Noni Madueke believes new Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is one of the best in the business and is looking forward to flourishing under his stewardship.

Madueke, who joined the Blues from PSV Eindhoven in 2023, started the new Premier League campaign in fine form in the early tenure of the Italian.

The 22-year-old has scored four goals in four appearances this season, netting his first professional hat-trick in their 6-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.

Madueke managed just 11 goal involvements (eight goals and three assists) across all competitions last term, but feels Maresca's arrival has helped him add another level to his game.

"He's a great guy, a good manager, a very good tactician. He's helping me a lot with my game, little details," Madueke told talkSPORT.

"Things that you wouldn't necessarily think of yourself. I always feel like a great manager will say 'this can help you score more' or this can help you get in behind more'.

"Little things that I feel like he's helping me with."

His impressive start to the campaign has resulted in a first senior England call-up under interim head coach Lee Carsley for the Three Lions' upcoming Nations League fixtures.

Only Taylor Harwood-Bellis (21) has made more appearances than Madueke (19) for England's Under-21's side during Carsley's time in charge, helping them to success at the European Under-21 Championship last year.

However, when it was suggested that Carsley's appointment had given Madueke more motivation to impress, he insisted that his full focus remained on Chelsea.

"Not so much England, more so because I had a new coach at Chelsea and you want to impress your new coach at your club, and just play well,’ Madueke said.

"Every time I get the chance to play for Chelsea, it's such a massive club, I feel like it's a thing of pride, and you want to do the best you can.

"I always want to improve my game, so this season I just wanted to start as well as possible."

Madueke managed just 13 starts in the Premier League last season, and faces another year of fighting for his place in Chelsea's line-up. 

The Blues welcomed 11 new faces to Stamford Bridge during the transfer window, with Pedro Neto offering the biggest threat to his starting spot on the right-hand side of their attack. 

But Madueke is relishing the prospect of competition at the club, saying that he will embrace the situation with ambitions of succeeding at the highest level.

"If you want to play for one of the top clubs in the world, you’re going to have to deal with competition," Madueke concluded.

"That’s not something you should shy away from, that’s something you should just take head on.

"If you believe you’re a good player, you want to be around good players, because it increases your level.

"You don’t want to feel like you’re going to play every week and can just cruise through because that allows you to drop your standards a little bit.

"So it’s good that we have a lot of great players in the building, so the training level is better and, ultimately, we’re better on the pitch when it comes down to it."

Stand-in captain Ollie Pope put his recent woes behind him with a magnificent century as England cruised to 221-3 on day one of the third Test versus Sri Lanka at The Oval.

Pope had overseen back-to-back victories at Old Trafford and Lord's in Ben Stokes' absence but had struggled with his own form, failing to score more than 17 runs in any of his four innings in the series to date.

Things turned around for him on Friday, though, as he helped the hosts build a handsome lead with six wickets still in hand ahead of day two.

England were initially frustrated by bad light during the morning session, with a delay of almost three hours ensuing after Ben Duckett helped the hosts to 80-1 following the early loss of Dan Lawrence (5).

Duckett counted nine fours and two sixes among his 86 runs off 79 balls before he scooped Milan Rathnayake's slow delivery into the waiting hands of Dinesh Chandimal.

Joe Root then struggled to match Duckett's pace and he walked for 13 off 48 balls when he sliced Lahiru Kumara's delivery straight to Asitha Fernando in the deep.

However, Pope took the reins from there and put his poor recent form behind him with a speedy ton off 102 balls, with bad light stopping play for the final time immediately after he brought up three figures with a four, much to the frustration of the home fans.

Pope (102 not out) and Harry Brook (8 not out) will resume at the crease on Saturday, as England target a 3-0 series whitewash and a perfect Test summer.

Data Debrief: Pope's redemption

Figures of 6, 6, 17 and 1 through his four innings with the bat had somewhat sullied Pope's experience of captaining England in this series, but the stand-in skipper had a far more positive experience on Friday.

