By Ian Ransom and Martin Quin Pollard HANGZHOU, China Chinese prodigy Pan Zhanle became the first Asian swimmer

The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year is off to a slow start in terms of corralling opposing quarterbacks this season.

Both TCU and Houston are in need of a win in their Big 12 opener after both teams suffered disappointing losses in the first two weeks of the season

Coventry boss Mark Robins moved to pile the pressure on Middlesbrough ahead of their crunch play-off semi-final second leg. The Sky Blues go to the Riverside on Wednesday locked at 0-0 from Sunday’s first leg. Boro finished fourth in the Championship, five points and a place ahead of Coventry, and at the Riverside Robins feels Michael Carrick’s side hold the advantage. He said: “They’re the favourites to go through so the pressure is on them. There’s no doubt about it. We’ll go out there and really give a good account of ourselves. “For us, it’s about our preparation and what we can do. The betting companies have made them favourites to win promotion. So, by definition, that makes us least favourites so it is what it is. We just go and deal with what we’ve got in front of us.” Coventry were not expected to make the play-offs this season, especially after playing seven of their first nine games away from home following the Rugby Sevens at the Commonwealth Games destroying the CBS Arena pitch. Robins recognises their progress this term but still wants the glory at the end. “It’s not really a great time to reflect because that time will be whenever this season comes to an end and we can sit back and have a look,” said the manager, who could be without Gustavo Hamer after he suffered a knee injury in the first leg. “I say sit back, we’re not because we’ve got a busy period of recruitment coming up. “Regardless of anything, I was asked at the start this season what success would look like and for us, really, you talk about finishing in the Championship, whatever happens. “If you’re in the Championship it always gives you a chance of doing what we’ve done so far this season. “Our season was blighted at the start with well-known factors and one of our players (Dominic Hyam to Blackburn) was sold early on which made things very difficult for us. “Regardless of what happened, the players have responded unbelievably well to get us to this point so they’ve earned the right to go head-to-head against Middlesbrough. “Whatever happens, yes, it’s been a brilliant progression for us but ultimately you want to try and come out successfully at the other end.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live A closer look at the battle to beat the drop in the Premier League Football rumours: Arsenal preparing £90million swoop for West Ham’s Declan Rice On this day in 2010: Dominant England beat Australia to win World Twenty20 final

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka insists he is not concerned about burnout and is ready to answer manager Mikel Arteta’s challenge of playing 70 games this season. The England winger, 22, captained the Gunners to a 5-0 victory over Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon to keep them within two points of the top of the Premier League. Saka has started all-but one of Arsenal’s Premier League and Champions League games this season, sitting out the victory over Manchester City with a hamstring complaint. Missing the win ended a streak of 87 successive league appearances for Saka, stretching back to May 2021. Saka’s durability has been an asset for club and country as Arteta called for him to keep playing and contributing to Arsenal’s quest for silverware. “Look at the top players in the world, they play 70 matches and every three days and make the difference and win the game. You want to be at the top, you have to be able to do that,” the Spanaird said last year. Saka, who notched up 62 appearances for both Arsenal and England last season, believes he can produce the kind of numbers Arteta is demanding. When you look at the top players, they are there every three days and they are winning games for their team Bukayo Saka “I think it’s possible,” Saka said. “When you look at the top players, they are there every three days and they are winning games for their team. “So I’m trying to be at that level, and to obviously be at that level I need to push myself. Of course, it’s difficult, but I’m trying to do it and give it my best. “I think I’m really focused on the next coming games and what I can do for the team. My focus is not really there (on talk of potentially burning out). “I’m a guy who always wants to be on the pitch, always wants to give my best, and if I’m injured and I have to be forced to be out, then of course I will sit out. “But as long I’m there and I’m ready to play, I am always going to give my best and tell them that I want to play.” Saka is expected to be rested as Arteta shuffles his pack for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round trip to West Ham. But he could once again be sporting the captain’s armband when Arsenal travel to Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday, with skipper Martin Odegaard nursing a hip problem and regular stand-in Gabriel Jesus out with a hamstring injury. “It was a really special moment for me,” Saka said of leading out Arsenal as captain for the first time. “To be honest, I can’t really describe how I was feeling when I was walking out. I just tried to take in the atmosphere and just realise where I am and where I’ve come from. “Then obviously I had to switch my focus to the game and we did, and we got the three points – which is the most important thing at the end of the day. “We are close to the top of the table in the Premier League, we are top of our Champions League group and we are still in all the other competitions. “I think that is something we can be proud of, but I agree there is another level for us to go to. We are pushing.” Read More Early exit puts Champions Trophy at risk – England’s dismal World Cup defence Luis Rubiales banned from all football-related activity for three years by FIFA A Premier League winner and ex-England international – Danny Drinkwater retires On this day in 2008: David Beckham heads to Milan to boost England hopes The sporting weekend in pictures Joel Embiid scores 35 points in big win for Philadelphia 76ers

