Manchester City forward Oscar Bobb will be sidelined for "three or four months" after fracturing a bone in his leg, Pep Guardiola has confirmed.
It was reported on Wednesday that Bobb had suffered a leg injury in training and would undergo medical tests to discover the full extent of the problem.
He started all five of City's pre-season friendlies as well as their Community Shield victory over Manchester United, and was expected to keep his place for Sunday's Premier League opener at Chelsea.
However, Guardiola confirmed during Friday's pre-match press conference that the Norwegian will miss the first few months of the season, with City hopeful he will return before the turn of the year.
"It was in the training session. Unfortunately, he had a big impact and got injured. He is having surgery this afternoon," Guardiola said.
"Hopefully, it will go well and he will be back in three or four months.
"We are so sad for him, not because of his incredible pre-season, that doesn't matter, but because we are any time there is a long injury. We are looking forward to seeing him again soon."
Bobb made 26 appearances for City totalling 819 minutes in all competitions last season, with seven of those being starts.
He scored two goals and added one assist, netting a memorable stoppage-time winner in a thrilling 3-2 Premier League win at Newcastle United in January.
After City sold Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid for a club-record €95million (£81.5m) earlier this week, Guardiola was asked whether Bobb's injury left them short and needing to dip into the transfer market.
"Maybe or maybe not, we will see. I'm really pleased with the squad I have, we will see," he said.
"I'm set. We will see what happens in the market. We can continue to January in that way or maybe we will add some players."
England interim head coach Lee Carsley has said he is looking to put "his own stamp" on the England squad as he prepares for his first game in charge.
Carsley, who was previously the England's U21 manager, was confirmed as the Three Lion's interim boss for their upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.
The 50-year-old replaced Gareth Southgate who stepped down from his position following England's 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024.
England face the Republic of Ireland on September 7 before returning to Wembley to take on Finland as they aim to make a winning started in Group 2.
Speaking to the Football Association's in-house media channel, Carsley is relishing the opportunity of taking charge of the squad, but acknowledged the importance of finding a blend of competitiveness and balance.
"It's a very prestigious job following Gareth and [assistant manager] Steve [Holland] and the great job that they have done," Carsley said.
"First and foremost, it's getting the squad together and picking the right players while trying to get a balance between making sure it's fresh and competitive but understanding that there are games that we need to do well in and win, so that's what I'll be looking to do.
"It's important that we put our own stamp on the squad and make some adjustments, but also to realise that a lot of the players have done really well in the past and we have to acknowledge that."
Carsley has been within the England coaching set-up since 2020, first being appointed as head coach of England's U20 side in which he won one of his two matches.
A year later, he replaced Aidy Boothroyd as the manager of the U21's and would go on to lift a major honour during his three years at the helm.
Carsley helped his team win the European Under-21 Championship - their first title in the competition since 1984 - beating Spain 1-0 in Georgia.
Cole Palmer scored the decisive goal that day, with Anthony Gordon also starting the game, both of whom were involved at Euro 2024.
"I've got a relationship with those players and have known them quite a few years," Carsley said.
"There's players that I don't know as well, but I'm very much aware of them and I think we've got some outstanding players in the senior team.
"In the pathway, the level of players over the years has really improved and you can see that by the way we've done in major tournaments. The next step is winning, and that's got to be the objective."
Tottenham have completed the signing of winger Wilson Odobert from Burnley for an undisclosed fee, reportedly in the region of €37million (£31.5m).
Odobert joined Burnley from Troyes upon their promotion to the Premier League last year and was a bright spark in a disappointing campaign for the Clarets, who were relegated back to the Championship.
The France Under-21 international scored three goals in 29 Premier League appearances for Burnley, also contributing two assists.
Only Johann Gudmundsson (35) and Josh Brownhill (34) bettered his 31 chances created for Burnley in 2023-24, while he attempted (110) and completed (53) more dribbles than any of his team-mates.
Odobert also led all of his team-mates for shot-ending carries (20) and ranked joint-first for chances created following a carry, alongside Sander Berge (11).
Tottenham had been linked with several wingers ahead of the new season, including Pedro Neto, who left Wolves for Chelsea in a €60m (£51.4m) deal last week.
