South Africa emphatically consigned England to a first Test defeat of their new era as Ben Stokes' side were thrashed by an innings and 12 runs inside three days at Lord's.

The potent Proteas pace attack did much of the damage once again, bowling a fragile England out for only 149 in 37.4 overs on Friday.

Dean Elgar's men dominated from start to finish in London, taking a first innings lead of 161 by posting 326 all out in reply to England's 165.

The tourists wrapped up the victory just over two-and-half days into the first of three Tests in the series to go 1-0 up, with the wickets shared between magnificent quicks Anrich Nortje (3-27), Kagiso Rabada (2-27), Marco Jansen (2-13) and Lungi Ngidi (1-15) after Keshav Maharaj took 2-27.

It was a chastening defeat for England, Stuart Broad and Alex Lees the joint top-scorers with 35 as they lost their perfect record since Stokes was appointed captain and Brendon McCullum head coach.

Broad took a brilliant one-handed catch for Matthew Potts to dismiss Rabada after South Africa resumed on 289-7, before claiming two wickets of his own to end the innings and leave Nortje unbeaten on 28.

Spinner Maharaj had England in trouble on 38-2 at lunch, dismissing the out-of-sorts Zak Crawley (13) leg before and trapping Ollie Pope (five) in front with the last ball of the morning session.

The Proteas pace attack again came to the fore in the afternoon session, Ngidi getting rid of Joe Root (six) before a fired up Nortje had Jonny Bairstow (18), Lees and Ben Foakes (nought) caught behind.

Broad came out swinging (35) as he put on 55 with Ben Stokes for the seventh wicket before he was deceived by a slower ball from Rabada and Jansen cleaned up Potts.

Stokes (20) picked out Maharaj in the deep knowing he was almost out of partners to become Rabada's second victim and Jansen bowled James Anderson with a quick yorker to put England out of their misery.

Proteas fire to blow England away

England had won all four Tests under their new coach and captain, whitewashing New Zealand 3-0 and beating India in a rearranged match at Edgbaston.

They were brought down to earth by a ruthless South Africa, who showed why they are top of the World Test Championship. Their fast bowlers fired on all cylinders as England were beaten by an innings at Lord's for only the second time in 52 Tests since June 1993.

Left-arm tweaker Maharaj was not required to bowl in the first innings, but he set the ball rolling in England's second innings before the quicks ripped through the hosts.

Crawley could pay the price

Opener Crawley has been backed by Stokes and McCullum, but he could pay the price for two more failures.

England must regroup before the second Test at Old Trafford, where Crawley may have to step aside. 

Pep Guardiola reiterated he is hopeful of keeping hold of Bernardo Silva and suggested Manchester City's transfer business is finished for the year.

Silva has been repeatedly linked with a move to Guardiola's former club Barcelona this window after spending five successful seasons at the Etihad Stadium.

City manager Guardiola made clear once again on Friday that he wants the playmaker to stay at the club, although he cannot guarantee that will be the case.

"He's our player and he knows our wishes, me as a manager and even his mates." Guardiola said at a press conference. "What is going to happen? I don't know."

Reigning Premier League champions City have been busy this window, which shuts in a little under two weeks' time.

Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Julian Alvarez and Sergio Gomez have joined, while Gabriel Jesus, Fernandinho, Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko have all departed.

Asked if City's transfer activity is finished, Guardiola said: "Apparently, yeah. If someone moves on or there is a problem we don't expect, then we'll see."

Haaland and Alvarez have featured in all three of City's matches this season, while Phillips has managed just one minute of action as he recovers from an injury issue.

However, Guardiola confirmed ahead of Sunday's trip to Newcastle United that Phillips is available again after missing the Bournemouth win, while Gomez is part of the squad.

The Citizens have lost just one of their past 29 Premier League games against Newcastle, with that solitary loss coming at St James' Park in January 2019.

United have been steadily strengthening their squad ahead of an expected battle for a European spot this term, and Guardiola is expecting a tough test this weekend.

"Newcastle away is always an incredible environment," Guardiola said. "I think what they have done with their spending is because they believe it's the best strategy. 

"In the winter window they bought players because they were in trouble, then they got a lot of good results.

"Newcastle is a project not just for one or two seasons. We've seen in this window everyone spends a lot. I think they are here to stay here."

Guardiola has won all 10 of his Premier League meetings with Newcastle counterpart Eddie Howe – the best 100 per cent win record between managers in the competition.

