Harry Kane's first-half header saw Tottenham end a difficult week with a 1-0 Premier League victory at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Spurs were rocked by the death of fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone this week, and head coach Antonio Conte was visibly emotional during a touching pre-match tribute.

On the pitch, Conte's team delivered – Kane's excellent header proving the difference against Brighton in Roberto De Zerbi's first home game at the helm.

Kane missed a chance to double Spurs' lead around the hour mark, but despite showing plenty of promise, Brighton lacked the cutting edge to pull level as their seven-match unbeaten home run came to an end.

The visitors had the better of the opening exchanges – Son Heung-min testing Robert Sanchez with a free-kick before Matt Doherty sent a half-volley over.

Danny Welbeck drilled wide at the other end, but Spurs' early pressure told in the 22nd minute. Having made an outstanding stop to deny Rodrigo Bentancur, Sanchez was beaten when Kane stooped to expertly head home from Son's cross-shot.

Brighton finally managed to wrest some control after the half-hour mark, with Lewis Dunk heading over and Solly March's crisp effort arrowing a foot wide.

Despite having to withstand more Brighton pressure after the restart, Spurs might have had a second if not for Dunk brilliantly intercepting Kane's pass to Son.

Brighton's captain was turned easily by Kane a minute later, but Tottenham's talisman failed to apply the finish.

A late offside flag then disallowed a wonderful Son finish, but Tottenham – despite Welbeck missing another decent chance – ultimately did not require a second.

Brahim Diaz netted a delightful individual goal after Fikayo Tomori had scored a contentious opener as Milan beat rivals Juventus 2-0 at San Siro.

Spain international Diaz charged towards the Juve goal after picking up the ball in his own half to double the home side's lead early in the second half of Saturday's Serie A clash.

That came after Tomori had made the breakthrough in first-half stoppage time, though Juventus felt there was a foul in the build-up to the corner from which the defender scored.

Despite being without a number of key men, including goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Milan saw out the win to inflict fresh pain on their former head coach Massimiliano Allegri.

Rafael Leao clipped the right-hand post with a back-heel flick with 20 minutes played and hit the other post soon after, this time with a powerful drive from outside the box.

Milan took the lead before the interval through Tomori, who got in the way of Olivier Giroud's goal-bound shot but turned the loose ball past Wojciech Szczesny from a few yards.

Juve were unhappy the goal stood due to a strong challenge from Theo Hernandez on Juan Cuadrado, but VAR could not intervene as it happened in a previous phase of play.

Diaz doubled Milan's lead as he intercepted a Dusan Vlahovic pass a few yards inside his own half, knocked the ball past a couple of Juve defenders and powerfully fired home.

What does it mean? Juve winning run halted as Rossoneri rise

Milan were poor in their midweek Champions League loss to Chelsea – a second defeat in three games in all competitions – but they responded well against Juventus.

The Rossoneri move level on points with pacesetters Napoli and Atalanta, who are both in action on Sunday, with this their sixth win in nine league outings this season.

As for Juve, they have failed to win any of their opening four Serie A away games for only the second time in the past 40 seasons and could drop into the bottom half on Sunday.

Diaz doubles up

Juve's defending for Diaz's goal was atrocious, from Vlahovic's loose pass to Leonardo Bonucci's failed attempt at a foul and then Szczesny's weak hand at the end of it.

Diaz is one of the three Spanish players to have scored more than one Serie A goal against Juventus, along with Jose Callejon and ex-Inter player Luis Suarez (three each).

Dusan's San Siro struggles

Not only did Vlahovic gift the ball to Diaz for his goal, the Serbia international also failed to have any sort of impact on the game in an attacking sense.

He failed to have a single shot and is now scoreless in four games at San Siro – only at Sassuolo's Mapei Stadium (four) has he played as many Serie A games without scoring.

What's next?

Both sides switch focus back to the Champions League on Tuesday, with Milan at home to Chelsea and Juventus away at Maccabi Haifa.

Bruno Guimaraes' move to Newcastle United was "absolutely a bargain" in the eyes of Eddie Howe, who savoured a masterclass on Saturday from the Brazil international.

Newcastle fended off reported interest from Juventus and Arsenal to sign Guimaraes from Lyon in January for £35million, with the midfielder acknowledging he "took a gamble" to boost his World Cup hopes.

The 24-year-old has subsequently delivered and become a favourite at St James' Park, scoring twice in the 5-1 win over Brentford on Saturday.

Since making his Premier League debut in February, no Newcastle player has managed more than Guimaraes' seven goals, further aiding his bid for a starting spot with Brazil at Qatar 2022 in November.

While Brazil head coach Tite will make the final call on Guimaraes' selection, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe was effusive in his praise as he suggested his signing represented great value for money.

"I find it difficult with that number, but I would say that he's a bargain in today's current climate," Howe said. "He's absolutely a bargain because he's had a huge effect on the team and the club.

"In today's market, that is a relatively modest sum, which I can't really believe I'm saying. But it is.

"No disrespect to anyone I've played with, but they can't compare to Bruno, maybe bar Jermain Defoe, who was incredible in his early days. But there'd be no one else like him.

