Mohun Bagan defeated a hapless East Bengal team 2-0 in a much-awaited ISL Kolkata derby on Saturday. Jamie Maclaren and Dimitri Petratos were on the scoresheet for the Mariners at the Salt Lake Stadium. 

Mohun Bagan outclassed East Bengal in every aspect on Saturday, not only controlling possession but also recording seven shots on target compared to East Bengal’s single attempt. This victory marks Mohun Bagan’s eighth win out of nine encounters against their arch-rivals in the ISL.

The green and maroon brigade, as expected, were the better team in the first half as they launched a plethora of attacks. Two reaction-saves from point blank range by East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill denied Mohun Bagan an early lead.

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However, with Maclaren, Greg Stewart, Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco continuously creating a menace for East Bengal defenders, it didn’t take last season’s shield winner long to find the back of the net. 

After a few fierce one-on-on battle with East Bengal left-back Provat Lakra, Manvir finally managed to get a ball past him as he delivered a low cross from the right wing. Maclaren, with his poacher’s instinct, ran unmarked between Anwar Ali and Hector Yuste, the two East Bengal centrebacks, and drilled the ball beyond Gill’s near post.

The second half proved to be a boring affair as Oscar Bruzon’s men looked more disciplined in defending. Jose Molina’s team tried to recreate the attacking display of the first half but nothing materialised until the 88th minute when Gill wrongfully tackled Petratos inside his own box to gift Mohun Bagan a penalty.

Petratos, who came off the bench in the 77th minute, smashed the ball into the net from the spot to double his team’s lead, killing all hopes for East Bengal to stage a comeback. 

Saturday’s loss marked East Bengal’s fifth consecutive defeat in the ISL, leaving them at the bottom of the standings. Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan sits in second place with 10 points, having secured three wins and a draw from their five matches. 

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has a new sentencing date.

Initially scheduled for Friday in Santa Clara County (Calif.) court, Velasquez’s hearing was continued to a later date. Court records now reveal that date will be Jan. 24.

At the hearing, Velasquez will go before Judge Arthur Bolcanegra, who will determine what penalties he will receive, as he faces a handful of charges including attempted murder for a February 2022 shooting in the San Jose area.

Bolcanegra is the same judge who granted Velasquez bail after nearly nine months of incarceration and multiple denials by other judges.

Velasquez, 42, has been out on bail since November 2022. A full list of charges includes attempted murder (one count), shooting at a motor vehicle or aircraft (one count), assault with a firearm (three counts), assault with a deadly weapon (three counts), willfully discharging a firearm from a vehicle (one count) and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony (one count).

Velasquez initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but changed his plea to no contest in August.

Velasquez was arrested nearly two-and-a-half years ago after he allegedly pursued and shot at a man, Harry Goularte, accused of molesting Velasquez’s then 4-year-old son at a daycare. Velasquez allegedly chased a car carrying Goularte and family members during a high-speed chase with a bullet striking Goularte’s stepfather, causing injury.

Goularte faces a felony charge of lewd acts with a minor and has a trial setting and motion hearing scheduled for Nov. 13. There is also a coinciding civil lawsuit by the Velasquez family against Goularte, his family, and their businesses.

MANCHESTER UNITED legend Patrice Evra has surprisingly blamed himself and Sir Alex Ferguson for the club’s disastrous decade.

Since the legendary boss retired, Man Utd have not won the Premier League title and their fifth permanent manager Erik ten Hag is in danger of losing job.

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The Red Devils crashed out the Champions League group stages and finished eighth in the Premier League with a negative goal difference last term.

Evra departed Old Trafford in 2014 – a year after Sir Alex quit the club.

And the outspoken Frenchman bizarrely blamed himself and his former gaffer for the club’s recent downfall.

He told the BBC with a smile: “I blame myself, I blame Sir Alex Ferguson.”

Evra continued: “It’s always tough to talk about United right now because back in the day we used to play for the fans, for the badge, for the history.

“When we left, we left too early and it’s difficult for the players because they don’t have any example.

“I’m not inside, I don’t know what the problem is. The manager Ten Hag is trying to do his best – it’s not good enough.

“But it’s not just about this season, it’s since we won the last league in 2013, the club has been in chaos.

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“I’m a positive man, but it’s tough. Our rivals are getting better than us, play a better style of football. The future is not bright. It’s a tough moment.

“Liverpool waited 30 years to win the Premier League again, now it’s been 11 years [since United’s last title]. I don’t want to wait that long.

“No matter what, I will be a United fan forever, but it’s quite tough to watch United play.”

Ten Hag has often claimed success in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup means he should keep his job.

But Evra says two trophies is “not enough” for a club like United, explaining: “I’m a straightforward guy. Even if you put the chef as a manager, I will support any manager.

I’m not inside, I don’t know what the problem is. The manager Ten Hag is trying to do his best – it’s not good enough.

Patrice Evra

“Three years [Ten Hag has] been at the club and, yes, he’s won two trophies.

“When you’re the manager of United, what people expect from you is to win the league every year.

“We need to stop talking about the past. This is not the United it used to be. We have to rebuild it.”

Arsenal are in the midst of a run of seven matches in 23 days in all competitions, with many players previously playing for their countries during the international break.

A damaging defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend was followed up by a less than sparkling showing against Shakhtar – but Arteta is confident his side will be at their best on Sunday.

He said: “We played two and a half days ago, with guys coming from internationals after flying from Brazil and many countries.

“I was expecting that we could drop off a little bit. Now we have four days, and believe me on Sunday we will be flying.”

Former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson said Arteta’s side must deliver consistent all-round performances.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “David Raya and his defence answered the questions and stayed really solid.

