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Fish was thrust into the action for his first minutes of the season against the Hornets after Dylan Lawlor went down clutching at his hamstring.

Wales international Lawlor had only just returned from his own injury, and was making his second start of the campaign before being forced off after 29 minutes.

Fish has been recovering from hernia surgery, and feels he has more to go before declaring himself fully fit, although he is in a much better place than he was.

“It’s never nice to get injured, especially as we came back for pre-season. In effect, I’ve not really had a pre-season. I’m almost playing catch-up at the minute,” he said.

“I feel like I’ve got a long way to go, but it was nice to get out there on Tuesday night and get some minutes into my legs.

“My injury, you can’t help that. It is what it is. I got over it, and I feel like I’m in a good place now, and I’m ready to help the team.”

Cardiff established a 5-0 lead with five minutes of Tuesday’s game remaining – only to concede a late Watford consolation shortly after.

“I was disappointed,” admitted Fish.

“At that stage in the game, of course, we could have done better. We were all hoping for the clean sheet, but it was nice to get three points.”

Cardiff are yet to keep a clean sheet since winning promotion back to the Championship and face a tough challenge when they head to second-place Middlesbrough on Saturday, October 17 (12:30 BST).

Like Cardiff, Kim Hellberg’s side rank among the best performers for shots on goal and touches in the opposition box.

After a trip to Teesside, the Bluebirds face further tests against Birmingham and relegated trio Wolves, West Ham and Burnley.

Fish is not looking too far ahead. Instead, he wants his side to lay down a marker by becoming the first away side to win at the Riverside this season.

“The games we have got coming up are tough. Every game of football that you play in this league is tough. We will just take it game by game,” he said.

“[Watford] was a good start, and hopefully we can pick up another win in Middlesbrough on Saturday.”

On Monday, the GMCA released a statement about Burnham’s meetings with Man City in his role as mayor for the region for almost a decade.

The statement said he had a formal meeting with Al Mubarak in October 2021 at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit, arranged by the Department for International Trade; and that he met the club chairman “informally in the stands” at a testimonial match in 2019 for former player Vincent Kompany.

It also said that “in his capacity as mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City at home matches on a small number of occasions”.

But the statement did not specify that this referred to, external two hospitality dinners he had with the Manchester City chairman at separate matches.

A previous GMCA register of declarations for Burnham, seen by the BBC, detailed a “dinner with [then-Manchester City Council leader] Richard Leese and Chair of Man City” for an Everton match at the Etihad stadium in August 2017, valued at £300 for hospitality.

Below is another entry for “dinner with the Chairman at the Man City/Man Utd derby at the Etihad” in April 2018, valued at approximately £699.

Burnham previously declared those dinners, alongside a £150 pair of tickets to see Ed Sheeran perform at the stadium in May 2018.

But the register of declarations has since been deleted from the GMCA website, as first reported by The Sun. The BBC understands it is the authority’s policy to only publish entries from the current mayoral term.

BBC News has asked GMCA for more details about this policy – given its website has entries dating back to 2022, despite the current mayoral term beginning in 2024.

Downing Street has defended the two dinners with Man City’s chairman, saying this was hospitality received at home games, which had been declared, rather than separate meetings with the club chairman.

But political pressure on Burnham to be clearer about any former discussions with Man City is continuing to mount.

Tory shadow sports minister Louie French said: “Andy Burnham promised the country and House of Commons full transparency on his dealings with Manchester City.

“This was essential after his inappropriate intervention into football.”

And Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick said “this saga stinks” as he accused Burnham of having apparently “concealed his extensive links to Man City’s owners”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has demanded for several days that No 10 release all details of meetings between the prime minister and senior figures at the club.

Burnham told the Rest Is Politics podcast last week he was “happy” to do this and would “quite clearly put out there everything that I have done working with them in my previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester”.

“None of it is recent, actually, in terms of the meetings I had. I only had one significant meeting, actually, and that was in 2021.”

Asked at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday whether anyone at the club had raised the charges they were facing with him or his team, Burnham said: “They did not raise those issues with me.”

With the PM continuing to face pressure on the issue, he told MPs he was happy for “everything to be set out in full”, referring to the GMCA’s statement as “a full statement of my key dealings with the owners of Manchester City Football Club”.

When asked by reporters why the statement did not refer to the two dinners, and what the difference is between “everything” and “key dealings”, the PM’s press secretary referred back to the GMCA statement.

The list of meetings, which was published by the GMCA on Monday, did not include detail on what was discussed. The BBC has asked GMCA why the two dinners were not specifically mentioned.

In September Man City – which has dominated the top flight of English football for years – was found guilty by an independent commission of breaching Premier League financial regulations.

The commission found City had broken rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018 by creating “sham” contracts with commercial partners to secretly funnel more than £830m into their football operations.

Sanctions are yet to be announced and City, which denies any wrongdoing, has lodged an appeal against the verdict.

Earlier this month, Sir Richard Leese – who was head of Manchester City Council for 25 years until 2021 – defended a decade-old deal between the council and Man City owners Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG).

Under the partnership between the authority and the company, which is linked to the United Arab Emirates royal family, land was leased to ADUG at “below comparable rates”, according to a University of Sheffield report.

A Miami jury returned a mixed verdict Tuesday evening in the domestic violence civil trial against Tyreek Hill, awarding his estranged wife $500,000 in compensatory damages, while finding the five-time All-Pro wide receiver liable for two of 10 claims of battery.

Lakeeta Vaccaro Hill was denied punitive damages by the six-person jury that deliberated for less than four hours. The week-long trial addressed allegations of physical and verbal abuse committed by Hill against Vaccaro, who sought $8 million.

“Mr. Hill was very pleased that he was able to get his story out and to be able to tell the world what he’s not been able to speak about,” Hill’s attorney Christi Bright told reporters. “He’s very grateful.”

Hill, a free agent who last played when he suffered a knee injury Sept. 29, 2025, could face discipline under the NFL personal conduct policy should he sign with a team. A player can be suspended even in the absence of criminal charges and previous related conduct can figure into any discipline.

The NFL has said Hill’s personal conduct is under review. He pleaded guilty to assault and battery by strangulation of his pregnant girlfriend in 2015 when he was a student at Oklahoma State and was the subject of a child-welfare investigation in 2019 after his three-year-old son suffered a broken arm.

During the civil trial in Miami-Dade County, Hill was found liable for one count of battery for a January 2024 incident and another from April 2025 that occurred one day before Vaccaro Hill filed for divorce. Their marriage lasted 18 months.

Vaccaro Hill testified during the trial that Hill shoved her to the ground, twisted her breasts, pulled her hair and threatened her. Hill also testified, admitting to telling Vaccaro Hill that he could “get people to hurt her.” He also testified that during one episode, he used enough force to create a hole in a wall he pressed her against.

He testified that Vaccaro Hill stole money from him and that the couple argued about a post-nuptial agreement and his relationships with the mothers of his seven other children. Hill and Vaccaro Hill have one daughter together, Capri.

“I wish I could have handled that situation a whole lot better,” Hill testified. “I wish I could have, you know, talked to my wife better. … I just wish I could just take it all back.”

Hill, 32, began his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016 and made eight consecutive Pro Bowls, six with the Chiefs and two with the Dolphins, who released him last offseason. He ranks sixth among active players with 11,363 receiving yards and seventh with 819 receptions.

