Having spent a lifetime squeezing and holding drive and motion bars while mowing, Bosch’s cordless Rotak was a revelation: it’s operated via push-button controls built into the height-adjustable handle, making it much less tiring to manoeuvre.
Its seven cutting heights are easily interchangeable, but what wins it our top spot is that it stripes your lawn as it goes, courtesy of a plastic roller mounted just behind the cutting deck. It’s effective – even if the straightness of your stripes depends on your powers of concentration.
The brushless motor means you’ll never have to replace carbon brushes and they’re also more efficient so the battery charge lasts longer. If you already have a 36-Volt Bosch appliance like a grass trimmer or leaf blower, you can use the battery from that. Otherwise, the sets range from about £125 to £220, depending on the duration.
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The only quirk I encountered was that the collapsible grass boxes couldn’t hold the full 50 litres advertised. When the “grass full” indicator showed red, there was always lots of empty space left, which meant I had to empty it more often that I would have liked.
It’s remarkably quiet and the grass combs in front of the cutter let you mow close to the lawn’s edge with consistent quality. The 44cm cutting deck is a terrific compromise between large-scale lawn-munching ability and nimbleness. My narrow, grassed banks, which were too tricky for the bulkier Stihl to navigate, proved easy meat for the Bosch.
A cheaper version of this mower without a rear roller might have wider appeal, but if striping is a must-have, this model’s combination of performance, lightness and clean cuts makes it one of the best choices out there.
Also in this range:
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Bosch’s Rotak rotary mowers come in corded and cordless model. The range-topping model tested is designed for 750 square metre gardens, whereas the entry-level EasyMower 18V-32-150 (£198, Wickes) is designed for 150 sq metre gardens. We tried that last year and gave it a score of 8/10. Only the most recent Bosch models are called Advanced, which refers to the brushless motor and the ProSilence engineering which reduces noise by a third.
Bosch mowers can use batteries from any of their other power tools as long as they’re the same voltage (18V or 36V). It’s a neat trick which has seen Bosch pop up in our guides to the best cordless drills and best pressure washers.
Warning: spoilers ahead for the first season of Scarpetta.
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I’ll give it to you straight – Scarpetta is my most disappointing TV watch of the year so far.
I’m writing this review hours after finishing the last of the eight episodes. I hoped that the finale would deliver a payoff to make up for the discombobulation leading up to it.
Sadly, I was left feeling even more dissatisfied.
Scarpetta isn’t without its merits, so much so that I considered giving it a three-star rating, instead of two. The serial killer thriller – which is based on the book series by Patricia Cornwell – stars the formidable Nicole Kidman as Dr Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist.
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In the present day, Kay comes out of retirement to resume her post as chief medical examiner in Virginia to investigate a gruesome murder. The show then flits back to the past, when a younger version of Kay – played by British actress Rosy McEwen – is trying to track down a serial killer who’s killed several women in the most disturbing ways.
On paper, you would think that this would be enough for a gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller. But there’s so much else going on. Needlessly, I might add.
Nicole Kidman plays the titular character Dr Kay Scarpetta, the protagonist of the novels written by Patricia Cornwell (Picture: Connie Chornuk/Prime)
Rosy McEwen is the highlight of the thriller as the younger version of Dr Kay (Picture: Connie Chornuk/Prime)
Key details for Scarpetta
What is Scarpetta about?
Scarpetta follows a forensic pathologist Dr Kay Scarpetta, who investigates murders using forensic technology. The show flits between the present day and the past, when a younger version of Dr Kay became the chief medical examiner in Virginia and was trying to track down a serial killer.
How many episodes are there?
There are eight episodes in total, all of which can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
Who’s in the cast?
