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Fourth league defeat in a row: Liverpool also bow to Brentford

Lesley Summerville
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Fourth league defeat in a row: Liverpool also bow to Brentford

Liverpool FC’s nosedive in the Premier League continues: The Reds suffered a surprise 2-3 defeat to Brentford FC on Saturday evening.

Liverpool FC had racked up four defeats in a row before their Champions League away game in Frankfurt, with the 5-1 win intended to mark a turnaround. But the Reds had been warned about Brentford, who had recently beaten Manchester United 3-1 at home. With Wirtz starting the game – he had come off the bench in Frankfurt – the reigning champions were determined to get back on track in the Premier League. However, the first cold shower was not long in coming: Kayode hurled a throw-in into the five-meter area, where Ajer won the aerial duel with Ekitiké and Ouattara coolly slotted home at the far post (5th minute).

The visitors had to shake themselves up, but could have equalized through Salah. However, the Egyptian’s shot bounced off former LFC keeper Kelleher – a symbol of his recent weeks (10′). Ten minutes later, Wirtz came even closer, starting strongly and shooting centimeters wide of the left post after Ekitiké’s blocked backheel (20′).

Reds vehemently demand penalty

Brentford retreated more and more, hoping to capitalize on their counterattacking strength. And that’s exactly what happened: six minutes after Damsgaard’s thunderous long-range shot, the Dane sent Schade on his way, and the German international was too fast for Konaté and scored to make it 2-0 (45′).

Seconds later, the visitors’ fans demanded a penalty, but after Wirtz’s backheel, there was no penalty for Ajer’s challenge on Gakpo (45+1). The visitors still managed to pull one back before the break: Bradley’s cross slipped through to the far post, where Kerkez coolly slotted home from five yards out (45+5).

After the break, Liverpool were under pressure, but Brentford were the more dangerous team. Igor Thiago and Damsgaard tested Mamardashvili (54, 55).

And then there was a penalty for the hosts: after consulting VAR, referee Simon Hooper pointed to the spot because van Dijk brought down Ouattara on the edge of the box – he had initially awarded a free kick. Striker Igor Thiago made no mistake with the big chance (60′).

Salah’s great goal worthless

After going 1-3 down, Slot reacted and brought on three new players: Robertson, Chiesa and Mac Allister. Immediately, there was a great chance to pull one back, but former Mainz player van den Berg cleared with a monster tackle against Salah (64′).

Anyone expecting fireworks was disappointed. Brentford defended their lead passionately and didn’t allow the Reds to get much of a foothold at first. Salah’s spectacular right-footed strike under the bar came too late (89′) to change anything about Liverpool’s fourth consecutive league defeat. The visitors pushed forward in vain during the eleven (!) minutes of added time. The champions are now down to sixth place.
Both teams have League Cup matches coming up this week: Brentford travel to underdogs Grimsby on Tuesday, while Liverpool host their “bogey team” Crystal Palace the following day.

Turbulent finish at Old Trafford: United’s winning streak continues thanks to 4-2 victory

Phil Laffertey
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Turbulent finish at Old Trafford: United’s winning streak continues thanks to 4-2 victory

Manchester United’s winning streak continues: The Red Devils earned a well-deserved 4-2 victory in front of their home crowd against Brighton, who were extremely vulnerable defensively for long periods and woke up too late.

Ruben Amorim had no real reason to change his starting lineup after the 2-1 win at rivals Liverpool. However, the Portuguese coach had to make one injury-enforced change: Yoro replaced Maguire. On the other side, German coach Fabian Hüzeler brought in de Cuyper for Gomez compared to the 2-1 win against Newcastle United.

And that Belgian was to quickly take center stage: after Minteh’s first chance for the visitors (7th minute), Old Trafford suddenly demanded a penalty—but referee Anthony Taylor, somewhat surprisingly, did not penalize de Cuyper’s contact in a duel with Amad (16th minute). This was in keeping with Taylor’s generous approach to the game.