"In terms of coaching, I've coached some really good individuals, but he would be right up there. He's an incredible talent and an incredible person.

"We love him to bits, and we're enjoying watching him, coaching him and playing a part in his development."

Newcastle had been held in their last two home league games but returned to St James' Park winning ways in emphatic fashion.

The Magpies have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League games (W5 D5), while only four teams have more won points than Newcastle (52) in the competition in 2022.

Guimaraes told NUFC TV: "We've lost many points at home, and we can't have this happening. We know at home we need to win.

"Today was an amazing day for me. I'm very proud of the boys, of the gaffer."

Boss Howe pointed to upcoming games against Manchester United, Everton and Tottenham as representing a major test of his team. They come in the space of eight days, starting on Sunday, October 16.

"Now we enter a really tough three-game week," Howe said, "and we're well aware that those games are difficult.

"We'll enjoy tonight, and enjoy the feeling of how well the team has done, but then quickly focus on what's ahead."

Riyad Mahrez declared Erling Haaland is "on fire" and Pep Guardiola labelled the new Manchester City talisman "an incredible weapon" after the striker scored once more against Southampton.

Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden and Mahrez all struck past former City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu on Saturday, before Haaland coolly converted in the 65th minute to cap a 4-0 victory.

That marked his 15th Premier League goal in just nine games this season, as many strikes as Kevin De Bruyne managed in the entire last campaign when he finished as City's top league scorer in a championship-winning team.

Mahrez hailed his Norwegian team-mate after Haaland became just the second City player to score in seven successive Premier League appearances, after Sergio Aguero.

"It was a difficult game, we made it easy by scoring early and then we controlled," the Algeria international told BBC Sport.

"We had a lot of chances to score more, but we didn't. We didn't concede much, it was a controlled game.

"Haaland is part of our team, he is our striker. Like any other striker, if we can find him it's perfect because he is on fire. If not, there are a lot of players and everyone can make a difference."

City have now won their last nine home league games, scoring at least three goals each time, and moved to the top-flight summit by overtaking Arsenal, who play Liverpool on Sunday.

Manager Guardiola echoed the sentiments of Mahrez as he credited the exploits of free-scoring Haaland, while he pinpointed the early stages of the title race as significant heading towards the World Cup break in November.

"Last season we suffered a lot against them, but today we were much better," Guardiola told BBC Sport, referring to two league draws last term against Southampton.

"Some players were not at their best, but we create a lot of chances. We were solid.

"For a long time Phil Foden is playing really good. The impact from him is great. Erling Haaland had the chances again. He scored a brilliant goal. It's an incredible weapon for us, a big threat.

"We will see the result from Arsenal and Liverpool, always in Premier League there are good games. Being close to the top of the league is important going into the World Cup."

By contrast, Southampton have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 19 Premier League away games – the longest current league run and the worst such streak in Saints' history in the competition.

Southampton sit just a point above the relegation zone, leading to increasing speculation that Ralph Hasenhuttl will be dismissed.

"I will not be here next week, because next week we play at home," manager Hasenhuttl said when asked about his future. "It is not my decision to make.

"Since I've come here, and it's been nearly four years now, we have been fighting for results. The problem is not here today, it's from other weeks where we did not get enough points."

Angel Correa scored twice as Atletico Madrid put a midweek Champions League defeat behind them with a 2-1 win over Girona.

Atleti were beaten 2-0 by surprise package Club Brugge on Tuesday, but they responded with a LaLiga victory at the Civitas Metropolitano four days later

Correa marked his second LaLiga start of the season with an early goal set up by Antoine Griezmann, who played from the off after Barcelona boss Xavi confirmed an agreement had been reached over a permanent move for the France international.

A Juan Carlos howler gifted Correa his second, and although loanee Rodrigo Riquelme pulled a goal back against his parent club, Diego Simeone's side held on for all three points, helped by Jan Oblak's fine goalkeeping.

Griezmann missed a penalty in the defeat at Brugge, but he set about making amends by delivering a pinpoint cross from the left that was converted by Correa at the back post in the fifth minute.

Girona showed a positive response to going behind, Oriol Romeu having a shot blocked by Axel Witsel before Yangel Herrera scooped over the crossbar from inside the penalty area.

Matheus Cunha was denied by Girona goalkeeper Carlos after Griezmann played him in with a clever pass, and Herrera headed just wide at the other end on the stroke of half-time.

Carlos then gifted Correa a second goal with a casual pass that the Argentina forward cut out before applying a simple finish.

Carlos got down well to keep out Nahuel Molina's effort at his near post after a brilliant Yannick Carrasco pass opened up the Girona defence.

Riquelme gave the promoted side a deserved lifeline with a long-range drive midway through the second half.

Girona continued to pose a threat and Oblak superbly tipped a rasping Aleix García drive against the post and denied the same player with another brilliant save, as Atleti held on under late pressure.

Erling Haaland continued his remarkable scoring run as Manchester City climbed above Arsenal at the Premier League summit after a commanding 4-0 victory over Southampton.

City soon eased into the ascendancy at Etihad Stadium as Joao Cancelo and Manchester derby hat-trick hero Phil Foden struck in a first half where a tepid Southampton offered little.

