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Follow our live build-up, team news, score and text commentary stream from the final in Navi Mumbai at 09:30 GMT.

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Semifinals

DIVISION 1

Sierra Canyon d. Marymount. 25-13-26-28, 24-26, 25-22, 15-9

Mater Dei d. San Juan Hills, 25-15, 25-1, 25-15

DIVISION 2

Santa Margarita d. Long Beach Poly, 25-13, 25-18, 25-14

West Ranch d. JSerra, 25-21, 25-14, 25-19

DIVISION 3

Foothill d. Flintridge Prep, 25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21

Cypress d. St. Margaret’s, 21-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23, 15-9

DIVISION 4

La Canada d. Dana Hills, 25-13, 25-20, 19-25, 25-18

Ventura d. Oak Park, 25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 25-14

DIVISION 5

Ontario Christian d. Santa Barbara, 25-18, 25-15, 25-18

Chadwick d. Royal, 25-16, 25-21, 25-27, 26-24

DIVISION 6

Arrowhead Christian d. Garden Grove Pacifica, 3-0

Wiseburn Da Vinci d. Capistrano Valley Christian, 25-23, 25-21, 25-17

DIVISION 7

West Valley d. Elsinore, 25-22, 25-14, 25-17

Cate d. CAMS, 3-1

DIVISION 8

Schurr d. Foothill Tech, 22-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-19, 15-6

Artesia d. Loma Linda Academy, 25-7, 25-15, 25-23

DIVISION 9

Nogales d. Westminster La Quinta, 3-0

South El Monte d. Nordhoff, 3-1

DIVISION 10

Anaheim d. Thacher, 3-2

Moreno Valley d. San Luis Obispo Classical, 3-1

Note: Division 1 Finals Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. at Cerritos College; Finals (Divisions 2-10) Nov. 6-8 (sites & times TBA).

Toronto’s veteran starter Max Scherzer came out of the game with the lead still 3-1 in the fifth inning, and the Dodgers rallied in the sixth when Tommy Edman’s sacrifice fly scored Mookie Betts to reduce the deficit to one run.

Back came the Blue Jays, when Ernie Clement’s stolen base put him in position for Gimenez to drive him in with a right-field double.

As is common in a World Series game seven, both sides made frequent pitching changes, even turning to starting pitchers from earlier in the series.

Trey Yesavage, who had started games one and five for Toronto, gave up Muncy’s solo shot in the eighth, before Rojas’ last-gasp effort off Jeff Hoffman levelled the scores.

Toronto loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth but failed to conjure a run, and the Dodgers did the same in the 10th as expectation mounted, but both sides fluffed their lines.

It was only the sixth time in history that a World Series game seven had gone to extra innings, and Smith’s homer put the Dodgers within sight of the title.

The Blue Jays were tantalisingly close to taking it to a 12th inning or even winning it with a walk-off, but Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers’ winning pitcher from games two and six, picked up another win in relief and was named as the series’ Most Valuable Player.

Will Smith’s 11th-inning home run allows LA Dodgers to win Game 7 against Toronto Blue Jays and record seventh World Series title in franchise history.

Will Smith homered in the 11th inning after Miguel Rojas connected for a tying drive in the ninth, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 on Saturday night to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series titles.

Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and the first from the National League since the 1975 and ’76 Cincinnati Reds.

Smith hit a 2-0 slider off Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw 96 pitches in the Dodgers’ win on Friday, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and pitched 2 2/3 innings for his third win of the Series.

He gave up a leadoff double in the 11th to Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who was sacrificed to third. Addison Barger walked, and Alejandro Kirk grounded to shortstop Mookie Betts, who started a title-winning 6-4-3 double play.

Dodgers rally to win Game 7

With their ninth title and third in six years, the Dodgers made an argument for their 2020s teams to be considered a dynasty. Dave Roberts, their manager since 2016, boosted the probability that he will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.

Bo Bichette put Toronto ahead in the third with a three-run homer off two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who was pitching on three days’ rest after taking the loss in Game 3.

Los Angeles closed to 3-2 on sacrifice flies from Teoscar Hernandez in the fourth off Max Scherzer and Tommy Edman in the sixth against Chris Bassitt.

Andres Gimenez restored Toronto’s two-run lead with an RBI double in the sixth off Tyler Glasnow, who relieved after getting the final three outs on three pitches to save Game 6 on Friday.

Max Muncy’s eighth-inning homer off star rookie Trey Yesavage cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one run, and Rojas, inserted into the lineup in Game 6 to provide some energy, homered on a full-count slider from Jeff Hoffman.

