The top stories and transfer rumours from Sunday’s newspapers…
THE SUN ON SUNDAY
Crystal Palace asked for Joe Gomez as part of the deal for Marc Guehi before the move to Liverpool ultimately collapsed.
Marcus Rashford’s dream move to Barcelona could be turning into another nightmare with the Spanish giants already considering sending him back to Manchester United, according to reports in Spain.
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Kaveh Solhekol and Rob Dorsett explain why Marc Guehi’s move to Liverpool fell through
Nicolas Jackson went to extraordinary lengths to make his Bayern Munich dream a reality as he waived part of a fee he was owed to get the deal over the line, according to reports in Germany.
Manchester City have splashed £450,000 on U14 wonderkid William Stanley-Jones.
MAIL ON SUNDAY
Andre Onana is close to leaving Manchester United for Trabzonspor on loan for the rest of the season in a move that could signal the end of his Old Trafford career.
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Take a look at our picks of Andre Onana’s highs and lows from his time at Man Utd
SUNDAY MIRROR
Viktor Gyokeres could miss game time for Arsenal next year after being called to testify in a legal case in Sweden.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim could integrate youngster Rhys Bennett into the first team after the player failed to seal a loan move.
Newcastle blocked Bayer Leverkusen’s bid to sign Sven Botman on Deadline Day as the German side looked to replace Arsenal-bound Piero Hincapie, according to reports in Germany.
THE ATHLETIC
Manchester United and Turkish side Trabzonspor are in talks over a season-long loan deal for Andre Onana.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele has been ruled out for around six weeks with a “severe” right hamstring injury, with winger Desire Doue out for around four weeks due to a right calf injury.
THE SCOTTISH SUN ON SUNDAY
Celtic insiders believe boss Brendan Rodgers wants out of Parkhead after a split over summer signings.
Jordan Raanan covers the New York Giants for ESPN and can be heard hosting on ESPN Radio. Raanan joined ESPN in 2016.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants star wide receiver Malik Nabers is expected to play Sunday against the Washington Commanders despite sitting out the final practice of the week with back tightness.
Nabers was not given an injury designation for the Week 1 contest against a division rival. The same could not be said for standout left tackle Andrew Thomas, who is listed as doubtful as he rehabs from a Lisfranc injury from last year.
The Giants decided to “back down” on Nabers at Friday’s practice. He was not on the practice field during the portion of the workout open to the media.
The Giants still don’t seem all that concerned.
“He’ll be all right,” coach Brian Daboll said. “He’ll be all right.”
It’s especially notable in that Nabers sat out almost two weeks this summer with a minor back problem. At the time, it wasn’t considered serious.
One source described Nabers’ back injury as little more than “normal camp tightness.”
The second-year receiver’s presence is vital to the Giants. He’s their clear-cut No. 1 receiver. Nabers had 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. The 109 catches was a franchise record.
Thomas might be equally indispensable for the Giants. New York is 3-15 without him in the lineup the past two seasons.
The All-Pro tackle is returning following a Lisfranc injury last season that required surgery. He spent most of the summer on the physically unable to perform list.
Thomas was activated off the PUP list several weeks back, but Friday was the first time he participated in live team drills this year.
“I thought it was a good day,” Thomas said after practice.
Thomas said he’s managing the pain and soreness. The primary factor for being ready for a game will be how much of a risk there is for reinjury.
It’s now a long shot that he’ll be ready for the opener.
“We’ll see,” he said. “I’ve been talking to the trainers. We’ll see and make that decision.”
NEW YORK — Shortly after his 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semifinals, Novak Djokovic admitted to reporters that it would be a challenge for him to defeat Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in majors going forward.
Djokovic, who has been in search of his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title since the start of the 2024 season, fell in three majors this season to Sinner and Alcaraz, currently the top two players in the world. Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the quarterfinals at the year-opening Australian Open but was forced to retire after the first set of his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev because of a leg injury. Since then, Djokovic has lost in straight sets in the semifinals to Sinner, at the French Open and Wimbledon, and Alcaraz, on Friday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I can do only as much as I can do,” a dejected Djokovic said during his news conference. “Yeah, it will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance best-of-three, but best-of-five, it’s tough.”
Since Djokovic, 38, won his last Slam title, at the 2023 US Open, Sinner, 24, and Alcaraz, 22, have combined to win the past seven major titles. The duo has looked to be on a collision course for the US Open final throughout the tournament and will meet with a trophy on the line for the third consecutive Slam after Sinner defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in the day’s second semifinal clash.
Djokovic failed to reach a major final for the first time since 2017. The Serbian superstar said he was still “happy” with his level of tennis — he had largely cruised into the semifinals in New York — but recognized the gap in his fitness and endurance compared with his younger rivals.
“They’re just too good, you know, playing on a really high level,” Djokovic said. “Unfortunately, I ran out of gas after the second set [against Alcaraz]. I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that, I was gassed out, and he kept going.
“That’s kind of what I felt this year also with Jannik. Yeah, best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me to play them. Particularly if it’s like the end stages of the Grand Slam.”
Djokovic has hinted that he is nearing the end of his legendary career, saying his loss to Sinner in the French Open semifinals could have been “the last match ever I played here,” but he has since indicated he plans to play next season on tour. At Wimbledon, after another semifinal loss, he said he planned to come back “at least one more time” to play.
On Friday, Djokovic echoed that sentiment and said he wanted to play a “full Grand Slam season next year.” Though he prioritized the majors this year and skipped many of the other tournaments throughout the season, he said he would reconsider that strategy in 2026, as he believes he could be more competitive at those events.
“I do fancy my chances a bit more in best-of-three, I guess, one-week tournaments or the Masters tournaments where you have almost two weeks with quite a few days between matches,” he said. “So you know, that could serve me better in the matchups against them.”
Djokovic, who is ranked No. 7, is expected to rise to No. 4 in next week’s rankings. He sits in third place — behind Sinner and Alcaraz — in the race to the year-end tour finals, but Djokovic said he was unsure about the rest of his schedule this season. He is planning to play a 250-level tournament in Athens, formerly held in Belgrade, in early November but otherwise hasn’t committed to another ATP event. (Djokovic’s brother Djordje had been the tournament director for the event when it was played in Belgrade since 2021 and is believed to be still involved.)
Djokovic said he would consult with his team about the next steps for 2025 and beyond. He added that he was still enjoying playing and was grateful for the continued fan support. The fans were firmly behind him for most of Friday’s match against Alcaraz, chanting “No-vak, No-vak” throughout and rising to their feet after long rallies.
