IN ENGLAND
FA Cup holders Crystal Palace beat Premier League champions Liverpool three-two on penalties after a two-all draw to win an enthralling Community Shield at Wembley.
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson was the shootout hero for Palace as he saved from Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott, while Mohamed Salah sent his kick over the bar.
It allowed 21-year-old midfielder Justin Devenny, sent on as a stoppage-time substitute, to smash the winning penalty past Alisson.
Palace, who had not won a major trophy in their history until this year, have now earned two in a matter of months at Wembley.
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Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner says he will not swap the team’s Community Shield victory for a spot in next season’s Europa League.
The FA Cup holders claimed their second trophy in three months and first Community Shield by overcoming Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties.
Palace will find out on Monday whether they will be allowed to play in Europe’s second-tier cup competition in 2025-26.
The Eagles were demoted to the Uefa Conference League as punishment for breaching multi-club ownership rules, as American businessman John Textor owns a stake in the club and is the majority owner of Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League.
The appeal is against Uefa, which issued the punishment, French club Lyon and Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest.
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Liverpool manager, Arne Slot says he does not believe that Crystal Palace fans intended to disrupt the minute’s silence held in remembrance of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva before Sunday’s Community Shield.
Referee Chris Kavanagh cut short the silence after supporters at Wembley booed shouts coming from the east end of Wembley, where the Palace fans were located.
Speaking to the media after his side lost the traditional season curtain-raiser three-two on penalties, Liverpool manager said he believed the interruption to be accidental.
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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has insisted that it would be a sensible idea to strengthen up front in the aftermath of his side’s Community Shield defeat.
Van Dijk insisted that there was room in the squad for more attackers.
The Reds have been linked with Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak this summer, and have already had a one hundred and ten million pounds bid rejected for the forward.
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Chelsea boss, Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana will both be fit for the team’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.
Chalobah was forced off in their four-one friendly win over AC Milan but would be available to play against Palace.
Fofana, who has not played for Chelsea since March due to a hamstring injury, could be set to make his return.
With Levi Colwill set to miss much of the coming season after undergoing ACL surgery, Maresca said he could not have afforded another defensive injury, but he confirmed that Chalobah’s substitution was simply precautionary.
Maresca added that he was pleased with Liam Delap and Joao Pedro’s performances, saying the team was happy with both of them.
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Arsenal legend Alan Smith has advised the team’s striker, Gabriel Jesus to depart the Gunners this summer.
Jesus has scored twenty-six goals in ninety-six appearances in all competitions, but his time as a Gunner has been decimated by injuries.
Smith believes the time was now right for the striker to be moved on, especially following the arrival of striker Viktor Gyokeres.
He urged the team’s manager, Mikel Arteta to keep hold of wingers Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli despite reported interest in Eberechi Eze and Rodrygo.
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Newcastle United is closing in on the signing of AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw.
The centre-back is due to fly to Tyneside to finalise his move to St James’ Park.
Newcastle missed out on several targets this summer, including Benjamin Sesko, Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro and James Trafford, but Thiaw is keen to join the club.
The Germany international will undergo a medical before completing a deal reportedly worth up to thirty-four points sixty-two million pounds including add-ons.
Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim has disclosed that he had a difficult period last season putting up eleven players on the pitch.
The Dutch tactician stated this on the backdrop of the Red Devils’ impressive win over Fiorentina in a preseason friendly game at Old Trafford.
Amorim said he was delighted to be having a selection headache at the moment compared to last season, when he struggled to put eleven players on the pitch.
Former Everton striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has sacked his agent and will take the lead on his own transfer negotiations as he looks for a new club, with Manchester United his ultimate goal.
The 28-year-old is now a free agent after his deal with the Toffees came to an end and is seeking his next opportunity, which he hopes could come at Old Trafford.
Bournemouth is close to completing the signing of French centre-back Bafode Diakite from Lille for about thirty-four point six million pounds.
