Bruno Fernandes is "perfectly aware" Manchester United are not ready for a Premier League title challenge but has defended his under-fire team-mate Casemiro after Sunday's loss to Liverpool.
United entered the first international break of the season 14th in the table with just three points, suffering back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool.
A Luis Diaz brace and a Mohamed Salah strike condemned United to another embarrassing defeat at the hands of their old rivals, as Ten Hag became the first Red Devils manager to lose three home Premier League games by three or more goals within the space of a year.
United were also beaten 3-0 by Manchester City last October and fell to the same scoreline versus Bournemouth two months later.
Ten Hag is also the only United boss to ever start multiple Premier League seasons with two defeats from his first three games, with the Red Devils doing so three times in the last five campaigns overall (also 2020-21 and 2022-23).
Fernandes is under no illusions regarding the chasm that separates United from their rivals at present, telling DAZN in Portugal: "Yes, I am perfectly aware that this Manchester United is not ready to win the Premier League.
"We are fighting with the concrete and real objective of trying to finish in the top four, in the places that give access to the Champions League.
"But there is still a lot to improve for the greater objective, and for my dream, which is to one day win this championship."
Casemiro was criticised after Sunday's match, having been replaced by 20-year-old Toby Collyer at half-time after making mistakes in the build-up to both of Diaz's goals.
The Brazilian lost possession 14 times in just 45 minutes on the field. Noussair Mazraoui (17) and Diogo Dalot (16) were the only United players to do so more often, with both playing the full 90.
Fernandes, however, has leapt to the defence of his midfield partner, saying: "Casemiro is more experienced than me, he played for the two best clubs in the world in terms of media coverage. He has a lot of quality.
"Mistakes are going to happen to everyone. We just have to be more cautious when they are about to happen and compensate and correct them in time.
"We have to be more alert when we lose the ball, feel and smell the danger and be more objective.
"Whenever we have opportunities, we have to score more goals. We have attacking quality, but few goals."
Jannik Sinner is anticipating a gruelling US Open quarter-final clash with Daniil Medvedev after producing some of his best tennis of the year to beat Tommy Paul in the fourth round.
Sinner made a slow start against the home favourite in front of a raucous crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, swiftly going two breaks down before recovering his composure.
He needed tie-breaks to take the first two sets but produced a mesmerising display in the third, wrapping up a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 victory to ensure he has reached at least the quarter-finals of all four grand slams in 2024.
Sinner has also made the last eight at his first 12 ATP-level events this year. At the age of 23 years and 17 days, he is the second-youngest man to achieve that feat in the Open Era, after Jimmy Connors in 1974 (21 years, 290 days).
While early exits for Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have seen the opposite side of the draw open up, things do not get any easier for the world number one as he faces Medvedev next.
The Russian, who won the 2021 edition of the US Open, trounced Nuno Borges 6-0 6-1 6-3 in his own fourth-round matchup and has won 11 straight sets of tennis.
Sinner, meanwhile, has struggled with hip problems throughout the season and was seen clutching the area after stumbling during one long rally versus Paul.
He is hopeful of overcoming that concern ahead of Wednesday's quarter-final but knows he will be pushed all the way by Medvedev.
"For sure mentally I didn't start very well. I was a double break down in the first set. I tried to stay there mentally and for sure this was one of the keys to win this match," Sinner said.
"I served very well in the beginning of the match. There are some ups and downs obviously in best of five, it's normal to have that.
"But finding my rhythm in the end of the match hopefully helps for the next match, so let's see.
"There's going to be a lot of rallies so hopefully I'll be ready physically. We'll try to do our best on court and hopefully you guys enjoy it."
The winner of Sinner's clash with Medvedev will face either Jack Draper or Alex de Minaur for a spot in the final, with the former reaching his maiden grand slam quarter-final by beating Tomas Machac 6-3 6-1 6-2.
Draper, who is the first British man to make the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows since Andy Murray in 2016, told Sky Sports after his win: "I feel amazing being in the last eight.
"My first quarter-final, it means the absolute world to me. I've definitely felt more and more confident in myself."