Riyad Mahrez stretched the advantage after the break before Haaland collected his 15th league goal, as many as Kevin De Bruyne managed when finishing as City's top scorer in the competition last term.

Pep Guardiola's team moved two points clear of Arsenal, who play Liverpool on Sunday, after their ninth straight home win in the league, scoring at least three goals in each of those games.

Former City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu parried away a fizzing Mahrez half-volley, while Haaland struck the left post after a Foden throughball in a frantic start.

Cancelo broke the deadlock in the 20th minute as he twisted past James Ward-Prowse before drilling a left-footed strike past Bazunu, who then denied Foden on the half-hour mark.

However, there was no stopping Foden shortly after as the England international delicately chipped over the onrushing Bazunu following De Bruyne's pass.

Mahrez volleyed in a third goal from Rodri's lofted cross shortly after half-time, before City had a penalty appeal turned down for what they thought was a Mohammed Salisu pull on Haaland.

Southampton could not keep Haaland quiet for much longer, with their new talisman converting into the bottom-left corner in the 65th minute after Cancelo's cutback.

What does it mean? City dominant as Saints away woes continue

A 6-3 humbling of Manchester United and a 5-0 victory in Europe over Copenhagen were backed up in dominant fashion by City against Southampton, with Guardiola's side showing no signs of relenting.

While a tougher task will follow at Anfield against Liverpool next week, City continue to sweep aside opponents at will as they search for a fifth top-flight crown in the last six seasons.

Meanwhile, Southampton's away struggles persist, and boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is under serious pressure now. They are without a clean sheet in their last 19 Premier League away games – both the longest current run in the league and their worst such streak in the competition.

De Bruyne makes history

De Bruyne has been in incredible form throughout the start of this season and picked up yet another assist after teeing up Foden – the ninth goal the Belgium international has set up in as many Premier League games this season.

The simple throughball for Foden also marked De Bruyne's 94th assist in the Premier League for City, surpassing David Silva for the most goals created for the club in the competition.

Haaland is human

Haaland has taken to life in England with ridiculous ease, scoring 20 goals in 13 games across all competitions and breaking numerous records along the way.

After just nine Premier League games, the striker needs just one more goal to surpass City's top scorer last season, De Bruyne, which is frankly astonishing.

He missed a few chances here, though, and looked on in disbelief when his shot that rattled the left post did not bounce into the net off the upright.

What's next?

City head to Copenhagen to play in the Champions League on Tuesday, before the crunch clash at Liverpool arrives next Sunday, when Southampton host West Ham.

Goals from Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Armando Broja gave Chelsea a 3-0 win over Wolves at Stamford Bridge in Graham Potter's first home league match in charge.

A much-changed Chelsea dominated the opening 45 minutes and took the lead in first-half injury time when Havertz nodded home Mason Mount's cross.

Mount then had a big hand in the second, playing in Pulisic to dink over Jose Sa, before substitute Broja raced through to add a late third as Chelsea beat Wolves for the first time in four attempts.

The Blues move up to fourth as Potter earns an important first home league victory after making seven changes.

The hosts started brightly with Conor Gallagher and Havertz both going close in the early minutes, though Daniel Podence headed just wide at the other end.

Jorginho saw a low drive parried away by Sa, while Mount dragged a shot left of the target as Chelsea pressed for an early goal.

Joao Moutinho tested Kepa Arrizabalaga with a powerful free-kick, before Sa made a brilliant save to tip a Pulisic curler wide at full stretch.

But Wolves' resistance was broken in first-half injury time as Havertz looped a sublime header into the far corner from Mount's driven cross from the right.

The visitors enjoyed a much better spell after the interval, but fell further behind when Pulisic and Mount combined before the former delicately finished to make it 2-0.

Havertz could have added a third shortly after, but his chip was pushed away by Sa before Hwang Hee-chan missed a golden opportunity to pull a goal back as he fired straight at Arrizabalaga.

Broja rounded off the scoring in the dying minutes, cutting onto his right foot before firing a delightful finish into the bottom corner to cap a brilliant Chelsea display.

The Green Bay Packers have been one of the most consistent teams in the NFL under the leadership of Matt LaFleur.

As a head coach, LaFleur has compiled a 42-11 regular-season record, winning three NFC North titles and guiding the Packers to the NFC Championship Game in two of his three campaigns in charges.

Yet the failure that has contributed to their inability to get to the Super Bowl during LaFleur's tenure has also been consistent.

In the NFC Championship Game at the end of the 2019 season, the Packers were gashed on the ground by Raheem Mostert and the San Francisco 49ers in a 37-20 blowout.

Mostert racked up 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a remarkable display, and a year later as the Packers hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field at the same stage, they suffered a similar if less statistically dramatic downfall.

Leonard Fournette only had 55 yards rushing in the Buccaneers' 31-26 win, but he had a 20-yard score in the second quarter that gave Tampa Bay a lead they never relinquished, and he averaged four yards after contact, again illustrating the Packers' struggles to stop the run.

