The Los Angeles Chargers survived a late scare to defeat the Cleveland Browns 30-28 on Sunday afternoon thanks to a massive performance from running back Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler finished with two of the Chargers' three touchdowns, rushing for 173 yards and a score from 16 carries, and adding 26 yards and a touchdown from four catches.

Both times Ekeler scored he put the Chargers back into the lead in a rollercoaster of a game, where the Browns jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter through touchdowns to focal points Amari Cooper and Nick Chubb.

Chubb's second rushing touchdown gave the Browns a 17-14 lead at half-time, and they were up 28-27 going into the fourth quarter after Kareem Hunt converted a goal-line carry for a touchdown of his own.

Taylor Bertolet's field goal put the Chargers back in front with nine minutes to play, finishing three-for-three with his kicks for the day, and the game looked to be sealed when Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw an interception with under three minutes on the clock.

Needing a couple of first downs to put on the finishing touches, the Chargers were presented with a fourth-and-one at their own 46-yard line, and instead of punting and playing it safe, they went for it and failed.

A short completion gave the Browns a 54-yard field goal opportunity to win the game in the final seconds, but it drifted wide right, with kicker Cade York missing both of his attempts for the game.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert completed 22 of his 34 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers, with his top receiver Mike Williams catching 10 for 134 yards.

Chubb was the offensive star for the Browns, carrying 17 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Bills blow away the Steelers

The Buffalo Bills took their foot off the gas in the second half to coast to a dominant 38-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Wide receiver Gabriel Davis was the star of the show along with quarterback Josh Allen, combining on a 98-yard passing touchdown just 64 seconds into the game. It was the longest touchdown in the NFL this season.

They were not finished there, linking up again to begin the second quarter with a 62-yard touchdown.

Allen added two more touchdown passes in the first half – one to Stefon Diggs and one to Khalil Shakir – to open up a 31-3 lead at the long break, and from there they were never tested.

Another Dolphins quarterback leaves with concussion

Making his first start of the season after Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined with his concussion last week, Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was pulled after the first play in a 40-17 loss to the New York Jets.

Bridgewater was evaluated for a concussion and could not return, handing rookie Skylar Thompson his first snaps as a professional. 

Neither team threw for a touchdown in the game, with the Jets rushing for five scores as exciting rookie Breece Hall finished with 18 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown, adding two catches for 100 yards, and goal-line back Michael Carter pushed his way in for two touchdowns.

Adding to the great day for Jets fans was the fourth overall pick from this year's NFL Draft, cornerback Sauce Gardner, recording his first career interception.

Pedri was the hero for Barcelona as they saw off a LaLiga challenge from Celta Vigo to take an unpersuasive 1-0 win on Sunday.

Despite a bright, almost bombastic start from Xavi's side, the Blaugrana gradually faded once again in defence of an early lead, ultimately escaping with all three points intact.

A week on from a similar performance against Mallorca, questions may be lingering about Barca's prowess, even as they sit top of the table.

Yet after the sting of a Champions League loss to Inter in midweek, the Catalans were at least back to winning ways, while Celta were left to rue their difficulty in securing a draw.

A dominant start from Barcelona hinted at a blowout scoreline, and Pedri's poacher's finish following a deflection in the 17th minute certainly whet the appetite.

But a subsequent struggle to find a second goal before the break did little to dispel a nervous air around Camp Nou, especially with just under a dozen chances otherwise squandered by the hosts.

That gnawing unease manifested itself in a markedly scratchier start to the second half, during which Celta gradually began to impose more of a threat.

Such pressure seemed to tell when Jorgen Strand Larsen headed home with 20 minutes left, but the offside flag spared Barca's blushes, and from there they held on all the way for a less-than-convincing result.

Jurgen Klopp admitted his Liverpool team are out of the Premier League title race after just eight games.

A 3-2 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday saw Liverpool slide 14 points behind the Gunners, who lead the way by one point from Manchester City.

The top two have both played a game more than the Reds, who have won just twice and must tackle City next Sunday in a daunting Anfield test.

Manager Klopp had suggested before the Arsenal game that a title push was looking increasingly unlikely, given the unsure start.

But to not even be a factor in the race at this stage is a crushing blow considering how Liverpool performed last season, winning both domestic cups before losing out on the last day of the Premier League season and falling to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

Assessing Liverpool's place in this season's pursuit of league honours, Klopp said: "We are not in the title race."

He said his team caused Arsenal "real problems, so that's the truth as well", but the former Borussia Dortmund boss knows points on the board are what matters.

Liverpool have begun the season by failing to win any of their first four Premier League away games (D2 L2), the first time they have endured such a start since 2010-11 under Roy Hodgson.