The home side, however, exuded much more confidence in the aftermath and punished Brighton’s defensive lapses, which continued throughout the evening, in the 24th minute: Bruno Fernandes passed to Casemiro, who forwarded the ball to Matheus Cunha. He curled the ball past defender van Hecke into the bottom right corner to take the lead.

Sesko misses the target – and then sets up the goal

While there was a complete lack of control in this scene, ten minutes later the risk was simply too high. Shaw intercepted the ball deep in the opponent’s half. Casemiro, who had just set up the goal, took a shot and benefited from Ayari deflecting the seemingly harmless long-range shot, making it unstoppable for Verbruggen – 2-0 (34′). ManUnited could have led by even more at halftime, but Sesko shot wide from a promising position on the left side of the penalty area after a fine combination (44′). Hürzeler had a lot to discuss in the dressing room, but decided not to make any changes at first.

However, Brighton didn’t offer much more after the break, and Bruno Fernandes even came close to scoring a third goal (48′), so the German coach made three changes after an hour.

One minute later, however, the Seagulls conceded a third goal, which finally dashed their comeback hopes: after Rutter lost possession, Sesko set up Mbeumo, who slotted the ball through Dunk’s legs into the bottom right corner (61′).

Hürzeler demands red card

The game was threatening to fall flat when Dorgu suddenly misplaced a pass deep in the opponent’s half. Running back, the substitute brought down Minteh, the last man, just outside the penalty area. Hürzeler demanded a red card, but Taylor only gave a yellow. However, the free kick had consequences: Welbeck curled the ball over the wall and under the crossbar (74′).

United then struggled briefly, but Brighton was unable to capitalize on this. The tension returned in the second minute of stoppage time when 18-year-old Greek prodigy Kostoulas headed a Milner corner into the far corner to make it 2-3. However, Mbeumo had the answer, scoring his second goal of the game to make it 4-2 after Heaven’s assist (90+6).

Next Saturday, the Red Devils will be looking to extend their winning streak to four games at Nottingham Forest. Brighton are already in action in the League Cup at Arsenal this week, before facing newly promoted Leeds on November 1—for Hürzeler, a German coaching duel with Daniel Farke.

Talbi shocks Chelsea: Sunderland wins deep into injury time

Jason Maverick
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Talbi shocks Chelsea: Sunderland wins deep into injury time

AFC Sunderland has continued its winning streak. Despite the Blues dominating throughout the game, the Black Cats scored a surprise winning goal out of nowhere shortly before the end.

With considerable momentum behind them after their 5-1 win over Ajax Amsterdam, the Blues went into the match against newly promoted Sunderland, who were level on points with them, but fielded an almost completely changed lineup. Only Enzo Fernandez, Caicedo, and Guiu were retained in the starting lineup by Enzo Maresca.

Regis Le Bris took a much more conservative approach: Reinildo and Geertruida came in for Alderete and Rigg, bringing two new faces to the team that beat Wolves 2-0, as well as a new formation. The Black Cats lined up in a 5-4-1 to face the favorites, who quickly broke down the East Coast stronghold. In the 4th minute, the ball was quickly played forward to Garnacho, who celebrated his first goal for Chelsea FC.

Mukiele’s throw-in: Isidor is in the right place

After taking the lead, however, the home side failed to convert their dominance into further goals, which is why a throw-in brought the Black Cats back into the game. Traoré’s shot from Mukiele’s cross from the sideline was deflected to Isidor, who coolly slotted home (22′).

The Blues had numerous dangerous chances before the break, while Sunderland didn’t really threaten, with two attempts from Isidor (28′) and Traoré (43′). Chelsea came close to making it 2-1 in the final minutes before the break, but Roefs prevented Garnacho from scoring a brace and Chalobah from scoring with a powerful long-range shot (40′, 44′).

Estevao’s momentum also fizzles out

Not much changed in the second half: Chelsea played, but were less dangerous than before the break. It was only substitute Estevao who brought new momentum, but he was decisively pressured by Geertruida shortly after coming on (61′). Moments earlier, Acheampong had stopped a dangerous counterattack at the other end.

