Lando Norris said Max Verstappen benefitted from a rule "no one agrees with" as he won a dramatic Sao Paulo Grand Prix to leave the McLaren's title hopes hanging by a thread.

Verstappen surged to a terrific victory from 17th on the grid in Brazil, with Norris faltering after starting on pole.

Norris and Mercedes' George Russell – who were vying for the lead – both pitted on lap 29, but that strategy backfired as the red flag was shown following a crash involving Franco Colapinto.

With the race suspended, Verstappen was also able to change tires for the restart, negating Norris' advantage from pitting as the world champion raced to a commanding victory.

Norris had cut Verstappen's drivers' championship lead to 44 points by winning Saturday's sprint race but now sits 62 points adrift with just three races of the season remaining. 

The Brit refused to hit out at McLaren's strategy after the race, though, putting his struggles down to bad luck. 

"I have faith in the team in what they are saying and they have trust in me," he told Sky Sports F1. 

 

"It was just unlucky. I don't care about the hindsight side of things, that's luck for them, nothing more.

"They got lucky on a rule that no one agrees with. Probably they agreed with it today but every driver has disagreed with it in the past.

"Today it benefitted them, it could have benefitted us if we just stayed out, but that's a stupid thing to think of. 

"Just a bit unlucky today, nothing more. Of course, disappointing. Max drove well. He got a bit lucky but that's life."

Saquon Barkley has made several sensational plays in his career, but his amazing backward hurdle in the Philadelphia Eagles' 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday may go down as one of the most incredible plays by any player ever on an NFL field.

Early in the second quarter on a third-and-six, Jalen Hurts dumped off a short pass to Barkley. The first-year Philadelphia running back promptly lowered his shoulder to break one tackle and used a spin move to beat another Jacksonville defender before performing an amazing reverse hurdle over Jaguars cornerback Jarian Jones to cap off a 14-yard gain.

Barkley had a touchdown on the ground and one through the air, finishing with 159 rushing yards and another 40 receiving yards for 199 scrimmage yards - his most since amassing 279 in Week 16 of 2019.

DeVonta Smith also made a spectacular play for Philadelphia, hauling in a one-handed 25-yard touchdown grab. He finished with four receptions for 87 yards.

Hurts threw for 230 yards with a pair of touchdowns and scored on an 18-yard run for the Eagles (6-2), who won their fourth in a row.

Trevor Lawrence completed 16-of-31 passes for 169 yards with two interceptions for a 40.9 passer rating - his lowest since his rookie season - as the Jaguars fell to 2-7.

 

 

Lions win at Green Bay to improve to 7-1

The Detroit Lions did enough to stay firmly atop the NFC North, beating the Green Bay Packers 24-14 at rainy Lambeau Field.

The Lions converted two fourth downs into touchdowns and scored on a Kerby Joseph 27-yard interception return en route to a sixth straight win. Detroit improved to 7-1 for the first time since 1956.

Despite being out-gained 411-261 in total yards, the Lions' defence stood firm, holding the Packers (6-3) without a point on three drives that moved inside Detroit's 35-yard line.

Jared Goff only passed for 145 yards, but was efficient with his throws, with only four incompletions on 22 attempts for a 109.3 passer rating. He is the first player in NFL history to record six consecutive games with a completion rate of 72 per cent, a passer rating of at least 105 and a TD pass.

The Lions scored their first points on the first play of the second quarter on Goff's 3-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown on a fourth-and-goal. Detroit went up 24-3 on its first possession of the second half, when Jahmyr Gibbs scored on a 15-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1.

Jordan Love was 23 of 39 for 273 yards with the pick-six in a game he was uncertain to play after exiting Green Bay's win last week with a strained groin.

 

 

Daniels helps Commanders to best start in nearly 30 years

Rookie sensation Jayden Daniels helped deliver another win for the Washington Commanders, throwing a pair of touchdown passes to Terry McLaurin in a 27-22 triumph over the New York Giants.

Winner of just four games in 2023, the Commanders improved to 7-2 for the first time since 1996.

Daniels finished 15 of 22 for 209 yards with TD passes of 1 and 18 yards in the first half.