“I still enjoy the thrill of competition,” Djokovic said. “Today, I received amazing support again on the court from the crowd. Very thankful for that. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Yeah, that’s one of the biggest reasons why I keep on going. The love that I’ve been getting around the world has been amazing the last couple of years.”
Lewis Hamilton has revealed he and Ferrari have made “progress” by “letting stuff go” after he qualified fifth at the Italian Grand Prix.
Prior to the summer break, Hamilton stated he was “useless” following a third successive failure to reach the last part of qualifying.
Since then, the seven-time world champion qualified seventh in Zandvoort and fifth in Monza – but more importantly was just one place behind team-mate Charles Leclerc at both events.
“If I could take you through all the things and nuances that led up to the races before [the summer break] and why they were how they were,” said Hamilton, who was 0.332s behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen.
“These two races, I’ve let all that stuff go, and just focused on delivering my job, coming in positive and absorbing the positivity from our fans, and the team have been incredible.
“We are not where we want to be, we don’t have the pace we want, naturally, but it is what it is. It’s good to be close and that’s definitely progress and I know I can progress from there. I will keep working with my engineers to extract more from the people around me.”
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Lewis Hamilton described himself as ‘useless’ and said Ferrari needed ‘to change driver’ after he failed to advance into Q3 at the Hungarian Grand Prix
Hamilton will start Sunday’s race from 10th due to a five-place grid penalty for not slowing down sufficiently through yellow flags on his way to the grid at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
Despite the long Monza straights, overtaking is difficult due to DRS not being as powerful because the teams run skinny rear wings.
Hamilton says he is hoping to “wiggle my way through” through the field and hopes not to get stuck in a DRS train.
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Sky Sports’ Karun Chandhok is in the Skypad to explain why Hamilton will serve a five-place grid penalty from the previous race at Zandvoort at his first Monza weekend as a Ferrari driver
“With everyone being so close, it will be tough to overtake everybody. But we have good top-line speed, so I’m hoping I can try and make up some ground,” he said.
“I need a good start, good first lap and good strategy. We will see how we can leapfrog the guys ahead.”
Chandhok: Hamilton thrives on energy
Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok:
“Lewis is a driver that thrives on that [fan energy]. We’ve seen it at Silverstone in the past, he likes people power, he doesn’t feel the pressure, he’s energised by it. It sounds like it’s having the same effect here.
“He’s been driving well all weekend. Like at Zandvoort he’s been a match for Leclerc in terms of pace. It’s such a shame he’s carrying that five-place penalty.”
Leclerc would be ‘extremely surprised’ to repeat Monza win
Ferrari’s hopes of a 22nd victory at the Italian Grand Prix will likely rely on Leclerc in fourth place.
The Monegasque driver famously won in Monza in 2019 and 2024. Last year, Leclerc gambled with a one-stop strategy which worked against the two-stop race ran by Oscar Piastri, who initially had track position.
However, that mistake from McLaren will likely force everyone to go for a one-stop on Sunday which will mean Leclerc has to overtake pole-sitter Verstappen, Lando Norris and Piastri on the track.
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The Ferrari team react to their qualifying session while looking ahead to their home race in Italy
“Last year was close to impossible. We did a different strategy which helped us to get the win,” said Leclerc.
“I think this year is even more difficult than last year in reality and also the strategy I believe is clearer for everybody. So it’s going to be more tough to do something different. If we win I will be extremely surprised but never say never.”
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Italian Grand Prix
Sunday September 7 7.10am: F3 Feature Race 8.40am: F2 Feature Race 10.40am: Porsche Supercup Race 12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Italian GP build-up 2pm: THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX* 4pm: Chequered Flag: Italian GP reaction 5pm: Ted’s Notebook
Brooke Pryor is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. She previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and the University of Oklahoma for The Oklahoman.
PITTSBURGH — Amid prolonged contract talks with the Pittsburgh Steelers, defensive captain and four-time All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward said Friday he’s “preparing” when asked if he was going to play vs. the New York Jets on Sunday.
However, Heyward didn’t commit to being on the field for the team’s season opener.
“I’m preparing,” he said. “Still got some time, but we’ll see.”
Asked if his playing status hinged on the completion of a reworked contract, Heyward was vague.
“I wish I had a straight answer for you right now,” he said. “All I can tell you is I’ve had to have a lot of tough conversations with my family.”
Heyward was equally vague about his level of optimism that the contract situation would be resolved by Sunday.
“I wish I could be more optimistic, but [I] just try and stay in the moment,” he said. “I don’t have all the answers so it’s more of me just waiting and seeing what can happen.”
Though Heyward declined to give a definitive status for Sunday, his coaches and teammates have been firm throughout the week that they expect him to play at MetLife Stadium.
“Absolutely,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “He’s been practicing, so I’m anticipating him playing.”
Heyward acknowledged that the Steelers typically don’t negotiate contracts in-season, making Sunday a de facto deadline for something to get worked out. The 36-year-old said he hasn’t thought about his availability the rest of the season if a deal isn’t worked out by the official start of the regular season.
“I don’t want to have to think about that,” he said. “I’d like to be think cooler heads prevail and we move forward, but if it does get to that, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
Heyward was a brief hold-in late in training camp amid frustrations about the state of negotiations, but he returned to practice and participated in both individual and team periods beginning Aug. 19. He was a full participant in every day of practice this week, except for his usual Thursday veteran’s day off, and he wasn’t listed with a game designation in the final injury report.
“It’s not like I wasn’t just not doing anything,” Heyward said of the hold-in. “There was me on the sideline still staying ready. Some of it was by design because [coach Mike Tomlin] was trying to get me out of periods, but as we got closer I still have to be ready for the season, whether I’m on the field or not. I’d like to make sure I’m well-prepared in case we do have something.”
Heyward’s request for a reworked contract to increase his 2025 compensation dates back to February after he earned an All-Pro nod for a bounce-back season where he recorded eight sacks, 11 batted passes and 20 quarterback hits after an injury-shortened 2023 campaign.
Heyward initially signed a two-year, $29 million extension with the Steelers in September 2024 after playing only 11 games the previous year with a groin and core muscle injury, putting him under contract through the 2026 season.
According to OverTheCap.com, his contract’s $14.5 million average annual value is ranked 23rd for interior defensive linemen. Heyward said he told the Steelers he planned to revisit the contract after the 2024 season if he earned the All-Pro nod. He added Friday that he wasn’t offered any incentives that would increase the value of his contract if he earned the prestigious honor.
“Not a lot of players have gotten incentives over here,” he said. “A lot of it is stemmed from just quarterbacks. There’s different ways to handle the situation. I’m all for proving it. I’m not running away from it. My career has always been about proving it, and if it was that route, I’d go for it, but got time, see what happens.”
