Hayley Matthews produced a strong all-round performance but it wasn’t enough to help the Melbourne Renegades avoid a 28-run defeat against the Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League in Brisbane, Australia on Wednesday.
The West Indian skipper first picked up 2-21 from her three overs as the Heat posted 169-8 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat.
Matthews was supported by Sophie Molineux who grabbed 2-35 from four overs while fellow West Indian Deandra Dottin took 1-27 from her four.
Georgia Redmayne led the Heat with 44 while Laura Harris made 31.
With the bat, Matthews made a 23-ball 35 at the top of the order in support of Naomi Stalenberg who led the Renegades with 38.
In the end, they could only manage 141-9 from their 20 overs thanks to some excellent bowling from the Heat.
Player of the match Grace Parsons led the way with 3-22 from her four overs while Shikha Pandey took 2-27 from four overs in support.
The Renegades now have two losses in as many games this season and will look to bounce back on Friday when they face the Perth Scorchers in Melbourne.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil has attempted to take the pressure off the players ahead of their weekend match against fellow strugglers Crystal Palace.
O'Neil's side are currently 19th in the Premier League with just two points from their opening nine matches, with Palace four points above them in 17th.
“I know there will be a lot made of the next games, but they’re not must wins,” O’Neil told a pre-match press conference.
“Crystal Palace are good. They spent £30million on a striker from Arsenal and Eze is pretty good! We need to be ready in every game and we want to win.
“Southampton will also be tough, they keep the ball forever and have a real set way of playing.
Wolves fought back from two goals down to claim a point in a 2-2 draw against Brighton last weekend, having only scored their first after 88 minutes. Their manager was clear on that never-say-die attitude always being present at the club.
“There will be challenges in every game because that’s the level of the Premier League, but we’ll keep going," he said.
“The lads will never stop. We’ll stand up, we’ll keep going and we’ll be fine.
“The one thing I guarantee we won’t come up short on is fight, passion, togetherness and effort.
“If we come up short on quality sometimes, we work hard to make sure that doesn’t happen, but we definitely won’t come up short on anything else.”
Opposite number Oliver Glasner, meanwhile, has fitness worries over some key players going into this match after both Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton came off injured against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup in midweek.
While he was positive that Wharton's injury was just the recurrence of an existing issue, he was less sure about Eze.
“I hope that it’s not too serious but I don’t know. It’s not the best information that I got today that Ebs had to leave the pitch," he said.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Wolves - Matheus Cunha
Cunha got Wolves' equaliser against Brighton deep into stoppage time last weekend, bringing him to four for the season so far.
He has scored in 15 Premier League matches for Wolves, but curiously has only ended on the winning side in three of them (D3 L9).
Crystal Palace - Jean-Philippe Mateta
Mateta is Crystal Palace's top scorer this season, having scored three league goals and laid on one assist. In all competitions, meanwhile, he has five goals.
The Frenchman has scored 16 goals in his last 20 Premier League starts for Crystal Palace. Mateta’s 17 Premier League goals in 2024 are the most by a Palace player in a calendar year.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Both of these teams have made a poor start to the Premier League season, with Wolves second-bottom of the table and Crystal Palace in 17th after nine matches.
The hosts are one of three teams in the division that are yet to have won a league games this season (D2 L7), though did end a six-match losing run with a 2-2 draw away to Brighton last week.
Wolves are the only team who have not picked up a single point at home this season, while their Molineux losing streak goes back five matches to their previous meeting with Crystal Palace (11 May 2024).
Crystal Palace are yet to win on the road in the league (D1 L3), with their last away win incidentally being their 3-1 reversal of Wolves at Molineux.
Oliver Glasner's side did pick up their first win of the season (D3 L5) last weekend, beating Tottenham 1-0 at home to put them on six points after nine matches.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Wolves - 38.6%
Draw - 27%
Crystal Palace - 34.4%
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said that the players he gave gametime to in their 3-2 victory over Brighton in the EFL Cup in midweek gave him something to think about ahead of their league meeting with the same opposition this weekend.
“I really liked what I saw from players who haven’t played much so far this season. That makes it even harder for me to make line ups in the upcoming weeks,” he told The Mirror.