On Friday, Spurs announced Odobert as their fifth new signing ahead of Ange Postecoglou's second season at the helm, after Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Min-hyeok Yang.
The club confirmed Odobert has penned a five-year contract and will wear the number 28 shirt, with his debut potentially coming in their Premier League opener at Leicester City on Monday.
Odobert started Burnley's opening Championship fixture against Luton Town on Monday, scoring their second goal in a 4-1 victory.
Arne Slot insists he is happy with his Liverpool squad ahead of their Premier League opener against Ipswich, despite missing out on midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
Slot takes charge of his first competitive game for the Reds at Portman Road on Saturday, but is in charge of the only side yet to sign a player this transfer window.
Liverpool had shown their interest in Real Sociedad's Zubimendi following his performances for Spain at Euro 2024, appearing poised to trigger his £51m release clause.
However, he rejected the move to Anfield, preferring to remain with La Real for the upcoming season after his impressive showings for club and country last year.
Zubimendi completed 1318 successful passes in La Liga last season, a total only bettered by Igor Zubeldia (1475) and Robin Le Normand (1562) in the Sociedad squad.
When compared to Liverpool's current midfield options, only Alexis Mac Allister (1692) completed more than the Spaniard last campaign.
And despite the lack of transfer activity on Merseyside, Slot remained confident that the squad assembled under Jurgen Klopp's tenure will deliver.
"I've said many times already that our squad is really strong and it's not so easy to find players who can help us or improve the squad," Slot said.
"Zubimendi was one of them to be fair, but he decided not to come. We go forward with the ones we have.
"Endo did well in pre-season. We're in a good place. Richard is trying to strengthen the squad. Zubimendi decided not to come, we did every effort.
"If a player decides not to come then it's obvious he's not coming."
Another topic of conversation was the position that Trent Alexander-Arnold will play under Slot this season, having been tried in midfield for England at Euro 2024.
Alexander-Arnold started in the Three Lions' two Group C games at the European Championships, but was substituted in both of those encounters.
His performance in the 1-1 draw against Denmark saw him create more chances (three) and play more line-breaking passes in the final third (five) than any other player, despite leaving the field in the 54th minute.
The full-back often drifted into midfield during Klopp's time at Anfield, and Slot is confident he can be an asset for the Reds, no matter what position he plays.
"A position for a player is always related to the team. The first aim is to bring the best out of the team. Trent is known for playing as a right full-back," Slot added.
"When he was younger he played in midfield and he did it in the Euros.
"I think he can play both positions really well and it's up to me where I think he could help the team the most."
Dak Prescott has revealed talks over a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys are "going well", though he is in no rush to get a deal sorted before the new season.
Prescott is set to enter the final season of the four-year, $160m contract he penned in 2021 and will make $29m in 2024.
With no agreement reached on a new deal for the 31-year-old quarterback, rumours about his future have abounded this offseason. If no agreement is struck, he will hit free agency in 2025 and cost Dallas $40m against the salary cap.
The Cowboys are also yet to tie down star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who has held out on returning to practice for three weeks, totalling over $1m in fines as he seeks a new deal.
Prescott, though, is confident his own future will be resolved, though he has not put a timeframe on negotiations.
"I'm not putting that much thought into hoping it gets done now, hoping it gets done in a couple of weeks, during the season or whenever it happens," Prescott said on Thursday.
"I just know conversations are on the right way. I enjoy being a Cowboy 1,000%, I enjoy living in Dallas, I enjoy everything about it.
"But this is a business. Conversations are going well, but I'm thankful to be where I am right now and that's here."
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.
Prescott has managed to stay largely injury-free since an ankle issue limited him to just five outings in 2020, and he puts his availability down to thorough work away from the field.
"It's something that I do each and every day, making sure I'm staying focused on it. Not trying to miss anything," Prescott said of his fitness regimen.
"If anything, it's just going to be maybe a rest here and there. No long-term [issues], especially with the schedule we're on.
"When I put the cleats down and I'm done. I want it to be on my terms and not because my body said that's not enough."
The New York Knicks will visit the Boston Celtics for the first game of the 2024-25 NBA season on October 22 after the schedule for the new campaign was confirmed.
The Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 in the NBA Finals to win their first championship since 2008 last season, their 18th crown taking them clear of the Los Angeles Lakers at the top of the all-time charts.
They will open the defence of their title against rivals New York, who finished second to Boston in the Eastern Conference in 2023-24.
The Knicks were plagued by injuries throughout the 2023-24 postseason and were beaten by the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinals, but they have moved to strengthen during the offseason by adding Mikal Bridges in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
That game will form part of an opening-night double header, preceding the Minnesota Timberwolves' clash with the Los Angeles Lakers, as LeBron James enters his record-equalling 22nd NBA season.
The following day will feature Paul George's Philadelphia 76ers debut as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Los Angeles Clippers will welcome the Phoenix Suns to inaugurate their new home arena, the Intuit Dome.
Other standout fixtures for the season include Klay Thompson's reunion with the Golden State Warriors following his move to Dallas, which is set for November 12.
His Mavs debut could come against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, with the two Texas teams set to face off on October 24.
The 2024-25 All-Star Weekend will be staged in San Francisco from February 14 to February 16, with the regular season set to wrap up on April 13.
Gabriel Misehouy rescued a point for Girona on his debut as they salvaged a 1-1 draw at Real Betis in LaLiga, but coach Michel has warned the teenager must remain grounded.
The 19-year-old Dutch midfielder came off the bench for his debut in Girona's league opener at Betis, having joined from Ajax on a free transfer in July.
He found the equaliser from a counterattack he initiated and was a constant menace to Betis' backline, almost scoring the winner with some brilliant play late on.
Michel was not surprised by Misehouy's impact but told DAZN he has much to learn, saying: "Gabriel is a brutally talented player, but as of today he still lacks the collective mentality to be a great player.
"He has a lot of room for improvement. He still doesn't speak Spanish but I hope he listens to me...
"Maybe the goal won't do any good for him, I don't want it to be... He has a lot of talent, but we have to focus on him so that he can work for the group."
Missing several players due to illness, Michel was satisfied to leave Seville with a point to start a season in which Girona are under the spotlight, having finished third to reach the Champions League last term.
Even if they have lost the element of surprise, Michel is confident the club will continue their upward trajectory.
"I think the team had the personality to play with our idea, knowing that the connections are not yet there," he said.
"I am very happy with the performance, knowing the problems we had."
The Rugby Championship returned with a bang last weekend.
World champions South Africa stated their intent from the very start, dishing out a 33-7 thrashing to end Australia's unbeaten run under Joe Schmidt.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's crown could be under threat after they suffered an opening day slip-up as Argentina pounced, upsetting the All Blacks with a 38-30 victory.
Australia and New Zealand have a chance to right those wrongs on matchday two, while South Africa and Argentina will be looking to pull clear at the top of the table.
Here, we run through the best Opta stats ahead of this weekend's action, picking out the players to watch in each contest.
NEW ZEALAND V ARGENTINA
New Zealand's defence of their Rugby Championship title did not get off to the desired start as they let their half-time lead slip to lose to Argentina in Wellington last weekend, ending head coach Scott Robertson's perfect start.
However, they will be stepping out in Auckland this time around, a happy hunting ground for them as they are undefeated across their last 51 Test matches there (49 wins, two draws), scoring an average of 36.7 points per game across that span. Their last defeat in the city was a 20-23 loss against France in July 1994.
New Zealand also won their only previous meeting with Argentina at Eden Park, cruising to a 33-10 victory in the 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.
They bring plenty of physicality too, having made 11 offloads in the first round, the most of any team; the All Blacks have logged more than 10 offloads in their last two matches in the competition after doing so only once across their previous nine games in the tournament beforehand.
Argentina, meanwhile, won their Rugby Championship opener for the first time, having lost it in their previous 11 appearances.
And, after coming from behind to win that game, they look to have a new lease of life under Felipe Contepomi as they aim to get back-to-back wins over New Zealand for the first time.
Indeed, Los Pumas have won each of their last two Test matches against tier one opposition (38-30 v New Zealand and 33-25 v France) - the last time they recorded a longer winning run in such fixtures was a three-match span at the 2007 Rugby World Cup (v France, Ireland and Scotland).