As part of the 2024 deal, Heyward received a $13.45 million guaranteed roster bonus for 2025 to bring his total compensation for the year to $14.75 million. Heyward is set to earn a $12.95 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year in 2026 if he remains on the roster, but his contract doesn’t have any guaranteed money beyond this season.
“It’s a unique situation,” Heyward said. “A lot of guys don’t play late into their thirties, especially at my position. And then you look at what happened in these last two years, I was hurt the one year, came back and gutted it out. Did I have my best performance? No. And through that, there was a motivation there to try to get something done, but all was hammered to me was I’m damaged goods. And I used that as motivation, and I have one of my more productive years, and there’s not anything guaranteed in my contract.
“They could cut me now, and they could have cut me right after the season and it wouldn’t affect them. So there’s give and take on that, and this is a business if I can’t talk openly about it, and I had to work through this for myself. And I know I haven’t been as forward about this stuff because I’ve just been trying to work through answers and questions, but it’s something that I’ve had to think about.”
Heyward was also elected to be a team captain for the 11th consecutive season earlier this week, and he said Friday that his situation hasn’t been a distraction to his teammates amid preparations for the Jets.
“I’ve addressed it openly with my teammates,” Heyward said. “I never wanted it to be a distraction or them to think otherwise. If they’ve had a question, they’ve been able to contact me, and we’ve had informal formal talks about it, but every teammate in here knows how I feel.”
Heyward also defended himself against negative reactions from the fanbase about his contract negotiations and uncertain game status.
“There’s loud voices, and everybody has an opinion, but I can’t control that,” he said. “If you know how I work, you know how I play. That’s all that matters. I have to make a decision for my family. This is a business. I cannot play this game forever and just like I’m maximized on the field, I want to be maximized outside of it. I don’t want to be taken care of that way. It’s not being greedy, it’s just the way this game is. It’s not for long, NFL. So I would tell every guy, maximize your opportunities and keep going from there.”
First, analytics writer Seth Walder breaks down three stat trends that could be pivotal this weekend. Then fantasy football writer Eric Moody runs through five players who are rostered in under 50% of ESPN fantasy football leagues as of Saturday and could be started in a jam. That’s followed by NFL analyst Ben Solak predicting three potentially big surprises and NFL analyst Matt Bowen picking one key matchup to watch. Finally, sports betting analyst Pamela Maldonado gives her favorite bet of Week 1.
Could Jahmyr Gibbs have a huge receiving game? Will the Bengals finally win in Week 1? Which two Jaguars should you add in your fantasy leagues? Let’s dive in.
Walder: Three key stat trends that could determine Week 1 winners
Is Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs in line for a huge receiving day against the Packers’ zone coverage?
One of my favorite stat splits is the discrepancy between a running back’s receiving numbers against man and zone coverage. Backs were targeted on 10% of man coverage dropbacks last season and caught passes on 8% of such dropbacks. But against zone, those same numbers jumped to 18% and 15%, respectively. That’s almost doubling the reception rate when facing zone looks!
Well, take a guess who ranked third in receiving yards among running backs and which team ranked second in zone coverage rate last season. That’s right, Gibbs and the Packers. He should be set up for a huge day.
This is the first test to see what Reddick has left in the tank after his lost year with the Jets. It should be an easy one to clear.
Wilkinson will play right tackle for the Falcons with Kaleb McGary and Storm Nortoninjured. The last time Wilkinson played tackle was in 2021. And over the course of more than 1,300 snaps at tackle between 2019 to 2021, Wilkinson recorded a 73% pass block win rate. That mark would have ranked last among qualifying tackles in 2024.
Reddick, who recorded double-digit sacks in every season from 2020 to 2023, held out for the first six weeks of 2024 due to a contract dispute with the Jets. After returning, he recorded just one sack and a career-low 12% pass rush win rate over 10 games. If Reddick finds a way back to his old form, he should have no problem beating Wilkinson and being a real threat to Michael Penix Jr. But if he can’t produce, this game could be a rough sign for the rest of the Reddick’s season.
Could Dolphins WR Malik Washington‘s kick returns make a difference against the Colts?
The touchback rate numbers could be really interesting this weekend. After drastic changes to the kickoff rules in 2024, NFL owners agreed to move the touchback from the 30-yard line up to the 35. I’m wondering if touchbacks will drop precipitously from last season’s 64.3% rate, placing more of an importance on kick returns and coverage. That could have an effect across the board, but one matchup that looks particularly intriguing is Washington against Indianapolis’ coverage unit.
Last season, Washington was a strong returner with 121 kick return yards over expectation (fifth-most in the league), per NFL Next Gen Stats. Meanwhile, the Colts allowed 8.3 kick return yards over expectation per return (second most), including one touchdown.
Indianapolis had only 13 kick returns from their opponents last season (tied for second fewest), so we’ll see if Washington gets a chance to take one out with the new rules.
Moody: Five fantasy sleepers you need to pick up — and can start this week
The sixth-round rookie is De’Von Achane‘s backup while Jaylen Wright recovers from a lower-leg injury that could keep him out of the first month of the season. Achane is expected to play as he recovers from his own injury (calf), but don’t be surprised if Gordon has close to 10 touches in short-yardage and goal-line situations. The Colts allowed 18 rushing touchdowns last season, tied for seventh most in the league. Gordon rushed for 34 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Oklahoma State, winning the 2023 Doak Walker Award as college football’s top running back.
Despite Denver signing tight end Evan Engram this offseason, Mims has earned a larger target share after showing major upside in the latter half of 2024. Over the final eight games, Mims caught 32 of 37 targets from Bo Nix for 447 yards and six touchdowns. His ability to threaten defenses in the vertical passing game makes him an excellent sleeper, even against the Titans’ tough secondary.
Lawrence is in a great spot against a Panthers defense that allowed the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks last season. Carolina’s defense also didn’t do much to improve this offseason, and Lawrence now has Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter as his top targets. It also helps that Jaguars coach Liam Coen was the architect behind Baker Mayfield‘s 2024 breakout, where he averaged 21.5 fantasy points per game and finished as the QB4.
Bateman played a career-high 17 games in 2024, setting new marks in both receiving yards (765) and touchdowns (nine). While QB Lamar Jackson will continue to run the passing game through Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews, Bateman is projected for the third-most targets. (DeAndre Hopkins, who showed signs of decline with the Chiefs last season, is his biggest competition as the tertiary option.) In a matchup against the Bills with one of the highest point totals, Bateman has a strong chance to shine.