He put recent criticism of his performances to one side with an assured knock, hitting 13 fours and two maximums to ensure England made the most of limited play.

It is his seventh Test century overall, and his third of 2024 after knocks of 121 versus West Indies in July and 196 in India in January. Only eight England batters have accomplished that feat, and Pope is the first to do so since Gary Ballance in 2014.

Josh Inglis' record-breaking hundred helped Australia wrap up a series victory over Scotland, winning the second T20I by 70 runs at The Grange on Friday. 

Inglis struck seven fours and seven sixes in a ruthless batting display, becoming the quickest player in Australian history to reach 100 runs in the 20-over format.

The tourists had earlier got off to a poor start with the bat as Travis Head was bowled out for a duck by Brad Currie (3-37) in the first over. 

Jake Fraser-McGurk (16) would follow shortly after, only for Inglis to take control of proceedings as he reached his ton in just 43 balls, putting Australia in a strong position. 

He would eventually fall victim to Chris Sole in the 18th over, with Cameron Green (36), Marcus Stoinis (20) and Tim David (17) helping to set Scotland a target of 197.

The hosts then found themselves with a mountain to climb, having seen four wickets fall before the halfway stage of their innings. 

Brandon McMullen's knock of 59 offered Scotland a glimpse of a comeback, but the wickets continued to tumble as Stoinis (4-23) ripped through their lower order, sealing the triumph with the wicket of Chris Greaves (6).

Data Debrief: Record breaker Inglis

Inglis was the star of the show for the tourists, recording the quickest ton for Australia in T20Is, from just 43 deliveries.

He also recorded the joint-fastest century by a designated wicketkeeper-batter from a full-time nation, equalling South African Quinton de Kock's 43-ball hundred against West Indies in 2023. 

Lautaro Martinez believes he is worthy of being in consideration for the Ballon d'Or after leading Inter and Argentina to silverware in recent months.

Martinez was, unlike his compatriot Lionel Messi, one of 30 players nominated for world football's most prestigious individual prize earlier this week.

He fired Inter to their 20th Scudetto last season, topping Serie A's scoring charts with 24 goals in 33 matches, eight more than his closest rival, Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic. 

He then carried that form into the Copa America as Argentina won a record-breaking 16th continental crown, winning the Golden Boot with five goals – including the winner in the final versus Colombia – in just 221 minutes on the field.

Martinez finished 20th in the voting for the 2023 award but expects to be higher up the rankings this time around.

"Considering the season I had, I deserve to be where I am," Martinez said. "I worked hard and suffered so much in the previous years. 

"This is the second year in a row that I will participate in this ceremony. I think that I am ready to compete for this recognition."

With Messi out injured, Martinez partnered Julian Alvarez in attack as Argentina thrashed Chile 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday, the Atletico Madrid man scoring with a stunning long-range strike.

Albiceleste boss Lionel Scaloni was impressed with how the forwards dovetailed in that match, saying: "The duo of Julian and Lautaro performed well. They complement each other well, they don't give up a single ball.

"Lautaro assisted, Julian also went very well, he scored. They worked for us and they are two strikers who can continue to play together, we will see.

"I don't think there is so much superiority to the rest. They leave everything out there, the key is not to give anything up in advance. 

"They are always hungry. Football is very strange, at any moment it can put you in your place."

Jalen Ramsey is once again the NFL's highest-paid defensive back, as multiple outlets reported Friday that the Miami Dolphins star has agreed to a three-year, $72.3 million contract extension through the 2028 season.

The $24.1 million average annual value of Ramsey's new deal slightly exceeds the $24 million per year the Denver Broncos will pay cornerback Patrick Surtain, who signed a four-year, $96 million extension earlier this week.

Ramsey previously held the title of the league's top-earning defensive back after signing a five-year, $105 million extension in 2020, while then a member of the Los Angeles Rams. That contract was surpassed earlier this offseason, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave safety Antoine Winfield a new four-year deal that will pay him $21.025 million per season.