Toronto put two on with one out in the bottom half against Blake Snell, and Los Angeles turned to Yamamoto.

He hit Alejandro Kirk on a hand with a pitch, loading the bases and prompting the Dodgers to play the infield in and the outfield shallow. Daulton Varsho grounded to second, where Rojas stumbled but managed to throw home for a force-out as catcher Smith kept his foot on the plate.

Ernie Clement then flied out to Andy Pages, who made a jumping, backhand catch on the centre-field warning track as he crashed into left fielder Kike Hernandez.

Seranthony Dominguez walked Mookie Betts with one out in the 10th, and Muncy singled for his third hit. Hernandez walked, loading the bases. Pages grounded to shortstop, where Gimenez threw home for a force-out. First baseman Guerrero then threw to pitcher Seranthony Dominguez covering first, just beating Hernandez in a call upheld in a video review.

The epic night matched the Marlins’ 3-2 win over Cleveland in 1997 as the second-longest Series Game 7, behind only the Washington Senators’ 4-3 victory against the New York Giants in 1924.

The wait for the first Dodgers parade of the century: 36 years.

The wait for the second: One year and two days.

On Monday, in celebration of the Dodgers becoming baseball’s first back-to-back champion in 25 years, Los Angeles will throw another party for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers’ 2025 championship parade starts Monday at 11 a.m. and runs through downtown, followed by a rally at Dodger Stadium. The rally requires a ticket, which can be obtained starting at noon Sunday at dodgers.com/postseason.

For fans with rally tickets, parking lot gates will open at 8:30 a.m. and stadium gates at 9 a.m. The event is expected to start at about 12:15 p.m.

The parade and rally will be aired live on Channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11 as well as SportsNet LA and AM 570, the team said.

In last year’s rally, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Ice Cube performed next to one another, with Roberts dancing and Ice Cube singing.

At one point, future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw took his turn at the microphone and hollered, “Dodger for life!”

In September, Kershaw announced he would retire at the end of the season. In his only World Series appearance, he got a critical out in the Dodgers’ 18-inning victory in Game 3.

He’ll make his final Dodger Stadium appearance as a player as part of a second consecutive championship rally. He’ll be back: The Dodgers will retire his No. 22 — they retire the number of all their Hall of Famers — and he’d certainly be in line to throw ceremonial first pitches in the Dodgers’ future postseason runs.

For now, though: Three-time champion Dodger for life.

Match of the Day’s Ashley Williams and Alan Shearer look at the performance of Manchester United’s Amad Diallo and the challenge of fitting him into Ruben Amorim’s system after the Red Devils’ 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest.

WATCH MORE: Late Amad volley earns Man Utd point in thriller at Forest

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Carson High, an 11-time City Section champion, has been seeded No. 1 for the City Section Open Division playoffs under first-year coach William Lowe.

Birmingham, which has a 54-game winning streak against City Section opponents, was seeded No. 2. San Pedro is No. 3 and unbeaten Palisades is No. 4.

Carson will host No. 8-seeded King/Drew on Nov. 14. Palisades is the home team against No. 5 Garfield, while San Pedro hosts No. 6 Crenshaw and Birmingham hosts No. 7 Kennedy.

There was no City Open Division champion last season after Narbonne had to vacate the title for rule violations.

Venice is seeded No. 1 in Division I. Cleveland is No. 1 in Division II and Santee is top seeded in Division III.

In girls’ flag football, San Pedro was given the No. 1 seed for the Open Division. Games begin on Friday, with San Pedro hosting No. 8 Verdugo Hills; No. 4 Marshall is at No. 5 Banning; No. 6 Wilson visits No. 3 Panorama; and No. 7 Narbonne travels to No. 2 Eagle Rock.

Match of the Day’s Gabby Logan, Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams dissect the reaction of Tottenham’s Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven after their defeat by Chelsea.

READ MORE: Fans booing and players snubbing the manager – an ‘abject’ day for Spurs

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Japanese horse racing has been on the precipice of breaking through on the U.S. scene. It seemed like it was almost there in 2021 when it won three Breeders’ Cup races. But after that it leveled off.

Through 10 races at this year’s Breeders’ Cup, horses from Japan underperformed. But in the 11th, the most important race in the two-day event, the breakthrough became official when Forever Young held off Sierra Leone, last year’s winner, to win the $7-million Breeders’ Cup Classic by a half-length.

