Liam Lawson revealed he has been set a target of beating Yuki Tsunoda to be in contention for a Red Bull seat in 2025 ahead of his return to the track this weekend.
Lawson will partner up with Tsunoda for RB at the United States Grand Prix in Austin after replacing Daniel Ricciardo for the final six races of the season.
The New Zealander returns to the grid for the first time in a year after deputising for Ricciardo for five races last season, scoring points at the Singapore Grand Prix on just his third start.
Lawson has the chance to impress again this time around, with a potential view of joining Max Verstappen at Red Bull next year.
It is no secret that Sergio Perez is under pressure. Since the beginning of 2023, the six-time race winner has scored almost 500 fewer points than Verstappen.
The Mexican has also failed to reach the podium in his last 13 races, with his best finish coming at the Miami Grand Prix where he finished fourth.
And Lawson has said that beating Tsunoda is the target Red Bull have set, with the 22-year-old aiming to give Christian Horner a headache ahead of next season.
“[The target set by Red Bull of needing to beat Tsunoda is] pretty much what I expected, they don’t want to see me going in there and seeing me outperformed for the rest of the year – but it’s always been like that,” Lawson said.
“With Yuki, we’ve been compared since we were 17 or 18 years old.
"He’s had a really good start to the season, and he’s been performing better this year than any other year but also the team has changed up a lot this year and is heading in a really great direction so it’s exciting to be part of that as well.”
“The conversations have always been in the direction of becoming a Red Bull driver in the future and that’s what I’ve said to them – that’s what I want to become, that’s why I joined the team and want to stay with them and join them in F1.
“That’s my goal and their goal, I think, is to have drivers to replace current drivers in the future at some point.
"That’s the goal. When that could happen, I have no absolutely idea. But I know it’ll be based on how I perform in the car.”
Tsunoda currently sits 12th in the drivers' championship, claiming 22 points so far this season, with his last top 10 finish coming in Hungary back in July.
Lawson will only have one practice to get up to speed this weekend in Austin, which is one of three sprint weekends in the final six races of the season.
Though he has had time to prepare for this moment, saying he knew during the Singapore Grand Prix he would be replacing eight-time race winner Ricciardo this weekend.
Lawson explained the difficulty of that particular race, but said a conversation with the Australian has stuck with him ahead of his return to the track.
“Luckily, he’s a great guy,” Lawson said. “He knew it was nothing to do with me. And that’s probably the thing with Daniel for the whole time we’ve been in this situation.
“Even for the last 12 months, it’s never felt like we were in direct competition as much as we all are in the sport in some way.
“With Daniel, it never really felt like that, he was always open to giving advice when I was driving. He was good to me throughout the year, in any way he could be.
“So, it never felt like we were in direct competition for a seat. We were also at very different point in our career, so that’s something that probably helped that.
“I went and saw him and said obviously sorry about this whole situation as it’s not nice, and sorry you had to go through it.
"But he said there’s obviously nothing against me, and he said ‘you get one shot at F1, make sure you take it’ – and he said ‘good luck’.”
Two teams who are flying high so far this season go head-to-head in this weekend's big Premier League game.
League leaders Liverpool welcome in-form Chelsea to Anfield for a mouthwatering encounter.
The Reds have been in excellent form under new boss Arne Slot, who is the first Liverpool manager to win as many as nine of his first 10 games in charge of the club.
However, Opta's power ranking system suggests that Liverpool have actually had the easiest start of any Premier League team.
Chelsea, who have won four of their last six league outings after losing to Manchester City in their opening match, are sure to present an altogether tougher test.
Here, we delve into the data.
What's expected?
Having lost three consecutive league games against Chelsea between 2013 and 2014, Liverpool have now lost just two of their last 19 against the Blues (W7 D10).
Indeed, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six Premier League meetings with Chelsea, though five of these have ended level (W1).
With a recent record that strong, it's hardly surprising that the Reds are made the favourites by Opta's supercomputer.
The model gives Liverpool a 59.4% chance of taking the three points, while Chelsea came out on top in 19.4% of its simulations. The likelihood of a draw is 21.2%.
Chelsea have won just one of their last nine Premier League away games against Liverpool (D5 L3), and they went down 4-1 in the corresponding fixture last season.
That big win for the Reds came less than a month before the EFL Cup final, which a depleted Liverpool won 1-0 thanks to Virgil van Dijk's header deep into stoppage time, with Chelsea – then of course overseen by Mauricio Pochettino – passed up four big chances, defined by Opta as an opportunity from which a team would reasonably be expected to score.
But under Enzo Maresca, who is freshly minted as Premier League Manager of the Month for September, Chelsea have been more clinical. Only Man City (17) have scored more goals than the Blues (16), who have also outperformed their 14.7 expected goals (xG), so they will be hoping to capitalise on any big opportunities that come their way on Sunday.
