Norwich City moved into the Championship play-off places by thrashing Hull City 4-0 at Carrow Road, while Burnley were held to a frustrating derby draw by Preston North End. 

Borja Sainz scored and provided two assists as the Canaries stretched their unbeaten run to 20 home league games, teeing up strikes by Marcelino Nunez and Josh Sargent within four first-half minutes.

Sargent hit the post with a penalty after Lewis Coyle was penalised for handball, but Kaide Gordon gave them a three-goal lead with a scrappy finish soon afterwards.

Sainz then got in on the act with his eighth league goal of the campaign late on, lobbing Ivor Pandur as Johannes Hoff Thorup's team went sixth in the table, leaving Hull 11th with 12 points.

Elsewhere, Burnley missed the chance to go top of the table as they played out a goalless draw with local rivals Preston North End at Turf Moor.

Scott Parker's side dominated possession but struggled to carve out clear-cut chances against their stubborn visitors, for whom Kaine Kesler-Hayden struck the crossbar with an attempted cross.

A dour second half saw few opportunities at either end, as Burnley stayed below Sunderland and Sheffield United, while Preston climbed to 19th on nine points.

In the last of Saturday's three early kick-offs, Louie Sibley's goal earned Oxford United a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth after Mark O'Mahony opened the scoring just before the hour.

Portsmouth remain the only team in the division without a win, earning five points from nine matches, while Oxford are seven points better off, just inside the top half. 

Aston Villa's Jordan Nobbs is now the outright leader for Women's Super League appearances after playing her 193rd game.

The midfielder started on Saturday, though she could not help Villa avoid a 4-2 defeat to Brighton, who were inspired by full debutant Nikita Parris.

While Nobbs could not mark her special day with a victory, there can be no taking away from the 31-year-old's achievement.

Nobbs' tally includes eight appearances in the WSL Spring Series. Before Saturday, she was level with Chelsea's Sophie Ingle, who is out injured.

She has started 158 games in total, and taken part in a hugely impressive 124 wins - only now-retired Stephanie Houghton has won more WSL matches (127).

Nobbs has scored 58 goals in the competition, a figure bettered by just six players, while only eight players have provided more assists than her 31. She has created 312 goalscoring chances for her team-mates, with Beth Mead (339) having crafted more.

The majority of Nobbs' appearances came for Arsenal, as she played 157 times for the Gunners. Saturday's loss at Brighton marked her 36th WSL match for Villa, who she joined in 2023.

Her 21 starts in the 2016-17 campaign, meanwhile, has marked the most matches she played in from the off during a single season.

Nobbs, who has won 71 caps for England, has won the WSL on three occasions (2011, 2012 and 2018-19), winning the FA Cup four times.

Diego Simeone has dismissed claims of negativity surrounding Atletico Madrid following their resounding 4-0 Champions League defeat to Benfica in midweek.

Los Colchoneros are unbeaten in LaLiga after eight matches, winning four and drawing four, sitting five points behind leaders Barcelona, ahead of Sunday's trip to Real Sociedad.

However, they were trounced by Benfica in their second match in the Champions League's new league phase on Wednesday, the first time they had shipped four goals in a Champions League group-stage game since October 2020 (0-4 at Bayern Munich).

"I don't think that there is a negative climate. I believe our atmosphere is good and we are working towards the team we want to have," Simeone told reporters on Saturday.

"There are players who arrived in the last days of the transfer window, and they are acclimatising.

"From our position, we need to help them adapt as quickly as possible so the team can take shape swiftly. I don't see that as negativity at all."

Atletico bolstered their squad with new signings Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez ahead of the new campaign, and Simeone is still waiting for his players to gel.

"I didn't see the team lacking commitment or intensity, but rather a lack of creative play and resources ... Let's see if we can win against Sociedad," Simeone added. 

Thiago Motta believes the Juventus players will "all give something more" for Bremer after he suffered a potentially season-ending injury.

The Brazilian, who had played every single minute this season, was forced off with an anterior cruciate ligament injury early in their 3-2 Champions League win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

He has played a big part in Juventus keeping six clean sheets from six games in the league and has played more minutes (540) while making the most interceptions (six) and blocks (11) among his team-mates in the competition. 