Cody Gakpo scored a brace in midweek and is now pushing for what would be only his third league start of the season.
“In the second half of last season Cody scored a lot of goals so he’s been a good player for Liverpool for a long time now. He continues doing that and that’s a good thing.
“For me, he is a regular starter. Not starting every game, but he’s started on a regular basis. There is tough competition with Luis Diaz.
"It’s normal at a club like Liverpool to have two quality players for every position. If you look at Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah, who was unlucky with the goals we conceded, their overall performances I liked and they are in competition with Virgil [van Dijk] and Ibou [Konate].
Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler has confirmed that Joao Pedro is back in first-team training and could play a part, while Matt O'Riley is also on the road to recovery after an injury nine minutes into his debut.
"We have to see – he [Joao Pedro] is coming back after a long injury – if he will be an option, but he is back in training," he told a pre-match press conference.
"Matt O’Riley is back in training. We have to see when he will be ready for potential playing in the squad."
Hurzeler also expressed excitement about his first experience of managing at Anfield, although stopped short of fawning over the thought of it.
"It is not on my bucket list to manage there but it will be a great experience, for sure. I am really looking forward to the atmosphere there," he said.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Liverpool - Mohamed Salah
Salah has been Liverpool's most effective player in the final third this season with 11 goal contributions (six goals, five assists). He is their top scorer and tied fifth among the league's top goalscorers.
He has scored nine Premier League goals against Brighton in total, including three in his last two meetings.
Brighton - Danny Welbeck
Like Salah, Welbeck has also scored six league goals so far this season and is his team's top scorer.
The 33-year-old has scored three goals in his last three league appearances and four in his last five. Notably, he also scored against Liverpool at Anfield in their previous league meeting last March.
MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN
Liverpool will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run to six league games (W4 D1) as they meet Brighton on Saturday, having drawn 2-2 away to Arsenal last weekend.
They are currently second in the Premier League on 22 points after nine matches, one point behind leaders Manchester City.
They have won seven of their nine Premier League games under Arne Slot so far (D1 L1). Victory here would see him pick up the most victories by a Liverpool manager in their first 10 top-flight games in charge of the club.
Liverpool have an impressive home record so far this season (W3 L1), while they also have the best-performing defence in the league with just five goals conceded.
Brighton were beaten 3-2 by Liverpool in midweek, albeit with both sides having much-rotated XIs in the EFL Cup fourth round, and will have their work cut out on Saturday.
They travel to Anfield with two away victories out of four in the league (D1 L1), although the games they failed to win came against Arsenal and Chelsea.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Liverpool - 64.1%
Draw - 18.6%
Brighton - 17.2%
Ruben Amorim vowed to clarify whether he will be joining Manchester United after Sporting CP's next game.
Amorim looks set to head to Old Trafford as United's replacement for Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on Monday.
Ruud van Nistelrooy is in interim charge of United, and led the Red Devils to a 5-2 win over Leicester City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
Amorim swiftly emerged as United's top target, though they have had to negotiate with Sporting over a compensation fee, while reports have also suggested the 39-year-old coach will have to serve a period of notice at the Lisbon club.
Speaking ahead of Sporting's fixture ahead of Estrela da Amadora on Friday, Amorim urged patience, as he said more clarity will be provided after that match.
"It's a negotiation between two clubs. It's never easy, even with the [release] clauses. They have to talk," he said.
"We will have clarification after the game [on Friday], it will be clear. So it's one more day and after the game tomorrow, we will have a decision made."
He added: "I know you [journalists] travelled here to talk about it and that's natural, but we'll leave that until the end of the game [when] I'll talk about all these issues.
"I promise I'll talk about it at the end of the game and everything will be clearer.
"By talking now, it's destabilising the squad further. Right now, the focus is on Estrela da Amadora. As for doing things differently, I wouldn't. I didn't control any of the situation.
"I know my players and I'm honest with you when I say that they weren't normal. I realised they were nervous and anxious about the news, with a series of tough games coming up.
"They know me so well. I've proved that I'll defend them until the last minute. But there are things I can't control. There are things we can't control. The clubs are negotiating, it's not the coach's decision."
Amorim led Sporting to their first league title in 19 years in 2021, and won the Primeira Liga for a second time two seasons later.
