Latest Sports Stories

Football News

Barcelona were handed their first defeat of the season as they lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League classic. In a game that saw a total of 40 attempts on goal, it was the reigning European champions who were able to outgun the visitors in a contender for match of the season. The pair traded goals, with Desire Doue's strike and Lucas Hernandez's header each being cancelled out courtesy of youngster Xavi Espart and the irrepressible Lamine Yamal. Seconds after Barca's number 10 levelled things for a second time, Vitinha restored PSG's lead as Barcelona ran out of gas. Fabian Ruiz put the icing on the cake five minutes later with a tap-in as Hansi Flick side tasted defeat for the first time in 12 games this season. There were some sour notes on an otherwise exhilarating evening. Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele came off with a suspected hamstring injury inside the opening 20 minutes. Team-mate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was also helped off in the second half after picking up a knock. Dani Olmo was also withdrawn in the first half for Barcelona, who are already struggling with an injury crisis. It adds another blow for the LaLiga leaders, who visit Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the season on Sunday. 2: POST! Kvaratskhelia smashes the woodwork in less than 120 seconds. 5: SAVE! Garcia denies Dembele and Doue in quick succession. 10: CHANCE FOR GORDON! Ball drops to Englishman in good position, but he fails to make the most of it. 14: JUST WIDE! Olmo misses target in Barcelona's first meaningful attempt. 19: INJURY! Ballon d'Or holder Dembele comes off with suspected hamstring issue. 25: HUGE MISS! Substitute Torres denied by Garcia from close range. 27: INJURY! Olmo replaced as Barca's injury list grows. 29: CHANCES GALORE! PSG squander three brilliant attempts in a matter of seconds. 38: GOAL! Doue finally puts PSG ahead after Lamine Yamal mistake. 40: SAVE! Nearly immediate response from Barca as Fermin is thwarted by Safanov. 51: SAVE! Hakimi denied as PSG miss more chances. 55: GOAL! PSG punished as Espart equalises. 59: INJURY! Kvaratskhelia is helped off the pitch on the hour. 71: POST! Torres misses again as he strikes the post from close range! 72: GOAL! A set-piece does the job as Hernandez's header restores PSG's lead. 79: GOAL! Lamine Yamal smashes Barca level from a tight angle. 81: GOAL! Vitinha hits back immediately from edge of the box. 86: GOAL! Ruiz seals the deal as Barca run out of steam. Barcelona forward Anthony Gordon speaking with TNT Sports: "I think it was quite predictable that it was going to be high-scoring and a good spectacle for people to watch. I was hoping we would come out on the right side of that, but unfortunately we didn't. "They deserved it. They were the better team and had the better moments with real quality. Athletically, they were able to sustain the pressure and intensity for longer than we were. They've been the team to beat for two years and tonight they gave a great example as to why. "I think we can take great positives because we played well. It was a competitive spectacle. We've still got work to do and that's a good position to be in. They've been the team to beat for two years. We need to do enough work, analyse the game and try and become that." "I covered PSG's 5-4 win over Bayern Munich last season. It was a breathless game and one of the greatest I had ever witnessed. "While tonight might not quite have been at that level, it was in a very similar bracket. Two of the best teams in the world with full belief in themselves and only one intention: outscore the other. "No one could've blamed Barcelona if they came to the French capital and decided they were going to shut up shop and try to stop the potent PSG attack. "Their approach was the complete opposite. They had faith that their attack was as lethal. In the end, they fell short, but they can hold their heads high. "As a neutral, these are the types of games you dream of watching. It makes you feel things only free-flowing football can. "If you want a demonstration of what two heavyweight giants playing each other should look like, it is this. Blow for blow, haymaker for haymaker.

