Anthony Joshua remains on course for a future bout with Deontay Wilder after he produced a spectacular stoppage of Robert Helenius at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night.
Joshua claimed the 26th victory of his professional career with a first knock-out in three years, but even before this bout all the pre-fight talk was about what next for the British heavyweight.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the state of play for the former two-time world heavyweight champion.
Was the booing justified?
The Matchroom show had been in doubt a week earlier when Dillian Whyte had to be withdrawn after “adverse analytical findings” were discovered in his doping test with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).
It saw Helenius drafted in at the 11th hour but while there is no doubt a sold-out O2 Arena would have been happy to see Joshua in action, they clearly wanted more from the former Olympian during the first half of the 12-rounder. Joshua faced whistles and boos during round three and jeers followed after another pedestrian round saw the contest reach its halfway point. A thunderous right hand ensured the next outburst by spectators inside the London venue was applause.
DJ getting a tune out of AJ?
While Joshua was tentative early on against Helenius and did not want to initially trade off with the 39-year-old, some context must be provided. The Finchley boxer had only a week to prepare for his Finnish opponent and there is a number of inches difference between Whyte and Helenius, which would have brought out a significant adjustment for the home favourite.
Joshua struggled to land with his right hand early on but was urged to keep persevering by highly-respected trainer Derrick James in only their second bout together. James told Joshua to “keep shooting the right” and it landed emphatically during the seventh round with Helenius sent toppling to the canvas.
Wilder next?
Even before Whyte’s withdrawal, a large chunk of the discourse around Joshua was whether he would actually fight Wilder next. The former world heavyweight champions have been speculated to lock horns for several years and it would have been a unification contest as recently as four years ago.
Joshua had to block out the noise to do the business against Helenius but after he did, all eyes are now on Wilder. Saudi Arabia promotional entity Skills Challenge is eager to host the mouth-watering clash and dates in January and February are being drawn up.
So that’s that then?
We have been here many times before, not only with Joshua and Wilder but Joshua and fellow Briton Tyson Fury. It seems getting the best of the heavyweight division in the ring together is one of the hardest jobs in the sport. However, there is a lot of reason for optimism on this occasion.
A traditional stumbling block can be the fact world heavyweight champions have mandatory challengers to face, but with Joshua and Wilder holding no belts, they are free to fight whoever they wish. The money on offer should satisfy the demands of both boxers, but Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott did hint this week that his fighter would like to be active before fighting Joshua.
An October bout was proposed but even if that happens, these two generational heavyweights should still trade blows in 2024.
Max Whitlock ended Great Britain’s 120-year wait for gymnastics gold and then proceeded to double his tally in the space of two extraordinary hours on this day at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Whitlock clinched gold on both the floor and his favoured pommel horse apparatus to become the first British athlete to win two individual Olympic titles on the same day.
If his victory in the pommel final, pushing team-mate Louis Smith into silver, was almost to be expected, it was his earlier performance on the floor which stunned those who believed he had only a slim chance of a podium place.
The then 23-year-old landed a superb score of 15.633 then waited as a result which even he had intimated might be out of the question slowly began to turn to reality as key rivals including Kenzo Shirai and Samuel Mikulak messed up.
Ultimately Whitlock, who refused to watch any of his rivals’ routines, edged Brazilian pair Diego Hypolito and Arthur Mariano into silver and bronze
positions respectively, an unexpected result which sparked wild celebrations among the home fans and earned the Hemel Hempstead star his slice of history.
Whitlock grinned as he watched the Union Flag being raised highest in an Olympic gymnastics venue for the first time, then somehow refocused to deliver a pommel routine which lived up to his status as favourite after winning the world title in Glasgow the previous year.
Whitlock, who already boasted a bronze medal from the men’s all-around competition a week before, said: “It was quite difficult – I couldn’t take in what
had happened on the floor. It hit me like a ton of bricks because I wasn’t watching any of the routines before or after me, and it was crazy and it made
history.
“But I knew I had another job to do – I had to head back in the training gym, refocus and start warming up for the pommel because I had one more routine to do and now I can proudly say I have finished the Olympics with a smile on my face.
“This has out-done our expectations. This was my first floor final in the Olympics and the fact it only comes around once every four years makes it even more special. It makes me feel complete, I think.”