Motta expects him to be a big miss against Cagliari at the weekend.

"Gleison [Bremer] is an important player for us," Motta said. "I'm very sorry for the boy, because already, humanly speaking, he is fantastic, technically I don't need to say it, we all know it.

"From now on we will all give something more, also because if it had been another team-mate who had to stop like that, I am convinced that he would have taken this responsibility to give something more every day."

Motta will also be without forward Timothy Weah, winger Nicolas Gonzalez, midfielder Vasilije Adzic, along with long-term absentee Arkadius Milik, but the manager expects a positive show from the players who come into the side. 

"Whoever comes in, I am convinced they will give something more," Motta said.

"Always thinking about the well-being of the team and giving a good performance to obtain the positive result, which is what we want to do.

"Tomorrow, in our stadium, our home, in front of our fans, a full ground, a great football atmosphere and we will do our job well from the first to the last minute."

Juventus impressed in Europe, recovering not only from early injuries to Bremer and Gonzalez, but also from going behind twice, and having keeper Michele Di Gregorio sent off.

Now, Motta wants his side to keep that enthusiasm without getting carried away.

"The enthusiasm, used well, is always good, and we use it to work," the manager said.

"We use it to come to the pitch every day and do our job well. This is the great advantage of being able to work with enthusiasm.

"It helps, and we want to maintain that enthusiasm, but it only depends on us. We will always have our feet on the ground, aware of our strengths, and using our strengths in the right way."

French midfielder Paul Pogba had his four-year doping suspension cut to 18 months on Friday, meaning he can return to action in March, but Motta's only concern is the immediate future of his team.

"On Paul Pogba, the club will evaluate what to do," Motta said.

"As for me, Pogba has been a great player, who hasn't played for a long time. Now I'm focused on tomorrow's game and everything else doesn't matter much to me at this moment."

Diogo Jota's early goal was enough to secure Liverpool a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Portuguese forward netted after just nine minutes at Selhurst Park, darting in behind to pick out the bottom-left corner on his 100th start for the Reds in all competitions.

It could have been a different story though, as Eddie Nketiah had a goal ruled out for offside in the first minute, setting off too early before he dinked Alisson. 

The Eagles pushed for a late equaliser but could not breach Liverpool's backline despite their late flurry of chances.

A sixth victory from seven matches moves Arne Slot's side four points clear at the top of the table before title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City play later on Saturday, while Palace remain without a win in 18th.

Data Debrief: Slot continues flying start

Liverpool have won all four of their away games under Slot so far, with the Dutchman just the fourth manager in Premier League history to manage the feat.

He is also the first Reds manager to win as many as nine of his first 10 games in charge (L1).

Palace showed some late fight, but it was not enough to flip the script and earn their first win of the Premier League season, with this their longest winless start since 2017-18.

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique does not regret dropping Ousmane Dembele for disciplinary reasons for their midweek Champions League defeat to Arsenal.

Dembele has stepped up to lead PSG's attack this season after Kylian Mbappe left for Real Madrid, scoring seven goals and adding four assists in all competitions.

However, the France international was left out of Luis Enrique's squad for Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, where they only managed two shots on target in a flat attacking display.

It was reported that Dembele's omission was the result of a dispute with Luis Enrique, who stands by his decision to leave him out.

"When a player doesn't meet their obligations, this is the sort of thing that can happen. Everything is now in order," Luis Enrique said ahead of Sunday's trip to Nice.

"I'm tough when I have to be tough and more permissive when it is needed. That is one of my big skills as a coach and as a person... 

"Every player has a series of obligations to meet, so every player who does that is available.

"If they make a serious mistake, I will make the right decision, whether it is easy or difficult. I have no issue in doing that even if it seems difficult because we always think about what is best for the team."

Ligue 1 leaders PSG are unbeaten with 16 points, ahead of Monaco on goal difference.

"We're doing well. After analysing the game [against Arsenal], we've changed our mentality and we're back in league action, ready to compete. That is a good thing because if you lose, there is a game straight after," Luis Enrique said.