While Guardiola has always got the better of Howe, the Catalan coach has been impressed by his opposite number's work in his nine months at the helm.

"Their numbers and style of play speak for itself," Guardiola said. "He arrived in a difficult position last season. When the owners took over he went on an incredible run of games.

"They have exceptional players in terms of how direct and aggressive they are. They have important players."

Real Madrid have what it takes in the squad to replace Manchester United-bound Casemiro, according to Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti confirmed on Friday that Casemiro had expressed his desire to leave Madrid in order to join United.

The holding midfielder, who has been crucial to Madrid's success under both Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, is in line to move to Old Trafford for a fee in the region of £51million (€60m), with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £59.4m (€70m).

While Ancelotti has no issues with the 30-year-old's want for a new challenge, Casemiro's departure leaves a void in Madrid's midfield, with the Brazil international having formed a formidable trio with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

That midfield conquered Europe last season and led Madrid to Ancelotti's first LaLiga title, and Casemiro's quality was on show again in last week's Super Cup as Los Blancos defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0.

Casemiro was named man of the match after making nine successful tackles and recovering possession 10 times, which were both game highs.

Since the 2015-16 season, Casemiro has won 415 tackles in LaLiga alone, a far better tally than second-best Saul Niguez (382).

Yet with Madrid having signed Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco and the versatility of Kroos, Ancelotti is confident he already has the options in midfield to plug the gap.

"Casemiro has been a key player, who fits perfectly with Kroos and Luka Modric. It's been an incredible combination for all the success we've had in the last few years," Ancelotti said in a news conference.

"Within the squad we have a lot of good replacements. Tchouameni was signed in order to play in this position. We have some other options like Kroos who can play in this position, as he did in the second year I was here as a coach back in 2014 when we won 22 games in a row.

"Replacing Casemiro with another player with his same skills is difficult but we have other players ready to replace him with other characteristics. They can play in this position, but not with the same skills.

"We need to keep in mind that a player like Casemiro, defensively, is more similar to Tchouameni than Kroos, but Toni has some different characteristics and can also play in that position."

Kroos displayed his ball-winning abilities in the Super Cup, as he regained possession nine times, second only to Casemiro, while also having 120 touches and completing 97 passes.

When it was put to Ancelotti that the former Germany international had previously suggested he does not enjoy playing in a holding role, Madrid's boss quipped: "He has never told me that. If he tells me that, it doesn't matter, he will play there!"

Asked if Casemiro had provided his reasons for wanting to leave, Ancelotti said: "I cannot answer. It's his personal decision, he wants to try a new challenge and he's the one who has to explain this.

"Something similar happened when I was Milan's coach. I was feeling really good but I wanted to try something new, even if I was feeling very well there because that club was a family to me, but I thought about trying something new, a new experience, another league and language. It's personal but I understand it.

"He shows his will for this new challenge. We have to respect it. We are not sad, not angry, but at a personal level when you spend so many years with this kind of player, so kind, so professional, it's normal that you're not happy, but we will show respect for his decision."

Tottenham must "feel the blood" of their opponents in order to improve, says Antonio Conte.

Spurs played out a thrilling, full-blooded 2-2 draw with London rivals Chelsea on Sunday, with the visitors twice coming from behind at Stamford Bridge.

Harry Kane's stoppage-time equaliser was overshadowed by a touchline fracas at full time, with both Conte and his Chelsea counterpart Thomas Tuchel sent off.

Conte and Tuchel had both previously been booked, and the Spurs boss seemed to have taken issue with how Tuchel shook his hand after the final whistle.

While hopeful he will be allowed to take to the touchline for Tottenham's meeting with Wolves on Saturday, Conte has no regrets about the fierce nature of his side's display against his old club Chelsea.

Indeed, the former Inter coach wants to see more of it.

"Nasty? It's a step that I continue to ask to my players," Conte said. 

"We did a little step forward, but we need to compete this because to be nasty is very important.

"You have to feel the blood of your opponents. You need to win."

One example of that aggression possibly boiling over came when Cristian Romero clearly pulled the hair of Chelsea's new signing Marc Cucurella while the pair competed at a set-piece.

Fortunately for Spurs, referee Anthony Taylor and the VAR failed to punish the infringement.

"I speak a lot with him," Conte said of Romero, who will miss the Wolves game through injury.

"He's really strong physically and has no fear. He has to be really focused to understand the situation. But I speak a lot with him, we have to be strong in the right way."