Lucas Glover eclipsed Patrick Cantlay in a playoff to win the FedEx St Jude Championship and claim a second straight PGA Tour victory.
The American duo were forced into an extra hole in Memphis after each completing 72 holes on 15 under par.
Glover, 43, ultimately claimed victory with a par on the 18th hole playoff after Cantlay found water off the tee.
Speaking after his victory, which comes just a week after he took out Wyndham Championship, Glover said: “If you would have told me this three months ago, I’d tell you you’re crazy.
“But at the same time, if you asked me legitimately did I think I was capable, I’d say yes, even then. It’s just one of those sad ways athletes are wired.
“We always believe in ourselves no matter how bad it is.”
Glover was ranked 119th in the world prior to the Wyndham Championship, but now sits 30th.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and England’s Tommy Fleetwood finished agonisingly close, but had to settle for equal-third on 14 under par.
Fleetwood was unable to sink a birdie chance on his last hole which would have propelled him into the playoff.
Cedric Mullins sure had a flair for the dramatic on Sunday.
Mullins robbed Ty France of a potential game-tying home run in the ninth inning, and then hit a two-run shot in the 10th to lead the visiting Baltimore Orioles to a thrilling 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.
Two pitches after Mullins reached over the centre field wall to catch France's would-be homer for the second out, Seattle ended up tying the game 3-3 on a Dominic Canzone home run.
That set up more late-inning magic from Mullins, who had entered in the sixth inning as a defensive replacement, as his homer in the 10th scored automatic runner Gunnar Henderson to put Baltimore ahead.
Mullins' home run was his first since July 14, as he had been 0 for 9 since being activated from the injured list prior to Friday's series opener.
Shintaro Fujinami pitched a perfect 10th for his first save.
It marked the AL-leading Orioles' second straight 10-inning triumph after Saturday's 1-0 victory snapped Seattle's eight-game winning streak.
With the win, Baltimore moved three games ahead of the second-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
The Mariners, who managed just 10 hits in the last two games after averaging 9.7 per game during their winning streak, fell 1 1/2 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final wild-card spot in the AL.
Marlins score five runs in bottom of ninth for stunning 8-7 win over Yankees
If the Miami Marlins end up making the playoffs this season, they may point to their 8-7 thrilling comeback win over the New York Yankees as the game that helped catapult them to the postseason.
Trailing 7-3 after eight innings, the Marlins scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth to stun the Yankees, winning on Jake Burger's walkoff single.
Miami scored its first two runs in the eighth on a throwing error by New York closer Clay Holmes and tied the game on MLB batting leader Luis Arraez's two-run triple.
Tommy Kahnle then relieved Holmes, and after Bryan De La Cruz walked, Burger lined a singled to left field to score Arraez and win the game.
Burger had three hits and drove in two runs, and is batting .317 with five extra-base hits and six RBIs in 11 games since being acquired by the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline.
The Marlins won for the fourth time in five games and took a half-game lead over the Chicago Cubs for the NL's final wild-card spot.
The Yankees, meanwhile, wasted a major league-leading 18th quality start from ace Gerrit Cole to fall five games back of the Blue Jays for the AL's last playoff spot.
Cole gave up two runs and struck out six over six innings before handing things over to the bullpen with a 7-2 lead.
Prior to Sunday, the Yankees were 17-0 in games in which Cole pitched and received at least seven runs of support.
Urias strikes out 12 as Dodgers win season-high eighth straight game
The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their scorching start to August with an 8-3 win over the Colorado Rockies to extend their season-high winning streak to eight.
Julio Urias matched his career high with 12 strikeouts - punching out seven in a row at one point - while allowing three runs and four hits over seven innings for his 10th win of the season. The veteran left-hander has posted a 1.50 ERA in winning his last three starts.
Miguel Rojas homered and drove in four runs for Los Angeles, which improved to 12-1 this month to take an 8 1/2-game lead over the second-place San Francisco Giants atop the NL West. The Dodgers entered August just 2 1/2 games up on the Giants.
Mookie Betts had a two-run double Sunday and has been instrumental to the Dodgers' surge, batting .367 with four homers, six doubles and 12 RBIs in 12 games this month.
Raphinha and head coach Xavi both saw red as Barcelona got their LaLiga title defence under way with a goalless draw at Getafe in a tempestuous affair that saw both sides finish with 10 players.