Bronny James revelled in the "insane" reception he received from the Cleveland Cavaliers supporters in Wednesday's loss for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bronny, son of LeBron, came on from the bench in the fourth quarter with the game all but decided in the Cavs favour.
The Lakers ultimately lost 134-110, though Bronny ensured it was a memorable defeat as he got his first NBA bucket.
LeBron is arguably the greatest player in Cavs history, and the home fans were chanting for Bronny to get a look-in from the bench from early in the second half.
"It was insane," Bronny said.
"Much more than I anticipated for sure. But it's all love. It was insane. It was a nice moment.
"The chants really got me. I was straight-faced, but I felt it and it felt really good, especially coming from here. It was a special moment for me for sure."
Of sinking his first points in the NBA, Bronny said: "I've been watching [my dad] for a minute playing in the league. Just dreaming of being in those players' steps, not only [LeBron's] but players he used to play against and with.
"So yeah, it was just a dream come true for me."
LeBron lauded his son's mental strength, suggesting he would not have been able to deal with such pressure when he was only 20.
"He's better than I would have been in that situation, 20,000 fans screaming my name to get in the game and wanting me to be in the game," said LeBron.
"If the role's reversed, I don't know if I would have been able to handle it. To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far away from here, it's an unbelievable moment.
"An unbelievable moment for him, first of all. For our family. It's just pretty cool to be a part of it."
LeBron dragged the Cavs to their first NBA Championship in 2016, and has fond memories of his two spells in Cleveland.
"We spent a lot of years here," LeBron said.
"We're part of this community, obviously. We were born not too far from here, 35 miles south of here, [our] hometown of Akron. And I spent 11 years of my NBA career – half of my career – here."
South Africa wrapped up the second Test against Bangladesh inside three days by hammering their hosts by an innings and 273 runs in Chattogram.
The victory made it a 2-0 clean sweep in the series for the tourists, who had started the third day in a great spot having left Bangladesh 38-4 in their first innings at stumps on Wednesday.
The Proteas tore through the Bangladesh middle order before bowling them all out for 159 in their first innings.
Seamer Kagiso Rabada, on the way to a five-for, got the ball rolling with the dismissal of captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (nine) before Mushfiqur Rahim was caught by Tony de Zorzi off Dane Paterson for a duck.
Wickets continued to fall in quick succession, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz (one) and Mahidul Islam Ankon (zero) both dismissed by Rabada to leave Bangladesh 48-8. Despite a late rally, they were all out for 159 and South Africa enforced the follow-on to good effect.
Bangladesh made another poor start to their innings, losing Mahmudul Hasan Joy (11), Shadman Islam (six), Zakir Hasan (seven) and Mominul Haque (zero) for just 43 runs, as Keshav Maharaj (5-59) and Senuran Muthusamy leading South Africa's charge to victory.
Data Debrief: Bangladesh's dismal home form rolls on
This defeat was Bangladesh's fifth Test loss in a row at home, which equals their worst run since October 2011 and November 2012.
But the third day of this test was all about South Africa's bowlers, who took 16 wickets in total.
Rabada was first to take a five-for in the first innings, but was later joined by Maharaj. Senuran Muthasamy, meanwhile, took career-best figures of 4-45 in the second innings.
Rain may have dampened the first day of the Sandals US Travel Advisors Golf Tournament, but it couldn’t wash away the spirit of the event or the competitive resolve of players.
In fact, Garth Laird, Sandals Vice President of Trade and Sales, underscored that the significance of the annual tournament is intended to celebrate just that—the resilience and camaraderie of travel advisors who are essential to the success of Sandals and, by extension, brand Jamaica.
“This tournament itself goes beyond just a game of golf,” Laird shared passionately.
He continued: “It's really about bringing advisors down. It's about reengaging with the product and what it has to offer, and if I can use three words, it's love, legacy, and learning. Love of the product, love of Jamaica, the legacy that Sandals offers to the greater audience of the travel agency community, and it's also about learning.
“It was only one day of golf; we still got the educational component built into it. In the last few months we've also taken a bigger approach because when you add this number together, we've brought about a thousand people to the destination over the last eight weeks because there's so many things that are happening in Jamaica that people aren't aware of. So there's so many new things that's going on, and our responsibility is to educate the advisors so that they can educate their customers,” he added.
