Author: Guardian sport

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for as the new season kicks off

Manchester United’s new-look midfield, Ipswich’s ambition is tested and Kevin Keegan tributes at Newcastle

While Myles Lewis-Skelly looks likely to remain at the Emirates, the same can’t be said for Ethan Nwaneri. The 19-year-old was outstanding in his breakthrough season for Arsenal in 2024-25 but barely featured last season and was sent on loan to Marseille. That didn’t really work out and Arsenal are now exploring another temporary move to ensure Nwaneri gets regular football this season. Milan, RB Leipzig, Dortmund and Fulham are all thought to be interested, with Nwaneri unlikely to feature on the bench for Friday’s opener against Coventry as a result. Whether Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus are available remains to be seen as Arsenal attempt to find suitors for the Brazil duo. Ed Aarons

Arsenal v Coventry City, Friday 8pm (all times BST)

Hull City v Manchester United, Saturday 12.30pm

Ipswich Town v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

Nottingham Forest v Leeds, Saturday 3pm

Brighton v Aston Villa, Sunday 2pm

Manchester City v Bournemouth, Sunday 2pm

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Australian rider says she was nearly hit by car at Tour of Britain Women

  • Maeve Plouffe says incident on Wednesday was ‘scary’

  • Josh Tarling to ride in Vuelta in memory of brother Fin

The Australian rider Maeve Plouffe says she was nearly hit by a non-race car during the opening stage of the Tour of Britain Women.

With cycling still coming to terms with the death at the Volta a Portugal of the 19-year-old British rider Finlay Tarling, who was last week killed in a collision with a vehicle that had entered the course, Plouffe said the incident occurred as she was chasing the peloton after a puncture on Wednesday.

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Australia swing axe after Darwin disaster with Jake Weatherald dropped for second Bangladesh Test

  • Opener pays price after scores of 23 and 0 in first Test defeat

  • Matthew Renshaw drafted into 13-man squad in his place

Jake Weatherald has paid the price for an underwhelming performance in Australia’s shock Test defeat to Bangladesh, with Matthew Renshaw drafted into a 13-man squad to replace the opener for the second and final match of the series starting on Saturday.

Weatherald went into the first Test in his home town of Darwin with a question mark over his place in the side, having largely failed to make an impact since coming into the Test set-up as a late-blooming debutant at the start of the 2025-26 Ashes series.

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Premier League fans’ previews: our club-by-club guide to 2026-27

The Guardian’s fans’ network looks ahead to the new season: fresh talent, weak links, and who will be sacked first

Having finally got the title monkey off our back, and with much of the competition in a state of flux, there’s plenty of optimism. Obviously the target is for Arteta to sustain the same appetite and intensity to mount a credible defence. The big questions are whether we can reproduce the same resilience at the back with Saliba on the long-term missing list, and will the introduction of Guimarães be the catalyst for the sort of midfield chemistry we’ll need to carve open opponents who plan to park the bus?

Bernard Azulay onlinegooner.com; @GoonerN5

Jonathan Pritchard

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Claressa Shields eyes Britain’s Price after stopping Kaye Scott to reclaim titles

  • American stops Sydneysider at 1:38 of sixth round

  • Shields claims WBA and WBC belts after 38lb cut

  • Lauren Price identified as preferred next opponent

Claressa Shields completed a remarkable descent from heavyweight to middleweight, stopping Australia’s Kaye Scott in the sixth round to capture the WBA and WBC titles in a fight that went off early Sunday morning at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

The five-division world champion and double Olympic gold medalist dominated her outclassed opponent from the opening bell before dropping Scott in the sixth and overwhelming her against the ropes after the action resumed. With the 42-year-old champion unable to defend herself from another sustained barrage, Scott’s corner threw several towels into the ring and the contest was waved off after 1min 38sec.

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Jarrod Bowen declares intention to stay at West Ham despite relegation

  • Captain says promotion would bring ‘the most happiness’

  • He visited largest shareholder Daniel Křetínský in Prague

Jarrod Bowen has said he intends to remain with West Ham after the club’s relegation to the Championship. The forward has attracted interest from Premier League teams but has spelled out his desire to stay after a summer during which he travelled to Prague for talks with the largest shareholder, Daniel Křetínský.

“I feel like we’re moving in the right direction as a club,” Bowen told West Ham’s media channels. “There’s a lot of thinking time over the summer and a lot of things that go in your head. But I look in years and years to come of when I retire, what’s going to bring me the most happiness. For me now that’s getting this club back into the Premier League.”

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Abject England end Stokes era with rare home series defeat by New Zealand

New Zealand won a Test series in England for the fourth time by wrapping up a 160-run victory in the third Test at Trent Bridge on Monday, bringing an end to the international career of England’s captain, Ben Stokes.

Resuming on 103 for four and chasing an unlikely 373 to win, England were dismissed for 212 soon after lunch on day five as New Zealand clinched the series 2-1.

Ali Martin’s report from Trent Bridge will follow shortly

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Saracens’ George slams Auvaa’s ‘unacceptable behaviour’ in nightclub incident

  • England veteran says Samoan ‘immature – but a good kid’

  • Academy player ‘a rabbit in the headlights in London’

Jamie George has criticised his Saracens teammate Totoa Auvaa’s “unacceptable” behaviour during the nightclub incident that led to the cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson being dropped by England but insisted he was “a good kid”.

The England international and former captain described the 21-year-old Samoan back-row as “a rabbit in the headlights in London” and said the academy player “doesn’t know right from wrong”.

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Matt Henry ends England’s resistance as New Zealand complete second Test rout

New Zealand made very short work of claiming the five England wickets required to secure victory in the second Test on Sunday.

Matt Henry removed four England batters, including Joe Root for 77, in a ferocious 25-minute spell at the Oval. The hosts began the day on 182-5 but added just 10 runs for the first four wickets lost, slipping to 192-9 as the Black Caps showed no mercy.

Ali Martin’s day five report will follow

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Borthwick keen to rest Itoje but injuries may force England rethink

  • Giving captain the summer off ‘would be the right thing to do’

  • Van Rensburg set for England debut despite Test ineligibility

Steve Borthwick will rest the England captain Maro Itoje this summer unless injury strikes in the second row over the weekend.

Itoje is set to be stood down for next month’s Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina following a year that saw him lead the British & Irish Lions to a series victory against Australia, play in the autumn and Six Nations campaigns and mourn the death of his mother.

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