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• O'Neil confident Wolves will overachieve this season despite Newcastle setback

  Gary O'Neil is confident Wolves will overachieve again in the Premier League this season despite falling to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle on Sunday. 

  Mario Lemina had given the hosts a half-time lead, only for Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes' long-range efforts completing the turnaround for the Magpies. 

  Wolves have now failed to win any of their opening four league games this term and occupy the final place in the bottom three. 

  Their single point against Nottingham Forest makes this their joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign, along with 2003-04, when they were relegated in last place.

  O'Neil's side have now also lost six of their last seven league games at Molineux, losing more games on home turf in 2024 than any other team in the top-flight (eight). 

  But the Wolves head coach, who oversaw a 14th-place finish in his debut campaign at the helm last year, is confident his players will find their groove. 

  "We have better depth, of course. The run is the run. The team should be judged on what they did for the whole of last season.

  "I am sure we will overachieve what many people will expect of us this season.

  "Everyone is desperate for our first win. That was close to being our best today.

  "We have gone up against a side that have spent an awful lot of money and were in the Champions League.

  "There are not a lot of teams that can go against Newcastle and look the most likely to win."

  There were positives for O'Neil to take from the defeat, however, most notably the performance of new addition Andre in central midfield. 

  The Brazilian completed all 40 of his passes against Newcastle, the most on record by a player on their first ever Premier League start without misplacing one (since 2003-04).

  "Very good, he's a good player obviously. New system today with the three midfielders in. An awful lot of positives," O'Neil said. 

  "Of course the only positives that people are interested in is points.

  "From my point of view, to have come up with a new structure for the team and for it to look how it did against Newcastle was a big plus for us."

• Al-Ittihad 7-1 Al-Wehda: Benzema treble keeps hosts perfect

  Karim Benzema's hat-trick helped Al-Ittihad maintain their perfect start to the Saudi Pro League season as they thrashed Al-Wehda 7-1 on Saturday.

  Benzema opened the scoring in stunning fashion with just two minutes on the clock, curling a fine effort beyond the grasp of Ignacio de Arruabarrena. 

  Houssem Aouar doubled the hosts' advantage, only for Youssef Amyn to half the deficit before Fabinho's header in the fourth minute of first-half injury time gave Laurent Blanc's side a comfortable advantage at the break. 

  Benzema struck again shortly after the restart to notch his second of the encounter before Fawaz Al Yami netted Al-Ittihad's fifth nine minutes later. 

  Substitute Saleh Al Shehri thought he had concluded the scoring in the 87th minute, but Benzema was not to be denied his treble. 

  The Frenchman was provided with the simplest of finishes after Moussa Diaby's cross into his path, with the former Aston Villa man laying on four assists during the game.

  Data Debrief: French connection

  An emphatic triumph for the hosts saw them register an expected goals (xG) tally of 3.69 from their 15 shots, as their French forwards took centre-stage. 

  Benzema contributed 1.29 xG to the hosts' total, with the Frenchman having more shots on target (five) and playing more passes in the final third (30) than any other player.

  But his compatriot Diaby also impressed.

  The 25-year-old ended the encounter having created more chances (five) than anyone on the pitch, with his eight touches in the opposition box the joint-most alongside Benzema.

• Lay's named official FIFA World Cup 26 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 sponsor

   Lay’s, a brand that has been bringing people together for generations, is building on its commitment to celebrating soccer fandom by becoming an Official snack of both the FIFA World Cup 26™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. The exciting new partnership brings together two titans – the world’s favorite chip brand and the world’s biggest and most popular single sporting event for men and women – to spread the joy of the game to millions of fans worldwide. As Official Sponsor, Lay’s, alongside an iconic portfolio of food brands including Doritos®, Cheetos®, Tostitos®, Ruffles®, Quaker® and Gamesa®, will bring fans closer to the game than ever before with exclusive experiences, merchandise, consumer activations and more.

  “Partnering with FIFA marks a significant milestone for our business and ambition to embed Lay’s and our extended portfolio of food brands deeper into football culture,” said Jane Wakely, Chief Consumer and Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer, International Foods – Lay’s. “Football is one of the world's biggest passion points, and this historic partnership allows us to bring the excitement and reach of the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup together with the joy and fun of our iconic brands across the world.” 

  On announcing the deal, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino said: “We’re delighted to extend this partnership with Lay’s and strengthen our collaboration as we head into a historic period for FIFA and the wider soccer community. After being involved in the last FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup, we’re proud that Lay’s has shared in our trust, vision, and ideas for the development of the global game and has joined us on this journey into the future. Together, we will create special experiences for fans worldwide.”

  The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the first edition to feature 48 teams and to be hosted across three countries – United States, Mexico and Canada – while the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ will be held in South America for the first time in 2027. With the two tournaments set to make history, Lay’s is joining the hype by rewarding soccer fans in new and unexpected ways. The brand will break new ground in 2026 by recognizing and rewarding the “Fan of the Match” at every match, spotlighting those in the stands whose passion and energy bring the beautiful game to life, and providing them with one-of-a-kind experiences.

  Additionally, Lay’s, and the full portfolio of food brands, will engage fans on a global scale via in-store and digital promotions leading up to the FIFA World Cup 26™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. The brands will also be prominently featured on the pitch during every match through LED stadium display board exposure, press conference backdrops, as well as products sold across concession stands. Going beyond the stadiums, Lay’s and the iconic food portfolio will deliver immersive consumer experiences at FIFA official fan zones across host cities.

    Lay’s has established a strong legacy with FIFA and the world of soccer fandom. The brand has led massive culture-defining initiatives, including the No Lay’s, No Game platform, which has created viral moments with soccer mega-stars like David Beckham and Thierry Henry. The legendary duo, earlier this year, stunned an entire stadium of 75,000 cheering fans as they orchestrated an epic hunt for Lay’s.  The brand additionally launched the instantly iconic Oh Lay’scampaign which took the traditional “Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé” mantra and put a Lay’s twist on it with the help of the G.O.A.T., Lionel Messi.