Raphinha came close to breaking the deadlock when his shot was saved by David Soria before rebounding off Stefan Mitrovic and on to a post, but the Barcelona winger was given his marching orders soon after.
Having been booked for dissent moments earlier, the Brazilian was given a straight red after appearing to use his forearm in an off-the-ball clash with Gaston Alvarez, prompting uproar from Getafe’s bench.
The incident on the stroke of half-time left Barcelona a man down with more than half the game to go but the sides were evened up just before the hour when Jaime Mata received a second yellow card.
Robert Lewandowski saw a looping header cleared off the line by Alvarez before, with 20 minutes left, Xavi was given his marching orders for arguing with the officials.
Barcelona dominated possession and had 14 shots to their opponents’ five on a steamy night in the Spanish capital but ultimately drew a blank in a clash that produced eight yellows and the three red cards.
They thought they should have had a penalty in the 12th minute of added-on time, with referee Cesar Soto Grado checking the monitors following potential fouls on Gavi and Ronald Araujo.
But the official saw no transgression by the Getafe defence and the hosts held on to secure a point.
Goals from Ayoze Perez and Willian Jose – in the 90th minute – secured a 2-1 victory for Real Betis at Villarreal, who had equalised through Jorge Cuenca, while Ruben Garcia and Moi Gomez were on target as Osasuna won 2-0 at Celta Vigo.
In Ligue 1, Lens squandered a two-goal lead as last season’s runners-up started their campaign with a 3-2 defeat at Brest.
Florian Sotoca and Deiver Machado put Lens two goals ahead inside 22 minutes but Romain Del Castillo’s spot-kick on the stroke of half-time gave the home side a foothold in the game.
Kenny Lala equalised just before the hour mark and after substitute Adrien Thomasson was sent off just a quarter of an hour after coming on, Del Castillo scored his second penalty to give Brest the points.
Wissam Ben Yedder bagged a brace as Monaco won 4-2 at Clermont, while Ibrahim Salah also scored twice as Rennes dished out a 5-1 beating to promoted Metz.
Le Havre, back in the top flight after a 14-year absence, had substitute Samuel Grandsir to thank for a last-gasp strike that rescued a 2-2 draw at Montpellier, while Toulouse came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Nantes and Strasbourg beat Lyon by the same score.
In Germany, Dani Olmo’s hat-trick saw RB Leipzig spoil Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich debut with a 3-0 win in the DFL-Supercup.
The Atlanta Falcons are entering the 2023 season without one of their leading tackers from last year.
In a surprise move, the Falcons opted to waive 2022 starting linebacker Mykal Walker on Sunday.
Atlanta made the decision to release Walker two days after he started and had four tackles in Friday's 19-3 preseason win over the Miami Dolphins.
Earlier Sunday, the Falcons signed linebacker Frank Ginda, the 2023 USFL defensive player of the year.
Walker played in 16 games and started 12 for the Falcons last season, finishing with a career-high 107 tackles - the third most on the team. He also had two interceptions, a sack and four tackles for loss.
A fourth-round draft pick by the Falcons in 2020, the 25-year-old Walker had 174 career tackles in 49 games.
Walker thanked the Falcons in a social media post.
New Everton signing Ashley Young insists he still has the appetite for a fight as his 19th Premier League season began with a defeat.
The 38-year-old joined on a free transfer this summer after his contract ended following a second spell at Aston Villa.
Some would view signing for a club which has escaped relegation by the finest of margins in the last couple of years as a gamble but Young is embracing the challenge of helping turn things around at Goodison Park and he was one of the better performers in the 1-0 defeat to Fulham.
“I’ve said age is nothing but a number. Everyone wants to talk about age with me and to be honest it’s getting boring now,” he said.
“I know what I give, the manager knows what I give to this team. I am as fit as anyone.
“If I didn’t have that hunger and desire I wouldn’t be out on the football pitch. I still have a lot to give; I’m a winner and have always been a winner and that is never going to change.
“I want to do well here. The abilities I have got – leadership on the pitch and off the pitch, that winning mentality that I have – can help a squad.
“My attributes will help the squad. It’s about seeing what qualities I can bring to the squad, I want to do as well as I can and bring everything I can.
“I said at the time I signed here you always know an Everton team can be back in the top 10 at least.
