Brentford made light of Ivan Toney's absence to start their 2024-25 Premier League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, as Yoane Wissa netted a second-half winner.
Bees talisman Toney was left out of the hosts’ squad for Sunday’s game at Gtech Community Stadium, with Thomas Frank confirming before kick-off that decision was made due to transfer interest in the striker.
But his absence was not felt as Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, cutting onto his favoured left foot to stroke into the bottom-left corner.
However, Palace – who saw strikes from Eberechi Eze and Odsonne Edouard disallowed in either half – came on strong in the second period and levelled through Ethan Pinnock’s own goal.
The Eagles were caught out as the game became stretched, though, with Wissa converting from close range 14 minutes from time to seal the points for Brentford, moving them up to fifth in the early standings.
Data Debrief: Mbeumo and Wissa fill Toney-shaped hole
Frank's pre-match admission that Toney could leave in the final weeks of the transfer window will surely concern Brentford's supporters, with the England international's 36 Premier League goals for the Bees being a club-record tally.
However, the next two players in the club's Premier League scoring charts, Wissa (27) and Mbeumo (23), appeared to relish the freedom of playing in a fluid front three and stepped up in Toney's absence.
Wissa recorded a goal and an assist for the third straight Premier League game after doing do against Bournemouth and Newcastle United to end the 2023-24 season. He is the first player to achieve that feat since Riyad Mahrez did so for Manchester City in December 2021.
Mbeumo, meanwhile, maintained his knack of troubling Brentford's London rivals. Since the start of 2021-22, only Bukayo Saka (12 goals, 14 assists) has bettered Mbeumo's 17 goal involvements (11 goals, six assists) in Premier League London derbies.
Thiago Motta is confident Juventus will be competitive at the start of the Serie A season despite having more work to do in the transfer market.
It has been a period of change at the Allianz Stadium, with Motta replacing Massimiliano Allegri as head coach after four years without a league title for the Turin giants, which followed a run of nine straight Scudetto triumphs.
The Bianconeri have brought in midfielders Douglas Luiz and Khephren Thuram but are yet to strengthen their attack despite links with Teun Koopmeiners and Nicolas Gonzalez.
Their struggles in the transfer market could mean the likes of Weston McKennie, who looked to be on his way out at the end of 2023-24, could return to the fold for their Serie A opener against Cesc Fabregas' Como on Monday.
Motta, however, has faith in the players available to him, saying at Sunday's pre-match press conference: "First of all, McKennie is a useful and functional player for our needs.
"Tomorrow we have 19 players to face the game, only 11 can play. I have the possibility to make five substitutions, no more.
"We are in good shape, had good preparation, good training this week, with intensity, everything we want to see, and ready to face tomorrow's game."
Juventus are also likely to offload Italy forward Federico Chiesa, among others, and though former Bologna coach Motta knows there is plenty of work to be done, he is focused purely on starting his reign with a win.
"We are working hard to build a competitive squad together and today we are focused on playing a great game against Como. We will see the rest later," Motta said.
"The most important thing is that, even if you don't like to talk too much about the game, we are focused on playing well, doing our job well and getting the result we want against Como.
"All the players who come tomorrow deserve to be there, whether they play from the start or come in during the game, they do so on merit.
"Nothing is taken for granted, we have to deserve it and we have to focus on ourselves and on tomorrow's game.
"We are facing a team that has made it here from Serie B, they have won many games to get to this point, they have a lot of enthusiasm."
Sunderland made it two wins from two in the new Championship season following a 4-0 rout of Sheffield Wednesday at the Stadium of Light.
Eliezer Mayenda struck twice while Dennis Cirkin and Luke O'Nien were also on target for the Black Cats, who moved up to second in the table behind early leaders Burnley.
Sunderland failed to win any of their final seven home league games at the end of last season, but Regis Le Bris' side came flying out of the blocks and were 2-0 up inside the opening quarter of an hour.
Cirkin broke the deadlock in the 11th minute when he nodded Patrick Roberts' free-kick home, before Mayenda pounced on Josh Windass' loose pass to double the advantage four minutes later.
It was 3-0 in the 24th minute when O'Nien was quickest to react to Chris Rigg's deflected shot, diverting the ball beyond Wednesday goalkeeper James Beadle.
Any faint hopes of an Owls comeback were ended as the hosts sealed the victory within two minutes of the restart, with Jack Clarke squaring the ball for Mayenda to tuck into an empty net.