Argentina made 183 tackles in round one of the Rugby Championship, the most of any team; it is the third time they have logged 180+ in a match in the tournament since the beginning of 2021 – Australia (twice) are the only other team to have done so more than once in that time.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New Zealand – Ethan Blackadder
Despite being on the wrong end of the scoreline, Blackadder managed to catch the eye as he completed 20 tackles in round one of the Rugby Championship, the most of any player.
In fact, it was the joint-most he has made in a Test match for the All Blacks (also 20 v Ireland in November 2021).
Argentina – Matteo Carreras
While Agustin Creevy stole the headlines during Argentina's win last weekend, Matteo Carreras' involvement was equally important.
He has scored three tries in his last two Test matches, including one try against New Zealand last time out, as many as he scored in his eight Tests prior to that run combined (three).
AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa started as they mean to go on with their statement win over Australia last weekend, and they have now won their last three Test matches against the Wallabies by an average margin of 24.3 points.
The last time the Springboks recorded a longer winning run against the Wallabies was a seven-match span from August 1969 to August 1971.
Indeed, South Africa have won each of their last two Test matches against their opponents in Australia, conceding no more than eight points on the day in either of those two wins.
South Africa's form anywhere away from home is impressive enough. They have won each of their last six Test matches outside their country, with three of those six victories coming by a single-point margin on the day. The last time the Springboks recorded a longer winning run outside the country was a nine-match span from August to November in 2007.
Rassie Erasmus' side completely dominated as they gained 547 metres on matchday one of the Rugby Championship, 149 metres more than the team with the second most (Argentina – 398); only once across their last 22 matches in the competition prior have the Springboks gained more in a game (698 v Australia in July 2023).
Schmidt's hopes of a strong start to the tournament quickly evaporated in Brisbane, but a move to Perth could be a good boost for their confidence, with Australia only losing one of their last nine Test matches in the city (winning seven, drawing one).
Australia won 20 line-outs (inc. two steals) in round one of the Rugby Championship, the most of any team; only once across their last 40 Test matches prior to that game had the Wallabies logged as many (20, inc. four steals v Fiji in September 2023). If they can make those count, they could give themselves a chance.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Australia – Harry Wilson
While Australia's attacking play left much to be desired, Harry Wilson provided them with a driving force as he crossed the gainline on 10 carries on matchday one, the second most of any player (Ardie Savea, 12).
He also won seven line-outs, the most of any player in the opening round of the tournament.
South Africa – Kurt-Lee Arendse
Kurt-Lee Arendse continued his impressive run of form with two tries against Australia last time out, meaning he has now scored four tries in his last four Test matches.
He has scored five tries in his two career appearances against the Wallabies, scoring a hat-trick against them last year in addition to last week's brace.
Rookie Weston Wilson became the ninth player in franchise history to hit for the cycle and Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos hit back-to-back homers in the first inning to power the Philadelphia Phillies to a 13-3 drubbing of the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.
Wilson tripled and singled in the fourth, homered in the seventh and then doubled to right in the eighth, with Alex Call failing on a diving attempt.
Wilson had the 10th cycle in Phillies history - Chuck Klein did it twice - and he was the first home player to accomplish the feat at Citizens Bank Park since David Bell in 2004.
Wilson had just 16 at-bats and 22 plate appearances last season, officially making him the first rookie in Phillies history to hit for the cycle.
Philadelphia jumped on Mitchell Parker for four first-inning runs, with Bohm hitting a three-run shot and Castellanos following with 16th of the season.
Trea Turner had three hits and two RBIs and Johan Rojas drove in three runs for the Phillies, who collected 17 hits in their second straight win following a four-game skid.
Zack Wheeler allowed two runs and three hits over six innings for his 12th win, one off the National League lead.
Keibert Ruiz hit a pair of homers as Washington dropped to 1-6 this season against Philadelphia.
Baez lifts Tigers to sweep
Javier Baez hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Detroit Tigers allowed one hit and rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners to complete a three-game sweep.
Detroit trailed 1-0 in the eighth after Seattle got seven two-hit innings from Bryce Miller, but Yimi Garcia walked Parker Meadows, who stole second. After Zack McKinstry popped out and Akil Baddoo grounded out, Andres Munoz relieved and hung a 2-1 slider that Baez lined over the fence in left field.
