Pep Guardiola is facing the prospect of losing four consecutive matches for the first time in his career but is confident Manchester City do not need extra reassurance.

All three of City's recent losses have come in different competitions, first falling to Tottenham in the EFL Cup round of 16 before following it up with defeats to Bournemouth in the Premier League and Sporting CP in the Champions League.

It is the first time the Citizens have been on such a run since doing so between May and August 2021, while in the same season, it is the first time since April 2018.

In the Premier League, Guardiola's men were on a 32-match unbeaten run before their defeat to Bournemouth, and they have only lost two consecutive top-flight matches three times under the Spaniard before.

The Spaniard has been vocal about his team's recent injury struggles, and will once again be without Jack Grealish, despite his recent England call-up, John Stones and Ruben Dias for the trip to Brighton on Saturday.

Bernardo Silva said the team were in a "dark place" after their game at Sporting on Tuesday, but Guardiola does not believe he needs to provide any extra motivation to help get his players back to winning ways.

"I don't think [the players need extra reassurance]. Of course, we are not used to losing three games in three different competitions, but it is football, and it has happened," Guardiola said.

"We know the reason why we struggle, but we are looking forward to this game and after the international break, and after that a few players will be back and recovered. All the little problems we have with players will be solved. I hope.

"There always is a first time [to lose four straight]. Hopefully, it is not the case.

"Twenty minutes against Fulham we were not good, against Bournemouth we were not good, but the rest of the games we were good. We are good. We will see what happens."

Coco Gauff saw off world number one Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets and is now just one win away from taking the WTA Finals crown.

The American, who also beat Iga Swiatek on her run to the final, handed the Belarusian a second consecutive loss in Riyadh as she triumphed 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in one hour and 49 minutes on Friday.

The pair traded blows in the opening set, with Sabalenka getting the first break in the third game, only for Gauff to follow her lead in the next.

The world number three forced the tie-break, and she had to hold her nerve to take the first set as Sabalenka had fought back from 6-1 down.

Gauff's momentum carried her into a 4-1 lead in the second set but that run was halted despite valiantly defending six break points in the next as Sabalenka attempted to start a comeback.

They traded more breaks, but Gauff had already done enough, avenging her defeats to Sabalenka in the Australian Open and Wuhan Open semi-finals to reach the championship match, where she will face Zheng Qinwen for the prize. 

Data Debrief: Young guns pave the way

It has been an impressive WTA Finals for Gauff so far, and this victory means she has become the youngest player to defeat the world number one and number two at the tournament since Kim Clijsters in 2002 (Serena and Venus Williams).

She is also the youngest WTA Finals finalist since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.

In fact, Gauff and Zheng will have the youngest combined age for the two finalists at the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams in 2004, at just 42 years and 271 days. 

Sabalenka already knew she would be the year-end number one before entering these Finals, but she finishes the year on a slightly dour note, having lost consecutive matches for the first time since 2022 (against Donna Vekic in San Diego and Liudmila Samsonova in Guadalajara).

Sanju Samson's century and a strong bowling display set India on their way to a 61-run victory over South Africa at Kingsmead on Friday.

The teams met for the first time since the T20 World Cup final, with India once again coming out on top to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match T20I series.

Samson started strongly, plundering 107 in a knock which included 10 sixes, and held firm to get his second consecutive T20I century, even as Abhishek Sharma (7) and Suryakumar Yadav (21) were both taken early.

Tilak Yarma added 33, but Gerald Coetzee (3-37) helped to ensure India's momentum faltered, though the tourists still set a tough target, finishing on 202-8.

Any hopes of a quick start for South Africa crumbled though as Aiden Markram (8) fell inside the first over.

Varun Chakaravarthy (3-25) and Ravi Bishnoi (3-28) impressively stopped any rhythm from building, with the latter stopping South Africa's top-scorer Heinrich Klaasen on 25 as the hosts stumbled to all out for 141 in the 18th over.

Data Debrief: No home comforts

South Africa will have been looking to avenge their World Cup final loss, but their struggles on home soil continued in Durban.

They have lost their last five men's T20Is at Kingsmead, including their last four. Meanwhile, India are undefeated in their five matches at Kingsmead (W4 T1).