The offense and special teams were more at fault last season as the 49ers beat the Packers at Lambeau in the Divisional Round, but a nine-yard run from Deebo Samuel gave the Niners a key third-down conversion on their game-winning drive.

When the Packers have needed to stop the run in critical games, they have come up short, and the signs of that problem being fixed in 2022 are not good.

The Packers are allowing at least four yards on 57.8 per cent of carries by their opponents, the highest rate in the NFL, and giving up 4.91 yards per rush on first down. Green Bay's rush average allowed of 4.97 yards per carry is the 11th-worst in the NFL.

Three of the Packers' first four games have seen them surrender over 100 yards rushing, conceding 167 in allowing a poor New England Patriots team to take them to overtime.

Green Bay's issue is not getting into the backfield, as the Packers rank eighth in run disruption rate, according to Stats Perform data.

So why are the Packers still having issues stopping the run? The short answer is tackling.

Their tackle success rate of 73.6 per cent is tied for the fifth-worst in the NFL, with their problems coming chiefly on the left side of their defense. Left inside linebacker De'Vondre Campbell has missed four tackles and seen a further two broken, while edge rusher Preston Smith – listed as the starting outside backer on the left side – has also had a pair of tackles broken.

It is certainly not fair to pin all the Packers' run defense struggles on Campbell, but it is clear they are not doing enough as a collective to bring ball-carriers down if they evade the disruption Green Bay creates in the backfield.

This week the Packers face the New York Giants in London and meet a running back in Saquon Barkley who is doing an excellent job of racking up yardage on plays where the defense generates a run disruption.

Indeed, Barkley, the NFL's rushing leader through four weeks, is averaging 3.54 yards per carry when faced with a run disruption, above the average of 3.02.

However, his yards after contact per attempt average of 1.96 yards is below the average of 2.01. So while he might be able to evade defenders who get behind the line of scrimmage, tackle-breaking runs from the 2018 second overall pick should be at a premium.

In that sense, he is something of a test case for the Packers. Green Bay has poured plenty of resources into the problems stopping the run but, if Barkley enjoys significant success fighting through contact at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it could be a sign that run defense and, more specifically, tackling is an issue that could doom a Super Bowl-ready team once more and require more targeted attention next offseason.

Barcelona coach Xavi believes the club and Atletico Madrid have reached an agreement for the permanent transfer of Antoine Griezmann to Los Colchoneros.

Reports emerged earlier this week suggesting the two LaLiga giants had struck a €19.9million deal for the Frenchman, who is on loan at Atletico from Barca.

Griezmann made his return to Atletico on an initial temporary deal last year, with the two-year agreement set to become a permanent move for a reported €40m in 2023 if a specific clause was met.

The clause required Griezmann to play at least 30 minutes – not including stoppage time – in a percentage of Atletico's matches, though the exact proportion is unclear as some media outlets claim it is over 80 per cent and others suggest it is around 50 per cent.

Nevertheless, Atletico coach Diego Simeone had been carefully managing Griezmann's minutes seemingly to avoid triggering the €40m clause – the Frenchman has completed two full LaLiga games this term, and in his other six appearances he featured for no more than 30 minutes each time.

Atletico's tactics appears to have succeeded in getting Griezmann's price reduced considerably, with Xavi revealing an agreement was in place.

"The club tells me that they have reached an agreement, but it is not official," he told reporters on Saturday.

"If there is an agreement, all parties are happy. I wish the player the best."

Griezmann controversially joined Barca from Atletico in 2019 when the Blaugrana triggered his €120m release clause.

But in two full LaLiga campaigns at Camp Nou, Griezmann struggled to rediscover the form that attracted Barca to him in the first place, scoring 22 goals in 71 league games – he netted as many times in a single season on two separate occasions for Atletico in the past.

Although he was even less productive in front of goal upon his return to Atletico, scoring just three in 26 league outings last term, Simeone remains a strong advocate for the 31-year-old.

Edin Dzeko took his tally of Serie A goals past 100 as Inter edged out Sassuolo 2-1 at the MAPEI Stadium on Saturday.

The 36-year-old became the third-oldest player to reach a century in the Italian top light when he broke the deadlock in the 44th minute with only his second strike of the season.

Davide Frattesi's 60th-minute volley brought the hosts level, but Dzeko grabbed the winner and his 101st in the division when he headed home Henrikh Mkhitaryan's cross 15 minutes from time.

Simone Inzaghi's side are back to winning ways in Serie A following back-to-back defeats, while also ending a three-game losing streak on the road.

Sassuolo went close to opening the scoring in the fourth minute when Frattesi was denied from tight angle while Armand Lauriente's follow-up was blocked by face of Nicolo Barella, who was subsequently cleared to continue.

A scorer in two of the last three meetings between the sides, Lautaro Martinez squandered a brilliant opportunity to break the deadlock 10 minutes later. Denzel Dumfries capitalised on sloppy possession by the hosts before crossing for the sliding Argentina international, who somehow steered wide from six yards out.

Inter broke through just before half-time as Dumfries flicked on a corner and Dzeko volleyed home from close range.

The hosts equalised on the hour mark when Rogerio's deep cross was met on the volley by Frattesi in the six-yard box.