The Chiefs have expressed interest in reuniting with the speedy 5-foot-10 receiver, who was a favorite target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes when Kansas City won a Super Bowl in 2020. Hill has made $143.68 million in career NFL player salary and bonuses, according to Over the Cap.

Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson’s suspension for punching a Buffalo Bills player after a game has been reduced from two games to one, an NFL spokesman said Wednesday.

Jackson was suspended for striking Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb in the face after the Bills defeated the Rams, 37-34, in overtime on Monday night.

Jackson appealed the suspension.

“Hearing officer Derrick Brooks, jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFLPA, has reduced the two game suspension of Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Alaric Jackson to one game,” Michael Signora, the NFL’s senior vice president of football and international communications said in a post to X.

Jackson must sit out Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals but is eligible to return for an Oct. 25 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

David Quessenberry is on track to start in place of Jackson, coach Sean McVay said Tuesday.

The Rams will also start the 21-day window for rookie Keagan Trost to return from injured reserve.

Champions League Match of the Day pundits Nedum Onuoha, Stephen Warnock, and Rory Smith analyse Lisandro Martinez’s comments following Manchester United’s 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid and the impact they’ll have on the club.

READ MORE: Man Utd defender Martinez issues scathing attack on board

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Some find success sweet but fleeting, others spend years building to the pinnacle, and then there are those whose lasting glory evolves into a dynasty.

After tearing Manchester City apart in large spells of their 4-2 Champions League victory on Wednesday, Paris St-Germain look well on track to join the latter bracket.

The back-to-back European champions sliced through City with astonishing ease to take a 3-0 lead into half-time, and were still able to score another despite a spirited second-half fightback from the Premier League leaders.

After obliterating Inter Milan 5-0 in the 2025 final before squeezing past Arsenal on penalties in last season’s showpiece game, Luis Enrique’s side are aiming to win a third consecutive European crown.

They would be the fifth team to do so going back to 1956, and just the second in the Champions League era.

“This PSG team are on a different level,” Chris Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live at half-time.

“They have just run all over Manchester City, who haven’t been able to string passes together. It’s been an absolute pummelling for Man City.”

To mark PSG’s latest display of attacking excellence, we’re looking at how the Parisians compare to those clubs who have enjoyed the most dominant eras in European competition.

Some will point out that football existed before the European Champion Clubs’ Cup began in 1955 – so apologies to Stan Cullis’ ‘world-champion’ Wolves outfit and the Mitropa Cup’s early Vienna heavyweights.

However, this top 10 debate is centred around winning European football’s grandest prize.

Paris St-Germain 2025-present

OK, straight in with the current champions, because this is a dynasty in the making.

Paris St-Germain are hoping to enter that bracket and the 4-2 win against Manchester City on Wednesday reminded the rest of Europe why you shouldn’t bet against them becoming continental champions for a third successive season.

PSG had a lacklustre start to the domestic season – they always do, don’t they? – but boast an uncanny ability to click into gear when it matters.

In Manchester, Luis Enrique’s side were at their unstoppable best. A ruthless blend of silky flicks and slick off-the-ball movement that saw a dazed City caught several frames behind.

“Unbelievable. PSG, what a team,” Sutton said.

“PSG’s press, I don’t think there’s another team that press with their intensity and ferocity.

“This [City] is one of the best teams in the Premier League getting an absolutely roasting. This is them [PSG] having a slow start to the season. Heaven help everyone.”

The Parisians have been France’s most dominant force since the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments 15 years ago, but it took a change of approach for the holy grail of continental success to arrive.

“It’s the end of the glitter,” professed president Nasser Al-Khelaifi after years of lavish spending, ushering out the “flashy, bling-bling” era.

Instead, Enrique arrived in 2023 intent on building a coherent team. There was still significant investment, but on younger players who could be moulded by his philosophy and discipline while given room to flourish.

The result was two scintillating Champions League triumphs.

Two men charged Wednesday in connection with the shooting of San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Keion White at a Super Bowl party in the early hours of February 9 were among four arrested as a result of a sweeping investigation.

Alleged gunman Gregory Walker, 36, of Mountain House was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department and charged with assault with a firearm. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Walker is alleged to have personally discharged the weapon that wounded White. Walker is also charged with causing great bodily injury, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a concealed firearm by a felon, and possession of a loaded firearm by a felon.

Curtis Green, 35, of Irvine was charged with brandishing a firearm at the party held in the VIP area of the Dahlia Lounge in San Francisco’s Mission District. Green was booked in San Francisco on misdemeanor weapons charges. Charges for the other two suspects, Marquis Davis, 38, and Antoine Washington, 36, have not been announced because they are not in custody in San Francisco, police said.

Davis was arrested in Atlanta and police said they found 979 grams of cocaine, 820 grams of MDMA, 1,026 grams of methamphetamine and 3,842 grams of fentanyl at his home. Washington was arrested in Stockton and police said they found loaded gun and oxycodone pills.

The investigation was dubbed “Operation D-Line” by San Francisco police and involved more than 50 search warrants and the assistance of more than 250 law enforcement personnel nationwide, officials said Wednesday.

“This kind of violence is unacceptable in San Francisco, and we devoted significant resources to holding the perpetrators of this incident accountable,” San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew said in a statement.

White was struck in the ankle with a bullet at 4 a.m. According to reports, the shooting occurred after an argument between White, Atlanta rapper Lil Baby, and the rapper’s entourage, who attempted to enter White’s event, according to a police report.

“For those who know me, y’all know this won’t stope [sic] me from spreading peace and joy to the world,” White wrote on Instagram a day after the shooting. “Full steam ahead. I’m in great spirits and ready to make the most of this off-season.”

White, a second-round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 2023, has played in all five games this season for the unbeaten 49ers, registering three sacks and nine tackles. He had a rooting interest in Super Bowl LX because he was traded to the 49ers from the Patriots, who lost the game to the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Lil Baby, a 2022 Grammy winner whose given name is Dominique Jones, performed the night of the game at The Grand nightclub San Francisco before heading to the Dahlia Lounge, where strippers entertained on the main floor. White’s private party was downstairs.

An unidentified witness from White’s group told police that when he went upstairs to ask for help breaking up the conflict, he heard two gunshots. He returned downstairs and found that White had been shot in the left leg. According to the police report, topless women were scooping up money from the floor when police entered the club.

“As I entered, I saw numerous scantily clad females picking up dollar bills that were strewn all over the floor,” the police report said. “Some of the females were topless and appeared to have been adult entertainers.”

White posted a photograph on his Instagram story showing him smiling from his hospital room. He wrote, “I’ve undergone successful surgery. Thank you to everyone who has reached out with their prayers and concerns on my behalf.”

The shooting was the second involving a 49ers player in San Francisco in the last two years. Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in Union Square when a teenager allegedly attempted to rob him in 2004.

Lisandro Martinez’s future in doubt at Manchester United, Newcastle United‘s Bazoumana Toure eyed by Manchester United and Arsenal, Getafe interested in free agent Jadon Sancho.

Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez’s future at Manchester United is uncertain following his criticism of the club’s hierarchy, with doubts the 28-year-old’s contract will be extended beyond its current expiry next summer. (Sky Sports), external

Manchester United and Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Newcastle United‘s Ivory Coast attacker Bazoumana Toure, despite the 20-year-old only having moved to St James’ Park this summer. (CaughtOffside), external

Getafe are interested in signing England winger Jadon Sancho on a free transfer and are looking at ways they can meet the 26-year-old’s salary demands. (DAZN, via Mundo Deportivo) , external

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho says Brazil striker Endrick does not need to leave the Spanish club on loan in January and believes the 20-year-old will be a “huge success” at the La Liga side. (TNT Sports Brazil, via the Athletic), external

Former Wolves and Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira is targeting a return to management in the Premier League amid being linked with struggling Fulham. (Talksport), external

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler is the standout candidate among current Premier League head coaches should Manchester United‘s board choose to move on from Michael Carrick. (The Sun), external

Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte and ex-Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann also have admirers among Manchester United‘s bosses. (Talksport), external

Liverpool have stepped-up their pursuit of Mexico midfielder Gilberto Mora, 18, and hope to complete a deal for the Club Tijuana player in January. (Teamtalk), external

Leeds fear they may lose Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic, 23, next summer, with Bayern Munich among the clubs interested. (Football Insider), external

Barcelona are tracking Germany under-21 striker Nicolo Tresoldi, 22, who scored a hat-trick for Club Brugge against Inter Milan on Tuesday. (Fichajes), external

Charity Brain Tumour Research said the disease was the cancer most likely to kill patients under 40 in the UK.

They said charities made up more than 75% of the total national investment in brain tumour research, with the government funding sitting at 25%.

Following the announcement, chief executive Dan Knowles thanked Goodburn for his “tireless efforts” in raising awareness of the disease.

He said: “We are optimistic that this renewed focus will help ensure discoveries in the laboratory actually make it to patients who so desperately need more options.”

The Rare Cancers Bill, led by Edinburgh South West MP Scott Arthur, became law earlier this year.

The legislation aims to incentivise research and investment into the treatment of rare types of cancer, defined as those affecting fewer than 1 in every 2,000 people.

But Goodburn previously said that did not go far enough and a dedicated brain cancer lead would allow for greater focus on specific research and trials.

Arthur said the act was “vital” to driving research needed into the condition, but Goodburn’s meeting with Burnham could lead to further work in the field.

“There is real opportunity in the sector to dismantle the barriers to research that charities, clinicians, and researchers have known about for decades,” he said before the meeting.

“Having met Archie a number of times I know he is a fantastic advocate for the brain tumour community.

“I hope his meeting with the prime minister is a moment for concrete progress to be made.”

Asked what the return of star freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley brought to the USC offense, Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava kept his answer simple.

“Score touchdowns,” Maiava said with a smile after practice Tuesday.

In a massive 31-23 road win over Penn State on Saturday, Mosley did just that and more, catching nine passes for 111 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown catch to end USC’s first drive and give his team an early lead.

Mosley was a game-time decision Saturday after he missed the Trojans’ last three games with an injury, including USC’s crushing loss to Oregon in late September.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava looks to throw a pass during a win over Penn State Saturday in State College, Penn.

(Barry Reeger / Associated Press)

For his performance against Penn State, Mosley earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, becoming the fourth Trojan to win the award this season. It was far from his first strong performance for USC.

Mosley caught 13 passes for four touchdown and 255 yards in his first three college games and returned a punt for a touchdown. The only game Mosley has played for USC during which he didn’t earn at least 100 receiving was the Trojans’ win over Louisiana, during which he was injured.

“I’m just trying to do my part,” Mosley said Tuesday.

The freshman, who came to USC in the spring out of Santa Margarita High, rejoined the Trojans ahead of the Penn State game while the team faced a variety of injuries to other key players on both sides of the ball. Fellow freshman standout tight end Mark Bowman and left tackle Elijah Paige were among the Trojans to miss Saturday’s game with injuries, while defensive tackle Jide Abasiri was significantly limited.

“He’s one of our best players,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said of Mosley. “Getting him back has added a huge boost for us. He’s a tremendous playmaker. He’s tough to tackle after the catch. We trust him a lot.”

Now, the Trojans are in a bye week before they play at Wisconsin on Oct. 24. During the bye, the first of two for USC this season, Riley said he hopes to see his team get healthier.

Riley did not address the status of any individual players Tuesday besides saying that Bowman is “getting better,” Riley said he would not rule anyone out for the Wisconsin game. USC’s next Big Ten availability report will be released on Oct. 21.

“I’m hopeful, going into Wisconsin, that just from a whole we’ll be as healthy as we’ve been the whole year,” Riley said. “We haven’t been able to see this team quite at full strength yet from a health perspective. So, I’m kind of excited and interested to see what that would look like.”

Vlad Dyakonov bolsters Trojans

With various starters injured, younger players have filled the gaps for the Trojans.

On Saturday, freshman Vlad Dyakonov took center stage filling in for the injured Paige.

Riley on Tuesday praised Dyakonov’s performance and said the lineman didn’t know he was going to start his first college game until pregame warmups. Paige was moved to a game-time decision on USC’s final availability report two hours before the Penn State game after being listed as available the entire week beforehand.

“There’s some young people across the country that if you told them that and they were in that position in that atmosphere and environment, [they] … would be a little wide-eyed,” Riley said of Dyakonov’s debut in front of more than 114,000 fans during Penn State’s annual White Out Game. “Vlad wasn’t. Vlad was like jacked. He was ready to go.”

USC’s King Miller carries the ball during a win over Penn State Saturday in in State College, Penn.

(Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)

In an appearance on Trojans Live on Monday, Riley recalled Dyakonov boldly calling out 6-foot-5, 295-pound star defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart in a one-on-one drill during practice and holding his own.

“I think we all knew, look, he’s not going to play perfect, but I think we all knew like he’s going to go compete his you-know-what off,” Riley said Tuesday. “Nobody doubted that because that’s what he does every day. He’s built a lot of trust in here.”

Maiava echoed Riley’s sentiment when asked about Dyakonov, praising his ability to fill in for Paige on short notice.

“What an unbelievable player,” Maiava said. “He never flinched when he went out there, and we didn’t either.”

Though Dyakonov has become known for his intensity, Trojans running back King Miller, who rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries Saturday behind an offensive line that included Dyakonov, said he also has a sense of humor. Asked what Dyakonov was like off the field, Miller’s first description was “hilarious.”

“It’s great to have a guy like him in this room,” Miller said.

A man who fell from the upper tier of a stand during a football match and injured fans below has been found not guilty of assault.

Maidstone United supporter John Ryan fell on to Joanne Peters and her partner Aaron Rose at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road ground during an FA Cup clash in January 2024.

Ryan, 62, of Railway Street, Chatham, Kent, denied one count of assault by beating and one count of actual bodily harm and told Ipswich Crown Court he had been unable to stop himself during goal celebrations.

Ryan could be seen crying in the dock as the jury returned verdicts of not guilty to both charges and said afterwards “it’s been very stressful”.

Peters had been in tears when she told the court she initially thought the supporters’ box behind her had collapsed and she thought she “could have died”.

Ryan had been one of thousands of Maidstone United supporters who saw their non-league side win 2-1 over Ipswich, who were heading to promotion from the Championship that season.

He told the court the game had been “the biggest match in the club’s history” and he had been celebrating a “special” goal.

The jury was told he had been in Cobbold Stand upper tier when he fell, slid down the sloping roof that covers the boxes, and landed on the Ipswich supporters below.

Ryan told the jury he had been unsure if he had been pushed or his foot had slipped when he fell.