The home side kept trying in the last 30 minutes. Again and again, they played the ball into the box of the newly promoted side. However, they rarely created any real danger. Most of the time, they were just a few centimeters short or lacked the final touch. This was the case with two attempts by Enzo Fernandez (71′).

Deep into stoppage time: Talbi shocks Chelsea

The game seemed to be over for a long time, before the visitors scored out of nowhere in stoppage time to make it 2-1: Brobbey controlled a long ball in the Blues’ penalty area and laid it off to the onrushing Talbi, whose low first-time shot found the far corner to secure a lucky win (90+3).

For the Blues, who lost for the first time after four consecutive wins, it’s back to business on Wednesday. In the League Cup, Chelsea face their last opponents, Sunderland: The Londoners will be away to Premier League bottom club Wolverhampton at 8:45 p.m. Sunderland, meanwhile, can enjoy a longer break and celebrate their three points. They will not be back in action until Monday, November 3, when they face Everton at home at 9 p.m.

Joy clouded: Napoli fears for De Bruyne after top match victory

Andrew Jackson
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Joy clouded: Napoli fears for De Bruyne after top match victory

SSC Napoli has regained the lead in Serie A – but at a high price. During the 3-1 victory over rival Inter, De Bruyne was injured while taking a penalty kick.

On the evening before the top match in Serie A, there was positive news for both teams. Leaders Milan could only manage a 2-2 draw against Pisa, meaning that the winner would be rewarded with the top spot in the table.

At first, the importance of the game was evident to both teams. Neither wanted to make any mistakes and therefore did not take any risks. Nevertheless, that is exactly what happened: shortly after Bastoni missed the chance to make it 1-0 from a corner (9th minute), Spinazzola’s deflected pass landed at Martinez’s feet in the penalty area. However, the captain failed to beat Milinkovic-Savic (15th minute).

Inter fail to capitalize on period of pressure

After around 20 minutes, the hosts, who had replaced Juan Jesus, David Neres Beukema, and Lucca on the bench compared to the 2-6 defeat to PSV Eindhoven, began to appear more frequently in the final third. The Tifosi were promptly given something to cheer about. De Bruyne converted a penalty awarded against di Lorenzo after Mkhitaryan, who was injured in the incident, had won it. However, the Belgian paid dearly for the 1-0 lead: he immediately grabbed his right hamstring and left the pitch with support because he could no longer put weight on his leg.

Inter, who had started with six new players after their 4-0 win in Saint-Gilles, then pushed forward and created numerous chances. However, Bastoni (who headed the ball onto the crossbar in the 41st minute), Calhanoglu (45+1), Martinez (45+2), and Dumfries (who nodded the ball onto the post in the 45+3) all failed to equalize, allowing the Neapolitans to hold onto their lead going into the break.

McTominay scores with a spectacular goal

Conte’s team showed much more composure on the night. After their second chance, the ball ended up in the back of the net. This time, McTominay scored with a spectacular volley (54′). However, the 2-0 lead did not last long, as Buongiorno handled the ball in his own penalty area, blocking Martinez’s header with his elbow. Calhanoglu made no mistake from the spot (59′).

However, the excitement was short-lived: Zambo Anguissa demonstrated his impressive physicality and made an unstoppable run to the edge of the box, from where he beat Sommer (66′). It was the decisive moment, because the goal had an effect on Inter. Chivu’s team failed to build on their dangerous attacking play from the final minutes of the first half. As a result, the score remained 3-1, allowing Napoli to leapfrog the two Milan clubs at the top of the table.

Both teams are back in action this week. Napoli travel to Lecce on Tuesday (6:30 p.m.), while Inter host Fiorentina (8:45 p.m.).

Hartenstein records double-double – Embiid improves for the Sixers

Lesley Summerville
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Hartenstein records double-double – Embiid improves for the Sixers

The Oklahoma City Thunder remain undefeated in their third game, with Isaiah Hartenstein recording his first double-double of the season. The Denver Nuggets confidently beat the Phoenix Suns, and rookie Cedric Coward excels for the Memphis Grizzlies.