However, the visitors regained the lead with a quarter of an hour remaining. Moments after Andrea Consigli had produced stunning reflexes to deny Martinez, the goalkeeper was powerless as Dzeko headed home Mkhitaryan's delivery to snatch all three points.

Most assumed after Kevin Durant left the Golden State Warriors in 2019 that their time atop the NBA mountain had come to an end.

There appeared to be significant evidence to support that school of thought when the Warriors spent the 2019-20 in the cellar as Stephen Curry joined Klay Thompson in being sidelined through injury, and an Achilles injury suffered by the latter helped leave Golden State ill-equipped to compete in 2020-21.

But after a season in which the Warriors meshed championship experience and difference-making youth, Golden State heads into the 2022-23 campaign back at the summit having seen off the Boston Celtics in six games in last term's NBA Finals.

Curry added the missing component of his Hall of Fame resume, winning Finals MVP for the first time in his illustrious career, and he and the Warriors are the bookmakers' favourites to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the fifth time in nine seasons.

Yet their build-up to the new campaign is a reminder of the many obstacles, including internal ones, that can scupper hopes of sustained success, with Thompson held out of exhibition games in his first preseason since 2018-19 and an altercation between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole in which the former punched his young team-mate, overshadowing Golden State's preparations for a push for a second successive title.

It is an extremely difficult situation to navigate with both Green and Poole looking to receive lucrative contract extensions, and whether the Warriors can overcome the discord between two key players will play a huge role in their ability to successfully defend their crown, but what will be the other key factors, and who will be their primary competition? Stats Perform looks at the Warriors' odds of fending off their rivals and improving their standing among the best dynasties in NBA history.

Staying strong on defense

Though Curry was the obvious centrepiece of the Warriors' championship push, they would not have regained the title without the defensive strength displayed throughout the campaign.

Golden State allowed 105.5 points per game, the third-fewest in the NBA, with opponents shooting just 43.8 per cent against them from the field. Only the Celtics (43.4 per cent) fared better in that regard.

Though those numbers ballooned to 111.9 points per game and a field goal percentage of 48 in the postseason overall, the Warriors' Finals performance was in part defined by four stellar defensive performances.

Indeed, in each of their four Finals wins, the Warriors did not allow the Celtics to score 100 points. Boston's average points total across those games was 92.25. For context, the lowest points per game total in the regular season was the Oklahoma City Thunder's 103.7.

Though his standing is likely at an all-time low after the incident with Poole, Green is still the heartbeat of the defense. His defensive rating of 102.8 was the sixth-best among players to have featured in at least 50 regular-season games last season.

Green never lacks for motivation, but the fact he does not have an extension from Golden State and likely lost a lot of leverage after his fight with Poole may add even more fuel to his eternal fire. Andrew Wiggins (defensive rating - 105.4), whose defense on Jayson Tatum in the Finals drew effusive praise will also be key to the Warriors' success to containing opponents, while Kevon Looney (107.2) and returning veteran Andre Iguodala (97 in 31 games) will be tasked with providing crucial support on the defensive end.

Yet with Gary Payton II (102.2) and Otto Porter Jr. (103.2) departing for pastures new in free agency, the Warriors must replace the impact they had off the bench if they are to remain one of the NBA's premier defensive teams. While the Warriors made a free-agent addition with their defense in mind, there will be a significant onus on recent high-profile draft selections to have a consistent influence on that end of the floor.

The kids are (hopefully) alright

The Warriors did move to address the departures of Payton and Porter by signing Donte DiVincenzo, a member of the Milwaukee Bucks' championship-winning team whose defensive rating of 108.9 since entering the NBA in 2018 is tied for 43rd among players to have featured in at least 200 games in that span.

But the Warriors will also have been comfortable letting Payton and Porter walk because of the faith they have in recent draft picks to contribute on the defensive end.

Jonathan Kuminga finished his rookie year level with Payton for rebounds per 48 minutes with 9.5, and he was fourth on the team with 7.3 defensive boards every 48 minutes. The Warriors will look for him to use his exciting athleticism to harness that same efficiency over a higher number of minutes in 2022-23.

Moses Moody, the second of the Warriors' two 2021 first-rounders, had five defensive rebounds per 48 minutes and is seen as a player who could thrive as a three-and-d player at the highest level.

The three-ball provided significant joy for rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. in the Warriors' second of two games with the Washington Wizards in Japan, in which he went four of five from deep. Any first-year success for Baldwin would be a luxury for Golden State. By contrast, they will likely view third-year strides from former second overall pick James Wiseman as a necessity.

Wiseman did not feature in the Warriors' championship campaign due to setbacks in his recovery from the torn meniscus that ended his rookie year. He has played only 39 games in the NBA having featured in just three in college, but the flashes he produced in his first year and in this year's Summer League provided evidence he can blossom into a dynamic center at both ends of the court for a team that has long since lacked a definitive answer at the 5 spot.

The Warriors do not lack answers in the frontcourt. The question they face this season is how they will divide the minutes of the three players who produced pivotal play at guard last campaign.

Stick with the Splash Brothers or go to the Poole party?