Fifa is set to propose a $3.4bn (£2.6bn) increase in the amount of money it hands out for football development across the world.

World football’s governing body wants to release the money from its reserves in a move which BBC Sport has been told would double the level of planned distribution funding for 2027-2030.

The proposal will be made at a meeting of Fifa’s council on Thursday and comes at a time when the organisation is under pressure following president Gianni Infantino’s aborted Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan.

Infantino wanted to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors but faced huge criticism for the proposal, with Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation questioning his position.

Uefa and Concacaf wrote to Infantino in September calling on Fifa to pay at least $10m (£7.5m) from its cash reserves to each of the 211 member associations.

In a letter then sent to Fifa’s six continental confederations, Infantino – who will be standing for re-election for a fourth time in March 2027 – said he would support “the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered”.

Fifa will now offer extra money from its reserves in addition to the current $2.7bn budgeted to be paid to all 211 member associations, the confederations, regional associations and certain non-Fifa affiliated associations.

The breakdown is as follows:

• $25m (£19m) per member association

• $99m (£75m) for each of the six confederations

• $8.25m (£6.3m) for each of the 13 zonal/regional associations

• $1.1m (£836,000) for 100 member associations for travel and equipment solidarity

The terms of the distribution would be as follows:

• One third would be allocated to women’s and youth football development

• One third would be allocated to infrastructure (of which there shall be equal access to women’s and youth football)

• One third would be allocated to projects

The plan, including the eligibility, application, approval, disbursement, control and audit requirements, will be finalised by the Fifa council at its next meeting in December 2026.

It will all be subject to approval by the 77th Fifa congress in March 2027.

Great Britain’s Joe Truman said team-mate Matt Richardson’s withdrawal was “not ideal” and they had started “on the back foot” as they exited in the first round of the men’s team sprint at the World Track Cycling Championships.

Richardson was pulled from the competition on Monday amid allegations of misconduct.

The 27-year-old, who had also been expected to contend for medals in the individual sprint and keirin, said he would co-operate with a British Cycling investigation into the allegations.

His withdrawal overshadowed preparations for the event in Shanghai, though Britain’s women did secure silver in the team sprint.

Emma Finucane, who is Richardson’s partner, Sophie Capewell and Rhianna Parris-Smith finished fastest in qualifying, and beat France but lost to hosts China in the gold-medal race.

The men’s team – Truman, Ed Lowe and Harry Ledingham-Horn – finished fifth in the qualifying stage but were beaten by fourth-placed Australia in the opening round of head-to-head races.

“We came with a bit of a last-minute change, obviously,” said Truman. “We all said this morning we’re here just to ride our bikes.

“We’re on the back foot a bit but let’s just put our best foot forward, put a time on the board at the start of Olympic quali and we got a time to be proud of.

“None of us are riding in ideal circumstances but we’re professional athletes and so it’s what we train to do – we train to race when it’s not perfect – so I think we did OK. We’re looking ahead to the next couple of years and think we’re in a great spot.”

Elsewhere on day one, Britain’s women and men progressed as first and second fastest respectively in qualifying for the team pursuit events.

Meanwhile, Abigail Miller finished 17th of 24 riders in the women’s scratch race.

Kallum Watkins has been called up to England’s Rugby League World Cup squad as a late replacement after Morgan Smithies was forced to withdraw through injury.

The 35-year-old Leeds Rhinos second-row forward is set to take part in his fourth World Cup having previously featured in 2013, 2017 and 2022.

The loss of lock and second-row forward Smithies, who is set to join Perth Bears for the 2027 NRL season, comes as a blow to England.

However, in Watkins, head coach Brian McDermott has found a replacement he knows well having previously coached him during a trophy-laden spell at Leeds.

“It’s really unfortunate what has happened to Morgan with an injury picked up in training,” said McDermott.

“Morgan has been great since we entered camp. He’s a real team player and his work ethic and toughness are qualities that we will certainly miss.

“Kallum enjoyed a terrific season with Leeds this year and has been part of our England performance programme building into this World Cup.

“I look forward to welcoming him into camp as we step up our preparations.”

Watkins, who has 32 caps, is set to arrive in Perth before England’s World Cup opener against Tonga on Saturday (10:05 BST) but will not play.

He started his career as a centre before shifting into the pack in recent years and will be available for England’s other group matches against France and Papua New Guinea.

Dodgers will not bench Shohei Ohtani

From Maddie Lee: Shohei Ohtani emerged from the visiting dugout at American Family Field with a bat in his hand, and the mass of media members scattered in foul territory up the third-base line shifted his way, pulled by the magnetic force that is Ohtani’s stardom.

Monday marked the third straight day Ohtani had hit on the field, after a multi-round session off the pitching machine on the workout day and batting practice before each of the first two games of the National League Championship series against the Milwaukee Brewers. But the novelty of the move — Ohtani only took batting practice on the field a few times during the regular season, always in the midst of a slump — had yet to fully wear off.

“The results, take full responsibility,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton on Tuesday. “That’s all I can really say, why the results haven’t been where I wanted it to be. But I think there’s different approaches to this, whether that be focusing on reducing the symptoms and getting rid of the pain and/or just making sure that I’m moving well in the swing.”

That break of routine for the start of the NLCS did not pay off in terms of results. But after a conversation with Ohtani, manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that he felt “great” about playing Ohtani in Game 3 of the NLCS, even though Ohtani is still physically compromised by nagging right biceps and left knee problems.

“He’s adamant he feels good enough to be in there,” Roberts said. “He’s close to finding something with his swing. … Yeah, he wants to be in there and help us win a ballgame and win a championship. Great conversation, and I’m excited about having him in there.”

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Dodgers should have benched Shohei Ohtani

From Bill Shaikin: The Dodgers never waver in their game plan for the regular season: win enough games to secure a bye in the opening round of the playoffs and, in so doing, afford players all the down time they need during the summer to be in top form come fall. They do not need to hurry anyone off the injured list so they can squeak out another National League West title.

Unfortunately for the Dodgers and their increasingly perilous hope of a three-peat, they did not follow that game plan with Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers failed Ohtani this summer, and now all that remains is for them to cross their collective fingers and hope for the best.

Hope, as they say, is not a strategy.

The Dodgers should drop Ohtani from the postseason roster.

They won’t. They won’t even take him out of Wednesday’s lineup.

Amid headlines about how the Dodgers might have benched Ohtani for Game 3 of the NL Championship Series, manager Dave Roberts said the thinking was more about coupling Tuesday’s day off with a second consecutive day of rest.

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MLB postseason schedule

All times Pacific

NLCS

No. 1 Milwaukee vs. No. 2 Dodgers
at Milwaukee 2, Dodgers 1 (box score)
at Milwaukee 7, Dodgers 4 (box score)
Wednesday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One
Thursday at Dodgers, 6 p.m., FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One
*Friday at Dodgers, 6 p.m., FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One
*Sunday at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One
*Monday at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One

ALCS

No. 1 Tampa Bay vs. No. 2 Cleveland
Cleveland 7, at Tampa Bay 3 (box score)
at Tampa Bay 3, Cleveland 1 (box score)
Thursday at Cleveland, 3 p.m., TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max
Friday at Cleveland, 3 p.m., TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max
Saturday at Cleveland, 5 p.m., TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max
*Monday at Tampa Bay, 2 p.m., TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max
*Tuesday at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m., TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max

* if necessary

World Series starts Friday, Oct. 23

Walker Kessler makes Lakers debut

From Broderick Turner: The plan for the Lakers had been to turn their fourth preseason game into a dress rehearsal for the upcoming season.