"We are imperfect, we will improve but I am certain that this team will fight in all competitions. If we replay this match against Arsenal, at home at the Parc des Princes, perhaps the result will not be the same."

Nice are ninth under new coach Franck Haise and Luis Enrique believes his side face a daunting task in breaking down a defence that has only been breached six times. 

"They have a well-known coach with a personality that he instils in his teams... They play at a high level, so it will be difficult. They press high up the pitch and are strong on the ball," he said.

"They defend well and it will certainly be tough. It has always been a difficult place to go but we are motivated to continue doing what we are doing to stay top of the table."

Vincent Kompany is relishing a "special game" when Bayern Munich face Eintracht Frankfurt in a battle of the Bundesliga's top two teams on Sunday.

Bayern top the table with 13 points after their first five games, with Eintracht just a point behind after recovering from losing their opener with four straight wins.

However, Kompany's side travel to Deutsche Bank Park seeking a response after two winless games.

After their perfect start to the Bundesliga campaign was ended by a 1-1 draw with reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen, they went down 1-0 to Aston Villa in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Nevertheless, Kompany is only looking forward.

"It is a special game in Frankfurt against a very tough team," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference. "They have a lot of young players with a lot of talent, so the team can grow.

"For us, it is a normal game. We have to get our points and keep going in the Bundesliga. I am only focused on the next game.

"It is always important after every game, win or lose, to say the game is now behind us and now comes the next game. We have a lot to take into our next game and that should be the reason for our success."

Once again, Bayern will be without Jamal Musiala, who remains sidelined with a hip injury, and Kompany hopes to have the Germany attacking midfielder available as soon as possible.

"We know how good and how important Jamal is for the club and Germany," the Bayern head coach added. "He is a young player and our total priority is to get him back fit and stay fit."

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall slammed the "amateurish behaviour" of the Women's Super League, who he feels are damaging English teams' chances of success in European competition.

The Gunners are one of three English teams competing in the Women's Champions League group stages this season, along with Manchester City and Chelsea.

All three are due to commence their campaigns in midweek, but while Arsenal and City are in WSL action on Sunday, Chelsea's scheduled clash with Manchester United was postponed due to player welfare concerns.

Eidevall's side, who face Bayern Munich on Wednesday, then take on the Blues three days later, and the head coach feels his side are at a "sporting disadvantage" with their fixture congestion.

"It's not a good situation," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's clash with Everton. "There are 16 teams involved in the Champions League, how many teams are playing on Sunday, October 6?

"We are, that is one. If it was only us, it would be an Arsenal problem - but it's also Man City. The only two teams that are playing are English teams. The only other team scheduled to play was Chelsea.

"[It's the] first time that three [English] teams reach the group stage. [It] should be celebrated, but it's now a problem. It's very important for the whole league that we are successful in Europe.

"Now, obviously, it's worse for us because of the amateurish behaviour of no plan and taking away the game like Chelsea.

"It puts us into play on Sunday, then Wednesday away at Bayern Munich, who don't play Sunday, then we return to play Chelsea on Saturday (October 12).

"[That is] less preparation than our opponents. We have been handed a sporting disadvantage in two huge games for us."

Nevertheless, Eidevall insists his players will tackle the busy period head on, rather than feel sorry for themselves.

"We won't lie down and give up because the situation is tough," he said. "We will dig deeper than we ever have before, but what needs to change is the approach to Champions League football and respect to the supporters.

"It's not good enough to blame UEFA, the only one who hasn't acted on the information is the WSL."

The Premier League has rejected a request from Manchester City to delay the start to their 2025-26 campaign to allow for more recovery time after the Club World Cup.

As 2022-23 Champions League winners, City are one of two English clubs – alongside Chelsea – to have secured a spot at FIFA's first 32-team Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States next year.

The tournament's expanded format has proven extremely controversial, provoking widespread criticism for denying players rest time during the off-season.

Players' union Fifpro has started legal proceedings against FIFA over the scheduling of the tournament, claiming the fixture schedule has become "unworkable".

The Club World Cup is set to run from June 15 to July 13, with players involved unlikely to receive substantial rest time before the domestic season begins in early August.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Fulham, boss Pep Guardiola revealed City had already seen a request to delay their opening game knocked back.