They stand a strong chance of going through to the Champions League knockout rounds again, having gathered six points from three group games so far, ahead of a trip to face Rangers on Wednesday.

That competition may become the priority if Klopp's side cannot make up significant ground on Arsenal and City.

"Of course, in a situation like ours, we play Arsenal, now we play Rangers obviously, and then we play Man City. Is that the perfect opponent for finding confidence back? Probably not," Klopp said.

"But we will go out there and fight and that's what we have to do and that's what we will do. And we are not here for being happy with the situation we are in and stuff like this, and thinking about last year and nearly there and nearly there – not at all, nobody of us is like that.

"But it is always like this, in a situation like this: you can ask all the questions, but my answers, I cannot change really a lot."

Klopp added: "If you are winning, there are five million things we could talk about, 'He's great, he's great and he's super, and the goals were outstanding'.

"Losing is always the same, the conversations are a bit more rusty. We work on solutions – today I saw some of them. But what you build with your hand you knock down with your backside. That's not helpful and that's what we did today."

He said Liverpool were "neither in the mood for jokes, nor happy".

"We are in a tough moment, and we want to get through this together," he said, "and that’s what we are working on."

Brian Robinson Jr. made his NFL bow on Sunday, as the Washington Commanders rookie played his first game just six weeks after he was shot twice.

The running back survived an attempted robbery in the capital on August 28 and has not played since, but was activated from the non-football injury list ahead of this weekend's game with the Tennessee Titans.

Brought on to a hero's welcome at FedExField, the third-round pick was unable to prevent another loss, which leaves the Commanders' record at 1-4 after a 21-17 defeat.

But Robinson nevertheless notched solid numbers for the NFC East outfit, posting 22 yards from nine carries with an average 2.4 gain.

The 23-year-old will hope his performance earns him further game-time over the coming weeks, with Washington set to travel to the Chicago Bears on Thursday night.

Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered a worrying twisted ankle in Liverpool's 3-2 defeat Arsenal that caused him "too much pain" to carry on, Jurgen Klopp said.

Manager Klopp said Alexander-Arnold's injury showed troubling signs of swelling, with Liverpool planning to get the right-back checked out on Monday.

The substitution of the England defender at half-time came after a dismal first-half performance, where he was arguably at fault to some extent for both of Arsenal's goals prior to the break.

For their first, after just 58 seconds, Gabriel Martinelli ran in behind the full-back to drive a low shot past Alisson.

Darwin Nunez brought Liverpool level, but Arsenal regained the lead just moments before the break when Martinelli again charged down the left, this time tracked by Jordan Henderson. Alexander-Arnold rushed to help, but his presence only appeared to confuse the situation and Martinelli was able to centre for Bukayo Saka to touch home from close range.

Klopp stressed Alexander-Arnold's withdrawal was enforced, however, just as Luis Diaz's departure from the game with a knee complaint had been late in the first half.

"Lucho [Diaz] we had to change before [half-time]," said Klopp. "Something with the knee, not good. He will have a scan and then we will know more.

"I have no idea about the extent, and then on top of that Trent is bad as well with the ankle.

"[He] twisted the ankle, not good. Trent never, in seven years, went off if he could have played on. He was in too much pain, it started swelling immediately, so we will have to see."

That injury looked to be caused when Alexander-Arnold was fouled by Martinelli.

Alexander-Arnold's England place has recently been called into question ahead of the World Cup, with the Liverpool man left out of Gareth Southgate's matchday squad for last month's Nations League game against Germany.

Lyon sacked head coach Peter Bosz on Sunday and confirmed his successor will be Laurent Blanc.

The seven-time French champions lost patience with Dutchman Bosz, whose second season at the club began brightly but has quickly deteriorated.

After taking 13 points from their opening five Ligue 1 games, suggesting they might challenge at least for a Champions League place, Lyon went into free-fall.

They halted a four-match losing run in the league when drawing 1-1 against Toulouse on Friday evening, but that point at home was not enough to save Bosz, a former Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen boss.

The dismal sequence of defeats had been Lyon's longest in the French top flight since March 1991, when they also had a four-game run of losses.

Lyon finished only eighth last season, missing out on qualification for all European competitions. It was their lowest league finish since the 1995-96 campaign, when they were 11th.

His replacement will be Blanc, the former Bordeaux, France and Paris Saint-Germain boss, who will officially take charge on Monday.

Blanc left PSG In June 2016, after a three-year reign that included Ligue 1 titles in each season.

His most recent coaching assignment came at Qatari club Al-Rayyan, with Blanc leaving that post in February after 14 months in charge.