The last time we saw Forever Young in this country was a year ago when the 4-year-old colt finished third in the Classic. Before that, he was third in the Kentucky Derby by a whisker while being on the receiving end of some bumping down the stretch by Sierra Leone. Without that he might have been victorious in a race that was won by Mystik Dan.

The commonality between the 2021 and 2025 Breeders’ Cup days was that both were run at Del Mar.

Forever Young was almost the victim of some legal chicanery on Saturday as trainer Chad Brown entered a horse — called a rabbit — with little chance to win so that he could set a fast pace. Sierra Leone, also trained by Brown, needs a fast pace to weaken the other horses, which would benefit Sierra Leone’s late running style.

But this time, Forever Young overcame all the obstacles thrown at him. He ran a very tactical race being placed close to the lead and never farther back than third.

Forever Young paid $9.00 to win. He was followed in order by Sierra Leone, Fierceness, Journalism, Mindframe, Baeza, Nevada Beach, Antiquarian and Contrary Thinking, who was the rabbit in the 1 1/4- mile race.

It was the third Breeders’ Cup win for trainer Yoshito Yahagi. When asked if this was his most satisfying win, Yahagi said, through a translator: “I will never, ever get satisfied until I get retired as a trainer.”

Forever Young was the third foreign horse to win the Classic, joining Argentine-bred Invasor in 2006 and Irish-bred Black Tie Affair in 1991.

“So last time here, the horse was 75% conditioned,” Yahagi said. “And this time we create 100% condition. Forever Young is an amazing horse.”

The winning jockey was Ryusei Sakai.

“We got the No. 1 in America,” Yahagi said to NBC.

The Classic lost a lot of luster when the favorite, Sovereignty, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, was scratched earlier in the week when he spiked a fever. Sovereignty was the top-rated horse in the country and a possible horse-of-the-year winner. Many were hoping for a rematch with Journalism, who finished second in both those races and won the Preakness, which Sovereignty did not run in.

Trainer Bill Mott only brought two horses to the Breeders’ Cup, Sovereignty and Scylla. While Sovereignty didn’t make the starting gate on Saturday, Scylla ($17.20 to win) sure did, winning the biggest race of the year for female horses, the $2-million Distaff.

“It’s certainly difficult to see what happened to Sovereignty,” Mott said. “I think everybody that’s connected [with this sport] has been through it and we knew when it happened, he wouldn’t be able to compete and not at the level that he would need to. And it seems as though he’s recovering well but he’s really not the story here.

“I mean this one is about Scylla and about Junior [Alvarado, his jockey] and the Juddmonte connections.”

Alvarado took her to the front and never looked back, winning the 1 1/8-mile race by 5 1/2 lengths. Nitrogen was second and Regaled finished third. Favorite Seismic Beauty contended early but then faded to 12th in the 13-horse field.

The second richest race on the card, the $5-million Turf, was supposed be a matchup of two-time winner Rebel’s Romance and Minnie Hauk, who had five wins and two seconds in seven starts. They ran together for most of the 1 1/2-mile race but long shot Ethical Diamond started rolling in the top of the stretch and cruised to a 1 1/4-length win. Rebel’s Romance was second.

The Irish-bred Ethical Diamond, trained by William Mullins and ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle, paid $57.40 to win.

The first Breeders’ Cup race of the day, the $1-million Filly & Mare Sprint, became less interesting when two of the favorites, Sweet Azteca (2-1 morning line) and Tamara (7-2), were scratched by the veterinarian. There was a third scratch that took the field down to seven.

Bob Baffert had three of the horses in the race, including Splendora, who won in dominating fashion by 4 3/4 lengths and paid $7.80. He was midpack until the far turn of the seven-furlong race before jockey Flavien Prat let him loose in the stretch.

It was Baffert’s 20th Breeders’ Cup win, tying him for second with the late Wayne Lukas. Aidan O’Brien won his 21st Breeders’ Cup race on Friday.

“[Lukas] changed every industry for the better,” Baffert said. “He brought elegance to the game. … To be part of it and then to tie him, it’s an honor for me. … I still miss him. I loved having conversations with him. It’s an honor to tie him.”

Shisospicy ($12.60) broke on top and held the lead to the finish to win the $1-million Turf Sprint, which was ran at five furlongs. The 3-year-old filly is trained by Jose Francisco D’Angelo and was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., who picked up his 22nd Cup victory.

She’s Quality was eased shortly out of the gate in the Turf Sprint by jockey Colin Keane and walked onto the equine ambulance. She was transported to an equine hospital and is back in her barn being monitored.

