleyed the fifth seconds after going on as a 61st-minute substitute before another home switch gave a debut to 17-year-old attacker Ephraim Yeboah.

Leeds made hard work of reaching the second round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 home win over League One side Shrewsbury at a packed Elland Road.

The much-changed Championship newcomers trailed to Taylor Perry’s first-half opener but progressed thanks to goals from Joe Gelhardt and Pascal Struijk early in the second period.

Leo Hjelde and Archie Gray both had early efforts for the home side and Ian Poveda should have done better 25 minutes in but his under-hit low shot was comfortable for Marko Marosi.

Shrewsbury grabbed the lead just two minutes later when Perry was allowed to run at goal and his shot deflected off a defender and went in off the post, giving debutant Karl Darlow no chance.

Leeds were level seven minutes into the second half as Poveda’s shot was saved by Marosi and Gelhardt directed the ball into the net off his thigh.

They soon had a second as half-time substitute Struijk volleyed home left-footed at the far post after a corner had been headed on.

Poveda shot off target with 20 minutes to go and Dan James had an effort deflected wide but Daniel Farke’s side had already done enough to progress.

Hearts head coach Frankie McAvoy is expecting a “real tough game” when his side come up against Rosenborg in the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round first-leg in Norway.

The Jambos will be looking to make it to the group stage for the second consecutive year but need to beat the 26-time Norwegian champions and would then meet either Hajduk Split or PAOK if they are to play in the main draw again, and McAvoy is not underestimating their opponents.

He told a press conference: “We are expecting a real tough game if I’m honest.

“I think they are undefeated in six as well so that shows what kind of form they are on but we are prepared as best as we can coming here.

“It’s a big game there’s no doubt about that, we’ve set a few aims for ourselves to try and qualify to get into the group stages, we’ve got a tough opponent there’s no doubt about that.

“We will do our utmost, do our best here to take a good positive result back to a full house at Tynecastle and that can be a daunting task for anybody.”

Hearts started their league campaign in style on Saturday with a 2-0 win over St Johnstone thanks to goals from Yutaro Oda and Lawrence Shankland.

In contrast, Rosenborg sit eighth in Norway’s Eliteserien but have recently seen an upturn in form, winning each of their last four league games.

McAvoy continued: “In terms of match sharpness they are probably ahead of us but there’s no reason why we can’t come here and do extremely well and that’s what we are hoping to do.

“But we’ve got a good competitive group, we believe we have a good squad and we are hoping we can come here and do ourselves justice tomorrow night.

“You can see when you walk down the tunnel, you can see their record in Europe but they have brought a new manager in and have started to do well. They’ve played Scottish competition before and know what they will be coming up against.”

Emma Finucane capped a breakout year as she became Britain’s first women’s sprint world champion in a decade at the UCI Cycling World Championships.

The 20-year-old got the better of Germany’s Lea Friedrich to win the final 2-0, the first time Britain had picked up a medal of any colour in this event since Becky James took the world title in 2013.

“It’s pretty surreal to be honest,” the Welsh rider said. “I can’t really believe that I’m world champion.

“I don’t think it will ever sink in but I really wanted this, I worked really hard for this with my coach Kaarle (McCulloch) and the team back in Manchester so it’s definitely super special.

“Especially after coming so close in the team sprint and then crashing in the keirin, but everything happens for a reason and this was meant to happen for me so it’s super special.”

Finucane has been a key part of Britain’s changing fortunes in the women’s sprint and last week was part of the trio that won team sprint silver alongside Sophie Capewell and Lauren Bell, building on their bronze last year.

This year she has also picked up four national titles, a Nations Cup win in Cairo, and two silver medals at the European championships.

“After winning in Cairo I knew it was in there and it’s just executing,” she said. “I knew I could do it, it’s just how you do it.

“This year has been pretty special for me and I’ve broken through but there’s still so much more to come for Paris, and I’m excited to start that journey again.”

There were emotional scenes with McCulloch, who is leaving her post after these championships for personal reasons, in tears during the celebrations.

“Emotions are super high because Kaarle is leaving and I feel like this was my last race with her and to win it with her and for her is super special,” Finucane added.

“I knew I was going well after the team sprint so I really wanted it in the keirin and after crashing I just used that as motivation to give everything and show everyone that I can do it.”

Jack Carlin missed out the medals in the men’s keirin on his home track as he took fifth place in the final, with Will Perrett also fifth in the men’s points race.

Anthony Joshua has acknowledged there is a doping problem in boxing but is unsure whether longer bans are the best solution for a cleaner sport.

Joshua was set to fight old rival Dillian Whyte at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, but Whyte had to be pulled from the bout after “adverse analytical findings” were discovered in his doping test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) and he now aims to prove his innocence.