Iga Swiatek believes she is growing into the US Open and improving with each day that passes after storming into the quarter-finals by beating Liudmila Samsonova.
Five-time grand slam winner Swiatek is hunting her second title at Flushing Meadows, and she will face home favourite Jessica Pegula in the last eight after overcoming Samsonova 6-4 6-1.
She needed just over an hour and a half to see off the 16th seed on Monday in what represented her 100th main-draw match at grand slams.
Among those to begin their careers in the Open Era, only six female players have bettered Swiatek's total of 83 victories through their first 100 major outings.
Monica Seles managed 93 wins, putting her ahead of Chris Evert (90), Steffi Graf (87), Martina Hingis, Serena Williams (both 86) and Venus Williams (85).
Swiatek is also one of just four players in the last two decades to win 12 straight grand slam matches versus WTA top-20 opponents, alongside Graf, Seles and Serena Williams.
She still believes there is more to come, though, as she approaches Tuesday's headline tussle with sixth seed Pegula.
"At the beginning, I felt like we were playing men's style, just holding our serves but I knew that if I kept pushing I may get some chances to break," Swiatek said.
"That happened and I'm happy I was there to close the first set. Then I just wanted to keep being focused and not let my mind drift off.
"I'm happy with the whole performance. I'm feeling better and better every day."
The victor of Swiatek's meeting with Pegula will face Karolina Muchova or Beatriz Haddad Maia for a place in the final, after the former upset Jasmine Paolini and the latter overcame Caroline Wozniacki.
Haddad Maia's' 6-2 3-6 6-3 win over Wozniacki – who won the 2018 Australian Open – made her just the second South American woman to claim multiple US Open victories over former grand slam winners (two), alongside Argentina's Gabriela Sabatini.
Luis Severino's seven sharp innings allowed the rolling New York Mets to further close the gap in the National League wild card race with Monday's 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Severino (10-6) scattered six hits while yielding one run to win his third consecutive decision and lead the Mets to a fifth straight victory. New York, now 12-5 over its last 17 games, moved within a half-game of the Atlanta Braves for the NL's final wild card spot.
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor continued a hot stretch as well by going 2 for 3 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Luis Torrens also went 2 for 3 for New York, which also received a run-scoring double from Brandon Nimmo.
Nimmo's hit followed a single by Lindor in the bottom of the third inning and snapped a 1-1 tie, and the Mets pushed home two more runs against Boston starter Brayan Bello in the fourth to increase the margin.
After DJ Stewart started a two-out rally with a single, Torrens lashed a double to left that enabled Stewart to score when Boston's Tyler O'Neill misplayed the ball caroming off the wall. A Lindor single then brought home Torrens for a 4-1 advantage.
The Mets had their first run set up by back-to-back singles by Jose Iglesias and Jeff McNeil in the second inning that put runners at first and third, with Iglesias crossing the plate on a double-play grounder off the bat of Starling Marte.
Boston would pull even in the top of the third when Ceddane Rafaela tripled and scored on Jarren Duran's single.
Severino shut down Boston's offence from that point on, though, with Danny Young and Phil Maton closing out the win with a scoreless inning each.
Bello (12-7) gave up all four New York runs in five innings of work in the latest loss for the slumping Red Sox, who have now dropped three straight and eight of 11.
Torres, Cole help keep Yankees atop AL East
Gleyber Torres had three hits, including a go-ahead two-run double, and Gerrit Cole struck out nine over six strong innings as the New York Yankees maintained their slim lead atop the American League East with an 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers.
Anthony Rizzo also had a two-run double for New York in his second game back from a broken arm, while Giancarlo Stanton added a solo homer to help keep the Yankees a half-game ahead of Baltimore in the race for the AL's best record. The Orioles kept pace with a 13-3 rout of the White Sox, the 11th straight loss for Chicago.
Cole (6-3) held the Rangers to one run on four hits before departing due to a cramp in his right calf he developed while warming up for the seventh inning.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner had a 7-1 lead at that point, with Torres opening the scoring with a third-inning double that drove in Anthony Volpe and Alex Verdugo, both of whom reached on singles off Jack Leiter.
