Inthewaterside could be set for a step up in class after emerging victorious in the Jewson Birkenhead, Price Street Maiden Hurdle at Aintree.
Sent off the 4-7 favourite for trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Harry Cobden, Inthewaterside was made to work hard for his prize, with Jagwar pushing him all the way to the line before being beaten just a head.
The Ditcheat handler could now raise his sights with the five-year-old, who also won each of his two bumper starts last term.
Nicholls said: “He was a bit keen and he did well to win pulling as hard as he did. There is plenty of improvement in him.
“That bit of experience will have done him the world of good, but you can see he is ultimately going to be a chaser.
“I’d half had in my mind to have a look at the Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown Park with him. He is not a horse you want to run too much. I would not be averse to dropping back to two miles as he is not short of speed.
“It was probably not a bad race, but he has done well winning it considering he did everything the wrong way round.”
Cobden later completed a double aboard the Joe Tizzard-trained Sunset Marquesa (12-1) in the Jewson Southport, Bispham Road EBF Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race.
Elizabeth Gale steered Celebre D’Allen (3-1 favourite) to a clear-cut victory in the Jewson Vieux Lion Rouge Veterans’ Handicap Chase.
The 10lb-claimer was enjoying the biggest success of her fledging career less than three years after recovering from breaking two vertebrae in a point-to-point fall.
Trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, Celebre D’Allen made steady progress through the field to grab the lead before the penultimate fence and cost home by 16 lengths – his first win since February 2022.
Gale said: “It was easier than I thought it was going to be that’s for sure. He gave me a beautiful ride around. It was his first run of the season since running in the Topham, so the aim was to just get him jumping really. He is an 11-year-old and he has seen it out beautifully.
“I used to come here as a kid with pony club and I never thought I would be walking down those steps. It is a massive deal for me, especially to ride a winner here.
“I’ve had a long road to get here and anything I get is a bonus. A massive thanks to the governor and Johnson White. I’ve been there four seasons and I missed a good bit through injury, but I can’t complain as they look after me.”
Equinus (5-2 favourite) kicked off a double for Nigel Twiston-Davies in the opening Jewson Click And Collect Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, with jockey James Turner guiding him to a five-length win.
Twiston-Davies then teamed up with his son Sam to take the Jewson St Helens Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase with Master Chewy (2-1).
Following his 12-length win, Master Chewy could now head for the Grade Two SSS Super Alloys Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on November 17.
The winning trainer said: “That was just excellent. He has always been superb over them (fences) at home. The future is bright. I think we will have to look at proper novice chase races.
“Very possibly we could go to Cheltenham for the two-mile novices’ chase there, why not.”
Crambo (11-8 favourite) made the most of a drop in class when claiming a cosy two-and-a-quarter-length verdict in the Jewson Handicap Hurdle.
He failed to sparkle in Grade One company at the Grand National meeting back in April, but moved to handicap company by trainer Fergal O’Brien, Crambo was far from extended in the hands of Connor Brace.
Sally Randell, O’Brien’s assistant trainer, said: “That was great. He was unlucky here at the Grand National Festival. He got no kind of run, and he had a bit of bad luck. Back down in a handicap he has done it well.
“I think we will look at some of those nice staying handicaps now with him. Hopefully he might be a bit better than that.”
Substitute Danilo headed in a dramatic added-time winner against Hearts as Rangers won 2-1 to close the gap behind Celtic at the top of the cinch Premiership to five points.
The league leaders dropped two points at Hibernian on Saturday but the Gers’ prospects of taking advantage dipped when Jambos skipper Lawrence Shankland gave the visitors the lead after five minutes with a stunning header.
The mood inside Ibrox was not helped when skipper James Tavernier smacked the post with a penalty at the end of the first half and there was more woe when midfielder Nicolas Raskin was taken from the field on a stretcher after sustaining an injury in shooting.
However, within final minutes of normal time Philippe Clement’s side were awarded a second penalty after a VAR check for a Peter Haring foul on Connor Goldson and this time Tavernier slammed the ball in and in added time Brazilian striker Danilo, on for Cyriel Dessers at the start of the second half, nodded in for a victory which had looked unlikely for most of the afternoon.