Ortiz picked up his 23rd win in the next race when he won the $2-million Sprint aboard Bentornato. It was also the second straight victory for D’Angelo. Bentornato broke on top and was never headed in the six-furlong race. It was only his second race of the year for the 4-year-old ridgling. Bentornato finished second in last year’s Sprint, losing to Straight No Chaser, who finished seventh on Saturday.

There were three additional Breeders’ Cup races after the Classic, the turf Mile, Dirt Mile and Filly & Mare Turf.

Ethical Diamond came with a stunning late run to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf in a course record for Grand National-winning trainer Willie Mullins.

The 20-1 chance, who spent most of his early career jumping over hurdles, surged down the outside under Dylan Browne McMonagle to claim one of Flat racing’s biggest races, with more than £2m going to the winner at Del Mar in California.

Ethical Diamond, winner of the Ebor Handicap at York in August, triumphed from runner-up Rebel’s Romance and third-placed El Cordobes, with favourite Minnie Hauk unplaced.

It is the latest landmark in the remarkable career of Mullins, better known as a jump racing trainer who won the National with Nick Rockett in April.

“This might come second best to winning the Grand National with my son Patrick on board. I couldn’t believe it,” said Mullins, 69.

Newly crowned Irish champion jockey McMonagle, 22, said: “It’s an unbelievable training performance. It doesn’t get much bigger than this.”

Owners, the HOS Syndicate, have hopes of a big-race double with Absurde running in the Melbourne Cup for Mullins on Tuesday (04:00 GMT).

CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS

(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

First Round

DIVISION I
#16 Venice at #1 Jefferson
#9 Roosevelt at #8 Carson
#12 Granada Hills Kennedy at #5 Franklin
#13 Sylmar at #4 Legacy
#14 GALA at #3 Birmingham
#11 El Camino Real at #6 King/Drew
#10 Cleveland at #7 Garfield
#15 Santee at #2 Bell

DIVISION II
#16 Dorsey at #1 Sun Valley Magnet
#9 South East at #8 Bernstein
#12 Angelou at #5 Sotomayor
#13 Mendez at #4 Stern
#14 Fremont at #3 San Fernando
#11 Huntington Park at #6 Lincoln
#10 North Hollywood at #7 Sherman Oaks CES
#15 Foshay at #2 Crenshaw

DIVISION III
#16 Hollywood at #1 South Gate
#9 Van Nuys at #8 Taft
#12 Monroe at #5 Orthopaedic
#13 Westchester at #4 New Designs University Park
#14 WISH Academy at #3 Hamilton
#11 Roybal at #6 Arleta
#10 Port of at #7 Chatsworth
#15 Marquez at #2 Hawkins

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals

OPEN DIVISION
#8 Verdugo Hills at #1 San Pedro
#5 Wilmington Banning at #4 Marshall
#6 Wilson at #3 Panorama
#7 Narbonne at #2 Eagle Rock

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions I-III) Nov. 7 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 12 at higher seeds; Finals (all divisions) Sat., Nov. 15 at Garfield High.

Aston Villa, Manchester United and Lyon are keen on Real Madrid striker Endrick, Napoli want Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo in January and N’Golo Kante could make return to France.

Aston Villa have joined Manchester United in wanting to sign 19-year-old Brazil striker Endrick on loan from Real Madrid in January. (Daily Star on Sunday), external

However, Lyon are favourites to land Endrick, who is keen to move to get more first-team football and improve his chances of making Brazil’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. (Foot Mercato – in French), external

Manchester United are also set to step up their efforts to sign England midfielder Elliot Anderson, 22, from Nottingham Forest in January, but could face competition from Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United. (Caught Offside), external

Napoli want to sign Manchester United and England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 20, on loan in January, with a view to making the move permanent in the summer. (Mirror), external

Aston Villa’s obligation to turn England attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott’s loan move from Liverpool into a permanent switch is thought to kick in if the 22-year-old makes 10 appearances for the Midlands club. (Independent), external

Paris FC are keen on making a move for 34-year-old France midfielder N’Golo Kante, whose contract with Al-Ittihad runs out next summer. (Foot Mercato – in French), external

Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez, 24, has until the January transfer window to convince AC Milan he deserves to stay at the club instead of being sold. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Italy forward Lorenzo Insigne, 34, is a free agent after leaving Toronto FC and holding out for a move to Lazio. (Football Italia), external

