Is Aaron Jones playing this week? Latest Packers vs. Falcons injury update
Aaron Jones left the Packers' blow-out win in Week 1 over the Bears with a hamstring injury. Will he be ready to go for Week 2?
2023-09-16 23:53
Harry Kane matches Bayern Munich club record with scoring start in the Bundesliga
Harry Kane wrote his name into Bayern Munich's record books with yet another Bundesliga goal against Bayer Leverkusen.
2023-09-16 23:26
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool ‘were not ready’ for first half after win at Wolves
Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool’s first-half struggles left him questioning his side – before the Reds hit back to win at Wolves. Andrew Robertson’s late strike and Hugo Bueno’s injury-time own goal completed Liverpool’s 3-1 victory at Molineux. Cody Gakpo had levelled earlier in the second half as Liverpool earned a third comeback victory of the season and fourth straight win. They are now unbeaten in 16 Premier League games, stretching back to last season. Hwang Hee-Chan’s opener had put vibrant Wolves in command and only a shocking miss from Matheus Cunha stopped them from adding to their lead. Klopp had criticised the early kick-off after the international break – with Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Alisson and Alexis Mac Allister all returning from South America on Friday – and conceded he was worried during a wretched first half. He said: “In the first half I thought ‘WTF?’ a couple of times. We were not ready in the first half but Wolves did really well. “With these boys, some of them we’ve had seven, eight, nine weeks with, some of them longer, I know if they can be, they are there. Today they couldn’t in a lot of moments. “I know if you get through the first half with a reasonable result, you can turn it. “The team needed help and we could deliver the help a little bit with the changes and change of system. They were completely different halves. “The same players who looked rusty in the first half, in the second half it looked much easier. “Wolves played a super first half but in the second half we were really good and controlled the game. “We stayed calm, there was no rush, 3-1 was a result I didn’t expect after 20 minutes but during the second half we deserved it.” Wolves dominated early and Hwang grabbed a seventh-minute goal when he swept in Pedro Neto’s low cross. Livewire Neto caused chaos and he gift-wrapped a chance for Cunha after 33 minutes when he breezed past Joe Gomez to cross for the striker to miscue an unmarked header from five yards. It kept Liverpool in the game and, after introducing Luis Diaz at the break, the visitors levelled 10 minutes later. Gakpo and Diaz managed to smuggle the ball to Salah on the right and his low ball was turned in by the unmarked Gakpo. Wolves lost all their first-half fearlessness, failing to create another chance, but it took until the 86th minute for Liverpool to capitalise. When we were on top we could have taken one or two of our good situations Gary O'Neil Jose Sa’s poor clearance fell for Robertson just inside Wolves’ half. The defender burst forward to swap passes with Salah and finish from seven yards. Harvey Elliott’s 20-yard strike then deflected off Bueno in stoppage time to seal victory. Wolves boss Gary O’Neil said: “If you look at the two sides, the gap in quality, it takes a big effort to close that. “I thought we did for a very long time. The organisation and structure managed to help us bridge that gap. “When we were on top we could have taken one or two of our good situations. “We were digging in and then we make a strange decision, create a bit of chaos and concede the second goal. “At 1-1 they’ve had a lot of the ball but we made a strange decision and it cost us a goal. Up until 80 minutes to have pushed Liverpool that close was a very good effort. “We conceded a crazy second goal which is what I’ve been trying to get out of the players since I’ve been here.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Current Davis Cup format set to stay despite being branded ‘a clear disaster’ Ford’s final audition and Sinckler returns – England v Japan talking points Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti hails ‘consistent’ Jude Bellingham
2023-09-16 23:24
Max Verstappen faces fight to keep run going after qualifying 11th in Singapore
Max Verstappen will start Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix from a shock 11th place after Lance Stroll crashed out at 110mph and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took pole position. On a wild night at the Marina Bay Circuit, both Red Bull drivers were eliminated in Q2 leaving the world champions facing an enormous task to retain their unbeaten record this season. George Russell qualified second, missing out on pole by just 0.072 seconds with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari, one place ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, half-a-second back. Verstappen was eliminated in Q2 after he bemoaned the handling of the Red Bull machine which has carried him to a record 10 consecutive wins, but has struggled under the bulbs that light up this unique 3.07-mile high-downforce track. Verstappen missed out on Q3 by 0.007 sec, and then took aim at his team over the radio. “I don’t know if you saw that, but it was an absolutely shocking experience,” he said amid of flurry of expletives. Verstappen is