"The Premier League has not allowed us to postpone the first two games for our recovery," Guardiola said. "Thank you so much.

"I think the club asked the league to postpone one or two or three weeks so we can have a holiday after the [Club] World Cup but it is absolutely not allowed. 

"Would the Premier League say yes to us? No. Absolutely not. They won't postpone these games so there will be a moment of, 'what do we do?

"I don't have an answer right now but we are going to take a decision with common sense."

Luis Suarez feels Marcelo Bielsa's coaching style has "divided" Uruguay's national team, as he revealed the negative atmosphere within the camp during the Copa America.

Suarez retired from international duty last month as Uruguay's leading scorer with 69 goals, while his tally of 143 caps is only bettered by Diego Godin (161).

The veteran forward was part of the side that finished third at the Copa America in July; La Celeste's best performance at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2011.

However, he revealed it was not a happy camp in the United States, where Bielsa's tactics and approach caused friction among the players.

Suarez said some were contemplating their international futures, while he was critical of the treatment of midfielder Agustin Canobbio, who was used as a "sparring partner".

"I will ask the fans not to take it out on the players when things go wrong," the Inter Miami forward told DSports. "Bielsa has divided the whole group because of the way he trains.

"The players will reach a limit, they'll explode. There were even team-mates who said to me they were only playing in the Copa America and nothing else.

"We all know that he doesn't like to deal with leaders or players with experience. I had to keep quiet out of respect for the national team and for the sake of coexistence. I didn't want to be part of the problem.

"A player who is one of the 26 selected for the Copa America can't be made to participate as if he were a 'sparring' partner. It's annoying. I understand Agustin. I'll support him, he's been holding back a lot.

"The staff are not allowed to come in and greet us or eat with us. Many of the players held a meeting to ask the coach to at least say: 'good morning'. He didn't even say hello. It hurts me to see what the national team is going through."

Despite boasting a strong road record this season, Jim Curtin still believes Philadelphia Union can do better in their final away match against Columbus Crew.

The Union lost their most recent road outing, falling 2-1 to Orlando City in midweek, but had only lost one of their previous three such games before that.

They are one of three teams currently on 37 points in the Eastern Conference, but sit 10th, below Toronto FC due to winning fewer games.

Curtin knows they need to win their last two matches and hopes they can improve on Wednesday's performance.

"I think our road record has been good enough this year," Curtin said. "Overall, at this stage of the year, as you know, the margins are razor-thin.

"We have to do a better job in the attacking end and also defending our box because the goals we concede, we could just do a lot better on it.

"Obviously, we'll look at it, try and get ready, regroup, and go against Columbus very quickly."

Meanwhile, Columbus had a four-match unbeaten streak snapped by their 3-2 defeat to Supporters’ Shield winners Inter Miami.

With three games left, they are looking to secure second in the table to give themselves a stronger playoff position.

Wilfried Nancy was disappointed by the defeat to Miami but hopes they can show their fighting spirit in what he expects to be another tough game.

"We know we're able to compete against top teams, and we showed that against Miami. The next game is going to be another story," he said.

"They may not have [Lionel] Messi, but they have good players. We have no problem with competing, and even with 10 men in the last game, we were still proactive, we were brave and courageous."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Columbus Crew – Diego Rossi

Diego Rossi scored his 12th goal of the season for the Crew on Wednesday, his fourth MLS season with 12 or more goals.

Only six players in league history have more seasons with 12 or more goals than Rossi.

Philadelphia Union – Mikael Uhre

Mikael Uhre has four goals and four assists in his last nine MLS appearances, including an assist on the Union’s lone goal on Wednesday.

Uhre has contributed to at least one goal in seven of those nine matches.

MATCH PREDICTION: COLUMBUS CREW WIN

Columbus are unbeaten in 10 straight home matches against the Union in all competitions (W6 D4), including a 3-1 win in the Leagues Cup semifinals on August 21. The Union's last win at Columbus was a 2-1 victory at Historic Crew Stadium in August 2016.