The Splash Brothers finally reunited last season as Thompson made his long awaited return from injury after over two years on the sideline.

By the time he made his comeback, the Warriors already had a 29-9 record, with their success in large part down to the combination Curry had formed with Poole, the Warriors' 2019 first-round pick who blossomed into a key part of their rotation.

Poole averaged 30 minutes a game in his third season and a career-high 18.5 points per game despite giving his starting role back to Thompson.

Across a much smaller sample size of 32 games compared to Poole's 76, Thompson averaged 20.4 points in his comeback season, though there is a case to be made the Warriors were more effective with Poole on the court.

Poole had a plus-minus per game of 4.3 to Thompson's 2.1 and had a marginally better field goal percentage. Thompson shot 42.9 per cent from the field while Poole converted on 44.8 per cent of field goal attempts. 

As Thompson went cold in the NBA Finals, shooting at a 35.6 per cent clip, Poole shot 43.5 per cent against the Celtics and rattled through half of his field goal attempts in the postseason overall.

It is too early, though, to make the judgement that Thompson's best days are behind him and head coach Steve Kerr should lean more towards the energetic Poole. The challenge for Kerr is to find balance between relying on the spot-up ability of arguably the best catch-and-shoot player of the modern era and the young spark-plug with a well-rounded offensive game who can produce dazzling finishes at the basket and confound defenses with deep shooting.

Even if Kerr, who has suggested Thompson could play power forward this season, initially struggles to find that balance, it is unlikely to stop the Warriors from thriving, so long as Curry is available to Golden State. Curry's plus-minus per game of 7.9 was the second-best in the NBA last campaign, one that ended with him silencing any critics questioning his resume by averaging 31.2 points per game in the six games with the Celtics to win his first Finals MVP award.

The need for the right mix of Curry, Thompson and Poole will come if the former endures a drop-off, but having three players of their talents allows Kerr to be more experimental in the regular season and better preserve the two-time MVP for the postseason, when those looking to dethrone the Warriors will face the substantial challenge of trying to stymie his enduring brilliance.

West rivals flawed, but Bucks could set up mouth-watering Finals

The Warriors aren't short of challengers blessed with star power in the Western Conference, but it's tough to pick out many who have an overall roster that looks as strong as the one Kerr has as its disposal.

While the Phoenix Suns have an established but still youthful core that could allow them to push the Warriors, they are coming off an extremely chaotic offseason and will again be relying on 38-year-old Chris Paul as creator-in-chief. Curry's history of success against the 'Point God' suggests that is a matchup stacked firmly in Golden State's favour.

By contrast, Kawhi Leonard has consistently been a thorn in the side of the Warriors and he and Paul George will hope to lead a success-starved Los Angeles Clippers franchise to glory. However, such hopes rely on Leonard returning to his best in the wake of a long lay-off with a partially torn ACL. Similarly, the Denver Nuggets have the back-to-back MVP in Nikola Jokic, but his support comes from players in Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. who are both returning from long spells on the sideline. Without that pair, the Warriors breezed to a 4-1 first-round win over the Nuggets last season.

That was also the margin in the Western Conference Finals as the Warriors beat Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Simply put, the Slovenian superstar did not have enough around him, especially on defense, for the Mavs to compete with Golden State, and the Memphis Grizzlies were ill-equipped to upset the Warriors once Ja Morant went out with a knee injury in the previous round.

The problem is the same for so many teams in the West, who do not have the depth to beat the Warriors over seven games. The Los Angeles Lakers possess a star-studded lineup with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook on the roster, but Darvin Ham has too many problems to fix surrounding their chemistry and even getting that trio on the court at the same time for the Lakers to be considered a legitimate threat to Golden State at this stage.

It is in the Eastern Conference where the teams that have the best shot of dethroning the Warriors reside. For all the drama in Brooklyn, the combination of Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons is still one that could deliver a title if their respective talents can be harnessed by Steve Nash, and former Net James Harden and Joel Embiid offer the Philadelphia 76ers a duo that could deliver a long-awaited championship.

Erik Spoelstra's coaching, Jimmy Butler's frequently tireless performances and the well-rounded nature of their roster makes the Miami Heat a tough team to rule out but, in terms of top-end talent and depth, it is the Celtics and the non-Miami team they beat in seven games last season, the Milwaukee Bucks, who stand as the Warriors' biggest threats.

The Celtics' offseason was overshadowed by the scandal surrounding suspended head coach Ime Udoka, but they are led by two stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who are both 25 or under and should be better for the experience of losing in the Finals.

Yet the argument could be made the Celtics never would have got beyond the second round had the Bucks had Khris Middleton available for Game 7.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's athleticism, length and all-round skill set still makes him the most physically fearsome player in the NBA and, when both Middleton and Jrue Holiday are healthy, the Bucks have a big three to rival any team in scoring, facilitation and defense.

Milwaukee had eight players average at least nine points last year and seven are still on the team. Plenty can and will change over the course of a long season but, heading into a year in which everyone will be desperate to knock them off, the team most likely to prevent the Warriors from retaining the trophy is the team that lifted it before them.

Bayern Munich would not consider selling a player of Jude Bellingham's quality if the Borussia Dortmund midfielder was at the Allianz Arena, according to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. 