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Foxworth: Ravens’ opener crucial for home-field advantage in AFC
Domonique Foxworth explains why the Ravens’ season opener vs. the Bills is crucial for securing home-field advantage in the AFC.
Strange is the Jaguars’ starting tight end following Engram’s departure. Lawrence has historically targeted his tight ends a lot, and in the eight games Engram was injured last season, Strange recorded 29 catches for 275 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers’ defense allowed a league-high 11 touchdowns to tight ends in 2024.
Solak: Don’t be surprised if …
The highest-scoring game is Raiders-Patriots. Week 1 is always good for a surprising barn burner or two, and I’ll be glued to this matchup Sunday. The Raiders’ offense is a particular fascination. Will Chip Kelly go hurry-up? How aggressive will Geno Smith be throwing downfield? Can Ashton Jeanty immediately be a top-10 running back?
And on the other side of the field, Drake Maye has a new offensive coordinator, two new tackles and a new WR1 in Stefon Diggs. Patriots star corner Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) is likely out for this one, too. I’m looking for fireworks.
The Bengals finally look good. The opening week has not been kind to Cincinnati in recent seasons. Last year, they lost to the Patriots in a 16-10 snoozefest. In 2023, they suffered a 24-3 embarrassment against the Browns.
RC’s hot take: If Bengals lose their first 2 games, ‘the season’s over’
Ryan Clark says the Cincinnati Bengals’ success this season will be determined by their first two games.
Literally anything else happens. Week 1 is a wild time, and we’re primed to overreact because we haven’t watched live regular-season NFL football in 207 days (but who’s counting?). A few reminders from last year’s Week 1: The Saints scored 47 points. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 135 yards, while Derrick Henry rushed for 46. The future of the passing game was declared dead in the water. Of course, some things are real — remember how rough Kirk Cousins looked trying to move in the pocket against the Steelers? Just prepare yourself for chaos.
Flores’ defensive system creates confusion for opposing quarterbacks due to pressure and late coverage rotation. Last season, the Vikings led the NFL with a blitz rate of 38.4%, and we should expect Flores to heat up the pocket in Chicago on Monday night. Yes, new Bears coach Ben Johnson has experience against Flores and will scheme up answers to pressure. But it’s still on Williams, who had a QBR of only 56.4 versus the blitz as a rookie, to identify the post-snap picture and throw with timing when Flores speeds up his internal clock.
Detroit is built to travel with a seasoned quarterback, one of the most effective rushing offenses and a coaching staff that stays aggressive in key spots. The opening line was 1.5, but is the addition of edge rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay really worth a full point? He certainly boosts the Packers’ pass rush, but the Lions’ offensive line is still elite.
Quarterback Jordan Love doesn’t get wide receiver Christian Watson back yet from his ACL injury, and the Packers’ vertical game could be limited outside of Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed. Detroit’s revamped secondary matches up well. The seasonlong upside is there with the Pack — but not against this Lions team out of the gate. Grab the points with the better roster.
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Matt Bowen, Pamela Maldonado, Eric Moody, Ben Solak and Seth Walder
England have made one change to their team for the third One-Day International against South Africa on Sunday.
Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton will replace Saqib Mahmood for Sunday’s match at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am.
England, 2-0 down in the three-match series, will be playing for pride.
England team to face South Africa in third ODI
Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
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Ben Duckett has been rested from the upcoming T20 series against South Africa
The England players are facing a demanding schedule. Those two losses to South Africa in little over 48 hours came in the days following The Hundred and after a packed international summer, as England contested a hard-fought five-Test tussle against India in which every match went to a fifth day.
Joe Root, Ben Duckett, captain Harry Brook and Jamie Smith have played regularly during that period, while Jofra Archer has also played across all three formats.
Duckett is on the team sheet for the final ODI at the Utilita Bowl this weekend but it was announced on Friday that he will now be rested for the three T20s that follow, starting in Cardiff on Wednesday.
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Jos Buttler was bowled by a superb dipping slower ball from South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi as England slipped to an ODI defeat at Lord’s
‘Good enough and fit enough’
Brook has said: “We want to try and play our strongest side in every white-ball game. We’ve World Cups coming up – the T20 World Cup this winter and the one-day World Cup the following winter.
“It’s easy to say that [we’re tired], but in my eyes that’s just an excuse. We’re good enough and fit enough to be able to keep playing for the time being.
“There’s obviously a bit of a break at the end of this series so it’s one game at a time and try to be fit and raring to go for the rest of this series.”
England v South Africa fixtures
All live on Sky Sports, all times UK and Ireland 🕰️
Third ODI: Sunday September 7 (11am) – Utilita Bowl
First T20: Wednesday September 10 (6.30pm) – Sophia Gardens Cardiff
Second T20: Friday September 12 (6.30pm) – Emirates Old Trafford
Third T20: Sunday September 14 (2.30pm) – Trent Bridge
Watch England’s ODIs and T20s against South Africa live on Sky Sports, with the third ODI at Utilita Bowl on Sunday (10.30am on air, 11am first ball). Stream without a contract.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — New Zealand stretched its unbeaten record at Eden Park to 51 matches with a 24-17 win over world champion South Africa on Saturday in a match played in passing rain and under a hail of Springboks’ kicks.
South Africa kicked incessantly in the first half, from scrumhalf, flyhalf and center but without positive effect in a test billed as the biggest of the year.
The All Blacks attacked with ball in hand and clinically, scoring tries inside 17 minutes to winger Emoni Narawa and fullback Will Jordan, building a lead that the Springboks couldn’t break down.
In contrast with the ball in hand, South Africa was often ineffective. The foundations of their attacking play were static and the All Blacks’ defense was excellent in unpicking their strength at breakdowns and mauls.
The Springboks still were strong at set pieces from which they scored two tries in the second.
Hooker Malcolm Marx scored in the 62nd minute after a clean tighthead to a superior Springboks scrum. But the All Blacks scored their third try to center Quinn Tupaea when South Africa was a man short, with Kwagga Smith in the sin-bin.
Finally, Cobus Reinach scored from a five meter scrum and when the Springboks still were down to 14 men, cutting the All Blacks margin with six minutes remaining.
The All Blacks have been brittle in these tight finishes in the recent past but on Saturday they were steely. The Springboks had a late attacking chance from a lineout with two minutes to play but Ardie Savea, in his 100th test, won a turnover.
One last possession for the Springboks and the All Blacks again won a turnover and ended the match.
Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In over a decade with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga.
“I always plan to play,” McCaffrey said. “I feel great about where I’m at. Unfortunately, when you have the injury history that I have, sometimes when you don’t practice, things get blown out of proportion. But like I said, I feel great.”