However, Columbus have lost two of their last three regular-season home matches (W1) after losing just one of their previous 24 at Lower.com Field in league play. The Crew have allowed 10 goals over the three games after letting in nine goals in its first 12 home matches this season.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia's defeat to Orlando City on Wednesday was their 13th loss of the campaign to go along with only nine wins. This will be the first time since 2017 that Philadelphia will have more losses than wins over a single regular season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Columbus Crew – 58%

Draw – 21.8%

Philadelphia Union – 20.2%

John Hackworth has challenged St. Louis City to do better against Houston Dynamo after a disappointing loss to LA Galaxy last time out in MLS.

St. Louis had won back-to-back games before losing 1-0 to the Galaxy last time out in a game where they did not register a single shot on target.

They cannot make the playoffs, sitting 12th in the Western Conference on 34 points with just two games left, and Hackworth is looking to learn from their mistakes in the last game to end their final home match of the season on a positive note.

"We didn't play as well as we're capable of [against LA Galaxy], but I think that can be a good thing for us going forward," he said.

"I don't want anybody to accept that it was anything other than a loss. We can look at ourselves knowing we're much better than that."

Meanwhile, Houston bounced back from a defeat to Seattle Sounders with a 2-1 victory over New England Revolution.

With their playoff place already secure, their aim is to finish as high up the table as they can, currently sitting in fifth, with only four points separating them and Los Angeles FC in second.

Ben Olsen was particularly pleased with his defense against the Revs and believes that will be the key for them in the postseason.

"Our defense is what we hang our hat on," Olsen said. "Sometimes we get some credit for some of the build-up, but really we're a defensive team, and we can defend with the ball, but we've got a great back four.

"It's a collective effort, everybody's doing their part, but we're going to keep working so they know when they're good or when they're not up to snuff."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

St. Louis City – Cedric Teuchert

Cedric Teuchert has scored in each of his first three home appearances for St. Louis City, the only player in club history to do so.

Only one player in the last 20 years has scored in each of his first four career MLS home games: Federico Bernardeschi with Toronto FC in 2022 (first five).

Houston Dynamo – Adalberto Carrasquilla

The Dynamo have won a club-record eight away matches this season. Houston's 26 road points (W8 D2 L6) are the most they have ever collected in a single regular season in club history.

Adalberto Carrasquilla secured the record-breaking win for them against Austin on September 22 and added two more assists to his tally in the win over New England last time out.

MATCH PREDICTION: HOUSTON DYNAMO WIN

The home side have not lost any of the five meetings between St. Louis City and Houston, with St. Louis recording wins in both of its home matches against the Dynamo, including a 2-1 win in the first round of this season's Concacaf Champions Cup in February.

That bodes well for St. Louis, who have won 21 of their first 40 home matches in all competitions (D8 L11), scoring 75 total goals. They have won four of their last six at home in all competitions (D1 L1) after winning one of their previous seven at home (D2 L4).

However, Houston's 2-1 win over New England on Wednesday took them to 51 points for the season, equaling their total from last year. A win over St. Louis City would set a new club points record for the Dynamo, surpassing the 53 they earned in the 2012 campaign.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

St. Louis City – 32.9%

Draw – 25.6%

Houston Dynamo – 41.5%

Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger has lauded Barcelona's Lamine Yamal as 'ridiculous' following the teenager's rapid rise to stardom for their fierce LaLiga rivals. 

Yamal broke into Barca's first-team last term, making 50 appearances in all competitions before announcing himself on the international stage for Spain at Euro 2024. 

He became the first Spanish player to register four assists in a single European Championship tournament.

It was also the joint most that any player has ever assisted at a single edition of the tournament that Opta has on record (1980 onwards).

Yamal also broke Pele's record from the 1958 World Cup final for Brazil against Sweden by becoming the youngest player to feature in a major international tournament final at the age of 17 years and 249 days in Spain's 2-1 win over England. 

And the teenager has picked up where he left off in Germany, already notching 10 goal involvements (five goals and five assists) in 10 appearances in all competitions this season.

The 17-year-old has also completed the joint-most dribbles alongside Sevilla's Chidera Ejuke (23) in LaLiga this season, while only Raphinha (26) has created more chances for Barcelona in the league this season than Yamal (17). 