He also rushed for 35 yards, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. ran for 52 yards and Austin Ekeler gained 42 rushing yards with a touchdown.

 

Linebacker Dante Fowler set up Washington's first touchdown with a strip-sack of Daniel Jones, who finished with 174 passing yards and two touchdowns.

The Giants lost their fourth straight game and fell to 2-7.

 

Bills beat Dolphins on Bass' late 61-yard field goal

Buffalo and Miami traded blows in a back-and-forth thriller, but it was the Bills who had the final score.

Tyler Bass kicked a 61-yard field goal with five seconds to play to send the Bills to a 30-27 win over their AFC East rivals.

 

Josh Allen drove Buffalo into field goal range after Miami took the lead on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle with 1:45 to play.

The teams traded leads four times and combined to score on seven consecutive possessions in the second half.

Allen threw three second-half touchdowns in leading the division-leading Bills (7-2) to a fourth straight victory.

Tagovailoa had two passing TDs for the Dolphins (2-6), who lost their third in a row.

 

Falcons deal Cowboys third straight loss; Prescott exits with injury

Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes to lead the Falcons to a 27-21 win over the struggling Dallas Cowboys.

Cousins, who completed 13 consecutive passes at one point, had a nine-yard touchdown to Drake London, a 36-yard TD to Darnell Mooney and an 11-yarder to Ray-Ray McCloud.

The Falcons (6-3) won for the fifth time in six games to move 1 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South.

The Cowboys (3-5) not only lost their third straight game, but also lost their quarterback to injury with Dak Prescott exiting after three quarters due to a hamstring injury.

Cooper Rush stepped in and completed 13 of 25 passes for 115 yards with a touchdown but couldn't rally Dallas all the way back.

The Cowboys have now equaled their loss total from each of the last three seasons.

 

 

Cardinals bottle up Bears to move atop NFC West

The Arizona Cardinals overwhelmed the Chicago Bears, rolling to a 29-9 victory for a third straight win.

The winning streak - the Cardinals' longest since 2021 - moved Arizona (5-4) into sole possession of first place in the NFC West.

The Cardinals won behind their running game and defence, as Kyler Murray threw for just 154 yards and didn't throw a TD pass for the first time in 16 games.

James Conner rushed for 107 yards and Emari Demercado ran for 59 yards - including a 53-yard TD run just before half-time to change the momentum of the game and give Arizona a 21-9 lead at the break.

 

The Cardinals held the Bears to just 241 yards and hounded Caleb Williams all game, sacking the No. 1 overall pick six times.

Williams finished 22 of 41 for 217 yards without a touchdown or interception as Chicago (4-4) lost its second game in a row.

The Dallas Mavericks used suffocating defence to easily defeat the Orlando Magic, rolling to a 108-85 victory on Sunday.

Luka Doncic had 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Daniel Gafford added a season-high 18 points and eight rebounds in just 20 minutes.

The Mavericks (4-2) used a 30-9 run in the second quarter to take a 65-40 lead into half-time. Their lead grew to as many as 33 points at one point.

The Magic (3-4) were playing their second game since Paolo Banchero suffered a torn right oblique last Wednesday, and the offence struggled mightily.

Orlando finished with a season low in points, field-goal percentage (33.3) and three-point percentage (19.5).

Franz Wagner's 13 points were the most by any player for the Magic, who came in averaging 111.7 points.

 

 

Hawks beat short-handed Pelicans to snap skid

The Atlanta Hawks rode a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull out a 126-111 win over a New Orleans Pelicans team playing without Zion Williamson.

The Hawks (3-4) made more than half of their shots for the first time all season, shooting 56.8 per cent to snap a four-game losing streak.

Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 29 points, while Trae Young finished with 23 points on 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point range to go with 12 assists.

 

Already playing without starters Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Herb Jones, the Pelicans (3-4) announced shortly before tip-off that Williamson was scratched due to right hamstring tightness.

Brandon Ingram had 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting, but the only other New Orleans starter to score in double figures was Jordan Hawkins, who scored 19.

Without Williamson, the Pelicans were also overpowered under the basket, as the Hawks held a 66-32 scoring advantage in the paint. 