also facing three stewards’ investigations for separate incidents of impeding during qualifying. His team-mate Sergio Perez, who spun, also failed to progress to Q3. He will start 13th following a miserable night for the team from Milton Keynes in the city-state. Red Bull’s demise allowed Sainz to capture his second consecutive pole with Russell narrowly missing out. Earlier, Stroll survived a staggering crash. The Canadian driver lost control of his Aston Martin through the final left-hander before he slammed into the barrier. The force of the high-speed impact sent Stroll’s head rocking from side-to-side. He catapulted back across the track with Norris forced to take evasive action – dodging a flying wheel and Stroll’s out-of-control machine. “Is the driver alright?” asked Norris on the radio. “That must have been quite a big one.” Stroll pirouetted to a standstill in the middle of the track before his race engineer Ben Michell came on the radio. “Lance, car is safe,” said Michell. “Are you OK?” Stroll, 24, replied: “Yeah, I am OK.” The Aston Martin driver emerged from his wrecked car unaided before being taken off to the medical centre. Aston Martin confirmed Stroll had been given the all-clear by the on-site medical team and was allowed to return to the paddock. Stroll’s accident brought a premature end to a frenetic conclusion to Q1 and left the marshals with a significant barrier repair job at the final corner, with fluid from his car also on the track. The session was delayed for 34 minutes before Q2 started at 9.53pm local time. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lance Stroll crashes into barrier at 110mph in Singapore Grand Prix qualifying Max Verstappen struggles in Singapore practice under the lights On this day in 2021: George Russell joins Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes
2023-09-16 23:22
Lance Stroll crashes into barrier at 110mph in Singapore Grand Prix qualifying
Lance Stroll survived a staggering 110mph crash in qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix. The Canadian driver lost control of his Aston Martin through the final left-hander at the Marina Bay Circuit before he slammed into the barrier. The force of the high-speed impact sent Stroll’s head rocking from side-to-side. He catapulted back across the track with British driver Lando Norris forced to take evasive action – dodging a flying wheel and Stroll’s out-of-control machine. “Is the driver alright?” asked Norris on the radio. “That must have been quite a big one.” Stroll pirouetted to a standstill in the middle of the track before his race engineer Ben Michell came on the radio. “Lance, car is safe,” said Michell. “Are you okay?” Stroll, 24, replied: “Yeah, I am OK.” The Aston Martin driver emerged from his wrecked car unaided before being taken off to the medical centre. Stroll’s accident brought a premature end to a frenetic conclusion to Q1 with drivers improving as the city-state track evolved. AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda led the way, with Lewis Hamilton 14th of the 20 runners with the bottom five set to be eliminated. Stroll’s impact left the marshals with a significant barrier repair job at the final corner, with fluid from his car also on the track. The session was delayed for 34 minutes before Q2 started at 9:53pm local time. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen struggles in Singapore practice under the lights On this day in 2021: George Russell joins Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz gets goosebumps after landing pole for Italian Grand Prix
2023-09-16 22:29
Wolves 1-3 Liverpool: Player ratings as Reds leave it late at Molineux
The player ratings from Liverpool's 3-1 win over Wolves at Molineux on Saturday afternoon.
2023-09-16 22:22
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti hails ‘consistent’ Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has praised the “consistency” of Jude Bellingham’s recent performances ahead of his side’s clash with Real Sociedad on Sunday. Madrid have won all four of their league games so far this season, including a 2-1 win over Getafe last time out in their first game back at the Bernabeu, where Bellingham netted a stoppage-time winner. The 20-year-old has scored five times in those opening games and his streak continued into the international break where he also netted in England’s 3-1 friendly win over Scotland. Ancelotti has spoken highly of Bellingham following the bright start to his Real Madrid career and thinks he will remain grounded, despite the increased attention. Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Ancelotti said: “He’s evaluated by what he does on the pitch and he’s doing well. “He wasn’t widely known because he played in the German league and he didn’t have the role he has now. He’s playing in an important league and at an important club. He’s doing very well and I’m not surprised. “He’s very serious, focused and professional. I don’t think he’s the type of player who will let it go to his head if someone praises him. “He has the ability to get to the opponent’s box early and threatening. We talked about him in pre-season and he’s good in this position. He shows consistency and he has great physical strength. “I don’t know how many goals he can score, but he has to maintain this consistency because he helps us a lot in our attacking play.” Los Blancos are preparing for two games in a