Thought rain threatened to wash out the two-day event entirely, the clouds parted on the second day and the advisors got their swing on in the four-man scramble format, which ended with Team Six taking the title with a nine-hole score of 61 at the Sandals Golf and Country Club. They won ahead of Team 13 and Team Five, which ended with scores of 62 and 64, respectively.
That team, captained by Jeremy Lee and included father and son duo David and Adam Anderson, as well as David Schutz, was particularly determined to clinch the top spot this year.
After securing the championship in 2022 but narrowly missing out last year, they entered the tournament with renewed focus, and Lee said the win was the culmination of hard work and the camaraderie they’d built over the years of competing together.
“I think in general, we all could have shot a little bit better, but the weather played into it. Thankfully, there was no thunder or lightning, and we ended up coming out okay. This is the same team we had last year, and two years ago we had one different player, but three of us have been together every year,” Lee, who is based in Alabama, said.
“Just to get an invite to the tournament means a lot to me. This is my third year. Like I said, it's a huge deal. We're really competitive, but really we're here to have fun, learn more about Sandals and Beaches products, and learn to sell more. I sell destinations all over the world, but when people call me and ask what's my favourite place, I say Jamaica because the people are so genuine and nice,” he declared.
Meanwhile, Welton Bowie and Donna Tanner won the men’s and women’s closest to the pin awards, while Schutz and Megan Sams won the respective longest drive awards.
Close to US$800 (about $126,000 Jamaican) was also raised for the Sandals foundation.
With representatives from various regions, Laird explained that the tournament also serves as an informal networking event, bringing together travel advisors and Sandals executives to share industry insights and foster connections in a relaxed environment.
“We're going to do one in St. Lucia next year. So it's the Canadian winners, the winners of the US Tournament, and the winners of the Latin American Tournament, plus we'll sprinkle in some other four folks, like a long-drive person. This is to showcase that it is more than one event. It's more about getting together, doing what we do, which is hospitality and travel,” Laird shared.
“We have the luxury of being probably the most popular brand across the Caribbean right now because of our impact globally as well as within the United States, with our sales team, with our marketing, with our advertising. So when we do something in the Caribbean, it really stands out as a company that continues to reinvest in the people that make us who we are,” he noted.
Emiliano Martinez was humble as he accepted the Yashin Trophy for the second straight year at the Ballon d'Or awards on Monday.
Martinez, who played a key role in Aston Villa's Champions League qualification last term before helping Argentina retain the Copa America title.
The former Arsenal goalkeeper won the Yashin Award in 2023, having been integral to Argentina's 2022 World Cup success, and he kept hold of the prize dished out to the best goalkeeper at the ceremony in Paris.
"I don’t see myself as the best – there are so many good goalies I see week in, week out," Martinez said upon accepting the award.
"I only care about group titles with the national team, with Aston Villa. I focus on myself and my goalie coaches know the work I put in every day.
"For me, it's about improving myself."
Martinez and Villa have made an impressive start to the campaign. They are top of the Champions League with three wins from as many matches, and occupy fourth spot in the Premier League ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham.
"It's huge for me," Martinez continued.
"I always dreamed of playing one game for the national team. Coming from such a young lad to England and trying to work my way up to succeed at Aston Villa and with the national team, winning one [cap] was an honour.
"Back-to-back [Yashin Trophies] is something I never expected. I'm just proud to be here today. All thanks go to my family and friends.
"We’re doing something amazing in the club, we're moving forward. We've won back-to-back trophies with the national team and that’s all I care about."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham - Son Heung-min
Son, who missed Spurs' defeat to Crystal Palace last week, has been involved in nine goals in eight Premier League games against Villa (six goals, three assists), though all six of his goals against them have come at Villa Park. No player has scored more against an opponent without netting a home goal in the competition.
Aston Villa - Emiliano Martinez
Fresh from winning the Yashin Trophy for a second time, Martinez will no doubt be out to prove his credentials as the best in the world.
Keeping a clean sheet and helping Unai Emery's team to victory would be a good start.
