Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter lost their respective singles matches as Great Britain were beaten by a strong Czech Republic side in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-finals.
Anne Keothavong’s team headed into the tie as underdogs, with all five Czech players placed higher in the singles rankings than any of the British squad.
Sonay Kartal produced a gritty performance as she returned to tennis after six months out with a lower back injury, but fell to a narrow 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-4 defeat in a marathon three-hour encounter with Marie Bouzkova.
Boulter could do little to get Britain back into the best-of-three tie as she was outplayed 6-2 7-6 (7-3) by Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.
It was a second successive loss for Boulter at the hands of a Czech player, coming just three weeks after a 58-minute demolition by Karolina Muchova at the US Open.
It is the first time since 2023 that Britain have failed to reach the semi-finals at the Billie Jean King Cup and their wait for a maiden title will go on for another year.
The Czech Republic, who are 11-time winners of the tournament and the only team boasting two top-10 players at the Finals, will face either Kazakhstan or Spain in Friday’s semi-finals.
Great Britain will play in November’s Davis Cup Finals as Henry Patten and Neal Skuspki won their doubles match to give the nation an unassailable 3-0 lead in their qualifying tie against Ecuador.
Toby Samuel and Arthur Fery both triumphed in their singles matches at a sold-out Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday to get Britain off to a winning start in the best-of-five tie.
Patten and Skupski then took to the court on Sunday and booked Britain’s ticket to the ‘Final Eight’ event in Bologna at the earliest opportunity with a 6-3 6-4 win over Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo.
“We’re feeling great,” said Patten in his on-court interview.
“[Captain] Leon [Smith] was giving us the team talk and saying we needed to be ready for the singles so we’re very, very happy to get it done on the first match.”
Great Britain had not reached the knockout stage of the Davis Cup since 2023 and, even against underdogs Ecuador, there were doubts if captain Leon Smith could end that run given his inexperienced team in London.
Smith was then dealt a late blow when British number two Cameron Norrie pulled out on Friday after feeling pain in his arm during a practice session.
However, Samuel – after a breakthrough season that has seen him rise from outside the world’s top 250 to 95th in the rankings – stepped up on his Davis Cup debut.
Just weeks after winning his first Grand Slam match at the US Open, the 24-year-old overcame nerves and fought back from a set down to beat Andres Andrade 4-6 6-4 6-1.
Fery, meanwhile, was making just his second Davis Cup appearance as the British number one claimed an assured 7-5 6-0 win over Alvaro Guillen Meza.
And with world number one Patten and new US Open champion Skupski to call upon for Sunday’s doubles rubber, victory seemed to be well within Britain’s grasp.
The pair, despite not playing together on the ATP Tour, combined effortlessly and did not face a single break point against the Ecuadorians.
“I made my debut in 2019 with all the other guys like Jamie Murray, Andy Murray, Evo [Dan Evans] and now I guess I am the oldest in the team,” said 36-year-old Skupsi, who was making his 16th Davis Cup appearance.
“It’s been amazing to be back with the team, it’s been a big 18 months and it’s such an honour to play for your county, especially in front of a home crowd like you guys coming out to support – it’s been amazing.”
Great Britain became World Team Cup champions for the fifth time as Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid joined forces to secure a 2-1 victory over Japan in Florida.
Japan were the defending champions of the competition, which is the wheelchair tennis equivalent to the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.
However, Hewett and Reid ensured Britain got their hands back on the trophy with a 6-1 6-2 win in the deciding doubles match against Tokito Oda and Daisuke Arai.
“We’re really happy to get the title back,” said Reid, who was also part of the World Team Cup-winning squad alongside Hewett in 2015, 2019, 2023 and 2024.
Hewett added: “It’s the first time it’s come down to the deciding doubles for us, so I’m just really happy that we got over the line.
“It’s always a privilege to play for your country and there’s been a great atmosphere and team spirit again this week between all the lads.”
Reid got Britain off to a winning start on Saturday with a commanding 6-2 6-2 victory over world number 21 Arai, who he has now beaten in all five encounters between the pair.
The start of the second singles match was then delayed because of extreme heat in Orlando, with Hewett and Oda returning to court six hours later when temperatures had cooled.