Cole's lone blemish occurred in the bottom of the third, when Josh Smith delivered a two-out double that brought in Marcus Semien, who was aboard on a fielder's choice that followed Leody Taveras' single.
Leiter (0-2) kept it a 2-1 game until the sixth, which Torres and Juan Soto began with singles before Aaron Judge ended the rookie's night with a run-scoring double.
The Yankees would put up four more runs before the end of the inning. Jazz Chisholm brought home Soto with a single, Rizzo knocked in two more with an opposite-field double and Chisholm scored on a wild pitch to increase the margin to 7-1.
Wyatt Langford's two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh got Texas a little closer, but Stanton opened the eighth with his 25th homer of the season to push New York's lead to 8-3.
Langford added a double in the ninth inning that followed a single by Josh Jung, who scored the Rangers' final run on a groundout by Jonah Heim.
Freeman, Ohtani lead another Dodgers' offensive outburst vs. Diamondbacks
Freddie Freeman homered twice and knocked in five runs, Shohei Ohtani stole three more bases, and the Los Angeles Dodgers punished Arizona Diamondbacks pitching once again in an 11-6 victory that allowed the NL West leaders to win an important four-game series.
The Dodgers hammered out 17 hits, including five from Teoscar Hernandez, en route to their 11th win in 14 games. Los Angeles took three matchups in this series while totalling 32 runs and averaging 13 hits over the four games.
Ohtani finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored while running his stolen base total to 46 as he bids to become the first player in MLB history with 50 home runs and 50 steals in a season.
Mookie Betts also had two hits while driving in three runs to help the Dodgers maintain a five-game advantage over the second-place San Diego Padres in the division. The Diamondbacks are now six back after losing for the fourth time in five games.
Los Angeles also got a solid pitching performance from Jack Flaherty, who fanned seven while holding Arizona to one run in 5 2/3 innings to improve to 4-1 in six starts since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers in late July.
Freeman's first home run, a two-run shot off Eduardo Rodriguez in the third inning, staked Los Angeles to a 3-0 lead. The blast came with Betts aboard after the fellow All-Star reached on a single that plated Chris Taylor, who opened the inning with a double.
Arizona got a run back in the bottom of the third when Eugenio Suarez doubled and later scored on Corbin Carroll's groundout.
It remained a 3-1 game until Ohtani singled in the seventh, stole both second and third base, and crossed the plate on Freeman's sacrifice fly after Betts was intentionally walked. Hernandez followed with a single and stole second before he and Betts were brought in on Will Smith's single that extended the lead to 6-1.
The Diamondbacks did close the gap in their half of the seventh. Suarez and Luis Guillorme singled before Geraldo Perdomo drove in one run with a sacrifice fly and Jake McCarthy another on a groundout.
Los Angeles answered with a five-run eighth, however, highlighted by Freeman's two-run homer that made the score 10-3. Betts had preceded Freeman's shot with a two-run double, while Hernandez later delivered another hit before eventually scoring on Tommy Edman's single.
Suarez capped a three-hit night with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, and the Diamondbacks managed two runs in the ninth via Josh Bell's single that brought home Carroll and Randal Grichuk.
John McGinn admitted that he is still not over Scotland's disappointing early exit at Euro 2024 as they prepare for their latest Nations League campaign.
Scotland only took one point from a possible nine in Germany, getting thrashed by the hosts in their opener before a late loss against Hungary snuffed out their hopes of reaching the knockout stages after a draw with Switzerland.
It followed a similar showing from the Tartan Army at Euro 2020 as they failed to make a mark on their major tournament return.
Having played in both European Championships for Scotland, McGinn said it was an experience that has stayed with him long after the tournaments finished.
"You definitely don't park them," McGinn said. "I still think about getting relegated at St Mirren. What I could have changed? What you could do better - these things never leave you.
"Everyone always says the highs in football make the lows worth it, but that's a lie, so it'll always be in the back of your head things you could have done differently both together as a team and individually.