Munoz hadn’t allowed a hit in a franchise-record 12 consecutive outings.
The Mariners scored four runs in the three-game series and dropped three games behind AL West-leading Houston.
Kenta Maeda pitched one-hit ball over 5 1/3 innings, Shelby Miller earned the win with 1 1/3 innings before Jason Foley worked the ninth for his 16th save to preserve Detroit’s fourth straight win.
Brewers rally past Dodgers for split
Jackson Chourio and Wiliam Contreras homered in the first inning and scored again in an eighth-inning comeback as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a matchup of division leaders.
Milwaukee trailed 4-3 in the eighth before loading the bases on Chourio’s double, a walk to Garrett Mitchell and William Contreras’ infield single.
Willie Adames singled home Chourio to tie it and Tyler Black’s grounder sent Mitchell home. Contreras scored an insurance run from third when Rhys Hoskins grounded out with a batted ball that hit pitcher Daniel Hudson’s leg.
Devin Williams earned his third save in as many opportunities and ended the game by striking out Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani. That save came one day after Williams preserved a 5-4 victory by retiring Ohtani, Betts and Freddie Freeman in order.
After falling behind 3-0 in the first inning, the Dodgers rallied to take a 4-3 lead when Kike Hernández greeted Elvis Peguero with a tiebreaking two-out single in the sixth inning.
Jamaica is setting its sights on reclaiming the top spot in Caribbean table tennis over the next decade, with the recent launch of a summer camp aimed at nurturing the next generation of talent. The Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA), in collaboration with Skills Unlimited Table Tennis Academy (SUTTA) and Taylor and Chancellor Halls at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, hosted the inaugural SUTTA/Taylor Hall/Chancellor Hall Table Tennis Summer Camp from July 15 to August 14 at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. This camp marks the first step in what is intended to be a series of initiatives aimed at re-establishing Jamaica’s dominance in the sport regionally.
The camp, which targeted both junior and senior athletes, was designed to enhance the skills of Jamaica's table tennis players, providing them with the training necessary to compete at the highest levels regionally. Dale Parham, Director of the Program, president of SUTTA, and head coach, expressed his hope that the camp would become an annual event, setting the foundation for sustained development in the sport.
Kingston College's table tennis coach, Colin McNeish, who also played a key role in the program, emphasized the importance of year-round preparation. He believes that with consistent training and dedication, Jamaican players have a strong chance of reclaiming the top spot in Caribbean table tennis within the next decade.
The camp featured several of Jamaica’s top under-19 national players, including Jayden Ebanks, Tsenaye Lewis, Gianna Lewis as well as Navaeh Scott and Kira Scott. Also in attendance were Karecia Peterkin, Gmarco Smith, Kayon Denton, Azizi Johnson, and Ajani Spencer. Under-11 champions Malone and Shacoil Bird, also participated, gaining valuable experience and exposure.
JTTA President Ingrid Graham praised SUTTA for launching the summer program, highlighting the significant improvement in both national players and novice participants. She noted that many young players had been lacking sufficient play time, making the camp an excellent initiative to address this gap. Graham also expressed gratitude to Taylor Hall and Chancellor Hall for providing the venue, which allowed the camp to avoid rental costs.
Coach Dale Parham, Carl Chang of Western Sports and JTTA President Ingrid Graham
Athol Hamilton, Taylor Hall's Student Services and Development Manager, echoed the importance of the camp, stating that supporting it was an easy decision given Taylor Hall’s strong investment in sports. Hamilton also indicated that efforts are being made to make the facilities available throughout the academic year to ensure ongoing training.
National players Gianna and Tsenaye Lewis shared their enthusiasm for the camp, underscoring the importance of consistent practice in honing their skills. Both sisters expressed a desire for the camp to become a permanent fixture on the calendar, citing its significant benefits for their development as players.
Carl Chang of Western Sports, who attended the camp's closing tournament, underscored the camp’s role in reviving table tennis in Jamaica. Although Western Sports is not the title sponsor, they have provided support for junior-level players, further contributing to the growth of the sport.