Clement had resisted the opportunity to make radical changes following the gruelling goalless Europa League draw against Sparta Prague on Thursday night.
Ridvan Yilmaz, ineligible for the game in Prague, was reinstated at left-back as Rangers returned to a back four, with John Souttar dropping out.
Steven Naismith brought in defender Odeluga Offiah and midfielders Beni Baningime and Jorge Grant with Cammy Devlin and Alan Forrest dropping to the bench, while on-loan midfielder Alex Lowry could not play against his parent club, who were shocked by the loss of an early goal.
Wing-back Alex Cochrane took possession on the left and swung a right-footed cross into the Gers box and over the head of Yilmaz for Shankland to almost casually head past keeper Jack Butland.
It was the first goal lost under Clement and the home fans were not happy with the deficit or the reaction from Rangers.
In the 27th minute, following a corner from Tavernier which was met by Goldson, Shankland cleared Dessers’ effort from close range off the line.
However, moments later, the anger from the Ibrox stands when Hearts attacker Kenneth Vargas drove over the bar after taking a Shankland pass was unmistakeable.
Attacker Abdallah Sima headed a Yilmaz free-kick wide of the target in the 34th minute before Hearts’ Stephen Kingsley replaced injured Odel Offiah.
Rangers were handed a lifeline right before the break when referee John Beaton pointed to the spot when Jambos defender Toby Sibbick tripped Todd Cantwell inside the box.
Tavernier sent Tynecastle keeper Zander Clark the wrong way with his spot-kick but the ball rebounded off the post and Hearts kept their goal intact.
There were pointed cheers when Brazilian striker Danilo replaced Dessers for the start of the second half and initially the home side looked in a hurry.
Midfielder Sam Lammers flicked a Yilmaz cut-back over the bar in the 55th minute before Raskin hit the side netting with a drive which left him injured and replaced by attacker Scott Wright.
Hearts remained resolute under constant pressure.
A 20-yard drive from Rangers midfielder John Lundstram escaped the far post, as did an effort from Tavernier but when Beaton was sent to check his pitchside monitor by VAR, he judged substitute Haring to have tugged Goldson’s shirt at a corner.
Tavernier drove in the penalty to level but there was more drama to come in the third of nine added minutes when Danilo rose at the back post to head in a Tavernier cross – suddenly all was well inside Ibrox.
Tyson Fury has been backed to defeat Oleksandr Usyk when the heavyweights finally meet in their highly anticipated bout.
Fury and Usyk are set to meet in a fight that is tentatively scheduled for early 2024.
Widely considered as the world's leading heavyweight, Fury was pushed to the limit by UFC brawler-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou in a non-title bout in Riyadh on Saturday.
Indeed, Fury was fortunate to come away with a win, with two judges deciding in his favour.
Ryan Garcia, who is set to fight Oscar Duarte in December, believes the undefeated Fury will still have too much for Usyk, though.
"The Gypsy King, that's it," Garcia told Stats Perform.
"He's the best, the Gypsy King is an unbelievable talent. And he has an amazing personality. He's super, super cool."
Fury's meeting with Usyk will quench a long-held thirst, though despite years of posturing, a battle of the Britons between the 35-year-old and Anthony Joshua is yet to take place.
"I'll be excited to see him versus Anthony Joshua one day, I would want to go to that one that will be huge," Garcia said.
"And that’s the one I would actually be looking forward to more [than Fury v Usyk], to be honest."
Fury, for his part, was honest in his appraisal of his own performance against Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
"He's given me probably one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years," Fury said. "Francis is a hell of a fighter, strong, big puncher, and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would be.
"He's a very awkward man and he's a good puncher and I respect him a lot."
Fury and Usyk bumped into each other in Riyadh prior to Saturday's fight, with the pair sharing an embrace.
And the duo faced off in the ring following the bout, with Fury saying: "Let's go,"
Usyk added: "Let's go. I'm going to be fighting him, amazing."
In an exciting development for Jamaican golf, the 56th Jamaica Open Golf Championship at the Tryall Golf Club in Hopewell, Hanover, is set to witness the professional debut of two rising stars, Justin Burrowes and Sebert Walker Jr. The Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) made this announcement during its final media briefing on Friday.