The lead members of the cast include:
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Nicole Kidman as Dr Kay Scarpetta
Rosy McEwen as the younger Dr Kay
Jamie Lee Curtis as Dorothy Scarpetta
Bobby Cannavale as Pete Marino
Jacob Lumet Cannavale (Bobby’s son) as the younger Pete
Simon Baker as Benton Wesley
Hunter Parrish as the younger Benton
Ariana DeBose as Lucy Farinelli-Watson
Savannah Lumar as the younger Lucy
Janet Montgomery as Janet
Will there be a season 2?
Yes, it’s already been confirmed that a second season is in the works.
Kay’s older sister, Dorothy (Jamie Lee Curtis), is an eccentric loose cannon whose sole purpose seems to be to highlight how straight-laced and serious the titular character is. I’ve admired Jamie as an actress my whole life, and Dorothy is clearly meant to provide comic relief in an otherwise horrifying story, but it just doesn’t work.
Elsewhere, Ariana DeBose plays Lucy, a tech whiz who’s Dorothy’s daughter and Kay’s niece. She recently suffered the death of her wife Janet (Janet Montgomery), and to deal with her grief, she’s created an AI version of her late partner, whom she talks to almost constantly every day.
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This storyline in itself is interesting, and reminds me of the Black Mirror episode Be Right Back. As fascinating as this concept is (and pertinent for the times we’re living in), it feels as though it’s been squished into an already packed narrative.
I love Jamie Lee Curtis – but her eccentric portrayal of Kay’s sister Dorothy feels misplaced in this crime drama (Picture: Connie Chornuk/Prime)
Bobby Cannavale plays Peter, Dorothy’s husband and Kay’s colleague, while Ariana DeBose stars as Lucy, Dorothy’s daughter and Kay’s niece (Picture: Connie Chornuk/Prime)
That’s not all. We also have another element of the plot about a lab in space that crashes to Earth, where scientists were creating biosynthetic organs. I promise I’m not making this up.
Then there’s the dysfunctional family drama element of it all. Kay is married to FBI agent Benton Wesley (Simon Baker), whom she first met while investigating a serial killer in her younger years. Dorothy is married to former detective Peter Marino (Bobby Cannavale), who is also a longtime colleague of Kay’s.
Kay and Dorothy are always at each other’s throats. Dorothy, who was largely an absent mother to Lucy when she was growing up, is worried about her daughter’s dependency on an AI version of her late wife. Kay and Benton are keeping various secrets from each other. And their family ties complicate the murder case that they’re all involved in.
It’s all just a bit much.
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For me, the saving grace for Scarpetta is the flashback scenes. As much as I love Nicole as a performer, I would have been very happy watching a version of this show set entirely in the past, with Rosy’s version of Kay working with her future husband and future brother-in-law to hunt down the serial killer brutalising and terrifying their neighbourhood.
The straight-laced sister versus the wild child has been done time and time again (Picture: Connie Chornuk/Prime)
Verdict on Scarpetta
Scarpetta had so much potential, and an incredible cast to boot. Unfortunately, this thriller’s downfall was trying to do too much.
When deciding how I would rate Scarpetta, I considered if this is a show that I would recommend to my friends. While I was invested to a certain degree, sadly the answer is no.
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At times, it feels as though this drama doesn’t know what it’s trying to be. Is it a serial killer thriller? Is it a family drama? Is it a dark dystopian sci-fi? There’s nothing to say that a TV show can’t fall under several different genres, but Scarpetta spreads itself too thin by trying to be too much.
Given that the drama ends on a cliffhanger, it makes sense that season two is already in the works. At this moment, I don’t know whether my curiosity will get the better of me when the second season comes around. Right now, I think I’m going to let the dead rest.
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Dunblane Cathedral will be open until 8pm on Friday, March 12, the day of the anniversary of the school shooting, to allow for “quiet and respectful remembering”. Other churches in the area will also be open.
Some Dunblane residents will also be placing candles in their windows as a “quiet way to remember and pay their respects”.
The massacre in the Stirlingshire town, where 16 children and their teacher Gwen Mayor died, shocked the nation and led to the UK enforcing some of the strictest firearms legislation in the world.