 

Balanced Pistons get past Nets

Cade Cunningham was one of six players to score in double figures for the Detroit Pistons in their 106-92 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Cunningham paced the Pistons with 19 points, while Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley had 18 points apiece. Jaden Ivey scored 15, Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 14 and Jalen Duren added 13.

It was the second time this season Detroit had six players score 13 points or more in a game after having one such game all of last season.

 

The Pistons (2-5), who held the Nets to just 15 points in the fourth quarter, won for the second time in three games after starting the season 0-4.

Cam Thomas entered the game leading Brooklyn (3-4) with an average of 28.2 points, but finished with a season-low 17 on 6-of-17 shooting.

The only other Net to score in double figures was Cameron Johnson, who had a season-high 26.

Diego Simeone lauded his son Giuliano after his first LaLiga goal helped Atletico Madrid on their way to a 2-0 victory over Las Palmas on Sunday. 

The 21-year-old latched on to Nahuel Molina's pass before firing the ball beyond Jasper Cillessen, before Alexander Sorloth sealed the win seven minutes from time. 

Atletico's victory moved them up to third in the table, a point behind Real Madrid, who have a game in hand after their game with Valencia was postponed. 

But the day belonged to Simeone, who followed in his father's footsteps with his first goal for the club in only his eighth match in the Spanish top-flight. 

The strike came almost 20 years after his father and manager, Diego, scored his last goal for the club against Real Madrid. 

Though Simeone was thrilled by his son's achievement, he was keen to focus on the importance of the victory that saw them return to winning ways in the league. 

"He's working well, he's training well... it's important for his growth. As long as there is humility, the heart always responds," Simeone said.

"We are happy, we needed a match that would give us a good feeling. We were able to take the game where we wanted and we were able to win an important match."

Simeone, however, said he did not see his son any differently from other players in his squad, who started only his second league game this season on Sunday.

"He did what he had to do, that's why he is at Atlético. He has a responsibility that has no name. They are footballers.

"Those who run play and those who run less, play less," he told a press conference.

"The club didn't spend money to buy a son on. He is a boy who was in the youth academy... we believe he can help.

"He will have good games and bad games, but for sure he has what it takes."

Scott Parker said his young Burnley side "struggled emotionally" in their 1-0 defeat to Millwall, a loss that snapped their nine-game winning run in the Championship.

The decisive moment came in the 52nd minute when Millwall captain Jake Cooper powerfully headed Femi Azeez's cross beyond the grasp of James Trafford. 

But the Lions, who moved up to seventh in the table with the win, were worthy winners at The Den. 

They registered 12 shots compared to Burnley's eight, ending with an expected goals (xG) total of 0.83 compared to their opponents' 0.17. 

Parker's side managed just one effort on target, which came in the fourth minute courtesy of Luca Koleosho, with the Clarets boss lamenting his side's display in the final third.

"We came here knowing it's a tough place to come and dominated the first 25 minutes but the game went away from us at the back end of that first-half," Parker said. 

"Emotionally, with a young team like ours we struggled in the big moments.

"We need to be more progressive in the front third but it's a really young team, a brand new team and we need to keep working hard.

"We lacked spark in the second-half and the game has been decided on a set play."

But for Millwall boss Neil Harris, he masterminded the Lions' first league triumph over Burnley since a 3-1 victory back in February 2012. 

It was also a third consecutive 1-0 win for Millwall. Since the start of last season, they’ve won 13 Championship games by that scoreline, at least five more than any other side.

And Harris believes his side warranted their victory, insisting that his tactical decisions made the Clarets run out of ideas. 

"It was a strong result and I thought Burnley ran out of ideas," Harris said. 

"We grew into the game after Burnley were slightly better in the first 20 minutes, but I couldn't see them scoring against us.

"You just need a moment here at The Den and Jake Cooper produces it and, if anything, I thought we'd get the second goal.

"If we win games 1-0 it's fine and the first goal in the Championship is so important, especially for us."

Max Verstappen revealed he wanted to destroy the Red Bull garage in the hours before he delivered a wet-weather performance for the ages to win the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Verstappen had been left frustrated after Sunday's delayed qualifying session, when a crash by Lance Stroll and subsequent red flag saw him drop out of Q2.