“But that’s going to wear thin eventually. Arsenal fans will be thinking their team will need to step it up to keep up with Liverpool and Manchester City.

“There’s holes in that performance and quite a lot of questions they’ll have to answer.”

Paul George’s debut with the Philadelphia 76ers is on hold and Joel Embiid is again set to miss time with an injury.

Embiid and George will miss Wednesday’s season opener against Milwaukee and could miss more games as the All-Stars expected to try to lead Philadelphia to its first championship since 1983 return from injuries.

George was set to make his Sixers debut after he left the Los Angeles Clippers and signed a four-year, $212 million contract as a free agent this summer. But the 34-year-old George got a bone bruise when he hyperextended his left knee during a preseason game.

The Sixers did not say Tuesday how many more games George could miss; his return to play will be assessed later in the week.

The Bucks also lost a dose of star power ahead of the game as the NBA opens this week.

Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that Bucks forward Khris Middleton also isn’t expected to play in the opener. The three-time All-Star hasn’t had any 5-on-5 work in the preseason as he recovers from offseason surgeries to each of his ankles.

“It’s pretty 100% to 99,” Rivers said of the likelihood that Middleton won’t play.

A nine-time All-Star, George was injured when his knee buckled on a defensive play in the second quarter of a game last week against Atlanta.

George has dealt with injuries for much of his career before he played 76 games last season, the first time he played more than 56 since 2018-19.

He discussed the bone bruise this week on his “Podcast P with Paul George.” A six-time All-NBA selection, George said his knee was stable with no major damage, nor did it cause any long-term concern over his health.

“My leg literally just got stuck. I don’t even know what else to call it. Just my knee locked up, my leg locked up,” George said on his podcast. “When I went to go push off, all my momentum is going forward and my leg, it just caused it to go inwards. I know I’m thinking of when I seen it immediately I was like, ah, this don’t feel right, this don’t feel right.”

The Sixers’ schedule also includes games Sunday at Indiana and home games Wednesday and Saturday.

“I’m going to be good. I’m going to be good,” George said. “I should be back hopefully sooner than later, but it won’t be a long timetable I would imagine.”

The Sixers are down a familiar road with Embiid.

He did not play in the preseason because of a sore left knee.

The Sixers said Embiid was “responding well” to his individualized rehab plan and was scheduled to scrimmage this week. Embiid also will miss Friday’s game against Toronto and will be reevaluated this weekend.

“There’s been no setbacks,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters at the 76ers’ complex in New Jersey. “He’s really active. He’s lost some weight. He’s out on the court. Just kind of sticking with our plan of making sure we’re getting into a really, really good place before we play him live.”

The 30-year-old, who won an Olympic gold medal in Paris with Team USA, signed a $193 million contract ahead of training camp. The 76ers have failed to advance out of the second round of the playoffs since 2001, in large part because Embiid has failed to stay healthy for an entire postseason.

Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a season and was limited to 39 last season in large part because of knee surgery. He tore the meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 30 and had surgery on Feb. 6.

“We’ve got to do whatever it takes to make sure that in the postseason I’m healthy,” Embiid said in September. “It’s whatever it takes to make sure I get to that point and I’m ready to go. Basically, every single year of my career I’ve been hurt in the playoffs. That’s the goal, doing whatever it takes to get there.”

The 76ers finished 31-8 last season season with Embiid — about a 65-win pace — and a woeful 16-27 without him.

Embiid revealed ahead of training camp that he dropped about 25 to 30 pounds over the summer to stay in better condition for the long grind of the season. That includes not rushing back from any further issues with the knee.

“Until I’m at that point where they feel like I’m ready to go, I’m sure they’re going to hold me back,” Embiid said at the team’s media day. “I believe with the guys that we have, and what I can bring to the table, we have a pretty good chance (at a title).”

He has five All-NBA Team honors, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nods and twice has been the NBA scoring champion.

With George joining the 2023 NBA MVP in Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers were expected to boast one of the most formidable trios in the league as they try to put together a nucleus that can compete with the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Maxey is expected to play after the guard suffered a bruised right thumb in the preseason.

As for the Bucks, Rivers said Middleton’s injury is more of a day-to-day issue and shouldn’t keep him out long. A variety of injuries limited Middleton to 55 regular-season games last year and 33 in 2022-23.

“I’d say if this was a playoff game, he’d probably be playing, or close to it,” Rivers said.

Taurean Prince has been starting in Middleton’s place during the preseason.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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In a historic event, New Zealand defeated India by eight wickets in the opening test to take a a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. This is the  Black Caps first win in India since 1988.

The final day of the rain-interrupted opening test saw New Zealand needing 107 to win. Will Young (48 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (39 not out) took the team to victim by adding 75 runs. There were a few nervy moments early on like the opening spell from Jasprit Bumrah (2/29 in 8 overs). Bumrah dismissed Tom Latham (0) in the second ball and Devon Conway in the 13th over.  

The visiting team had restricted India to a dismal 46 in the first innings before scoring 402. It dismissed the hosts again for 462 and chased down their 107-run target. 

The second Test at Pune starts on October 24.

That said, India has something to cheer about in the way they clawed back from the depths of getting bowled out for 46 in the first innings. Captain Rohit Sharma will not have to consider retaining Sarfaraz Khan, who scored a stunning 150 in the second innings, considering that Shubman Gill is poised to return after recovering from a stiff neck.

Sharma will also have to ponder whether to go back to the three-pacer strategy or continue three spinners, which didn’t go well for the team in the first test. 

The victory has also seen New Zealand’s points percentage (PCT) jump from 37.50 to 44.44 per cent, surpassing South Africa and England in the process. They are now placed fourth, comfortably behind Sri Lanka (55.56 per cent), and just above England (43.06 per cent).