IN ENGLAND
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Liverpool star, Dominik Szoboszlai has scored a dramatic stoppage-time penalty as the team denied Newcastle an opening game victory at St James’ Park.

Goals from Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock seemed to have given Matthias Jaissle a winning start to life as Newcastle manager, with Cody Gakpo having briefly levelled for the visitors in the second half.

However, with seconds left Victor Munoz was brought down inside the box by Lewis Hall and Szoboszlai stepped up to hammer the penalty into the roof of the net.

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Brighton have kicked off their new Premier League campaign in emphatic fashion by thrashing Europa League winners Aston Villa four-nil at Amex Stadium.

It only took the Seagulls eight minutes to take the lead as Maxim de Cuyper forced an own goal out of Victor Lindelof before the Belgian added his name to the scoresheet ten minutes later with an easy finish to make it two-nil.

Villa crumbled as Jack Hinshelwood then struck two goals in as many minutes to put Brighton four-nil up, before Aston Villa was reduced to ten men following a red card for Joao Gomes, who lasted only 40 minutes on a nightmare debut.

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Aston Villa boss, Unai Emery says forward Ollie Watkins’ absence in the four-nil thrashing at Brighton is a question for him.

The 30-year-old was left out of the matchday squad for Villa’s Premier League opener after Emery confirmed earlier in the week there had been offers from Saudi club Al-Hilal for the striker.

The club could have sold six of the starting eleven by the end of the transfer window.

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Manchester City has scored two late goals to earn Enzo Maresca a win in his first Premier League game in charge and deny Marco Rose the perfect start as Bournemouth boss.

The Cherries took the first-half lead through Marcus Tavernier, who was left in loads of space to slam in after Evanilson’s incisive low ball across the area.

But Marc Guehi, playing in defensive midfield for only the third time in his career, nodded in Rayan Cherki’s corner with six minutes to go.

And it got even worse for Bournemouth when Josko Gvardiol guided a shot into the bottom corner in injury time.

The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but given after a video assistant referee review.

It was Bournemouth’s first defeat in any competition since January, ending their club-record eighteen-game unbeaten run.

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Manchester City manager, Enzo Maresca has admitted that his squad is a work in progress.

Late goals from Marc Guéhi and Joško Gvardiol sealed the three points, but Maresca stressed the need for tactical experimentation, such as deploying center-back Guéhi in midfield, while managing a transitional squad with limited pre-season preparation.

He also noted that a handful of key players, including Erling Haaland and Marc Guéhi, only returned to training roughly ten days prior to the fixture.

Maresca also chose to highlight the lack of preparation his side have had compared to the opposition.

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Manchester United head coach, Michael Carrick has made two wider observations around his side’s shock opening day Premier League defeat at newly promoted Hull City.

He said to build on what they did last season they need to become a team other teams are scared of.

Carrick urged his players to be more energy in the press.

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West Bromwich Albion, star Isaac Price has scored twice and Harry Whitwell bagged the other as James Morrison’s confident team beat Burnley to maintain their winning start to the 2026-27 campaign.

After an opening-day Carabao Cup win at Rotherham, Morrison’s men have now made it two league wins out of two.

It leaves them at the top of the table, with Millwall and Charlton the only other teams to have won their first two Championship games, while new Burnley boss Nicky Hayen is still looking for a first league win.

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Arsenal has held talks with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal over the sale of winger Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazil international is free to leave the club this summer, with manager Mikel Arteta making it clear to the attacker that he is not in his plans.

Turkish club Galatasaray showed interest in Martinelli earlier this summer but the Brazilian would not consider a move to Istanbul, despite Arsenal receiving a forty-five million pounds bid.

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Manchester City has agreed a deal in principle worth eighty-five point six million pounds to sign 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The two clubs were in advanced talks over a deal for the Morocco international to join City.

An agreement for the teenager to join Enzo Maresca’s side is now in place, with Bouaddi now set to complete his protracted move to England with Lille accepting an initial fee of eighty-one point four million pounds, plus four point two million pounds in add-ons.

They remain interested in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez but it remains to be seen whether a deal can be struck.

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IN NIGERIA
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Rangers has emerged champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, Pre-Season invitational tournament following a one-nil victory over Plateau United in the final at the New Jos Stadium.

Justice Akugre was the hero for Rangers, scoring the decisive goal in the 28th minute.

Plateau United pushed for an equaliser after the break, but Rangers stood firm defensively to protect their slender advantage and secure the trophy.

In the third-place playoff, Mighty Jets edged Katsina United one-nil in another closely contested encounter.