In fact, South Africa have lost 17 of their last 20 men's T20Is in South Africa, with India responsible for their last two such losses. They had only lost once in nine matches prior to this span (W7 T1).

The damage was done early on by Samson, whose hundred is the fastest by an Indian in T20Is against South Africa. 

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique confirmed he will rotate his squad for their trip to the Stade Raymond Kopa to face Angers in Ligue 1 on Saturday. 

The Parisiens' stuttering start to their Champions League continued in midweek, losing late on to Atletico Madrid to leave them 25th in the new 36-team league table. 

PSG have lost five of their last eight games in the Champions League (W2 D1), as many as in their previous 19 games in the competition. 

However, Luis Enrique's side have been impressive in the league and are currently six points clear of Marseille at the summit of the standings. 

They also boast an impressive record against this weekend's hosts, winning 19 of their 20 encounters in all competitions (D1) against Angers. 

"The most important match is tomorrow. Tomorrow, we'll rotate," Luis Enrique confirmed.

"I feel that with so little rest I need players. Angers are a highly motivated opponent who play at home.

"They can defend well and create problems in transition thanks to their wingers. I need all the players ready."

PSG will, however, be without William Pacho, who travelled to Ecuador on Thursday ahead of the international break and did not take part in Friday's training session. 

Luis Enrique also insisted there had been a "blockage in finishing" in their recent fixtures in Europe, though they have not been shy of goals in Ligue 1. 

In their midweek defeat, the Parisiens registered 22 shots compared to their opponents' four, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) of 2.12 to Atletico's 0.67. 

However, PSG have scored a division-high 29 goals from their 10 games so far, and Luis Enrique is relishing the chance of rediscovering their clinical edge this weekend.

"After a match like Wednesday's, and I've been through others in my career, it's difficult. Emotions are going to absorb everything," he added. 

"The result will make you see everything in a negative light. 

"How am I feeling? Perfectly. The more difficult it is, the better. We're aware that there's a blockage in the finishing.

"There's no denying it, it's a general problem. We need to overcome that, through confidence, by trying to create clearer chances, and collectively.

"I know it's a medium to long term project, and there will be ups and downs."

Paulo Fonseca confirmed teenage forward Francesco Camarda will make his first Milan start in place of the injured Alvaro Morata against Cagliari.

Morata suffered a head injury in training on Thursday and was taken to hospital where an MRI was carried out, and while no damage was found, he will take no part in Saturday's away game.

"It was a strange situation, in an exercise yesterday he collided with [Strahinja] Pavlovic," Fonseca told reporters.

"Initially, I didn't think it was such a problem as it turned out to be, but he is not ready to play tomorrow. He's fine, but he's not ready."

Morata has, however, been selected in Spain's Nations League squad, with their manager Luis de la Fuente saying the player is fit, something which surprised Fonseca.

"I don't know why he said that. There is a protocol that says that a player must stop for 10 days," Fonseca added.

"I don't know how he can say that he plays. That is, it is not an option, it is a mandatory thing. I don't know how De la Fuente can do this."

With Morata, who has scored three goals in all competitions for Milan this season, unavailable, and Luka Jovic struggling for fitness, it was expected that Tammy Abraham would lead the line at Cagliari after recovering from a shoulder injury.

However, Fonseca revealed he had instead chosen the 16-year-old Camarda.

"Morata at the moment has a very specific role. Morata is not always a striker, but many times he is a player who unlocks the passing lines," said the 51-year-old.

"I think Camarda right now is more ready than Abraham to play this role."

Last season, Camarda became the youngest-ever player to appear in Serie A, coming on as a late substitute against Fiorentina in November at 15 years, eight months and 16 days old.

He then came on to replace Morata during Milan's 3-1 Champions League win over Club Brugge last month, where he thought he had scored his first goal for the club, but it was ruled offside, and now the youngster will get his first chance from the start.

"For me, it's not surprising. He works with us every day. I think everyone at the club believes in him a lot, he works well and understands the role well," Fonseca said.

"For me, players have no age, they have quality. And he shows every day that he has quality."

Michel says it is easier to pick Girona's starting line-ups due to their mounting injury problems, as the players struggle to cope with the packed schedule.

