Speaking after the game Matheus Nunes, who grabbed City’s fifth in their 5-0 win, admitted that he was “speechless” after Haaland’s goal.
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Chatting to TNT Sports, he said: “It was an amazing goal. I was speechless after his shot.”
Referencing one of Haaland’s previous wonder-goals, he added: “When he scored against Dortmund I was watching on TV and to see this live, it was amazing.”
Guardiola, 53, could be seen simply applauding his striker’s brilliant goal.
He then gushed after the game: “I didn’t know how he scored. For a human being, I would say no [it’s not normal].
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“He made a fantastic goal. He can touch 15 or 20 balls but have seven or eight chances. It’s unbelievable.”
‘I’D HAVE PULLED MY GROIN!’
Foden, meanwhile, joked: “I just spoke to him and said: ‘If I tried to do that I’d pull my groin!’
“I don’t know how he did it I just think it’s just his long legs. He’s a freak, isn’t he?”
Opposition coach Lars Friis lamented: “What can you say? He’s maybe the best striker in the world. He’s world class. We felt we had good hands on him but then he pops up with a goal like this.”
Their tally now stands at 26 – with last season’s penalty shoot-out exit to Real Madrid not counted as a defeat by Uefa due to both legs finishing as draws in regulation time.
Man City ratings vs Sparta Prague
By Ken Lawrence
MANCHESTER CITY put in a five star performance as they romped to victory over Sparta Prague.
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The Citizens ran out 5-0 winners at the Etihad with Pep Guardiola‘s side bagging four goals in the second half.
Erling Haaland also got himself on the scoresheet in the second half.
The Norweigian striker had plenty of attempts to score, but it was his improvised finish in the 58th minute that found its way past Peter Vindahl Jensen.
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John Stones made it three with a brilliant looping header to add to his solid performance at the back.
Haaland got his second in the 67th minute to make it 44 in the Champions League.
Matheus Nunes was also impressed as he netted from the spot in the closing stages, which added to his two assists.
SunSport’s Ken Lawrence has given his ratings of Pep Guardiola’s side…
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Stefan Ortega – 5 Almost a spectator, but at least it wasn’t cold or pouring down.
Nathan Ake – 5 Back after injury and unlucky to have City’s second chalked off.
Manuel Akanji – 5 Training games against his own team-mates are far harder than this was.
John Stones – 7 Followed his winner against Wolves with another towering header.
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Rico Lewis – 6 The young multi-tasker produced a typical all-action display
Matheus Nunes – 7 He claimed two assists and bagged his first-ever Champions League goal from the spot late on.
Savinho – 5 Supposed to be the new Samba man but didn’t dance that great.
Ilkay Gundogan – 7 The midfielder cruised through the 100th Champions League game of his career.
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Bernardo Silva – 6 Quiet, effective and a non-stop cog spinning the City wheel.
Phil Foden – 7 It was a slick early finish in only his fourth start of the season, but the spark faded.
Erling Haaland – 9 Even Pep Guardiola couldn’t quite believe his amazing airborne strike before he added his second.
Subs Mateo Kovacic (for Bernardo Silva 69) – 5 Couldn’t have had an easier task by the time he emerged.
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James McAtee (for Gundogan 69) – 5 A few minutes of Champions League experience with no strain.
Josko Gvardiol (for Ake 74) – 5 Just a pleasant walk in the park….
Ruben Dias (for Stones 74) – 5 He won’t have minded stretching his legs for a bit.
Nico O’Reilly (for Haaland 81) – 5 The young attacker replaced a living legend.
Luton Town have condemned “abhorrent and unacceptable” racist abuse sent to forward Elijah Adebayo.
The Championship club said the 26-year-old was sent a racially abusive message on Instagram during their 2-1 defeat by Sunderland on Wednesday.
That message has been reported to the police and Instagram owner Meta for further investigation, Luton added.
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It is not the first time Luton have called out racist remarks sent to Adebayo on social media, with the striker saying last October he was “tired” of the abuse aimed at him.
“We’re angry, upset and frustrated to report that racist abuse has been directed towards Elijah Adebayo,” the club said on their website,, external in a statement titled ‘Is It Ever Going to Stop?’.
“Just like we said a year ago, and just like we will do WHENEVER a player or staff member is subjected to abuse, we will stand by and support Elijah unequivocally.
West Brom have collected just three points out of a possible 15, a run that is the worst since Carlos Corberan succeeded Steve Bruce as Baggies boss almost two years ago.
But they remain fourth in the Championship and in their last outing became the first side this season to come away with even a point at Blackburn Rovers’ Ewood Park home.
“I don’t think they’ve [West Brom] won in five… but they’re a good side; they’re disciplined out of possession and they’ve got attacking threats in possession and it’ll be a tough game – but it’s not one we’re frightened of,” Riza said.
“Their form hasn’t been great but they’re a good side, their form hasn’t been great but they’ve lost two and drawn three, we’re not approaching the game lightly, that’s for sure.
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“We haven’t lost a game in three and we want to continue that. We’re going to go away from home, to a tough opposition – for us it’s a really good test to see where we’ve come from to where we are at the moment, to where we’re trying to get to.
“It’s a great gauge, we’ve got some tough games and this is the first of them coming up and we’re fully motivated to try and get a result.”
Key midfielders Aaron Ramsey and Joe Ralls remain on the injury list, with Ramsey at least three weeks away and Ralls a possibility to return against Blackburn Rovers on 9 November.
But Riza is happy with the strength in depth of his squad, with other players having stepped up in recent weeks.
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“We’re a strong squad, we’ve got 25, 26 players, everyone wants to play and providing they’re working hard and respectful of each other, and they support each other, everyone has an opportunity to play and I’ve made that clear from the get-go,” Riza added.