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
Spurs have lost two of their last three league matches, but Opta's supercomputer backs them to come out on top on Sunday.
Tottenham have scored 49 goals in 23 home Premier League games under Ange Postecoglou. The only boss to hit 50 goals in 24 or fewer home games with Spurs is Antonio Conte (50 in his first 20).
Only two of Tottenham's last 71 home Premier League games have ended as a draw (W47 L22) and they are the only side without a home draw since the start of last season (W16 L7).
Just Liverpool (13) and Nottingham Forest (11) have won more away Premier League points this season than Villa (10 – W3 D1). Villa have only won as many as four of their opening five away league games in a season once before, doing so in 2020-21 (W4 L1).
Tottenham have lost three of their last four Premier League meetings with Villa, though did win the last such match 4-0 in March, so while Opta's model fancies Spurs' chances, Villa will certainly be no pushovers.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham - 49.5%
Aston Villa - 27.6%
Draw - 22.9%
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that it is up to young midfielder Ethan Nwaneri to dictate how quickly he will become a regular in their first team.
That was after the 17-year-old midfielder played a starring role in his side's 3-0 victory away to Preston North End in the last 16 of the EFL Cup, curling in a wonderful effort for the second.
Nwaneri scored his first senior goals with a brace in the 5-1 win over League One Bolton in the previous round and looked in great shape again on Wednesday.
"He's a big talent, he's got the right attitude and he's got the right players and context around him," Arteta told BBC Sport.
"We need to make sure that we build brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there."
Nwaneri has already made four substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, having come off the bench against Tottenham, Leicester, Bournemouth and Liverpool.
In September 2022, meanwhile, he became the youngest player in history to feature in the Premier League after coming off the bench against Brentford at just 15 years and 181 days.
According to his manager, the pace of his further development will be down to him.
"He's going to really dictate how fast that's going to go, but I'm really happy with him," Arteta added.
"There's so much personality there. He wants to impose himself, he wants every ball, he wants to make things happen.
"He's very respectful, his work ethic is tremendous and he loves what he does, you can tell that. I think he is showing every day what he is capable of.
“You see his team-mates, they are giving him the ball all the time, that's a great sign. So we have some player there."
Juventus head coach Thiago Motta was critical of his team for making too many mistakes at both ends of the pitch in their 2-2 draw with Parma on Wednesday.
The draw saw them drop to fourth in the Serie A table, with the gap to leaders Napoli now seven points. It was also the second straight game in which they had to come from behind to avoid defeat.
But while the 4-4 draw with Inter on Sunday was seen as a point gained, this was two dropped according to Motta.
"I think today we conceded too many restarts. At their goal kicks, we were trying to bring the defender out to then be able to press and cause an error, but we didn't succeed," he told DAZN after the match.
"In the defensive phase we made a lot of mistakes."
Forward Dusan Vlahovic missed a brilliant chance inside the six-yard box, but failed to convert. Motta was unwilling to dig out his striker, but did suggest his entire team have to be better at converting chances after having 16 efforts on goal.
"We have to have balance and control of the game. Today we did well until the last two metres, but in the end we have to do better," he said.
"We created danger on the counter and we have to continue like this.
"But we have to improve in bringing our team into the opponent's half, in finishing and not letting the opposition restart."
Timothy Weah supplied an assist and a goal to twice get Juventus back level in this match, but was later replaced by Inter hero Kenan Yildiz, who had scored twice to level at the weekend. The Turkey international almost scored a winner in added time and Motta was pleased with the output of both.
"Weah played well at San Siro and again today, scoring," Motta told Sky Sports.
"Kenan coming on later, with the game more open, is an ideal player to create situations. He has freedom in the final metres, it was normal today to want to open things up against such a closed team."
Pep Guardiola conceded Kevin De Bruyne will not feature before the November international break as Manchester City prepare to visit Bournemouth on Saturday.
De Bruyne has not played since mid-September when he was removed against Inter in the Champions League, with a thigh issue his latest injury setback.
The Belgium captain also spent a four-month spell on the sidelines last campaign, and Guardiola revealed bad news on De Bruyne's recovery before Wednesday's disappointing 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the EFL Cup fourth round.