Justin Burrowes, the reigning amateur champion, has already proven his mettle on the greens, having outplayed another highly talented amateur player, William Knibbs. Sebert Walker Jr., on the other hand, is ready to make his mark in the professional golf circuit. The anticipation for their debut is palpable, as they step onto the professional stage with immense promise.
The 56th Jamaica Open is expected to host around sixty professional golfers from overseas and an array of amateur golfers hailing from the USA, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, and, of course, the host country, Jamaica. The tournament kicked off with the pro-am event on Saturday morning, setting the stage for the championship, which is scheduled to tee off on Sunday and continue through Tuesday for the 54-hole competition.
Professional golfer Hunter Summy, who has been honing his skills on the course for the past two weeks, expressed his readiness for the upcoming challenge. The Tryall Golf Club's Director of Golf, Ewan Peebles, assured everyone that the course was in impeccable condition. He did mention that recent windy conditions may pose an additional challenge, and some fairways had been narrowed to make it more demanding, but he believed that the skilled golfers would excel.
The event received strong backing from sponsors, including Dr. Carey Wallace of the Tourism Enhancement Fund and Scott Summy of Aqua Bay Resort, the presenting sponsor. Aqua Bay Resort, which has been a staunch supporter for the fourth consecutive year, expressed its commitment to continuing the partnership. Other sponsors include TEF, Tryall, JTB, Digicel Business, Jamaica Tours, Grand Palladium, SDF, Fidelity Motors, Coldwell Bankers Reality Jamaica, Ultra Financiers, and GK Finance.
The 56th Jamaica Open promises not only thrilling golfing action but also the debut of two Jamaican talents on the professional stage, marking a significant moment in the country's golfing history.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl was delighted to mark his first home game since taking charge with a 2-0 win against Rotherham.
Michael Smith scored both goals against his former club in the first half to give Wednesday their first win of the season with Rotherham never threatening to mount a comeback.
Rohl said: “It’s amazing to be a part of this club. It’s amazing to be in the stadium, to see all the fans that are so great.
“The performance on the pitch was just what we need. We trained hard for the last 10 days and now you see the direction of how we want to play.
“A clean sheet, two goals and a great performance of high intensity against a difficult opponent.
“Everybody was ready on the pitch, but also a good signal for me was to see how ready the guys are off the pitch. We have a big squad and we need all the players.
“We spoke about our plan today. It’s about creating a winning mindset and enjoying playing football.
“We spoke about how we want to play and you always need to first win to create the belief and conviction for the direction.
“I see a team that is ready for a hunt to win balls and it is fantastic.”
Rotherham boss Matt Taylor made no attempt to hide his displeasure after a lack lustre display from his side.
He said: “Bitterly disappointed, frustrated, upset and angry in so many ways that we were so poor in so many departments today.
“In possession and out of possession, we were second best in both departments.
“In local derbies, you certainly can’t afford to do that. For 10 minutes, the game was relatively balanced and then one midfield giveaway and a breakaway goal, and the whole atmosphere changed.
“We just weren’t bright enough in our moments of the game. Get to the ball first, come out on top. If you win the ball, use the ball better. We were too poor in too many departments.
“I just didn’t see enough individually in terms of what it meant as a game today.
“Sometimes you’ve got to put your body on the line a little bit more than we did today. Sprint a little bit more and just be close enough to the action to say ‘I’m having a positive effect on the game’.
“We’re just bitterly disappointed in terms of the way we performed and then the outcome is what you expect if you don’t play well enough. This is an unforgiving league.”
The Milwaukee Bucks will be "tough to stop" in the Eastern Conference race this season after pairing star point guard Damian Lillard with two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That's according to former Buck Michael Carter-Williams, who believes the Boston Celtics may emerge as Milwaukee's closest rivals after picking up Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
After 11 years with the Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard joined the Bucks in a huge three-team trade in the offseason.
He made an immediate impact as Milwaukee began their 2023-24 campaign with a 118-117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
Lillard finished with a record-breaking 39 points on his Bucks debut, surpassing Terry Cummings' 34 points on his first outing for the team back in 1984, while Antetokounmpo added 23 points and 13 rebounds.
With those two stars linking up, free agent Carter-Williams – who represented Milwaukee between 2015 and 2016 – expects his former team to enjoy an exciting season.
