While there may be questions on the offensive side of the ball, the Dallas Cowboys are ensuring their strong defense remains intact.For some Dallas Cowboys fans, the play of quarterback Dak Prescott will determine how far they will go this upcoming season. While there are some questions on the o...

When Lewis Hamilton took the chequered flag at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in December 2021, after one of the most action-packed and demanding races of his career, the Brit stood on the podium proud. Defiant, even. With the awe of a competitor on the brink of history, he leapt off top-spot and pointed towards his team down below. A 103rd win was sealed; No 104 a week later would seal a record-breaking eighth crown. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, abruptly left the stage. That was then. This is now. In the 18 months since that win in Jeddah – a win which brought him level on points with Verstappen in 2021’s title race for the ages – Hamilton has been on the podium 12 times. No 12 was secured in impressive fashion from fourth on the grid in Spain on Sunday. Eight ‘second-place’ finishes; four ‘third-place’ results. But zero wins. Of course, the first of those 12 will be talked about until the cows come home. It seems borderline unfathomable that Hamilton could be so close to an eighth world championship then and still hunting that 104th grand prix victory now. Abu Dhabi 2021 was the cruellest of near-misses. But even since then, with Red Bull taking Mercedes’ mantle at the front of the pack, Hamilton’s racing has remained at an ultra-high level. Last year, he had a mid-season streak of five podiums in a row, with Silverstone his best opportunity to stand on top once again. A mid-race safety car ruined his strategy, with Carlos Sainz instead emerging as a winner in F1 for the first time. Yet it was Austin in October, with Verstappen’s second title already wrapped up, that was tougher to stomach. Hamilton was leading with five laps to go but, ultimately, was powerless to stop Verstappen’s Red Bull surging past him. This, indeed, is what will be most excruciating for the 38-year-old. No opportunities have been squandered. In fact, openings have largely been self-induced, with Hamilton having to make moves on Sunday to make up for a weak qualifying record on Saturday, such was the volatility of Mercedes’ car. And yet, Russell was the one who capitalised in Brazil last November, following a sprint victory at Interlagos with his debut grand prix win. Hamilton came home second. Russell also claimed Mercedes’ sole pole position last year, in Hungary, while Hamilton has also not qualified first since Saudi 2021. Outwardly at least, Hamilton’s confidence in Mercedes is unaffected, despite an 18-month period riddled with frustration. So much so that a new contract is on the verge of being signed by both parties. Yet for the fierce competitor inside, such a drought will be agonising. Upcoming races at Montreal and Silverstone represent more glimmers of hope, as the new-and-improved Mercedes car evolves. But, frankly, Verstappen and Red Bull remain in a league of their own. Russell was mocked after the first race of the season in Bahrain when he claimed Christian Horner’s team could win every race this year. It, remarkably, does not seem so farcical now. As for Hamilton, that record-breaking eighth title seems further away than ever, with the man himself already talking about 2024. Yet breaking the longest losing streak of his career will, instead, be the predominant goal in the forefront of his mind come Canada and the traditional European season thereafter. Read More Max Verstappen says Lewis Hamilton title fight ‘would be great for the sport’ Lando Norris reacts to Lewis Hamilton collision that ruined his Spanish Grand Prix Max Verstappen maintains dominance but Mercedes show their teeth at Spanish Grand Prix

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Chelsea went down to a third Premier League defeat of the season as Aston Villa won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge after Malo Gusto was shown a second-half red card. Villa broke away and scored through Ollie Watkins 17 minutes from the end, and though the 10 men laboured gainfully to get back into the game their goalless run in the league under Mauricio Pochettino stretched to three matches as they remained 14th. Chelsea were on top and looking far the likelier to score when a pitchside VAR decision just before the hour mark turned proceedings against them. Gusto had slid in on Lucas Digne and caught the defender on the ankle, and a yellow card was quickly upgraded to red for dangerous play. Pochettino’s side continued to attack in numbers and it would prove their undoing, Watkins outfoxing Levi Colwill to score on the rebound after the 10 men had poured forward, as Villa won for the second season running in front of an audibly frustrated home support in west London. Chelsea opened with a greater attacking purpose than they had shown in recent scoreless outings against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth. After four minutes, Moises Caicedo took a chance and drilled low and hard from distance into the gloves of Emiliano Martinez, a comfortable enough save for Villa’s goalkeeper but an early show of intent from the home side. Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk were heavily involved during the opening 15 minutes, finding space without the ball and attacking Villa down either flank when in possession. Nicolas Jackson too showed pace and power through the middle as Chelsea threatened from all angles. But it was Villa, increasingly stretched at the back, who nearly took the lead and in the most spectacular fashion after 20 minutes. Douglas Luiz’s corner was only partially cleared, and the ball dropped out of the air to the waiting Digne who whacked an audacious looping volley from all of 35 yards that Robert Sanchez brilliantly tipped over the bar. Chelsea had not scored in the league since August but here they played through Villa with a confidence that belied their modest goal return of five under Pochettino. Mudryk tucked a superb ball in behind the defence for Jackson to run on to, the striker’s cunning to find space matching the brilliance of his teammate’s vision. Jackson went for the near post and Martinez turned it behind, but it was as fine an attacking move as Stamford Bridge had witnessed this season. Enzo Fernandez should have broken the deadlock when he shot first time from Gusto’s pull-back, the Argentinian failing to make the best of a good opening after Gusto had stretched every sinew keeping the ball in play. Sanchez saved acrobatically from Nicolo Zaniolo’s volley as Villa came on strong late in the half. At the other end Mudryk capped a lively first period when he raced away from Matty Cash and zipped the ball low across goal only to find that nobody in blue had gambled. Sterling began the second period as he had ended the first, racing away from Villa down the right and trying to tuck the ball inside Martinez’s near post. The goalkeeper spread himself well to smother, but Chelsea’s threat was growing. Then came a moment to turn to the tide of that pressure. Gusto’s challenge on Digne was late and caught the Villa defender on the ankle. The initial decision was yellow card, but a pitchside VAR review saw it upgraded to a red as boos rained down on the referee from home fans. The sending off did not drastically alter the course of things at first, Chelsea’s pressure on Villa’s defence remained. Yet it was ultimately to be their undoing. There seemed to be little on when Villa won the ball back high in the Chelsea half. One ball released Moussa Diaby who dashed into the space left by Gusto’s departure, and in a flash he fed Watkins. Colwill seemed to have things under control when he slid to block Watkins’ initial shot, but before he could recover and clear the Villa striker had taken up the ball and lashed his second effort past Sanchez from an angle and in off the far post. Ben Chilwell on as a substitute missed when one-on-one with Martinez, then moments later Axel Disasi, now moved out to right-back, burst into the box and skewed horribly wide as he lashed at his shot. Jacob Ramsey tested Sanchez when he stepped inside and curled towards the bottom corner, this time the goalkeeper finger-tipped the ball to safety. By then, Chelsea’s attacking rhythm had been critically disrupted, and Villa saw the win out amid a chorus of discontent around Stamford Bridge. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Darwin Nunez on target again as Liverpool topple West Ham at Anfield Son Heung-min brace earns Tottenham a point at Arsenal Brighton secure comeback win over Bournemouth thanks to substitute Kaoru Mitoma

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