“I definitely think with work on the training ground and getting points on the board that’s where I see the club going.”
Anthony Joshua will ignore the hype and adopt a gladiatorial mindset if his proposed bout with Deontay Wilder gets the green light.
Discussions are advancing between the two camps and Saudi Arabian promotional agency Skills Challenge over the two ex-heavyweight champions doing battle in the ring in January.
Joshua ensured he remained on track for a future meeting with former WBC belt-holder Wilder by knocking out Robert Helenius in the seventh round of Saturday’s show at London’s O2 Arena.
Anticipation is now growing over two of the best heavyweights of the era finally stepping into the ring together after years of a match-up, which at one stage would have been a unification contest, being mooted.
But Joshua insisted: “There is no pressure on this whole situation, I am just rolling with the punches. It is not as important as this and that.
“I am just happy I have done my job and I can go home. It is not a big deal. I will take it step by step.
“For me, it is just another fight. I can’t get caught up in the hype and the build-up, what it means to people. For me I have to go in there as a gladiator, right?
“A gladiator doesn’t worry about what it means to other people, he just goes to fight. Take it from my aspect as a fighter, I am training to fight someone and hurt someone.
“I have no interest in what people think of me in the future. All I have an interest in is taking this guy out one way or another. That is just where my head is at.”
That mentality extends to speculation Wilder could himself arrange a tune-up fight, having last been in the ring back in October when he stopped Helenius in the first round of their New York clash.
While in the past this bout could have been for all the world heavyweight belts, Joshua admits the absence of titles makes it an easier contest to make, with Saudi representatives ringside in London at the weekend.
“Wilder is able to do what he wants. I have no control or concern about what he does, honestly,” the Finchley boxer added.
“I can’t answer for him and I don’t really have an interest too much on what his thought process is and psychology behind it. It is too much energy wasted on unimportant things.
“For me personally, the networks when we were champions was an issue, but now we’re here and it is a good time to be a heavyweight because Wilder is not champion any more, I am not champion, we don’t have network pressure, mandatory pressure.
“When I had four of the belts, I was challenging all my mandatories every other month and now I am free. When we look at the landscape, it is probably easier now to get active and busy again. That is probably the same situation for him as well.”
Joshua’s aim for this year was to fight more after solitary bouts in 2022, 2021 and 2020, but wins over Jermaine Franklin and Helenius have not kept the critics at bay.
The 33-year-old was booed and jeered at points on Saturday night before a devastating right hand produced a knock-out of the year contender.
It appeared to briefly pierce the armoury Joshua has built around him during a professional career that will reach a decade in October and future plans for the Briton were hinted at in the aftermath of his 26th win.
He said: “I will be honest, I am not going to answer anything negative. I feel like there is too much, ‘What do you feel about the booing or this or that’.
“I have no interest in conversing with any more negativity, I just need to hear some positive stuff. There is too much.
“Why are we so focused on so much negativity? We just had a great show, it was one of the best cards, it was heavyweight boxing, there was a knock-out. Let’s address something positive for once.
“Retiring healthy (is the aim). Just leaving the game healthy and paying my dues as a British heavyweight. I have put in a lot of work and I have paid my dues.
“One day I know I will be able to support some up-and-coming fighters, speak to them about the psychological aspect, business aspect and the training aspect of the game.
“I just feel it is very challenging and a lot of people will find it challenging to push through.”
Mauricio Pochettino insisted Chelsea have put the disappointment of last season behind them after watching his new-look team open their Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
The hosts endured a difficult start against Jurgen Klopp’s side and deservedly fell behind to a breakaway goal by Luis Diaz after 18 minutes, guided into the bottom corner from Mohamed Salah’s fine pass.
They were saved from going further behind when VAR intervened to rule out Salah’s strike for offside as Liverpool dominated for much of the first half.
But Chelsea slowly eased their way back and were level when defender Axel Disasi, making his first start, stole in to touch home from Ben Chilwell’s header eight minutes before the break.
VAR was called upon again to disallow Chilwell’s goal two minutes later, but thereafter Pochettino’s side settled and were a ready threat to Liverpool’s back line, with debutant striker Nicolas Jackson spurning the best chance when he fired over the bar from six yards.
The manager reflected on a performance in which he felt his team showed the traumas of last season, when the club failed to challenge for silverware and finished a dismal 12th, had been exorcised.