McCaffrey is officially listed as questionable for the opener in Seattle after he was a surprise addition to the injury report Thursday as a limited participant. During the early portion of Friday’s practice open to the media, McCaffrey was in uniform and a helmet doing his usual stretching and warmup routine on the side with Mike Sola, the team’s director of reconditioning, keeping an eye on him.
Although it’s not unusual for McCaffrey to warm up on the side, he does usually join his fellow running backs when individual drills and install begins. He did not do that Friday as he continued to work on the side.
After the practice, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey did not participate. Shanahan declined to go into detail about McCaffrey’s injury but McCaffrey shed a little bit of light on the situation Friday, saying it was “nothing serious,” though he did not, offer specifics.
“I’m not supposed to go into anything that happened but I felt like it was the smart thing to do to not finish the practice [Thursday],” McCaffrey said. “I’ve been there before, and I’ve been my own worst enemy in situations like that and I was proud of myself for not doing that again. Like I said, I went through a whole training camp. I feel great about where I’m at.”
Indeed, McCaffrey’s addition to the injury report comes after a promising offseason and training camp in which he had no apparent health issues. He appeared in just four games last season, missing the first eight because of tendinitis and then the final five after suffering a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13.
During camp, the Niners took care to protect McCaffrey, 29, giving him every third practice off, a similar plan for what they did with him in 2023. It seemed to work as he was the only running back who didn’t miss time with an injury.
This week, McCaffrey was on the field for practice Monday and Wednesday, not even appearing on the initial injury report on Wednesday. But his addition came as a surprise Thursday as he also was not seen in the locker room after practice, nor did he do his usual Thursday media availability.
Asked Friday if he felt like he needed to be conservative in coming back from this calf issue given what happened last year, McCaffrey demurred.
“At the end of the day, if you can play, you play in the game,” McCaffrey said. “It’s as simple as that.”
For the 49ers and McCaffrey, this situation is a bit of déjà vu from last year when he was also listed as questionable entering Week 1 because of a calf injury. At that time, McCaffrey was a limited participant in practices and insisted he would play against the New York Jets, saying a few days before that Monday night opener that he had no doubt that he would be ready to go and take his usual number of snaps.
As it turned out, however, McCaffrey did not play against the Jets and then landed on injured reserve the following week with bilateral Achilles tendinitis, a more serious injury than the initial calf tightness that had been described.
“I have forgotten about last year,” McCaffrey said. “Forgotten about the year before that and the year before that. I’m focused on this week and playing Seattle on Sunday.”
If McCaffrey is unable to play, the Niners will turn to Brian Robinson Jr., acquired in a trade from the Washington Commanders on Aug. 22, to start against the Seahawks. Upon arrival, Shanahan declared Robinson the No. 2 back behind McCaffrey.
Robinson has not had much time to practice with the Niners and said Friday that he has a long way to go to learn the playbook, but Shanahan offered a vote of confidence in him if he does have to take on a larger role this week.
“Brian knows the game plan,” Shanahan said. “You don’t have to know an entire offense. You need to know what the plan is this week. He’s repped it so if that’s the situation, we’re good to go with it. He’s ready for it and I know Isaac [Guerendo] will be also.”
Guerendo and rookie Jordan James are the other two backs on the roster. James has also been limited in practice this week and is listed as doubtful on the injury report as he returns from a broken finger.
If McCaffrey and James can’t play, the Niners could call running back Sincere McCormick up from the practice squad for additional depth in Seattle. But it would most likely be Robinson getting the bulk of the work.
“I’ve been a starter in this league, so with that being said, I know what it takes to prepare like a starter all the time, so nothing changed,” Robinson said. “I prepare like I’m going to start every game regardless of Christian and him being the starter here. That’s just how I’ve got to prepare. I have got to prepare like I’m ready to start at any given moment.”
Kris Rhim is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Kris covers the Los Angeles Chargers, including coach Jim Harbaugh’s franchise-altering first season (https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/41068072/los-angeles-chargers-2024-preview-jim-harbaugh-culture). In Kris’ free time, he lives his NBA dreams at men’s leagues across Los Angeles.
Nate Taylor
Sep 5, 2025, 11:24 PM ET
SÃO PAULO — Since Patrick Mahomes became a starter in 2018, the Kansas City Chiefs have beaten up on much of the NFL, and perhaps no team understands what that dominance has felt like more than the Chargers. The Chargers went into Friday night’s game at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo on a seven-game losing streak to Kansas City and are 3-19 in their past 22 games against the Chiefs.
It wasn’t always a beatdown for the Chargers, and the games were often decided in the final minutes — or seconds — but in the end, the Chiefs were on top more often than not.
The paradigm shifted Friday night.
Quarterback Justin Herbert scrambled for 19 yards on 3rd-and-14 in the fourth quarter to effectively end the football game and send his teammates into a celebrating frenzy. Herbert and the Chargers offense picked apart the Chiefs’ defense all night with ease, and the Chargers defense slowed Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense just enough to edge out a 27-21 victory.
Here are the most important things to know from Friday night for both teams:
Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
What to make of the QB performance: This is a much different Herbert than we saw early last season. It wasn’t until Week 6 last season that Herbert had a game for over 200 yards, and he didn’t hit 300 until Week 7. Herbert hit the latter total Friday night, finishing with 318 yards and three touchdowns. It was Herbert’s first 300-yard passing, three-touchdown game since Week 10 against the Detroit Lions in 2023. Friday night’s performance reflected an improved wide receiving core and a vote of confidence for offensive coordinator Greg Roman, playing to Herbert’s strengths.
Trend to watch:Mekhi Becton‘s health: The Chargers right guard, L.A.’s top free agent signing, appeared to be exhausted throughout Friday’s game. Becton missed snaps throughout the contest while getting oxygen on the sideline. Becton missed three weeks of training camp practice with an undisclosed injury and came into Friday’s game questionable with an illness.
Stat to know: Keenan Allen became the third Charger with 60 touchdowns in franchise history. This is a milestone that just a year ago seemed like it would never happen, as the Chargers traded Allen to the Chicago Bears following a contract dispute. Allen ran an out route Friday night that left him wide open in the end zone late in the third quarter for an 11-yard touchdown catch. — Kris Rhim
Even when the circumstances were dire, Mahomes still created magic, finding receiver Hollywood Brown for a 49-yard completion on fourth-and-7 with less than four minutes remaining. Kansas City stayed alive with a field goal to cut the deficit to 27-21 but could not get a stop when it mattered on the subsequent possession.
