Author: Guardian sport

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Marc Guéhi faces Liverpool, Xavi Simons wants a central role at Spurs and Arsenal must be wary of Sandro Tonali

Manchester United have shown signs of improvement this season. Though the reporting has been of a crisis, had they even a mediocre goalkeeper, they would have lost to neither Arsenal nor Grimsby, and it’s also fair to note that, with three of their first five games coming against Mikel Arteta’s side, Manchester City and Chelsea, they were dealt a difficult start. But Ruben Amorim must now start accumulating victories, with a nasty away trip a decent test. Since Brentford were promoted to the Premier League, United have lost two of four games at the Gtech, were outplayed in the one draw and, even in the game they won, were physically dominated for 45 minutes. However, their summer acquisitions have turned a team of uncommon weakness and slowness into one able to compete in duels, win headers and threaten in behind. That should mean United’s class tells in contests such as this – except no side is better at finding ways to lose matches they should win. Daniel Harris

Brentford v Manchester United, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)

Crystal Palace v Liverpool, Saturday 3pm

Chelsea v Brighton, Saturday 3pm

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‘Worst decision in the history of the Brownlow’: AFL awards night hit by controversy

  • Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera vote prompts disbelief from crowd

  • Decision puts process and umpires’ polling under scrutiny

How the Brownlow medal is decided has come under fresh scrutiny after a controversial vote at the 2025 count on Monday left those in the audience at the glitzy ceremony in Melbourne visibly stunned.

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s outstanding individual performance during St Kilda’s remarkable round 20 win over Melbourne was widely hailed at the time as the greatest of the season – and perhaps even the best seen in recent memory.

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Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Aston Villa’s struggles continue, more West Ham problems while Brighton wrap up Carlos Baleba in cotton wool

Pep Guardiola becomes ever more the traditional English football man. As his Manchester City stay extends to 10 seasons, he relies ever more on the principle that big players can win big matches. Hence his late-career conversion to employing a wrecking ball striker in the peerless Erling Haaland. As for his former assistant Mikel Arteta, Arsenal looked stuck in the weeds of over-thinking. Benching Eberechi Eze, who tortured City in last season’s FA Cup final, till half-time was just too clever by half. Arteta’s recent talk of using rugby strategy, of thinking of substitutes as finishers, in the style of South Africa’s “bomb squad” is all very well. Even if the substitute Gabriel Martinelli scored the equaliser from an Eze long ball, a talented, capable squad playing one-dimensional fare is far less explicable. This is not the City who previously dominated the Premier League. They showed their own limitations, particularly once Haaland, brilliant as attacker and defender, was removed. John Brewin

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AFL grand final 2025: ultimate guide to the flag decider between Geelong and Brisbane

Wondering what time the game starts, how you can watch it live and what happens it it’s a draw? We’ve got you covered

Geelong and Brisbane will meet in the 2025 AFL grand final with both sides out to cement their place as arguably the best team of recent years.

The Cats and Lions have shared two of the past three premierships but for the first time in their 126-year VFL/AFL history now cross paths in a grand final.

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Robertson looks a better bet for Merseyside derby, a fresh test for Bournemouth, protests at West Ham and more

It would be a surprise to see Arne Slot start Milos Kerkez against Everton, given the left-back’s struggles against Burnley last weekend. Kerkez was booked for diving and was lucky to avoid a second yellow after fouling Jaidon Anthony before being substituted for Andy Robertson after 38 minutes at Turf Moor. Surely Slot will not risk a similar performance in the cauldron of the Merseyside derby, especially with such a dependable option in Robertson and the tricky Iliman Ndiaye on the right wing for Everton? “It’s a massive jump [playing for Liverpool],” said the Scot as he came to the defence of Kerkez this week. “I came from Hull City, he’s come from Bournemouth, and it’s probably quite similar. He will be the starting left-back for Liverpool in the future and it’s up to me to push him this season and help him improve.” Kerkez is lucky to have such an experienced mentor, but may face a wait to get back into Slot’s starting XI after Robertson started against Atlético Madrid in midweek. Michael Butler

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Björn Borg takes life ‘day by day’ after ‘aggressive’ prostate cancer diagnosis

  • Tennis legend told diagnosis was ‘really, really bad’

  • Borg also recalls drug use after early retirement

Björn Borg, the five-time Wimbledon tennis champion, has said he is taking life “day by day, year by year” after his “extremely aggressive” prostate cancer diagnosis.