A club statement confirmed Blanc has agreed a contract to run until the end of the 2023-24 season.

Cristiano Ronaldo's 700th goal in club football helped Manchester United come from behind to beat Everton 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.

Ronaldo, introduced as a first-half substitute following an injury to Anthony Martial, found the net with a low, left-footed strike at the end of a back-and-forth opening period at Goodison Park.

Alex Iwobi had earlier taken advantage of Casemiro's error to put Everton ahead with a long-range strike, with Antony levelling to maintain his fine start to life in England. 

Erik ten Hag's men produced a controlled display following Ronaldo's intervention, keeping Everton at arm's length to go fifth in the Premier League table, one point adrift of the top four.

Casemiro's first Premier League start turned sour when he was caught in possession by Amadou Onana five minutes in, allowing Iwobi to curl a brilliant effort beyond David De Gea and into the top-right corner.

Everton's lead lasted just 10 minutes, however, as Antony darted onto Martial's well-timed pass to tuck a neat finish into the bottom-left corner.

An injury to Martial led to Ronaldo's introduction shortly before Casemiro squandered a golden opportunity, heading wide when racing onto Bruno Fernandes' in-swinging cross.

Casemiro did register an assist on the stroke of half-time, but the plaudits will go to Ronaldo after he coolly fired between Jordan Pickford's legs to bring up his landmark.

Marcus Rashford was denied a late third goal following a VAR review when he appeared to handle the ball before rounding Pickford, before De Gea kept Joe Garner's effort out with a stunning fingertip save to secure the win.

What does it mean? United bounce back from derby blues

A run of four consecutive Premier League wins appeared to have given lift-off to the Ten Hag era at United ahead of last week's trip to Manchester City. However, the Red Devils were a distant second-best in an emphatic 6-3 defeat at the Etihad Stadium, and they looked to be experiencing a derby hangover when Iwobi struck.

However, United showed the necessary composure to respond to that setback, earning just their third win in their last 11 away Premier League games and ending the Toffees' six-match unbeaten run.

Another landmark for indomitable Ronaldo

Ronaldo's struggles this season have been well-documented; following his failure to secure a move away from Old Trafford, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner entered Sunday's match having scored one goal in all competitions this campaign – a Europa League penalty against Sheriff.

However, he led the line effectively following his early introduction on Merseyside, scoring the 700th goal of his club career 20 years and two days after the first, in what was his 945th club appearance.

Ronaldo will now hope to kick on after opening his Premier League account for the season – on a ground at which he had never previously scored in the competition (in seven appearances).

Antony makes United history

Although Ronaldo stole the headlines with his strike, Brazilian winger Antony continued his strong start to life in the Premier League on Sunday, cutting inside to bend home a crucial leveller.

The former Ajax man's goal makes him the first player to score in each of his first three Premier League appearances for United in the competition's history.

What's next?

United host Cypriot outfit Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday, while Everton travel to Tottenham for their next Premier League match on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta hailed Gabriel Martinelli's "outstanding performance" after the Brazilian scored and created another in Arsenal's 3-2 win over Liverpool on Sunday.

Martinelli set the Gunners on their way after just 58 seconds with a cool finish, before teeing up Bukayo Saka after Darwin Nunez had levelled for the Reds.

Roberto Firmino equalised again for Jurgen Klopp's side, but Saka scored from the spot 14 minutes from full-time to seal an eighth win in nine Premier League games for a resurgent Arsenal.

Martinelli has now been directly involved in 10 goals in his last 14 appearances in the Premier League (five goals, five assists), and Arteta was full of praise for the 21-year-old.

"He's a great player," the Spaniard said in a press conference. "I think today he had an outstanding performance against a top defender and a top team and he made a difference in the game as well as the other players.

"That's the next level, to step up in these games and make things happen to win it."

Asked if Arsenal will try to tie Martinelli down to a long-term contract, Arteta responded: "We don't get directed by an individual performance. Gabby doesn't have to show me whether he plays well or not well.

"What is clear is his hunger, his determination and his love for this game. You don't know where he's going to reach because he's always asking and willing for more."

Arsenal have won at least eight of their first nine league matches in a top-flight campaign for only the fourth time, after 2007-08, 2004-05 and 1947-48.

This latest triumph lifted them back to the Premier League summit after Manchester City had usurped them on Saturday, with Arteta's side now holding a one-point lead.

It sparked jubilant scenes at the Emirates Stadium, and Arteta said the support from the stands has been crucial to his side's success this season.