The Dolphins acquired Ramsey from the Rams during the 2023 offseason. The seven-time Pro Bowler didn't debut with his new team until Week 8 while recovering from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, but re-established himself as one of the league's top cover men during his first season in Miami.

Opposing quarterbacks produced just a 44.5 passer rating on attempts thrown in Ramsey's direction over his 10 regular-season starts in 2023. The 29-year-old had five passes defenced and three interceptions, and is one of only four players with at least three interceptions in each of the past three seasons.

Ramsey has received All-Pro honours three times over his eight-year career, which began with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. He was traded to the Rams midway through the 2019 season and played a key role in Los Angeles' Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals to conclude the 2021 campaign.

In 118 career regular-season games, Ramsey has compiled 474 tackles, 22 interceptions and 97 passes defenced.

Ramsey's extension continues an active summer for the Dolphins, who previously got starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa under contract through 2028 with a new four-year, $212 million deal. Miami also extended head coach Mike McDaniel's contract for three years last week. 

Erling Haaland fluffed his lines as Norway were held to an underwhelming goalless draw by Kazakhstan in their Nations League opener.

Norway failed to secure promotion from League B in the last edition of the Nations League in 2022-23, and their attempt to escape Group B3 got off to a frustrating start in Almaty.

Haaland was the joint-leading goalscorer in the 2022-23 tournament (alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic) with six goals, but he was unable to find the target despite being presented with several good chances on Friday.

The Manchester City man sent a 24th-minute header spiralling over the crossbar, then dragged another effort wide from the edge of the six-yard box five minutes later.

Norway dominated possession as newly promoted Kazakhstan dug in to preserve their clean sheet after the break, and Haaland's best chance would come nine minutes after the restart.

However, the Premier League's leading scorer was unable to steer home from just a couple of yards out as Norway's winless run in competitive action stretched to three games.

Data Debrief: Contrasting fortunes for Premier League stars

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was at the centre of everything good about Norway's performance, creating four chances for team-mates and registering the most passes in the final third (41) of every player on the pitch.

However, Norway found their main man Haaland out of form up top, the City star failing to score from four shots totalling 0.9 expected goals (xG) – a figure that represented almost half the overall total created by both teams (Kazakhstan 0.21, Norway 1.63). 

Steven Bergwijn had strong words for Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman following the 61-year-old's criticism of his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad.

Bergwijn, who has made 35 international appearances since his debut in 2018, was a notable admission for the Oranje's upcoming Nations League fixtures. 

The 26-year-old started two games at Euro 2024 in the knockout phase of the competition but was substituted in both at the half-time interval. 

He also enjoyed an impressive season at club level last campaign, creating more chances (50) and completing more dribbles (39) than anyone in the Ajax squad, scoring 12 goals in 24 appearances in the Eredivisie.

But ahead of the Netherlands' clashes with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany, Koeman took a dim view of Bergwijn swapping Ajax for the riches of Saudi Arabia.

"The book is basically closed to him. He knows what I think about this," Koeman said.

"When you are 26 [years old], your main ambition should be sporting, not financial. These are choices that players make."

Bergwijn, however, had some choice words for his international manager, saying: "I am done with someone who deliberately portrays me like that in the media.

"That's not how you treat your own players. The national coach knows very well that the competition in Saudi Arabia is at a great level.

"Or are you only allowed to take such a step when you are 32?".

But Koeman has since responded to Bergwijn's comments, choosing to stick to his guns. 

"It's logical that Steven Bergwijn reacts to my words on his move to Saudi. But I stick to my words!," Koeman told NOS.

"Going to Saudi at 26, it's not a transfer based on the sporting aspect."

Ryan Gravenberch has credited Arne Slot for his brilliant start to the new season, saying the manager gives him clarity and confidence.