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

(Matches at 2 p.m. unless noted)

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

First Round

DIVISION 2
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Woodbridge
Great Oak at Orange Lutheran
Redondo Union at Santa Margarita
Diamond Bar at San Juan Hills
Newport Harbor at Aliso Niguel
Laguna Beach at Chadwick
Huntington Beach at Tesoro
Temecula Valley at Calabasas
Los Osos at Crean Lutheran
Peninsula at Bonita
Marlborough at South Pasadena
Crescenta Valley at San Marino
Claremont at Crossroads
Yorba Linda at Westlake
Troy at Oak Park
Northwood at Harvard-Westlak

DIVISION 3
Anaheim Canyon, bye
Patriot at Santa Monica
Arlington at Whitney
Dos Pueblos at Cate
Buckley at Temple City
San Clemente at Cypress
Riverside King at Eastvale Roosevelt
El Toro at Los Alamitos
Liberty at Brentwood
West Ranch at CAMS
Yucaipa at Campbell Hall
Capistrano Valley at Ayala
Long Beach Poly at Flintridge Prep
Arcadia at Sunny Hills
Redlands at Corona Santiago
Palm Desert, bye

DIVISION 4
Quartz Hill at Sierra Canyon
Fullerton at Esperanza
Mission Viejo at Pasadena Poly
Camarillo at Placentia Valencia
Carpinteria at Rancho Cucamonga
Fairmont Prep at Dana Hills
Irvine at San Dimas
La Serna at Oaks Christian
San Marcos at Keppel
Silverado at Murrieta Mesa
Torrance at Orange County Pacifica Christian
Simi Valley at Alta Loma
Geffen Academy at Mayfield
West Torrance at Agoura
St. Margaret’s at Warren
Westminster La Quinta at Marymount

DIVISION 5
Thacher, bye
Oxford Academy at Valencia
Milken Community at Louisville
Riverside North at Valley View
Long Beach Wilson at Burbank
Oak Hills at Millikan
Rowland at Maranatha
Golden Valley at Chaparral
Webb at Chino Hills
Burbank Burroughs at Lakewood St. Joseph
Laguna Blanca at Santa Barbara
Beverly Hills at Citrus Valley
Santa Fe at Serrano
Cerritos at Pasadena Marshall
Xavier Prep at Bishop Montgomery
La Palma Kennedy at Paloma Valley

DIVISION 6
La Habra at Woodcrest Christian
Flintridge Sacred Heart at Lancaster
Garden Grove at Mayfair
Estancia at Ontario Christian
Santa Monica Pacifica Christian at Western Christian
Villa Park at Corona
Vista del Lago at San Bernardino
Linfield Christian at La Quinta
Riverside Notre Dame at San Jacinto
Indio at Village Christian
Downey at Summit
Western at Hillcrest
Hesperia at Montclair
Hacienda Heights Wilson at El Modena
Chino at Heritage
La Mirada at Saugus

DIVISION 7
Los Altos at Temescal Canyon
Los Amigos at Rosemead
El Rancho at La Sierra
Twentynine Palms at Malibu
Azusa at South Hills
Orange Vista at Laguna Hills
Ventura at Savanna
Chaffey at Apple Valley
Canoga Park AGBU at Norwalk
La Salle at Coachella Valley
Granite Hills at Ramona
Segerstrom at San Gabriel
Westminster at Bolsa Grande
Miller at Oakwood
Indian Springs at Northview
Highland at Arroyo

DIVISION 8
Alhambra, bye
Bishop Diego at YULA
Foothill Tech at Rim of the World
Paramount at Nogales
Grand Terrace at Tahquitz
Costa Mesa at Knight
Workman at Duarte
de Toledo at Whittier
Edgewood at St. Bonaventure
Oxnard at Channel Islands
Rancho Alamitos at Bellflower
Arroyo Valley at Moreno Valley
Cathedral City at Canyon Springs
Carter at Garden Grove Santiago
Hueneme at Banning
La Puente at Academy for Academic Excellence

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

First Round

DIVISION 1
Sage Hill at Corona del Mar
JSerra at Mater Dei
Mira Costa at Palos Verdes
Fountain Valley at Portola

Note: Second Round (Divisions 2-8) Nov. 7; Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-8) Nov. 10; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 12; Finals (Divisions 1-4) Nov. 14 at University of Redlands; Finals (Divisions 5-8) Nov. 14 at The Claremont Club.

Having scored six goals from seven shots on target, Welbeck is on track to surpass the career-best 10 top-flight goals he scored last season.