“I agree from the beginning it was tough, it was difficult,” he said. “Liverpool were better after 15-20 minutes but we started to find our ways to play and our position and what we were working on. And after that, the performance was really good.
“We scored and after we showed a great performance. I think we deserved to win, we conceded only one shot on target against a team like Liverpool.
“(I am) so pleased. It is only the start, the beginning. I can say thank you to the players.
“When we arrived here the first day, we don’t talk about the past, it is a long time ago. You need to move on, even if you are thinking about what happened a few seconds before, it moves on.
“The most important action in football is the next one and that is what we want to settle. We want to talk about the present and the future. We showed the belief and the team keep fighting.”
With the teams still locked in a battle to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, the need for more steel and control was evident in both midfields as attack got the better of defence and the middle of the pitch appeared porous for much of the game.
Chelsea remain in pole position to win the race for his signature, with the Ecuador international believed to favour a move to west London over Klopp’s side.
Pochettino would not be drawn on the progress of any deal but confirmed that the club were still looking to reinforce in midfield before the end of the transfer window.
He was also keen to point to his team’s success in limiting the visitors to a single shot on target during the game.
“Today we concede only one shot on target and we concede a goal, against Liverpool,” he said. “We need good players and to improve the squad, yes, but that is not new and we are working very hard.
“It is about (trying) to find the right profile, the right player, but the team was solid. We concede only one shot on target against Liverpool but for sure we need to create more chances, to have the capacity to score more goals. I think it is the first step.”
The manager hinted that the decision to leave goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga out of the squad, with Robert Sanchez selected for his Chelsea debut, was down to reported interest from Real Madrid.
“The reason he has to explore different situations, different possibilities,” he said. “Yesterday we were talking and the decision is to have all the players who are committed to being in Chelsea for the season.”
Klopp said that he had no issue with the reaction of Salah when he was brought off during the second half.
The forward, who has scored in his first game of the season in each year of his Anfield career and struck the crossbar at Stamford Bridge, was visibly unhappy to be taken off as his side sought a winning goal, but the manager said he felt it was a natural response.
“I can understand because if Mo scored it would have been a new record for goals scored in the opening game but I didn’t think about that,” he said.
“We needed stability and we needed fresh legs. It was super intense for everybody. That’s all I can say about it. His reaction was absolutely OK.”
At the age of 36, with six World Championships behind her and 10 gold medals in her collection, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is preparing to venture into unknown territory at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.
“It’s a new situation for me to come back from injury and start my season so late,” the Jamaican sprint phenomenon confessed after contesting her first 100m race of the year, in Lucerne on 20 July.
Having won in Switzerland in 10.82 and in Madrid in 10.83 two days later, Fraser-Pryce heads to the Hungarian capital with an unbeaten record at 100m in 2023. Her only other races since overcoming a knee problem have been a 200m heat and final at the Jamaican Championships, where she finished second to Shericka Jackson, the world champion at the distance, in 22.26 – plus, of course, that celebrated victory in the mother’s race at her son’s school sports day.
Three women have gone faster: Jackson, with her scorching 10.65 at the Jamaican Championships, Sha’Carri Richardson with 10.71 in the heats at the US Championships and the bang in-form Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou with 10.75 at the Bislett Games.
The Jamaican Supermom – who will be concentrating on the 100m, having withdrawn from the 200m – will need to close the gap on her rivals if she is to win the title for a sixth time and equal Sergey Bubka’s record haul of individual golds in one event.
In 14 years, Fraser-Pryce has only once failed to cross the line first in a World Championships 100m final, finishing fourth in Daegu in 2011.
In Oregon 12 months ago, she won in a championship record 10.67 – one of her record seven sub-10.70 performances in 2022 – with Jackson second in 10.73. This time Jackson has the super-fast time going into the championships, plus two 10.78 performances, but her only 100m wins have been on home ground in Jamaica. On the Diamond League circuit, the two-time world 400m bronze medallist has finished runner-up to Richardson in Doha and Silesia and third in Oslo and London.
In terms of head-to-heads, Fraser-Pryce boasts an 8-1 record against her compatriot and training partner and a 21-4 advantage over Ta Lou, but is tied at 3-3 with Richardson, her three successes against the US sprinter having come in their last three meetings.