Data Debrief: Sunday stroll for Sunderland as Black Cats scratch 50-year itch
Sunderland's struggles towards the end of last season are well and truly behind them, as they continued their positive start to this term.
The Black Cats have won their opening two games of a campaign in the second tier for the first time since achieving the feat under Bob Stokoe half a century ago.
Their fast start saw them score three goals in the opening 24 minutes of a Championship game for the first time since going 3-0 up against Gillingham after just 20 minutes in September 2004.
Wednesday, meanwhile, are the first team in England's top four tiers to start a league season with a victory by a margin of four goals or more (4-0 vs Plymouth) then lose their second game by four or more goals since Blackpool in 2010-11 (4-0 vs Wigan, 0-6 vs Arsenal).
Ivan Toney has been left out of Brentford's Premier League opener against Crystal Palace due to ongoing transfer speculation surrounding the striker, Bees boss Thomas Frank confirmed.
The England forward is linked with a move away from the Brentford Community Stadium, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all reportedly interested, as are Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.
Frank initially stated Toney, who missed the first half of last season through suspension, would be available for Brentford's first game of this campaign during his pre-match press conference.
However, the Dane believes the Bees have demonstrated their ability to cope without his services.
"There's a lot of things going on with Ivan, there's some transfer interest. Because of all that, we decided not to involve him in the squad," Frank told Sky Sports.
It's the classic one - I couldn't give too much the day before. He's been a fantastic player for us, but we showed last year, especially, that we can deal without him."
When asked if Toney had played his final game in a Brentford shirt, the head coach added: "Who knows? There's interest, but there's nothing close."
Meanwhile, Marc Guehi was named in Palace's starting line-up, despite the defender being the subject of several bids from Newcastle United.
West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite expressed his disappointment with his team's batting performance after their 40-run loss to South Africa in the second Test in Guyana on Saturday. The defeat handed South Africa a 1-0 series victory after the rain-affected first Test in Trinidad ended in a draw.
The West Indies had a promising start in the second Test, bowling South Africa out for 160 in their first innings, with Shamar Joseph leading the charge with a five-wicket haul. However, the West Indies' reply fell short as they were bowled out for 144, conceding a 16-run lead that proved crucial in the tightly contested match.
Reflecting on the loss, Brathwaite acknowledged that failing to capitalize on their strong bowling performance was a key factor in the defeat. "Yeah, if you look at it, obviously it was quite big," Brathwaite said about South Africa's last-wicket stand on the opening day. "But bowling them out for 160, I was happy. That partnership for them was, was good. You know, it's cricket where partnerships do happen. So, I won't really stress on that too much."
"But what I would say is our first innings total needed to be bigger. We needed to get a lead from it. I think that was very important. You can never complain about the bowlers' effort to bowl them out for 160 but yeah, the batting effort in the first innings just wasn't big enough. We had to fight back into the game. And, in the end, we fell short."
Jason Holder also contributed with a half-century in the first innings, and Brathwaite was particularly impressed with Alick Athanaze, who he believes has the potential to score many Test centuries in the future. "I think Alick, his innings was important to continue to keep learning as batters. Alick has a world of potential. I can see him scoring a lot of Test hundreds, but we just got to keep thinking about our game, finding ways to improve," he said.
Despite the series loss, Brathwaite highlighted several positives from the two Tests. Shamar Joseph, who did not play in the first Test, made an impactful return by dismantling South Africa's top order with 5 for 33 in the first innings. Jayden Seales was the team's highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets in the series, including a 6 for 61 haul in the second innings of the second Test as the West Indies restricted South Africa to 246 for a lead of 262.
"I think bowling-wise, you look at Shamar coming back in, not playing the first Test, and coming in bowling out South Africa on the first day. Jayden throughout the series, continued to keep coming despite the hot conditions. That was a positive," Brathwaite said. "You see the two spinners, one of the first time two spinners played together in the Caribbean, and they did well, in particular this game where both of them were under three runs an over. That's one thing we asked for, and that was great to see."
Looking ahead, Brathwaite is optimistic about the future, particularly with the fast bowling unit, which he believes will be a formidable force in upcoming Test matches. However, he also emphasized the importance of the batting unit stepping up to the challenge.
"As I said, the future is very bright for our fast bowling unit, and we've still got Kemar Roach, with loads of experience on it. You know, he still has a lot of Test matches left in him. So it's very exciting," Brathwaite remarked. "But I must say, I'm very excited about the batting unit. I really think the line-up we have, can do the job."
"So, I am excited for the fast bowlers, but I really believe that this top five can do a good job for West Indies. So, we just got to keep believing."