The Dutchman's early exit saw him finish 12th, but a five-place grid penalty for an engine change dropped him to 17th, presenting an opportunity for Lando Norris to take a seismic chunk out of his drivers' championship lead. 

But a determined Verstappen then overcame the rain-affected conditions at Interlagos, climbing to P11 on the very first lap before making his charge into the top 10.

His remarkable comeback, which included five consecutive fastest laps, culminated in him passing Alpine’s Esteban Ocon for the lead on lap 43 before romping to victory.

“My emotions were all over the place, from wanting to destroy the garage (after qualifying) to winning the race,” said Verstappen. “It has been a roller coaster.

“It is unbelievable to win here from so far back on the grid. I was expecting to lose points in the championship.

"Now, I just want clean races. But I am not thinking about clinching the title in Vegas.”

A rain-affected race saw several incidents, with Lance Stroll, Alex Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto and Carlos Sainz all failing to finish the race.

But Verstappen remained calm in those conditions, snapping his 10-race winless streak, while also becoming the first driver since Kimi Raikkonen at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2005 to emerge victorious after gaining 16 positions.

And the three-time world champion believed his latest win, which was his 62nd in the competition, was his best one to date. 

“The rain came, we stayed out, which was very sketchy, and I had to just keep the car on track,” continued Verstappen.

“It was undriveable in the conditions. I felt like I was driving a boat, or a jet-ski.

“There was a lot at stake because I had to be aware of the championship, so for me this is the best one (victory).

"And it is a massive boost for the team because it has been a tough period.”

Verstappen is now 62 points clear of Norris in the drivers' championship with just 86 points remaining, and can win a fourth consecutive drivers' title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

However, he insisted that the season was far from over, acknowledging he must remain perfect in the final three races to get over the line after an up and down season.

“Now it’s of course a great result, which if you look a few hours ago, was definitely the other way around, looking like we were going to lose a lot of points," he said. 

“So I’m very happy, but still three tough races [to go], so we just need to stay calm and make no mistakes.

Iga Swiatek began her bid to regain the world number one ranking by recovering from a set and double break down to beat Barbora Krejcikova in her first match at the WTA Finals.

Swiatek, playing in her first competitive game since her US Open quarter-final exit, emerged a 4-6 7-5 6-2 victor against the Wimbledon champion in Riyadh. 

The Pole is the third player in the last 30 years to achieve three or more seasons in a row with over 60 wins, after Martina Hingis (1997-2001) and Caroline Wozniacki (2009-2011).

Only Elina Svitolina (12) has played fewer matches at the WTA Finals than Swiatek (13) to achieve 10 wins at this event since the reintroduction of the Round Robin format in 2003.

But the Pole acknowledged the difficulties she faced against Krejcikova, saying she must improve if she is to retain her WTA Finals crown.

“Even though I played a lot of those [practice] matches,” Swiatek said afterward. “I kind of forgot for a while how it is to feel all those things, a bit different stress and emotions.

"For sure, I needed some time to adapt. The most important thing was that even though it happened, I managed to fight through that. And was patient enough to wait to get better.”

In Sunday's other match, Coco Gauff beat fellow American and doubles partner Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-2 in the second Orange Group match.

Gauff moved to a win-loss record of 51-16 in 2024, including the Olympics and team events, equalling her career-high from 2023 for WTA-level match wins in a calendar year.

She is now only the fifth player to claim 20 or more WTA top 10 wins before turning 21, along with Kim Clijsters (45), Maria Sharapova (39), Ana Ivanovic (26) and Wozniacki (23) since 2000.

"I think maybe I served better than previous times and this is our first time, I think, playing each other on indoor hard, so maybe that had something to do with it," Gauff said.

"I don't know. I think I know I've lost to her a lot, but it doesn't feel like it sometimes. 

"Because we do practice a lot, and obviously, when we're playing sometimes I win practice sets, sometimes she does. So it doesn't feel like the head to head is as bad as it was."

Ruud van Nistelrooy revealed he has not spoken to incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim after leading the Red Devils to a point against Chelsea on Sunday. 