Just a week after beating the world number one in the singles final of the US Open, Hewett was unable to repeat his feat as he fell to a narrow 6-4 7-5 loss.
“I’m a bit disappointed that it wasn’t a 100% day after my loss in the singles, but it was a really high-level match and just came down to a few points in both sets that could have gone either way,” he said.
However, Hewett bounced back in the doubles alongside Reid as Britain, who also had 21-year-old Ben Bartram in the team and were captained by Martyn Whait, backed up their wins against South Korea and the Netherlands earlier this week.
MADRID: Raphinha scored a hat trick as Barcelona earned yet another big win on Wednesday, routing Racing Santander 7-2 for its best-ever start to a season.
The Catalan club had never won seven games in a row. It has won six straight in the league and another in the Champions League.
Gabriel Jesus and Lamine Yamal also found the net for Barcelona, which has scored at least five goals in five of its seven matches across all competitions this season.
In the English League Cup, Manchester United was stunned 3-2 by Brighton after squandering a two-goal lead to crash out in round three.
In the Europa League, Benfica beat AC Milan 2-0 on the road in the first round of the league stage.
Barcelona and Raphinha stay red-hot in Spain
With his hat trick, Raphinha took his league-leading tally to nine goals in six matches. The Brazil forward has scored a goal in all but one game this season.
“Happy for the goals and for the victory, which is the most important thing,” Raphinha said. “The players have the hunger to always want more. It’s a mentality to always try to score more goals and to create more scoring opportunities.”
João Cancelo also scored for Barcelona, which was helped by an own-goal from Racing’s Asier Villalibre. Maguette Gueye and Yassir Zabiri scored for the visitors.
Barcelona has only failed to score fewer than four goals this season in a 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao.
Barcelona had previously won six games in a row to start the season — in 1929-30, 1960-61 and 2018-19, the club said.
Yamal had a goal disallowed for offside, missed a penalty and hit the post before finally scoring late for Barcelona.
The La Liga champion has also crushed Elche, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia in the league, and Feyenoord in the Champions League.
Hansi Flick’s team has outscored opponents 33-7 in seven games across all competitions. Barcelona has a three-point league lead over Real Madrid, which won at Elche on Tuesday.
Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García was replaced by Wojciech Szczesny at halftime because of an apparent injury. Szczesny’s blunder led to a Racing goal after the goalkeeper tried to control the ball inside the area and was robbed in front of the net.
Atletico Madrid routed visiting Osasuna 4-0 with goals by Jonathan David, Lee Kang-In, Robin Le Normand and Álex Baena.
It was the second win in a row for Diego Simeone’s team, which moved to third. Osasuna has lost three in a row.
Sevilla jumped to fourth by winning 1-0 at Deportivo La Coruña with a second-half goal by Miguel Sierra. Sevilla has won two in a row. Deportivo stayed seventh.
The game between Levante and Athletic Bilbao was postponed because of heavy rain in the city of Valencia.
United upset by Brighton rally in League Cup
Manchester United was booed at Old Trafford after it fell to a third defeat of the season, and second in as many games following Sunday’s loss to Manchester City.
“We had the game exactly where we wanted it and let it get away from us in a big way,” United coach Michael Carrick told Sky Sports. “We can’t accept that as a group. I take responsibility for it.”
United led 2-0 after 10 minutes through goals from Shea Lacey and Mason Mount. But Brighton rallied with Charalampos Kostoulas pulling one back before halftime, and Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper secured victory after the break.
Defeat means United has suffered elimination from the League Cup at the earliest stage for the second season in a row after being knocked out by fourth-tier Grimsby last year.
Benfica tops Milan as Europa League kicks off
Benfica beat AC Milan in the highlight match in the Europa League.
Dodi Lukébakio and Jakub Kaminski scored a goal in each half for the Portuguese club.
Sparta Prague won 4-1 at Ararat-Armenia for the round’s biggest victory.
Sunderland beat visiting AZ Alkmaar 1-0 in its first European match in more than seven decades. Lyon won 2-1 at Anderlecht, while Bayer Leverkusen defeated visiting Celje 2-0.
Celta Vigo’s winless start to the season reached seven matches after a 1-0 loss at Omonia.
