The Guardian

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! The use of psychological stratagems and pitchside or locker-room sabotage has long been employed by football managers trying to give their teams an edge over visiting rivals. Whether it’s placing the pegs too high or the seats too low, painting the walls an aggression-lowering shade of pink or deliberately moving the advertising hoardings to pre…

The league phase has begun. From Olise’s brilliance to Sabah’s pub cleaner turned quiz contestant turned manager, there was plenty to talk about The league phase has been previewed as Barcelona’s first step toward reclaiming a crown last lifted in 2015, with disappointments aplenty since. Lionel Messi claiming just one Champions League title in the last decade of his time at Camp Nou is the stark…

Winger shining after summer pursuit by several clubs Chelsea felt selling Fernández to City was right move Chelsea have rewarded Pedro Neto’s strong start to the season and commitment to the club by handing the winger a new contract. The Portugal international had summer interest from several Premier League clubs including Manchester City, but indicated a desire to stay and play for Xabi Alonso. …

Head coach has harsh spotlight on her as she prepares for Chelsea on Sunday, but she deserves time and investment It was tough watching Manchester United’s players labour ineffectively against the hungry and aggressive press of London City Lionesses. Simi Awujo’s late consolation goal did little to ease the mounting concern for a side that have several teams nipping at their heels. Don’t panic; t…

Manager wants players to cope with things going wrong Other tactics include making dressing room even hotter Mikel Arteta has revealed that he likes to set players challenges, such as delaying their meals before matches and making the dressing room hotter, to ensure they are fully prepared for any eventuality. Arsenal’s flight to Italy for their Champions League opener against Napoli this week wa…

Updates from Friday’s play at Edgbaston, 11am BST start Ashes legal dispute led to lack of 2027 Test in the north A day at the Knight-Stokes Cup | Sign up for The Spin Pakistan are averaging 15.90 runs per wicket in this series. That’s the lowest against England, in a series of three matches or more, since New Zealand were spun into oblivion by Tony Lock and Jim Laker in 1958. Weather watch The s…

Latest updates from around the county grounds Mail Tanya or comment BTL | Sign up for The Spin A heart-warming read and lovely pics from Billy Munday and Tom Jenkins at yesterday’s Knight-Stokes Cup. In a round of staggering collapses, batting sides continued to strap on their roller skates and head to the ice rink. At Grace Road, Leicestershire were rumbled for 145, a 377 run-victory that puts S…

‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ will culminate on US soil on Saturday, a staging post on the road to America hosting the World Cup in 2031 When New Zealand and South Africa kick off at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday, there will be more at stake than victory in “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry”, the four-Test series the Springboks lead 2-1 . For World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin, the game is a key stagin…

⚽️ News and updates before the weekend’s football action ⚽️ Premier League: 10 things to watch out for | Mail Tom Manchester United were back in Europe’s elite competition after a two-year hiatus and in need of something to soothe them after the trauma of their last-gasp coughing up of two points in last Sunday’s Premier League draw at Everton. And before the extremely serious business of the der…

Five-set matches are physically punishing, occasionally absurd and increasingly under threat. They also produce much of what makes grand slam tennis great Tuesday night’s quarter-final match between Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz had everything a US Open spectacle could ask for: huge stakes, knife-edge drama, top-shelf competition and an American hero who comes through in the end. The only fault …

The inaugural Knight-Stokes Cup was a special occasion not just for the teenagers playing on Lord’s hallowed turf, but for the English game as a whole State-school cricket has had its day at Lord’s, at last. On a ground that has this summer hosted men’s and women’s international Tests, the Women’s T20 World Cup final and the Hundred finals, on Thursday four school teams played in front of the Pav…

England Open squad have internal tensions but the women’s team blends rising talent with experience Uzbekistan, the host nation, are the favourites to win the 208-team biennial chess Olympiad in Samarkand , which has its opening ceremony on Tuesday, and its first round (of 11) on Wednesday. The defending champions, India, China and the US are Uzbekistan’s most dangerous rivals. India would have b…

⛳️ Solheim Cup updates from 6.40am BST at Bernardus Golf ⛳️ Live scorecard | Send your thoughts to Scott via via email Corpuz goes close with her 20-foot birdie opportunity, but the ball sticks stubbornly on the lip. No shame in an opening par, but it’s not good enough for Team USA, because Woad calmly rolls in her putt, and what a way to announce yourself on your Solheim Cup debut! Farnham’s fin…

Hampshire paid £1m by ECB after missing out in 2023 County challenged decision to give Headingley match The lack of Ashes cricket in the north of England next summer is the result of a legal dispute that followed the allocation of venues for the 2023 series against Australia, which also involved the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) paying about £1m in damages to Hampshire. The Guardian can r…

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