But that was not the case.

The Lakers did get the preseason debut of center Walker Kessler on Tuesday night, a good sign for them to see their biggest acquisition of the summer play.

But on the flip side, Luka Doncic didn’t play in the Lakers’ 101-89 loss to the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena because he was resting.

“He’s not injured, just getting the night off,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

Kessler had 11 points, nine rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal.

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Lakers box score

Rams release kicker Harrison Mevis

From Gary Klein: Less than 24 hours after kicking-game issues led to the Buffalo Bills defeating the Rams in overtime, the team released kicker Harrison Mevis, a team official said Tuesday.

Mevis missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt in the first half, and a had potential 48-yard game-winning field-goal attempt blocked in overtime. The Bills went on to win 37-34 in overtime, dropping the Rams’ record to 2-3.

“Not even close to good enough,” coach Sean McVay said of the field-goal and extra-point units after the defeat. “It cost us the game tonight.”

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Rams’ Alaric Jackson is suspended for two games

From Gary Klein: Quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Rams’ most valuable and most important player, will have a new blindside protector when the reigning NFL MVP faces the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

With left tackle Alaric Jackson suspended by the NFL for two games for punching an opposing player after the Rams 37-34 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, coach Sean McVay said Tuesday that veteran David Quessenberry would take Jackson’s spot.

Quessenberry, 36, is a ninth-year pro in his second season with the Rams. He has not started a game since 2023 when he started four times for the Minnesota Vikings.

McVay said the Rams also would open the 21-day window for rookie tackle Keagan Trost to return from injured reserve.

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Kings lose to Oilers

Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in the dynamic first period of his four-point night, propelling the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-1 victory over the winless Kings on Tuesday.

Vasily Podkolzin got his sixth and seventh goals of the season, Leon Draisaitl also scored and Devon Levi made 39 saves for the Oilers, who have won five straight and scored at least three goals in every game of their 5-0-1 start.

McDavid recorded at least three points in a period for the 33rd time in his 11-year career, doing it in the first period for the 10th time. The six-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s top scorer has a whopping 16 points already this season with five multi-point games.

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Kings summary

NHL standings

Ducks fall to Flames

Martin Pospisil scored the tiebreaking goal with 4:22 left, Yegor Sharangovich added an empty-netter with 1:22 remaining and the Calgary Flames beat the Ducks 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Adam Klapka and Aydar Suniev added goals, and Dustin Wolf stopped 22 of 24 shots as the Flames (1-5) won for the first time this season. Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson scored goals, and Lukas Dostal had 32 saves for the Ducks (4-2).

Pospisil’s decisive goal came after he took a pass from Suniev at the center circle, skated down the left side, deked Ducks defenders Tyson Hinds and Tristan Luneau by faking a shot and snapped the puck past Dostal’s short side for a 3-2 lead.

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Ducks summary

NHL standings

This day in sports history

1945 — The Chicago Cardinals snap the longest losing streak in NFL history at 29 games with a 16-7 victory over the Chicago Bears.

1949 — Ezzard Charles TKOs Pat Valentino in 8 for heavyweight boxing title.

1951 — Detroit’s Jack Christiansen returns two punts for touchdowns, but the Lions still lose, 27-21, to the Rams.

1962 — Houston’s George Blanda throws six touchdown passes to lead the Oilers to a 56-17 rout of the New York Titans.

1967 — The Kings, led by Brain Kilrea, beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 in their NHL debut. The game is held at Long Beach Arena. Kilrea scores two goals, including the first one in Kings history.

1978 — Darryl Sittler of the Toronto Maple Leafs gets seven assists in a 10-7 victory over the New York Islanders.

1979 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores his first NHL goal in a 4-4 tie with the Vancouver Canucks. Gretzky beats goaltender Glen Hanlon with the game-tying power-play goal with 1:09 remaining in the third period.

1990 — Joe Montana passes for career highs of 476 yards and six touchdowns and Jerry Rice ties an NFL record with five scoring receptions as the San Francisco 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 45-35.

1991 — New York Rangers right wing Mike Gartner scores his 500th career goal in the first period of a 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals.

2005 — Ryan Newman sets a NASCAR record by winning his fifth consecutive Busch Series race, the Charlotte 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

2006 — Mats Sundin scores his 500th career goal, completing a hat trick with a short-handed overtime game-winner and giving Toronto a 5-4 victory over Calgary. The third goal is Sundin’s 15th in overtime — the most in NHL history.

2007 — Tom Brady of New England passes for 388 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in a 48-27 win over previously unbeaten Dallas. The five TDs gives Brady the NFL mark with at least three in each of the first six games of the season.

2011 — Japan’s Kohei Uchimura becomes the first man to win three titles at the world gymnastics championships in Tokyo. Uchimura finishes with 93.631 points in the men’s all-around, more than three points ahead of Germany’s Philipp Boy.

2012 — Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers sets a career high and ties a franchise record with six touchdown passes, three to Jordy Nelson, and the Packers rout the Houston Texans 42-24. Rodgers completes 24 of 37 passes for 338 yards and ties Matt Flynn’s single-game record for TD passes, set in last year’s regular-season finale against Detroit.

2015 — Sylvia Fowles has 20 points and 11 rebounds as the Minnesota Lynx capture their third WNBA title in five years with a 69-52 victory over the Indiana Fever in Game 5.

2018 — Stephen Gostkowski hit a 28-yard field goal as time expires, and the New England Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs 43-40 after blowing a big halftime lead. Tom Brady passes for 340 yards and a touchdown and runs for another score in his 200th victory as a starting quarterback, tops in NFL history. With New England leading 24-9 at halftime, Patrick Mahomes directs an impressive rally by Kansas City in the second half. He finishes 23 of 36 for 352 yards in his first loss as a starting quarterback, with three of his four TD passes going to Tyreek Hill.

2020 — The NFL cancels the Pro Bowl scheduled for January, 31, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1973 — 42-year-old future Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder Willie Mays′ last MLB career hit, as N.Y. Mets beat A’s, 10-7 in World Series Game 2 in Oakland.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Anyone have a helicopter available for Friday night?

This is the weekend when high school football fans and sportswriters across the Southland need air transportation or multiple screens on a computer or cellphone or at a sports bar to watch the many top games during Week 8.

It doesn’t get any better than No. 1-ranked Santa Margarita (7-0) playing at No. 2 St. John Bosco (6-1) in a Trinity League game that will feature big-boy football at its best. The NFHS Network will be streaming the game.

It’s not the only game you’ll want to see.

Let’s review the choices so you can use Google Maps or a TV remote control or just never let go of your phone on Friday night.

Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer, center, with offensive coordinator Lenny Vandermade, left.

(Craig Weston)

Santa Margarita at St. John Bosco, 7 p.m.

Last week, St. John Bosco avenged last year’s stunning Southern Section Division 1 first-round playoff loss to Orange Lutheran, a team it beat 48-0 in the regular season. This week, the Braves finally get to play Santa Margarita, the school that won the state Open Division championship because St. John Bosco was nowhere to be found. Santa Margarita has a 13-game winning streak since losing to the Braves last October.