So it is possible without overtime. After two games that each lasted 58 minutes, the Thunder needed only regulation time in Atlanta. OKC pulled away in the third quarter, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 17 of his 30 points (12/17 FG). The Thunder forced eight turnovers in this period and generated 16 points from them.

But the man of the match was Chet Holmgren, who needed just twelve shots from the field (8/12 FG, 6/8 three-pointers, 9/10 FT) for his 31 points and eleven rebounds. Frontcourt partner Isaiah Hartenstein (14, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) also impressed.

The Hawks were missing three starters in Kristaps Porzingis, Zaccharie Risacher, and Jalen Johnson, which was impossible to compensate for. Trae Young (15, 10 assists, 5 TO) struggled against the Thunder’s high pressure, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker leading the scoring. The Thunder also scored 30 (!) points off offensive rebounds, while the Hawks managed just nine.

Embiid improves – Rookie Edgecombe strong again

The Sixers also remain undefeated, but it was another close call. With four minutes to go, the visitors from Charlotte were still leading by seven points before Tyrese Maxey tied the game with a jumper 62 seconds before the end. With 15 seconds left on the clock, Quentin Grimes (24) hit the game winner, and Andre Drummond and Maxey finally sealed the deal from the free throw line.

The guard was once again the Sixers’ top scorer with 28 points (plus 9 assists), while Joel Embiid (20, 7/11) made a much better impression in his planned 20 minutes this time than he did in the opener. No. 3 pick V.J. Edgecombe (15, 6/15, 8 assists) also impressed, as did No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel (14, 3/6 three-pointers) on the other side.

He played 30 minutes because Brandon Miller had to sit out the first half with shoulder problems. LaMelo Ball (27, 10 rebounds, 8 assists) came close to a triple-double for the visitors.

Another triple-double for Jokic

Overall, it was a good night for rookies, especially No. 11 pick Cedric Coward. Coming off the bench, the shooting guard made all six of his three-pointers for the Grizzlies against Indiana and was the top scorer with 27 points (9/13) in less than 24 minutes. The game was quickly decided, as the Pacers were simply no match on this day.

It was a similar story in Denver, with the Nuggets always having an answer when the game could have turned. Nikola Jokic (14, 5/8, 14 rebounds, 15 assists) was particularly impressive as a playmaker, with seven Nuggets players scoring in double figures. The top scorer was Jamal Murray (23), while Devin Booker (31, 10/16) led the opposition. The Orlando Magic, on the other hand, suffered another setback at home against the Chicago Bulls. Read more about that here.

Verstappen on McLaren chaos: “Not my problem”

Jeffrey Gooding
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Verstappen on McLaren chaos: “Not my problem”

McLaren provides drama, Max Verstappen stays cool: The Red Bull star talks about pressure, motivation, and his remaining title chances.

World championship outsider Max Verstappen appears unimpressed by the fact that the two McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, are repeatedly getting involved in controversial situations.

Verstappen said ahead of the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix: “Honestly, that’s not my problem, is it?

“I’m just focusing on my own performance. For me, the most important thing is that we have a competitive car. If we have that, we also have a chance to beat them. That’s the only thing I’m focusing on.”

Unfamiliar role: Max Verstappen is the hunter

The fact that, for the first time in years, he is the hunter rather than the hunted in the final stages of the 2025 Formula 1 season “doesn’t change much,” Verstappen explained. His reasoning: “Of course, you always want to win, you want to take the title.”

“I’ve won championships very late, but also very early – and this one is of course completely different because it was much more difficult for us for much of the season. To be honest, it’s surprising that we’re still in the title race at all – but I’ll gladly take that.”

How well Red Bull can handle pressure

Currently 40 points behind in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings, Verstappen has little room for maneuver in the title fight against Norris and Piastri. “I’ve said it before: we have to perform perfectly now,” said the Red Bull driver.