The summer camp also served as a crucial preparatory phase for the players ahead of the Jamaica Table Tennis Association National Senior & Junior Championships, scheduled to take place from September 6-8 at the National Indoor Sports Complex.
The success of the camp was made possible through the support of Taylor Hall, Chancellor Hall, JTTA, SUTTA, the Sports Development Foundation Jamaica, Western Sports, Optical Solutions International Limited, and Graham International Consulting and Research INC. These partnerships reflect a collective commitment to ensuring that Jamaica once again becomes a dominant force in Caribbean table tennis.
Jamaican 400m hurdles champion Rushell Clayton has revealed the deep disappointment she felt after failing to secure a medal at the Paris Olympics, despite entering the Games as one of the favorites. Clayton, a two-time World Championship bronze medalist, had been in stellar form leading up to the event, clocking a lifetime best of 52.51 at the Jamaica National Championships in June. However, in the final in Paris, despite running her second-best time of the season—52.68—she finished fifth in a race dominated by American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who shattered her own world record with a time of 50.37.
The final was filled with incredible performances, as McLaughlin-Levrone's teammate Anna Cockrell ran a massive personal best of 51.87 to claim the silver medal. Meanwhile, the Netherlands' Femke Bol, who had been expected to challenge for the gold, finished third in 52.15, leaving Clayton just outside the medal positions.
Mere days following the race, Clayton took to Instagram to share her emotions, revealing that she shed tears of disappointment after coming up short in her quest for an Olympic medal. "It would be a lie to say that I am not sad walking away from the Olympic Games without a medal. (Mi bawl fi couple days)," Clayton admitted, expressing the depth of her feelings after the race.
Despite the disappointment, Clayton expressed gratitude for her performance and the journey she has been on this season. "I’m extremely grateful and thankful that I was able to run three solid races which is inclusive of my second and third fastest times ever. I ran that final with pure confidence and a big heart yet I fell short," she said.
Clayton reflected on how this year has been the best of her career, even as she dealt with the heartbreak of missing out on an Olympic podium finish. "It’s kinda crazy because I’ve been having the best year of my career," she wrote. "It was my utmost pleasure representing team Jamaica on the biggest stage ever."
However, she remains optimistic and determined to push forward, noting that with the hurt will also come happiness, and that she will continue to trust in the journey ahead. "If the hurt comes, so will happiness. I will forever exercise patience knowing that the Lord has my back always," she declared.
As she looks ahead to the rest of the season, Clayton expressed her appreciation for the support she has received from her fans and vowed to keep striving towards her goals. "Shout out to all y’all who sent me encouragement and love, it was felt and appreciated. I still got a hella races before the season ends and crazy goals to achieve. See you in a few days."
Clayton is now set to compete at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on August 22, where she will look to continue her impressive season and potentially add another highlight to what has already been a remarkable year.
Girona substitute Gabriel Misehouy struck in the 72nd minute to rescue a 1-1 draw at Real Betis in their opening game of LaLiga on Thursday.
Betis started well and opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a bullet header by defender Marc Bartra from a corner.
Abel Ruiz almost pulled Los Blanquivermells level on the hour-mark, darting in behind Betis' defence, only to poke his first-time shot against the near post.
However, Girona managed to find the equaliser with a close-range finish by Misehouy, who swept a neat finish into the far-bottom corner in his first game for the club.
Both teams had chances to win it late on, though Betis in particular will rue theirs as Chimy Avila's volley rattled Paulo Gazzaniga's goal frame before Nabil Fekir flashed an effort just wide in stoppage time.
Data Debrief: Spoils shared
Betis have not lost their first game of the season in any of the last five campaigns in LaLiga (winning three, drawing two), since a 1-2 loss against Real Valladolid in August 2019.
Bartra's first-half goal was not enough to get them a win in the end, but he scored his 12th goal in LaLiga (seven with Betis, five for Barcelona), half of them being headers, with five of those six coming from corners.
Meanwhile, after losing his first four games against Betis in LaLiga between 2018 and 2023, Míchel is now unbeaten in three against them in the top-flight (one win, two draws).
Yulia Putintseva produced an impressive upset, knocking defending champion Coco Gauff out of the Cincinnati Open in the second round.