"They're both amazing players. The things that they do on the court are tough to stop," Carter-Williams – who will play in the G League in Mexico City as he awaits an NBA offer – told Stats Perform.
"You put those two together, it's a tough combination, and they're immediately one of the best combos in the league.
"It's going to be interesting to see what they can do and like I said, they're both huge talents so they're going to be tough to stop."
Carter-Williams was surprised to see Lillard land in Milwaukee, but he says the team had to do everything possible to secure him in the huge trade.
"I was shocked," he said. "I didn't see that coming, I thought it was going to be Miami or Toronto, or there was one other team in the mix.
"I didn't see him going into Milwaukee, but the trade made sense. Obviously, it's tough to give up Drew [Timme] but when you're getting a guy like Damian, I think anybody besides Giannis is liable to get traded."
After Antetokounmpo was taken by the Bucks as the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, Carter-Williams had the chance to play alongside him during his formative years.
Reflecting on his time as a team-mate of Antetokounmpo, Carter-Williams said: "It was great, especially seeing him play early on in his career and watching his development.
"Every day, you could see him slowly getting better and better and just to watch his work ethic… he's an unbelievable person.
"He's a better person than he is a basketball player and I think that's what makes him unique.
"Watching him play has been great, as a friend, as a fan, as a team-mate, it's been awesome to see."
Milwaukee's offseason moves have seen them touted to improve on 2022-23, when they topped the East but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.
Boston also went down to Miami in the playoffs after finishing second in the East, and they have subsequently strengthened by adding former Bucks guard Holiday and Porzingis from the Washington Wizards.
Carter-Williams expect last season's top two to battle for supremacy in the Eastern Conference again, saying: "I like the Bucks and the Celtics in the East.
"The Celtics getting Porzingis and Jrue are two huge pickups for them. I like them coming out of the East, in the West, we'll see how things shake up.
"I think if Anthony Davis and LeBron [James] can be healthy, I think they [the Los Angeles Lakers] are a tough team, they have built a nice little roster over there.
"Then there's Denver, who you can't count out, they got [Nikola] Jokic and they just won it so I think those two are at the top in the West."
The Celtics moved to 2-0 for the season by beating Miami 119-111 on Friday, with Holiday and Porzingis finishing with 17 points apiece.
Liverpool showed their support to Luis Diaz during a comfortable 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Quickfire goals from Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez before the break and Mohamed Salah’s second-half effort helped Jurgen Klopp’s side maintain their 100 per cent home record in the Premier League this season.
Jota held aloft Diaz’s number seven shirt after scoring, with the Colombian not featuring in Liverpool’s squad following reports his parents had been kidnapped in his homeland.
Liverpool’s latest victory – their eighth in a row in all competitions at Anfield – was their seventh from 10 league games this campaign and lifted them back to within three points of leaders Tottenham.
Forest rarely threatened and, although they hit the woodwork through Anthony Elanga’s late volley, they were forced to defend in numbers as their winless league run was stretched to six matches.
A minute’s applause was held before kick-off in memory of former England and Manchester United great Sir Bobby Charlton and ex-Everton chairman Bill Kenwright, who both recently died.
Liverpool quickly assumed control, but had only Nunez’s angled volley and Jota’s header, both easily saved by Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner, to show for all their possession.
But that changed with two goals in four first-half minutes, which gave the half-time scoreline a truer reflection of Liverpool’s dominance.
Nunez’s fierce first-time shot was parried by Turner into the path of Jota, who turned home the rebound from eight yards.
In celebration, Jota ran to manager Jurgen Klopp, who handed him Diaz’s shirt to show to the Liverpool fans.
Nunez doubled Liverpool’s lead in the 35th minute with an emphatic near-post finish after Dominik Szoboszlai’s cut-back.
Forest’s backline looked increasingly vulnerable. Nunez sent an overhead kick narrowly over the crossbar and Turner produced fine saves to deny Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai before the break.
Harvey Elliott went close to a third Liverpool goal soon after stepping off the bench in the second half when his shot was deflected wide by Forest defender Ola Aina.
Salah capitalised on Turner’s misjudgement to put Liverpool 3-0 up in the 77th minute.
Turner was caught out by the bounce of Szoboszlai’s long diagonal punt up field and Salah raced clear to sidefoot home his eighth league goal of the season.