Tottenham have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League games (W9 D3), having lost five of their eight before this run. 

They look well set to continue that strong form, given Wolves are winless in their last nine Premier League matches. However, since they were promoted back to the top tier in 2018, at no side have they won more away league games than they have against Spurs (three).

Nottingham Forest shattered their transfer record with a deal for Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White that could cost the Premier League newcomers up to £42.5million.

The eye-watering move was completed on Friday, with Forest reportedly paying £25million up front and the rest being dependent on performance-related add-ons.

Forest announced 22-year-old Gibbs-White has signed a five-year contract and been handed the number 10 shirt.

It represents a spectacular show of belief in his talents by Forest boss Steve Cooper, who had Gibbs-White in his England team that won the Under-17 World Cup in October 2017.

Phil Foden was also in that side, with both the Manchester City star and Gibbs-White scoring in the final as England beat Spain 5-2 in Kolkata.

Gibbs-White had already made his first-team debut for Wolves at that point, having faced Stoke City as a 16-year-old in January 2017, but his Premier League career record shows plenty of room for improvement.

In 48 top-flight games, including 36 substitute appearances, Gibbs-White has scored just once and managed only one assist.

He was much more productive in the Championship with Sheffield United last season, hitting 12 goals and adding 10 assists from 60 chances created in 37 games, and must show he can carry that form into the Premier League.

Everton were among clubs interested in Gibbs-White before Forest agreed a deal with Wolves, and it has been reported Frank Lampard's side made a late move to try and hijack the deal.

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said on his club's website: "After his successes last season, it was no secret that Morgan declined to sign a new contract at Wolves, but despite that he has always acted with the utmost professionalism and gave everything for the team.

"Morgan leaves as the most valuable Wolves academy graduate in the club's history and will be an inspiration to the next generation of young players in our academy today."

Gibbs-White, who could be in line for a Forest debut against Everton on Saturday, had started both of Wolves' matches this season, though Bruno Lage's team have reinforced their attack with the signing of Goncalo Guedes from Valencia, while midfielder Matheus Nunes arrived from Sporting CP in a club-record transfer on Wednesday.

We are just three weeks into the new Premier League campaign and already fantasy football managers are getting twitchy over their team selection.

While a number of big-name players have made a fast start to the season, others have yet to get going and some tough decisions have to be made.

Whether you're looking to make up ground on the leaders or consolidate your position among the early pacesetters, matchday three presents a chance to get points on the board.

With the aid of Opta data, Stats Perform has picked out a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker for your consideration.

DEAN HENDERSON (Everton v Nottingham Forest)

David de Gea's shaky start to the season at Manchester United has coincided with Henderson's good form at Nottingham Forest, where he is spending the season on loan from Old Trafford.

Henderson conceded twice against Newcastle United on the opening weekend, but he starred in last week's 1-0 win over West Ham to give Forest lift-off on their top-flight return.

No goalkeeper has made more saves (11) or prevented more goals (2.2) in the Premier League than Henderson this season, while his save percentage of 75.52 since the start of 2019-20 is the best of any keeper to have recorded at least 50 saves.

RAYAN AIT-NOURI (Tottenham v Wolves)

Wolves are seeking their first win of the season at the third attempt this weekend, having so far struggled to find a way past opponents with just one goal in two games.

That is not down to a lack of trying from Ait-Nouri, as only Trent Alexander-Arnold and Aaron Cresswell (six) have created more than his four chances among defenders.

Ait-Nouri's expected assists (xGA) return of 0.53, meanwhile, is bettered only by Alexander-Arnold (0.97) and Reece James (0.48) in the same positional category.

KEVIN DE BRUYNE (Newcastle United v Manchester City)

Picking up from where he left off last term, De Bruyne has assisted a goal – and scored one of his own – in each of City's opening two Premier League matches.

The Belgium playmaker's three direct goal involvements this term is bettered only by former team-mate Gabriel Jesus, who has scored two and assisted two for Arsenal.

De Bruyne has been involved in 24 goals in his past 22 games in the competition, and he is one of four players to have scored and assisted in 20 different games since 2015-16.

OLLIE WATKINS (Crystal Palace v Aston Villa)

England international Watkins may be seeking his first goal of the campaign, but he chipped in with two assists in last week's victory over Everton.

The 26-year-old has now been involved in six goals in his past seven Premier League matches, scoring three and assisting three, having also ended last season strongly.