week for the first time this season, welcoming Real Sociedad before they kick-start their Champions League campaign with the visit of German side Union Berlin, who are making their debut in the competition. Ancelotti admitted he may have to rotate some players over both games to ensure they remain fit. He continued: “Tomorrow’s game is an important one against tough opposition. “We’ve got a lot of games and I’m going to rotate a bit more compared to when we played one game a week. Everyone is going to be involved. “For us, what is important is that we’re given time to recover properly. That’s enough. The internationals have returned in good shape and with more desire and enthusiasm after scoring goals and playing well in matches. They’ve come back in good condition.” Vinicius Jr has been absent for Real Madrid since the second game of the season as he recovers from a hamstring injury suffered in their victory over Almeria in August. Ancelotti does not know when he will get the playmaker back but insists he is recovering well from the problem. “I don’t know the exact day he will be back,” Ancelotti said. “He’s recovering very well and we don’t want to force his recovery. The scar is fine and he’s increasing the workload. “Next week he’ll do some work with the team and we’ll see. I think he’ll recover before the six weeks that were said.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Kyle Steyn desperate for Scotland recall after missing South Africa clash Gabriel Jesus ‘changed Arsenal’s world last season’, says Mikel Arteta On this day in 2018: Simon Yates seals British Grand Tours treble at La Vuelta
2023-09-16 22:21
Liverpool leave it late to come from behind and beat Wolves
Liverpool’s late show fired Jurgen Klopp’s men to a 3-1 comeback win at Wolves. Andrew Robertson and Hugo Bueno’s own goal saw the Reds escape Molineux with a victory which looked unlikely at half-time. Hwang Hee-Chan’s early opener gave Wolves the lead as the hosts dominated and only a woeful miss by Matheus Cunha stopped them going further ahead. Liverpool were wretched in the first half but slowly improved, levelling through Cody Gakpo before breaking Wolves’ resistance with four minutes left for a third comeback win of the season. Boss Klopp had unloaded a new blast at the fixture schedule ahead of the early kick-off and his mood would have darkened just seven minutes in. Vibrant Wolves had already begun to stretch Liverpool before they broke at pace from the edge of their own area. Cunha sent Pedro Neto scampering down the left and the forward glided past the flimsy Dominik Szoboszlai and Joel Matip. He had little support but rolled the ball across the front of goal for Hwang to slide in at the far post as Alisson failed to make the ground. Manager Gary O’Neil promised Wolves had a plan to be aggressive and they continued to press with debutant Jean-Ricner Bellegarde a bustling presence, in contrast to the sloppy £60m Szoboszlai. Neto was a constant menace, steering over Nelson Semedo’s cross before firing wide from 20 yards, with Liverpool shellshocked and unable to find rhythm. If Klopp, who patrolled his technical area with typical gusto, expected a response he was found wanting. Gakpo was anonymous, Mo Salah timid and Diego Jota wasted their only opening of the half, firing over from 15 yards. While masterminding Bournemouth’s escape from relegation last season, O’Neil oversaw a 1-0 win against Liverpool and the boss believes the Reds will challenge for the title again. After three wins from their opening four games, he expected to see an improved Liverpool at Molineux yet for spells it was one-way traffic as Wolves dominated and should have doubled their lead after 33 minutes. Again Neto was the architect, bamboozling Joe Gomez to cross for an unmarked Cunha, only for the striker to completely mistime his header from five yards to let Liverpool off the hook. It was a glaring miss but the pedestrian Reds were unable to take immediate advantage, Gakpo slicing wide and nodding over. There was, at least, a small spark from Liverpool before the break when Jose Sa spilled Jota’s cross to Salah, whose shot was blocked, with Sa then saving Szoboszlai’s follow up. The fear for Wolves was Liverpool would not be that passive in the second half and Klopp responded by introducing Luis Diaz for Alexis Mac Allister. It almost paid off immediately when the forward headed Robertson’s cross inches wide 90 seconds after the re-start – and the visitors levelled 10 minutes later. Wolves were unable to rob Diaz and Gakpo on the edge of the box, with the ball eventually rolling for Salah to cross low for Gakpo to tap in from close range. It was the striker’s final touch, Darwin Nunez replacing him, while Wolves’ good work was in the process of being completely undone. From being in charge, the hosts had their backs to the wall and only a last-ditch block from Max Kilman stopped Nunez snatching the lead. Yet the Reds struck with four minutes left after Sa gifted them a second. The goalkeeper’s poor clearance was collected by Robertson mid-way inside the Wolves half. He advanced to dart into the area, swapped passes with Salah and finish under Sa. There was still time for a third in stoppage time when Elliott’s 20-yard drive clipped Bueno to wrongfoot Sa and roll in off the post. Read More Who is Jarell Quansah? The Liverpool ‘phenomenon’ making a first Premier League start Wolves vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League latest updates Remembering former Wales great Gary Speed – Friday’s sporting social What Mohamed Salah’s dressing room speech says about Liverpool future Jurgen Klopp gives update on Mohamed Salah Saudi Arabia transfer As Saudi clubs prepare world-record bid, Mo Salah shows his true value to Liverpool
