Category: 6. Sports

Dango Ouattara’s debut goal saw Brentford defeat Aston Villa 1-0 and earn Keith Andrews his first Premier League win as manager.

Ouattara, who joined from Bournemouth this summer, capitalised on Caoimhín Kelleher’s long ball, which was flicked on by Thiago, and slotted past Emiliano Martínez after 12 minutes.

Villa had 76% possession and 17 shots but for the second game in succession were unable to hit the back of the net, something which will be a concern for Unai Emery.

– Nuno Espirito Santo to remain at Forest for Palace clash

– Howe warns Newcastle of Ekitike threat ahead of Liverpool clash

– Saturday’s Premier League action as it happened

Our first pre-season game back at Meadow Park ended in a 4-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Victoria Pelova opened the scoring early on, before Bethany England equalised for the visitors.

We went ahead again though when Alessia Russo’s cross was turned into the Spurs net by Charli Grant.

England equalised from the penalty spot after the referee spotted a foul from Russo in the second half, and the away side went in front when Matilda Vinberg made it 3-2.

Caitlin Foord pulled us back level before Eveliina Summanen’s free-kick made it 4-3 to Spurs.

FIRST HALF

Looking lively from the off, Mariona Caldentey teed up Pelova, who cushioned the ball onto the underside of the bar, before Russo’s follow-up header also hit the bar on the way over.

Vinberg shot over the bar from long range with Spurs’ first effort moments later.

It was 1-0 to The Arsenal in the seventh minute. After a long ball over the top from Emily Fox, Pelova raced into the 18-yard box and tucked it in at the near post.

Katie McCabe’s in-swinging free-kick was then parried over the bar by Lize Kop, and McCabe’s following corner was smashed over the bar by Kyra Cooney-Cross.

We won the ball and Russo tried her luck from about 35 yards out but it flew wide of the top right, before Lotte Wubben-Moy gave away possession in a dangerous area and Bethany England capitalised, shooting into the roof of the net to equalise.

Mariona’s free-kick was then headed wide by Wubben-Moy. At the other end, Summanen’s corner was headed back across goal by England and nodded over by Drew Spence.

Our PFA Player of the Year Mariona sent a free-kick marginally wide of the top left corner just shy of the half-hour mark, and four minutes later we took the lead again.

Russo turned and crossed and Grant tried to control the ball for Kop, but it trickled into the bottom right corner for 2-1.

Cooney-Cross shot over from long range with half-time approaching and Josefine Rybrink headed over a Spurs corner as we headed into the interval a goal to the good.

SECOND HALf

We made three changes at half-time, summer signings Olivia Smith and Taylor Hinds coming on for McCabe and Wubben-Moy, while Laia Codina was introduced in place of Kelly.

Spurs equalised again in the 58th minute, the referee pointing to the penalty spot following a foul from Russo. England stepped up and slotted into the bottom left corner for 2-2.

Two became three for Spurs when Vinberg burst through on goal and shot into the bottom right corner to put us behind for the first time in the game.

There was another triple change in the 63rd minute, as Jenna Nighswonger, Katie Reid and Foord came on for Mead, Mariona and Russo.

We equalised in the 73rd minute, Steph Catley playing a long ball over the top to Foord, who went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and made no mistake, picking out the bottom left corner for 3-3.

Renee Slegers then made two further changes, bringing on Kim Little and Sophie Harwood for Pelova and Fox.

Spurs were quickly back in front though, as Summanen’s free-kick was too powerful for Borbe.

Cooney-Cross had another go from distance in the 82nd minute, but again the ball flew over the bar.

Our substitutes combined when Smith crossed for Hinds, but the latter couldn’t direct her effort towards goal in the game’s dying embers.

Six minutes were added on at the end of the second half and Nighswonger almost found a fourth goal in the 95th minute, but her left-footed effort was straight at Kop.

WHAT’S NEXT

We’re back at Meadow Park on Wednesday night for the visit of West Ham United. It’s a 7pm kick-off and tickets are available. After that, we get the Barclays Women’s Super League season under way at Emirates Stadium against London City Lionesses at 1.30pm on Saturday, September 6. Join us in N5!

From there, Altrincham – who had lost two of their three opening games, but have at least been able to enjoy unhindered preparation – grew into the match and deservedly levelled. The visitors created plenty of chances to win the game in the second half but couldn’t quite make one count.

As they piled forward, Morecambe took advantage of the space left behind, with Ogwuru arrowing a ferocious finish into the far corner before celebrating with the delirious supporters behind the goals.