Girona, who had never qualified for the Champions League in their 94-year history, secured a place in the European competition by finishing third in Laliga last season.

But playing matches across competitions with minimal time to rest has taken its toll, with Girona sitting 12th in LaLiga ahead of Sunday's trip to Getafe.

They have won just four matches in LaLiga this season, and only notched one victory in four Champions League matches, suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to PSV on Wednesday in what was Michel's 150th game in charge of Girona. 

"It's very easy to make the lineup, but it's very difficult to manage the games," he told reporters. "There is always a risk of injury, we cannot do rhythmic training and we have played every three days.

"It's complicated for everyone, but you have to face it with mentality and personality. The most important thing is to always be ourselves."

Last season's surprise package Girona have so far struggled to find form this campaign along with rising injury concerns.

Jhon Solis, Portu, Yaser Asprilla, Ivan Martin, Abel Ruiz, Viktor Tsygankov, Arnaut Danjuma, Gabriel Misehouy and Alejandro Frances are either doubts or unlikely to travel to Coliseum Stadium due to injuries.

Girona are coming off a 4-3 win over Leganés in their last LaLiga fixture and are looking to make it two wins in a row in the competition this season for only the second time, after doing so in early September (W2).

However, they have three draws and five losses in 12 league games, but Michel blamed himself for the team's underwhelming performances.

"The players always give their best on the pitch, but sometimes it is not enough to win games, like the other day in PSV," Michel said.

"When we lose, it's my responsibility. Playing every three days is difficult for everyone, but we have to face it with personality."

Zheng Qinwen was the first to book her place in the WTA Finals showpiece after downing Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets in Riyadh on Friday. 

Zheng, who has dropped just one set throughout the entire tournament, needed an hour and 40 minutes to emerge a 6-3 7-5 victor against the Wimbledon champion. 

The Olympic gold medallist wasted no time in stamping her authority on the contest, serving a love game straight away before breaking Krejcikova's serve soon after. 

Zheng then missed two set points in the eighth game to take the early advantage, but remained composed, closing out the opener with another love game. 

The world number seven threatened to run away with the contest after powering into a 3-0 lead in the second set, but Krejcikova responded emphatically. 

She would go on to win the next four games, but made a fatal error when serving at 5-5, sending a forehand long which handed Zheng the opportunity to serve for the match. 

After saving a break point, Zheng converted her second match point to book her place in the final, setting up a meeting with either Coco Gauff or Aryna Sabalenka. 

Data Debrief: Age is just a number

With a win-loss record of 52-17 this year, Zheng became the first Chinese player in the Open Era to notch 50 WTA-level victories in a calendar year. 

At 22 years and 31 days, she is also now the youngest player to reach the final in their maiden appearance at the WTA Finals since Petra Kvitova (2011).

Since the event's inauguration in 1972, she is only the second Asian player to reach the final at the WTA Finals after Li Na (2013).

The end of the 2024 season is upon us, but before the ATP Tour wraps up until 2025, there is one final big tournament to come.

That season finale is, of course, the ATP Finals, and it kicks off in Turin on Sunday, with eight of the world's top players vying for the prize.

Jannik Sinner is already sure of his place as the year-end number one, but there could be movement in the rankings below him, with Alexander Zverev heading into the tournament as the newly minted world number two, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz.

Reigning champion Novak Djokovic withdrew on Monday, meaning for the first time since 2001, none of the "big three" (Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer) will feature at the ATP Finals.

Djokovic beat Sinner last year to claim his seventh ATP Finals title, which is the most times a player has won the competition.

Sinner, fresh from triumphs at Flushing Meadows and the Shangai Masters, heads to Turin as the favourite, with an eighth title on the line, but let's look ahead to the 2024 ATP Finals with Opta's pre-tournament facts.

Sin(ner) City

Sinner will not only be the firm fan favourite in Turin, he will always be the favourite to claim the crown.

The 23-year-old has already collected a Tour-leading seven titles this season, including the Australian Open and the US Open, and will be out to go one better following his loss to Djokovic in last year's final.

Six of Sinner's victories have come on hard court, with his triumph at the Halle Open the only exception. 