Tochukwu Ibedu netted the winning goal in the 39th minute, producing a clinical finish to hand Mighty Jets victory and third position in the tournament.

The invitational tournament served as part of the participating clubs’ preparations for the 2026/27 NPFL season.

The new season will start on Friday, 27th August, with defending champions Rangers taking on Katsina United in the opening fixture.

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Bayelsa United technical adviser, Abdul Maikaba has declared that his main objective is to guide the club back to the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, at the end of the 2026/27 Nigeria National League, season.

Maikaba stated this after the Prosperity Boys recorded a pre-season victory over De Go-Pro FC of Sapele as preparations intensify for the new campaign.

Maikaba revealed that more than 60 players are currently in camp, with the number expected to be reduced considerably before the start of the season.

Despite being drawn in a competitive group, Maikaba insisted that Bayelsa United are prepared to take on every opponent in their quest for promotion.

The 2026/27 NNL season is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, 31st October, with Heartland of Owerri taking on Crown FC of Ogbomoso in the opening fixture.

Meanwhile, Bayelsa United will compete in Conference B alongside Beyond Limit FA, Solution FC, Akwa United, Smart City FC, Right-2-Win FC, Dokka Khairu FC, Abakaliki FC and Ekiti United.

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Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman was in action as Atletico Madrid played out an entertaining two-all draw against Villarreal in the La Liga game.

The Nigerian international who had a quiet game for the Yellow Submarine was later substituted in the 79th minute for Jose Gimenez.

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OTHER LEAGUES
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Barcelona star, Anthony Gordon has marked his Barcelona debut with two assists in five minutes as the reigning champions defeated Elche five-nil in their La Liga opener.

The England winger, who joined Barca from Newcastle in the summer, was sent on as a replacement for Lamine Yamal in the 65th minute and provided his first assist by slipping in captain Raphinha after only two minutes on the field.

The 25-year-old, operating on the left wing, then created a second goal only four minutes later after racing through on goal before squaring the ball to Fermin Lopez to finish into an unguarded goal to make it four-nil.

Gordon had registered just two assists for Newcastle in twenty-six appearances during the 2025-26 Premier League season but was their top scorer with seventeen goals across all competitions.

The victory meant Hansi Flick’s side began their title defence with win after their rivals Real Madrid also made a winning start at Espanyol on Saturday.

Barcelona will return to action against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, 27th August.

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Atletico Madrid forward, Julian Alvarez has been booed by his own fans amid speculation about his future as his side drew with Villarreal in La Liga.

Alvarez said during the World Cup that he wants to leave Atletico to fulfil my dream, and has since been linked with moves to Arsenal and Barcelona ahead of transfer deadline day on 1st September.

He started on the bench against Villarreal but was jeered while warming up and there were even louder boos when he came on in the 66th minute.

After Giuliano Simeone struck late on to rescue a point for Atletico, Alvarez headed straight down the tunnel at full time, drawing more boos.

Boss Diego Simeone suggested afterwards however that it was a pre-agreed club decision for the forward to not join his team-mates at full time and head to the dressing room instead.

Marc Pubill had given Atletico the lead just before the hour mark when he curled in a fine strike, but Gerard Moreno levelled soon after from the penalty spot.

It looked like Atletico were heading for defeat when Robin le Normand was sent off in the 76th minute for a foul on Georges Mikautadze inside the box, and the Georgia forward stepped up to convert the penalty.

The draw means Atletico have won one and drawn one of their first two La Liga games of the season, while Villarreal have drawn both of their matches.

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Real Madrid boss, Jose Mourinho says Vinicius Junior needs great emotional control after claiming the winger is being bullied on the pitch.

The 63‑year‑old’s comments come after the Brazilian picked up an avoidable yellow card in a two-one La Liga opening win over Espanyol for an argument with midfielder Cala in the first half.

Vinicius has been the target of regular abuse during his eight years at Real Madrid, including the night Mourinho was in the Benfica dugout when Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing the Brazilian a claim the Argentine denied.

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Trabzonspor star, Mohamed Salah has scored twice on his first Turkish Super Lig start for the team and almost had a hat-trick as they beat Istanbul Basaksehir two-one.

The 34-year-old Egypt forward left Liverpool on a free transfer this summer, having scored two hundred and fifty-seven goals for the club in nine years.

This was his third appearance for Trabzonspor, having come off the bench against Kasimpasa last weekend and started in their Europa League play-off first-leg defeat by Ferencvaros.

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Bayern Munich striker, Harry Kane has been voted Germany’s footballer of the year for 2026, becoming the first Englishman to win the award.