That form could spell bad news for Palace, as only against Liverpool (five) has he been involved in more top-flight goals than he has against the Eagles (three).

Keegan Bradley rode a hot putter to the outright lead after 18 holes of the BMW Championship, finishing Thursday's play with a seven-under 64.

Bradley entered the week ranked 44th in the FedEx Cup standings, outside the top-30 who will qualify for next week's Tour Championship, but put himself in a great position thanks in large part to his work on the greens.

He collected six birdies on the front nine, and according to Data Golf's strokes gained stats, Bradley was the top overall putter in the opening round, picking up 4.00 strokes with the flat stick, while also coming in seventh in the approach category (2.02 strokes gained).

It was a similar story for Adam Scott in outright second at six under, finishing third in putting (3.30 strokes gained) and 11th in approach shots (1.82 strokes gained).

In a tie for third at five under is the trio of Harold Varner III, Shane Lowry and Justin Thomas – but they all made it there in different ways.

Varner excelled in the tee-to-green category, putting a gap on the field as he gained 5.28 strokes, with Lowry in second-place at 3.32. While Varner was the third-best driver on the day, Lowry was actually a negative off the tee, but led the field in the approach category.

Meanwhile, Thomas was solid just about everywhere, finishing on the fringe of the top-10 in tee-to-green, around the green and putting categories – despite lipping out a four-footer for his only bogey on the 15th hole.

The logjam at four under includes Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Cameron Young, and there is a star-studded group one further back at three under featuring Patrick Cantlay, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. McIlroy will be left ruing a calamitous showing at the par-three 15th hole, where he found the water to triple-bogey when he was one stroke off the lead.

U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick headlines the group at two under, Hideki Matsuyama and Will Zalatoris are at one under, and recent 20-year-old winner Joo-hyung 'Tom' Kim is at even par.

Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm will be disappointed with their rounds at two over, and the previously red-hot Tony Finau is likely out of the hunt as only two players shot worse than his six-over 77.

Gianluca Scamacca scored his first West Ham goal as the Hammers established a commanding 3-1 lead over Viborg in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off clash.

Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio were also on target for the hosts at the London Stadium, with Jakob Bonde's header providing a consolation for the visitors ahead of next week's return leg in Denmark.

The Hammers' fortunes were overseen by first-team coach Billy McKinlay, with manager David Moyes serving a touchline ban following his red card in last season's Europa League semi-final defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt.

Vladimir Coufal wore the captain's armband in the absence of Declan Rice and Aaron Cresswell – both also serving continental suspensions – but the hosts took the lead in the 24th minute; Scamacca rising to head home Maxwel Cornet's inviting cross.

They doubled their lead after 64 minutes as Bowen collected a loose ball, before brilliantly drilling low past Lucas Lund from 30 yards. The visitors halved the deficit five minutes later when Bonde arrived at the far post to nod home Christian Sorensen's centre.

But substitutes Antonio and Said Benrahma combined to restore the hosts' two-goal buffer in the 78th minute. Benrahma embarked on a jinking run from the left flank, before squaring for Antonio to tuck into the empty net.

Facing Liverpool at Old Trafford is the "perfect game" for Manchester United to kick-start their season, Virgil van Dijk has warned.

United followed up a 2-1 home loss against Brighton and Hove Albion in their opening Premier League game of the campaign with a heavy 4-0 defeat at Brentford last weekend.

The Red Devils find themselves bottom for the first time since August 1992, which is the only previous occasion they lost their opening two games in the competition.

Erik ten Hag is the first United manager to lose his opening two games in charge since John Chapman in 1921 and the Dutchman's task does not get any easier.

United face fierce rivals Liverpool on Monday, when Van Dijk expects the home side to be extra motivated to get off the mark in front of their own fans.

"It's massive, but it's not about making a statement. We want to win and do everything that's possible to win there," Van Dijk said. 

"This year they've had a difficult start and we've not had the best start that we wanted either, so it will be interesting. 

"Obviously they're not in the best situation confidence-wise probably, but it's the perfect game to turn it around for them."

Liverpool finished one point behind champions Manchester City last season, but they have started the 2022-23 campaign with draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace.

That makes Monday's encounter the first time that United and Liverpool have been winless in the Premier League heading into this fixture.

Jurgen Klopp's side have won their past two league games at Old Trafford, including a 5-0 thumping last season, and are looking to make it three in a row for the first time.