2023-09-16 22:15
F1 Kids broadcast an admirable idea – but a reminder that all children want to be is grown up
“Now it’s time to cross over to our F1 Juniors,” said Sky’s lead presenter Simon Lazenby, in a feel which became familiar throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. Often the broadcaster striving for new avenues, never afraid of the status quo, Sky Sports took their television trials to a different avenue this weekend with the first-ever Formula 1 broadcast for children. An admirable experiment, it gave three teenagers a few days to savour as they started their summer holidays in Budapest alongside broadcasters Radzi Chinyanganya and Harry Benjamin. For Braydon, Scarlett and Zak – the latter a go-karter at junior level, the former duo presenters on Sky’s BAFTA-winning kids show FYI – it presented opportunities of a lifetime with interviews, quizzes and predictions with the best drivers and pundits in the paddock. And it provided some indisputably heartwarming moments. Like the segment where Zak met Lewis Hamilton and spoke to his hero about how inspiring the Mercedes star has been to black kids around the world, before then sitting in his Mercedes car. Or Scarlett and Braydon quizzing the “terrible trio” of George Russell, Lando Norris and Alex Albon about what ice cream they’d describe themselves as. “Vanilla”, Norris quipped, pointing at Russell. There’s something about the involvement of adolescents in a press environment which can bring some much-needed lightheartedness to what can sometimes be a sterile process for all involved. For example, who can forget the young boy, in awe of his sporting icon, who asked Roger Federer at the US Open in 2017: “Switzerland is really cool, right? There isn’t too much livestock. So why do they call you the GOAT [greatest of all time]?” Yet, away from one-on-ones with drivers, the core aspect to the alternative broadcast was the informal race coverage, live on free-to-air Sky Showcase, which presented an F1 race in an entirely different format. There were bright, 3D-augmented graphics throughout, with a colour-coordinated leaderboard which, frankly, seemed clearer than the usual feed at times. Explainers popped up at various points, defining key F1-focused terms for younger viewers. The use of avatars for each driver was a cute touch, though obviously best kept for this experiment. Overall, it provided something completely unique and distinctive for a 70-lap race which provided a common routine in the obligatory Max Verstappen victory. Sure, nobody was asking for an F1-kids broadcast. And inevitably, naysayers online will have been quick to roll their eyes at the initiative. It was notable that both Sky F1 and Benjamin turned off replies to their tweets involving F1 Juniors over the weekend. Less an indication of the general reaction to the initiative and more a sign of the times – and the highly-charged, often-abusive nature of social media. But that is not the point. F1 has for a while been a step ahead of other sports in the intuitiveness and creativity of its product, to the stage now where it is in the midst of a period of unprecedented worldwide popularity. The most obvious is the fly-on-the-wall nature of Drive to Survive on Netflix, a format only now being followed by the professional tennis and golf tours in search of extra eyeballs. It is a fine balancing act, though. During practice and the qualifying show, there were regular interspersions on the main feed to the Juniors, a process which may well have irritated petrolheads and fans of a sterner generation. While Sky like to push boundaries, their executives will be all too aware of trying to avoid alienating their core viewership. The one-off nature of F1 Juniors, at least this season, means this is unlikely to materialise. And there were moments of awkwardness. Like cutting to Christian Horner on the pit wall, seemingly in a baffled daze, who bluntly said: “Can we come back and do this in another 10 laps or so?” Like a selfie in the commentary booth with Danica Patrick, who had earlier stated the nature of sport “is masculine and aggressive” as she spoke about the lack of female racing drivers. There were obviously a few mistakes here and there – and it wasn’t completely crisp and clear-cut. But then it wasn’t meant to be. And, frankly, nor is David Croft and Martin Brundle’s expert commentary always error-free. In a sport as technical and fast-paced as F1, perfection is near-on impossible. Of course, unless you’re Verstappen at the moment. But the underlying takeaway is this: as a child, all you want to be is treated as a grown-up. The best way of learning about the intricacies of a sport like Formula 1 is to immerse yourself in the usual feed on a regular basis, creating a curiosity gap to discover more. As a one-off, F1 Juniors was worthwhile and undoubtedly a commendable initiative. For intrigued parents, showing their children an F1 race for the first time, who knows how many may have flicked on the coverage? Who knows how many might now flick on an F1 race in the future on a Sunday afternoon? Something different is not to be something dismissed. Article originally published on 24 July 2023 Read More Lewis Hamilton makes damning statement about his level after Hungarian GP Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top F1 Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying updates and times at Marina Bay FIA take action against Helmut Marko after comments about Sergio Perez Zhou Guanyu interview: ‘There is a lot of pressure – only winners stay in F1’
