The Guardian

Captain rejects term used by former Ashes tormentor Mitchell Johnson Tourists begin training with pink Kookaburra ball in Brisbane Ben Stokes has accepted the criticism that followed his England side’s two-day defeat in Perth as part of being in the results business but said he draws a line at the notion his players were “arrogant” in their approach. That particular word was used by former Austra…

Norris third in Lusail, with Russell second on grid Verstappen furious with car after qualifying sixth Oscar Piastri took pole position for the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix. The McLaren driver beat the Mercedes of George Russell into second and, with Lando Norris in third, it was the result the Australian required for his world championship ambitions and allows a chance to narrow the gap t…

Ben Stokes’s batters must realise the aggressive option doesn’t always mean attacking Australia’s bowlers, and if they don’t, it could be all over in Brisbane It’s not over yet. There is still hope. Before the Ashes started I had plenty of it , because of England’s fantastic array of fast bowlers and because I felt they had improved on their crash‑bang‑wallop, one-size‑fits‑all approach to battin…

Wiegman has had to rejig defence and captaincy for a Wembley friendly with China that should pose new challenges for Lionesses When England welcome China to a sold-out Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, it will mark the sixth meeting between two nations who have been on different trajectories in recent years. The marketing has focused on the clash of continental champions – England as the hol…

He scored twice in 1988 final against West Germany Olympic star was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019 Imran Sherwani, who starred in the Great Britain hockey team that won Olympic gold in 1988, has died at the age of 63, his family have announced. Sherwani revealed in 2021 that had he been diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s in 2019, and his family continue to raise awareness of the condition…

Final, first leg: Germany 0-0 Spain Germany had 19 attempts on goal to Spain’s nine Germany dominated the first leg of their Nations League final against Spain on Friday but could not find the back of the net as they were held to a scoreless draw before Tuesday’s second leg in Madrid. The Germans racked up 19 attempts on goal, but Spanish goalkeeper Cata Coll was outstanding in the first half, mu…

Head coach backs midfielder to improve further Arsenal visit second-placed Chelsea on Sunday Mikel Arteta is confident the best is to come from Declan Rice as Arsenal prepare for their top-of-the-table showdown at Chelsea on Sunday. The England midfielder was outstanding in Arsenal’s victories against Tottenham and Bayern Munich over the past week and will face the club where he spent seven years…

Manager much happier with display in 5-3 loss at PSG Spurs hoping to improve home form by beating Fulham Thomas Frank has said he much preferred Tottenham’s “front-footed” performance in their 5-3 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain to their cautious approach against Arsenal a few days earlier. Frank was heavily criticised for fielding a back five at the Emirates Stadium for Sunday’s 4-1 defeat and his…

‘You have to try things and we didn’t,’ says Guardiola He will recall rested players against Leeds on Saturday Pep Guardiola has accused Manchester City’s players of performing with fear in their 2-0 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen . The head coach made 10 changes for the Champions League match and said those selected had not taken the risks needed to win. After two straight losses, City hope to retur…

Not since 2014 have Liverpool struggled so much, with questions aimed at club directors and the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz “Would you say this is Roy bad or Brendan bad?” was one of the more repeatable questions asked in the Anfield press box in between PSV Eindhoven’s third and fourth goals on Wednesday. The correct answer would have been “Don Welsh bad”, given he was the last Liv…

Iran among nations under restrictions issued by Trump Snub for Washington event deemed ‘unrelated to sport’ Iran are to boycott next week’s World Cup draw in Washington after the president of the country’s football federation was denied a visa to enter the United States. A spokesperson for the Iranian football federation (FFIRI) described the decision to reject the visa application as “unrelated …

British driver is staying calm as the pressure grows in Qatar and believes he has the form to be world champion, despite Max Verstappen’s mind games Standing outside the McLaren motorhome in the paddock for the Qatar Grand Prix as a warm desert breeze stirs the air, Lando Norris cuts a figure entirely at ease even in the centre of the maelstrom of an increasingly tense fight to claim his first Fo…

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Trip to the Etihad fraught with danger as Leeds pay price for inadequate summer recruitment, leaving German’s job in jeopardy Like it or not, Daniel Farke has become a one-man buffer zone, insulating players and directors from growing supporter anger at Elland Road. Leeds heads to Manchester City on Saturday with Farke acutely aware that defeat against his good friend Pep Guardiola will only inte…

Image rights payments to be taxed at 45% from April 2027 Some players already have clauses making clubs liable Premier League clubs are facing the prospect of higher wage bills after the government’s announcement in the budget that image rights payments will be treated as income from April 2027. The change will leave many top-flight players with significantly larger tax bills and several agents h…