The Guardian

Power Four conference title games to be eliminated Five teams will auto-qualify with rest picked by panel The College Football Playoff will double in size to 24 teams beginning next year, bringing an end to a three-decade era of conference title games that used to be among the marquee events of the season. College leaders announced the new format Monday, after ESPN agreed to rework its contract t…

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Precisely 13,266 games have been played since the inception of the Premier League, and 19 of those matches have finished 4-4 (0.1%), a rarity in a division dominated by the mighty 1-0 (17.6%). It was about time we got one, though. The months of August and September, when teams are still fighting to define their top-flight seasons and fitness and…

After three straight defeats, City’s manager says he will use the international break to reassess. Their problems may go beyond tactics Sign up for our free newsletter here Enzo Maresca seemed, if not quite baffled by his side’s Saturday defeat to Nottingham Forest, then at least a little put out. After seven straight wins from the start of the season, that’s now three straight defeats, a pattern…

Across La Liga and beyond this weekend, footballers took to the field knowing it could have been them In the final few minutes before stepping into the arena once more, heading out for his 199th Osasuna match on Saturday evening, the man who has scored more first division goals than anyone in their history stopped his teammates for a moment and told them what it meant to wear the shirt. “This is …

‘Is there?’ manager retorts when told of talk over position Bizarre 4-4 draw with Villa leaves United in bottom three A tetchy Michael Carrick dismissed a suggestion he could resign as head coach for the good of the team after Sunday’s chaotic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa left Manchester United in the relegation zone heading into the international window. Carrick’s side sit in 18th place with eight …

Falkirk leapfrog their hosts with 5-2 rout at Tynecastle Liam Scales gives Celtic 1-0 home win over Kilmarnock Falkirk obliterated Hearts ’ 18-month unbeaten home record in the Scottish Premiership with a stunning 5-2 win at Tynecastle on Sunday as they leapfrogged their hosts into third place. Wouter Vrancken’s beleaguered side, missing 11 players through injury, were in disarray as Falkirk romp…

Who can stop Brighton’s ­ascension in English and European football? They are setting standards, ­practices ­leaving almost everybody else ­trailing in their wake. A ­second‑place position in the ­Premier League would once have read like a glitch in a ­Football ­Manager ­session. Not in November 2026, where they appear the only team capable of throwing down any sort of challenge to Arsenal. Under…

Carrick given time after Como and Bournemouth defeats Recommendation will be made to Sir Jim Ratcliffe Manchester United are deciding whether Michael Carrick should be sacked, with Jason Wilcox, the director of football, leading the review after the head coach was given the Chelsea, Roma and Aston Villa games to turn results around . Wilcox is consulting with Omar Berrada, the chief executive, be…

Midfielder’s spectacular strikes rescued a frustrating day, only for celebrations to reignite dialogue that has followed him through his career It was just what they needed at just the right time. For a tricky first half and beyond, Elversberg had been a stone in Borussia Dortmund’s shoe, the promoted side not just keeping the home team at bay but keeping them honest, nourishing ambitions of thei…

Roma and Lazio have both made unbeaten starts to the Serie A season, giving those in the Italian capital dreams of a Scudetto After nine games in 28 days, Gian Piero Gasperini finally got a moment to pause and reflect on Sunday night. The Roma manager was back in Liguria, where he worked for the best part of a decade across two stints at Genoa, to collect an award from Stelle Nello Sport – an ass…

World champion idolises Brazilian who won three titles ‘He’s a Senninha and not a Senna yet,’ says Toto Wolff Toto Wolff has said it is too soon to compare his world champion driver Kimi Antonelli to Ayrton Senna but that the Italian might yet develop to be comparable to the Brazilian great whom Antonelli grew up idolising. Antonelli sealed his first Formula One world championship at the Mexican …

The Indigenous Australian grew up idolising Steph Gilmore and Tyler Wright. Now she has them – and an Olympic gold – in her sights Leihani Zoric, 13, grew up watching Australian surfers dominate on the world stage. Stephanie Gilmore, the greatest female surfer of all time, and Tyler Wright, a two-time World Surf League champion, were among her idols. “When I was little I always watched their surf…

Pierre Sage led Lens to second and glory in the Coupe de France last season. A lot has changed in the last six months The Lens striker, Florian Sotoca, was completely motionless as he looked into the middle space from the bench. The game, finely poised at 2-1 with a few minutes remaining, was not beyond his side, but that is not the story his troubled face told. Marseille had just restored their …

Max Rushden is joined by Barney Ronay , Jonathan Wilson and Dan Bardell as Manchester United twice come back from two goals down to draw 4-4 with Aston Villa, while trouble looms for Pierre Sage Continue reading...

28-year-old rewarded for county performances Bashir to tour with Lions along with seamer Carse The uncapped Nottinghamshire spinner Liam Patterson-White has been rewarded for his most productive County Championship season with a call-up to England’s squad for their first red-ball assignment of the winter, the three Tests against South Africa that start in Johannesburg next month. The potential im…