Football News

Terry Devlin denied Wolves victory just as the hosts' inspired substitutions again looked to prove decisive as Portsmouth drew 1-1 at Molineux in the Championship. Four days after Tawanda Chirewa came off the bench to score the winner at Burnley, substitute Jordan James' strike looked like it would prove the difference for Wolves. But right-back Devlin popped up with a superbly taken equaliser to give Pompey an unlikely share of the spoils. The scoreline was harsh on Wolves as Chirewa hit the bar and was denied another goal, while Mateus Mane and Fer Lopez missed chances in a dominant second-half performance. Portsmouth failed to hit the target until Devlin struck in the 86th minute. In a forgettable first half, Andre had the only Wolves chance. The Brazil midfielder lofted a bouncing shot just wide from 25 yards after Devlin beat Marshall Munetsi to head away Mane's cross. Portsmouth's only chance of the opening half came in the 36th minute. Wolves failed to deal with Adrian Segecic's deep free-kick and after Nasser Djiga missed the header and Ebou Adams' angled effort was blocked, Rocco Shein's low shot was a few feet wide. Wolves made a double change at half-time to spark some life into the game - Chirewa, Friday's matchwinner at Burnley, and James replaced Sean Neave and Munetsi - and it worked, with a much-improved display. Bristol City 0-1 Sheffield United: Ollie Arblaster nets only goal in Blades win Birmingham 3-0 QPR: Liam Millar scores twice in win for in-form Blues West Brom 3-2 Blackburn: Baggies hit back to win in five-goal thriller Swansea 0-1 West Ham: Divine Mukasa nets winner as Hammers sink Championship leaders Derby 0-1 Stoke: Luke Graham nets winner for Potters Southampton 0-0 Bolton: Saint held at home by Trotters Chirewa, who scored the winner within 21 seconds of his arrival at Turf Moor, quickly rattled the bar with a tight-angled, rising shot after turning inside his man. Mane dragged a low, angled drive well wide, then Lopez volleyed wide from Rafiki Said's inviting cross as Wolves continued to probe for the breakthrough. That came in the 62nd minute from James, who slammed home a fierce low first-time drive after starting the move with a one-two with Lopez, beating Nicolas Schmid at his near post. Pompey missed a good chance to equalise when Adams headed over substitute Marezi's corner from five yards while substitute Tommy Doyle's teasing cross just missed the sliding Chirewa as Wolves sniffed a second goal. But Devlin struck when he chested down and volleyed right into the corner of the net after Marezi's free-kick had been headed clear. Chirewa's low shot was clawed around a post by Schmid as Wolves desperately pushed for a winner at the death and both benches had to be pulled apart at the final whistle as tensions briefly boiled over before order was quickly restored.

Football News

Phil Foden bagged a hat-trick as dominant Manchester City cruised to a 5-1 win over AEK Athens to claim their second Champions League victory of the campaign. Foden had waited 10 months for a goal before four arrived in back-to-back outings, adding to his strike against Ipswich at the weekend with three tidy finishes, the first two from Rico Lewis assists. Man City had far too much quality for their Greek visitors despite leaving Erling Haaland in the stands, with Enzo Maresca allowing 17-year-old Floyd Samba to deputise in his place. Maresca proved his point in doing so: City have many other means of scoring beyond Haaland. Elliot Anderson was also on target in a dominant first half that included 10 efforts on Alberto Brignoli's goal, with Allan striking the crossbar and Rayan Cherki going close. AEK failed to land a shot on target until Stavros Pilios pulled a goal back early in the second period. But their hope was short-lived. Cherki scored City's third five minutes later to kill any suggestion of a comeback and Foden issued another timely reminder of his class by completing a statement hat-trick. The last time Foden scored three times in the same game was April 2024. It's felt like a lifetime since the City Academy graduate, a known favourite of Pep Guardiola, was anywhere near his dazzling best. His latest display was somewhere close to perfect. 12: GOAL! Anderson steers home the rebound from Enzo Fernandez' free-kick for his first club goal. 23: CROSSBAR! Allan crashes a fierce effort off the woodwork as City threaten again. 34: GOAL! Foden combines neatly with Lewis and stabs beyond Alberto Brignoli. 52: GOAL! Pilios gives AEK a lifeline with a well-taken strike across Gianluigi Donnarumma. 57: GOAL! Cherki finds the bottom corner to kill any AEK momentum. 65: GOAL! Lewis tees up Foden and he guides the ball into the top corner with a wonderful finish. 76: GOAL! Ryan McAidoo offers Foden the chance to complete his hat-trick with an easy tap-in. On Foden : "I've said since day one, I consider him one of the best English players. For different reasons, in the last two years, he was not good enough. But I know how good he is. We are trying to help him because we are sure he's going to help us." On the performance : "It was not easy, especially after the PSG game. We had two games that we certainly needed to win, and we did our job. "I'm also happy because some of the players have not been playing many minutes, but they were ready. This is important. It is the best feeling for any manager when you make many changes but the performance is still good." Man City forward Phil Foden to TNT Sports: "I enjoyed that a lot. We showed determination again; it wasn't pretty at times, giving sloppy passes away, but I thought we stuck at the game plan, we kept going, and in the end we broke them down. "I've still got a long way [before I'm back at my best], but I'm going in the right direction and scoring along the way. It definitely helps. "I just want to keep working hard and trying to be the best I can for the manager and for the team." "We didn't want to sit back and try to survive, like I said before the game. We wanted to be dangerous with the ball. "But of course the quality in the finishing phase from City was brutal. These guys were much better in the final third than us. They punished every mistake. A deserved victory for City. "AEK is only playing Champions League group phase for the second time in 20 years; we're trying to compete. Maybe we showed too much respect for our opponent."