The Church of Scotland also released some remarks from Rev Renwick, as well as a special prayer he will read at Dunblane Cathedral on Sunday March 15.
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Rev Renwick said: “For those people whose lives were shattered by the tragic events in Dunblane on March 13 1996, remembering is not confined to particular anniversaries. There are still those who, every day, think of a child they lost.
“Each birthday, each Christmas, the marriage of a sibling or contemporary, and many other events, still bring times of poignant remembering and wishing things had been different.”
He continued: “The 16 children of Dunblane who died that day, and the teacher who died trying to protect them, will never be forgotten.
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“Nor will people forget the determination and persistence of those who campaigned so hard to ensure that the gun laws in the United Kingdom were changed, making this country a safer place.
“Thirty years on, the people of Dunblane will, as they have always done, remember with quiet dignity and respect.
“It is important that people are given the space, opportunity and peace to remember and grieve in ways that are appropriate to them.”
Dunblane Cathedral contains a stone memorial to the victims of the tragedy.
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Rev Renwick’s prayer includes a reference to the snowdrop campaign, which achieved a ban on UK private handgun ownership in the wake of the tragedy.
One part of the prayer reads: “As the fragile snowdrop breaks through the cold winter earth, and somehow endures the elements that buffet it,
“We give thanks for the resilience of many, and for the determination, arising out of tragedy, that this country should be a safer place than it used to be.”
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It can shoot down short and medium-range ballistic missiles, using hit-to-kill technology. That is, kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead. It can do this at a high altitude, beyond even the Earth’s atmosphere, which was seen as especially useful in South Korea, because it could be used to intercept and destroy a nuclear warhead.
Ed Miliband has vowed that price gougers will face a crackdown by regulators if they take advantage of Brits’ pockets during the Iran War.
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The Energy Secretary warned retailers who carry out unfair practices during the rising levels of oil prices will face a ‘range of powers’ from the government and industry regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority.
It comes after the price of petrol this week skyrocketed up to 140p a litre and diesel up to 158p a litre when the price of crude oil reached nearly $120 per barrel nearly two weeks after the US’ conflict with Iran.
Concerns have been raised about worldwide fuel reserves and markets have been growing since the start of the Iran war as oil tankers are effectively blocked from using the Strait of Hormuz.
Prices between petrol stations are currently varying from £1.27 per litre to £1.80, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said.
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Speaking to Metro after the government received reports that some companies were hiking their prices, Miliband said: ‘The Chancellor and I will be meeting the petrol retailers, and we will be making clear that we will not tolerate unfair practises and price gouging.
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‘The Competition and Markets Authority stands ready to act.
A man is seen filling up his car in Lutterworth, near Rugby in central England, as petrol prices have sky rocketed during the past two weeks. This is no suggestion that Texaco has been involved in price gouging (Picture: AFP)
The price of petrol and diesel has been creeping up since the start of the Iran war (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)
‘They have a whole range of powers to act, and companies, whether it’s in heating oil or in petrol, should be in no doubt the government will act if we find price gouging, unfair practises.
‘We are determined to make sure that consumers are not ripped off during this situation.’
The government has today launched a new tool called Fuel Finder, which allows drivers can use to find the cheapest petrol station nearby.
It is expected to lower fuel prices for consumers by encouraging competition between forecourts, and to have all major retailers sign up to it.
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Meanwhile, almost two million households still rely on heating oil, and they have seen their prices, which are uncapped, skyrocket.
Talking about measures to help struggling families with heating bills, Miliband said the government will ‘do everything we can to fight people’s corner.’
That includes the latest energy price cap, which will reduce a typical household’s bills by around £117 between April and June.
When asked if Brits should follow residents in Denmark – who are being encourage by their Energy Secretary to use less to save money on bills, Miliband said: ‘Of course, if people want to save energy, to cut their bills, that’s a good thing to do, but we are absolutely confident about our security of supply and we have confidence in the price cap.’