The 29-year-old rallied over three sets to hold off Gauff's comeback with a 6-4 2-6 6-4 win in just under two hours.
Putintseva immediately set the tone by breaking the American's serve twice in the opening three games, and though Gauff pulled back to level things at 4-4, the Kazakh got another vital break to take the first set.
The world number two came out on a mission in the second though, piecing together a three-game winning streak as she managed to force a decider.
And it looked like Gauff had found her stride when she took a 4-2 lead, but Putintseva won the last four games in a row to turn the tide and set up a meeting with Paula Badosa in the next round.
Data Debrief: Gauff falls short again
After a disappointing Olympic debut, Gauff made an early exit from the Canadian Open, and she has been relegated to another early exit here.
She was looking to become just the second player to win consecutive titles here, but instead, she struggled once again, making nine double faults against a flawless opponent.
Meanwhile, Putintseva is playing her first tournament since Wimbledon, where she knocked out Iga Swiatek en route to the fourth round. Before this year, she had never progressed past the first round in Cincinnati.
Now, she is only the fourth player in the past four decades ranked outside the WTA's top 20 to claim wins over the top two on multiple surfaces in a season.
Russell Martin admitted Southampton may need to adapt in the Premier League, but they will not change their philosophy ahead of their opener against Newcastle United.
The Saints got back to the top-flight at the first time of asking, beating Leeds United in the Championship play-off final to earn promotion to the Premier League.
They have prepared well ahead of the new campaign, only losing one of their pre-season friendlies, and Martin is confident Southampton have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the other teams.
"There's a concern with any style for any team in the Premier League," he said in his press conference. "We are going to be defined by being good enough. Me, the players, we'll be called naive.
"We've done something here we really believe in. We'll have to adapt and change a little bit in terms of having less possession. We won't change our principles.
"We will concentrate on being the team we want to be."
Meanwhile, Newcastle did not quite hit the heights of their top-four finish in 2022-23 last season, but a positive finish to the campaign gave reason for optimism.
They lost just two of their last 10 matches in 2023-24, and only suffered one defeat during pre-season.
Eddie Howe is confident they have learnt from those struggles and have left them behind as they prepare for their opening match.
"Last season was really difficult. Overall, though, I thought it was a season of real progress," Howe told Stadium Astro.
"And I don't say that lightly, I do think we improved a lot. I am talking overall. I am looking at the club, I'm looking at the team. I think we have improved and moved on."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Newcastle United – Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak has scored 13 Premier League goals so far in 2024, including 11 in his last 12 appearances. It is more than twice as many as any other Newcastle player has scored so far this calendar year (Bruno Guimaraes is next highest with six).
Southampton – Adam Lallana
If Adam Lallana plays, it would be his first Premier League game for Southampton in 10 years and 98 days, the fifth-longest gap between appearances for the same side in the competition's history. Meanwhile, his last goal for the Saints came against this opponent, in a 4-0 win in March 2014.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE UNITED WIN
Newcastle have won seven of their last nine Premier League matches against Southampton, including the last three in a row. The Magpies have never won four league games in a row against the Saints before.
They have also lost just one of their last 20 Premier League games against promoted sides (won 11, drawn eight), with that defeat coming away against Luton Town last season (0-1).
And Howe has been particularly influential in the dugout, as Newcastle have won their Premier League opener in both campaigns under him. The last Magpies manager to win three in a row was Joe Harvey between 1972-73 and 1974-75.
St. James' Park has not been a particularly happy hunting ground for Southampton, who have managed just one win in their last 18 Premier League visits (drawn four, lost 13), winning 2-1 under Ronald Koeman in January 2015.
Southampton are without a win in their last 13 Premier League games (drawn four, lost nine), since beating Leicester City 1-0 in March 2023. It is their longest run without a win in the top-flight since a run of 17 between November 1988 and March 1989.
Meanwhile, among teams to have played in 10 or more Premier League seasons, Southampton have the lowest win ratio in their opening matches of the season, winning just two of 24 games (8%). Their 12 defeats to open a season are also the joint-second most alongside Newcastle and behind only West Ham United (15 defeats).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Newcastle United – 70%
Draw – 16.9%
Southampton – 13.1%
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