Football News

Liverpool came from two goals down to defeat Villarreal 4-3 at Anfield and make it three wins from three in this season’s Champions League. Two goals from Alexis Mac Allister and one apiece from Ronald Araujo and Florian Wirtz completed the turnaround, with Rio Ngumoha superb. All of it came after Virgil van Dijk's poor header allowed Georges Mikautadze to score in the fourth minute. It was the earliest that Liverpool had fallen behind at Anfield in a major European tie for a quarter of a century but worse was to come when Sergi Cardona raced through to finish off a slick move for the Spanish side's second, a deserved lead at that stage. But Mac Allister's header from Kostas Tsimikas' corner pulled one back and the lively Ngumoha then fashioned an equaliser when Araujo ghosted in at the far post with Cardona sleeping. It was hardly deserved but Liverpool were rampant after the break. The introduction of Wirtz undoubtedly helped but it was Ngumoha whose dancing feet opened up the Villarreal defence to set up Mac Allister for his second. Wirtz then made it four himself with a left-footed finish beyond Peter Gulacsi. His relief was palpable. Andoni Iraola will likely feel the same after Tani Oluwaseyi set up a nervous finish. Liverpool have conceded three goals in each of their last two Champions League games but won them both. It has not been entirely convincing but it is a third victory in a row. They played Rio by Duran Duran upon the final whistle at Anfield, so obvious was it that the winger had been the best player on the pitch. Mac Allister scored two, Wirtz had his big moment but for all the expensive signings on show, Rio Ngumoha was the standout. Ngumoha finished with two assists and seven successful dribbles. There were times when three Villarreal players were trying to stop him but it never deterred him and you always sensed that the teenager had the trickery and the talent to find a way through. It was a privilege to watch him play and impossible not to imagine what is ahead for him. "On the ball, this kid has so much quality," said Daniel Sturridge on Amazon Prime . "It is stuff you can't teach. What he does with the ball at his feet, it is God-given ability." There is more to learn, of course. He was partially culpable for Villarreal's second goal, failing to track a runner. But that was hardly a story on a night when Ngumoha lit up Anfield. Others are under scrutiny at Liverpool. He is just having the time of his life. 4 - GOAL! Mikautadze seized on Van Dijk's poor header to score 29 - GOAL! Cardona raced through to finish slick Villarreal move 36 - GOAL! Mac Allister nodded in Tsimikas' right-wing corner 45+2 - GOAL! Araujo ghosted in behind Cardona to level it up 65 - GOAL! Mac Allister finished brilliant Ngumoha wing play 68 - GOAL! Wirtz's low left-footed finish quickly made it four 87 - GOAL! Oluwaseyi scored to set up a nervous Anfield finish Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola speaking in the press conference: "I think he was coming from a very good game the other day, he had a good second half against Brentford. Today he didn't have an easy game also because they were demanding him defensively and their left-back was attacking a lot. "There was a moment offensively where he was very difficult to stop. If we can put Rio in situations one against one, he makes plays, he produces things, today the assist for Alexis is a lovely play. He could go down for a penalty but he decides to continue which is a great decision. "Also endurance wise he is able to play more and more minutes. We were pushing him a little bit. He was tired but I think he has done a good effort and I'm very happy for him. "I am happy with his attitude because he is eager to improve things that we think he needs to improve. He is eager to add more things to his game. "He has been on the right lately, he is feeling more comfortable now, shooting on his left, he can add this to his game. He is only 18, still not the full package and it is not always going to be like this, there will be ups and downs in the process." Villarreal head coach Inigo Perez speaking in the press conference: "The key moment was when they equalised to make it 2-2 just before half-time. We had a fantastic first half. But the mentality and emotion drops, theirs grows and it affects you, particularly at Anfield. But we still managed to stay in the game until the end. "Rio Ngumoha had a great game but many other players played well. There were emotions, there were goals. When you play at Anfield these things can happen. When a goal is scored here, you can feel the reaction. "But I don't think we were close to being hammered. I believe if we are able to correct simple details - but elite details - we would be able to win on these big stages."