It saw 39-year-old Robert Helenius drafted in as a last-minute opponent but the elephant in the room for Joshua’s latest fight week is the worrying trend of positive tests in the sport.

During the past 18 months British duo Amir Khan and Conor Benn have failed drugs test and while Benn’s suspension was lifted last month, pending an appeal by UK Anti-Doping, it adds to the long list of boxers to fail tests with Tyson Fury and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvaraz previously serving suspensions.

Joshua reflected on the darker side of the sport ahead of this weekend’s fight with Helenius and says targeting local gyms would help get to the root of the problem.

“There is a doping problem in the sport, definitely,” Joshua said.

“I can’t speak on the numbers, I don’t really mix inside the boxing industry. I don’t know but it’s a problem.

“Am I surprised? It happens in boxing. It’s not the first and won’t be the last, so no, I was not surprised to be honest.

“It is a dangerous sport but I am not disgusted. Boxing is not an institution where you join a club and everything is presented to you, these guys go to local gyms and they are around people who might be doing dodgy stuff so you have to be very, very responsible.

“I hope it is a mistake (for Whyte) but it shows why I have to invest in these tests and the team have now got Helenius tested because it is important because this stuff happens.

“It doesn’t fill me with anger, no, but it’s not good. I don’t think we just need longer bans, I think we need to look at it at the root.

“I don’t know the solution but I always mind my Ps and Qs because I don’t want my reputation damaged.”

Joshua is no stranger to seeing his opponent embroiled in a doping storm after Jarrell Miller failed a test ahead of their planned 2019 fight, which subsequently saw Andy Ruiz Jr given a chance and produce a huge shock victory at Madison Square Gardens to become world champion.

Miller would later serve a suspension and test positive again a year later but it has not stopped him accusing Joshua of doping.

Brixton boxer Whyte, meanwhile, has already served a two-year doping ban in 2012 and yet has taken aim at his British rival in the past with accusations of Joshua being “the Lance Armstrong of boxing” in 2019.

Joshua questioned: “How can people get away with doping if you are getting random drug tests?

“I get drug-tested all year round. Every quarter I have to submit my whereabouts, where I am going to be, every day, for every hour of the day so they can turn up randomly.

“I have submitted that every day of my life since 2011. So, I don’t know why I am under this pressure but all these other boxers aren’t?

“When you sign up to a promoter, they should all have that in the deal. It damages the sport. Look where we are at with this situation, we lost the fight and nearly lost the card because of this situation.

“I have a long history of being drug-tested and sometimes you have to question the person who keeps pointing the finger.

“It’s funny that the two people who have accused me have popped dirty themselves.

“Maybe they did it because of my physique or my success, my rise. It maybe didn’t make sense to them but it’s God-gifted and a lot of hard work.”

Joshua first found out about Whyte’s failed test on Saturday morning and despite wanting to fight at O2 Arena, he would never have stepped in the ring with the south Londoner after learning of his test results.

“I don’t know what Dillian supposedly took,” Joshua said.

“(But) I wouldn’t fight him on drugs, no way. It’s not right, it’s not morally right.

“I was drug-tested in our previous fight, I have been drug-tested since 2011, I don’t know if he was on drugs when he boxed before, but I won.”

Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs was sentenced Wednesday to three to 10 years in prison for killing a woman and her dog while driving drunk in November 2021.

Ruggs pleaded guilty in May to a felony charge of driving under the influence causing death in the accident that killed 24-year-old Tina Tintor near the Las Vegas Sunset Strip on Nov. 2, 2021, as well as a misdemeanour count of vehicular manslaughter. 

The 2020 first-round pick will be eligible for parole after three years.

Police reports stated that Ruggs was driving at speeds of up to 156 mph before his Chevrolet Corvette Stingray rear-ended an SUV driven by Tintor. Tests taken after the incident revealed Ruggs' blood alcohol content to be over 0.16 per cent, more than twice the legal limit in Nevada.

Tintor and her dog, Max, died from thermal injuries as a result of the accident, according to the Clark County cornorer's office.

The Raiders released Ruggs from the remainder of his four-year, $16.7 million contract less than 24 hours after his arrest.

Ruggs read a prepared statement during Wednesday's hearing in which he apologised to Tintor's family and expressed remorse for his actions.

"To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologise for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021 have caused you, your family and those who knew Ms. Tina and Max," he said. 

"I let my family, my teammates and those who believed in me down with my actions and hurt so many."

The Raiders selected Ruggs with the 12th overall pick of the 2020 draft. The 24-year-old appeared in 20 games with Las Vegas and totalled 921 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 50 catches. 

 

 

 

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