"I would like to tell you [when he can return], I especially would like to know, but I don't know," said Guardiola.
"He feels better to train, but to go to the level we need for competition he still has pain. Kevin has to feel good to express the huge talent that he has.
"If he doesn't come back as quickly as possible, we will struggle because we cannot sustain it with 14 or 15 players, but it is what it is.
"We need players to come back but it is what it is. Hopefully that can happen after the international break."
City sit a point clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table after their narrow 1-0 win over Southampton, while Bournemouth are 11th after their last-gasp leveller for a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
Cherries head coach Andoni Iraola will be expecting a tough test at the Vitality Stadium, though suggested no one can match Villa's left-hand side – not even City.
"I made one sub in the first half for the first time in my career but I have to assume the responsibility because I put Julian [Araujo] in the most difficult game for a right-back that you can find in the Premier League," Iraola said.
"Everyone knows what they’re going to do, but it’s very difficult to defend. The timing and the way they turn the players in the middle, we need to be better in the decision making [going forward]."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo
Antoine Semenyo has been involved in more Premier League shots following a ball carry than any other player this term (20 – 12 shots, eight chances created).
The Bournemouth midfielder also has three goals and an assist to his name this season in the competition, a tally he will hope to add to on Saturday.
Manchester City – Phil Foden
Talisman Erling Haaland only has one goal in four league matches against Bournemouth, so Phil Foden may be expected to step up here.
Foden has scored in each of his last five appearances against Bournemouth in all competitions (five goals), also providing three assists in these games.
MATCH PREDICTION – MANCHESTER CITY WIN
Guardiola's side are the heavy favourites for this clash, considering they have won all 14 of their Premier League games against Bournemouth.
City have outscored the Cherries 45-7 across their winning run, which is the best 100% record any team has against another in English top-flight history.
Overall, Bournemouth have won none of their 20 league games against Man City (D2 L18), too – it is the most one side has faced another without ever winning in English Football League history.
The Cherries have also lost all 11 of their Premier League games against sides starting the day top of the table, the worst 100% such loss rate in the competition’s history.
Given City are unbeaten in 28 Premier League games in 2024 as well, a feat bettered by only two sides in England's top-flight history, it is hard to imagine anything other than an away win here.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Bournemouth win – 19.8%
Draw – 22.2%
Manchester City win – 57.9%
Mikel Arteta wants to keep Arsenal in the hunt for the Premier League title when they visit Newcastle United on Saturday, opting to ignore comparisons with Jose Mourinho.
Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher likened Arsenal's manager to Mourinho, suggesting the Gunners "don't play great football".
That verdict came after Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool before Arsenal eased to a 3-0 win against Preston North End in the EFL Cup fourth round on Wednesday.
Arteta refused to be drawn on the comparison, however, insisting his focus was solely on repaying the faith of Arsenal's board and supporters with victory away to Newcastle.
"I don’t talk about myself. I leave him to give his opinion," Arteta started, referring to Carragher's punditry comments.
"Nobody is un-sackable. When this happens you have earned something and you have it in the bank somehow, but we are here to win football matches – never forget that."
Pressed on his five-year tenure at Arsenal, Arteta reiterated the same message, adding: "Very unusual. Unfortunately, it is very unusual.
"I will carry on with my job in the best possible way and football matches are the most important thing and you have to win many of them to keep your job."
Hosts Newcastle are winless in five league outings, slipping down to 12th in the table, and boss Eddie Howe warned no player is guaranteed selection before Wednesday's 2-0 against Chelsea in the same cup competition.
"No one is undroppable," he said, referring to Bruno Guimaraes.
"I think you make a valid point on Bruno’s minutes, his travelling, he’s done a lot, he’s always been there for us so we need to make sure we manage him well and manage the other players who have had a lot of minutes well."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Newcastle United – Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak averages a goal every 133 minutes in the Premier League for Newcastle – only Andrew Cole (one every 121 minutes) has a better average for the Magpies in the competition.
The Sweden striker has also scored 11 goals in his last 11 league appearances at St James’ Park, where he will hope to continue that run of form on Saturday.
Arsenal – Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka has created more chances than any other Premier League player this season (27), while he has either scored or assisted in 10 of his last 12 league games – including seven of eight matches this campaign.