Several different strikers have played second fiddle to Harry Kane in recent years, but none are currently enjoying the kind of purple patch Welbeck is.

“If you look at the forward options in Tuchel’s last squad there aren’t many obvious stand-ins for Harry Kane,” Alan Shearer told BBC Sport.

“Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Bukayo Saka aren’t going to fill that role and Ollie Watkins hasn’t been firing for Aston Villa, so any English striker scoring goals in the Premier League is going to be talked about.

“It’s seven years since Welbeck’s last cap and he’s 35 this month but Tuchel isn’t worried about the future. His only focus is the six weeks of the World Cup so there’s no reason why Welbeck couldn’t be involved if he keeps scoring and stays injury free.”

Injuries have disrupted much of Welbeck’s career and arguably prevented him from adding to his 42 England caps, but he now founds himself in the beneficial position of being able to contribute goals on the pitch and leadership off it.

“I’m loving it here at Brighton, I’ve been very important, integral, on and off the pitch,” added Welbeck.

“I’m enjoying the senior role as well, I know how important it was for me as a youngster coming through having senior members you can speak to, come to for advice, it helped me massively.

“It’s come full circle now, I’m there to pass on advice to youngsters and help those around me. It’s been pretty seamless slipping into this role.”

Welbeck recently told BBC Radio 5 Live that “the door is always open” with England.

He added: “I know that if I’m called upon then I’d love to do the job, but honestly it doesn’t come into my thinking at the moment. I’m just focused on Brighton, winning games and picking up points.”

While Welbeck has played down his chances, Onuoha, who has played against Welbeck in the past, believes he knows Tuchel will be interested in him.

“You almost talk about him like he has never played for England before. He has done that job before,” Onuoha said.

“With the profile he has, he could definitely suit Tuchel’s style as such. For someone to be in that form, he knows he is going to be part of the conversation.”

As a 12th-year pro, Davante Adams knows the value of rest during a bye week. So before the Rams played the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Oct. 19, Adams looked forward to days off that awaited.

Then Adams, flashing his three-time All-Pro form, caught three touchdown passes.

Was there any part of him that did not want a break?

“Oh, hell yeah,” Adams said this week, noting that he told coach Sean McVay, “‘I wish we could keep rolling at this point.’”

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Gary Klein breaks down what to expect from the Rams on Sunday when they face the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.

So did McVay.

“He’s like, ‘Man, I don’t want to have a week off,’” McVay recalled. “I said, ‘Hey, just enjoy it.’”

Adams, rested and ready after spending part of last week in Mexico with family, intends to pick up where he left off two weeks ago when the Rams play host to the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.

The game will mark the return of fellow star receiver Puka Nacua, who sat out against the Jaguars because of an ankle injury suffered Oct. 12 against the Baltimore Ravens.

But the Rams will be without speedy receiver Tutu Atwell, who will be sidelined for at least four games on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury.

McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford showed against the Jaguars that the Rams’ weapons go beyond Nacua and Adams. Four tight ends — Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and rookie Terrance Ferguson — were among the 10 players who caught passes in the 35-7 victory that improved the Rams record to 5-2.

“The more people we can get involved in the game, the better we are,” said Stafford, who has passed for 17 touchdowns, with only two interceptions. “We have a couple of extremely talented players, quite a few that are difference-makers in this league. When we can spread the ball around and make everybody defend all the guys, all the eligibles, every blade of grass, that’s when we’re at our best.”

The Rams signed Adams aiming to capitalize on his experience and playmaking, his elite separation skills and the threat he poses near the goal line.

Stafford, 37, and Adams, 32, combined for a few highlight-reel plays in the first six games. But they acknowledged in the week leading up to the game against the Jaguars that they were still working to get completely in sync.

They found their rhythm against the Jaguars.

Adams made dynamic catches from inside the two-yard line for all of his touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said the Rams “absolutely” envisioned those kinds of plays when they pursued Adams, who has 109 career touchdown catches, the most among active players.

“There’s a reason he has over a hundred touchdowns,” LaFleur said, adding, “It’s not shocking.”

Did the Rams find something they can build on?

“Yeah, we’ll see what the red-zone targets look like this week and then we’ll be able to fully tell you,” Adams said, chuckling. “But definitely it’s not a secret that I’ve been able to make plays in the red zone.

“I think a lot of it was just getting on the same page, us feeling each other out and coming up with a good plan. The coaches did that and we were able to connect.