Football News

Tottenham claimed their first Premier League win of the season by beating Coventry 3-1 as Dejan Kulusevski made his long-awaited return after 526 days out injured. Spurs were winless across their opening six games heading into this fixture but a week in the Marbella sunshine and a well-needed performance on home turf have helped address the doom and gloom, with brighter skies in N17 possibly on the horizon. James Maddison, making his first competitive start for Spurs since May 2025, announced his return to the starting line-up in emphatic style, curling his opener into the top corner against the club where his professional career began. The playmaker was influential throughout, seamlessly linking the £300m pieces of Roberto De Zerbi's squad that had previously looked disjointed and awkward, but Jack Rudoni's equaliser just four minutes into the second half punctured the positivity brewing inside the stadium. No side has dropped more points than Spurs from winning positions at home in the Premier League since the start of the 2024/25 season (30), but Omar Marmoush's first goal for the club, arrowing a fine strike into the far corner, put them on track to ensure they would not suffer the same fate on this occasion. The feelgood factor that comes with a win skyrocketed in the 85th minute when fan-favourite Kulusevski made his comeback off the bench, bringing an end to his lengthy spell on the sidelines. Ben Davies' surprise effort with the outside of the boot rounded off the victory, on what could prove to be the evening that kickstarted the 2026/27 season for Spurs. They move level on six points with Coventry and above their opponents on goal difference into 16th, having previously come into the fixture rock bottom of the table, and will now be tasked with building on their victory against London rivals Chelsea when the two sides meet at Stamford Bridge, live on Saturday Night Football. 14: GOAL! Maddison curls stunning opener into the top corner on his return to the starting line-up. 18: NO GOA L! Dominic Solanke taps home Andy Robertson's cross but the offside flag had already gone up. 49: EQUALISER! Rudoni powers his way into the Tottenham penalty area to force an equaliser home after half-time. 58: GOAL! Marmoush restores Tottenham's lead with his first goal for the club as his fine strike nestles into the far corner. 86: KULU RETURNS! Spurs winger Kulusevski makes his long-awaited return to the pitch after 526 days out injured with a knee setback. 90+6: GAME OVER! Davies scores a surprise goal off the bench to guarantee Spurs' first league win of the season.

Football News

Arsenal's only shot on target proved enough to snatch victory at Nottingham Forest through Noni Madueke's deflected strike, keeping the champions within touching distance of Premier League leaders Manchester City and condemning Forest to the relegation zone. After 80 frustrating minutes at the City Ground, substitute Madueke cut inside from the left and fired towards goal. His strike deflected off Jair Cunha, wrong-footed Matz Sels and found the net to settle a game in which Arsenal had struggled to turn possession into chances. Arsenal had dominated the ball but registered no shots on target in the first half. Kai Havertz headed wide from a Declan Rice free-kick while Gabriel's set-piece effort was cleared almost off the line by Ousmane Diomande. Forest made life difficult for Mikel Arteta's side, defending resolutely and threatening on the counter. Murillo almost salvaged a point in stoppage time with a superb solo run, driving at the Arsenal defence before curling narrowly wide. Ezri Konsa then made a crucial late challenge to deny Liam Delap. However, despite their opportunities, it was the same old story for Oliver Glasner's side, who failed to find a breakthrough. The result takes Arsenal to 18 points, three behind leaders Manchester City. For Forest, the frustration deepens. They drop into the relegation zone and are still waiting for their first home league goal of the season. 19: Forest threaten - Riccardo Calafiori's mistake gives Forest an opening, but Dan Ndoye shoots into the side netting. 26: Arsenal nearly break through - Gabriel's effort deflects off Saliba and is cleared close to the line by Diomande. 37: Havertz misses - The German heads wide from Rice's free-kick. 46: Madueke replaces Eze - Arteta makes a half-time change. 54: Delap goes close - His effort takes a deflection and goes wide. 66: Arsenal make three changes - Jurrien Timber, Viktor Gyökeres and Mikel Merino come on. 80: GOAL! Forest 0-1 Arsenal - Madueke's strike deflects off Cunha and beats Sels. 89: Forest waste a chance - Callum Hudson-Odoi sets up Chris Wood, but Declan Rice blocks his shot. 90+2: Murillo nearly equalises - The defender drives forward and curls narrowly wide. 90+3: Konsa saves Arsenal - The defender times a vital challenge to deny Delap.