"Just thank you so much to the boys and our supporters for experiencing an afternoon like this," he added. "It's what our profession is about to live days like this and I really enjoyed it. Especially the way we won.

"I've never seen it like this [the atmosphere]. You cannot imagine how much it helps the players and how much it gives them.

"One of the nicest things we've done since we are together here is to unite everybody and make them feel like when you go are you going to experience something together."

Arsenal are next in action on Thursday when they face Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League, before they visit Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday. 

Mikel Arteta lauded Gabriel Martinelli's "outstanding performance" after the Brazilian scored and created another in Arsenal's 3-2 win over Liverpool on Sunday.

Martinelli set the Gunners on their way after just 58 seconds with a cool finish, before teeing up Bukayo Saka after Darwin Nunez had levelled for the Reds.

Roberto Firmino equalised again for Jurgen Klopp's side, but Saka scored from the spot 14 minutes from full-time to seal an eighth win in nine Premier League games for a resurgent Arsenal.

Martinelli has now been directly involved in 10 goals in his last 14 appearances in the Premier League (five goals, five assists), and Arteta was full of praise for the 21-year-old.

"He's a great player," the Spaniard said in a press conference. "I think today he had an outstanding performance against a top defender and a top team and he made a difference in the game as well as the other players.

"That's the next level, to step up in these games and make things happen to win it."

Asked if Arsenal will try to tie Martinelli down to a long-term contract, Arteta responded: "We don't get directed by an individual performance. Gabby doesn't have to show me whether he plays well or not well.

"What is clear is his hunger, his determination and his love for this game. You don't know where he's going to reach because he's always asking and willing for more."

Arsenal have won at least eight of their first nine league matches in a top-flight campaign for only the fourth time, after 2007-08, 2004-05 and 1947-48.

This latest triumph lifted them back to the Premier League summit after Manchester City had usurped them on Saturday, with Arteta's side now holding a one-point lead.

It sparked jubilant scenes at the Emirates Stadium, and Arteta said the support from the stands has been crucial to his side's success this season.

"Just thank you so much to the boys and our supporters for experiencing an afternoon like this," he added. "It's what our profession is about to live days like this and I really enjoyed it. Especially the way we won.

"I've never seen it like this [the atmosphere]. You cannot imagine how much it helps the players and how much it gives them.

"One of the nicest things we've done since we are together here is to unite everybody and make them feel like when you go are you going to experience something together."

Arsenal are next in action on Thursday when they face Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League, before they visit Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday. 

Jurgen Klopp said Arsenal's crucial penalty was "a very soft one" after Bukayo Saka's confident strike from the spot condemned Liverpool to a 3-2 defeat at Emirates Stadium.

The loss is unmistakeably damaging for Liverpool, who have won just two of their opening nine games now in this Premier League campaign and are not looking like contenders.

They twice equalised against Arsenal, with Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino scoring, but Saka's second goal of the game meant it was the hosts who edged a five-goal thriller.

Thiago Alcantara's challenge on Gabriel Jesus in the 73rd minute gave Arsenal their spot-kick, with referee Michael Oliver's decision upheld by VAR, even though there appeared to be only slight contact.

That can be enough, although the decision was plainly not to Klopp's liking.

He told BBC Sport: "Now I saw it and I think you can imagine I don't think it is a clear penalty, it is a very soft one."

He said Liverpool should have cleared the danger before Thiago and Jesus collided, after Arsenal rained shots on the visitors' goal earlier in the attack.

"A couple of things went against us, but we are not blind, we see we could have done better in moments," Klopp said. "In general, it was a good away game against a good side. We caused them a lot of problems but stand here with no points."

Liverpool sit 10th after eight matches, with only 10 points, and they already trail Arsenal by 14 points and Manchester City by 13 points, albeit holding one game in hand.

There were positive moments for Liverpool, but Arsenal were the more impressive side, and next Sunday's Anfield tussle with Pep Guardiola's City looks a daunting one for Klopp's players.

Rumblings over a seven-year itch might persist if wins prove slow in coming, with Klopp having previously left Mainz and Borussia Dortmund after chalking up such a tenure. He has now completed seven years at Liverpool.

Oozing sarcasm, Klopp said injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz were "the icing on the cake" for Liverpool.

"It doesn't look good for both," Klopp said.

Liverpool might come good soon, but their manager will understand the harsh reality of results such as Sunday's.

"I saw a team with the right attitude and put in a proper fight and play football, and first half we did, but in the second half I didn't see these football moments as much," Klopp said.

"I think the game is a draw, but today we have nothing."

Matt LaFleur conceded he did not call a good enough game as a head coach after the Green Bay Packers' collapse in their shock 27-22 defeat to the New York Giants.