As the West Indies look to build on the positives from this series, Brathwaite's focus remains on consistency and mental toughness, key ingredients for success in the demanding arena of Test cricket.
Temba Bavuma believes his inexperienced South Africa "can be a formidable side" following their Test series win over West Indies.
The Proteas clinched the two-match series - and Sir Vivian Richards Trophy - with a comfortable 40-run victory in the second Test in Guyana.
Resuming day three at 223-5, South Africa could only add another 21 runs as they were bowled out for 246.
However, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj then took centre stage in the field with both taking three wickets apiece - the latter becoming his nation's most prolific spinner in the process by taking his Test tally to 171 - to prevent the Windies from building any momentum.
Although the partnership of Gudakesh Motie and Joshua Da Silva kept the hosts in contention, they were eventually all out for 144.
And skipper Bavuma hopes the victory is a sign of things to come for South Africa.
"The emotions were a little bit up and down," he said. "[We are] glad the weather held up. Both teams were in the game. We had to keep working hard. The game went our way, fortunately.
"We leant on to the bowlers to deliver for us. Rabada led the pacers and the spin department was led by Keshav.
"We just need to keep building. We are an inexperienced team. The more the guys play, the more confident they will become. We can be a formidable side."
Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite added: "Our first innings total was bad [144]. We did well with the ball on the first day. The mindset was to have intent.
"We didn't get the partnerships. There were some rash shots in the first innings. There was some fight from Motie and the lower order.
"The bowlers did a fantastic job after losing the toss. We fought and fought back."
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone believes new signing Julian Alvarez shares the club's DNA and will be an immediate hit in LaLiga.
Atletico completed a deal worth up to €95million (£81.5m) for Alvarez earlier this week, bringing an end to his trophy-laden two-year spell with Manchester City.
The Argentina international, who scored 19 goals across all competitions in his final campaign with City, could make his Atleti debut on Monday, when they begin their LaLiga campaign with a trip to Villarreal.
Despite Alvarez not having much time to train with his team-mates, Simeone believes he has adapted quickly and could make a flying start to his time at the Civitas Metropolitano.
"Julian is a player we are all looking forward to seeing and who will help us to be better. It was all very sudden, so quick," Simeone said at Sunday's pre-match press conference.
"He just arrived a little while ago, has been training for four days but has been adapting fast.
"But I see him with a lot of enthusiasm, knowing where he is coming from and understanding where he is heading towards. His characteristics fit the Atleti DNA."
Atletico have also completed deals for Spain's Euro 2024-winning defender Robin Le Normand and Alexander Sorloth, who was one goal away from a share of LaLiga's Golden Boot last season.
However, Simeone has played down talk of Los Colchoneros rivalling Real Madrid – who completed a long-awaited move for Kylian Mbappe this off-season – and Barcelona for the title.
"Real Madrid start as the best team and will have to prove it with the wonderful players they have, while all the rest of us will be behind them," Simeone said.
"We haven't finalised the squad yet, we need to focus on tomorrow's game and see game by game how the team progresses.
"Barcelona continue to have a very good team, Real continue to grow with players who are phenomenal but it's clear that we have to think about ourselves."
The Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) has announced that twin brothers Malone and Shacoil Bird will represent Jamaica at the 2024 Pan Am U-11 and U-13 Table Tennis Championships. The young athletes will compete in the Boy’s Teams, Boy’s Doubles, and Boy’s Singles events, bringing their exceptional talent to the prestigious tournament set to take place from August 19-25 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Accompanying the talented duo will be their coach, Orvill Young, and Delegate/Manager, Dale Parham. The team is scheduled to depart Jamaica on Sunday, August 18, 2024, and return on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. JTTA President Ingrid Graham will also join the team on August 22 to meet with Pan Am Table Tennis President Juan Vila to discuss matters concerning the sport's future. Her accommodation is being graciously provided by the Dominican Republic Table Tennis Federation.
The Bird brothers earned their spot in the Pan Am Championships thanks to their outstanding performances in the boy’s under-11 category at the 2024 CRTTF Mini and Pre-cadet Championships. Malone Bird captured gold in the Singles event, while the duo clinched gold in the Doubles event and secured third place in the Teams event, proving their prowess on the regional stage.
"We are confident that they will give a good account of themselves, their country and by extension, the Caribbean," said JTTA President Ingrid Graham.
The JTTA expressed gratitude to the sponsors and donors who played a crucial role in facilitating the team’s participation in the upcoming championships. These include the Sports Development Foundation (SDF), Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), Western Sports Limited, G.R.O.W.T.H Foundation, and Friends of Table Tennis.