"Over the years it’s proven tough for us to win there, though last year was a great result, we can't deny it," Van Dijk said.

"This week we showed a lot of good spirit and fight in training, and we've got to bring that to the game on Monday."

The Los Angeles Lakers will honour Spanish legend Pau Gasol when they retire his number 16 jersey next year.

A ceremony will take place on March 7, 2023 when the Lakers host the Memphis Grizzlies.

Gasol played for the Lakers between 2008 and 2014, having arrived from Memphis, appearing in three NBA Finals and winning two championships alongside Kobe Bryant.

Three of his six All-Star appearances came during his time in Los Angeles, before he left for the Chicago Bulls in 2014.

After time with the San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks, Gasol returned to Europe for a second spell with Barcelona, where his career had begun, before retiring in October last year at the age of 41.

Following the announcement, Gasol took to Twitter to thank his former franchise, writing: "Beyond thankful and honoured!!!"

Gasol had an average of 17.7 points per game during his time with the Lakers, as well 9.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 blocks in 429 appearances.

He will join a number of legends, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant and Magic Johnson, in having his jersey retired by the Lakers.

India eased to victory in the first ODI against Zimbabwe, winning by 10 wickets in Harare on Thursday.

The hosts began poorly as they found themselves 31-4 after the first ball of the 11th over, with none of the top four batsmen scoring double figures.

They continued to struggle up to 110-8 after less than 30 overs, before a partnership of 70 from Brad Evans (33 not out) and Richard Ngarava (34) put some respect on the eventual total of 189 all out, captain Regis Chakabva top scoring with 35.

It did not seem like 190 would be enough to repel India, and sure enough the tourists made light work of it as openers Shikhar Dhawan (81 not out) and Shubman Gill (86 not out) chased it down themselves off just 30.4 overs.

Zimbabwe have lost their last 13 men's ODIs against India, which was already their longest losing streak against them in the format, having last beaten them in June 2010.

India have now won their last five away men's ODI matches. The last time they won as many consecutive matches on the road was a stretch of five in June 2019.

The second of the three-match series takes place in Harare on Saturday.

Whenever people talk about the NBA, one name is rarely far away from any conversation.

LeBron James is once again the talk of basketball after reports emerged on Wednesday he had agreed a two-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers worth an eye-watering $97.1million.

The 37-year-old had been entering the final year of a contract worth $44.5m. His new deal includes a player option for the 2024-25 season according to ESPN, citing Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.

James' deal takes him to $532m in guaranteed career earnings, which would mean he is the highest-paid player in the history of the league, ahead of Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets.

Apart from having four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, four NBA MVPs, 17 All-Star selections and three All-Star MVPs, what has James done to earn such a lucrative deal?

Stats Perform has taken a trip down memory lane to remind ourselves just why he is still the hottest property in the NBA.

Breakout in Cleveland

As the first pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, it was hardly surprising that James impressed from the start with the Cavaliers, averaging 20.9 points per game (PPG) in his debut season from 79 games.

It was the 2005-06 season where he really exploded, though, averaging 31.4 PPG in the regular season, which remains his highest ever for a campaign, before recording 30.8 PPG in the playoffs, where the Cavs were eliminated in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals by the Detroit Pistons.

James took Cleveland to the postseason for five straight seasons, agonisingly losing the 2007 Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, before taking the mantel again in 2009 as he put up 35.3 PPG in 14 playoff outings before Conference final heartbreak against the Orlando Magic.

He had become a superstar in his home state of Ohio, though it seemed like championship glory was always going to elude him in Cleveland and so in 2010, it was time for a decision.

LeBron brings the Heat

The television event titled 'The Decision' did not go down universally well, it is fair to say, as James dramatically revealed he was leaving the Cavs for the Miami Heat.

However, it turned out to be the catalyst for him to reach the next step as he was undoubtedly surrounded by more talent in Miami, and before long, much-deserved silverware.

Linking up superbly night after night with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James reached the Finals every year in Florida, winning his first championship in 2012, before following it up in 2013 with another.

His numbers were ever so slightly lower at the Heat than they had been in Cleveland, though that clearly owed to having more help from the likes of Wade and Bosh.

James' first title win 2012 saw him average 30.3 PPG during the postseason, and led the way as he got some revenge on the Spurs in 2013, excelling in Game 7 to win his second championship.

The Cavalier returns home

In 2014, James came back to Cleveland with the desire to take his team to the promised land with him this time, and he did just that.