The Italian is only the fifth player aged 23 or under to win at least six Tour-level titles on hard courts in a calendar year after Jimmy Connors (1973), Ivan Lendl (1981), Pete Sampras (1994) and Federer (2004).

Since the ATP's redistribution of ranking points in 2009, only Djokovic (2015) and Nadal (2010) have clinched the year-end number one earlier in a season than Sinner in 2024.

He is out to become the seventh player to win the ATP Finals on home soil in the Open Era, and will be the player to beat in Turin.

Alcaraz and Zverev scrapping for second

Zverev comes into the tournament in excellent form, on the back of winning the Paris Masters.

His triumph in France not only saw him move into second place in the rankings, but also saw him claim his 66th match win, which is more than any other player in 2024 (Sinner is second on 65).

Among the qualifiers for this year's event, Zverev (14) and Daniil Medvedev (11) are the only two to have recorded 10+ match wins at the ATP Finals.

Zverev is only 27, but he is comparatively a veteran at the ATP Finals when stacked up against the other players to have qualified for this year's event. The German will be featuring at the tournament for the seventh time.

Since the rankings were first published in 1973, Boris Becker (four) holds the most wins over the world number one at the ATP Finals – Federer and Zverev have the next-most such wins, with three each.

Among players with multiple matches against the world number one at the ATP Finals, Zverev (3-2) is the only player to hold a winning record.

With Djokovic out of the picture, Alcaraz will be hoping to get back into the top two to end the year.

Only Sinner (12) has claimed more top 10 wins in 2024 than Alcaraz (11), whose last such win came against Sinner in Beijing in September.

Alcaraz is the only player to claim multiple wins over top-five ranked opponents on hard, grass and clay courts in consecutive seasons since the rankings were published in 1973. John McEnroe (1984) is the only other player to achieve the feat in a single year.

The other names in the hat

Who else will be looking for glory next week?

Medvedev comes into the ATP Finals ranked at number four in the world. Only two players won more matches at grand slams in 2024 than the Russian (18), and they are Sinner (23) and Alcaraz (19).

Taylor Fritz reached his first major final earlier this year, losing to Sinner at the US Open. Only two players - Zverev and Sinner - have won more matches on the Tour in 2024 than the American, who has an impressive 49-21 record.

After qualifying for the 2022 ATP Finals, Fritz will become the first American to make multiple appearances at the event since Andy Roddick (2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010).

Casper Ruud is one of only three players, along with Sinner (eight) and Alcaraz (five), to have reached at least five ATP finals this year.

Alex de Minaur, meanwhile, will become the first Australian to appear at the ATP Finals since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago.

Hewitt went on to reach the final, so there is a good omen there for his compatriot.

Bayer Leverkusen must show consistency and focus upon their return to Bundesliga action after their Champions League hammering against Liverpool. 

Those were the words of Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who endured a miserable return to Anfield as the German champions were beaten 4-0 on Tuesday. 

Luis Diaz's second-half hat-trick and Cody Gakpo's header compounded Leverkusen to defeat, though that result had been coming according to Alonso. 

Die Werkself have managed just one win from their last five Bundesliga outings, dropping them to fourth having taken 16 points from their nine league games this term. 

Alonso's side are nine points worse off compared to last year, with the last reigning champion to start a campaign so poorly being Borussia Dortmund in 2012-13 (15 points).

"We have to become consistent in the game with our concentration and mentality," coach Xabi Alonso told a press conference on Friday.

"That's what we need to improve most. We want to be consistent in our way of playing but also our mentality and our focus. Every moment is important.

"It is not enough to play well over 80 minutes. We need it over the entire time with 100% presence on the pitch.

"If not then we make mistakes and mistakes at this high level are costly."

Leverkusen make the trip to the Vonovia Ruhrstadion to face bottom club Bochum, who have managed just one point from their nine games so far this season.

Only Greuther Furth (2021-22) and 1. FC Saarbrucken (inaugural 1963-64 Bundesliga season) have started off worse than Bochum in the league. 

But considering Bochum's -20 goal difference, they have recorded the worst start ever by a Bundesliga team, resulting in Peter Zeidler's dismissal last month. 

Dieter Hecking was announced as the club's new head coach earlier this week, and Alonso is expecting a tricky encounter this weekend.