Playing in their first game in the United Kingdom, the Packers looked in command at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after building a 20-10 half-time lead.

From there, however, the Packers scored just two points, which came on an intentional safety given up by the Giants at the end of the game, as New York produced a remarkable comeback.

A 15-play, 91-yard drive capped by a two-yard rush for Gary Brightwell saw the Giants tie the game at 20-20 before Saquon Barkley, who finished with 106 yards from scrimmage, averaging over six yards per touch, gave New York the lead with a two-yard run on a direct snap.

Green Bay responded with a drive to the Giants' six-yard line but failed to punch in the tying score, Aaron Rodgers seeing a fourth-down throw to Allen Lazard batted down before he was sacked on a failed Hail Mary attempt in the final seconds.

The Packers had dictated matters in the first half through the ground attack and the short passing game, but the run was a non-factor in the second, as Green Bay was forced to punt after gaining only 46 yards on their first two drives before the failed effort to tie the game.

While LaFleur credited the Giants' defense and their coordinator Wink Martindale for forcing the Packers away from the run, he did take responsibility for an anaemic second-half showing.

Asked if he anticipated going pass-heavy, LaFleur told his post-game press conference: "Just depended upon what they were giving us. Like I said, we had a lot of run-pass cans [options].

"They played a lot of single high [safety coverages], manned us up. Do you want to run into a loaded box or try to get it through the air?

"Unfortunately that didn't work for us. Like I said, give credit. Wink is a guy I got a lot of respect for. He out-coached us in the second half, and they outplayed us.

"Give New York all the credit. They out-coached us, they outplayed us. They definitely wanted it more. It was the tale of two halves. They kicked our butt in the second half. You can't do that in this league.  

"Obviously the plan and the play calls that I gave weren't good enough. 

"We just got to regroup. Everybody's got to look in the mirror and ask themselves what they can do better because it was a collective effort right there in terms of not being able to come out on top. 

"They kept playing. Give New York a ton of credit. I don't think the mindset for our guys was ever to let up. Certainly you look at the results out there. There was too many mistakes. It wasn't just one person; it was a collective effort like I talked about.  

"It starts with myself. I got to be better. I got to be better for this team. We got to demand that we get better in certain areas. It's just disappointing."

Former U.S. Open winner Jon Rahm romped to his eighth DP World Tour title with a six-stroke victory on home turf in the Open de Espana on Sunday.

The 2021 major winner delivered a stunning nine-under round to card 62 on the final day, blowing away the competition at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

With an eagle on the 14th and eight further birdies, the 27-year-old proved too strong for Matthieu Pavon, with the Frenchman's six-under for the fourth round leaving him in a distant second place.

Rahm's triumph saw him take the Open de Espana title for the third time in his career, having previously triumphed in 2018 and 2019.

It means he equals the record set by his fellow countryman, the late Seve Ballesteros, who also won the competition on three occasions.

"You might need to ask me in a few days because I take quite a while to process these things," Rahm stated when asked for his thoughts on matching Ballesteros' feat.

"It was the goal coming in; Seve is a great hero of mine and to do something he took his whole career to do in just a few years is quite humbling.

"It's emotional. Going up the 18th hole, I knew what was about to happen and to get it done like that, I can't describe it."

Australia's Min Woo Lee carded three-under to finish in third, seven strokes off the lead, while Italy's Edoardo Molinari and South Africa's Zander Lombard tied for fourth after posting equal rounds of four-under.

Carles Puyol has apologised for making a "clumsy joke" in response to a tweet from Iker Casillas' account on Sunday, after it appeared the former goalkeeper had come out as gay.

A post attributed to Real Madrid and Spain great Casillas read: "I hope you respect me: I'm gay."

Although the message was widely shared on social media, suspicions over its validity or seriousness emerged when Puyol replied to say it was time for the duo to "tell our story", followed by kissing and love-heart emojis.

Spanish media reports subsequently suggested Casillas' original message was an ironic response to rumours concerning a potential relationship with actress Alejandra Onieva.

Casillas has since claimed his account was hacked and apologised for offence caused, and former Barcelona captain Puyol has acknowledged his response was misguided.

"I have made a mistake. Sorry for a clumsy joke with no bad intentions and [which was] totally out of place," Puyol wrote on Twitter.

"I understand that it may have hurt sensitivities. All my respect and support for the LGTBIQA+ community."

Both players have been heavily criticised for what many believe to be an ill-judged joke, with Adelaide United player Josh Cavallo – who is regarded as the first openly gay professional male footballer – accusing the duo of being "disrespectful" with their messages.