Just as he had in Miami, James went to the Finals every year of his second spell with the Cavaliers, and every year they played against the dominant Golden State Warriors.

After losing 4-2 in 2015, they returned to get revenge in 2016 as James starred on their way to an almost Hollywood-ending win against the Warriors, securing their first NBA championship.

They were unable to repeat the trick as the Warriors beat them in both the 2017 and 2018 Finals, but reaching four Finals in a row was still more than Cavs fans could have realistically expected.

Unfortunately for them, James was getting itchy feet again.

L.A. dreams not always what they are cracked up to be

James himself had a solid enough start to life in Los Angeles, posting 27.4 PPG for the Lakers in 2018-19, though injury issues sustained by him and several of his new team-mates led to a wobbly season, and therefore, no postseason for the first time for James since 2005.

Inevitably, he came roaring back the following year and in spite of the chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, James and the Lakers returned to win the "bubble championship", the fourth title of his career with a third different team.

However, the 2020-21 campaign was one to forget as James recorded his lowest PPG for a season (25.0) since his rookie year, before the Lakers were dumped out of the playoffs in the first round by the Phoenix Suns.

Was it all over for LeBron? Not likely. He responded to that setback by scoring 1,695 points in just 56 games last season at an average of 30.3 PPG, his best regular season return since 2005-06.

James also reached a notable landmark in March, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 10,000 assists and 10,000 rebounds in a career.

Unfortunately for him, his team-mates were unable to match those efforts and the Lakers again failed to even make the playoffs, which could be why they were so desperate to find the funds to tie James' immediate future down.

His PPG has been higher in the playoffs than the regular season at every team he has played barring the Heat, where it was identical (26.9), proving the extent to which he is a clutch player and why it is imperative that the Lakers reach the postseason next year to make the most of the time they have left with him.

Injuries permitting, it is also practically certain he will overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer next season (currently 1,325 points behind).

Now that his new deal is agreed, you can be sure when that landmark arrives, LeBron will be wearing the same Lakers jersey Kareem did so famously.

Primoz Roglic will set out on a mission to create cycling history as the Slovenian gets his Vuelta a Espana campaign under way on Friday.

The 77th edition of the Grand Tour starts in Utrecht, with the opening three stages taking place across the Netherlands before the caravan transfers to Spain.

It is only the fourth time that the Vuelta has started outside of Spain, after doing so in Portugal in 1997, the Netherlands in 2009 and France in 2017.

Spanish riders have won 32 of the previous 76 editions, but not since 2014 has a Spaniard triumphed, when Alberto Contador tasted glory.

It is the longest wait for a Spaniard champion in the race's history, and in the last three years, it is Roglic who has dominated.

Meanwhile, Alejandro Valverde, the 2009 champion, will bid goodbye to his home Grand Tour.

Roglic's shot at history

Roglic won his first Vuelta title in 2019 and successfully defended in 2020, despite his heartbreaking defeat to Tadej Pogacar at that year's Tour de France.

He crashed out of Le Tour in 2021 but bounced back in style, winning Olympic gold in Tokyo before clinching a third-straight Vuelta triumph to match the feats of Tony Rominger (1992 to 1994) and Roberto Heras (2003 to 2005).

Now, Roglic has history in his sights. Only Heras has won the Vuelta on four occasions, but no rider has ever won it over four successive years.

The 32-year-old Roglic's Tour de France again ended early this year, as he watched team-mate Jonas Vingegaard storm to success and set up a rivalry with Roglic's compatriot Pogacar that should enthral for years to come; but at the Vuelta, Roglic is Jumbo-Visma's main man.

Roglic has won the Vuelta in all of his three appearances, reaching nine stage wins in this period, more than any other rider (Fabio Jakobsen is the next best, with five to his name). He also claimed the points ranking in both 2019 and 2020, and could equal Erik Zabel (three) as joint-second on the all-time list for that classification, behind Sean Kelly, Valverde and Laurent Jalabert (four each).

"Of course the record gives me more motivation, it's special," said Roglic in a press conference on Thursday. "We're going to fight for that."

There are some concerns over his fitness after the injury he suffered at Le Tour, however.

Roglic said: "At certain moments I still feel some pain, but it is already much better than before. We'll see. If I get to the start here, it means I'm ready too. But I'll have to wait and see in the coming days and weeks to find out how it really goes."