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Miliband, who faced criticism from the Conservatives over the price cap promise, continued: ‘People should know that if they’re on the energy price cap, their bills will be falling in April because of the actions the government has taken, and they’re guaranteed that until the end of June.
‘We have a diverse range of energy supplies in this country, and people should feel confident in that.’
Elon Musk’s Tesla granted licence to power British homes
Yesterday, as the conflict came towards the end of its second week, it was confirmed Elon Musk’s Tesla has been given the green light to start supplying electricity to households and businesses in Britain after being given the green light by Ofgem.
The company’s subsidiary, Tesla Energy Ventures, has been granted a licence after a seven-month review which looked into whether the company could safely and reliably run an energy business.
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Tesla has been involved in the UK energy market since 2020, when it was granted a licence to be an electricity generator. It current supplies electricity in the US state of Texas.
Tesla, led by Musk, is set to start supplying energy to British homes, a decision Ed Miliband said was not made by the government (Picture: Getty/Shutterstock)
The move is likely to raise some eyebrows due to Musk’s controversial opinions and his vocal support of Donald Trump and right-wing figure Tommy Robinson.
Miliband has previously described Musk as a ‘dangerous person,’ and accused him of inciting violence on the streets.
Ofgem has stressed that it does not assess or grant licences to individuals.
When asked about Tesla and Musk’s links to the UK energy sector, he said: ‘Tesla already have a business in this country.
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‘They applied for a licence.
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‘This is a decision made by Ofgem, not by the government, and it’s arm’s length from government, and that’s the right thing to do.
‘Ofgem conduct what’s called a fit and proper person test for the company. They’ve reached their judgment, and I’m not going to comment further on that.’
Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, said: ‘After more than 18,000 of our supporters wrote to Ofgem highlighting real public concern over Musk’s powergrab, Best for Britain are calling on the Energy Secretary to step in and urgently reverse Ofgem’s misguided decision. It’s not too late to do the right thing.’
Miliband has powers to veto applications for certain supply licences, but not the one that Tesla applied for.
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‘Keir Starmer made the right decision with Iran War’
Last week, Miliband faced claims in The Spectator that he was behind a coalition of cabinet ministers who stopped Keir Starmer from allowing the US to use bases at Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford to launch the attacks on Iran.
Sir Keir initially tried to limit British involvement in the conflict and denied the US’ request to use the bases after it launched strikes on Iran on February 28th.
A day later, he decided the sites could be used by the US for ‘defensive’ strikes to protect countries being targeted by Tehran.
It led to spat between Trump and Starmer, with Trump saying the PM ‘was not Winston Churchill’. It’s believed the pair have since smoothed things over after speaking on the phone last week.
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But The Spectator article claimed Starmer wanted to allow the US to use the sites, but was blocked from doing so by Miliband, Reeves and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Responding to the article, Miliband told Metro: ”I’m not going to comment on those reports. What I will say is that it’s the Prime Minister who has led our country and made, the right decision, a decision the British people support, not to be involved in this conflict at the outset, because he didn’t believe that we should engage in the conflict without a clear thought through plan, but then to act, to support the US in defensive action, to support our allies who are being indiscriminately attacked by Iran and British citizens.
‘I think it’s the Prime Minister who’s shown important leadership and leadership the country supports.’
The 44-year-old has won six of his eight matches in charge and the club have moved from sixth to third in the Premier League.
Former Manchester United and England striker Owen, who played with Carrick at Old Trafford between 2009 and 2012, believes he has “brought a calm back to the club”.
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“I can’t believe people are questioning whether he should get the job,” Owen said on the latest edition of BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show.
“Manchester United have waited about 12 years – they’ve gone for proven, legends, everything since Sir Alex [Ferguson].