Gravenberch joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich last September and made 26 Premier League appearances under Jurgen Klopp, but started just 12 of those games.

Since Slot's arrival, the midfielder has been shifted into a deeper-lying midfield role, earning plaudits for his performances, having started all three of their matches as the Reds made a perfect start to the campaign.

So far, among Liverpool players, he has won the joint-most duels (17), made the most interceptions (seven), and won the joint-most tackles (six).

Gravenberch believes his performances come from the faith shown in him by Slot.

"I just feel good in my skin, to be honest," Gravenberch told ESPN Netherlands. "But does that have a reason? Yeah, things are going well at the club. I'm just doing my thing, and it's working out well now."

"He gives me confidence now. He just lets me start in the lineup. It's going pretty well.

"As a player, you obviously want to get minutes. For me, that confidence is part of it. With that confidence, I feel more comfortable, and with the minutes, it keeps getting better.

"He's a good coach. He knows what he wants. He has a clear plan. Yeah, so far, we're executing it really well. Clarity from the start is always nice for me."

Gravenberch is now hoping to translate that form to the national side, and he is part of the squad for their Nations League matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany.

The 22-year-old was also part of their Euro 2024 party but did not play a single minute in the tournament as the Oranje reached the semi-final before being knocked out by England.

While he admits that it bothered him not to feature for his country at the Euros, he is now looking to put that frustration behind him as he looks towards future tournaments.

"It did gnaw at me a little," he said. "Because, when you go to the Euros, of course, you want to play. But in the end, we have to move on. The Euros are in the past. And now we're here."

"Life goes on," he added. "The Euros are over, and now we have to focus on the Nations League. And in two years, there's the World Cup again."

Christian Horner has praised Max Verstappen's attitude during Red Bull's recent struggles, but he is confident the team can make a comeback in the final eight races. 

Verstappen saw his lead cut at the top of the drivers' championship to 62 points by McLaren's Lando Norris in Monza, with Charles Leclerc also closing the gap. 

The Dutchman has now gone five Grand Prix's without a pole position, his worst streak since the sixth race of the 2021 season (five). 

He has also failed to emerge victorious in his last six Grand Prix's, with the last time he stood on the top step being at Barcelona in June.

“What’s really impressed me with Max is how he’s really engaged in this process,” said Horner.

“He’s not panicking, he’s working with the engineers, he’s explaining very clearly where the issues are, he’s putting the time and effort in.

“He was in early this morning, he was on Zoom calls last week, he’ll be on the simulator before the next race, and he’s really working hard at this.

"I think he’s shown great maturity as a world champion, the way he’s working with the engineering group.

“Nobody likes the situation we’re in at the moment, nobody’s happy with it and we’ve got to work really hard to turn it around.

"But the one thing this team has is strength and depth in talent, and we’ll come back.”

Red Bull's struggles have also seen their advantage at the top of the constructors' standings evaporate, and are now only eight points clear of McLaren, with Ferrari 39 points off the pace. 

But a return to action next weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix offers the team a chance to bridge the gap to those below them. 

Only one driver has achieved more than one victory on the streets of Baku, with that man being Verstappen's team-mate, Sergio Perez, who won in 2021 and 2023.

The Mexican has scored the most points on the circuit (100), with only a Lewis Hamilton victory and fastest lap being enough to overtake the Red Bull driver (75). 

But Perez has now gone 10 consecutive Grands Prix without finishing in the top five of the standings, the same number of times as in his previous 41 races in Formula 1. 

However, Horner is optimistic that solutions can be put in place prior to the upcoming double header of Azerbaijan and Singapore.

“The most important thing is understanding the issue, and I think there are certain fixes that potentially can be introduced, perhaps not the resolve the whole issue but address some of it,” Horner said.

“I think we have a two-week period before Baku and Singapore and then we have another mini-break where we can work in-between Singapore and Austin, so this time now is crucial.”

