SNOOKER legend Ronnie O’Sullivan revealed he would have loved to be a professional race car driver if he could start over again.
O’Sullivan, 48, is one of the sport’s all-time greatest having won the World Snooker Championship seven times, which is a joint record he shares with Stephen Hendry.
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Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan revealed he would have loved to be a race car driverCredit: Getty
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O’Sullivan boasts a collection of swanky fast carsCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
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O’Sullivan even suggested he would love to give car racing a crack after retiring from snookerCredit: David New – The Sun
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O’Sullivan also took part in an episode of Top GearCredit: BBC
However, that is not the only sport the Rocket is passionate about as he admitted he loves fast cars.
So much so that he even suggested he would have loved to give Formula One a crack if he never pursued a career at the Crucible.
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O’Sullivan told The Express: “What music is to Steve Davis, racing cars is to me.
“If I had my time again, I would probably have chosen a different sport, like Formula One – or just racing cars.
“It wouldn’t have to be Formula One. It could be anything because I think, genuinely, that’s what I love. Driving. Fast.
“Not piddling around at 20 miles per hour. That gives me brain damage. But get me on a track and, yeah, I love it.”
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O’Sullivan’s passion for fast cars is well known as he boasts a stunning collection of swanky cars, which includes a £180k Ferrari and a £183k Bentley.
The Wordsley star has even appeared on Top Gear where he showcased his driving abilities.
And the snooker great even suggested that once he hangs up his stick he might actually give car racing a go.
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O’Sullivan added: “There is always that possibility. Something once I’m fully done with snooker and I’ve got time I’ll definitely get into, but in the meantime I’m maybe going to do a few trips around Europe.
Ronnie O’Sullivan launches ‘perfect’ new side hustle as snooker legend plans ahead for life after sport
“I’m 49 in a couple of months so I’ve got 20, 25 good years left in me. I don’t think I want to be playing snooker for the rest of my life so how do I reinvent the next 25 years?
“How do I want them to look? I don’t want to end up playing snooker and that’s all I’ve done for my whole life, so I think it’s about the next step now.”
‘Smoking too much weed and bulk-buying too much Smirnoff’ – Inside Ronnie O’Sullivan’s yo-yo health battle
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RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S snooker career almost went up in smoke after buying “too much weed and Smirnoff.”
Ronnie has long linked his performances on the baize with the ups and down in his diet and exercise regime.
The Rocket he has suffered a lifetime of yo-yoing weight, addiction and mental health struggles, and an often unhealthy relationship with food and fitness.
O’Sullivan ballooned to 16st on vodka and takeaways as a troubled teen, while “puffing like a maniac”.
Then, after turning his life around, he even saw his form decline after doing to TOO MUCH exercise.
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Now right back to his best, the seven-time world champion has opened up on his struggles.
It said Nuno, Gibbs-White and Hurzeler all admitted to their respective charges, with the punishments enforced by the independent regulatory commission.
Forest had asked for more time to prepare a response having initially been given until 27 September.
Nuno apologised for his reaction to the officials, including referee Rob Jones and fourth official Anthony Taylor, and had hoped his contrition would lead to leniency.
However, not only was the Portuguese manager given a two-match ban for this specific incident, a one-game suspended ban – for comments following Forest’s 2-0 defeat at Everton in April – was also activated.
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They came after Forest’s controversial social media post which called VAR Stuart Attwell’s integrity into question.
Umar Nurmagomedov no longer will headline ADXC 7 next week in Abu Dhabi.
The UFC bantamweight standout was set to grapple former Bellator champion Eduardo Dantas in a no-gi featherweight match Oct. 25 at Mubadala Arena. The event takes place one day before UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, which is headlined by a featherweight title fight between champion Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway.
But Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has been pulled from the event, a person with knowledge of the move told MMA Junkie on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because ADXC has not yet made the change official.
No official reason was given for Nurmagomedov’s removal from the event, but in recent weeks rumors about his next UFC fight have ramped up. Although he is gunning for a shot at new champion Merab Dvalishvili, who won the belt from Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, Nurmagomedov also has been linked to a main event in Tampa, Fla., in December against Song Yadong.
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Nurmagomedov is fresh off a main event win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC on ABC 7 in August in Abu Dhabi. The undefeated 28-year-old emerged as a title contender and was expected to be Dvalishvili’s first attempted title defense, though the champ reportedly is not yet ready to fight.
Dantas, a two-time Bellator champion, is a second degree jiu-jitsu black belt with seven wins by submission. The 35-year-old Brazilian’s most recent appearance in MMA came in May 2023 – a decision loss to Denis Lavrentyev at RCC 15.
Appropriately timed, reports of a new grappling matchup for the event surfaced Friday with former UFC flyweight standout Muhammad Mokaev against UFC young rising star Raul Rosas Jr., which certainly will take some of the sting off losing Nurmagomedov from the event for fans.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Andrea Iannone will make a surprise MotoGP comeback replacing the injured Fabio di Giannantonio at the VR46 Ducati team for the penultimate grand prix of the 2024 season in Malaysia early next month.
As reported by GPOne, the one-time grand prix winner has received the nod from Valentino Rossi for Sepang, with the agreement of Ducati’s Gigi Dall’Igna. The Italian, who last raced in MotoGP in 2019 before a drugs ban, will head into the Malaysian round without any preparatory test.
GPOne also reported that Ducati test rider Michele Pirro will get the substitute role at the Valencia finale on 15-17 November.
Di Giannantonio announced on Thursday that he would skip the grands prix in Malaysia and Valencia in order to undergo surgery.
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This news puts paid to rumours that Ducati’s WorldSBK rider Nicolo Bugela or Ducati’s satellite SBK rider Danilo Petrucci would step into the breach at VR46.