Forest almost pulled one back in the 85th minute when Elanga’s first-time volley following a cross to the far post crashed against the underside of the crossbar.
Liverpool thought they had scored a fourth goal through substitute Cody Gakpo deep in stoppage time, but VAR ruled he had been offside when converting from close range.
England were counting the cost of their worst ever World Cup campaign after they flopped to a fifth defeat in six games against hosts India.
Despite a rocky history in one-day cricket the defending champions of 2019 have plumbed new depths over the last four weeks, racking up their most losses at a single tournament and an unprecedented sequence of four-in-a-row.
A 100-run thrashing in Lucknow, where they were skittled for a paltry 129, leaves them rooted to the foot of the table in 10th place and on course to embarrassingly miss out on the 2025 Champions Trophy.
It has emerged that places at that event, a ‘mini World Cup’ of sorts, will be awarded to hosts Pakistan and the seven best finishers in group stages of this event rather than being allocated on ICC rankings. As it stands, merely scrambling to eighth place will require a mighty turnaround in fortunes over the next three games.
For a side widely credited with revitalising the 50-over format over the last eight years, that would cap a remarkable fall from grace.
Losing to the table-topping hosts in front of 50,000 bombastic fans at the Ekana Stadium was no surprise – head coach Matthew Mott even billed the opposition “raging favourites” – but this was an opportunity missed.
A much-improved bowling and fielding performance, their best of the tournament to date, had restricted India to 229 for nine, but a top-order collapse left a hole they could not climb out of.
Between the penultimate ball of the fifth over and the first ball of the ninth, England lost their top four for just nine runs as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami ran amok. Between them the seam duo were a cut above England, sharing combined figures of seven for 54.
England began their chase with an air of misplaced confidence, tearing 30 off their target in less than five overs before things fell apart.
The architect of their downfall was the impeccable Bumrah, who had already started to get the ball talking before he claimed two wickets in two balls.
Dawid Malan was the first, slashing at width that was not there and dragging down his own stumps to stop the growing momentum in its tracks. For his next trick, Bumrah removed the linchpin Root for a golden duck.
Sizing his target up with a wicked delivery that tailed in on a full length, he thumped the front pad as Root shuffled across. It looked plumb lbw, but Root called for DRS.
UltraEdge showed a tiny disturbance as the ball passed the inside edge but TV umpire Ahsan Raza upheld the dismissal leaving Root pointedly waving his bat towards the big screen replays.
Stokes has bailed England out of worse dilemmas, but this time he could only exacerbate it.
Unable to get to grips with a high-class examination from India’s seamers he departed to an ugly swipe after a runless 10-ball cameo. Resolving to slog his way out of the mire, he cleared his front leg to a precision inducker from Shami, losing his composure, his balance and two of his stumps in one dreadful moment.
The stands exploded in celebration, with Kohli leaping high and punching the air with joy. Bairstow was next in line, bowled by Shami via two separate deflections to leave England 39 for four.
Buttler’s lean spell continued as he was wildly outfoxed by a ripper from left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, hunched over his bat as he took England’s last hopes with him. Liam Livingstone top-scored with a modest 27, but the contest was already over settled as India applied the finishing touches inside 35 overs.
England, who surprisingly went in with the same XI that had been roundly hammered by Sri Lanka three days earlier, at least showed some fight in the first innings.
They bowled with control, kept producing chances and were visibly sharper in the field. Were it not for a captain’s knock of 87 from Rohit Sharma, that may well have been enough.
But his steadying hand, allied to a handy contribution of 49 from Suryakumar Yadav at the back end, bought India’s attack enough breathing space.
David Willey was the standout, claiming three for 45 including star man Virat Kohli for a nine-ball duck. Willey bowled every delivery to the master batter, tying him up with a nagging line and length before drawing a frustrated hack to mid-off.
That moment drew an instant, deathly silence from the massed thousands wearing replica ‘Virat’ shirts, with Willey flexing his biceps and filling the void with his own roar. He followed up with timely dismissals of KL Rahul (39) and Yadav, while Woakes and Adil Rashid also turned in encouraging performances.