Van Nistelrooy, taking interim charge of his first Premier League game, saw Bruno Fernandes open the scoring from the spot in the 70th minute after Robert Sanchez's clumsy challenge on Rasmus Hojlund. 

But Moises Caicedo's strike four minutes later sealed a share of the spoils at Old Trafford, though the performance left plenty for Amorim to ponder upon his arrival in Manchester.

Van Nistelrooy will oversee United's next two games against PAOK in the Europa League and Leicester City before Amorim takes the reins on November 11. 

The Dutchman joined previous manager Erik ten Hag's coaching staff in July, but it remains to be seen whether he will remain at Old Trafford once Amorim arrives. 

"Over the coming days we will be in communication, and I am waiting for that," Van Nistelrooy said.

"What is more important is that we are in training tomorrow and prepare for the game on Thursday. I haven’t spoken to him [Amorim] yet, but it will happen.

“You saw today that we competed well against a very good side. This is the way forward for this group of players."

The result, however, moved United on to 12 points, but marked their worst return after 10 games of a league campaign since 1986-87 (eight).

Meanwhile, the Red Devils' total of nine goals is their fewest at this stage of a league campaign since 1973-74 (also nine), though Van Nistelrooy was happy with the display. 

“I am disappointed we didn’t win, we had the better of the chances in the game. But overall the performance was fantastic. They left their all out there on the pitch," he added. 

“It was a great moment, the goal, when Old Trafford explodes. Bruno Fernandes did well taking it and the emotion came out.

"This week has been special, I have enjoyed every second of it. I am here to help and will get behind the new manager and make sure the club grows.

“We are behind the new manager, everyone at the new club is focusing on the two games that are very important, but then we will work hard to make this club better every day."

Fernandes echoed the thoughts of his manager, but said the result was one that frustrated his team-mates at full-time. 

“We did fight, we could have won the game. Chelsea also played a good game, it was good from both teams but not the result we wanted," Fernandes said. 

"I always look at the goalkeeper before facing them. He [Robert Sanchez] saved a penalty from me last season, but I was successful.

"Every week here is challenging, if we win or lose."

Fernandes has now scored 32 of his 36 penalties for United (89%), with his three penalty goals against Chelsea being his joint-most against any opponent (also three v Aston Villa).

Enzo Maresca believes it was "quite clear for all of us" that Lisandro Martinez should have been sent off for his "dangerous" challenge on Cole Palmer during Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

The spoils were shared at Old Trafford, where a superb Moises Caicedo volley cancelled out Bruno Fernandes' earlier penalty.

However, Maresca felt United should have been reduced to 10 men following Martinez's late tackle on Palmer, with referee Robert Jones showing the defender a yellow card following a VAR review.

"I think it is quite clear for all of us, but the referee took a different decision," he said. "When you don’t go for the ball and just the man, it is a red. There is no intention to take the ball and it is dangerous."

Nevertheless, the Italian was pleased with the way his players dealt with facing United, who were overseen by interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy in their first league game since Erik ten Hag's dismissal.

"We are happy because we knew how difficult it would be," Maresca added. "The [United] players want to prove they're good enough. A new manager with different ideas, so we had to prepare a different way.

"Overall, United were similar [to under Ten Hag], we expected them to be a bit more aggressive. For a large part of the game, we were in control, there was a desire to win the game, and we lost our balance in the last 10 minutes or so.

"When you go down in this stadium, it's very difficult to come back, but we did that. Then, we tried to win it."

"We knew if we waited for a long time [to equalise], it was going to be complicated," Caicedo told BBC Sport. "I'm so happy to equalise.

"We deserved to win. We knew it would be a tough game, but we were prepared for it. I'm so happy for the team. It was a great fight."

Max Verstappen surged to a remarkable victory at a frenetic Sao Paulo Grand Prix, climbing from 17th on the grid to extend his championship lead over Lando Norris. 

Pole-sitter Norris could only manage sixth place after a series of errors on the slippery surface in Brazil, and is now 62 points behind Verstappen in the standings. 