Before that, Morecambe had at times looked like a team of strangers – because that is exactly what they are. When Panjab Warriors’ takeover was finalised on Monday, the club had five players in their squad.

Since then, 12 have been signed by new manager Ashvir Singh Johal as he begins his first senior managerial role, including 19-year-old second-half substitute Ma’kel Campbell, who only finalised his deal a few hours before kick-off on Saturday morning.

Misunderstandings over when the ball is going long or short, who has a tendency to cut inside or go out wide, and when to launch into a full counter-attack, are to be expected from a team which has had no pre-season and a single training session to work together.

But the sheer quality Morecambe have managed to bring in during a whirlwind few days, including a plethora of players who graduated from the academies of some of the country’s elite clubs, was already enough to turn them into a team that looked competent and talented from the get-go.

Johal was an energetic presence on the touchline for the entirety of the match, delivering instructions about the team’s shape to a midfield clearly adjusting to each other, while the majority of the bellowing of encouragement was left to his newly-assembled backroom staff.

The 30-year-old’s hiring in place of highly-respected former boss Derek Adams drew a mixed reaction from fans, but this start was far more than encouraging than anybody would realistically have expected.

MANCHESTER – Scotland took a big step towards the quarterfinals with an impressive 38-8 victory over Wales in their opening match of Pool B at the Salford Community Stadium on Saturday.

Story of the match

Francesca McGhie, the pick of Scotland’s exciting backline, scored a try at the start of each half, the second – after a brilliant step and pass from fellow wing Rhona Lloyd – completing her hat-trick as well as securing a four-try bonus point that could prove vital in a competitive-looking pool.

Further second-half tries from Evie Gallagher and Emma Orr confirmed Scotland’s dominance.

Wales, who ran Scotland close in a high-scoring thriller during the 2025 Women’s Six Nations Championship, enjoyed dominance in the scrum, but too many handling errors and a faltering lineout cost them.

Their only try came through captain Alex Callender in the first half off the back of a driving maul.

Coco Gauff heads to her home Grand Slam with a clear goal of progress at the 2025 US Open (24 August-7 September).

The USA tennis star is back at Flushing Meadows, where she won her maiden career major aged 19 in 2023. But following an opening round Wimbledon exit and a subsequent adverse hard-court swing, Gauff is determined for improvement.

21-year-old Gauff made a change in her coaching team days before her US Open campaign gets underway. She replaced her grip coach, Matt Daly, with biomechanics coach Gavin MacMilan to improve her serve, which has been causing her concern throughout the season.

“For me, I just want to get better,” Gauff said in her pre-tournament press conference in New York City, USA. “I’m obsessed with the process of getting better—sometimes maybe it hurts because I get obsessed with it too much.”

Now the world number three, with two more Slam trophies in her cabinet (the French Open singles and doubles titles), the nation’s top-ranked singles player is aiming to be crowned champion on Arthur Ashe Stadium for the second time in three years.

Gauff’s first round match will be against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović, whom she beat 6-3, 6-0 in their only previous meeting on the clay courts at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Find out the key details to watch Gauff wherever you are in the world.

The final weekend of the WMRA World Cup began in spectacular style with a dramatic competition at Velika Planina in Kamnik, Slovenia, on Saturday (23).

Finland’s Susanna Saapunki claimed a commanding women’s race win, while Kenya’s Richard Omaya Atuya secured the men’s title as a host of top international athletes congregated in this stunning area of Slovenia to take on the historic course.

Not only has Velika Planina been used as the venue for the 2010 World Mountain Running Championships, but it will also be the course used in the European Off-Road Running Championships in June next year. And with the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Canfranc just a month away, the World Cup finals were perfectly timed to provide a highly competitive opportunity for the athletes to test their fitness and racing strategies.

Valika Planina was the World Cup’s final classic uphill race and the course climbed 1280m over 8.5km, starting at Stahovica and finishing at Gradišče. With a mix of steep forest trails, open meadows offering some easier running, and a final kick up to the finish line, this route had a bit of everything for the runners. The unique finish line was among the shepherds’ villages that the area is famous for, with oval huts with spruce shingles. The misty conditions at the summit just added to the special atmosphere at the summit.

Following the withdrawal of World Cup leader Scout Adkin, the women’s race was wide open. With a field including established World Cup superstars such as Andrea Mayr, Gloria Chebet and Valentine Jepkoech Rutto, as well as breakout performers from this year including Nelie Clement and Elle Twentyman, it was a fascinating women’s start line.

But there was one athlete determined to take it out right from the start and that was Saapunki, who has achieved some incredible performances since switching from cross-country skiing to mountain running. Her early breakaway was ominous for the other runners.