2023-09-16 21:28
Max Verstappen up against it in Singapore after struggling in final practice
Max Verstappen faces a fight to take pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix after calling his Red Bull “unacceptable” in final practice. As Carlos Sainz raced to the top of the time charts at the Marina Bay Circuit, Verstappen finished fourth. The Dutchman is on an unprecedented 10-race winning streak with his Red Bull team unbeaten at the 14 rounds of the season so far. But Verstappen bemoaned the handling of his car in the city-state, describing the upshifts in his Red Bull machinery as “unacceptable”. He added: “These upshifts, what the f***. I am just struggling for rear grip. If I competed in drifting, I might win the race.” Verstappen returned to the track in the closing moments of the one-hour running, ringing the neck of his Red Bull to move from sixth to fourth, 0.313 sec slower than Sainz. But his struggles will give the chasing pack hope of finally stopping Verstappen and Red Bull with Ferrari holding the upper hand heading into qualifying later on Saturday. Sainz and team-mate Charles Leclerc traded top spot in the two practice sessions here on Friday, with the former again fastest in the concluding running before the fight for pole. Leclerc looked set to eclipse Sainz only to make a mistake in the second sector before backing out of his speediest lap, finishing fifth. George Russell took an encouraging second for Mercedes, just 0.069 sec slower than Sainz, with Lando Norris third in his McLaren. Lewis Hamilton was sixth for Mercedes, within half-a-second of Sainz. Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez, who won here last year, finished eighth, 0.719 sec back. Qualifying for the 15th round of 22 takes place at 2100 local time (1400 BST). Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen struggles in Singapore practice under the lights On this day in 2021: George Russell joins Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz gets goosebumps after landing pole for Italian Grand Prix
2023-09-16 19:27
Who is Jarell Quansah? The Liverpool ‘phenomenon’ making his first Premier League start
Jarell Quansah will make his full Premier League debut for Liverpool today at Wolves, as Jurgen Klopp gives the 20-year-old defender his backing with a first start. Quansah is a Liverpool academy product who has impressed in the club’s reserve team and on loan at Bristol Rovers last season, where he made 16 starts in League One. He has worked his way through the international age groups for England, appearing at the Under-20 World Cup last summer – though he remains eligible to play senior football for any of Scotland, Ghana and Barbados. The 6ft 2in centre-back is right footed and has built a reputation for his ability to play out from the back and break lines with accurate passing into midfield, and his enormous potential is one of the reasons the club didn’t feel an urgent need to spend big in defence over the summer. Follow Wolves vs Liverpool LIVE Quansah gets his opportunity today in place of the suspended Virgil van Dijk, who was sent off in Liverpool’s remarkable win over Newcastle at St James’ Park. Quansah came on in the latter stages of that game and it is fair to say Trent Alexander-Arnold was impressed by his new teammate. “Jarell Quansah, absolutely phenomenal in his first game for us, coming on in an atmosphere and an environment like this is extraordinary,” Alexander-Arnold said after the 2-1 comeback win. “To hold his own in the way he’s performed is outstanding.” Quansah later revealed what Klopp had told him before entering the field. “He just said that I’m ready for it and I felt ready, but as ready as you can be in this scenario,” Quansah told LFCTV. “You don’t expect to make your debut away with 10 men at St James’ Park 1-0 down, so it’s hard to put into words at this minute. “I’m normally cool anyway but it’s always easier when something is sprung on you and you have got the adrenaline running through your veins. It’s what dreams are made of, a cliché but it’s so true. I’m ready for whatever comes.” He later added on Instagram: “Couldn’t have asked for a better Premier League debut. Hard to put into words the feelings and emotions. A day I’ve dreamed of from the very start. Time to kick on.” Quansah also played against Aston Villa at Anfield a week later, where the Reds won 3-0. Now, returning after the international break looking to continue their momentum, Klopp has backed his young talent to play from the start at Molineux. Read More Wolves vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League latest updates Wolves vs Liverpool TV channel and how to watch today Remembering former Wales great Gary Speed – Friday’s sporting social
2023-09-16 19:26
Erik ten Hag confident Sofyan Amrabat can be Man Utd's missing link
Erik ten Hag has explained why getting Sofyan Amrabat back from injury is so important for Man Utd.
2023-09-16 19:24