England international Bellingham is into his third campaign with Bundesliga side Dortmund and is considered one of the finest talents in world football, having impressed for both club and country.

The 19-year-old this week captained BVB to a 4-1 win at Sevilla, where he became only the second teenager to score in the first three games of a Champions League campaign after former team-mate Erling Haaland at Salzburg in the 2019-20 season.

Bellingham's continued fine form has led to strong talk from Spain that Real Madrid are already in talks to sign the youngster at the end of the season, although they may face competition from Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Liverpool.

Dortmund would reportedly be open to selling Bellingham if a big enough offer is tabled, but Rummenigge insists that would never be the case at rivals Bayern, whom he spent nearly 30 years with as part of the club's board.

"As a rule, Bayern Munich do not need to sell players in order to improve their balance sheet," long-serving Bayern CEO Rummenigge told Funke Mediengruppe. 

"At Dortmund, there is already talk of Bellingham leaving. Bayern would not sell such a player."

Bellingham's tally of three Champions League goals this season is already a joint-high among English teenagers for a single campaign, along with Manchester United's Wayne Rooney in the 2004-05 season.

He has featured 102 times for Dortmund in all competitions since arriving from Birmingham City in July 2020 and been capped 17 times by England at senior level – a tally he is certain to add to at this year's World Cup.

And former England centre-back Rio Ferdinand recently commented he believes Bellingham is ahead of any other previous midfielders at the same age.

"What he's doing in his position at his age, we haven't seen," Ferdinand told BT Sport. "The best of our generation, [Frank] Lampard, [Steven] Gerrard, [Paul] Scholes, [Patrick] Vieira, Roy Keane, they weren't doing this.

"He's still got to go on and prove it over a long period of time, but they weren't doing what he is doing right now [at the same age]. Influencing games at this level, captaining teams at this level, and mentally this kid's a beast."

Cristiano Ronaldo must "stay patient" and take his opportunities when they arise if he is to reignite his career, according to former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney.

Portugal international Ronaldo has endured a difficult time of things in his second season back at Old Trafford, having started just one of United's seven Premier League games.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner led the scoring charts for United in the previous campaign with 24 goals, but his only goal in nine outings this term was a penalty against Sheriff.

That came in the Europa League, a competition Ronaldo – the Champions League's all-time record scorer – is now having to use to prove himself to manager Erik ten Hag.

Rooney, who played alongside Ronaldo between 2004 and 2009, says his former colleague will be finding life on the substitutes' bench tough but can still turn things around.

"The manager's obviously gone a different way in terms of how they're playing and been successful," said D.C. United head coach Rooney.

"Cristiano... him and [Lionel] Messi are two of the greatest players to ever play the game, but ultimately time catches up with us all. 

"He's obviously not the player he was when he was 22 or 23, for instance. It's a tough one for him.

"Knowing him, it'll be very difficult to sit on the bench. I'm sure if he stays patient, his chance will come and it's then him taking those chances and trying to force his way back in."

This is the first season since 2005-06, during his first spell at United, that Ronaldo has failed to score in his opening six league appearances.

The Sporting CP academy product has had 12 shots across 207 minutes without scoring in the top flight this season, generating an expected goals (xG) value of 0.8.

Only playmaker Christian Eriksen (1.2) has a higher xG among United players who have yet to score in the league this term.

Ronaldo is expected to be part of United's squad for Sunday's trip to Everton, against whom the Red Devils have won just one of their past seven league matches.

Erling Haaland could hit 50 Premier League goals this season if he can stay fit, according to Manchester City team-mate Manuel Akanji.

The Norway international has demolished numerous records amid an incredible start to life in England, scoring 19 goals across 12 games in all competitions this term.

Haaland netted a brace in a 5-0 midweek thrashing of Copenhagen, taking him to 28 strikes in 22 appearances in the Champions League, a goals-per-game record of 1.27.

The 22-year-old next faces Southampton on Saturday after becoming the first player in Premier League history to score hat-tricks in three straight games following his last treble against Manchester United.

With 12 goals in eight league games, Haaland will eye the single-season top-flight records of Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, who both got 34 in a single campaign, and Akanji backed his colleague to keep firing.

Asked if Haaland could hit a half-century, Akanji responded: “If he stays healthy then I think there is nothing that can stop him, yes."

City have won their past eight Premier League home games, managing at least three goals each time, and could at least temporarily leapfrog leaders Arsenal with victory over Southampton.

Pep Guardiola's side have scored 29 goals after eight games, which is the joint-most at this stage of a Premier League campaign, and will be hoping Haaland can fire again to take them to the summit.

Kyle Walker-Peters will be one Saints defender aiming to stop the free-scoring Norwegian, though he thinks it is too early to draw comparisons between the City striker and Tottenham talisman Harry Kane.

"Come on," he told talkSPORT. "Harry Kane has done it for how many years in the Premier League?

“I think Haaland has had an absolutely unbelievable start. Some of the stats I’m seeing, it’s just ridiculous.

"But Kane has proven it for God knows how many years now. I don't think we can compare them just yet. Haaland is definitely hungry to prove to people he's better than him [Kane].