At 34, Ta Lou is in the form of her life. A close second to the late Tori Bowie in London in 2017, losing the gold by 0.01, and third behind Fraser-Pryce and Dina Asher-Smith in Doha in 2019, the 5ft 3in African Pocket Rocket has blasted to 10 victories in 10 100m races in 2023, including Diamond League successes in Florence, Oslo, Lausanne and London, and looks a serious contender for a first global gold.
“I’m really going for the gold and I believe that I can do it,” Ta Lou said. “I know my finish is strong, but my start could be better. I need to improve it to make sure I can achieve my goal of winning gold.”
The 22-year-old Richardson, who will be making her major championship debut as a senior, has won eight of nine races at 100m this year, including Diamond League victories in Doha and Silesia. She has reached an impressive level of consistency, registering four of the fastest seven times in 2023, all 10.76 or quicker.
Her one defeat came in the Istvan Gyulai Memorial in Szekesfehervar on 18 July, when she clocked 10.97 as runner-up to the new kid on the blocks, Julien Alfred from St Lucia. The 22-year-old Commonwealth silver medallist prevailed in 10.89, stretching her unbeaten record to 10 wins.
Fifth fastest in the world at 100m with 10.83, Alfred has also clocked the third fastest 200m (21.91), suggesting she has the speed endurance to feature at the end of a close contest.
Brittany Brown and Tamari Davis, second and third behind Richardson at the US Championships, both have the potential to make the final and mount a challenge, while 2012 world U20 champion Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas clocked 10.92 as runner up to Ta Lou in Oslo in June.
The European challenge will be led by Asher-Smith, who clocked an encouraging 10.85 as runner-up to Ta Lou in the London Diamond League, and Poland’s 2019 European indoor 60m champion Ewa Swoboda, who broke 11 seconds for the first time with 10.94 for third place in Silesia.
Charley Hull fell short in her bid for a first major title as American Lilia Vu produced a brilliant final-round 67 to win the AIG Women’s Open by six shots.
England’s Hull began the day tied for the lead with Vu but while the latter posted a serene five-under-par total at Walton Heath to clinch her second major, the home favourite finished with a one-over-par 73.
Vu, who won the first major of the year in April at the Chevron Championship, made six birdies, dropping her only shot on the 15th, and was never seriously threatened after Hull had bogeyed the fourth and fifth holes.
Hull, who finished joint-second at the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach in July, was unable to kick-start her challenge until a brilliant eagle at the 11th.
That took her to within two shots of Vu, but two more dropped shots at the 15th and 17th scuppered her hopes.
The 27-year-old finished with a flurry, saving par at the 18th with a monster putt having driven from the rough into a bunker, but Vu sealed a comfortable win with another birdie.
The overnight joint-leaders started the final round one shot clear of American Angel Yin and South Korea’s Kim Hyo-joo, but former world number one and two-time Open winner Jiyai Shin sealed third place with a final round of 70.
Shin finished one shot clear of fellow South Koreans Amy Yang (70) and Kim (74), while American trio Allisen Corpuz, Ally Ewing and Yin were tied in sixth place.
Hull paid the price for two dropped shots on the fourth and fifth, finding herself three shots adrift of Vu, who had birdied the second, heading into the fifth.
Vu’s lead was cut to two shots when Hull produced a superb eagle at the par-five 11th, holing from the greenside sand before shrieking in celebration and stumbling on her way out of the bunker, but the 25-year-old Californian showed nerves of steel and responded with a birdie at the 12th.
Both players bogeyed the 15th before Vu extended her advantage with birdies at 16th and 18th, while Hull faltered as dropped shots at the 15th and 17th sandwiched her only birdie of the day at the 16th.
Play was briefly interrupted when protesters let off flares on the 17th after Vu and Hull had both completed the hole, with those involved led away by police and security staff.
The new Premier League season kicked off with plenty of talking points.
Mohamed Salah got stroppy, Pep Guardiola became angry, Tottenham began life without Harry Kane and Newcastle topped the embryonic table with a five-star show.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the key issues on the opening weekend.
Salah strop
After the battle for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia came the scrap for points between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Honours were shared in a 1-1 draw that saw Liverpool forward Salah show his frustration after being substituted 13 minutes from time.
Salah ripped off his tapes bit by bit and threw them to the ground and did not even acknowledge boss Jurgen Klopp before making his way to his seat in the Liverpool dug out.