“And the one time they are starting to play well, get results, the fans are on board – you’re telling me at the end of the season if he gets third [place] they will say ‘thanks, but no thanks’. How is that possible?”
City have reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup every season since 2018. In the last four years their record in the competition is 19 wins in 21 games, with those two defeats coming in the final against Manchester United and Crystal Palace. It is not like anything we have seen before. Guardiola said he was extremely proud of that record, but still the perceived injustice gnawed away at him. He remained in a volatile mood. It was his sixth yellow card of the season, but none have provoked a reaction as strong or as perilously close to losing control as this.
Guardiola is a ferocious competitor and apparently no longer cares who he offends. Read into that what you will regarding his future beyond the end of this season. While the rest of English football complains about the fact the 115 charges against City for breaching PSR rules have still not been resolved, he seethes at a perceived injustice of a different kind.
Guardiola made his feelings clear. For all his success, for all the trophies he has won and the dominance of English football he has overseen, he believes it has been done despite dark forces conspiring against him and his players. It has become a recurring theme in his dealings with the media.
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Asked what had annoyed him so much, Guardiola replied: “When Jeremy Doku dribbles [Kieran] Trippier and goes alone to the box and is being pulled from behind, I’m not asking for a yellow card but it’s a foul.
“I will defend my team. I will tell you something – we have all the records in this country, all of them, despite everything. We have the record of the manager with the most yellow cards.
“I want all records and now I have it. Two-game ban now and I will go on holidays the next two games. Oh my god. Oh my god. There are things after 10 years I cannot understand. Review the action. Of course I’m going to defend Doku and all my teams. They continue to do it…”
It all felt a little bizarre given the result. Despite falling behind in the first half to Harvey Barnes’ fine goal, which capped an excellent opening 20-minute spell, City moved through the gears and toyed with Newcastle after equalising through Savinho. The second half was one-way traffic as two goals from Marmoush hammered home City’s superiority.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he did not think it would be “appropriate” for the Iranian soccer team to attend this year’s World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, and cited safety concerns as a reason on Thursday while the countries remained embroiled in a war.
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup,” Trump wrote on his social media site, “but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”
Trump’s message appears to depart somewhat from what the Republican president relayed Tuesday at the White House to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who later publicly said that Trump assured him the Iranian players and coaches would be welcome.
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AP AUDIO: Trump discourages Iranian soccer team from attending the World Cup, citing safety concerns
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AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports President Trump is discouraging Iran’s national soccer team from taking part in the World Cup.
A White House official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations, had confirmed Trump’s message to Infantino about Iran’s participation.
On Thursday, the White House did not immediately clarify what Trump meant by “their own life and safety,” such as whether he anticipated threats against them while in the United States after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that began Feb. 28.
Iran, one of 48 teams in the tournament, is scheduled to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 before finishing group play in Seattle against Egypt on June 26. The U.S. is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
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Iran’s soccer federation has planned to take the team in June to a tournament base camp in Arizona, at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson.
Since June, Iran has been subject to a travel ban into the U.S. as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. But athletes and coaches from the target nations are exempt, which means the Iranian team would be allowed to enter the U.S.
But there are also likely fears from Iranian soccer players about playing in a tournament abroad where they could be feted by an anti-regime diaspora while their families face threats back home.
The Iranian women’s soccer team, which arrived in Australia to play at its Asian Cup tournament before the U.S. and Israeli bombing attacks on Iran started, did not sing the Iranian national anthem before its first game. That was widely interpreted as a gesture of protest or an act of mourning. Several members of the team stayed in Australia on humanitarian visas afterward.
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At the 2022 men’s World Cup, played in Qatar, the Iranian team did not sing the anthem before a game against England and did not celebrate the two goals scored in a 6-2 loss. At that time, Iran was in turmoil several weeks after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for allegedly violating a strict Islamic dress code.