With India losing four for 49 in the last 10 overs, it was hard to see what more England could have done to set up the chase but a limp batting display saw them bowled out for their lowest World Cup total since the inaugural edition in 1975.
Sean Dyche and Dominic Calvert-Lewin dedicated Everton’s 1-0 victory at West Ham to chairman Bill Kenwright.
The Toffees were playing their first match since the death of Kenwright on Monday at the age of 78.
It was a performance the lifelong Everton fan would surely have been proud of with Calvert-Lewin hitting a superb second-half winner.
“Firstly, and you can’t guarantee it, but it’s befitting to win after the week we’ve had following the sad loss of the chairman,” said Toffees boss Dyche.
“The players know the depth of the chairman’s love for the club, they’re well aware of that.”
Calvert-Lewin revealed the shock of the news affected everyone at Goodison Park.
“No-one was prepared for what happened this week and it has saddened everyone at the club. That one was for Bill,” the striker told Sky Sports.
“He would have been proud of us and proud of how we won – to get the lead, dig in and work so hard. It was a very good day.”
Calvert-Lewin, who has been beset by injuries over the past couple of seasons, looks to be finally getting back to his best.
Six minutes into the second half he played a one-two with Jack Harrison, Cruyff-turned away from Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd and hit a low shot past Alphonse Areola.
It was his 50th Premier League goal for Everton, joining Romelu Lukaku, Duncan Ferguson and Tim Cahill in reaching the half-century.
“Dom’s a very good player who’s had a tough couple of years,” added Dyche.
“He’s very close now, you can tell in his body language and it was a fine finish.
“He looks stronger, sharper. It is a really good marker for him to get to that number.”
A second away win of the season gave Everton a little more breathing space between them and the bottom three.
“This is a tough place to come, they’ve proved that over the last couple of years, so it was a very good performance,” said Dyche.
“We are improving from last season. I think there are clear signs of that.”
For West Ham, it was a third defeat in eight days following reverses at Aston Villa and in the Europa League at Olympiacos.
David Moyes picked an attacking line-up, handing Ghana winger Mohammed Kudus his first start in the Premier League, but their only shot on target came in the 90th minute through substitute Said Benrahma.
“That would be a problem for us,” said Moyes. “But, let’s be fair, that’s the first game we’ve not scored a goal in this season.
“But I agree, I thought we missed chances today, we missed two or three opportunities to score. I don’t think it was ever going to be a game where we had nine or 10 opportunities. I didn’t see it that way for either team.”
Further tributes were paid to Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of Manchester United’s derby with Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday.
A minute’s applause was held prior to kick-off with both teams, who were wearing black armbands, joined by a group of former players from each club in the centre of the field.
In the Stretford End, supporters unfurled a banner which depicted Charlton holding aloft the European Cup in 1968 alongside a message which read “the finest English footballer the world has ever seen”.
Fans in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand held up cards to form a mosaic reading “Sir Bobby”.
Charlton, one of the most distinguished players the English game has ever produced and a United great, died last weekend at the age of 86.
Charlton’s achievements included winning the World Cup with England and helping United claim the European Cup, as well as setting club and country goalscoring records that stood for decades after his retirement.
As they have throughout the week, fans continued to lay flowers and scarves by the United Trinity statue, which depicts Charlton alongside team-mates George Best and Denis Law, outside the ground.
The matchday programme featured 28 pages of tributes, including a eulogy from former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
The ex-United players involved in the on-field tributes were Brian Kidd, Alex Stepney, Paddy Crerand and John Aston with Mike Summerbee and Tony Book representing City.
Victor Wembanyama will be "unstoppable" for the San Antonio Spurs when the 19-year-old finds his feet in the NBA.
That is the view of 2014 Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, who has urged the seven-foot-four power forward to learn from the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry to boost his chances of success.
Wembanyama – the first overall pick in this year's NBA Draft – has been touted as one of the most exciting prospects of his generation.
While Wembanyama was unable to stop San Antonio losing their 2023-24 season opener against the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week, he played a key role as they bounced back with a 126-122 overtime win over the Houston Rockets on Friday.
Wembanyama finished the Houston victory with 21 points, 12 rebounds and one assist, and Carter-Williams believes his physical stature and all-round skillset make him unique.