LONDON: Liverpool piled on the misery for troubled Tottenham with a 3-1 win in the League Cup third round, while teenage star Max Dowman dazzled for Arsenal in their 4-2 rout of Ipswich on Tuesday.
After a woeful start to the Premier League season, Tottenham’s hopes of a morale-boosting cup run came to a dispiriting end at rain-lashed Anfield.
They were swatted aside by Liverpool, with Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai scoring for the Reds.
Roberto De Zerbi’s fourth-bottom team are without a win or even a goal in their first four league matches, losing twice and drawing twice.
Tottenham’s only win this season has come in the League Cup against second-tier Charlton.
After successive 17th place finishes — including avoiding relegation on the final day of last season — the north London club spent over £300 million ($404 million) on 10 new signings since the end of last term.
But the return on that eye-watering investment has not been immediate, sparking fears of another relegation battle.
Adding to De Zerbi’s problems, unsettled striker Richarlison took to social media to lament the Italian’s decision to leave him out of the squad to face Liverpool.
Richarlison wants to leave but moves to Everton and Vasco Da Gama have fallen through recently.
Tottenham host Aston Villa on Saturday in a game that De Zerbi desperately needs to win to ease the pressure on him going into the international break.
Liverpool remain unbeaten at the start of the Andoni Iraola era, although they have won just once in four league matches.
Iraola made 10 changes but Liverpool went ahead after 21 minutes with a flowing move.
Gakpo picked out Rio Ngumoha and he teed up Mac Allister to blast a first-time finish past Martin Dubravka into the roof of the net.
Gakpo doubled Liverpool’s advantage in the 54th minute, whipping a fine strike into the far corner.
Tottenham finally scored a goal against top-flight opposition this season — albeit in a different competition — when Conor Gallagher punished poor marking to net from a corner in the 69th minute.
But Szoboszlai rubbed salt into Tottenham’s wounds in stoppage-time with a 25-yard rocket.
Arsenal’s Max Dowman celebrates scoring their third goal with Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke. (Reuters)
Dowman makes his mark
At Portman Road, Dowman took center stage to remember Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta of his burgeoning talent.
Arsenal, who lost the League Cup final against Manchester City last season, have won their six games in all competitions this term.
Arteta made nine changes from the side that won at Sunderland on Saturday, with 16-year-old Dowman given his first appearance this season.
Dowman has been ear-marked as a future star since bursting onto the scene as a 15-year-old last season.
But Arteta is treating the midfielder with kid gloves, bringing him on slowly while the Premier League champions are thriving.
Dowman showed Arteta what he can add to the party in the seventh minute, flashing quick feet to skip past Cedric Kipre before slotting home with a composed finish.
It was Dowman’s second goal for Arsenal after his strike against Everton in March.
Noni Madueke increased Arsenal’s lead in the 16th minute, lashing a low shot past Christian Walton from just inside the penalty area.
Dowman struck again in the 47th minute, running onto Martin Zubimendi’s pass and finishing with aplomb.
Mikel Merino grabbed Arsenal’s fourth, curling home from Dowman’s pass in the 58th minute.
Anis Mehmeti’s 62nd minute reply and Chuba Akpom’s stoppage-time strike were little consolation for out-classed Ipswich.
Fulham made nine changes but still won 3-2 at Championship leaders West Ham, with goals from Rodrigo Muniz, Cesar Palacios and Oscar Bobb, who bagged the 78th minute winner.
Brentford won 2-1 at third tier Reading thanks to goals from Callum Wilson and Fabio Carvalho.
On Wednesday, Manchester United host Brighton, Aston Villa travel to Coventry and Everton face Wolves.
Holders Manchester City are at home to Norwich on Thursday.
Who: India vs Sri Lanka What: Women’s T20 Asia Cup final Where: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates When: Sunday, September 13, 6:30pm local time (14:30 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 3:30pm local time (13:30 GMT) before our live text commentary stream.
Record seven-time winners India face defending champions Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup final on Sunday, as the 15-match competition in the United Arab Emirates readies itself for its closing act.
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In a tournament which has largely yielded low-scoring contests, both Indian and Sri Lankan spin units have tasted success – Deepti Sharma spearheading the heavyweights’ charge and captain Chamari Athapaththu leading by example for the title holders.