"We want to be consistent. We can do it better and tomorrow it is important to play well. We are prepared for all situations," Alonso said.

"We know what to expect," Alonso said. "The intensity in Bochum, a new coach. They want to change the mood and mindset. But we are prepared. We know what to expect.

"We have to know it is very important for us. Tomorrow there are no excuses for not playing well. We face a good opponent, but we have to be prepared." 

Thiago Motta is confident Juventus will be at full intensity for the Turin derby as they looked to close the gap on the Serie A leaders, Napoli. 

Although Juve are the only team in the Italian top-flight who remain unbeaten, Motta's side lie sixth in the standings with 21 points after six draws in 11 games. Torino are 10th with 14 points.

A victory on Saturday would give Juventus an advantage, bringing them closer to leaders Napoli and second-placed Inter, who face each other on Sunday.

Juventus are unbeaten in their last 18 matches against Torino in Serie A (W13 D5), keeping a clean sheet in eight of these matches, including the two most recent. They are also unbeaten in 18 against their rivals on home soil in the league.

Motta, whose side drew 1-1 at Lille on Tuesday, said he is aware of what the rivalry means to the people of Turin ahead of his first 'Derby della Mole' as Juve coach.

"There are good feelings because I see the team doing well with the usual right attitude. There is a special atmosphere with our fans, and we want to give our best to play a great match," he told reporters.

"The importance of a derby is that the city lives it in an intense way, we will have to do our best to play a great game. Derbies, in general, are beautiful matches to play. Here I felt exactly that, and we will try to give great joy to our fans.

"The team is physically fine. We had three days of recovery and this makes the difference. I see the team and I have faith in everyone's commitment. Tomorrow we will enter the game at 200%."

However, Juve will be without Douglas Luiz, Nicolas Gonzalez and Vasilije Adzic, who are sidelined with injuries.

"Douglas Luiz came with us to Lille at my request to speed things up. Yesterday in training he still didn't feel great. So we won't risk him, and we'll see him again after the [international] break," Motta added.

"Nico Gonzalez won't be there. Adzic also had a problem and will need to be evaluated. He won't be there tomorrow."

Spain have handed a first senior call-up to Samu Omorodion after a stellar start to the season with Porto for their upcoming Nations League matches.

The 20-year-old represented Spain at the Paris Olympics, netting once in his four appearances at the tournament.

Since joining Porto in August 2024, he has netted 11 goals in 11 matches in all competitions, netting seven of those in the Primeira Liga in seven appearances, averaging a goal every 68 minutes.

Barcelona's Marc Casado has also been added to Luis de la Fuente's squad after impressing with his appearances in the LaLiga leaders' midfield amid their injury struggles.

Casado has attempted the most passes (850) and completed more (729) than any other Barcelona midfielder in all competitions this term (90.6% success rate).

"At the age of 20, [Omorodion] has football potential. He burst onto the scene in a way that has attracted attention. It's time to give him continuity," De la Fuente told reporters.

On Casado, he added: "It's all thanks to his confidence, commitment and ability. There are very good players who need that kind of demand to shine. He is ready, but he still has room for improvement."

Spain captain Alvaro Morata is also part of the squad despite being rushed to hospital after suffering a head injury during Milan training, but De la Fuente insisted the 32-year-old was fine.

However, Pau Cubarsi has been left out after sustaining a facial injury during Barcelona's Champions League win on Wednesday.

Nations League holders Spain have already qualified for the quarter-finals but are yet to clinch top spot. They face Denmark on November 15 before finishing the group stage against Switzerland three days later. 

Spain squad in full:

David Raya (Arsenal), Alex Remiro (Real Sociedad), Robert Sanchez (Chelsea), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Oscar Mingueza (Celta Vigo), Daniel Vivian (Athletic Bilbao), Aymeric Laporte (Al-Nassr), Pau Torres (Aston Villa), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alex Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Aitor Paredes (Athletic Bilbao), Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Fabian Ruiz (PSG), Pedri (Barcelona), Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Alex Baena (Villarreal), Marc Casado (Barcelona), Alvaro Morata (Milan), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Yeremy Pino (Villarreal), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Ayoze Perez (Villarreal), Samu Omorodion (Porto), Bryan Zaragoza (Osasuna).