This isn’t the same Santa Margarita team. Trent Mosley is now at USC, where he looks like a Heisman Trophy candidate when not injured. The Trojans are off this week, so look for Mosley to be on the sideline supporting brother Grant, an Eagles receiver. Santa Margarita’s strength is running the ball with undersized Adrian Petero (5 feet 5, 175 pounds) to set up the pass for quarterback Fletch Palmer, son of coach Carson Palmer.

St. John Bosco has become more of a running team with Maliq Allen, but quarterback Koa Malau’ulu remains a dangerous weapon with receivers DJ Tubbs and Kuika Moaalii. This game likely comes down to a chess match each play, testing defensive coordinators Steve Fifita (Santa Margarita) and Chris King (St. John Bosco). Both have great respect for each other. Turnovers, penalties and special teams must be watched closely. The pick: St. John Bosco.

Bishop Amat (6-1) at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (7-0), 7 p.m.

Spectrum 1 chose to televise this game, which will decide who gets to finish second in the Mission League behind Sierra Canyon. Notre Dame is a surprise being unbeaten at this point, but Tahj Skinner has proven to be one of the best athletes at quarterback, and the Knights are filled with fast players on both sides of the field from their successful track program. Bishop Amat must worry about Notre Dame’s speed, but Notre Dame must deal with the Lancers’ physicality. The pick: Bishop Amat.

Mission Viejo (6-1) at San Clemente (7-0), 7 p.m.

Home-field advantage matters in this annual rivalry game in the recently renamed Alpha League. Mission Viejo’s offensive line is elite. Receiver Jack Junker got to play running back last week and showed his big-play skills. San Clemente has its own versatile star in receiver/safety Jaxson Rex. In the end, it’s about which young quarterback can avoid mistakes, with Mission Viejo relying on sophomore Brett Burnor and San Clemente turning to junior Preston Beck. The pick: San Clemente.

King/Drew (4-3) at Crenshaw (5-2), 7 p.m.

King/Drew has been the upstart trying to win the Coliseum League with Crenshaw always standing in the way. Quarterback Gerald Torres has put together a strong season, passing for 1,363 yards and 13 touchdowns. Crenshaw struggled against Palisades’ passing attack this season, so the Cougars’ defense will be tested. Crenshaw has added more balance on offense with quarterback Ethan Grant. The pick: Crenshaw.

Hamilton (3-4) at Palisades (3-3), 7 p.m.

There should be more than 100 passes attempted in a game that will decide the Western League title. Have ice available afterward for the elbows of quarterbacks Robert Holohan III of Palisades and Thaddeus Breaux of Hamilton. The pick: Hamilton.

TAMPA, Fla. — José Ramírez’s mental mistake and fielding error cost Cleveland in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, a day after his bat helped boost the Guardians to an opening win.

He left third base uncovered on Chandler Simpson’s fourth-inning infield chopper, then misplayed Ben Williamson’s grounder for an error that led to three unearned runs as the Tampa Bay Rays evened the best-of-seven series with a 3-1 win Tuesday night.

“It’s a little bit faster here with the surface and I was playing parallel to the base,” Ramírez said through a translator. “The ball bounced right on the edge between the dirt and the turf, and that’s what made it a little more difficult for me. I tried to knock it down.”

“It’s frustrating. I feel bad because I wasn’t able to make that play and after that the runs came in. I feel bad about that,” he added.

A seven-time All-Star who has finished among the top five in MVP voting six times, Ramírez had three hits and scored twice in Cleveland’s 7-3 win in the opener.

Game 2 was 0-0 with Victor Mesa Jr. on first and two out in the fourth when Chandler Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop Brayan Rocchio.

Ramírez, shifted toward second base on the left-handed hitter, took a few steps toward Simpson and watched the shortstop throw to first. Seeing third base uncovered, Mesa rounded second and sped to third standing up as Ramírez tried in vain to catch up.

Four pitches later, Williamson hit a two-hopper that struck the edge of where the artificial turf meets the dirt near third. The ball skipped between Ramírez’s legs into left, allowing Mesa to score.

“José kind of got stuck. It looked like he just didn’t move his feet,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “Just kind of looked like he sat back a little bit with his feet set instead of moving his feet. So tough break right there and obviously they capitalized.”

Liam Hicks pulled Parker Messier’s next pitch, a slider, into right-center for a two-run single and a 3-0 lead.

“They’ve done that all year. When they smell blood, they take it and run,” Vogt said. “We had some sloppy plays in the field that we need to clean up.”

Ramírez homered in Games 4 and 5 of the Division Series as Cleveland overcome an 0-2 series deficit, the first Cleveland player to homer in consecutive postseason games since Francisco Lindor in 2018.

LAS VEGAS — The plan for the Lakers had been to turn their fourth preseason game into a dress rehearsal for the upcoming season.

But that was not the case.

The Lakers did get the preseason debut of center Walker Kessler on Tuesday night, a good sign for them to see their biggest acquisition of the summer play.

But on the flip side, Luka Doncic didn’t play in the Lakers’ 101-89 loss to the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena because he was resting.

“He’s not injured, just getting the night off,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

So, it was left up to Kessler, Austin Reaves and the rest of the available Lakers to sort things out. And Reaves and Kessler were on point.

In just his second preseason game, Reaves was doing what is expected of him, scoring 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting, including four for seven on three-pointers, with seven assists and four rebounds. But forced to handle the ball more with Doncic out, Reaves also had seven turnovers.

Kessler started and had 11 points, nine rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in 16 minutes.

For the Lakers, it was good to see Kessler on the court. They gave up a lot to acquire him in a trade with the Utah Jazz — two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps and then signing him to a four-year, $130-million contract.

Kessler played in only five games last season while recovering from a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

He missed the first three Lakers’ preseason games because of a left pinky injury.

Kessler yearned to play again.

“Yeah, I mean it was a lot of fun being out there again,” he said. “It’s been so long. Before the game I was actually pretty nervous, to be honest. But, getting out there and just playing with the guys, it was a blast. I can’t really, you know speak to … I think I have a certain presence on the floor, but I think my teammates around me did a great job of playing defense on the perimeter. I think we shared the ball really well tonight. Just how it was, especially in the first half. It was a lot of fun.”

He began his night with a defensive rebound, which allowed the Lakers to set up their offense early in the first quarter.

Kessler then cut to the basket, took a pass from Reaves and scored on a layup, his first points of the preseason.

His second basket was a left-handed layup early in the second quarter. Shortly after, Kessler blocked a shot by Warriors center Charles Bassey from behind, a display of his defensive presence.

Another good sign, less than a minute later, was when Kessler got an offensive rebound and bounded back up for a dunk.

When the Warriors went to their small-ball lineup in the first quarter, it meant the 7-foot-2 Kessler would be tested on defense, because his man was 6-2 Gary Payton II. It meant Kessler was forced to play defense on the perimeter and not down low where the Lakers prefer him.

Still, Kessler held his own.

Lakers forward Arthur Kaluma drives the ball against Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg during the first half Tuesday.

(David Becker / AP)

While he was out and unable to play, Kessler learned a few things about himself.

“Yeah, I think what I missed most was competing,” Kessler said. “Quite frankly, competing to win, and I think as far as making me a better basketball player, I just think it has made me long to go try to win every game and win every night. So returning, I think it makes me a little better basketball player.”