His three goals and seven assists in 2024-25 also make him one of just four players to achieve double figures for goal involvements in the Premier League.
MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN
Arsenal may be winless in their last two league games but they will be the favourites against Howe's struggling side.
Newcastle have not tasted victory in their last five league outings, their longest winless streak since a six-match run across August and September 2022.
Arsenal may have been beaten in their last trip to Bournemouth, too, but they have not suffered back-to-back away defeats in the league since May 2022.
The second of those defeats did come at Newcastle, however, where the Magpies have won two of their last three home Premier League games against Arsenal.
That is as many wins as Newcastle managed across 19 previous home league fixtures with Arsenal, who lost this exact fixture 1-0 last season thanks to Anthony Gordon's controversial winner.
Fortunately for Arteta, Arsenal have not suffered defeat in consecutive away league games against Newcastle since their first three such visits in the Premier League between 1994 and 1996.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Newcastle United win – 27.1%
Draw – 25.1%
Arsenal win – 47.8%
Evan Mobley scored 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 24 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 5-0 with a 134-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night in a game that included a special homecoming for LeBron James and his son, Bronny.
The win marks the first time the Cavs have started 5-0 since the 2016-17 season, led by LeBron, and the third time in franchise history.
In the final minutes, Bronny played for the second time as a pro and was inserted with 5:16 left. The younger James, who grew up in the arena, made a 14-foot jumper with 2:03 to play for his first NBA points.
Jarrett Allen added 20 points and 17 rebounds for Cleveland.
LeBron scored 26 and Anthony Davis had 22 and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who were unable to cut into Cleveland's lead after falling behind by 23 in the first half.
Mitchell made back-to-back 3-pointers as the Cavaliers made four treys in a span of 1:45 in the first quarter to open a 19-point lead after one.
Towns’ big night powers Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns had 44 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Brunson scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Miami Heat 116-107.
Towns had the fourth-most points for the Knicks against the Heat. Jamal Crawford scored 52 in 2007, Carmelo Anthony had 50 at Miami in 2013 and RJ Barrett 46 in 2022.
Towns shot 17 of 24 from the field, 4 of 5 from long range and 24 of his 44 points in the first half to keep New York close.
Mikal Bridges added 17 points for New York, which trailed by 13 in the third quarter before flipping the game. OG Anunoby had 11 points and Josh Hart finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Tyler Herro had 34 points for Miami, hitting eight 3-pointers. Terry Rozier scored 16 points, Jimmy Butler had 15, Bam Adebayo 11 and Nikola Jovic 10.
The Knicks ended the third quarter on a 30-10 run, turning a 70-57 deficit into an 87-80 lead.
Thunder down Spurs to remain perfect
Lu Dort scored 20 points, Chet Holmgren added 19 and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-93to remain the only unbeaten team in the Western Conference.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points, and Jalen Williams had 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City has won all four of its games by at least 12 points.
Harrison Barnes scored 18 points, Jeremy Sochan had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Chris Paul added 14 points and nine assists for the Spurs.
San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama was held to six points on 1-for-5 shooting in his matchup with Holmgren, a fellow second-year big man. Wembanyama also had eight rebounds and three blocks.
Oklahoma City showed it can win even when Gilgeous-Alexander's shot is off. Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the league's top scorers with 28.7 points per game through his first three contests, made just 7 of 20 shots, including 2 of 10 from 3.
The Spurs cut Oklahoma City's lead to 82-75 in the fourth quarter before the Thunder went on a 9-2 run with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench to regain control of the game. Rookie Ajay Mitchell scored five points during that stretch. The Thunder led 93-81 when Gilgeous-Alexander returned, and Oklahoma City was up 103-87 when he went to the bench for good with 2:46 remaining.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five seasons, overcoming a five-run deficit with the help of three Yankees defensive miscues and rallying on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning to beat New York 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Verdugo’s RBI single chased Jack Flaherty in the second and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.
But errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts' grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.
After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.
Winner Blake Treinen escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom half by retiring Stanton on a flyout and striking out Anthony Rizzo.
Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, pitched a perfect ninth for the save.
Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2.
Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.
The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles - their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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