The Guardian

⚽ Updates from the Emirates: kick-off 12.30pm BST ⚽ Ten things to look out for | Live scores | Mail Barry Comment: As the top flight returns, armed with the knowledge its serial champions have been the authors of a 10-year sham supremacy, the first question is simple: how is it going to feel? Words: Barney Ronay Referee: Paul Tierney Assistants: Richard West and Steve Meredith Fourth official: Ol…

The first league of its kind in 70 years brought players from all around the world to Illinois for eight weeks, writing a new chapter in the history of women’s sports On the morning of 14 September, Rocky Henley sat at her rental home’s dining room table amid scattered rulebooks, colorful markers and graph paper. The New York Heights manager drew a chart on a large poster – her method of sketchin…

️ Sprint race updates from 10am BST; qualifying 2pm BST ️ Wolff tells critics to ‘watch Teletubbies not F1’ | Mail Philip “F1 looks amateurish and incompetent after farcical scenes in Sepang” was the headline on Giles Richards’ Bahrain-in-Malaysia verdict , after the rain and the rules combined to leave the world’s fastest drivers calling the Kuala Lumpur AA for help. Surely, things could only ge…

New Zealand 50-19 Australia to continue unbeaten run at Eden Park Les Kiss’s side start bright but given reality check in second half New Zealand preserved rugby’s established hierarchy with a 50-19 blowout victory over Australia that secures the Bledisloe Cup for a 24th year, and pushes the All Blacks’ unbeaten run over the Wallabies at Eden Park into a fifth decade. The Wallabies lost touch wit…

Pat Cummins’ side resume their first innings at Kingsmead Start time in Durban is 9.30am local/6.30pm AEDT Any thoughts? Get in touch with an email Former England Test batter and Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott has spoken with Ali Martin about his recent his Lions appointment and much more. When I made my T20 debut in 2007 it was like I had come in from the cold. It was very weird suddenly playi…

Former Test batter and Afghanistan coach is taking the Lions abroad and is telling his players to ‘be smart’ Jonathan Trott pretty much entered Ashes folklore from the outset, scoring a series-winning century on his Test debut at the Oval back in 2009. Less spoken about, but just as relevant to the latest move in his upwardly mobile coaching career, is the first time he pulled on an England shirt…

⚽ All the latest news as the Premier League resumes ⚽ Ten things to look out for | Today’s fixtures | Mail us Let’s just get an early touch before some more expansive stuff by looking at today’s action. Here is the full fixture list . What take your eye? Continue reading...

Even New Romantics have a view but this long story will not be cut short amid endless hypotheticals and split narratives It’s Wednesday afternoon (UK time) and I find myself interviewing Tony Hadley on TalkSport about his upcoming big band tour. We play a bit of Spandau Ballet, chat about the classics and his career – hanging out with Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. In as much as you can deduce i…

After years of mockery and doubts about her game, Reese has helped carry Atlanta to the WNBA’s biggest stage. Her critics might want to start forming an apology queue A lot of folks owe Angel Reese an apology after Friday night. They should probably form an orderly queue. Not that the bad-faith take merchants who have spent three years gleefully circulating her missed layups, likening her occasio…

England have the edge over Greece after the first leg of their World Cup playoff but remain a team in transition It took a labyrinthine move from Sarina Wiegman’s team to find a way through deep-lying Greece. On the outskirts of Heraklion, the ancient city of Knossos, which is associated with the legend of the Minotaur and the labyrinth constructed by Daedalus to contain it, Laura Blindkilde Brow…

Michael Carrick is wary of ‘Dr Tottenham’, Oliver Glasner returns to Selhurst Park and will Manchester City summon a siege mentality at Anfield? Premier League top scorers | View the league table Declan Rice’s future role in England’s midfield was questioned by Gary Lineker after Alex Scott’s impressive first senior international start in the 7-0 thrashing of Croatia. But the decision to withdraw…

Mike Ditka, the fiery former NFL player and coach who led the Chicago Bears to their lone Super Bowl title and became one of the most recognizable figures in American sports, has died aged 86 Mike Ditka, legendary Chicago Bears head coach, dies at 86 Continue reading...

Australia fall 4-2 to world No 3 side in Karlsruhe Holly McNamara joins Kerr on scoresheet for Matildas For a moment, it felt like the Matildas were back. Ellie Carpenter took off down the right wing, eating up the metres with the ball at her feet, bouncing a pass off Hayley Raso before chipping a cross to the front post for Sam Kerr to angle into the far corner. Just ignore the fact it took 45 m…

Palmer pulled out of England squad due to injury Attacker available for Chelsea’s game with Bournemouth Xabi Alonso has said Cole Palmer is committed to playing for England and revealed Chelsea’s No 10 missed this international break with a problem related to the groin injury that kept him out for much of last season. Thomas Tuchel did not hide his disappointment with Palmer, who is fit to face B…

The QPR goalkeeper Pierce Charles made a stunning double save from a Jarrod Bowen penalty in stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw at West Ham. The 21-year-old, who kept four clean sheets and saved a penalty for Northern Ireland over the international break, pulled off more heroics to deny the Hammers top spot in the Championship. Bowen had already equalised for West Ham, cancelling out a hugely con…