Roglic could also feasibly set a record for the most stages wearing the red leader's jersey. He is currently level with Herras on 36, 12 behind Alex Zulle's haul of 48.

A last dance for Vuelta veterans?

Valverde, of Movistar, will be making his 16th Vuelta appearance. The 42-year-old has achieved more podium finishes in the general classification than any other rider, having done so on seven occasions, including his 2009 success.

If he completes the race, Valverde, who has won 12 individual stages at La Vuelta, will equal Federico Etxabe, Chente Garcia Acosta and Inigo Cuesta as riders who have finished the most times (14).

"To win a stage would be incredible," Valverde said on Thursday. "I don't believe I will be at the same level as the best during 21 days, but we do have a team-mate who can be among the top three or perhaps even win. What I see for myself is that I will try to win a stage."

Chris Froome, meanwhile, is a two-time Vuelta champion who is out to prove himself once more.

The seven-time Grand Tour winner has been struggling with COVID-19 in the build-up this time but is set to make his eighth appearance in the race, having finished on the podium four times, taking the 2011 and 2017 titles.

The first of those victories was only awarded to Froome in 2019 after original race winner Juan Jose Cobo was disqualified for a doping offence.

In a stellar career, Froome has become the first British rider to win all three of the biggest races in cycling.

Emma Raducanu admitted she has been "too tense" in recent defeats and is aiming to play more freely as she prepares to defend her US Open title.

Raducanu has struggled to follow up last year's shock win at Flushing Meadow, but she appears to have hit form at just the right time.

The 19-year-old has beaten both Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka in straight sets during this week's Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, dropping just four games against Williams and two against Azarenka.

Her win against Azarenka on Wednesday was just Raducanu's third career victory against a top-25 opponent, after beating Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari on her way to winning last year's US Open.

Speaking after her win against the Belarusian, Raducanu said: "I think I have tried a lot of things, and this year I think some matches, I have lost a lot of matches from leading situations and probably just played too tense.

"I think that I just need to swing, and I just said that these two tournaments, or this tournament especially, I'm just going to swing freely and take that and see what happens."

Raducanu also said she will wait until after the tournament to reflect on beating two multiple grand slam champions with relative ease.

"I think after the tournament I actually have to take a step back and be like, 'Look, you just beat two unbelievable champions'," she said. "It's a pretty good achievement. You know how difficult the wins are to come by."

The number 10 seed will face seventh seed Jessica Pegula in the third round in Cincinnati on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo "does not have time" to stick around for another season at Manchester United, according to former team-mate Nani.

Portugal international Ronaldo is reportedly seeking a move away from United just under a year after returning to the club from Juventus.

However, a lack of viable options – with Chelsea and Bayern Munich said to have rejected the chance to sign him – has left the 37-year-old superstar in a tricky situation.

Ronaldo's complicated situation has only been exacerbated following United's opening home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion and a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Brentford.

With United undergoing another rebuild under new manager Erik ten Hag, ex-United winger Nani can understand why his compatriot is looking to leave.

"Times change and the reactions and attitude can change as well," Nani said on Rio Ferdinand's Vibe with Five podcast.

"But, as we see, he's doing the same things as usual. He doesn't like to lose and he reacts when the team is not doing well. The only difference is that it's different times. 

"He's playing again at Man United, but he's been all over the world doing well at different teams with different players.

"He's in a team where the manager is trying to build a strong team, and it's not easy, it takes time. Cristiano doesn't have time to lose on building teams or waiting for next season. 

"He wants to continue to be at the top, scoring goals, being the man. That's why the reaction is normal. We all have the wrong reactions sometimes."

Ronaldo was recalled to United's starting line-up for the defeat to Brentford and had six shots, twice as many as any other player on the field, without finding the net.

With their latest dismal defeat, United have started a Premier League campaign with back-to-back losses for the first time since the competition's inaugural campaign in 1992-93.

Stretching back into last season, the Red Devils have now lost four successive league games for the first time since February 1979.

Nani, who won four Premier League titles and the Champions League during his seven full seasons with United, has hit out at the attitude of the club's current crop of players.

"I don't like to talk too much. I don't talk about players, but you can see there is no hunger, there is no attitude or desire to win in the club," he said.

"You have a lot of talented players, but they don't want to get tired. If I had to get sweaty to win, I would. They prefer to not sweat.

"You have talented players in the team with a lot of skills. They can shoot with their right foot and left, but the last game, no one was shooting at goal, everyone was passing."