FIFA’s own evaluation was “low risk” for World Cup safety and security plans proposed by the U.S., Canada and Mexico soccer federations, which are guaranteed by their governments. Trump has often taken credit for “winning” the World Cup hosting rights in 2018, when the three neighbors easily beat Morocco in a vote by FIFA member federations.
“All parties have experience of hosting major sports events on a regular basis and established arrangements are in place for managing security and safety at stadiums and for high-profile individuals,” FIFA’s in-house inspection team wrote eight years ago.
Iranian athletes who previously defied the Islamic regime have left the country to continue their careers.
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Iran’s first female athlete to win an Olympic medal, Kimia Alizadeh, a bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games in taekwondo, criticized wearing the mandatory hijab headscarf. She competed for the Olympic refugee team at Tokyo in 2021 and for Bulgaria at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Judoka Saeid Mollaei went into hiding in Germany after a dispute with Iranian team officials at the 2019 world championships. Mollaei, the defending champion, said he was ordered to lose a bout to avoid a potential gold medal match against an Israeli opponent. He got Mongolian citizenship and took silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Igor Tudor‘s disastrous start as Spurs boss took another nightmarish turn on Tuesday following a 5-2 loss at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The north Londoners are now on the verge of exiting Europe’s premier tournament at the round of 16 unless they can pull off a miracle in the second leg.
Lescott, 43, appeared on the latest episode of the All Out Football podcast alongside Mirror Sport‘s Andy Dunn and gave a dim assessment of Spurs’ prospects between now and May. And after conceding four goals in the opening 22 minutes at Atletico, it appears a drought in confidence could signal a historic period in the club’s history.
“Honestly, in terms of form, yeah,” said the former Manchester City and England defender. “Because again, speaking about experience, none of their players have experienced this fight.
“I know last season was bad but they had a positive or a bonus of a distraction [winning the Europa League], like Europe was their kind of shining light in that season. Whereas this season now, we’re talking about players and fans that don’t know what it feels like to be in this fight.
“Like if you’re saying you’re a Forest or a West Ham, they go behind, their fans still support their team because they know they’re likely going to go behind. Now we have to get behind them to get in front and stuff and fight behind that.
“Whereas Spurs fans now are like, ‘Oh, this is nerve wracking’. And then players are like, ‘Oh, I don’t want that pass. I don’t want to show for the ball there’. But it becomes very edgy potentially.”
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Lescott cited his own experience of being relegated with Aston Villa in 2016 and how “players go missing all of a sudden.” And he spoke about the increased role pressure plays in how certain players make their decisions, potentially hoping to save their own reputations.
“Say a forward where he’s taken a shot when he’s full of confidence, now it needs to be perfect,” added Lescott. “Now I need to see the whole goal rather than half of the goal.
“And then as a defender, say for me, you’re thinking, ‘I don’t want to play that ball into midfield in case it doesn’t get there, and I’ll go wide’, but now the opportunity is gone. So there’s so many elements that you probably don’t realise when you’re down there.”
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Tuesday’s defeat to Atletico was but the latest indictment on Spurs’ season, and by extension Tudor’s still-budding tenure. The Croat has lost four times in as many games in charge, two of which were London derbies fans would have hoped to win (against Fulham and Crystal Palace).
Injuries have played an unfortunate role in hampering Tottenham’s chances, but the club has spent enough in recent years to suggest they have the depth necessary to mount a much better challenge than what’s been witnessed. And Lescott is among those convinced the unthinkable could happen come May as the spectre of relegation grows larger.
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The F1 2026 season continues with the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend after Mercedes’ George Russell sealed pole position in Australia
Jake Hackney Senior Consumer Writer
05:01, 13 Mar 2026
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The Formula 1 2026 season is well underway and there are some major changes on the to Sky Sports’ TV coverage. Mercedes’ George Russell secured pole position in Melbourne last week, with the drivers now in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Ahead of the season, Sky Sports revealed plans to launch what it describes as ‘cutting-edge broadcast innovations’ for its F1 coverage. Fans will soon be able to view an immersive sidebar for TV viewing each race weekend that will display Race Control, in-race standings and a Recap – or replay – feature.