"We've come a long way as a nation to qualify for these tournaments. We didn't want that to just be enough. We all know we could have done better in the summer, but now there's a new batch of players coming in, a sort of different feel with the squad, and hopefully, it'll re-energise all of us individually and hopefully everyone in the country as well."
Scotland's next aim is to reach their first World Cup since 1998.
Though qualifying for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico does not start until next year, the Nations League could be a potential route into the finals for Steve Clarke's side.
Scotland will play Poland and Portugal in League A Group 1 during the September international break, and McGinn wants to get off to a strong start as he sets his sights on the next major tournament.
"We've got a couple of years now to try to get to a World Cup," added McGinn.
"We've not achieved that in a long time. This group's managed to achieve things and break the pattern of not qualifying for tournaments. We've obviously not built on that.
"Thursday, it's about us getting on the front foot, embracing being in the top division in the Nations League, which is a first for us. We'll probably have a lot more people to prove wrong.
"We're all behind the manager, and he certainly seems hungry and ready to go again and, hopefully, we can do what no one's managed to do for a long time and get to another major tournament."
Aurelien Tchouameni has withdrawn from France's squad ahead of their Nations League fixtures due to a foot injury.
The 24-year-old left camp on Monday and has returned to Real Madrid, where he will undergo further assessment, though the injury is not thought to be serious.
Tchouameni had started all four of Madrid's opening LaLiga fixtures, having also played five times for France at Euro 2024 as they reached the semi-finals, but he will now miss Les Bleus' opening fixtures against Italy and Belgium.
The midfielder is the second Madrid player to pull out of Didier Deschamps' squad on Monday, with left-back Ferland Mendy also withdrawing due to a shin injury.
Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Digne have been called up as their respective replacements.
It also follows the news that Dani Ceballos is set for a spell on the sidelines, with an ankle-ligament injury expected to keep him out for six weeks.
Daniil Medvedev breezed into the US Open quarter-finals with a commanding straight-sets win over Nuno Borges on Monday.
As the only former men's champion still in the competition, the Russian put out a statement with his 6-0 6-1 6-3 victory in just one hour and 48 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Medvedev showed his intent early in the match, winning every game in the first set as Borges failed to find his footing and struggled to put the 2021 champion under any pressure.
The Portuguese did win his first game at the start of the second set, but Medvedev was soon back in control, going on another six-game winning streak to put him out of sight.
Borges finally showed some fight in the final set, though it was too little too late. He got his first, and only, break of the match, but could not push his advantage as the world number five claimed two of his own to book his place in the next round.
He will face either world number one Jannik Sinner or Tommy Paul in the next round at Flushing Meadows.
Data Debrief: Statement of intent
Since losing the second set of his first match in New York, Medvedev has not looked back, going on to win every single one since.
Borges barely laid a hand on him in the fourth round though, as Medvedev stayed on top by successfully converting eight break points - he has now converted 29 such points at the US Open this year, the most of any player.
Since 2019, when the 28-year-old reached the quarter-finals of the US Open for the first time, no player has reached this stage more in men's singles than Medvedev (five).
Cristiano Ronaldo says he has no intention to retire from international football yet, but does not expect it to be a difficult decision when the time comes.
The 39-year-old holds the record for the most caps and goals of any player in men's international football, netting 130 times in 212 games.
However, Ronaldo's future was called into question after an unconvincing Euro 2024 campaign in which he failed to hit the back of the net in five appearances.
The tournament in Germany was the sixth major finals Ronaldo has featured in, a record, and he became the first European player in history to make 50 appearances at major tournaments.
"When the time comes, I'll move on," he said. "It won't be a difficult decision to make.
"If I feel like I'm no longer contributing anything, I'll be the first to leave."
Ronaldo also said he "never considered leaving the national team" despite the criticism he received during the tournament.
"People's expectations of the national team were too high," Ronaldo added.
The forward has retained his place in the Portugal squad for their upcoming Nations League matches against Croatia and Scotland when he will be looking to score what will be his 900th career goal.