The loss was the Chiefs’ first regular-season defeat abroad. Prior to Friday, the Chiefs were undefeated in international games under coach Andy Reid, winning contests in London, Mexico City and Frankfurt, Germany.
What to make of the QB performance: In the second half, Mahomes was once again asked to put on a superhero performance. Without Xavier Worthy, who left early with an injury, Mahomes used every bit of moxie and determination to give the Chiefs an opportunity in the fourth quarter. Mahomes’ second-half performance — finishing with 160 passing yards and another 42 yards on the ground — ignited the Chiefs’ offense after a lackluster start.
In the third quarter, safety Derwin James Jr. was an unblocked blitzer and applied immediate pressure on Mahomes, who was forced to scramble up into the pocket. After James attempted to make a shoestring tackle in the middle of the pocket, Mahomes had the presence of mind — while his body was parallel to the turf — to flip the ball forward to receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for a critical conversion on third-and-5 near midfield. Mahomes finished the drive with a perfect intermediate pass to right end Travis Kelce, who scored on an easy 37-yard touchdown reception.
Turning point: With 12 minutes left, the Chiefs appeared to have momentum following the second consecutive touchdown drive. All the Chiefs defense needed to do was get one stop to give Mahomes a chance to lead his team to a game-winning drive. Instead, the Chargers took seven minutes off the clock with a methodical, 11-play drive where Herbert completed all eight of his passes, many of them in the middle of the field. The reason was simple: Herbert and his two best receivers, Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen, exploited the Chiefs’ poor play from safeties Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks. Herbert finished the Chargers’ possession with a 23-yard touchdown strike to receiver Quentin Johnston, who beat Hicks on a one-on-one matchup. The score gave the Chargers a 27-18 lead from which Kansas City could not recover.
Stat to know: Entering Friday’s game, the Chiefs had won 17 consecutive one-score games, a league record. Herbert was excellent in the second half, allowing the Chargers to keep their lead despite Mahomes’ rallying efforts. In the second half, Herbert completed 13 of his 16 pass attempts for 147 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs blitzed Herbert often, sacking him twice, but the quarterback sealed the victory for the Chargers when he scrambled to his right for a 19-yard gain on a third-and-14 snap just before the two-minute warning. — Nate Taylor
BOISE, Idaho — Maddux Madsen passed for 307 yards and two touchdowns and Boise State won its 13th home opener in a row, beating Eastern Washington 51-14 Friday night before a sellout crowd.
Madsen completed 16 of 26 passes for the Broncos (1-1), who upped their win streak against FCS opponents to 22 dating to 1997.
Madsen connected with Ben Ford for a 60-yard touchdown in the first quarter and then ran 11 yards for a score in the second to help the Broncos take a 30-7 lead into halftime. Ford and Madsen team up for a 6-yard score and a 44-7 lead in the fourth.
Dylan Riley carried six times for 123 yards and scored on a 77-yard run with 3:54 remaining for the Broncos.
Sire Gaines rushed 14 times for 98 yards and a touchdown. Malik Sherrod and Cameron Bates also had TD runs. Chris Marshall had four receptions for 132 yards.
Jared Taylor passed for 102 yards and ran for 76 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles (0-2) before leaving the field on a stretcher after he was injured with 6:06 remaining. Backup Nate Bell scored on a 2-yard run.
It was the first meeting between the schools since 2000 in a series Boise State leads 14-6.
The Broncos improve to 47-4 at home in games not played on Saturday.
Boise State is idle until Sept. 20 when it travels to play Air Force in a Mountain West Conference opener.
Eastern Washington plays at Northern Iowa on Sept. 13.
Justin Herbert finished off the Los Angeles Chargers’ season-opening victory in style, sliding for a first down that effectively ended the game.
The quarterback earned style points for his scramble and sideline slide that capped a 318-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 27-21 victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night in Sao Paulo. Herbert had 32 yards rushing, too.
Los Angeles’ first win over the Chiefs since 2021 snapped a seven-game skid against the team that has dominated the AFC for nearly a decade.
“It’s monumental,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “September 5 will go down in some Charger lore, in my opinion. It was a big win.”
It was the NFL’s second game in South America and had Brazilian football superstar Neymar in attendance. Newly engaged pop superstar Taylor Swift wasn’t there to watch fiancé Travis Kelce and see Colombian singer Karol G perform at halftime.
Herbert became just the third quarterback in Chargers history with 300 yards and three touchdowns in a season opener. His 19-yard run on third-and-14 dashed any comeback hopes the Chiefs had with 2:21 to play. He finished 25 of 34 and was sacked three times.
Image: Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert runs against the Kansas City Chiefs
“We knew it was going to be a dogfight, so we showed up today with our best effort,” Herbert said. “It was fun to see.”
Mahomes was 24 of 39 for 258 yards, one touchdown and two sacks.
“This will be a big lesson for us,” Mahomes said. “They definitely came out with more energy than we did. We got to get better from the start.”
Herbert’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston extended the lead to with 5:02 remaining in the fourth. They linked up for a five-yard touchdown on the Chargers’ opening drive of the game.
Chased by Khalil Mack, Mahomes threw incomplete to Marquise Brown on first-and-goal at the LA 9. Two more incomplete passes brought on Harrison Butker, whose 27-yard field goal cut the deficit to 27-21 with 2:34 remaining.
“Multiple times we shot ourselves in the foot,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said.
Worthy injured
The Chiefs were already down two receivers to start the game, with Rashee Rice suspended to start the season and rookie Jalen Royals out with a knee injury.
They lost another one three snaps into the game.
Xavier Worthy and teammate Kelce collided on a third-down pass. Worthy had to be helped off the field and was later ruled out with a right shoulder injury.
Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman didn’t return after leaving with an ankle injury in the third.
Image: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes passes during the second half in Sao Paulo
Rookie miscue
Chargers running back Omarion Hampton made a rookie mistake late in the first half.
The first-round draft pick got a handoff on 3rd-and-16 in the final minute when the Chiefs had no timeouts left. Instead of staying in bounds and letting the clock run, Hampton ran out of bounds. That stopped the clock and the Chargers got a 36-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker for a 13-3 lead.
Mahomes then moved the Chiefs within field goal range and their kicking unit rushed on the field. Butker hit a 59-yarder with the 40 seconds to go, leaving the Chiefs trailing 13-6.
What next?
The Chiefs will host the Philadelphia Eagles on September 14 in a Super Bowl rematch, while the Chargers will travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders, live on Sky Sports Action on September 16.
Watch the 2025 NFL season live on Sky Sports, including every London and European game as well as every minute of the playoffs and Super Bowl LX; Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
Tim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine’s Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010.
