The Guardian

This competition may not be Mikel Arteta or Oliver Glasner’s top priority this season but that didn’t stop their sides from producing a spectacle full of blood and thunder. It was one-way traffic for Arsenal in the first half but they found Crystal Palace’s second-string goalkeeper Walter Benítez in an inspired mood as he kept his side in the contest with some fine saves. An own goal from Maxence…

Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania; DR Congo 1-0 Benin Nicolas Jackson scores twice in Senegal victory Ademola Lookman scored a superb second-half winner as Nigeria earned a 2-1 Group C victory against Tanzania in the pouring rain in Fes, a positive start for the silver medallists from the previous tournament , but one that was not without moments of alarm. Nigeria were more dominant than the scoreline suggest…

Proposal meets with resistance from players union Guardian rankings will be among criteria for exception The NWSL introduced a new “High Impact Player Rule” on Tuesday that allows teams to exceed the salary cap by up to $1m to help attract and retain star players. The rule goes into effect on 1 July 2026. One of the first players who could potentially benefit from the new rule is Washington Spiri…

Can McCullum’s ‘horse-whispering’ still register against a rampant Australia hungry for a series whitewash? The world famous Boxing Day Test awaits England’s beaten cricketers and we are about to discover whether the mighty coliseum that is the Melbourne Cricket Ground becomes their arena of the unwell; whether pride can be salvaged or it is just another stepping stone for Australia in their purs…

Two-time champion averaged just 79.20 Wattimena, Rydz and Meikle all through to third round Peter Wright’s confidence was wildly misplaced after he crashed out of the world championship on Tuesday. Arno Merk ensured the two-time champion will not be returning to Alexandra Palace after Christmas, winning 3-0 as the Scot averaged just 79.20. Wright had claimed he was definitely going to win this to…

Broncos, 49ers and Seahawks also have six selections Vikings, Saints and Jets have zero Pro Bowlers Six Baltimore Ravens players have been selected for this season’s Pro Bowl Games despite the team almost certainly missing the playoffs. The Ravens lead the league in Pro Bowl nods, alongside the Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. Baltimore’s Pro Bowlers are fullback Patrick …

Everton manager laments inconsistency of officials ‘Certain clubs get those decisions and others don’t’ David Moyes has claimed Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) is reluctant to engage with managers because so many refereeing decisions this season have been difficult to explain. The Everton manager said he “half choked” when Fulham were awarded what proved to be a match-winning penalty aga…

Bournemouth winger has release clause in January Liverpool and Manchester City also interested Chelsea have made an inquiry about signing Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth. The winger’s deal contains a £65m release clause in January and he is also a target for Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United. Chelsea were not regarded as a likely destination for Semenyo but have contacted the play…

Miami bout was a bleak and blood-flecked affair but both men will find more opponents willing to take the money Jake Paul’s mouth opened wide, and his eyes became huge glazed saucers, as he sank to the canvas in shock and awe after a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua finally ended the circus in Miami late on Friday night. It looked as if Paul was trying to say “Wow!” as the severity of i…

So this is Christmas. And what have we done? The Ashes is over. With two Tests still to come When the moment finally came the visuals were perfect: clean lines, neat angles, figures picked out in crisp afternoon sun against the almost satirical splendour of Adelaide Oval. Scott Boland took the final wicket to seal Australia’s unassailable 3-0 Ashes series lead , the 74th time this moment has been…

Once loose, erratic and reliably unreliable, Jacksonville have hardened into something far more serious, with Trevor Lawrence’s control and confidence turning a hot streak into a genuine AFC threat Seven weeks ago, the Jaguars were still that team: loose, entertaining, unreliable. The kind that could light up a quarter and then spend the next three undoing it. Now, they’re a wagon. After beating …

Ownership of Frauen-Bundesliga is being taken over by the clubs, who want to keep pace with game in England “The reason we started this whole process was a fear of losing more and more the connection to the top,” says Katharina Kiel, the head of women’s football at Eintracht Frankfurt. Alongside her role at one of Germany’s more successful women’s football teams, Kiel was this month elected presi…

The England men’s cricket MD offered a postmortem that didn’t address the nuts and bolts of the system he manages “It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever.” David St Hubbins, lead vocalist Spinal Tap. “There’s a real difference between aggressive and dumb.” Rob Key, managing director, England cricket. Continue reading...

Coach insists his methods are not about scoring rates Paying off McCullum’s contract would cost seven figures Brendon McCullum has stressed his desire to stay on as England head coach but acknowledged this is now a question for those higher up. Australia winning a much-anticipated Ashes series at the earliest opportunity has thrust McCullum’s role into the spotlight but with a multi-format contra…