The Lakers lost to the Warriors for the second time this preseason. Their other two games were victories over the Sacramento Kings. They play one more preseason game, Friday night against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena, and then open the season against the Warriors at home on Oct. 21.

Before the game, Redick said the plan was for the Lakers to “continue to work on us.”

“We have kind of circled this game, not as a full dress rehearsal, just in terms of our scout presentation, but we gave the guys a sample of that this morning and at shoot-ariund,” Redick said. “Not as much game-planning necessarily, but just kind of the sequencing of how we present prior to a game. We’ll do the same thing pregame with a brief personnel tape. We just want to get better. I mean, that’s the biggest thing. We want to get healthy, we want to get better, we want to continue to build our fitness and cardio level and find a rhythm. And it’s been a little disjointed with having some guys out.”

Redick said rookie Cameron Carr, guard Collin Sexton (lower leg) and forwards Ziaire Williams (right foot contusion) and Adou Thiero (undisclosed) “are still day to day” with their injuries.

Men’s Lions tours, featuring players from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, have taken place since 1888.

The women will travel to New Zealand for a five-match tour that features Tests in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Yapp’s side will hope for a send-off in front of a bumper Cardiff crowd.

“It will be a tremendous rugby match and occasion,” said Carol Isherwood, chair of the Lions women’s committee.

“It’s a chance to grow the game and leave a legacy so that we are able to continue with the Lions team by setting the foundations and give everybody the chance to see the women’s game at its very best.”

A crowd of 21,186 set a record for a Wales women’s home game in any sport when watching the Six Nations defeat by England at Principality Stadium in 2025.

“I’ve been there for some England men’s games and the noise is fabulous. It’ll be great if it is a sea of red for the Lions and not just Wales,” said Isherwood, who captained Great Britain in 1986.

“We’ve got a fantastic tour in line, and we’re starting off with a brilliant occasion in Cardiff.

“We looked at some different options and going abroad, like the men have previously, but the Welsh Rugby Union said that they felt they could do a great job here.

“We have the fantastic stadium, the support for rugby, tradition of the women’s game having some important moments in Wales and the fact that we can get thousands under that roof to see the Lions women play.

“The visibility allows girls across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to dream of pulling on that red shirt one day.”

It will be the second time that the Lions have faced France after the men won a friendly in Paris in 1989.

Martin Pospisil scored the tiebreaking goal with 4:22 left, Yegor Sharangovich added an empty-netter with 1:22 remaining and the Calgary Flames beat the Ducks 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Adam Klapka and Aydar Suniev added goals, and Dustin Wolf stopped 22 of 24 shots as the Flames (1-5) won for the first time this season. Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson scored goals, and Lukas Dostal had 32 saves for the Ducks (4-2).

Pospisil’s decisive goal came after he took a pass from Suniev at the center circle, skated down the left side, deked Ducks defenders Tyson Hinds and Tristan Luneau by faking a shot and snapped the puck past Dostal’s short side for a 3-2 lead.

Anaheim gave up the tying goal just eight seconds after killing Calgary’s five-on-three advantage — with the help of Dostal’s four saves — for two minutes of the second.

As Sennecke (tripping) and Alex Killorn skated out of the penalty box, Flames winger Ryan Strome snuck a cross-ice pass from the outside the left circle to Suniev, who snapped a shot from the inside edge of the right circle past Dostal’s blocker for a 2-2 tie at the 8:02 mark.

The Flames took a 1-0 lead 8:32 into the first when Maksim Tsyplakov intercepted a pass in the Anaheim slot and touched a pass back to Klapka, who beat Dostal.

But the Ducks tallied twice within a 1:56 span of the first for a 2-1 lead. Sennecke stole the puck at his own blue line and beat Wolf glove-side for a breakaway goal with 7:51 left, and Carlsson’s shot from the right circle went over Wolf’s left shoulder for a power-play goal with 5:55 left.

Roger McQueen, the Ducks’ first pick in the 2025 draft, made his NHL debut after being recalled from the AHL San Diego Gulls. The 20-year-old center did not find the score sheet in 11 ½ minutes of ice time.

McQueen replaced center Ryan Poehling, who suffered a medial collateral ligament sprain that will sideline him for six to eight weeks. Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier missed the game because of a lower-body injury and is day to day.

Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in the dynamic first period of his four-point night, propelling the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-1 victory over the winless Kings on Tuesday.

Vasily Podkolzin got his sixth and seventh goals of the season, Leon Draisaitl also scored and Devon Levi made 39 saves for the Oilers, who have won five straight and scored at least three goals in every game of their 5-0-1 start.

McDavid recorded at least three points in a period for the 33rd time in his 11-year career, doing it in the first period for the 10th time. The six-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s top scorer has a whopping 16 points already this season with five multi-point games.

Brandt Clarke scored for the Kings, who dropped to 0-3-2 to begin coach Peter Laviolette’s first season despite outshooting the Oilers 40-16. The Kings are still adjusting to their new direction under Laviolette, who wants offensive aggression from a team that has played deliberate, defense-first hockey for nearly two decades.

The Kings and Philadelphia are the NHL’s only winless teams.

Evan Bouchard had two assists for the Oilers, who are off to their strong start despite playing without injured Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Edmonton opened the scoring when McDavid froze Cody Ceci and fed the puck low to the quick-wristed Draisaitl. One minute later, Podkolzin converted the rebound after McDavid blew past Mikey Anderson and blistered a shot off Darcy Kuemper.

After the Kings had pinned Edmonton in its own end for nearly two full shifts late in the first period, McDavid came off the bench, accepted Ty Emberson’s pass at the blue line in stride and scored his fourth goal.

Kuemper was replaced by Anton Forsberg to start the second.

Clarke scored late in the second period on a long shot through traffic. The goal was Clarke’s first since the Kings’ young defensive cornerstone signed a five-year, $37-million deal last June.

McDavid and Draisaitl assisted on Podkolzin’s empty-net goal.

HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

Southern Section
Agoura 38, Calabasas 6
Aquinas 12, Hillcrest 0
Ayala 33, Claremont 0
Azusa 19, Baldwin Park 18
Beaumont 32, Citrus Valley 0
Bishop Montgomery 59, Mary Star of the Sea 6
Buena Park 12, Costa Mesa 6
Burbank Providence 32, YULA 18
Cajon 42, Redlands 6
California 27, Whittier 0
California Military Institute 47, Entrepreneur 0
Camarillo 39, Simi Valley 6
Castaic 18, Golden Valley 0
Chaminade 46, Alemany 0
Channel Islands 26, Del Sol 13
Chino Hills 27, St. Lucy’s 6
Compton 26, Compton Early College 6
Covina 43, Hacienda Heights Wilson 13
Dos Pueblos 48, Rio Mesa 6
El Rancho d. Bell Gardens, forfeit
Elsinore 24, West Valley 12
Etiwanda 42, Rancho Cucamonga 6
Garden Grove Pacifica 31, Brea Olinda 19
Garey 26, Duarte 7
Great Oak 13, Corona 6
Hawthorne 19, Environmental Charter 6
Hart 18, Canyon Country Canyon 13
Inglewood 47, Beverly Hills 0
Jurupa Valley 54, Rubidoux 0
Laguna Beach 53, Capistrano Valley Christian 0
Lakewood St. Joseph 18, Bishop Amat 13
Lawndale 34, Leuzinger 0
Long Beach Cabrillo 14, Compton Centennial 0
Mater Dei 37, Santa Margarita 6
Mira Costa 18, Torrance 12
Montebello 30, Arroyo 0
Newbury Park 32, Thousand Oaks 24
North Torrance 2, West Torrance 0
Northview 14, Rowland 7
Ontario Christian 18, Serrano 0
Palos Verdes 27, Redondo Union 26
Pasadena Poly 34, Rio Hondo Prep 6
Patriot 57, Miller 0
Peninsula 26, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 0
Pomona 12, La Puente 0
Portola 25, Northwood 7
Redlands Adventist Academy 29, United Christian Academy 6
Redlands East Valley 43, Yucaipa 12
Royal 20, Oak Park 12
San Clemente 40, Dana Hills 0
San Dimas 13, Colony 6
San Gorgonio 34, Indian Springs 7
San Jacinto Valley Academy 20, Nuview Bridge 19
San Juan Hills 27, Capistrano Valley 7
San Marcos 12, Ventura 0
Santa Barbara 12, Buena 0
Santa Monica 34, Culver City 7
Santa Paula 32, Fillmore 0
Shadow Hills 33, Valley View 7
Shalhevet 44, SEED LA 6
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 57, Flintridge Sacred Heart 6
Sierra Canyon 60, Louisville 0
Sonora 19, La Habra 6
South Hills 50, Alta Loma 8
South Torrance 27, El Segundo 0
Tahquitz 24, San Jacinto 13
Temecula Prep 20, Eastvale Roosevelt 20
Trabuco Hills 28, Tesoro 26
Tustin 34, Katella 6
Upland 51, Los Osos 0
Valencia 28, West Ranch 0
Village Christian 19, Westridge 0
West Covina 14, Charter Oak 6
Westlake 39, Oaks Christian 13
Westminster La Quinta 39, Savanna 0

MONDAY’S RESULTS

City Section
Angelou 30, West Adams 0
Bell 22, Legacy 0
Bernstein 7, Roybal 6
Bernstein 32, Mendez 0
Carson 19, Wilmington Banning 7
Cleveland 13, Taft 6
Eagle Rock 41, SOCES 9
Eagle Rock 74, Sylmar 0
El Camino Real 14, Birmingham 6
Fairfax 32, WISH Academy 6
Foshay 34, Los Angeles 0
Garfield 31, South Gate 0
Hollywood 13, Contreras 12
Jefferson 34, Manual Arts 7
Lincoln 20, Los Angeles Marshall 0
Los Angeles Roosevelt 26, South East 6
Los Angeles Wilson 27, Franklin 6
Maywood CES 25, Marquez 0
Mendez 26, Roybal 0
Palisades 14, Los Angeles University 12
Panorama 13, Granada Hills Kennedy 12
Panorama 44, Reseda 6
RFK Community 12, Hollywood 7
RFK Community 12, Contreras 0
Santee 18, Diego Rivera 6
SOCES 40, Sylmar 0
Sotomayor 20, Maywood Academy 6
Torres 20, Elizabeth 6
Venice 21, Westchester 12

Southern Section
Alhambra 26, Rosemead 0
Aliso Niguel 7, El Toro 6
Anaheim 22, Estancia 0
Anaheim Canyon 18, Crean Lutheran 0
Antelope Valley 14, Knight 0
Arlington 33, Lakeside 19
Arrowhead Christian 28, Riverside Notre Dame 13
Azusa 6, Duarte 0
Baldwin Park 20, Sierra Vista 2
Beckman 30, Mission Viejo 26
Bell Gardens 6, San Gabriel 0
Bolsa Grande 22, Garden Grove Santiago 12
Bonita 26, Glendora 6
Brentwood 37, YULA 0
Buena Park 19, Ocean View 13
Calvary Baptist 19, Public Safety Academy 13
Capistrano Valley Christian 2, Vista Meridian 0
Cathedral City 26, Rancho Mirage 0
Cerritos 25, Paramount 0
Cerritos Valley Christian 14, Rosary 13
Chaparral 47, Murrieta Mesa 6
Chino 18, Don Lugo 6
Corona Centennial 22, Corona 6
Corona del Mar 34, Los Alamitos 19
Corona Santiago 32, Eastvale Roosevelt 26
Costa Mesa 35, Katella 0
Covina 40, Northview 0
Culver City 31, Leuzinger 0
Desert Hot Springs 25, Indio 13
Downey 26, California 6
Eastside 46, Littlerock 0
Edgewood 13, La Puente 6
El Modena 18, Sunny Hills 6
Etiwanda 30, Chino Hills 0
Fountain Valley 19, Marina 7
Gabrielino 33, South Pasadena 6
Garden Grove 35, Laguna Hills 18
Glenn 66, Pioneer 6
Great Oak 91, Vista Murrieta 48
Harvard-Westlake 39, Flintridge Sacred Heart 15
Hemet 33, Canyon Springs 19
Hillcrest 12, Temescal Canyon 0
Irvine University 20, Irvine 0
La Canada 19, Monrovia 12
Lakewood 12, Long Beach Wilson 7
Lancaster 21, Palmdale 7
La Serna 18, Gahr 16
Liberty 13, Heritage 6
Linfield Christian 45, Woodcrest Christian 7
Long Beach Cabrillo 14, Dominguez 0
Long Beach Poly 12, Inglewood 6
Los Altos 19, Alta Loma 14
Los Amigos 18, Savanna 6
Magnolia 33, Western 13
Miller 14, La Sierra 8
Millikan 45, Long Beach Jordan 0
Mountain View 12, El Monte 7
Moreno Valley 6, Vista del Lago 6
Murrieta Valley 33, Temecula Valley 20
Newport Harbor 40, Huntington Beach 21
Ontario 20, Montclair 12
Oxnard Pacifica 26, Santa Paula 7
Palm Desert 7, Palm Springs 6
Placentia Valencia 20, Westminster 13
Pomona 12, Bassett 6
Quartz Hill 22, Highland 13
Ramona 14, Norte Vista 6
Rancho Alamitos 24, Orange 20
Rancho Christian 20, Citrus Hill 19
Rancho Cucamonga 24, Los Osos 6
Rancho Verde 46, West Valley 6
Riverside King 18, Norco 12
Riverside Poly 54, Riverside North 0
Rowland 25, Charter Oak 12
San Marino 20, Burbank Burroughs 6
Santa Ana Foothill 12, Troy 6
Santa Ana Valley 20, Century 0
Santa Fe 19, Artesia 0
Schurr 46, Keppel 0
Segerstrom 26, Fullerton 6
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 51, Immaculate Heart 6
South El Monte 18, El Rancho 8
South Hills 20, Colony 6
St. Anthony 12, St. Mary’s Academy 6
St. Bernard 30, Sacred Heart of Jesus 0
St. Monica 21, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 20
Temecula Prep 49, Desert Christian Academy 0
Tustin 20, Godinez 0
Upland 62, St. Lucy’s 0
Villa Park 26, El Dorado 7
Warren 46, Mayfair 6
West Covina 21, Hacienda Heights Wilson 6
Westminster La Quinta 6, Saddleback 0
Westridge 32, Chadwick 0
Whittier 12, Norwalk 6
Windward 41, Shalhevet 14
Wiseburn-Da Vinci 13, Bellflower 6
Woodbridge 48, St. Margaret’s 25
Yorba Linda 48, Esperanza 13