For the first time since the 2022 season, Deandra Dottin will be a part of Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League after being selected by the Melbourne Renegades in the player draft on Sunday.
The Renegades will be the fourth WBBL franchise Dottin has represented in her career after previous stints with the Perth Scorchers, Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers.
Dottin, who was recently selected in the West Indies squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup set for October 3-20 in the UAE, will be reunited with Windies teammate Hayley Matthews with the Melbourne-based franchise.
Matthews will be looking to rebound from a tough 2023 season with the bat for the Renegades by her standards where she scored 255 runs in 14 innings at an average of 19.61 with no fifties and a highest score of 46.
She was better with the ball, taking 14 wickets at an average of 27.64.
The 2024 WBBL will run from October 26 to November 30.
The Renegades will play their first game against the Sydney Sixers on October 27 at the Adelaide Oval.
Jessica Pegula is through to the quarter-finals of the US Open after beating Diana Shnaider in straight sets on Monday.
She ensured she would not suffer a second consecutive fourth-round exit at Flushing Meadows, winning 6-4 6-2 in 88 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The American is on a hot streak since the tour returned to the North American hard courts, having already won the Canadian Open before reaching the final in Cincinnati, only to lose out to Aryna Sabalenka.
Pegula staunchly defended four break points in the second game, but three consecutive breaks put her in control of the first set despite Shnaider's spirited fight back.
The Russian, who is the youngest player to reach this year's fourth round, could not maintain that level n the second though, as Pegula got another two breaks in the second set and won the last three games to ensure she would go into the final eight.
Pegula will face either world number one Iga Swiatek or Liud Samsonova in the next round as she bids to reach a first-ever grand slam singles semi-final.
Data Debrief: Home advantage
Having failed to get past the second round at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2024, Pegula has already beaten her best grand slam result of the year.
She has now reached the quarter-finals of Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open in the same year for the second time in her career (also 2022). She is one of just four women to achieve this across multiple seasons during the Open Era.
Pegula is 13-1 on hard court this year, and will be hoping she can continue her impressive run, especially having gone 0-6 in her previous grand slam quarter-finals.
Rory McIlroy is planning to cut down the number of tournaments he enters in 2025 after a congested season that will include 27 events this year.
The Northern Irishman finished tied for ninth place in the Tour Championship in Atlanta last weekend, his 22nd event of the year.
McIlroy started the year strong, winning the Dubai Desert Classic before triumphing at the Wells Fargo Championship in May.
He also came close to ending his decade-long wait for a major title, but agonisingly missed out to Bryson DeChambeau by one shot at the U.S. Open after a late collapse, prompting him to take a short break.
"It's been a long season, and I'm going to just have to think about trying to build in a few extra breaks here and there next year and going forward because I felt like I hit a bit of a wall sort of post-U.S. Open, and still feel a little bit of that hangover," said McIlroy.
"My season is not over, obviously. I've still got five events left to play," he said.
"But yeah, I feel like the tournaments came thick and fast, and obviously, with the Olympics thrown in there, as well, this year, it sort of condensed everything a bit."
Since the U.S. Open, McIlroy has struggled to show his early-season form, missing the cut at The Open Championship and finishing fifth at the Paris Olympics while representing Team Ireland.
The 35-year-old still has five tournaments left this year, including next week's Irish Open at Royal County Down.
Asked how many tournaments is too many in one year, McIlroy replied: "27. I'm usually sort of like a 22 sort of person. But again, that was when I was sort of in my 20s and didn't have the responsibilities that I do now.
"I'm going to try to cut it back to like 18 or 20 a year going forward, I think."
Attorneys representing Jamaican squash player Julian Morrison have filed a formal application requesting that Catherine Minto, Chair of the Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel, recuse herself from the ongoing hearing concerning an alleged anti-doping violation. The application, filed by Dr. Emir Crowne, Mr. Matthew Gayle, and Mr. Sayeed Bernard, on Monday, September 2, argues that Minto’s prior extensive working relationship with Kings Counsel Ian Wilkinson, who is representing the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) in the matter, presents a potential conflict of interest.