Football News

Celtic cruised to victory against title rivals Hearts to move four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Hearts returned to Parkhead for the first time since their trophy heartbreak in May, hoping to exact some revenge, only for Celtic to pile on the misery. The Hoops raced into a two-goal lead inside the opening 10 minutes, with both goals coming from Mika Baur corners. Kieran Tierney headed home the opener before Benjamin Nygren's deflected volley doubled Celtic's advantage. Callum Osmand, who secured Celtic's title five months ago, marked his first start for the club with a quickfire double. He capitalised on a terrible pass from Sabri Guendouz to slot home before heading in the rebound after Camilo Duran was denied. Laurent Mendy pulled a goal back for Hearts, but their hopes of a comeback took another hit before the break when Stephen Kingsley and Jamie McCart combined to turn the ball into their own net. After missing a glorious chance, Duran made amends by curling home Celtic's sixth shortly after the restart, before Nygren added a seventh late on to cap a miserable afternoon for Hearts. It was a statement win for Martin O'Neill's side, who reminded Hearts - winless away from Edinburgh since January - of what it takes to claim the Premiership title. Got Sky? Watch the Scottish Prem on your phone 7: GOAL! Celtic take an early lead! Liam Scales gets on the end of Mika Baur's corner and he heads it to Kieran Tierney to nod into the net. 10: GOAL! Celtic's second corner, Celtic's second goal. Baur sends it in with Dane Murray flicking it on to Benjamin Nygren and his deflected volley hits the back of the net. 18: OFF THE POST! Haissem Hassan easily beats Stephen Kingsley and gets a shot away, but it smacks the upright. 36: GOAL! Callum Osmand celebrates his first start by taking advantage of Sabri Guendouz's terrible pass to slot home. 38: GOAL! Camilo Duran's first effort is saved by Reus. He pounces on the rebound and sends the ball to Osmand to head his second of the game. 41: GOAL! The visitors pull one back before the break as Laurent Mendy curls a powerful drive into the net from around 16 yards. 44: CLOSE! Duran is through on goal but sends it wide. That should be five. 45+1: GOAL! Baur cuts through the defence and flicks over Reus, and Kingsley knocks it over his own line off fellow defender McCart. 49: GOAL CELTIC! Tierney slips the ball through for Duran and he curls it into the net. 83: GOAL CELTIC! Kasper Hogh spins away from the Hearts defence and plays it out to Nygren and he slots the ball into the corner.

Football News

Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson both struck in a comfortable 2-0 win over 10-man Sunderland as Bournemouth picked up their first Premier League win of the season. The hosts took a deserved early lead when Kevin Danso and Omar Alderete failed to deal with a routine long ball, allowing Evanilson to nip in and dink across for Tavernier to head in from close range. Sunderland's problems soon worsened when Danso was shown a straight red card after failing to deal with a bouncing ball and hauling down Evanilson as the Brazilian striker went through on goal. The away side managed to keep Bournemouth's lead down to just one goal in the first half, but went further behind within minutes of the restart. Evanilson capitalised on a loose back pass from Alderete and rounded Robin Roefs, before rolling the ball into the empty net. Evanilson and compatriot Rayan both had chances to extend Bournmouth's lead further, but Roefs made a number of good saves to help keep the scoreline in check. Bournemouth jump up to 15th with a much-needed three points, but it's a fourth straight loss for Sunderland, who are now 19th and next in action against Lech Poznan in the Europa League on Thursday. 6: GOAL! Evanilson gets free and the Brazilian unselfishly sets up a goal on a plate for the unmarked Tavernier to head in from close range. 17: RED CARD! Danso is shown a straight red card for hauling down Evanilson when through on goal. 22: SHOT! All Bournemouth as now Hill, with all the time in the world, flashes a drive past the left-hand post. 31: MISS! Rayan's shot is saved and the unmarked Smith blazes over on the rebound with the goal gaping 45: SAVE! Rayan lashes a shot at goal from 25 yards out, which is kept out by Roefs at his near post. 48: GOAL! Evanilson capitalises on another horrible mistake at the back by Alderete to double Bournemouth's lead. 60: CHANCE! It should be a third for the hosts after Rayan's initial effort is blocked but Evanilson cannot get the better of Roefs. 69: CLOSE! Rayan's ball in is hooked goalwards by Evanilson, but his effort floats wide of the near post. 90+2: CLOSE! Kluivert latches on to a poor clearance and flashes a strike inches past the far post with Roefs rooted to his line.