“However, I see this as positive pressure—because I love what I do. And when the car is good, it’s even more fun.”

What’s more, Red Bull has already proven its nerves of steel in the past: “We’re usually very good under pressure,” said Verstappen. “That’s exactly what we want to demonstrate again until the end of the season.”

“Undercover George”: How Russell mingled with fans in Mexico

Sotd Editor
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“Undercover George”: How Russell mingled with fans in Mexico

Instead of driving himself, George Russell became a spectator at the Formula 1 race in Mexico—and caused a stir with his undercover stunt.

A video titled “Undercover George” is circulating on social media, showing how Russell did it: He put on a dark jacket and, most importantly, a Mexican wrestling mask so that the other fans wouldn’t recognize him. The tactic worked: Russell was able to watch the first free practice session undisturbed and in peace.
Russell’s conclusion on his “undercover” mission in Mexico

He later said: “As a Formula 1 driver, you can’t just watch Formula 1 anymore. You rarely get the opportunity to go out. And I thought to myself, you know what, I’ll try to do something reasonably normal for a change.”

His conclusion: “I really enjoyed it. I hadn’t seen Formula 1 cars on the track for years. It was cool. I saw what everyone else sees. I wasn’t recognized too often and enjoyed it.“

An encounter with fans wearing Russell T-shirts was particularly amusing. As he walked by, Russell said, ”He’s a good driver!”

Equally entertaining was the scene when Mercedes test driver Frederik Vesti drove through the stadium right in front of Russell. Russell said in the video: “That’s my car! He’s driving my car!”

“He’s driving my car!”

Vesti later picked up on this remark on social media and commented on Russell’s post: “Next time, just don’t leave the keys on the table!”

Vesti was one of nine so-called Friday drivers in the first free practice session of Formula 1 in Mexico. According to the regulations, teams must put young drivers in the car for one session several times per season – each driver must therefore sit out twice in total, as Russell did in Mexico.

The Mercedes driver provided a humorous scene at the end of his outing when he jumped over the turnstile at the entrance to the paddock without scanning his card first. The security guard called after him in irritation. But Russell just waved his card and shouted, “I have the pass!” That was enough.

“Because it’s annoying”: Hadjar would rather wait until the end of the season for a decision on 2026

Jeffrey Gooding
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“Because it’s annoying”: Hadjar would rather wait until the end of the season for a decision on 2026

Isack Hadjar is considered the top candidate for a Red Bull cockpit, but “because it’s more annoying than helpful,” he would rather wait until the end of the year to find out the decision.

Almost all the seats for the 2026 season have already been filled, but there is still uncertainty at Red Bull: Isack Hadjar, who can now even imagine himself making the step up to the top team, is considered a hot candidate to become Max Verstappen’s new teammate next year.

Red Bull had announced that it wanted to make a driver decision after this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, but Hadjar is now causing a stir with a surprising statement: “Actually, I’d like to know at the end of the year because all the noise around it is more annoying than helpful.”

There are still five races left this season, “in which you just have to keep going,” says the Frenchman with Algerian roots, hinting that the constant discussions about next year are distracting him. Nevertheless, he is in a much better position than he was twelve months ago.

Isack Hadjar “less panicked” than last year

“Twelve months ago, things were a bit uncertain, that’s true,” Hadjar recalls. At the time, he was still racing in Formula 2, and it was by no means clear whether he would make the leap to Formula 1. “I had an idea, but this year I’m in a better position because I know I’ll be in Formula 1 next year.”

“Last year, I didn’t know what I was doing, so I’m much less panicked now,” grins the Racing Bulls driver at Thursday’s press conference. When Hadjar is asked if he might already know about his future but isn’t allowed to reveal anything, he starts to laugh.

Was that the answer? “No, you’re just too smart,” smiles the 21-year-old, adding later: “I’ll definitely know before it’s officially announced. Otherwise, there would be a problem. Ideally, I’d want everyone to wait until the end of the year before asking me questions.”