The legal team’s concerns are rooted in the principle of impartiality, as outlined in WADA’s International Standard for Results Management. This standard mandates that members of hearing panels must be free from any actual or potential conflicts of interest to ensure a fair and unbiased adjudication process.
According to the standard, “Upon appointment to a hearing panel, each hearing panel member shall sign a declaration that there are no facts or circumstances known to him/her which might call into question their impartiality in the eyes of any of the parties, other than any circumstances disclosed in the declaration…”
Morrison's legal team discovered on August 30, 2024, that Minto had previously served as co-counsel with Wilkinson in several cases, some of which spanned nearly a decade and culminated in an appeal to the Privy Council. Despite the significant duration and nature of this professional relationship, it was not disclosed to Morrison or his representatives at the outset of the hearing. They argue that this omission compromises the perceived impartiality of the Chair and raises questions about the fairness of the proceedings.
Matthew Gayle, one of Morrison’s attorneys, emphasized the seriousness of the situation: “Given that the panel has considered the issue of recusal, substantively for a significant period of time, this ought to have been a matter that was disclosed to the parties so the athlete has no way of knowing but for information in the public domain. This should have been disclosed by the Chair herself and to the parties and give the athlete an opportunity to consider whether or not he wants to raise an objection, and in the circumstances where no disclosure has taken place it does raise a very serious question as to why,” he told Sportsmax.TV.
The application highlights multiple cases, including ones from 2014, 2016, and 2020, where Minto and Wilkinson worked closely together. Morrison’s legal team contends that this omission violates the ethical guidelines that require transparency and impartiality from those presiding over such hearings.
In April, Morrison was provisionally suspended by JADCO after testing positive for trace amounts of the banned anabolic agent Boldenone. Since then, he has been eagerly awaiting the chance to clear his name. His legal team has argued that Morrison unknowingly ingested the substance and is determined to prove his innocence.
The attorneys have requested that Minto either voluntarily recuse herself and be replaced by an alternate who has no recent or extensive professional ties to JADCO's counsel, or that the application for her recusal be decided by other members of the Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel who are free from similar conflicts.
Morrison’s legal team stressed that this application was not made lightly, acknowledging that it could delay the proceedings. However, they assert that the integrity of the hearing and the athlete’s right to a fair trial must take precedence.
The outcome of this recusal application could significantly impact the course of the hearing, as both parties await a decision that will determine the next steps in this high-stakes case. Morrison remains resolute in his fight to prove his innocence and is hopeful that he will be granted a fair opportunity to do so.
Joshua Kimmich has been named as Germany's new captain following Ilkay Gundogan's international retirement last month.
The Bayern Munich player has made 91 appearances for the national team since his debut in May 2016, netting six goals, and has captained the side on 17 previous occasions.
Kimmich played in all five of Germany's games at Euro 2024 as they reached the quarter-finals, with Nagelsmann confirming how key a figure the versatile player is.
Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger and Arsenal's Kai Havertz, who captained Germany at youth level, have been selected as vice-captains by Julian Nagelsmann.
"The captain places the team's opinion with the coaching team. Kimmich was the logical successor," Nagelsmann said.
"He leads the way with his mentality. We have a very good mix with these three players."
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Jonathan Tah, Niclas Fullkrug and Pascal Gross have also been selected for Germany's new leadership council.
"The team council is a very good, responsible group," Nagelsmann added. "We selected it well; the players were all very happy and are keen to fill their roles."
Nagelsmann also confirmed that Ter Stegen will be Germany's number one following Manuel Neuer's international retirement in August.
The Barcelona goalkeeper made his debut in a pre-Euro 2012 friendly and has since made 40 appearances, keeping 12 clean sheets, with Neuer's continued presence stopping him from nailing down a starting spot.
"Marc is number one. And deservedly the number one," Nagelsmann said.
"He has performed well for several years. He has been captain at Barcelona for several years and is the undisputed number one with very, very good performances.
"And he will also fulfil that role for us. That's why he's the clear number one."
Germany will begin their Nations League campaign against Hungary on Saturday, before facing the Netherlands next week.
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