"I think he's definitely an anomaly, right? There are not too many seven-foot-four dudes that can move like him," Carter-Williams – who is a free agent after leaving the Orlando Magic – told Stats Perform.
"Obviously, we'll see other people with other attributes, but I think for him, he's so tall and he's got such a long reach that he affects the game in so many different ways and it's going to be cool to see him develop.
"You saw it with Giannis [Antetokounmpo] a little bit. You'd watch the game and there would be like two or three plays where you're like, 'if he can do that 10 times a game, he's in for some serious competition'.
"I think you see that with Victor as well, there's five or six times in the game where you're just shaking your head about how amazing the things that he does are.
"As soon as he starts doing those things more, he's going to be unstoppable."
Asked if he had any advice for the 19-year-old, Carter-Williams said: "I would find my routine.
"If you start that as a rookie and you maintain that work and effort and that health, I think it sets you up for a really good career.
"Obviously, the easy answer is to listen to your coaches and listen to this person, listen to that person, but I think the biggest thing is if you can stick to your resume every single day.
"You hear about LeBron and Steph taking care of their bodies, doing these offseason things and yes, they do have a million resources, but they put themselves in a situation where they can succeed. I think that's what's most important as a rookie."
Carter-Williams has experience of being a highly regarded prospect, having been named NBA Rookie of the Year after starring for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14.
Asked how Wembanyama would respond to the heightened interest in his performances, Carter-Williams said: "It's funny, when you're that age coming into the NBA and people have high expectations, you're kind of oblivious to what's really going on.
"There's so many things going on that you're like, 'I want to play basketball'. That's where I was at that time, obviously at a different level to him, he's one of the hottest rookies of all time.
"He's probably got it 10 times as much as I had it when I was on my streak of being Rookie of the Year, so it's a little tough.
"But I think that when you're at that level, you're just so focused on being on the court, it's like, 'I got a lot of hype, but I really haven't truly done anything'.
"There's that pressure there, but for the most part, I think it's mostly, 'I just want to get on the court, I'm excited to be out there, and I get to play against all these guys that I once looked up to.'"
Joao Palhinha scored a stunning equaliser as Fulham held Brighton to a 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium.
The Seagulls were the better team in the early stages and were rewarded through Evan Ferguson’s neat finish before Palhinha’s superb strike secured a point for the Londoners.
The result extended Brighton’s winless run to three as they rued missed chances in front of goal.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side showed little signs of fatigue following Thursday’s 2-0 Europa League win over Ajax and nearly took an early lead.
Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno kept out Carlos Baleba’s shot from range in the seventh minute and saved Simon Adingra’s effort inside the six-yard box moments later to keep it 0-0.
Baleba was pulling the strings for Brighton as his vision and inch-perfect passes picked out the pacey Adingra, who enjoyed runs into space.
The hosts got the goal they deserved after 26 minutes.
Igor Julio drove the Seagulls up the pitch and when Ferguson retrieved the ball outside the box he showed excellent composure to slide the ball past Leno with his left foot into the bottom corner.
The goal highlighted a gulf in quality between the two sides and the lethargic Cottagers were fortunate not to concede again immediately after the kick-off when their defence was caught napping by Adingra.
A rain-soaked Marco Silva cut a frustrated figure and his pleas to his Fulham players were left unanswered as Willian’s wasteful free-kick put an end to the first spell of meaningful possession the visitors had enjoyed in the Brighton half since the opening minutes.
Left-back Antonee Robinson was struggling to cope with Adingra and the American then gifted Ferguson a back pass, but the Seagulls’ goalscorer failed to double his tally when he was denied by Leno after 40 minutes.
Brighton started the second half quickly and Lewis Dunk was unfortunate not to score in the 49th minute. The skipper lined up a set-piece and his side-footed effort dipped onto Leno’s crossbar.
Fulham made Brighton pay for their missed chances as they made it 1-1 in the 65th minute through Palhinha.
The visitors threw men forward in numbers and the Portugal international got the ball out of his feet on the edge of the box and blasted an effort past Jason Steele.
The goal swung the momentum in the Londoners’ favour and substitute Rodrigo Muniz nearly punished Brighton from the restart through an audacious back heel that was kept out by Steele.
Both teams had opportunities to win it with Robinson clearing an effort off the line before Harry Wilson came close to grabbing a winner at the other end.