“I think the more you make plays, the more you build that confidence and then you stop straining and pressing to make plays and you just be yourself and go out there and be natural.”

Adams has 31 catches for 431 yards and six touchdowns.

With Stafford and Adams continuing to solidify their connection, the offense is poised to remain productive as the Rams drive toward a playoff spot.

“Me being who I am and Matthew being who he is and just having the team that we do, my expectations are really high and standards are really high for what I should bring and what this team should be able to do,” Adams said. “I’m definitely not satisfied with what we’ve done, but happy with where we are.”

Tries from warp-speed back-row pair Ben Earl and Henry Pollock helped England see off Australia as their power-packed bench ultimately swung an untidy opening autumn Test.

After the Wallabies edged a 10-try classic last year, England took revenge with a performance heavy on perspiration, if a little short on cohesion, at Allianz Stadium Twickenham.

Australia trailed by only three points at the break after wing Harry Potter’s breakaway try had given them a lifeline back into the contest.

But replacement Pollock scampered in just before the hour to restore England’s cushion, before a snipe from Alex Mitchell and a rolling maul steered over the line by Luke Cowan-Dickie ensured they could see out the final stages in comfort.

England have won eight successive Tests, a run stretching back to their defeat in the opening game of this year’s Six Nations in Ireland.

Follow our live build-up, with full team news coverage, ahead of our comprehensive text commentary stream.

Tre’ Harris watched as Oronde Gadsden II burst by him, the 6-foot-5 tight end chugging over the turf at Golden West College’s football field.

Months before Harris and Gadsden suited up as Chargers rookies, the duo were catching passes from Jaxson Dart — now the starting quarterback for the New York Giants — during pre-NFL Scouting Combine training sessions at the Huntington Beach community college as the trio took advantage of sunny weather in Southern California.

“I saw his talents immediately,” Dart said of Gadsden. “Skill set-wise, I thought he was a very unique athlete, being, you know, the stature that he is. I thought his footwork was some of the best that I’ve seen.”

Over the past two weeks, the footwork that Harris said separates Gadsden from the rest of the NFL, has been on display.

Gadsden, 22, ranks fifth in NFL tight end receiving yards this season (385) despite not playing in the first two games. Two weeks ago, against the Colts, the son of former NFL wide receiver Oronde Gadsden emerged for 164 receiving yards and a touchdown. Against the Vikings last week, the former Syracuse standout, who set the program record for receptions in a season with 73 catches, recorded another 77 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Those accomplishments — which he credits to studying the likes of Chargers teammates Keenan Allen and Will Dissly — earned Gadsden earned NFL Rookie of the Week honors in Week 7, the first Charger to claim the award since Asante Samuel Jr. did it twice in 2021.

“It’s been good, getting in passes with Justin [Herbert], whether it’s a practice, and then following up in the game,” Gadsden said. “It feels good to see all the hard work that I’ve been doing, all the hard work that the whole team has been doing, come forward and translate into the game.”

Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II (86) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 23.

(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)

Jim Harbaugh can’t help but smile when talking about Gadsden. Asked about the Chargers’ rookies — and the efforts they’ve put in to keep the team afloat amid a rash of injuries — the usually stoic Chargers coach remarked about how wide his grin was before slamming his hands down onto the podium in front of him.

“I mean, Oronde Gadsden,” he said, “of course, has been great.”

Herbert added: “It was only a matter of time until he put together two games like he has back-to-back, and he’s gonna make a ton of plays for us. He’s gonna have a super long career.”

Gadsden had his first opportunity to relax during the mini bye week in the 10-day gap between the Chargers’ win over the Vikings and their game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. He said it’s been non-stop football for him since the beginning of his senior year at Syracuse; from the college season to pre-draft training, rookie mini camp, and now the NFL season.

Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II tries to fight off Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks during a Chargers’ win on Oct.12.

(Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)

For the first time since those training sessions at Golden West, Gadsden decided to visit Disneyland. It was a rare break for Gadsden since his daily pre-draft days working alongside trainer T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the former Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.

What makes Gadsden a special player, Harris said, is his never-stop attitude. During minicamp, Gadsden would arrive at the facility at 5 a.m. — using his East Coast-wired clock to his advantage to get extra work in.

“I’m not gonna say I knew he was gonna do this,” Harris said of Gadsden’s recent success, before pausing. “There’s not a lot of tight ends that can move like he does. And, you know, I’ve seen it firsthand.”