Getting past Liverpool's defence, though, is another matter.
Solid foundations
Replacing a club legend like Jurgen Klopp was not going to be easy, though Slot is making a good fist of making it look simple so far.
The former Feyenoord coach has reduced the chaos and brought slightly more control to Liverpool's play, and for the most part, this has worked a treat, bar in that shock 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in September.
Liverpool have still registered the third-highest xG in the league over the first seven games (14.0), behind Chelsea and Tottenham, but Slot has looked to build on a strong base.
Slot's team have conceded the fewest goals (two), kept the most clean sheets (five), and have the lowest expected goals against (xGA) figure (5.2) of any side in the Premier League this season.
In the 266 minutes Liverpool’s Premier League games have been level on the scoreline this season, the Reds have faced just 16 shots, an average of 5.4 per 90. This is both the lowest total faced and per 90 faced when drawing of any side in the competition this term.
They have ridden their luck at times, though. They were shaky and perhaps fortunate that Virgil van Dijk did not give away a penalty for pulling on Marc Guehi's shirt in the 1-0 win at Crystal Palace prior to the international break.
That victory came at a cost, too, with goalkeeper Alisson sustaining a hamstring injury that will keep him out until after the November international break.
In Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool have a fantastic number two (and one that wishes to move on), though. The Republic of Ireland international has always stood up to be counted when required, and since the start of last season, has recorded an impressive goals-prevented figure of 2.9, having conceded 10 goals (excluding own goals and penalties) from an expected goals on target (xGoT) against of 12.9.
Kelleher also played against Chelsea in the EFL Cup final in February, so he has good recent form against them.
Top travellers
Chelsea are no pushovers on the road, though, so do not expect a repeat of last season's 4-1 drubbing.
In fact, these two teams are the only ones with a 100% away win rate in the Premier League this season (three wins out of three).
Only in 2005-06 (four) and 2008-09 (eight) have Chelsea ever won their opening four away matches of a league season.
Maresca, meanwhile, is looking to become only the fifth boss to win each of his first four away Premier League games, with one of the previous four to do so being Slot (also Bobby Gould, John Gregory, and Luiz Felipe Scolari).
Chelsea will want to get on the ball, but they may be best served being patient and waiting for their moments to pounce on the break.
Key to that tactic would be Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke, who have created 15 chances for each other in the Premier League this season, the most of any duo.
Indeed, Palmer's four assists for Madueke is also the most from one player for a team-mate so far this term. Though in Nicolas Jackson and the likes of Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho, Chelsea have plenty of attackers who can test that mean Liverpool defence.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Liverpool - Mohamed Salah
Salah has accumulated 4.1 xG in the league this season, which is the highest of any player in Liverpool’s squad. With 231 goal contributions for Liverpool (159 goals, 72 assists), he ranks sixth on the all-time list for Premier League goal contributions for a single side.
The Egypt star has scored four goals in 13 Premier League games against former side Chelsea, averaging a goal every 257 minutes against the Blues. Among opponents he has played 10+ times in the competition, only against Burnley (778) does he have a poorer minutes per goal rate.
Chelsea - Cole Palmer
Palmer has directly contributed to more Premier League goals (44 – 28 goals, 16 assists) than any other player in the top flight since the start of last season.
The 22-year-old was named Premier League Player of the Month for September. He has won two of the last three Player of the Month awards, with only Frank Lampard (four) winning more for the Blues than Palmer (two).
Phil Salt sees no reason why Joe Root cannot overhaul Sachin Tendulkar as Test cricket's all-time run scorer.
Root surpassed Alastair Cook to become England's all-time top Test run-scorer as he mounted his highest score in the format in the first Test of their ongoing series with Pakistan.
England achieved a historic Test milestone during that encounter, recording the highest innings score in the longest format this century (823-7), and the fourth-highest of all time.
They also became the first team to win a test by an innings after conceding more than 500 runs in the first innings.
Root now sits in fifth on the all-time leaderboard, with Rahul Dravid (13,288) next in his sights, though fellow England international Salt believes the 33-year-old can go beyond Tendulkar's 15,921 runs.
"I think he will. I can't see a reason why not, so yeah, I think he will," Salt told Stats Perform.
Salt also believes that Root's commitment to the cause is what makes him so special, citing his work ethic as a key contributor to his success.
"There are a lot of things, the list could go on. I think with Root, his work ethic sets him apart," Salt added.
"He's always hitting balls, he's always thinking about how he can get better. You don't spend as much time as he has at the top of your game without that work ethic.
"So, if there's something that sets him apart, I'd say it's that."
Salt also showered praise on Harry Brook, who plundered 317 in Multan.