Hadjar confident: “Good job done”

The Racing Bulls driver, who is considered one of his own biggest critics, is satisfied with his debut season in Formula 1 so far. “I think I’ve done a good job so far,” says Hadjar, although the results don’t always reflect the speed he actually had.

“I’m not talking about qualifying or the race,” he adds. “I mean every free practice session, on every track I’ve been on. I never felt like there was a session where I was three tenths off and couldn’t explain why.”

“So in a way, I’m very happy with that, and if I’m happy with my season, they should be too,” says the Racing Bulls driver, hinting at those in charge. So it seems only a matter of time before Hadjar’s promotion is officially announced…

Fermin Aldeguer loses P3 due to penalty: Still the best MotoGP rookie of 2025

Jason Maverick
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Fermin Aldeguer loses P3 due to penalty: Still the best MotoGP rookie of 2025

A tire pressure penalty costs Fermin Aldeguer the sprint podium in Sepang – but he secures the title of best rookie – He wants to fight for victory in the Grand Prix

After the sprint in Malaysia, Fermin Aldeguer is officially the best MotoGP rookie of the 2025 season. The Gresini Ducati Team rider once again demonstrated his potential in Sepang. In Q1, he advanced to the next round with the fastest time and qualified sixth on the second row of the grid.

After the first lap, Aldeguer was in seventh place, but he worked his way through the chasing pack to finish third. However, race officials announced an investigation into a possible violation of the minimum front tire pressure requirement.

Ultimately, a violation was confirmed. Eight seconds were added to Aldeguer’s race time. This dropped the 20-year-old back to seventh place (here are the new results). Nevertheless, he is the best rookie of the year, as he has a lead of more than 99 World Championship points over Ai Ogura (Trackhouse-Aprilia).

There was already a problem with the dashboard of his Ducati on the starting grid. “I don’t know. It was difficult to manage during the race because I saw a warning message on my display,” Aldeguer reports. “I was very close to the other riders and tried to increase the pressure a little – just in case. But I am 100 percent sure that we were within the permitted range. It was just a problem with the sensor.“ The post-race investigation found a violation. But the joy of winning the rookie title outweighed the disappointment of losing the medal. ”Yes, crazy! But in the end, we achieved one of our goals from the start of the season,” Aldeguer beams.

“Maybe I didn’t think it was possible, but today we finished this little championship. I’m super happy. I just have to thank the Gresini team, Ducati, and all my people. We have confirmed our goal: to always fight for more.”

Aldeguer won his first MotoGP race in Indonesia. In Sepang, too, he noted after Friday’s practice that he sensed opportunities to fight for the podium or even victory. His performance in the sprint showed that his assessment was correct.

“I had the pace in the sprint, but also throughout the weekend. Friday’s result wasn’t really representative. Maybe not the starting position either, because I crashed and lost some feeling.“

”But we achieved one of our goals: to start from the first two rows. That’s a good starting position for the race. Third place today, another podium – that’s incredible for my career, for my season.”

“But why not fight for even more tomorrow? Not necessarily for the win, but maybe for an exciting duel with ‘Pecco’ and second place.”

Tire management will be crucial in the Grand Prix. Aldeguer has already shown this season that he is good at it and is still fast in the second half of the race.

Tennis pro suspended after positive test at US Open

Jeffrey Gooding
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Tennis pro suspended after positive test at US Open

Argentinian Facundo Bagnis has agreed to a voluntary suspension. His test contained a diuretic without a therapeutic use exemption.

Argentinian tennis pro Facundo Bagnis has agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension after testing positive for doping. The former world number 55 submitted an abnormal sample during qualifying for this year’s US Open, where he lost in the first round. According to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), it contained the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. This can be used to mask other banned substances in urine.

The 35-year-old Bagnis did not have a valid medical exemption for the substance, it was further stated. His suspension, which has been in effect since October 18, will count toward a possible later ban. The left-hander is currently only ranked 401 in the world.

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