Aston Villa continued their impressive home form as they beat Luton 3-1 to rack up a 12th successive Premier League win at Villa Park.
Unai Emery’s side have won every home league game since February 18 and made light work of the Hatters, with goals from John McGinn and Moussa Diaby giving them the upper hand before Luton captain Tom Lockyer put through his own net.
Villa have scored 13 goals in the last three Premier League home games as Emery’s team continue to show they are early contenders for the top four this season.
And with games against Nottingham Forest and Fulham coming up, they have a chance to solidify their position in the race before a clash with leaders Tottenham on November 26.
This was a seventh defeat in 10 top-flight games for Luton, who have quickly found out how demanding life can be in the Premier League, though they did get on the scoresheet when Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez scored a late own goal.
They were up against it from the start as Villa were quick onto the attack and could have led inside four minutes.
Ollie Watkins collected a cross and teed up Nicolo Zaniolo, but the Italian’s cushioned effort drifted just wide of the post.
Only a brilliant double save from Thomas Kaminski stopped Villa from breaking the deadlock in the 11th minute as he superbly spread himself to block Watkins’ close-range effort and then reacted quickly to stop the follow-up effort.
There was no surprise when the hosts went ahead in the 17th minute and it was another masterpiece from set-piece coach Austin MacPhee’s playbook.
Douglas Luiz’s low corner was dummied by Moussa Diaby and it ended up with McGinn at the far post, with the Scotland international shifting the ball past Chiedozie Ogbene and into the far corner.
That might have given the Villa the platform to go on and flourish, but Luton did well to stifle them and the hosts were restricted for the rest of the first half in terms of clear-cut chances.
But that quickly changed after the restart as they doubled their lead in the 49th minute.
Lucas Digne’s cross fell kindly to Diaby 12 yards out and he drilled a low effort into the bottom corner.
The Hatters came from 2-0 down at Forest to draw 2-2 last weekend, but there was little chance of a repeat here.
Villa continued to probe and added a third just after the hour.
Diaby made good headway down the right and his cross was turned into his own net by Lockyer.
Leon Bailey could have made it four but he shot wide while McGinn did not connect with a right-footed shot when the goal was gaping.
Luton did not give up and got on the scoresheet in the 83rd minute, Villa defender Ezri Konsa’s header hitting the crossbar and rebounding off Martinez and into the net.
There was no joy for the British raiders in the Prix Royal-Oak as Double Major ran out a wide-margin winner of the ParisLongchamp staying contest.
Trained by Christophe Ferland, Double Major had seen off Dermot Weld’s Harbour Wind by just three-quarters of a length at the track in the Prix Chaudenay on Arc weekend.
However, the manner of victory was much more straightforward this time and having been in the ideal position at the head of affairs alongside Brian Ellison’s Tashkhan, the only three-year-old in the race surged well clear of his rivals when jockey Maxime Guyon pushed the button entering the straight.
Patrice Cottier’s Skazino kept on for second ahead of Tashkhan, who finished best of the raiding party in third, but Harry Fry’s Metier was never in the mix from a position towards the rear of the field and James Fanshawe’s Novel Legend also finished out of the money.
Having secured top honours in his very first outing in Group One company, connections of Double Major were content to savour their big-race success in the French capital before contemplating future plans.
“We are very happy and the big question was the ground because he has never run on that kind of surface,” Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager to owners Wertheimer et Frere, told Sky Sports Racing.
“We knew the horse had that quality, but he was the only three-year-old facing older horses who have much more experience than him, so what he did was very nice and we are very happy.
“Well done to Christophe, he is a nice horse who keeps improving each time and that is very good and promising for the future.
“He is a gelding so hopefully he can travel as well, but we are going to enjoy what happened today because it was a really nice performance. We will have to see about the future.”
Winning rider Guyon added: “It is the first time he has run on this ground – the ground is very sticky today, so before the race we did not know if he loved that or not. Afterwards I can tell you he does.
“The most important thing for him is the distance. At the start of the year we went more of a short distance and now he needs the long distance. Last time he won the Group Two and every time he runs at Longchamp he runs very good, this time he has won a Group One.
“I am very happy for the team, for Christophe Ferland and for Wertheimer et Frere.”
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