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana’s terrific top-order pairing has further strengthened India’s title bid at the tournament, where both teams boast a perfect record.
Having reached the final in every edition of the Women’s Asia Cup they have played, India are favourites to add another trophy to their glittering cabinet.
But Sri Lanka possess a threat of their own – they are one of only two sides who have beaten India in the title clash in past and will be eager to retain the trophy they proudly lifted two years ago.
Before Sunday’s showdown, Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the game:
Who did India and Sri Lanka beat in the semifinals?
India defeated Bangladesh in the first semifinal on Thursday by 40 runs before Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by four wickets in Friday’s low-scoring thriller.
When did India and Sri Lanka last meet?
The pair last met in a T20 international in Thiruvananthapuram on December 30, 2025, as hosts India defeated Sri Lanka by 15 runs, sweeping that series 5-0.
Records swing heavily in India’s favour – they have won nine of their last 10 T20Is against Sri Lanka.
How many Women’s Asia Cup titles have India won?
India are the most successful team in the Women’s Asia Cup, having won a record seven titles.
They won the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 editions, when the tournament was played in a one-day international format, as well as the 2012, 2016 and 2022 T20 editions.
How many Women’s Asia Cup titles have Sri Lanka won?
Sri Lanka have won the Women’s Asia Cup once, winning the last edition in 2024 after beating India by eight wickets in the final.
Deepti Sharma attempts to run out Sobhana Mostary during the Women’s T20 Asia Cup semifinal match between India and Bangladesh [Francois Nel/Getty Images]
Who are India’s key players?
India’s openers Shafali and Mandhana are the top two leading scorers in the ongoing edition, having scored 168 and 154 runs each in four matches.
Shafali has registered two half-centuries – scoring identical 64s against Thailand in the opener and Bangladesh in the semifinals – while Mandhana hit an incredible 124 against Hong Kong in the league phase.
With the ball, all-rounder Deepti has been most impactful with her spin bowling, bagging a joint-highest 11 wickets with an average of 3.63.
N Shree Charani has also played a key role with eight wickets and holds the record for the second-most economical bowler (3.27).
Who are Sri Lanka’s key players?
Captain Athapaththu, who bowls right arm off-break, has been Sri Lanka’s most impactful player, sharing the honours of the most wickets with Deepti at 11, with an average of 5.36. Left-arm orthodox bowler Sugandika Kumari has also contributed with six wickets.
With the bat, top-order left-hander Harsthitha Samarawickrama has chipped in 89 runs for the fourth-highest scorer in the competition.
Chamari Athapaththu has been impactful with the ball for Sri Lanka [File: Sameera Peiris/Getty Images]
Form guide
Last five matches, most recent first:
India: W-W-W-W-L
Sri Lanka: W-W-W-W-L
What have the players said?
India’s Deepti Sharma: “[This] team doesn’t take any team lightly … We always think as a team, ‘How we can do better in each and every game. As a collective team performance, how we can do better.’”
Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu: “If we can execute our plans in the final, I think we can beat any team.”
DUBAI: Aez Alkhatir (KSA) will make his debut for new owners this Friday when facing 14 rivals in the SR150,000 ($40,000) JCSA Sprint Cup at King Khalid Racecourse in Taif.
Formerly owned by Qemat Twaiq Stable, the gelding remains in the care of Homoud Alshamari.
But will now sport the colors of the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz & Sons in the 1,200-meter feature when he aims to follow up last month’s Alhada Cup success under Fahad Alfouraidi.
Runner-up in the Sarawat Cup on The Saudi Cup weekend, Aez Alkhatir will take on the Red Stable Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz’s Aba Almae’aly (KSA) who was eighth in the Sarawat Cup and reappeared to win a conditions race on Aug. 28.
Intriguingly both the White and Red Stable runners have a very similar form line, with both starting in the Sarawat Cup.
And both beat the filly Ana Aljonubiyah (KSA) on their most recent starts, with Aez Alkhatir leaving her a length behind in third, and she was just a quarter-of-a-length second to Aba Almae’aly.
Red Stable additionally rely on December’s Riyadh winner Thamer Almoghtarah (KSA), while also set to play a leading role is Adel Alfouraidi’s mount Alklothani (KSA) who was fourth in the Sarawat Cup and reappeared last month to land the JCSA Sprint Cup Prep.