The PGA Tour's “Block Party” is still going with Michael Block playing at Colonial after tying for 15th at last week's PGA Championship

Joe Milton III had a 6-yard touchdown run late in the first half and threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Ramel Keaton early in the second to help No. 9 Tennessee beat FCS foe Austin Peay 30-13 on Saturday night

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Gareth Southgate says Harvey Barnes is a player England “like a lot” and Kieran Trippier praised Elliot Anderson’s potential amid talk of a possible tug-of-war with Scotland for the Newcastle duo. There is an increasing number of players that have been part of the English set-up that have gone on to represent another country, including Jamal Musiala and Wilfried Zaha. Angus Gunn was called up to the England senior squad by Southgate before switching allegiance to Tuesday’s opponents Scotland, who are now reportedly targeting Barnes. The 25-year-old has yet to add to the solitary senior England cap he won in 2020 but remains on the manager’s radar, as does Newcastle team-mate Anderson. The Whitley Bay-born 20-year-old spent two days with Scotland last week before withdrawing from the squad due to injury. “Both are very good players,” England boss Southgate said of the Newcastle pair in the bowels of Hampden Park ahead of Tuesday’s friendly. “In terms of Harvey, he’s obviously a player who has played for us. We have a lot of competition in that area of the pitch so he is a player we are always monitoring and he’s a player we like a lot. “With Elliot, I think he’s a player who has progressed really well. We’ve previously spoken with him, but of course he was named in the squad here so assumed that was that. “I thought he had an excellent pre-season with Newcastle as well. “You could see that evolution that he has got as a young player and the potential he has got. I know at Newcastle they rate him very highly. “I don’t know the answer to the ultimate question for either player, but there are going to be more and more of these sorts of situations. “There are so many players with dual or triple nationality now. “It is very complicated for every country and sometimes you can’t offer the player something as quickly as they like. “We have benefited from it and we have lost players because of it and I think that is always going to be the case, really.” The pair’s club team-mate was sat alongside Southgate in Glasgow, with right-back Trippier full of praise for homegrown Newcastle talent Anderson. “As the gaffer said before, in pre-season he’s been unbelievable,” Trippier said of a player who has represented both nations at youth level. “I think it was good for him last year to stay with us and not go out on loan again, to gain that experience. “He’s a young lad with great potential. Obviously we’ve had talks but, like Gareth said before, he went away with Scotland. “Ultimately that’s his decision. He’s a young lad with great potential so that decision is ultimately up to him.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Gareth Southgate: England over-experimenting in Scotland would be ‘ridiculous’ Reece Topley admits to World Cup trepidation after injury woes Dan Biggar: Wales took inspiration from England’s stirring win over Argentina

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Erling Haaland admits Fulham have a right to be angry over Manchester City’s controversial second goal in Saturday’s Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland scored a hat-trick as champions City ultimately ran out comfortable 5-1 winners over the Londoners but the game turned on a highly contentious incident just before half-time. Nathan Ake headed City 2-1 ahead but Fulham complained vociferously that Manuel Akanji, stood in an offside position, had attempted to kick the ball on its way past and hindered goalkeeper Bernd Leno. The protests, both on the field and the touchline, continued long after VAR had ruled the goal should stand and Haaland accepts the visitors had a point. “I think it was offside as well,” the Norwegian told beIN Sports. “I feel bad for them, I would be fuming after this as well. It must be a horrible feeling for them.” Prior to that, the game had been rather more sedate with few chances until Julian Alvarez scored a 31st-minute opener that was quickly cancelled out by Tim Ream. City did not dwell on the incident after the break, moving through the gears with Haaland typically coming to the fore. He finished clinically from an Alvarez pass, fired home a penalty and then turned in a Sergio Gomez cross to claim his seventh City hat-trick in stoppage time. “I’m back,” said Haaland, who scored 52 goals last season. “I am always hungry. It’s a new season and I am ready. “We started a bit sloppy but we ended in a good way. It was important to win – four out of four – and we go into the international break after a really good start.” City’s victory was their second without manager Pep Guardiola on the touchline as he continues his recovery from back surgery, but the Spaniard is expected to return for the trip to West Ham in a fortnight. “I think he misses us,” said Haaland. “We also miss him sometimes too, so we look forward to having him back.” Fulham go into the international break without a win since their season-opener at Everton, but veteran defender Ream expects the team to hit back. The American said: “That’s just the nature of the squad, the mentality (manager) Marco (Silva) has instilled in us. “It’s just a shame that we have an international break and it’s two weeks between games for some guys. “But we’ll come back. We’ll look at things we can improve upon and we go again when we come back.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tributes paid to former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak after his death aged 49 Sir Mo Farah finishes fourth on farewell to London racing at Big Half Ange Postecoglou expects Brennan Johnson to ‘fit in really well’ at Tottenham