Brook's knock was England's first triple century since 1990, with Graham Gooch the last to reach the 300-run mark.
His innings in Multan also placed him alongside Andy Sandham, Len Hutton, Wally Hammond and Bill Edrich, all of whom have scored triple centuries for England.
Brook, along with Root, also smashed the highest partnership in England’s Test history on day four of the first Test in Pakistan, posting a stand that was finally broken at 454.
In doing so, they broke a 67-year record when they passed Peter May and Colin Cowdrey’s partnership of 411, made at Edgbaston in 1957.
And Salt believes Brook has the potential to follow in Root's footsteps.
"Yeah, he's brilliant. Obviously, he's a brilliant batter, Brookie. We all know that, in all formats. It comes as no real surprise to me, to be honest, seeing how he trains," Salt said.
"I played against him a fair bit in the summer and played with him a lot more. It comes as no real surprise to me.
"Obviously, it's a hell of an achievement, but I think the two lads we're talking about—Ruti and Brookie—are very special players."
Salt also considered Brook could lead England in the future, saying: "I think so, yeah. I think he's got a very good head on his shoulders.
"I don’t have a crystal ball, but I certainly think he's capable of doing it."
Phil Salt was speaking at the launch of cinch’s new store in Manchester.
Russell Martin wants to see his Southampton side replicate their performances against the Premier League’s biggest clubs when they face opponents closer to them in the table.
Following their return from the international break, the Saints face Everton and Wolves, but start by welcoming Leicester City to St. Mary's this Saturday.
Having watched his team go toe-to-toe with Arsenal in their last encounter, Martin is targeting the same approach in the upcoming games that he’s labelled “absolutely vital”.
“We’ve had Newcastle away; Manchester United at home, where for half an hour we’ve been outstanding; and here,” Martin said.
“Now we have to transfer that into the games that are going to really define our season, and we have three or four of those coming up in the next block of games that are going to be absolutely vital.
“The league is so tight and is going to be so tight for so long, but today I saw so much in a lot of the guys and the team, the way it felt, to make me feel really excited about what’s to come.”
Leicester, meanwhile, earned their first win since their return to the Premier League with a 1-0 triumph over Bournemouth last time out.
Facundo Buonanotte’s only goal sealed the victory, notching his fourth goal involvement in six Premier League appearances this season – already his joint-most across a single campaign in the competition (also four in 2023-24)
The Foxes also kept a clean sheet at home in the Premier League for the first time since October 2022, though head coach Steve Cooper insisted it was just a small step in the right direction.
“Everybody gave everything in the game,” Cooper said. “They give everything every single day in training. Of course, in the first quarter of games there’s things we could have done better, but some things have really gone against us as well.
“To get that grey cloud away from us of getting that win, we’ve really got to think now about getting some more positive results like this. It’s brilliant and you’ve got to enjoy it, because it’s so hard to win games in the Premier League, but it’s one win.
“From now, there won’t be a day that goes by without me thinking about how we beat Southampton. Obviously, we’ll reflect, but all with the idea of how we can improve to try and go back-to-back when we return after the international break.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southampton – Cameron Archer
Archer opened his Premier League account in Southampton’s defeat to Arsenal ahead of the international break, and he will be hoping to continue his scoring streak on Saturday.
This will be the 22-year-old’s first senior outing against Leicester, having played two games against them with Aston Villa’s Under-18’s, winning once and losing the other.
Leicester – Jamie Vardy
Vardy has been involved in 12 goals against Southampton in his English league career (eight goals, four assists) – against no side has he had a hand in more.
Six of these eight goals have come at St Mary’s Stadium, including a hat-trick in October 2019, while he has also scored two goals from five shots in the Premier League this term – no player to have had at least five attempts has a better conversion rate than the veteran Foxes striker (40%).
MATCH PREDICTION: SOUTHAMPTON WIN
While Southampton are favoured by Opta’s data-led simulations, they are winless in their last 20 Premier League games (D5 L15) – failure to win in this match would set a club record for their outright longest winless run in their top-flight history.
Though the Saints have had the fifth-highest share of possession in the top-flight this season (57.4%), just 3.2% of Southampton’s touches have come in the opposition box, the third-lowest ratio this term.
Martin’s side have also conceded more goals following a high turnover than any other side in the Premier League this season (four).
And having done the double over Leicester in their last Premier League campaign together in 2022-23, Southampton lost both Championship meetings with the Foxes last term by an aggregate score of 9-1.
Leicester are one of just three teams (along with Arsenal and Man City) to have scored in every Premier League game so far this season. The Foxes earned their first win of the campaign last time out, last winning consecutively in the competition in February 2023.