Diakite will cost an initial fee of thirty point three million pounds plus four point three million pounds in add-ons, making him Bournemouth’s second most expensive signing.
The defender made eighty-five appearances in Ligue 1 since joining Lille from Toulouse in 2022, and played ten times in the Champions League last season.
Diakite is currently in the UK to complete a medical, and will become the club’s third signing of the summer after left-back Adrien Truffert and goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
Sunderland has made former West Ham left-back Arthur Masuaku their 10th signing of the summer as they prepare for their return to the Premier League.
Free agent Masuaku has signed a two-year contract, subject to international clearance, after leaving Besiktas earlier this summer.
The Democratic of Republic Congo international follows the arrivals of Enzo Le Fee, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandava, Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra, Granit Xhaka, Robin Roefs and Marc Guiu.
Leicester City stra Wout Faes struck late as the team marked their Championship return with a win over ten-man Sheffield Wednesday to deepen the gloom at the crisis-hit club.
Faes headed in with three minutes left after Jannik Vestergaard cancelled out Nathaniel Chalobah’s first-half opener.
It gave new Leicester boss Marti Cifuentes a winning start, while opposite number Henrik Pedersen tasted defeat, ten days after taking the Owls hotseat.
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IN NIGERIA
The Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, has suspended Plateau United goalkeeper Adewale Adeyinka over his alleged involvement in betting activities.
The allegation was levelled against Adeyinka by Plateau United.
NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi stated that the player refused to sign a contract with a prospective new club, because a clause of immediate termination of the contract in the case of betting implications was included.
Adeyinka joined the Jos club from Kwara United at the start of last season.
Super Eagles star, Wilfred Ndidi has revealed why he opted to sign for Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas.
Ndidi said the desire to play for one of the best clubs in the world made him move to the Black Eagles.
The Nigeria international stated that he was looking forward to winning more laurels at Besiktas.
He described himself as a team player.
Ndidi joined Besiktas from Leicester City on a permanent transfer.
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Super Eagles star Tolu Arokodare has opened his goal account of the season in KRC Genk’s two-one defeat to Standard Liege.
Arokodare started the game on the bench, and replaced Jarne Steuckers in the 67th minute.
The 24-year-old reduced the deficit for Genk three minutes later.
The striker, who was the top scorer in the Belgian Pro League last season is yet to start a game for Smurfs this term.
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Nigerian international Chuba Akpom has joined Sky Bet Championship club Ipswich Town on a season-long loan deal.
Akpom linked up with the Tractor Boys from Eredivisie giants Ajax.
The 29-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan with Ligue 1 outfit Lille.
Akpom becomes Ipswich Town’s sixth signing of the summer transfer window.
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Galatasaray head coach, Okan Buruk has defended his decision to omit Victor Osimhen for Saturday’s clash with Gaziantep.
Buruk said Osimhen had a five- or six-day training period with the team.
The Yellow and Reds started their campaign with a three-nil victory over Gaziantep.
Osimhen was not included in the matchday squad by Buruk.
Super Eagles star, Joe Aribo is set to leave Sky Bet Championship club Southampton this summer.
The Nigeria international is assessing his future at the St Mary’s Stadium following the club’s relegation from Premier League last season.
The midfielder also barely featured for the club during pre-season, failing to make the squad for the friendlies against Brighton and Eastleigh.
Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Leeds United are interested in Super Eagles star Nathan Tella, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen.
The three clubs had their scouts in attendance when Chelsea defeated Bayer Leverkusen in a pre-season friendly.
Tella would be interested in a return to England having made his mark at Southampton, and Burnley in the past.
D’Tigers has arrived at Angola for this year’s FIBA AfroBasket tournament.
The twelve players who made the final shortlist for the tournament are Josh Okogie, Caleb Agada, Ike Nwamu, Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, Talib Zanna, Stan Okoye and Mike Nuga.
Others are Devine Eke, Christian Mekowulu, Martins Igbanu, Ugo Simon and Emmanuel Omogbo.