Friday’s other main event is an Arabian Horses Open worth SR120,000 and features Ershan (FR) who has twice been runner-up this season including last time out when second in the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Cup Prep.
He locks horns with King Khalid Racecourse Championship Prep runner-up Angad Al-Khalediah (KSA) who has worked his way back into form in three Taif outings this campaign having been highly tried last term including when down the field in the Group One Obaiyah Arabian Classic.
Saturday’s feature event is a SR120,000 Open in which the Red Stable and owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah account for seven of the 19 runners.
The latter’s main hope would appear to be Muhammad Aldaham’s mount Ajwadi (GB).
The racer is top rated and looking for a hat trick of wins after signing off last season in Riyadh with success in the North America Cup, and reappearing in Taif to land a conditions race by nearly fourth lengths, with stablemate and the reopposing Moswaat (GB) in third.
Amichi (IRE) split that pair on Aug.
15 in second for the Red Stable and he will start again along with fellow Red Sable runners William Tell (FR) and Wuqood (GB) who finished in fifth and sixth respectively behind Ajwadi.
Riyadh Angel (IRE) completes the Red Stable quartet while Taif University Cup fifth Allah Maae (KSA) is the sole White Stable representative under Rayan Altoairsh.
BERLIN: Buoyed by partisan home fans, host Germany upset Belgium 93-74 to reach the semifinals of the women’s FIBA World Cup on Thursday.
Leonie Fiebich scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds to lead Germany to a showdown with France on Saturday. Nyara Sabally also had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
“I can’t quite believe it yet,” forward Frieda Bühner said. “We’re among the best four teams in the world. I can’t believe it. It’s crazy.”
The players screamed and whooped in celebration. Germany had never reached the semifinals before.
“Everyone stepped up today and we did it from the first second to the very last,” said Alexandra Wilke, who scored 10 points.
Germany lost their opening game by 30 points to Spain, but bounced back with impressive wins over Japan and Mali before routing South Korea in a playoff to reach the quarterfinals.
Egged on by fervent commentary from the announcer, fans cheered, jumped and waved Germany flags at the Berlin Arena to help the home team keep their momentum going.
“It’s always really cool to play in front of such a crowd,” Sabally said. “I couldn’t have wished for more, especially in Germany. It’s really cool to see that there’s so much hype and the whole venue is caught up in it. It’s really, really cool.”
It’s the sixth straight World Cup at which the host have made the final four since China failed to make the semifinals in 2002.
Belgium, the European champion, were one of three teams that advanced through group play without a loss.
Emma Meesseman led Belgium with 29 points and added eight rebounds, but her team were unable to regain the lead after Bühner made it 20-19 toward the end of the first quarter.
Germany did not qualify for the World Cup since the unified country’s only previous appearance as host in 1998. East Germany’s women’s basketball team finished fourth at the 1967 tournament.
France rout China
Marine Johannès and Janelle Salaün led France to the semifinals for the first time by beating China 90-61 earlier.
Both Johannès and Salaün scored 15 points while Gabby Williams contributed 14 as the Olympic finalists put themselves in contention for a first World Cup medal since the inaugural tournament in 1953, when France finished third in the final round.
“It means a lot,” Williams said of reaching the semifinals for the first time. “We want to be one of the greatest teams ever to put on the French jersey. Obviously, we have a big goal this tournament, but it’s great to check this off the list.”
Chants of “Allez les Bleues” rang around the Berlin Arena before Williams opened the scoring, and the French supporters made sure they were heard for the rest of the game as their team dominated on the court below. France have been fluid and free-scoring, beating their four opponents so far by a combined 156 points.
The team set a tournament record for 3-pointers in a single game by netting 22 in their final group game on Monday. The French players connected on 14 of 37 attempts Thursday, with Johannès and Salaün scoring three triples each.
“We are lucky because we are a group that have known each other for a couple of years now,” Salaün said of France’s team spirit. “We went through a lot of things, the Olympics, training camp(s), so we just know each other and we know what we want. We have a goal and we want to do everything to get to this goal.”
Salaün had an ice pack bound to her right knee. France coach Jean Aime Toupane told The Associated Press it was just a precaution.