Football News

Manchester United delivered a more committed performance in a changed formation but were held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds as pressure on Michael Carrick continues to grow. In a week that included defeat to Atletico Madrid and an explosive interview from Lisandro Martinez - who started at Elland Road - the noise was calmed somewhat by a display that showed character, if not enough quality to claim a second league win of the season. United played without a recognised striker for the majority, allowing Youri Tielemans a more offensive role and he combined with Bryan Mbeumo to open the scoring in the first half. But Carrick's side faded badly as the game went on, another fixture in which they were outrun, eventually pegged back by an instinctive Dominic Calvert-Lewin strike from a poorly defended corner. Leeds away was pitched as the worst game to end a fractious week. In reality, it forced United to scrap and that at least appeared to show appetite for the fight. "In isolation, going to Leeds and performing how they did was a decent result," reflected Jamie Carragher. They were helped by the fact that Daniel Farke's side were not at their battling best. Man Utd have won just one of their seven Premier League matches this season (D4 L2), their fewest number of victories at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1986-87. There was, however, far more intent shown than in last week's drab draw with Spurs at Old Trafford, where disgruntled fans booed the team off, albeit results will read one Premier League win from seven - and none since August. Carrick will know that return is not good enough to dispel unwanted talk of pressure on his position. 27: CHANCE! Mbeumo connects with Tielemans' cross but heads off target unmarked. 35: GOAL! Mbeumo makes no mistake with his second chance from the boot of Tielemans, guiding a low finish past James Trafford. 45: SUB! Martinez is replaced at half-time by Noussair Mazraoui but Carrick sticks with back three formation. 51: GOAL! Calvert-Lewin latches onto Tarik Muharemovic's knockdown from a corner and beats Senne Lammens from close range.

Football News

Brighton dismantled rivals Crystal Palace 5-0 as Diego Gomez scored from the halfway line in a very one-sided M23 derby. For Palace, it was a case of gone in 600 seconds as Brighton stormed into a 3-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes, combining incredible intensity with jaw-dropping quality. The opener was a nightmare for Jaydee Canvot, whose own goal set the tone for a miserable afternoon for the visitors following a Pascal Gross delivery from the left. Palace needed to steady themselves. Instead, they completely lost their bearings. What followed was simply outrageous. Gomez spotted an opportunity from the halfway line and produced a moment of audacious brilliance, catching Palace off guard with a strike that could be replayed for years to come Before Palace could even catch their breath, Yasin Ayari made it 3-0 inside 10 minutes. Three goals, barely any time to process them and a derby that had threatened to be a contest being completely dominated by this brilliant Brighton side. Palace needed a reaction after the break, but Brighton had other ideas. The hosts struck again just three minutes into the second half to make it 4-0, with Charalampos Kostoulas getting the goal his performance deserved. A VAR check for handball threatened to spoil the moment, but the goal stood after yet more intelligent work down the flank from Gross. Jean Philippe-Mateta hit the bar for lacklustre Palace who conceded one final goal before the day was out when substitute Jack Hinshelwood bundled home a late fifth. Brighton have now taken 16 points from the first seven matches this season and this victory caps a big turnaround for boss Fabian Hurzeler, who was booed off in this fixture last season after Palace won 1-0.

Football News

Callum Jones scored a second-half equaliser as Rangers were held to a 2-2 draw by Dundee and missed the chance to go top of the Scottish Premiership. Dundee opened the scoring when Rangers failed to deal with a routine long ball, with Bradley Fink capitalising to round the goalkeeper and slide home. The lead did not last long, though, as Badredine Bouanani cut inside and curled in a stunning equaliser to open his account for Rangers. Nico Raskin scored the goal of the game when his shot from outside the area went in off the underside of the crossbar. But Jones then caught Dan Neil dwelling on the ball and nicked it off the Rangers captain to slot home the Dundee equaliser. Rangers remain second and move one point behind Celtic, who host Hearts live on Sky Sports on Sunday from 2.30pm. Got Sky? Watch the Scottish Prem on your phone "Dundee are a good team. They're not there [in the table] by fluke or luck. "They've got a style of play, Steven Pressley has got a group of players willing to run themselves into the ground for him and that's hard to get. "They put in a shift and even when they're asked to dig in and suffer like they did for the first 20/25 minutes of that second half. "They then got a second wind and came back at Rangers and asked questions of them. "A draw was a fair result. It took wonder strikes to get Rangers two goals. "There was a lack of creativity at the top end of the pitch and it's something they're going to have to improve."