This year’s tournament, which will hold in Angola, will begin on 12th and end 24th August.
D’Tigers are in Group B with Tunisia, Madagascar and Cameroon.
The Nigerian team will begin their campaign on 13th August against Madagascar.
OTHER LEAGUES
Celtic has made it two wins from two at the start of their Scottish Premiership title defence to help banish the hurt from last season’s Scottish Cup final loss with a comfortable victory at Aberdeen.
Benjamin Nygren turned in a cross from Kieran Tierney to steady the visitors who had been under earlier pressure from the side who defeated them on penalties at Hampden in May.
The Aberdeen challenge dissipated, with Reo Hatate curling in a magnificent strike midway through the second half to seal victory for Brendan Rodgers’ team.
Teenage wing-back Ben Brannan’s stunning looping volley helped Kilmarnock recover from two goals down to draw with high-flying Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership.
Liam Polworth scored Kilmarnock’s second goal, while Hibernian’s two goals were scored by Rocky Bushiri and Elie Youan.
Bayer Leverkusen coach, Erik ten Hag says he is convinced Chelsea defender Jorrel Hato will be a success at Stamford Bridge.
Ten Hag told the Metro that Chelsea has pulled off a coup with the signing of Jorrel Hato.
OTHER SPORTS
In Tennis, British number two Cameron Norrie is out of the Cincinnati Open after suffering a second-round loss to veteran Roberto Bautista Agut.
Norrie recently beat the world number 53 in four sets at Wimbledon, with his first-round win sparking a run to the quarter-finals at the All England Club.
As the 32nd seed in Ohio, Norrie had a first-round bye before meeting the 37-year-old Spaniard, but with the temperature passing 30C, he seemed to struggle in the heat on the way to a 6-4 6-3 defeat.
Norrie’s last outing came at the Canadian Open, where he was beaten by world number 99 Aleksandar Vukic in the second round.
Also, Emma Raducanu says her major goal is to improve as a player and not to win titles.
The former US Open champion secured a spot as a seeded player in a WTA 1000 for the first time in over three years and had a first-round bye, debuting against the Serb, world number forty-three, Olga Danilovic and comfortably beat her 6-3, 6-2.
Raducanu stated that her main goals are not set on fighting for titles but rather on continuing to improve her level and her results.
In Cricket, England’s Jofra Archer took 2-16 as Southern Brave comfortably beat struggling Birmingham Phoenix by nine wickets in the men’s Hundred.
Archer and New Zealand spinner Michael Bracewell, who took 3-10, restricted Phoenix to 106-7, with Joe Clarke’s thirty-six and Ben Duckett’s twenty the only contributions of note.
It was a formidable performance from Brave’s bowling attack, led by the pace of Archer and Chris Jordan, as they were in control throughout after winning the toss.
Nascar Xfinity points leader Connor Zilisch has broken his collarbone after falling from his car while celebrating a win.
Zilisch had won his sixth race of the season in Nascar’s second tier at Watkins Glen and was climbing on to the roof of his car to celebrate.
He appeared to slip on the window net of his Chevrolet and fell on to the concrete in Victory Lane.
Zilisch was forced to miss a race after injuring his back in a crash at Talladega in June but bounced back in style and his win was his fifth victory in eight races.
In Boxing, A second Japanese boxer has died from a brain injury suffered at an event in Tokyo.
Hiromasa Urakawa died after he was beaten via knockout in the eighth round of his fight with Yoji Saito on 2nd August.
It follows the death of Shigetoshi Kotari from injuries sustained during a separate bout on the same card at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
Both boxers underwent surgery for subdural haematoma, a condition where blood collects between the skull and the brain.
The World Boxing Organisation said it mourns the passing of Japanese boxer Hiromasa Urakawa, who tragically succumbed to injuries sustained during his fight against Yoji Saito.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
The ideal attitude is to be physically loose and mentally tight…words from Tennis Great,
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