Zhang’s impact limited
The French defense limited the impact of China’s 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu, who had the attention of two French players any time she received the ball. The 19-year-old sensation was held scoreless over her 7 minutes, 18 seconds of play in the first half, though she contributed in defense with three blocks before halftime.
There was nothing Zhang could do to stop Johannès from scoring successive 3-pointers in the third quarter, when she also got on the scoreboard. Zhang finished the game with seven points, eight rebounds and seven turnovers.
Han Xu, who had a double-double in each of her four games at the tournament, again led China with 21 points and nine rebounds.
US never in danger
The United States, the four-time defending champion, routed Hungary 108-56 in the first quarterfinal with Napheesa Collier scoring 19 points to stretch their winning run in the tournament to 34 games since a semifinal loss to Russia in the 2006 semifinals.
The US await the winner of Spain-Australia in the last quarterfinal later.
CASABLANCA, Morocco: Morocco and Spain are arguing over the right to host the 2030 World Cup final — with besieged FIFA boss Gianni Infantino hovering backstage.
FIFA has yet to officially announce which country will host the biggest match of the biggest event in soccer. And even though the 2026 edition just finished with Spain winning the title this summer, Moroccan and Spanish officials are staking their claim on the next final.
The tussle over the soccer match also comes with Spain still reeling from a massive border crossing by tens of thousands of migrants who pushed through the frontier from Morocco into the north African Spanish enclave in late July.
One big game for two proud countries
The head of Moroccan soccer boasted that his country had it locked up on Thursday.
“The city of Benslimane will host the World Cup final. Hate it or love it, and if anyone wants to talk on top of that, let them talk,” Moroccan federation president Fouzi Lakjaa told a political rally.
“The city is Benslimane, the Hassan II stadium is the stadium, and I hope that Morocco will be playing it,” he added.
This week, the head of the Spanish soccer federation, Rafael Louzán, insisted it was Spain that deserved the game, while acknowledging that it has not been guaranteed that honor.
“We all signed to accept the candidacy … it’s too bad that, regarding the final, it wasn’t made clear, totally clear, where it is to be played,” Louzán said. “Spain, as world champion both in men’s and women’s soccer, must host the final.”
European soccer officials believe that the sprawling, multi-nation 2030 event, which includes Portugal and even a handful of games in South America, should be considered a European event with the final on the continent.
In a request for comment by the Associated Press on Thursday, FIFA said its decision will be made “in due course.”
Infantino has found support in Morocco
The dispute over the final comes with Infantino under intense pressure after UEFA, the umbrella organization of European soccer federations, led a successful revolt to scuttle his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.
By contrast, six Arab nation federations, including Morocco’s, have backed him since that fiasco.
The King Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca is being built in Benslimane, on the outskirts of Casablanca. It is planned to seat 115,000 spectators. Spain can offer the home stadiums of Real Madrid or Barcelona as potential sites for the final.
Infantino has recently made two trips to Morocco, meeting with King Mohammed VI during annual celebrations of his ascent to the throne in July and then holding a FIFA crisis meeting there in August.
World Cup final spat among other tensions
When confirmed three years ago, the joint candidacy between Spain, Portugal and Morocco looked like a perfect event to bridge Europe and Africa and strengthen bonds between the western Mediterranean neighbors.
But the dispute over the final comes with diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Rabat already frayed over who was responsible when tens of thousands of mostly Moroccans driven by posts on social media pushed into the small Spanish enclave of Ceuta that borders Morocco. Spain’s prime minister said 140 people died in the crossing.
Spain’s government has been under political pressure at home to get tough on Morocco, which it has said acted in good faith in the border crisis. Spanish police assessments couldn’t rule out complicity by Moroccan security forces but said that it was unlikely the Moroccan government had intentionally orchestrated it.
For the Premier League’s biggest clubs, this competition is usually an opportunity to blood youngsters and give fringe players valuable minutes.
However, only 35-year-old Danny Welbeck, who scored twice, emerged from the starters with a compelling case for more regular involvement.
Even Valentin Barco, despite scoring Chelsea‘s fifth goal, was partly at fault for Leeds‘ second and was among several players who repeatedly surrendered possession during a difficult first half.