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles added some edge help with the signing of veteran defensive end Za’Darius Smith Friday.
In a corresponding move, they placed fullback Ben VanSumeren on injured reserve.
Smith, 32, spent time with both the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions last season and posted nine combined sacks and 17 quarterback hits.
The Eagles lost Brandon Graham to retirement and Josh Sweat in free agency this past offseason. They signed Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari to one-year deals to support starters Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt. Ojulari had a quiet summer and was inactive for the season opener against the Cowboys.
VanSumeren injured his knee on the opening kickoff Thursday and did not return.
Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant
Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Enquirer
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White said Friday that she hopes star Caitlin Clark‘s injury-riddled second season will be a blip on the radar for her career and that Clark will learn from experiencing adversity so early as a pro.
“There’s a hunger and drive that comes with not having played and not wanting to do that again,” White said Friday, a day after Clark was officially ruled out for the season. “So what does that look like from a training perspective, what does that look like from a mentality perspective, from a preparation perspective, [is] just as much [impactful] as what you learn about the game and your teammates.”
Clark, the 2024 No. 1 pick, was limited to 13 games this year and had not played since July 15, when she suffered a right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun. She had been sidelined earlier in the year with left quad and left groin injuries, and in an August workout suffered a bone bruise in her right ankle that she had to rehab concurrently with her groin.
White said Friday that the team has had a “preliminary conversation” about what Clark’s continued rehab will look like through the end of the season but will sit and talk more thoroughly about an offseason plan once the Fever season is done.
Clark had been “working her butt off to be able to get back,” White said, and the team’s recent road trip to the West Coast was a crucial opportunity for the Fever to see if they could get her on the floor with contact and build her endurance back to a high level in consecutive days, White said.
But with Indiana’s regular season ending Tuesday and a playoff berth not guaranteed, the Fever felt they ran out of time.
“We just weren’t able to get to where we thought we needed for her to be able to participate at this level,” White said. “Some of that’s physical, in terms of the rehab and all of that, and some of that is also endurance and being able to play at the level that it takes, build back that endurance enough to play, because all of these games right now are like playoff games. There’s a sense of urgency and a level to which they’re being played.”
Before this season, Clark had never missed a game during her college career at Iowa or her rookie campaign in the WNBA, which ended with her earning all-WNBA first-team honors and finishing fourth in MVP voting. But a second season that started with so much promise instead saw Clark fail to appear in more than five consecutive games, sidelined for Indianapolis’ WNBA All-Star festivities and ultimately miss the final eight weeks of the season.
“Just all the injuries that she’s had, and the amount of work she’s put in to position herself to play and then to be able to ultimately make this decision, there’s disappointment,” White said. “There’s the obvious frustration that’s come with not being healthy, really, for an entire season. But ultimately, I think the big picture is the most important thing, and those are conversations that we continue to have. And the message has continued to be that her long-term health and wellness, and her being 100% when she’s ready to go, is the most important thing.”
Clark is the fifth Fever player to be ruled out for the season because of injury, joining Aari McDonald (foot), Sydney Colson (knee), Sophie Cunningham (knee) and Chloe Bibby (knee). But Indiana (22-20) is still within reach of a second consecutive playoff berth and is competing alongside the Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Sparks for one of two remaining spots.
The Fever beat the Chicago Sky on 97-77 Friday. They will take on the Washington Mystics on the road on Sunday and the Minnesota Lynx at home in their regular-season finale on Tuesday.
Indiana needs to win just one of its remaining games, or for the Sparks to drop one of their remaining three contests, to make it into the postseason, what would be the franchise’s second-consecutive playoff berth. With Friday’s victory, the Fever also ensured consecutive .500 finishes for the first time since 2015-16, after which the team languished and missed the playoffs for seven-straight years.
“It’s definitely a stepping stone in the right direction,” said Kelsey Mitchell, the team’s longest tenured player who finished with 20 points and 8 assists on Friday. “I think it’s definitely important for us to kind of bask it for a little bit, because I remember where this group was [before their turnaround].”
But Indiana doesn’t want to take its foot off the gas, knowing it must play better moving forward to ensure a spot in the postseason.
“The job’s not done,” Natasha Howard said. “We still have things that we still need to work on before the playoff start…we need to focus on playing defense and defense without fouling. We get that together, it’s going to be scary for other teams.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville defensive end AJ Green recovered a fourth-quarter fumble in the James Madison end zone and the Cardinals rallied to beat the Dukes 28-14 on Friday night.
Green gave Louisville a 21-14 lead when Alonza Barnett III fumbled while being sacked. The Cardinals (2-0) trailed 14-6 early in the second half.
On a night when both offenses struggled, it was the Cardinals defensive front that made the difference.
Louisville’s Miller Moss threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Chris Bell in the third quarter and then ran for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 14 with 8:37 left.
The Cardinals sacked Barnett in the end zone two minutes into the final period on a third-and-10 play at the Dukes’ 8-yard line. That was one of six sacks recorded by Louisville.
Barnett completed 15 of 25 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Louisville’s Isaac Brown had 12 carries for 104 yards, and his 78-yard touchdown with 3:31 left secured the game for Louisville.
James Madison: Give the Dukes credit, they are not intimidated by ACC competition. However, committing 12 penalties did not help.
Louisville: The Cardinals defense held James Madison to 126 yarrds on 47 carries. The Dukes rushed for 313 yards on 44 carries last week.
Through two games, Brown has 230 yards on just 18 carries. However, his three touchdown runs account for 177 of those yards.
James Madison is off next week and next plays at Liberty on Sept. 20.
Louisville also does not play next week and will host Bowling Green on Sept. 20.
Quinn Priester went seven innings for his franchise-record 11th consecutive win, Jake Bauers drove in a pair of runs, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2
PITTSBURGH — Quinn Priester went seven innings for his franchise-record 11th consecutive decision, Jake Bauers drove in a pair of runs, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 on Friday night.
Priester (12-2) gave up two runs and six hits while striking out six and walking one to break the mark set by Chris Bosio and Cal Eldred, who won 10 consecutive decisions in 1992.
Priester, who has not lost since May 13, was acquired from Boston in a trade on April 7. He was the Pirates’ first-round pick in the 2019 amateur draft.
The Brewers, who began a six-game road trip, maintained their 5 1/2-game lead in the NL Central over the Chicago Cubs, who beat Washington 11-5 on Friday. Milwaukee had lost three of its previous four games.