The Dutchman can seal a fourth world title in Las Vegas simply by finishing ahead of Norris, who now needs to take more than 20 points from the final three races. 

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly took the final two podium places to transform Alpine’s season and move the team up from ninth in the constructors’ championship to sixth.

A chaotic, incident-strewn, wet race that involved a red flag, two safety car periods and a series of crashes and incidents, saw the top 10 change throughout the race. 

George Russell, who overtook Norris to take the lead at the first corner, finished fourth, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. 

Oscar Piastri helped McLaren improve their lead in the constructor's fight by finishing eighth, with the RB's of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson ending just ahead of Lewis Hamilton to round out the top 10. 

Data Debrief: Mad Max edges closer

Verstappen's triumph earned him his 62nd win in Formula One. It is his first in the competition since the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this year, breaking a 10-race winless streak.

And he sealed the win in some style. It is the sixth time in the competition's history that a driver has climbed at least 16 places to end up winning the race, and the first since Kimi Raikkonen in Japan in 2005 (also 16).

Verstappen also set the fastest lap, his third this year. He now has 33 in his career and brings Red Bull to within one of 100 in the competition. 

He is the first driver in F1 history to win from 10 different positions, surpassing the record he previously shared with Fernando Alonso (nine).

Top 10

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

3. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

4. George Russell (Mercedes)

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

6. Lando Norris (McLaren)

7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

8. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

9. Liam Lawson (RB)

10. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Max Verstappen - 393

2. Lando Norris - 331

3. Charles Leclerc - 307

Constructors'

1. McLaren - 593

2. Ferrari - 557

3. Red Bull - 544

Phillipe Clement said Rangers' performance against Motherwell must serve as a reference for the rest of their season after they teed up a Scottish League Cup final clash with Celtic.

Rangers fought back for a 2-1 victory on Sunday, with Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami on target one day after Celtic trounced Aberdeen 6-0 in the first semi-final.

Dessers converted Connor Barron's cross to level things up in the 49th minute, then Bajrami saw his strike deflect home nine minutes from time to ease the pressure on Clement.

The Gers have endured a difficult Premiership season to date and trail rivals Celtic, who they will face in the League Cup final on December 15, by nine points in the table.

Clement, however, believes they can achieve big things if they replicate the performance they produced at Hampden Park on a regular basis.

"We can go where we want to be, which is the final," he told Premier Sports.

"We had that amazing feeling together with the fans last season and we can battle for that again. 

"This needs to be also a reference game for this squad, for this new squad.

"To do what we've been doing a lot last season, to dig in and in every situation to keep our belief, to keep on going, to keep on fighting and to break the wall if we go behind... 

"This can be a massive game at the end of the season to have this one as a reference. I want to see, every three days, this mentality."

West Indies white-ball coach Darren Sammy was both encouraged and frustrated after his team’s five-wicket loss to England in the second ODI in North Sound, Antigua, on Saturday.

Despite a standout batting performance that saw West Indies post a formidable 328-6, Sammy believes missed opportunities in the bowling department ultimately handed England the edge. England chased down the total with relative ease, finishing on 329-5 with captain Liam Livingstone’s masterful unbeaten 124 leading the way.

“It is tough. Obviously, when you put 328 on the board, you expect to win. However, that is the beauty of international cricket; at the halfway stage, when one aspect of the job is done, you can never be complacent about it. Yes, Liam Livingstone played a brilliant innings to get his team home, but I thought as a bowling group our execution was really off, hence we lost a record chase here in Antigua,” Sammy said in a post-game interview.

While disappointed with the loss, Sammy found reasons for optimism, particularly in captain Shai Hope’s exceptional 117—his 17th ODI century—which was the highlight of the innings and pushed him to joint third on the all-time West Indies ODI century list.

Hope received ample support from Keacy Carty (71) and Sherfane Rutherford (54), whose solid contributions underscored the team’s depth in the middle order.

“I think we did some really good things; Shai Hope another 100, the joint fourth most by a West Indian, the way Keacy Carty batted, as well as Sherfane Rutherford making a fourth-consecutive 50. The way Matthew Forde bowled and the way Roston Chase came back after being put under pressure in the second over,” Sammy reasoned.