Kane scored sixty-one goals in all competitions last season as his side completed a league and cup double and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Bundesliga players or German players playing abroad are eligible for the award, which is organised by Kicker magazine and voted for by six hundred and ninety-five members of the German sports journalists association.

Kane received two hundred and seventy-two votes, with Bayern team-mate Michael Olise runner-up in 2025 behind Florian Wirtz again second, this time with two hundred and three votes.

The England captain is among the favourites to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded in London in October.

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Six Nordic football associations (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands) have issued a joint statement in Helsinki, declaring a total loss of confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

They backed regional calls for his resignation and demanded independent investigations into controversial private equity proposals.

The Nordic bodies aligned with UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF in backing calls for Infantino to step down.

They demanded legally binding guarantees that FIFA will never again open its governance or major competitions (like the World Cup) to private ownership.

Meanwhile, Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term until 2031 at next year’s election, is in the Dominican Republic, where he met with officials of the Caribbean ‌Football Union.

CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani had asked Infantino to stay away from a youth soccer tournament in the country.

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OTHER SPORTS
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In Tennis, Jessica Pegula beat Iga Swiatek in a match that lasted almost three hours to book her spot in the final of the Cincinnati Open.

Third seed Pegula won 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 against the six-time Grand Slam champion in a contest featuring 13 breaks of serve.

Pegula and Coco Gauff, who beat unseeded Czech Sara Bejlek 6-4, 6-1 earlier on Saturday, will contest the first all‑American women’s final in Cincinnati in 56 years on Sunday.

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In Formula one, Lando Norris says he and McLaren do not have the car he need to fight for a championship, despite a second consecutive win to open the second half of the Formula 1 season.

The Briton’s victory in the final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, following on from his first win of the season in Hungary last month, was of the highest calibre.

As such, it raises the prospect of the sort of championship fightback staged by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen against Norris himself last year.

Norris’ masterful victory in Zandvoort has left him 83 points off the lead, held by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who he and McLaren passed on track after losing the lead at the chaotic start of the day.

Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell is tied on points with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, 59 behind the Italian.

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In Cycling, Great Britain’s Matt Brennan sprinted to victory in the second stage of the Vuelta a Espana as overall race favourite Tadej Pogacar held on to the leader’s red jersey.

The 21-year-old Brennan, riding his first Grand Tour, pounced in the final kilometres of the two hundred and fourteen kilometres ride from Monaco to Manosque to claim his first stage win.

It looked like Brennan’s team-mate Wout van Aert and Tour de France winner Pogacar would fight for victory.

However, in the final kilometres Van Aert was caught and Pogacar opted to conserve energy, giving Brennan his chance.

Spaniard Pau Miquel Delgado of Bahrain Victorious came second, as UAE Team Emirates’ Pogacar crossed the line in third.

Pogacar remains top of the general classification after winning Saturday’s opening time trial by 0.09 seconds and will take a nine-second lead over second-place Van Aert into Monday’s third stage.

Brennan moves up to third in the overall standings, ten seconds behind Pogacar.

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In Cricket, England bowler Brydon Carse is under investigation after he was reportedly involved in an incident at a nightclub in Derby on Saturday, the England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed.

Videos circulating on social media on Sunday appeared to show Carse in handcuffs, being led away from a club by four police officers.

The Durham bowler, who is in England’s squad for the second Test against Pakistan this week, was seen with team-mate Matthew Potts while former England captain Ben Stokes was also pictured.

Carse, who is due to meet up with the squad on Monday, was not on England duty at the time of the reported incident.

The ECB’s investigation comes five days after England captain Joe Root urged his players to be really good role models and human beings at the start of his second reign as Test captain.

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In Athletics, Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha has broken the men’s half marathon world record, winning a World Athletics road race in Buenos Aires in fifty-six minutes fifty-one seconds.

The 29-year-old previously held the record with a time of 57:30, set in Valencia in October 2024, but lost that to Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo in March.

Kiplimo ran 57:20 in Lisbon earlier this year but Kejelcha has now knocked 29 seconds off that time to regain the record, subject to official ratification.

The world track silver medallist in the ten thousand metres also holds the world record for a men’s ten thousand metres road race.

He also became one of the first men to run a sub-two hour marathon in record-eligible conditions earlier this year when finishing second behind Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe in the London Marathon.

Sawe won the record-breaking race in 1:59:30, beating Kejelcha by just 11 seconds.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

Some women choose to follow men, and some choose to follow their dreams.
If you are wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it does not love you anymore….words from Lady Gaga.