Saapunki opened up an impressive lead of a minute over the chasing pack of Mayr, Kirsty Dickson and Benedetta Broggi by the first timing point. Twentyman was right on their heels, with Martina Falchetti and Clement 20 seconds back.

Saapunki managed to maintain and even extend her lead through the next section, despite a knee injury hampering her on the downhills. By this point Dickson and Mayr had gained a lead of more than a minute and a half on Falchetti and Clement, with Lucia Arnoldo and local favourite Lucija Krkoc joining the chase.

Eventually Saapunki could not be caught and she took an emphatic victory in 1:01:43. With just 1km to go there were three women – Broggi, Dickson and Mayr – all together, desperately trying to put some distance between each other. Broggi eventually won a very close duel and took second place in 1:04:32, with Dickson just one second behind in third. Mayr took fourth place and Chebet came through for a very creditable fifth.

As with the women’s race, the men’s field was incredibly strong. Seven of the top 10 men in the World Cup standings were on the start line, including Paul Machoka, Philemon Ombogo Kiriago, Michael Selelo Saoli and Atuya. They were joined by top Italians Andrea Rostan and Andrea Elia, another top Kenyan in Josphat Kiprotich and revered local runners such as Luka Kovačič and Klemen Španring.

Where the women’s race had a definitive leader from the off, it was more tentative in the men’s race. Initially a small group formed and it took a while for anybody to break away. When they did, it was Kiprotich who made the move. But Atuya stuck with him, while Kiriago followed ahead of Machoka and Elia, who were neck-and-neck through the first timing point. Rostan was also a few seconds behind, along with Abraham Ekwan.

Atuya made his break after the steep forest section and reached the next timing point in the lead, 20 seconds ahead of Kiprotich. Kiriago and Elia were together, a minute and a half behind Atuya and 45 seconds ahead of Machoka and Španring. It was all still extremely close and would come down to the flatter final section before the uphill finish.

Atuya had run a very smart race and had plenty in the tank to extend his lead on the faster section. He took the win in 50:21, with Kiprotich holding on to second place in 51:14. Kiriago won the battle against Elia to claim third in 52:18.

The action continues on Sunday (24) at Smarna Gora, where the 2025 World Cup champions will be crowned.

Kirsty Reade (WMRA) for World Athletics

Leading results

Women
1 Susanna Saapunki (FIN) 1:01:43
2 Benedetta Broggi (ITA) 1:04:32
3 Kirsty Dickson (GBR) 1:04:33
4 Andrea Mayr (AUT) 1:05:03
5 Gloria Chebet (KEN) 1:05:13

Men
1 Richard Omaya Atuya (KEN) 50:21
2 Josphat Kiprotich (KEN) 51:14
3 Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (KEN) 52:18
4 Andrea Elia (ITA) 52:39
5 Paul Machoka (KEN) 53:35

Trafford was in celebratory mood earlier in the week when he collected the PFA’s Championship player of the year award at the Opera House in Manchester city centre, reward for his performances in the second tier for Burnley.

The 22-year-old kept 29 clean sheets in the league last season for the Clarets, and after joining City he was quickly on song, as Guardiola pointed out, in the opening win at Wolves.

But this was a different story, a difficult first showing in a City shirt at Etihad Stadium.

Trafford came through the City ranks and rejoined the club for £27m from Burnley this summer having not made a senior appearance in his first spell.

He will have been dreaming of playing Premier League football for City at the Etihad, but it turned into an uncomfortable afternoon, Trafford slipping away from centre stage at the final whistle with songs from joyful Spurs fans ringing in his ears.

Guardiola has turned to youth in his rebuild.

Saturday’s team, with an average age of 24 years and 326 days, was the youngest starting XI named by the Spaniard in the Premier League and they have plenty to learn.

Tottenham’s Richarlison pressed relentlessly all game and forced Trafford into conceding a corner, while the keeper was lucky not to be dismissed for a collision on the edge of the box with Spurs winger Mohammed Kudus.

And at 1-0 behind, with the crowd beginning to get anxious, those shaky moments then turned into a calamity as Trafford played a loose pass inside the area to Ruben Dias, who failed to control, and Joao Palhinha eventually smashed in.

City failed to recover, slipping to defeat in their first home game of the campaign.

“City were well beaten today,” former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “I’ve got to say I’m not sure about the goalkeeper situation.

“Is James Trafford really top drawer? If it’s a choice between Trafford and Ederson, I’m going with Ederson.

“It was poor for the goal, a weak pass into Dias, not even passing on to the right side, and that absolutely killed them with Spurs going in 2-0 at half-time.”