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Other standout features of the sidebar include dedicated driver and team pages, enhanced data, explainers and improved homepage navigation. Viewers can also stream onboard cameras for every driver – complete with team radio messages – during each race weekend.
The new features will be rolled out later this year at no extra cost to Sky Sports customers on Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Sky Q devices, with a launch date to be confirmed. F1 fans who don’t currently have Sky access can subscribe from £35 per month for the broadcaster’s flagship Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.
This includes coverage of every practice, qualifying session and race live from every race weekend this season. The package includes nine Sky Sports channels, around 100 regular TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Disney+.
Formula 1 fans can watch every practice, qualifier and race live with Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an introductory deal that saves £336.
As well as nine Sky Sports channels, this includes around 100 regular channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.
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There’s also an option to the £42 Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle, which comes with 35 extra channels and will soon include Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu at no extra cost from March. Sky customers can add Sky Sports F1 to their existing subscription package as a rolling monthly subscription drops from £20 to £15 with a special offer.
Virgin Media customers can get Sky Sports channels too with the provider’s £52.99 Sport bundle, which comes with more than 200 channels, 362Mbps fibre broadband and Netflix. A caveat to both Sky and Virgin’s deals is that prices may change at least twice during the 24-month contracts, including the usual April price increase.
Sky touts itself as the ‘ultimate destination’ for F1, with the new features joining existing coverage such as Pit Wall Live, The Grid Walk, The F1 Show and the returning The Notebook. The latter airs post-qualifying and post-race on Saturdays and Sundays, respectively, to deliver analysis and the latest updates from the paddock with reporter Ted Kravitz.
Announcing the changes, Sky said: “Sky Sports is preparing for one of the most highly anticipated F1 seasons in recent years. With viewership increasing year-on-year, 2026 promises to be even bigger with new cars and rule changes coming into play.
“Featuring an expert line-up, cutting-edge broadcast innovations, and the only place to watch live coverage of all 24 races, Sky Sports remains the ultimate destination for Formula 1 fans in the UK and Ireland.”
Wrexham host Premier League Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round tonight in the biggest fixture at the Racecourse Ground since Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds became owners almost five years ago.
The Welsh side have surged from English football’s fifth tier to the second with three successive promotions and are now lying sixth in the Championship, pushing for a place in the Premier League via the play-offs.
Wrexham went into administration in 2004, and for years the club survived on volunteer labour. A week before the season kicked off, fans would turn up to paint, sweep and fix locks on the turnstiles.
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They toppled Nottingham Forest earlier in their FA Cup run, but facing eight-time winners Chelsea is another step up in class.
Liam Rosenior has only lost three games since taking over at Stamford Bridge, all of them to Arsenal, but Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over Aston Villa was a marker of progress after some sloppy dropped points.
Chelsea will be mindful of a Champions League last-16 tie against PSG this week, as well as the pressing priority of qualifying for that competition via a top-five finish in the Premier League.
Win tonight though, and Rosenior will be three games away from a major trophy which would go some way to ingratiating him with a sceptical Chelsea fanbase. Romeo Lavia is back for Chelsea, but Rosenior will not risk wingers Estevao and Jamie Gittens.
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Wrexham were part of one of the FA Cup’s greatest upsets when they beat Arsenal in the 1992 third round, when Mickey Thomas scored a famous free-kick.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: “When you go around the Wrexham area, the game most supporters will speak about is that Arsenal game, and this is our chance now to make some more memories for our supporters in the FA Cup.
“We did that with a great game against Nottingham Forest that went to a penalty shoot-out, and then obviously the Ipswich game. We’ve earned the right to have this kind of prestigious draw against Chelsea.
“We’re on a good run, and we’ve done well at home. It’s all about bringing our best performance to the table on Saturday night.”