Dak Prescott does not see the Dallas Cowboys' 2024 season opener versus the Cleveland Browns on Sunday as a deadline for the team to make him an acceptable contract offer.

Prescott is set to enter the final season of the four-year, $160million contract he penned in 2021, and talks over a new deal have been ongoing for several weeks.

The ninth-year quarterback is set to hit free agency in 2025, though he has repeatedly expressed confidence his agent Todd France will reach a deal with the team.

The Cowboys begin the new campaign with a potentially tricky visit to Cleveland, but Prescott says his approach to the season will not change if his new contract is not signed before then. 

"I'd say they're working. I don't know if that's necessarily the timeline," Prescott told reporters when asked if a new deal could be announced before the game.

"I can't say, 'I'll put a timeline to Todd and [Dallas executive] Stephen [Jones] if we don't get this done, this or that'. I know they're working.

"I'm going to still be working. That's the only thing that matters to me."

Prescott's 410 completions and passer rating of 105.9 in 2023 were career-best figures, while he also played all 17 regular-season games for the first time since being drafted in the fourth round in 2016.

However, the Cowboys collapsed to a stunning 48-32 defeat to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round of the NFL Playoffs, ensuring their wait for a record-equalling sixth Super Bowl crown will reach at least 20 years.

Roger Staubach (in 1971 and 1977) and Troy Aikman (1992, 1993 and 1995) remain the only quarterbacks to lead Dallas to Super Bowl glory, and Prescott maintains that winning it all with the Cowboys would mean more than doing so elsewhere.

"I don't think winning it any other place would be the same as winning it here," Prescott said. "That is a number one reason in wanting to be here, to be honest with you."

Star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb held out on the Cowboys' training camp to force through his own new contract during the offseason, but Prescott's team-mate expects him to show nothing but full commitment while he waits on an agreement. 

"Obviously, Dak is doing a great job of not really bringing it into the workspace, but I know personally that it can take a toll on you," Lamb said. 

"He's doing a great job of leading us in the right direction. He knows that we're rooting for him. Me, the most, for sure. 

"We need to hurry up and get this done, so we can just put this all behind us and go win more ballgames."

Oliver Bearman will replace the suspended Kevin Magnussen for Haas at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix following his incident at Monza last weekend. 

Magnussen, who finished 10th at the Italian Grand Prix, was handed a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points after a clash with Alpine's Pierre Gasly. 

The Dane was subsequently banned for one race after reaching the maximum 12 penalty points on his Super Licence within the space of a year. 

Magnussen is the first driver since Romain Grosjean back in 2012 to recieve a ban after the Frenchman caused a multi-car incident at the Belgian Grand Prix. 

With Bearman part of Haas' all-new driver line-up next year alongside Esteban Ocon, it provides an opportunity to familiarise himself with the car he will be driving in 2025.

The 19-year-old made his Formula 1 debut earlier this year when he stood-in for the unwell Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. 

Bearman finished in seventh place, scoring points on his first start for Ferrari and is looking forward to the challenge of Baku's street circuit next week. 

“It’s definitely more of a challenge stepping in to race as a reserve driver, with limited prep-time and so on," Bearman said.

"But I’m in the fortunate position of having done it earlier in the year with Ferrari, so I can at least call on that experience.

"I’ve also had four FP1 sessions with the Haas F1 Team in the VF-24 this season, so undoubtedly, that will also prove to be valuable in tackling the full race weekend.

"The team is in good form at the moment and I’ll do my best to be prepared with the time we have available.

"The aim is to get out there and have a solid weekend in Azerbaijan.”

Team Principal Ayao Komatsu added: “I’m excited that Ollie will be driving the VF-24 alongside Nico in Baku.

"He’s already shown great promise in his FP1 outings and post-season test, and he performed very well when he drove for Scuderia Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, picking up points in the process.

"This is another excellent opportunity for both Ollie and the team to work together, this time throughout an entire race weekend, and he couldn’t ask for better teammate than Nico to provide him with a reference.”