Mauricio Pochettino – in charge of Chelsea for the first time – and Klopp renewed a rivalry that began in 2015 and includes a Champions League final four years ago and now they will joust in the transfer market again to strengthen their respective midfields.
Life after Kane
Tottenham fans saw a glimpse of their future without Harry Kane at Brentford – and it promises to be a roller-coaster ride under new boss Ange Postecoglou.
Record Spurs scorer Kane was already settling into life at Bayern Munich having made his debut for the German giants on Saturday night as Tottenham began their new era with a 2-2 draw.
How Spurs supporters would have relished Kane linking up with James Maddison, the stylish summer signing from Leicester who set up both Tottenham goals.
While Richarlison fills Kane’s number nine role, Postecoglou must tighten up a defence that was porous last season and again showed signs of susceptibility in west London.
A Pep talk, but same again from Haaland
Pep Guardiola showed a decent turn of foot to make his way across the Turf Moor pitch at half-time for an animated chat with star striker Erling Haaland.
The Manchester City manager was annoyed that Haaland was keen to run behind the Burnley defence and risk losing possession as the seconds ticked away to the interval with the defending champions leading 2-0.
While some observers complained Guardiola – brushing aside a cameraman determined to capture the conversation between player and manager – might have been better served making his point in the dressing room, it did little to concern the scoring sensation.
Haaland was back in the old routine with a clinical double inside 36 minutes and who would bet against the Norwegian eclipsing the 52 goals he scored last season as City won a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble?
Dream debuts
Newcastle fans needed only six minutes to find out what all the fuss over Sandro Tonali was about.
The Italy international joined from AC Milan this summer for a reported £50million-plus fee and gave a commanding midfield display in the 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa.
Tonali made an instant impression by volleying home Anthony Gordon’s sixth-minute cross and dovetailed superbly with Brazilian pair Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton with his athleticism, passing and vision standing out.
Harvey Barnes came off the bench to also score on debut following his summer switch from Leicester and it seems set to be another exciting campaign on Tyneside after last season’s fourth-placed finish.
Turnstiles, sanitation and delays
There has been loads of chat – and angst from some players and managers – over how long games are going to take this season with a directive for referees to add the exact time lost in goal celebrations, substitutions or injuries to the stoppage time.
But delayed kick-offs because of turnstiles and water supply issues? Hardly becoming of the so-called best league in the world.
Arsenal’s season kicked off in embarrassing fashion as a technical glitch prevented fans passing through the turnstiles, forcing a 30-minute delay for their home game against Nottingham Forest.
Just over 24 hours later, the Brentford-Tottenham game was delayed by six minutes as a problem with the water supply meant toilets could not be used at the stadium.
Mauricio Pochettino’s first match as Chelsea manager ended in a breathless, hard-fought home draw with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Both sides attempted to kick off the new season with a bang after disappointing campaigns, with the Blues particularly bruised having finished 12th at the end of a humiliating season.
Former Tottenham favourite Pochettino has been tasked with turning Chelsea around and oversaw a promising performance in their Premier League opener, with debutant Axel Disasi cancelling out Luis Diaz’s effort in a 1-1 draw.
The sides also saw one goal apiece ruled out for offside in a helter-skelter encounter that showed how much both would benefit from a midfielder like Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia.
Chelsea and Liverpool will renew their transfer battle for a number six after Sunday’s action-packed clash in the Stamford Bridge sunshine.
Mohamed Salah saw an early effort rattle the crossbar before expertly slipping in Diaz to score a goal that the Egypt star then coolly added to, only for it to be ruled out on VAR review.
Chelsea made the most of that let-off. Disasi levelled from a looping header by Ben Chilwell, who soon rounded Alisson to score only for the VAR to rule him offside as well.
The teams played out an entertaining second half without a winner and Salah looked irked to have been taken off as Liverpool hunted a second.
Chelsea ended strongly but made an uneasy start to Sunday’s game. Carney Chukwuemeka was booked in the fourth minute for a high foot and Diogo Jota mishit poorly after good work by debutant Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool played with more edge than the new-look hosts, with Salah recovering a poor Cody Gakpo pass, turning and continuing to curl a 20-yard right-footed effort off the crossbar.
The former Chelsea player started the afternoon with the bit between his teeth and produced a moment of magic in the 18th minute.