“So we were right in the game until the last 10 overs, where I think they scored 100 off seven overs; that is not good enough. But I think as a team, it is about understanding where we are at and the small steps that we have to take to improve,” he noted.

With Livingstone anchoring England’s chase alongside contributions from Phil Salt (59), Jacob Bethell (55), and Sam Curran (52), Sammy acknowledged that the West Indies bowling attack could have been more effective in applying pressure to seal the win after Hope’s brilliance.

“I think Shai will be the first one to tell you that it (his knock) doesn’t matter because it came off a losing cause. But, as I said before, Shai Hope is a class act and one of our icons in ODI cricket, but I know he would want nothing more than a win instead of a hundred.

“Again, it (the overall performance) shows that we are still far off but we are making little strides that will help us along our way with the goal that we have moving forward,” Sammy explained.

With the three-match series now tied 1-1, Sammy expressed hope that West Indies will bring their best game to the decider in Barbados on Wednesday.

“This is a rivalry, so we have all to play for at home. The last time we played in Barbados, we made history and won, so I am hoping we can again. It is two young teams looking to develop and get better in ODI cricket. Again, it is all to play for, so if the fans come out and support, in return, we have to give you guys something to smile about in Barbados,” Sammy ended.

Moises Caicedo denied Ruud van Nistelrooy a first Premier League win as Manchester United’s interim head coach as the midfielder's goal earned Chelsea a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Following a first half that lacked quality, the Theatre of Dreams burst into life when Robert Sanchez hauled down Rasmus Hojlund inside the penalty area 20 minutes from time.

Bruno Fernandes, so often United’s main man under former boss Erik ten Hag, stepped up and sent the Chelsea goalkeeper the wrong way to put the hosts on course for a much-needed win.

But the Red Devils’ joy was short-lived thanks to a bolt from Chelsea blue, courtesy of the right foot of Caicedo, who sent a first-time volley into the bottom-left corner.

The draw saw Chelsea edge past Arsenal and into the top four, while United moved up one place in the table, going 13th. 

Data Debrief: Ruud awakening

While Ruben Amorim's impending arrival at Old Trafford brought positivity back to Old Trafford, Van Nistelrooy was unable to stop United's faltering start to the season. 

With just 12 points won, this is the Red Devils' worst return after 10 games of a league campaign since 1986-87 (eight).

Meanwhile, their total of nine goals is their fewest at this stage of a league campaign since 1973-74 (also nine).

But their latest result was perhaps a result waiting to happen. Eight of the last 13 meetings between United and Chelsea in the Premier League have ended level, while this is the fixture with the most total draws in the competition’s history (27).

Barcelona moved nine points clear at the LaLiga summit following a 3-1 victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby.

Dani Olmo scored twice while Raphinha was also on target as Hansi Flick's side stretched their advantage over second-place Real Madrid, whose scheduled showdown with Valencia this weekend was postponed.

Barca broke the deadlock after just 12 minutes. Olmo latched onto Lamine Yamal's brilliant throughball with the outside of his boot, before beating Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia with a well-taken first-time finish.

The hosts doubled their lead 11 minutes later with Marc Casado finding Raphinha, who bravely lifted over the advancing Garcia.

It was 3-0 just after the half-hour mark, as Olmo received Alejandro Balde's pass before drilling home from the edge of the penalty area.

Espanyol, who saw two goals disallowed following VAR reviews, pulled one back when Javi Puado turned home Carlos Romero's cross in the 63rd minute.

However, it proved a consolation for the visitors, who suffered their sixth defeat in seven league games. 

Data Debrief: Free-scoring Barca maintain derby dominance

Now unbeaten in 27 LaLiga derbies against Espanyol, Barcelona have now scored 40 goals this season; their second-highest tally after the first 12 games of a LaLiga season (42 in 1950-51).

Following Olmo's brace, which took his tally for the campaign to five, the Blaugrana are the only team with four different players to have scored at least five goals in Europe's top five leagues this term.

In setting up Raphinha's goal, Casado is the first Barca player from Spain to provide an assist in three successive games in all competitions since at least the 2014-15 season.

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