“Young lads get the opportunity, they do well they play. The only time they come out is there’s something tactical that needs to be changed.
“You earn the shirt but you don’t just earn the shirt by performing in training and games, you earn the shirt with all your other actions as well, what you do outside of the pitch.”
Petrosyan (9-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) takes on Magomedov (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 308 main card opener at Etihad Arena (pay-per-view, ESPN+).
Petrosyan will look to capitalize on the hype that undefeated Magomedov brings and the coveted spot they’re on to open up the pay-per-view.
“Shara is very popular. He’s got a lot of hype behind him, and I think really for both of us, this is a great thing that there’s going to be so many people watching this specific fight,” Petrosyan told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day.
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Petrosyan recalls competing in the same kickboxing tournament as Magomedov. They even shared the mats before, and the 33-year-old has nothing but respect for his opponent.
“We know each other. At one point we even trained together way back when,” Petrosyan said. “The tournament you’re talking about, we fought together on the same tournament. It’s not like we fought each other. Yeah, we know each other.
“I wouldn’t say we’re best of friends, but we’re really good acquaintances. We know all of his weak parts, we know all of his good sides, so you’ll see it. For every opponent, we make sure to study him really well, so I think you’ll see everything in the fight. … It’s going to be very fiery, very exciting.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
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Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
The reception that Pato O’Ward ( Pato O’ ) has received at the Mexican Grand Prix might make one believe the 25-year-old was lining up on the F1 grid alongside the likes of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Rather, the Arrow McLaren IndyCar driver has resonated so strongly with motorsport fans in his home country that he receives a hero’s welcome upon arrival in Mexico City.
His promotion to McLaren reserve driver, and the announcement that he’ll jump behind the wheel during FP1 at this weekend’s race, has only heightened the fervor around the Monterrey-born athlete. We caught up with O’Ward earlier this month to discover some of his must-do recommendations in Mexico’s capital.
Coyoacan district street scene in Mexico City
Photo by: Getty Images
Eat
O’Ward has one rule when it comes to tacos: street vendors are king. “Any taco stand that you see on the street will be good,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what the name is or what [they sell], any street taco stand will be phenomenal.” As for his order? “Tacos al pastor,” O’Ward said, noting that he also likes gorditas with beans and cheese.
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If you’re looking for a more traditional dining experience, O’Ward shared two of his go-to haunts. “There’s a restaurant called Sylvestre, which is wonderful,” he said of the rooftop hot spot serving up fine fare. “There’s also a restaurant called La Unica which has very, very good Mexican food.”
Drink
O’Ward isn’t a big drinker, but there’s one beverage he recommends to anyone visiting Mexico. “In any restaurant that you go to, after you’re done with you meal, order a carajillo,” he said. The cocktail is a simple concoction traditionally made from a Spanish liqueur called Licor 43 and a shot of espresso.
“It’s wonderful. It’s kind of like an espresso martini, but Latin style because they have them in Brazil and Argentina as well,” he went on. “I highly recommend trying it in pretty much any restaurant that you’re at.”
Picture of a Mexican typical drink called carajillo
Photo by: Getty Images
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Explore
When O’Ward isn’t at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, he spends most of his time in one area: Polanco. The opulent, artistic neighborhood boasts art galleries, luxury shopping, and high-end restaurants in the city’s northwest.
“You can actually walk around and not feel like you have to be looking everywhere,” he explained. “I don’t leave that area to be honest. I just go to the track and then walk around Polanco and go to the restaurants … there’s probably concerts and parties going on but I like my nine hours of sleep too much so I don’t really go out.”
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Although O’Ward prioritizes his rest, he revealed he’s also a fan of the nearby Soho House, which opened last September. “It’s a beautiful facility … I recently ran into Peso Pluma there,” he said of the 25-year-old singer and rapper. “There’s a lot of Mexican celebrities you might run into.”
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Travel
For F1 fans with a bit of extra time on their hands, O’Ward recommends heading west to the pristine sandy beaches of the private peninsula, Punta Mita. “It’s beautiful, and a very peaceful, very nice area,” he went on. “It’s a bit like Cabo [San Lucas] but less touristy.”
THE Northern Ireland Open is underway NOW – with some of snooker’s biggest names competing.
Belfast hosts the second Home Nations Series event of the season after September’s English Open.
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Judd Trump is the reigning Northern Ireland Open championCredit: Getty
Neil Robertson was victorious in Brentwood, beating Wu Yize 9-7 in a breathtaking final.
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The Aussie star is leading the way for the huge £150,000 BetVictor bonus, with three Home Nations events still to play.
Judd Trump is the reigning Northern Ireland Open champion after he claimed the Alex Higgins Trophy for a fourth time by beating Chris Wakelin 9-3 in last year’s final.
The World No1 returns in 2024 as part of a star-studded line-up, but snooker icon Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrew late on Sunday night and will miss a third successive tournament because of medical reasons.
UFC 308 is finally here, and with that comes the highly anticipated main event for the UFC featherweight title between Ilia Topuria and Max Hoilloway. Can Topuria, once again, back up his unbelievable confidence, or will Holloway regain the 145-pound title?
On an all-new edition of Between the Links, special guest Action Bronson joins the panel to discuss Topuria vs. Holloway, what the fight means for both men, and how it could all play out. Additionally, topics include the fascinating co-main event betweem former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker and the returning Khamzat Chimaev, what this fight means for both competitors, the rest of the slate, a look back at PFL Battle of the Giants and Francis Ngannou’s knockout win, takeaways from UFC Vegas 99, and much more.
Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between Bronson and #MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew.
Watch the show live at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT in the video above.
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If you missed the show live, you can still watch above, or listen to the podcast version, which can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your pods.
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