As the Bird brothers prepare to showcase their skills on the international stage, the JTTA is confident that they will represent Jamaica and the Caribbean with pride and excellence. The association, along with their supporters, eagerly anticipates their performances and wishes them success in their pursuit of glory at the 2024 Pan Am U-11 and U-13 Table Tennis Championships.
Mikel Arteta compared Bukayo Saka to Lionel Messi after the winger registered a goal and an assist in Arsenal's victory over Wolves on matchday one of the Premier League season.
Saka saw an inswinging cross headed home by Kai Havertz for Arsenal's first goal of 2024-25, then wrongfooted Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa with a clever second-half finish to cap the Gunners' 2-0 win.
The England international created a game-high five chances and attempted five shots, a tally only matched by Havertz among all players on the pitch.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Arteta said the difficulties Saka posed to defences were reminiscent of eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi.
"With good players, it's like that, with Messi I know he's going to come here and put the ball there, but he does it all the time. You can't stop him," Arteta said.
"That's the quality of the player. You have to really understand where they are, what they need, to give them some space and let them breathe."
Arteta also hailed Saka and fellow England international Declan Rice for the attitude they have shown since the Three Lions' Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain last month.
"They went through a lot and those kids have played a lot of football in the last two years," Arteta added.
"But when you see that willingness, that energy to say, 'I'm really, really happy to be back' and you see that is genuine, it's a good sign.
"That's their mentality. Straight after the final, they said, 'I'm going to be ready for the first game'."
The inaugural JamRockerz Basketball Classic made a spectacular debut at the Montego Bay Community College on Friday, with intense competition and nail-biting finishes setting the tone for the three-day event. The tournament, featuring a mix of overseas and local teams, has quickly established itself as a must-watch event in the Jamaican basketball calendar.
The six-team tournament includes three overseas-based teams: Team Takeover from Maryland, DC, the Hardwood Kings from Brampton, Ontario, Canada, and P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy International, which is composed of P.H.A.S.E.1 members from both the United States and Canada. Representing Jamaica are P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy teams from Kingston, Montego Bay, and Trelawny, making for a diverse and competitive pool play event.
Friday's action kicked off with a closely contested battle between Hardwood Kings and P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy International, where the latter edged out a 67-65 victory. Dwain Cummings led the way for International with 21 points, eight rebounds, an assist, and two steals. Meanwhile, Hardwood Kings' Elijah Harriott made a valiant effort with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks.
In the second game, Team Takeover claimed a narrow 56-53 win over Montego Bay. Clausell was instrumental in Takeover’s success, contributing 20 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block. Montego Bay's Daire Patterson stood out with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks.
Team International returned to the court later in the day for a dominant 65-46 victory over Trelawny. Anthony Ingeton was the star performer, scoring 20 points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out an assist, and recording two steals. Trelawny's Daniel Clarke put up a solid fight with 12 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block.
The final game of the day saw Team Takeover overpower Kingston with a decisive 52-23 win. Takeover’s 6’8” forward Elijah Flowers led with 16 points and five rebounds, while Kingston’s 5’10” guard Lebron Lewison managed eight points and a steal.
Mark Francis, coach of P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy International, praised the high level of competition at the Classic. "The competition is very strong. We are first in our side of the bracket. The other side of the bracket, we definitely have to give respect to. They look very strong and we are looking forward to the semi-finals tomorrow and see if we can win this championship,” Francis remarked. He also noted the impressive skill level on display, highlighting the athleticism and speed of the players, which he believes is comparable to what is seen in Canada.
Wayne Dawkins, global director and coach for P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of events like the JamRockerz Basketball Classic for the growth and development of basketball in Jamaica. "With the incredible support of our partners, we’re confident that this event will put Jamaica on the map as a global destination for competitive youth basketball,” Dawkins said.
As the JamRockerz Basketball Classic progresses, all eyes will be on the remaining matchups as teams battle for the coveted championship title. With strong performances from both local and international teams, the stage is set for an exciting conclusion to this inaugural tournament.
Joao Palhinha says he wants "to write my own story" at Bayern Munich, as the midfielder targets silverware with his new employers.
The Portugal midfielder joined Bayern from Fulham last month in a deal reportedly worth an initial €50million (£42m), signing a four-year contract at the Allianz Arena.
Palhinha came close to signing with the Bundesliga giants last September, only for the Cottagers to pull the plug on a deadline-day transfer when they failed to sign a replacement.