Young attackers Estevao Willian and Jamie Gittens suffered the disappointment of being substituted at half-time, while £40m signing Geovany Quenda, who joined from Sporting, did not add to his solitary substitute appearance for the club as he watched from the bench.
Midfielder Reggie Watson, making his debut at the age of 16, was also withdrawn at the break after being booked.
Alonso later said he would not take a “cynical” view as some on the outside might about the difference in level between his proven stars and Chelsea‘s back-up options.
He added: “I know that probably I have to take the right decisions for them to show their best level, so it’s something that I will analyse and learn from today.”
Nevertheless, reaching the fourth round is important for Chelsea.
It is not only about preserving their hopes of silverware in a season without European football, but Chelsea are also a club that need as many competitive fixtures as possible.
They have a 27-man squad, supported by a strong academy pipeline, and these matches are vital for keeping a large group of players engaged throughout the campaign.
There is an irony, then, that Palmer, Rogers and Chelsea‘s other established stars may have secured future opportunities for the very fringe players whose performances had put the club’s EFL Cup campaign at risk.
India claim seven-wicket win after Pakistan lose 10 wickets for just 28 runs as they are bowled out for 55.
Published On 5 Sep 20265 Sep 2026
India produced a dominant display to defeat Pakistan by seven wickets in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai, bowling their rivals out for their lowest total in the format before rattling off their target inside nine overs.
Pakistan, having won the toss and elected to bat at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday, made a promising start but collapsed spectacularly after an opening partnership of 27.
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India eventually dismissed them for just 55 in 18.1 overs, with their spinners responsible for much of the damage.
Shree Charani and Prema Rawat were the stars of the bowling attack, taking three wickets apiece. Charani finished with remarkable figures of 3 for 7 from four overs, while Rawat returned 3 for 9. Deepti Sharma added two wickets for only five runs.
Pakistan’s innings initially appeared under control. Muneeba Ali made 13, and Shawaal Zulfiqar scored 14 for the first wicket.
But Shafali Verma broke the partnership by bowling Muneeba, and Charani then struck twice in the sixth over. She dismissed Gull Feroza for a duck before removing Zulfiqar, leaving Pakistan 29 for three.
The collapse continued almost immediately as Pakistan slipped to 32 for four in the eighth over before Rawat and Deepti Sharma intensified the pressure. By the 13th over, Pakistan were 45 for seven, and there was no prospect of recovering to a competitive total.
The final three wickets eventually fell with Pakistan on 55, giving India an exceptionally modest target. The total was Pakistan’s lowest in women’s T20I cricket, surpassing their previous low of 63 against India in the 2012 Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup.
India survive brief wobble
Despite requiring only 56, India did not have everything their own way at the start of the chase.
Pakistan’s bowlers claimed three wickets, giving their opponents a brief glimpse of an unlikely route back into the contest. Fatima Sana was Pakistan’s most successful bowler, finishing with 3 for 17.
The target, however, was simply too small. India reached 57 for three in 8.4 overs, completing a seven-wicket victory with Harmanpreet Kaur unbeaten on 18. The Indian captain ensured there was no late drama and guided her side across the line with plenty of deliveries to spare.
The victory maintained India’s perfect start to the tournament. They now have six points from three matches and have already secured their place in the semifinals.
For Pakistan, meanwhile, the defeat leaves their qualification hopes dependent on their final group match against Hong Kong. They remain on two points and need a victory to give themselves a chance of progressing.
-16 S Scheffler (US); -13 V Hovland (Nor); -12 R Gerard (US); -11 A Fitzpatrick (Eng), C Gotterup (US), R McIlroy (NI), R Henley (US), MW Lee (Aus), J Bridgeman (US), L Aberg (Swe)
Selected others: -10 T Fleetwood (Eng), C Young (US), A Scott (Aus); -9 C Morikawa (US); -7 J Rose (Eng); -5 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), W Clark (US); E R MacIntyre (Sco)
At times it felt like there was a certain inevitability about Scottie Scheffler collecting his second Fedex Cup title on Sunday.
As those around him began to falter, the world number one, who started the day three strokes adrift of overnight leader Viktor Hovland, produced a typically metronomic performance with the winning cheque in sight.