"You have to give credit where credit is due," Rudiger told The Inside Scoop podcast when asked about Yamal.

"He is 17, it's ridiculous. The player he is already for them [Barca] at 17, it's quite scary. What he did in the Euros, you have to give kudos to him. He has a great future ahead.

"I think they [Barca] have a player who has a [big] career and hopefully, he will stay healthy."

Antonio Conte is embracing Napoli's recent run of form after they extended their lead at the Serie A summit to four points ahead of the international break. 

Scott McTominay's early opener was cancelled out by Gabriel Strefezza, only for star man Romelu Lukaku and substitute David Neres to seal the win after the break. 

Conte is now the sixth manager to have won each of his first four home games as Napoli head coach in Serie A, after Paolo Iodice, Luis Vinicio, Alberto Bigon, Carlo Ancelotti and Luciano Spalletti.

The Italian, however, started his Napoli reign with a shock 3-0 defeat to Hellas Verona on the opening day, but his team have since gone seven games unbeaten, scoring 19 goals during that run. 

Conte acknowledged that his side may not deserve to be at the top of the table, but felt quietly optimistic about his players' progression during the early stages of his tenure.

"I don't know if this is currently a Napoli that deserves to be in first place in the standings, but we are first and that is a fact," Conte said to DAZN.

"If someone had told me this three months ago, it would have been difficult to believe.

"We're growing in terms of temperament, and in our ability to adapt—playing good football, but also willing to get our hands dirty when we need to.

"That's a great sign, and we have to embrace it fully."

But the encounter against Como was far from comfortable for Conte's side, with the visitors registering 11 shots compared to Napoli's nine, while Cesc Fabregas' men also ended the contest with 59.3% possession. 

Napoli, though, created the better chances, ending the encounter with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.02 from their six efforts on target, with Lukaku continuing to flourish under Conte's stewardship. 

McTominay's opening goal after 26 seconds was the third-quickest for Napoli in the three-points-per-game era, while the former Manchester United midfielder also became the first Scottish player to score for Gli Azzurri in Serie A. 

"We started well in the first half, scoring a great goal, the result of our hard work," Conte said.

"Then we changed things tactically in the second half, and they were no longer in the game.

"We lost too many duels, but that's part of the process of rebuilding confidence and self-esteem."

Conte also showered praise on the home supporters inside the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. 

"Playing in Naples, at the Maradona, with a full stadium means that the players can really feel the crowd's emotions," he said. 

If you make mistakes, you can feel the disappointment, and that can chip away at your confidence.

"Napoli has a deep passion for football. We try to feed that passion by giving our all, like we did today. In the second half, we improved from every point of view."

Illan Meslier's last-gasp error saw Sunderland snatch a point against Leeds at the Stadium of Light on Friday. 

The home supporters were sent into raptures by one of their own in the ninth minute when Chris Rigg opened the scoring, tucking home from close range after Meslier had produced a miraculous save to deny Dennis Cirkin's previous effort.

But Sunderland's joy was short-lived when Joel Piroe headed Wilfried Gnonto's inviting delivery beyond Anthony Patterson, though replays showed he may have wandered into an offside position. 

Both sides continued to push for a half-time lead, with Brenden Aaronson seeing his shot cleared off the line and Patrick Roberts seeing his effort saved to end a pulsating half of action. 

The hosts emerged from the tunnel in the ascendency but were met with a sucker punch in the 56th minute when Junior Firpo's driving run from deep ended with the left-back sweeping the ball into the far corner. 

But with the clock ticking into the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time, there was to be one final twist when Alan Browne's flicked pass into the box somehow evaded the grasp of Meslier to preserve Sunderland's unbeaten home record this season. 

Data Debrief: Meslier blunder overshadows Leeds display

Leeds were moments away from going level on points with Sunderland at the summit of the Championship, before a moment of madness sealed a gut-wrenching end to an enthralling encounter in the North East. 

The visitors ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.16 from their 15 shots compared to Sunderland's 1.77, with Piroe contributing 0.72 xG to Leeds' tally. 

But their display was overshadowed by Meslier's blunder, with the Frenchman enjoying a strong performance up until that point, making three saves against the Black Cats.