Hong Kong Open – third round

-20 T McKibbin (NI); -19 MJ Maguire (US); -18 P Uihlein (US); -17 K Aphibarnrat (Tha), S Hend (Aus); -16 C Howell (US), L Oosthuizen (SA).

Selected others: -9 S Horsfield (Eng), P Reed (US); -8 T Gooch (US); -5 P Casey (Eng).

Full leaderboard, external

Tom McKibbin strengthened his bid to qualify for next year’s Masters and Open Championship with a third-round 65 as he continued to lead the Hong Kong Open.

After opening the tournament with a course record of 60 and carding a second-round 65, McKibbin registered one bogey and two birdies in the opening four holes of day three in Fanling.

The 22-year-old would add another birdie on the 12th before consecutive birdies on hole 16 and 17 took his total to 65 on the penultimate day.

The winner of the event will qualify for the 2026 Masters, while the highest-placed non-exempt player who makes the cut will earn a place at the 154th Open.

The Northern Ireland native is attempting to qualify for next year’s Masters for the first time, and the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in July.

McKibbin’s lead over M.J. Maguire was reduced to one after 54 holes, with Peter Uihlein two shots behind and Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Scott Hend three off the pace.

In Mexico and parts of Central America, Día de los Muertos is regarded as a day to commemorate and celebrate departed family and friends.

For generations, Greater Southern California has joined the tradition with altars, Aztec dances and displays of marigolds in late October to early November. The day to honor the dead also has served as a day of gathering among the living.

However, some celebrations are being reconsidered because of fears that participants may get caught in deportation raids executed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

This week the Department of Homeland Security announced it had deported more than half a million undocumented people since the Trump Administration took over in January. More than 2 million people have left the nation overall, the department said.

With raids continuing, some organizers of this weekend’s Día de los Muertos events are moving ahead with celebrations, while others have canceled them.

Times reporters spoke with event organizers to learn what they’re doing differently.

Cancellation is the policy

My colleague Suhauna Hussain reported in mid-September that Long Beach was nixing its annual parade, which drew sizable crowds in the past.

The event was canceled at the request of City Councilmember Mary Zendejas “out of an abundance of caution,” according to city spokesperson Kevin Lee, because it’s “a large and very public outdoor event.” Officials were not aware of any targeted federal enforcement activity.

“This decision did not come lightly,” Zendejas and the city said in statements. The decision addresses “genuine fears raised by community members, especially those who may face the possibility of sudden and indiscriminate federal enforcement actions that undermine the sense of security necessary to participate fully in public life.”

Roberto Carlos Lemus, a marketer who brought food trucks and other vendors to the festival last year, called the cancellation “very sad.”

“Everyone’s very sad about the situation. Día de los Muertos has been one of the largest celebrations for a very long time, and the city has done a great job putting it on,” Lemus told The Times. “Unfortunately, with Latinos being kidnapped and attacked by ICE and the current administration, I do understand why they made the decision that they made.”

The action was mirrored in other places. Santa Barbara’s Museum of Contemporary Art canceled its own parade because the “threat to undocumented families remains very real.” In Northern California, organizations in Berkeley and Eureka also canceled celebrations for similar reasons.

Moving ahead

Others are not letting the immigration raids interfere with the celebration.

Last year, tens of thousands of visitors patronized Division 9 Gallery’s Day of the Dead celebration in downtown Riverside. This year’s free two-day event will feature Aztec dancers, a pageant, processions, Lucha Libre wrestlers and altars — the traditional stands along with ofrendras placed inside classic cars — on Saturday and Sunday.

The event, located on Market Street between University Avenue and 14th Street, continues to grow in popularity, organizer Cosmé Cordova said.

Cordova said he’s not sure if there will be 60 altars, as was the case last year, or if 45,000 people will attend Saturday, the most popular of the two days.

“Because of what’s going on, people are afraid,” he said. “But we’re not canceling.”

Cordova said he’s hired security and noted that Riverside police and the mayor will be present.

“We’re working with the city and others to make sure everything is going to be good,” Cordova said. “This is an event that the community comes out for and I’m not concerned about anyone breaking it up.”

The week’s biggest stories

Gladstone’s Malibu, an iconic dining landmark, pictured partially smoking from the Palisades Fire on Jan. 8, 2025.

(Connor Sheets/Los Angeles Times)

Palisades Fire investigation

Dodgers World Series coverage

Trump Administration polices and reactions

Crime, courts and policing

More big stories

This week’s must-read

More great reads

For your weekend

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

Staying in

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff writer
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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