Bauers’ two-run single off Carmen Mlodzinski (3-8) put the Brewers ahead 3-2 in the sixth inning. Brice Turang hit an RBI single in the eighth and Andrew Vaughn drove in a run in the ninth.
Abner Uribe pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save.
Bauers, Turang, and William Contreras had two hits each. The Pirates got two hits apiece from Spencer Horwitz and Oneil Cruz.
Pirates starter Johan Oviedo allowed only one unearned run and one hit in five innings in his fifth start since returning from Tommy John surgery.
The last-place Pirates lost for just the fifth time in 17 games.
Bauers’ line-drive two-run single to right field in the sixth inning proved to be the decisive hit.
The Brewers improved to 31-11 in their last 42 road games and ended the Pirates’ seven-game home winning streak.
After a down-to-the-wire season-opening game between the Eagles and Cowboys, Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season continues on Friday from Brazil.
It’s another divisional clash at the beginning of the season, with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo. For the Chiefs, the standard and goals are simple: Make it back to the Super Bowl and avenge last season’s loss on the game’s biggest stage. The Chargers are looking to build on a solid first season by head coach Jim Harbaugh, who led the team to an 11-6 record in 2024 before a loss in the wild-card round.
The Chargers will need to overcome recent history to head back stateside 1-0 — per ESPN research, the Chiefs’ 0.864 winning percentage against Los Angeles since 2014 is tied with the Packers (vs. the Bears) and Patriots (vs. the Jets) for the best win percentage by a team against a divisional opponent over that span. Kansas City has also won six consecutive games in the month of September, the longest active streak in the NFL.
Can Kansas City get off on the right foot in its quest for a third Super Bowl ring in four seasons? Or will Los Angeles open the season with a win and make an early statement in the AFC West?
Follow along all night for sights and sounds from São Paulo, as well as live updates and highlights from Chiefs-Chargers in Brazil:
Canadian star Gabriela Dabrowski claimed her second Grand Slam title at the US Open a year after battling cancer.
Dabrowski and partner Erin Routliffe defeated top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova 6-4 6-4 to reclaim the women’s doubles crown two years after winning it for the first time.
It was on New Year’s Eve last year when Dabrowski revealed she had been playing through treatment for breast cancer having been diagnosed in April 2024.
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She took a two-and-a-half-month break, including undergoing two operations, but reached the Wimbledon final with Routliffe, while the pair won the WTA Finals at the end of last season.
Speaking after lifting the trophy in New York, Dabrowski said it had been a “wild ride”.
“Cancer, broken ribs for both of us, it was crazy, honestly,” added the 33-year-old.
“I’m really proud of us. It was not easy, but I think we’ve shown that, even if we don’t have a consistent schedule like the other teams have, we can still bring a really high level, which is awesome.
“I think that’s a testament to our work ethic and everything that we put in on court, off the court, with each other as friends, too, to keep the chemistry going. I think it’s all culminated into this moment.”
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Taylor Townsend says she didn’t have to ‘defend anything’ after her post-match exchange with Jelena Ostapenko at the US Open
Ostapenko eventually apologised after accusing Townsend of having no education and no class, leading to claims of racism, which the Latvian denied.
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Naomi Osaka says ‘no education’ comments from Ostapenko towards Townsend is ‘one of the worst things you could say to a black player’
“I feel like this tournament changed my life in terms of exposure,” said Townsend, who suffered a heartbreaking loss in the singles fourth round after holding eight match points against Barbora Krejcikova.
“My social media followers have quadrupled. It’s crazy. I really feel like the type of tennis that I played and just the person and the player that I am now really gained a lot of respect in the locker room amongst my counterparts.
“Even Novak (Djokovic) said something to me. Jannik (Sinner) said something to me. Like, ‘Hey, like, you played really well, keep going, keep going’. Everyone was watching. It’s been fun.”
Watch the climax to the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
NEW YORK — Struggling pitcher Kodai Senga has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse by the New York Mets, who also reinstated catcher Francisco Alvarez from the 10-day injured list on Friday.
The team announced the moves hours before the opener of a critical three-game series at Cincinnati. Brandon Sproat, one of New York’s top pitching prospects, is expected to be called up from Syracuse to start the series finale Sunday in Senga’s place.
Senga, an All-Star in 2023 and runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year, was the Mets’ best starter early this season – but he’s been largely ineffective since returning from a hamstring injury in mid-July. The 32-year-old right-hander is 7-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 22 outings overall.
“As we talked to Kodai throughout this, I think it became clear from both of our perspectives, this was the right thing to do for the team and player,” said David Stearns, the Mets’ president of baseball operations.
“Kodai has a very set routine. He feels very confident in his routine, and so a role transition at this point didn’t feel like the right thing to do for either party,” Stearns said. “And I think Kodai also recognizes that the results right now aren’t what we are looking for, and so he wants to figure this out.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Senga will throw a couple of bullpen sessions before he starts a game at Triple-A. That could come next weekend. What happens after that isn’t clear yet, he said.
“He wants to be here and wants to help us, but he understands where he is physically and where we are as a team,” Mendoza said.
Because of language in his contract, the Mets needed Senga’s consent to send him to the minors, a move he agreed to with the club trying to nail down a playoff berth down the stretch.
New York began the day four games in front of San Francisco for the final National League wild card, and five ahead of Cincinnati.
Alvarez sprained the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb sliding headfirst into second base Aug. 17 against Seattle during the Major League Baseball Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The injury will ultimately require surgery, but Alvarez plans to finish the season first. He began a minor league rehab assignment Aug. 27 and was hit by a pitch in his first game, causing a small fracture to his left pinkie.
After a few days off to allow the swelling to subside, Alvarez resumed playing for Syracuse to get ready for his return.
Stearns said it was a tribute to Alvarez that he has tried to work his way back rather than opting for season-ending surgery.
“He came to us and said, whatever I need to do to keep playing this year is what I want to do,” Stearns said. “And he’s done exactly that.”
Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger have filled in at catcher during Alvarez’s absence. To open a roster spot Friday, the Mets optioned Senger to Triple-A.
Mendoza said decisions on Alvarez’s playing time will be made day to day.
“I don’t think he knows,” Mendoza said. “So nobody knows. We’re talking about the ligament in the pinky finger. So there’s a lot going on. But he feels fine. He feels really good. The reports from coaches in Triple-A (say) there’s no hesitation with him swinging the bat, throwing the ball. So I’m just excited to have him back here.”
New York also announced that right-hander Wander Suero reported to the team. Suero was added to the bullpen after being claimed off waivers Thursday from the Atlanta Braves.
Also on Thursday, right-handed reliever Reed Garrett was sent on a rehab assignment to Double-A Binghamton.