Salah collected the ball on the right, ran at homegrown debutant Levi Colwill and fizzed an exquisite left-footed pass through for Diaz to slide home.
Liverpool’s travelling hordes – who had been subject of unsavoury chants from some Chelsea fans – celebrated wildly.
The west Londoners pushed for a leveller, but their defence continued to look susceptible.
Thiago Silva produced a key block to deny Salah and soon afterwards Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant pass put the forward through to coolly dink over new Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
It looked like a potentially decisive goal, only for the VAR’s intervention to give Chelsea renewed hope. Salah had strayed marginally offside and Pochettino’s Blues quickly capitalised.
Alexander-Arnold sent a threatening Raheem Sterling cross aimed for Nicolas Jackson behind his own goal and Liverpool failed to deal with the resulting corner.
Chilwell kept his cool as Chelsea kept the pressure on, looping a header over for Disasi to stretch and turn past Alisson, sparking 37th-minute celebrations.
Within two minutes the volume went up several more notches. Enzo Fernandez‘s nudged pass put Chilwell through to round Alisson and turn home what Chelsea thought was their second, only for the VAR to step in for offside once again.
Salah and Jackson had further shots as a frantic first half ended 1-1, with play continuing in similar fashion when play resumed.
There was an audible gasp when new Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk whistled just wide from the edge of the box, before Diaz’s weak headed attempt hit Jackson’s hand and went behind. He survived a VAR check for a penalty.
Chelsea had chances at the other end. Chilwell forced Sanchez into a save, skipper Reece James sent a speculative free-kick over and Jackson raced through to get a shot on Alisson’s goal.
Jurgen Klopp rang the changes in search of a winner and Salah looked unhappy to be withdrawn, ripping the strapping off his wrist as he angrily walked off the pitch.
Debutant Sanchez nearly gifted Liverpool a late winner, with his poor pass cut out by Alexis Mac Allister, but Darwin Nunez was unable to capitalise.
The substitute striker saw a curling effort from distance defect narrowly wide in stoppage time, with Chelsea then going close on the counter.
Mykhailo Mudryk went around Alisson following Jackson’s lung-busting run, but Ian Maatsen got crowded out from the cutback.
Stuart Kettlewell hailed the impact of debutant Mika Biereth after the Danish striker came off the bench to inspire Motherwell to a 2-1 victory over Hibernian in the cinch Premiership.
The Arsenal loanee laid on Conor Wilkinson for the opening goal of the game before adding one of his own in wonderful style with five minutes of the match remaining.
Adam Le Fondre netted from the penalty spot in injury time to set up a nervy finish at Fir Park, but Kettlewell’s side held on for their first three points of the season.
“He was excellent when he came on, we know he’s got quality,” Kettlewell said.
“He’s still a young lad and probably in that development stage of his career. Coming from a club like Arsenal we knew he was a good player.
“I’m delighted with the impact, you don’t ever know if it’s going to be like that first off, but certainly from the wee bits we’ve seen in training, he starts to look like the sort of guy that will excel at this level.”
The Well boss was pleased at his side’s discipline during what was often a physical encounter.
After a drab first half, the hosts controlled much of the game after the restart and deservedly claimed the win.
“I though we were good throughout the day, we were disciplined, well-organised and probably in the second 45 started to carry a greater threat in the final third,” he added.
“Overall, it’s a pleasing day for us but I keep saying it, it’s not a case of sitting and resting on our laurels – we’ve got a lot more to give.
“It was a little bit of stand-off as a game in the first half but you’ve still got 45 minutes to rectify that and become a greater threat, which we did and deservedly got our three points.”
Hibernian boss Lee Johnson felt fatigue was a factor as his team were unable to recreate the highs of their Europa Conference League victory over Luzern.
Johnson was forced to rotate his squad for the meeting with Motherwell and he admitted that his side were feeling the strain of their recent busy schedule.
“We conceded two really poor goals of a weak disposition in terms of a physical battle for those two moments in the game,” he said.
“I feel like the output of Thursday probably had a bit of an effect in terms of the zip – the difference in the mental concentration was chalk and cheese in the two performances.
“Three days apart is a bit of a stretch for us at the moment, we’ve got six first-team starters out at the moment and ideally we’d have rotated the squad a little bit more.”
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