The former world no1, who won 11 grand slam titles before retiring aged 25, revealed the diagnosis in the final chapter of his autobiography, which will be published this week in the UK and next week in the US. The Swede is in remission, having had an operation in 2024, but described the diagnosis as “difficult psychologically”.

Read Bjorn Borg’s interview with Simon Hattenstone on theguardian.com from 4pm UK time on Thursday

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New England Revolution fire head coach Caleb Porter after less than two seasons

  • Revs poised to miss playoffs for second straight year

  • Porter oversaw major offseason roster overhaul

The New England Revolution have fired head coach Caleb Porter after less than two seasons in charge.

The decision came after the latest in a season of disappointing results, a 1-1 draw at home to Toronto FC in which the Revs were saved by a last-minute equalizer from Luca Langoni. With four games left in their season, the Revolution seem all but certain to miss the playoffs, sitting 10 points adrift of the final postseason spot.

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Chris Wilder appointed Sheffield United manager for third time with goal of promotion

  • Wilder returns after three months with club bottom

  • He departed following playoff defeat to Sunderland

Chris Wilder has been confirmed as Sheffield United’s new manager on a contract to 2027 after Rubén Sellés was sacked on Sunday. It is the 57-year-old’s third spell in charge of his boyhood club – and comes just three months after he was sacked by the club. He takes over a team bottom of the Championship after defeats in all five of their league matches.

United said in a statement that promotion remained the ambition for the season. The club are nine points off the playoffs and 13 behind the leaders, Middlesbrough, after the 5-0 loss at Ipswich on Friday that triggered Sellés’s dismissal.

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Ricky Hatton’s family tell of their ‘immeasurable’ loss after boxer’s death

  • Former champion’s kindness and loyalty hailed

  • Andy Burnham: ‘We will find a way to honour him’

Ricky Hatton’s family have opened up publicly for the first time since the news of the boxing legend’s death, saying they feel an “immeasurable” sense of loss.

The 46-year-old was found dead in what police said were no suspicious circumstances at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester on Sunday, resulting in tributes being paid across sport and wider society towards the fighter, a former world welterweight champion.

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Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Newcastle’s new striker makes his mark, Emiliano Martínez is in Villa’s good books again and Noni Madueke’s dream week

Is Gianluigi Donnarumma a Pep Guardiola goalkeeper? He may or may not be, but he is an exceptional goalkeeper. Manchester United didn’t offer enough of a test even to begin to assess whether Donnarumma is good enough with the ball at his feet to allow City to play as Guardiola would like them to. Nor did they test whether his starting position is advanced enough to sweep up behind a high defensive line and prevent the sort of chances City yielded up to Tottenham and Brighton. But his save to keep out a Bryan Mbeumo volley, hurling himself to his right to push the ball wide, was spectacular, and drew congratulations from pretty much all his teammates. Even if he is not the perfect stylistic fit, Donnarumma’s presence, his commanding stature, the aura he projects, makes him the right goalkeeper for now as City begin the process of rebuilding with a notably young squad. Jonathan Wilson

Match report: Manchester City 3-0 Manchester United

Match report: Burnley 0-1 Liverpool

Match report: West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

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AFL confirms State of Origin football to return in 2026 after 27-year hiatus

  • Victoria to play Western Australia in Perth on 14 February next year

  • Last time a game was contested between state teams was in 1999

The AFL’s marquee State of Origin fixture will return next year to end a 27-year hiatus, with Western Australia to host Victoria in Perth on Valentine’s Day. After a clamour from fans and players for the state-based rivalry’s return, the 2026 game will be played at Optus Stadium.

The last time an Origin game was contested between state teams was in 1999, when Victoria beat South Australia by 54 points at the MCG, but South Australia was overlooked this time after strong lobbying from the Western Australian government.

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Canelo Álvarez v Terence Crawford: all of your pre-fight questions, answered

Boxing’s biggest fight in years takes place on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Here’s everything you need to know about Canelo v Crawford, including how, when and why to watch

Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez and Terence Crawford, two of the most accomplished boxers of the past 20 years, will climb through the ropes on Saturday night in Las Vegas for one of the sport’s biggest events in years.

Álvarez, 35, will be defending his undisputed super middleweight title at his natural 168lb. Crawford, 37, is attempting the jump of a lifetime: moving up two full divisions to that weight for the first time after winning his fourth world title last year in his 154lb debut. That size gap is at the heart of Saturday’s intrigue. And because the fight will be carried globally on Netflix at no extra cost to subscribers, it could draw the largest audience ever for a major championship bout.

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