"And Kane will want to stay at the top. So they'll have a good battle for top goalscorer."

Football loves a redemption story, and it's fair to say Granit Xhaka is living one right now.

You don't have to cast your mind back too far to recall a time when the Switzerland international was practically persona non grata at Arsenal – in the fans' eyes, anyway.

Red cards, becoming a scapegoat, falling out with the supporters in the most public way imaginable: Xhaka's Arsenal career has rarely been straightforward.

And yet, as Mikel Arteta's Gunners prepare to make something of a title statement against Liverpool on Sunday, Xhaka knows his will be one of the first names on the team, and deservedly so.

It serves to highlight his unlikely return from the brink.

The problems

Xhaka arrived at Arsenal with a reputation as a clever but combative midfielder who was more than happy to get stuck in. After all, his five red cards in from the start of the 2013-14 season until the end of 2015-16 was the most of any Bundesliga player over that period, and only two players were booked more often (29).

There was an acceptance his style of play would be a risk, though many Gunners fans were adamant such forcefulness was missing from their midfield.

While Xhaka did show many qualities during his debut season, it was his disciplinary record and aggressive style that unsurprisingly defined him in the eyes of many, as he was shown three red cards across all competitions in the 2016-17 campaign.

He did then go three successive seasons without a red card, attributing his initial improvement in that area to Arsene Wenger back in November 2017, with video analysis seemingly crucial to the midfielder's learning. Though it should be said, he amassed 10 yellows in each of those three league campaigns, so it wasn't as if he suddenly became an angel.

The thing is, Xhaka's wild side may have been embraced or at least more readily forgiven were it not for his other on-pitch woes. Between August 2016 and September 2020, his 16 Opta-defined errors leading to shots were five more than any other Arsenal player across all competitions, while only Petr Cech and Bernd Leno (both seven) – goalkeepers, so you'd expect them to be punished more – committed a greater number of errors that led to goals (six).

Similarly, Xhaka's five penalty concessions over the same period was a joint-high at Arsenal with David Luiz. Essentially, there was a common perception emerging that he was liability even if he wasn't getting sent off.

The downfall

It was the last 12 months of the aforementioned four-year period when Xhaka's Arsenal days appeared numbered. In October 2019, exactly a month after being made captain, Xhaka was substituted during Crystal Palace's visit to the Emirates Stadium and a chorus of boos was aimed in his direction.

Xhaka made sarcastic gestures to the crowd in response, cupped his ear and then appeared to swear at the Arsenal fans as he was replaced by Bukayo Saka. He swiftly removed his jersey on his way down the tunnel.

Former Arsenal players and fans alike called for him to lose the captaincy after head coach Unai Emery suggested Xhaka shouldn't have reacted as he did.

On November 5, Arsenal confirmed Xhaka had been stripped of the armband and he didn't play again until the end of the month when the Gunners faced Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League – he had missed five games in all.

In the intervening period, Xhaka provided an explanation for his actions, detailing how months of abuse at matches and on social media had seen him reach "boiling point". He professed his love for the club and encouraged everyone to "move forward positively together".

Remarkably, that's what happened.

The redemption

It bears remembering, the atmosphere around Arsenal was toxic enough even without the Xhaka situation – December saw Emery replaced by Arteta, and the latter was unequivocal in his desire to keep Xhaka at the club.

A move to Hertha Berlin had been agreed, according to the player's agent, and that appeared to be the end. But, with the January 2020 transfer window only a day old, Arteta revealed Xhaka had assured him he was staying.

Six months later, Xhaka emphasised the importance of Arteta in that decision. He told BT Sport: "I was very, very close to leaving the club. I had, until this [Palace incident], had a great, great time in this football club. It was never in my mind to leave the club before, but after this happened, of course you think about it.

"When Mikel arrived, I had a very good meeting with him, very good conversations. Mikel was the guy. He turned me around and gave me a second chance, and he showed me he trusted me and I have tried to give him everything back."

Since then, he's steadily won back the faith of Arsenal fans and is arguably enjoying the finest spell of his Arsenal career. This season, he's already got two goals and three assists in eight Premier League games – only in 2018-19 (four) has he scored more goals in a single campaign for the Gunners, while only in 2017-18 has he provided more assists (seven).

So, to anyone wondering what's changed, the answer is fairly clear: Xhaka's playing a more advanced role and this is allowing his strengths – distribution, shooting – to shine. For much of his Arsenal career, he's been used as the deepest midfielder, but that's no longer the case with Thomas Partey the first choice in that role.

With more freedom to get forward, Xhaka's creating 2.2 chances from open play every 90 minutes (all comps.) – his previous best in that regard for Arsenal or Borussia Monchengladbach was 1.2. Granted, those were over full seasons, but that shouldn't detract from an obvious greater creative influence.

While he is making fewer tackles and interceptions than ever before, the fact only four midfielders have more than his five Premier League goal involvements this term suggests it's not a problematic sacrifice.

The Granit Xhaka most have known throughout his Premier League career was associated with work rate and destructive tendencies, but his current guise suggests he's not only enjoyed a redemption but a rebirth.