And what a prize. Scheffler’s reward for his 22nd career victory at the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta will see his bank account credited to the tune of $10m (£7.4m).
The 2024 champion also joins Tiger Woods (2007 and 2009) and Rory McIlroy (2016, 2019 and 2022) to have won the event on multiple occasions.
“To come from behind and be able to win tournament is a really cool feeling,” Scheffler said.
“There were a lot of talented guys in front of me on the leaderboard. I was fortunate to get off to a good start and put myself in the mix. It’s a gift to be out here on tour. Each and every day I’m going to try to give it my best.”
Across the final three pairings, Scheffler’s four-under 66 was the only round to break par with his superb ability to find green after green giving him a substantial edge over his rivals.
Hovland, whose driving became more erratic, also found that his putter had gone cold when he most needed it, and the Norwegian signed for a two-over 72 as he finished three back in second place.
American debutant Ryan Gerard, who started one behind Hovland, ended the day in the same position and third overall on 12 under par after also taking 72 shots.
McIlroy was unable to rediscover the rhythm that rocketed him into contention on Saturday, with his topsy-turvy round of 69 containing four birdies and an eagle mixed with five bogeys.
Aside from the Northern Irishman there were few moments of sparkle on show elsewhere among the potential contenders, albeit Justin Rose’s hole-in-one on the ninth was an obvious exception.
While Rose was unable to gather any momentum from that to seriously challenge, ending the day at seven under overall, another Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick matched Scheffler’s 66, the lowest round of the day, to catapult himself up the leaderboard to conclude the tournament alongside six-time major winner McIlroy at 11 under.
It earned the 27-year-old a tie for fourth on his debut to cap a remarkable season in which he won his first DP World Tour event at the Indian Open before teaming up with his elder brother, the 2022 US Open champion Matt, to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans pairs event.
Argentina midfielder Exequiel Palacios has become the first World Cup winner to sign for Ipswich Town after joining from Bayer Leverkusen.
Palacios, 27, left the Bundesliga club for an undisclosed fee and has signed a four-year contract with the Premier League newcomers.
He was part of the Argentina side that both won the World Cup in 2022 and reached the final this summer while he also won the Copa America twice with his country.
“This is a club with great ambition and I am excited to play football in England and compete against some of the best clubs and players in the world,” Palacios said.
Ipswich manager Gary O’Neil added: “He is a player who has had real success at the top level of the game, winning the biggest prize of all in the World Cup, as well as major trophies at club level.
“That experience will be vital for us as we continue to work to improve the squad this summer.”
Liverpool will take on Tottenham as the teams who compete in Europe enter in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Leeds could potentially face Chelsea, should the London club beat Luton on Thursday.
Manchester United face Premier League opposition in Brighton, while holders Manchester City host Norwich.
Fleetwood, the only fourth-tier side left in the competition, host Sheffield United.
The nine Premier League teams that are playing in Europe – Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Sunderland – all enter the Carabao Cup in the third round.
To avoid clashes with the opening rounds of the Champions League and Europa League, matches will be played across the weeks commencing Monday, 7 and Monday, 14 September.
The final two places will be decided on Thursday when Chelsea host Luton (19:30 BST) and Fulham take on AFC Wimbledon (20:00 BST).
The 31-year-old became the first Irish player to represent Europe in the competition when she was selected for the 2021 version and broke the all-time rookie points record for either the Solheim Cup or Ryder Cup with a contribution of 4.5 points as the away team triumphed 15-13.
The County Cavan woman’s overall individual record in the competition after also taking part in the two subsequent editions reads eight wins, one half and three defeats.
“It’s one of my favourite events. It’s a team event which we don’t get to do very often and matchplay which I love,” she explained.
“I think once you’re part of one Solheim, the same as the Ryder Cup, you don’t want to miss any more.
“It’s competitive, there’s no money on the line, it’s all just for pride and all the rest. You’re doing whatever you can to help your teammates and the team.
“We obviously lost the last one so there’s an extra incentive to try and bring it back this time.”
Maguire, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour and a one-time victor on the Ladies European Tour, hopes the backing of home supporters can help Europe reclaim the trophy at the 20th running of the event.
“Home support always helps as well. There was massive Irish support in Spain two times ago so hopefully a few Irish will maybe make the trip to Holland.”