Football News

Johan Manzambi came back to haunt Newcastle as his first-half goal was enough for Aston Villa to win 1-0 at St James' Park on Saturday Night Football. The midfielder had agreed a deal to join the Magpies in the summer before a late bid saw him move to the Midlands instead, and he has impressed since making his debut. He scored in the Champions League against Fernerbahce in midweek - on his 21st birthday - and continued his hot streak when he nodded home the only goal of the game in the 36th minute. In conceding, Newcastle set a new club record of 16 successive games in all competitions in which they have failed to keep a clean sheet. It came shortly after a controversial moment when Sven Botman should have been sent off. He was initially shown a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Nicolas Jackson, but VAR reviewed it for serious foul play. However, they decided not to upgrade the booking and Botman remained on the pitch. "If VAR can't see that's a red, we're in trouble," Sky Sports ' Jamie Redknapp said at half-time. "It is so dangerous. How he's not broken his leg there... I like to see aggression. I want to see 50/50 tackles, but you can't do that anymore." #NEWAVL – 17’The referee’s call of yellow card to Botman for the challenge on Jackson was checked and confirmed by VAR.REF: “I think it's reckless. Even though you get a touch on the ball, it's still reckless”. However, Newcastle ultimately ended the first half with no shots on target. There were some better openings in the second half for the Magpies - including a wonderful save from Zion Suzuki to deny Botman - but that proved to be their only shot on target in a game where they lacked the final touch. Newcastle were loudly booed at both half-time and the final whistle as the team's stuttering start under Matthias Jaissle continued. Aston Villa were also guilty of not finishing their chances but looked far more like the team Unai Emery wants. The three points sends them level on eight points with Newcastle and just a place behind. 9: CHANCE! Jackson is through on goal but his shot goes straight at Lukas Hornicek. 18: YELLOWS! Joelinton and Botman are both booked for hefty challenges, with a VAR review for Botman's foul on Jackson. 20: NO RED! VAR do not see a clear and obvious error and Botman does not receive a red card. 29: CHANCE! Jackson has another chance to score, but his effort comes off Botman's backside. 35: GOAL! Manzambi rises high to nod home Gomes' cross for Villa's opener. 39: OFF THE POST! Emi Buendia almost makes it two for Aston Villa, but hits the post. 49: HUGE SAVE! Botman's thunderous strike is pushed away by Suzuki's fingertips. 73: SAVE! From Hornicek this time as he pushes Ross Barkley's shot away.

Football News

West Ham ended Swansea's four-match winning streak with a 1-0 away success that reduced the gap at the top of the Sky Bet Championship to a single point. Divine Mukasa's calm first-half finish proved the difference on an afternoon when a new attendance record of 20,973 was set at the Swansea.com Stadium. After West Ham's 6-0 thumping of Lincoln in midweek, this was a far more tactical affair but the importance of the win will not be lost on boss Nuno Espirito Santo. The Hammers climb to second, above Middlesbrough on goal difference, and to within a point of Swansea, who lost at home for the first time since April. Swansea had made their best start since 1923 by winning seven and drawing two of their opening 10 games. The Welsh outfit also boasted the tightest defence in the Championship, while West Ham's 29 league goals at a rate of almost three per game was the highest in England's top four divisions. There was a cup-tie feel to the occasion as the two teams battled for midfield supremacy, but openings were difficult to find. The first shot of any description took 34 minutes to arrive - but the Hammers made it count. Marko Stamenic was caught in possession and Pablo released Mohamadou Kante as Swansea defenders waited in vain for an offside flag. Kante showed good composure on the by-line to pick out the unmarked Mukasa, who slotted home his third goal of the season. It was only the third goal Swansea had conceded at home and the setback sparked the hosts in to action. Adam Idah and Ronaldo had shots deflected wide in the space of a minute before Ben Cabango shook the underside of the crossbar. Jay Fulton flighted a free-kick to the far post that was headed into Cabango's path by Moussa Yeo. Cabango swivelled in a congested penalty area to strike the frame of the Hammers' goal, and Swansea were unable to force the ball home in the ensuing goalmouth scramble. England international Jarrod Bowen had a quiet first half, but the Hammers skipper burst into life four minutes after the break to force a full-length stop from Lawrence Vigouroux. It was the Hammers who were starting to look like league leaders as Vigouroux produced two excellent saves to deny Pablo and Bowen. Idah fired just wide as Swansea rallied and Cabango made a hash of a bouncing ball in the penalty area as West Ham failed to clear Yeo's centre. Substitute Stephen Eustaquio was off target and Idah headed over as Swansea began to ask serious questions of the Hammers' back line. Bowen's mazy run deserved more than the careless finish from Manor Solomon that followed, but Ronald wasted a great chance to equalise in stoppage time.