The 29-year-old made the move having impressed during his two-year stint in the Premier League, completing the most tackles during the 2023-24 season with 152 (5.07 per 90 minutes).
He also averaged 8.38 ball recoveries, 5.44 completed long balls, 2.23 interceptions and 2.09 blocks per 90 minutes in the English top flight last term.
Palhinha made his competitive bow for Vincent Kompany's side in their commanding 4-0 victory over Ulm in the DFB-Pokal first round on Friday, with their Bundesliga campaign commencing against Wolfsburg next Sunday.
And following a trophyless 2023-24 campaign that culminated in Thomas Tuchel's departure, he hopes he can play his part in getting Bayern back in the winners' circle this term.
"When you represent a big club like Bayern, you've reached the very highest level," he said. "I've realised my dream, but I know I will feel completely fulfilled when I have success here.
"I want to write my own story here, and win trophies. I know last season was tough for the club and for the fans, and we need to give everything this season to try to win something.
"I expect a big challenge. I know that it's a tough league with many quality players. It's not easy here, but I'm looking forward to playing for Bayern and getting some wins under the belt. This is really important for us. Let's see how the season goes.
"I think people remember the players that win trophies, and write their name in the club's history. It's what matters. Players at big clubs that don't win things aren't remembered as much.
"We all want to win everything here. The staff, everyone. We need to fight with all the energy we have to win titles this season. That's really important for us."
On Kompany, Palhinha added: "He really understands football. He wants us to play his way, and we're learning a lot from him," the midfielder added.
"He's a top coach, and I'm proud to be playing for him. He will improve me as a player, and I'll give everything to help him and the team be successful."
Australia will celebrate the 150th anniversary of their first Test match by welcoming rivals England to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 2027.
The MCG played host to Australia's first-ever red-ball contest in March 1877, with the hosts beating England by 45 runs before losing a second Test at the same venue.
Australia celebrated the 100th anniversary of their inaugural Test by beating England at the MCG in 1977, and Cricket Australia has confirmed plans are in place for another celebration to cap the team's 2026-27 season.
"The 150th anniversary Test match at the MCG in March 2027 will be a wonderful celebration of the pinnacle format of the game at one of the world's great sporting arenas and we can't wait to host England on that occasion," said Nick Hockley, chief executive of Cricket Australia.
The plans were announced as Cricket Australia locked in venues for a series of key fixtures until 2030-31, with the MCG continuing to host the traditional Boxing Day Test and the Sydney Cricket Ground staging the New Year's Test.
Hansi Flick expects Ilkay Gundogan to remain with Barcelona this season, despite speculation linking the midfielder with a move away from Camp Nou.
The Germany midfielder, who arrived from Manchester City in 2023, has less than 12 months remaining on his contract with the Blaugrana.
Spanish media reports suggested Gundogan may depart the club following the arrival of Dani Olmo, with Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce rumoured to be interested in acquiring his services.
The 33-year-old missed Barca's 2-1 victory over Valencia on Saturday, having suffered a head injury in their Joan Gamper Trophy defeat to Monaco earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, Flick is hopeful his compatriot's future will be at Barca.
"[He] hurt his eyebrow on Monday and that's why he stayed at home," Flick told reporters following the Valencia win.
"I appreciate what kind of player he is and what he is like as a person. I've talked to him a lot, but it's something between me and him.
"We have a good relationship. I know him well. I have the feeling that he will stay."
Robert Lewandowski saluted the character demonstrated by Barcelona's young side, after they came from behind to beat Valencia 2-1 in their opening match of the LaLiga season.
A depleted Barca trailed at the Mestalla to Hugo Duro's 44th-minute header, but Lewandowski struck either side of half-time to complete the turnaround in Hansi Flick's first competitive match in charge.
With the Blaugrana missing several key players including Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Ilkay Gundogan, Flick handed a senior debut to 20-year-old Marc Casado, who joined 17-year-olds Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Marc Bernal in the starting line-up.
Nevertheless, the visitors recovered from their slow start, and Lewandowski was thrilled by the youngsters' exploits.
"It was very important to start with a win in such a difficult stadium and with the problems we faced," he told Movistar Plus.
"We didn't play well for the first 20 to 25 minutes. In the first half, we had problems getting close to their box, but then we started playing much better, and we did it with three or four very young players.
"If you can win like this with such young players, it is something special and they have shown big potential. No signs of the lack of experience, they played very well with possession and without the ball.
"We could have won by a larger margin, but it's great to start the season with a win."
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