However, they are winless in their last three Premier League away games against Southampton (D2 L1) since a 9-0 win under Brendan Rodgers back in October 2019.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Southampton – 42.2%
Draw – 25.4%
Leicester – 32.5%
Joshua Zirkzee has been hugely influenced by NBA great Allen Iverson, the Manchester United forward said ahead of Saturday's clash with Brentford.
United return to Premier League action against the Bees at Old Trafford in desperate need of a victory.
They have lost their last two home league matches, and Erik ten Hag is under pressure.
New signing Zirkzee has failed to hit the ground running, despite scoring on his debut against Fulham in August.
But speaking to United’s official media channels, the Dutchman revealed he was inspired by a different sport than football.
"I started watching basketball when I was around 15, 16 maybe, and it started because of, you know, Michael Jordan and the big ones," he said.
"But the main reason why I really got into watching actual basketball and really got my interest was a documentary about Allen Iverson, and he was the first player that I really saw.
"I was like: oh, he's really different, you know? He's probably the reason I got into basketball.
"America is a lot different. It’s just certain stuff that you can relate to. That really inspired me.
"Also him making it and still being himself. That was cool to see."
United will be hoping Zirkzee can return to form on Saturday.
The Red Devils have the worst difference between goals (five) and expected goals (11.1) in the Premier League this season, netting around six goals fewer than their xG suggests.
However, they also have the best difference between goals conceded (eight) and xG against (11.5), conceding between 3-4 goals fewer than expected.
That being said, their goalscoring issues have mainly been limited to the league. United average 0.7 goals per game in the top flight this season (five goals in seven games), compared to three goals per game across all other competitions this term (12 goals in four games).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United – Christian Eriksen
Former Brentford midfielder Eriksen has been involved in six goals in his last five games in all competitions (three goals, three assists). Indeed, only Alejandro Garnacho (seven) has been involved in more goals for United this season than the Dane.
Brentford – Bryan Mbeumo
Mbeumo has scored six goals in his seven Premier League games this season, netting in each of his last three appearances. His next goal or assist will see him become the first Brentford player to register 50 Premier League goal involvements (currently 28 goals, 21 assists).
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN
Brentford have lost all three of their Premier League away games so far this season – they have not begun a league campaign with four straight losses on the road since 1961-62, when they lost their first nine in the third tier.
Four of the five goals scored in the two Premier League meetings between these sides last season came in second half stoppage time (three for United, one for Brentford).
Having won four of their first six league meetings with United between 1933 and 1937 (D1 L1), Brentford have won just one of their last 10 against the Red Devils (D2 L7).
United have won each of their last five home league games against Brentford by an aggregate score of 13-2, with their last such defeat coming in February 1937.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Man Utd – 54.3%
Brentford – 23.6%
Draw – 22.2%
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."
Jamaica's Reggae Warriors suffered a narrow 22-16 defeat to Wales in a rain-drenched international rugby league encounter on Tuesday at The Gnoll in Neath. Despite leading 10-0 early in the match, Jamaica couldn’t hold off a determined Welsh side that rallied in the second half to secure the victory in front of 1,300 fans.
Jamaica, fielding a new-look squad with eight debutants, got off to a dream start. Ben Jones-Bishop opened the scoring in the fifth minute, slipping through the Welsh defense after a missed tackle. Just minutes later, Alex Young, brother of England international Dom Young, pounced on a loose ball following Kieran Rush’s precise kick to double the lead for the Reggae Warriors.
With a 10-0 advantage, Jamaica appeared to be in control, but Wales adapted to the worsening conditions. Rhys Williams, Wales' record-cap holder, sparked the Welsh comeback just before halftime, scoring a crucial try after running onto a kick from captain Elliot Kear.
The second half saw Wales take advantage of the wet conditions and gain momentum. Debutants Huw Worthington and Max Clarke both crossed the try line, giving Wales the lead for the first time in the match. A strong performance from Gil Dudson, named man of the match, and a try from Matty Fozard stretched the Welsh lead, sealing the comeback victory.
Jamaica struggled to find their rhythm in the second half, especially after losing playmaker Kieran Rush to injury early in the period. Despite a late try from Joshua Hudson-Lett, Jamaica couldn’t close the gap, leaving the final score at 22-16 in favor of Wales.
For Jamaica, the match provided valuable experience for a squad featuring many new players, including the only non-UK-based player, Alex Young of the Sydney Roosters. Despite the loss, the Reggae Warriors showed promise and will look to build on their performance in future fixtures.
Match Summary
Wales (4) 22
Tries: Williams, Worthington, Clarke, Dudson, Fozard
Conversions: Fozard
Jamaica (10) 16
Tries: Jones-Bishop, Young, Hudson-Lett
Conversions: Carter
Penalty: Rush
The defeat marks another step in Jamaica’s journey to establish themselves on the international rugby league stage as they continue to gain experience against quality opposition.
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."
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