Football News

Wrexham eased the pressure on Phil Parkinson with a 4-1 Sky Bet Championship win over rock-bottom Preston. Joe Worrall scored his first goal in more than two years and, after Alfie Devine briefly brought Preston level, former Lilywhites midfielder Ben Whiteman struck next to score his first goal in Wrexham colours. Sam Smith gave the hosts breathing space just before the hour and Kieffer Moore killed it off moments later. In a week that had seen former Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard linked with the manager's job, Wrexham's third league win of the season was a vital one as they moved up to 14th. But Preston remain stuck on four points from 11 games, with Graham Alexander having lost his first three games in charge. Parkinson got a big show of support from the home fans before kick-off but his side started on the back foot, with Worrall heading Odel Offiah's lobbed effort off the line before Andrew Hughes headed narrowly wide. Parkinson had made four changes, bringing in Smith to add more firepower, but it took some time for them to start to put any pressure on struggling Preston. Callum O'Hare's stabbed effort was pushed around the post by Daniel Iversen and Smith had a low shot saved before the breakthrough came from an unlikely source. Worrall, a summer signing from Burnley, had not scored since a late winner for Besiktas against Rizespor in May 2024, but the big defender rose highest to head in Danny Imray's curled cross on his home debut. That was a little bit of unwanted history for Preston, who equalled a club record set in 1969-70 for the longest run of league matches without a clean sheet at 26. But Wrexham have been struggling at the back themselves this term, with their only clean sheet coming in a goalless draw with Swansea, and five minutes later the visitors were level. Moore lost possession in midfield and Preston quickly worked it wide to Johnny Kenny. His angled shot was deflected but the ball fell for Devine who made no mistake for his first goal since March - and Preston's first since Alexander took over last month. Wrexham's second was a painful one for the visitors. Imray's cross was only half-cleared and fell for former Preston man Whiteman to hit a low shot which left Iversen wrong-footed and the midfielder almost apologetically celebrating. O'Hare might have killed it in first-half stoppage time as he burst into the box but his close-range shot was blocked. Preston had chances to get back into it early in the second half but Brad Potts, just on as a substitute, missed the target at the end of a sweeping counter. That quickly proved costly as Smith headed in Whiteman's corner moments later, with Moore then ending the contest as he flicked in Callum Doyle's low free-kick.

Football News

Oliver Arblaster's early strike and a strong defensive display saw Sheffield United take all three points from a 1-0 Championship victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate. The visitors took a fifth-minute lead when a headed clearance fell to Arblaster, who connected with a sweet right-footed volley from just outside the box which gave City goalkeeper Sam Tickle no chance. It proved enough to settle a contest high on endeavour but low on entertainment from which the Blades emerged worthy winners. For the Robins it meant a second home defeat in the space of four days without scoring a goal and their fans were quick to signal their frustration after nine minutes of stoppage time. City midfielder Luke McNally made his first start in a home game since February 2025 when he sustained a serious knee ligament injury. Yu Hirakawa and Rio Cardines also came in, while Blades manager Chris Wilder made five changes, bringing in Arblaster, Mark McGuinness, Harrison Burrows, Kalvin Phillips and Jordan Ayew. The first half might have been a different story had Hirakawa capitalised on a golden opportunity to put City in front after four minutes. The winger broke clear, but with the goal gaping miscued his shot straight at United goalkeeper Michael Cooper. Wrexham 4-1 Preston: Ben Whiteman scores as Red Dragons thump four Southampton 0-0 Bolton: Saint held at home by Trotters Norwich 0-1 Portsmouth: Marko Milovanovic scores penalty in Pompey win West Brom 3-2 Blackburn: Baggies hit back to win in five-goal thriller Derby 0-1 Stoke: Luke Graham nets winner for Potters Swansea 0-1 West Ham: Divine Mukasa nets winner as Hammers sink Championship leaders The miss was made to look more costly when Arblaster fired United in front a minute later and they went on to look the better side in the opening period, winning most of the physical battles and easily nullifying City's predictable attacks. Hirakawa did break away again in the 13th minute, this time going down under challenge inside the box but referee Ben Speedie waved away his penalty appeals. Tom Cannon volleyed wide for United and Liam Kitching was unlucky to see a 27th-minute effort blocked for a corner as the Blades looked the more threatening outfit. The half-time whistle brought loud booing from City supporters. Home boss Michael Skubala made two attacking changes at the start of the second half, sending on Elijah Adebayo and Jed Wallace for Scott Twine and George Tanner, but still his team failed to create much until two chances in quick succession in the 65th minute. A Wallace shot was blocked by Burrows and from the resulting corner Dom Ballard headed over at the near post. Soon United were pressing at the other end and Tickle did well to smother a Japhet Tanganga header on his line. It was the visitors who looked more likely to score in the closing stages, Cannon having a shot blocked into the path of substitute Ryan One, who fired over from the rebound and also sent a late header wide. City remained toothless and could have no complaints over the result.