Iannone raced seven seasons in MotoGP, including four with Ducati between 2013 and 2016, taking his only victory at the Austrian Grand Prix in that final year. After leaving the Bologna factory he raced two years with Suzuki before signing for Aprilia in 2019.
Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
That season, at the Malaysian GP in fact, Iannone failed a doping test, which led to a four-year ban that could have spelt the end of his top-level motorcycle career.
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Having served the ban, however, he returned to WorldSBK this season with Ducati’s Go Eleven team. He took his first victory at Aragon a few weeks ago and has announced that he will remain for 2025.
The final round of the WorldSBK season takes place at Jerez this weekend. Iannone heads into the finale sitting seventh in the championship.
Di Giannantonio’s decision to undergo surgery two races before the end of the season allows the MotoGP race winner to have work done on the shoulder he injured in an accident at the Austrian GP in August.
Missing the final two rounds means he should return to full fitness for the start of the 2025 season, where he will remain with VR46 but benefit from an upgrade and ride a factory GP25 Ducati.
The Los Angeles Dodgers routed the New York Mets at Citi Field for the second consecutive night, winning 10-2 behind strong performances at the plate from superstars Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. L.A. now has a 3-1 lead in the series and can clinch as soon as Friday’s Game 5 (5 p.m. ET on FS1 and the FOX Sports App).
Ohtani homered against Jose Quintana to lead off the game. The likely 2024 National League MVP took Quintana’s first pitch for a ball, then drove a sinker over the middle of the plate 422 feet into the Mets’ bullpen in right-center field for his third postseason homer.
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Shohei Ohtani blasts a leadoff home run, giving Dodgers 1-0 lead over Mets
The likely NL MVP began the night 0 for 22 in the postseason when batting with nobody on base and 7 for 9 with two homers and eight RBIs when hitting with runners aboard.
It was the seventh leadoff homer in Dodgers postseason history and first in Ohtani’s career.. The 117.8 mph drive was the third-hardest-hit postseason home run since Statcast started tracking in 2015, after Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber in last year’s NLCS (119.7 mph) and the New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton in a 2020 AL Division Series (118.3 mph).
Quintana hadn’t allowed a home run in his previous eight starts since Aug. 20.
Mets star Francisco Lindor, who hit a leadoff homer in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium, was unable to match Ohtani in the bottom of the first as he grounded out.
But the next New York batter, Mark Vientos, connected off Yoshinobu Yamamoto for his fourth homer of the playoffs to tie the score at 1.
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The Dodgers struck back in the top of the third, however, to retake the lead on singles from unlikely postseason heroes Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernandez. They never relinquished it out of that. Yamamoto worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the third, though the Mets did scrape a run across when Brandon Nimmo beat out what would have been an inning-ending double play. Nimmo was originally ruled out, but the call was overturned after a challenge from Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
Betts then helped the Dodgers pad their lead with one of the best performances of his playoff career, smashing a two-run double in the fifth inning and two-run home run in the seventh, both times after Ohtani was walked right before him. Ohtani drew three consecutive walks after his home run and scored each time.
Mookie Betts crushes a two-run homer, extending Dodgers’ lead over Mets
Also of note, Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy became the first player to reach base in 12 consecutive plate appearances during a single postseason.
Muncy had a single and three walks in his first four plate appearances in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series against the New York Mets on Thursday night. The streak ended when he struck out against Danny Young in the eighth.
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Muncy’s streak included two singles, two homers and eight walks.
ARSENAL fans are hungry for success and early signs this season are that this could be the one that sees them end their long wait for a league title.
With the additions of the likes of Mikel Merino, to add steel to the midfield, and Riccardo Calafiori, to bring versatility and a touch of class to the defensive unit it is fair to say that Arsenal were already looking stronger as they came into this season.
Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka are the key attackers for Arsenal
For all that Arsenal have looked strong this season with a very physical line up that excels at set pieces in particular and a rock solid defensive foundation, there are still tweaks that Arteta and his coaching staff can make in order to give Arsenal an even greater chance of beating Liverpool and Man City to the title this season.
Here are three key areas that Arteta can turn to in order to end the season as champions of the Premier League.
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Isolating Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka has for some time been considered one of the best young players in world football.
Now aged 23, it is time to drop the word young from that sentence.
Saka has been playing at an extremely high level for some time but this season his performances have gone through the roof.
He is playing at such a high level that he has been the best player in the Premier League this season.
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His raw attacking output alone has been extremely impressive and in 10 games in all competitions so far this season he already has 3 goals and 7 assists to his name.
That is before we even drill further down into his performances in possession and better understand the threat and danger that he poses to opposition defences whenever he has the ball.
He can carry the ball and beat the defender 1v1 but his crossing, especially when cutting back onto his left-foot and crossing from a deeper angle, and his passing have also created real danger for opposition teams.
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Arsenal player ratings vs Southampton
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Here, against PSG, Arsenal creates the ideal opportunity for Saka to go 1v1 against the fullback
Bukayo Saka played a very attacking role v PSG
The current injury to club captain Martin Odegaard, who normally plays as the most advanced central midfielder closest positionally to Saka, gives Arteta an opportunity to use Saka slightly differently from a tactical point of view.
We will still see the England starr stay high and wide on the right-hand side.
But now Arteta can isolate him on that side in an attempt to create more direct 1v1 opportunities for Saka to attack the opposition fullback.
This is a tactical concept that Pep Guardiola used extensively when he was coaching at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich and to an extent at Manchester City in order to create opportunities to overload one side of the pitch and isolate a dangerous attacking wide player on the other side.
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Saka receives the ball outside and goes 1v1 against the Spurs fullback. In these situations he can attack the opposition player either on the inside or the outside
Giving Saka more opportunities on the ball in isolated situations would be hugely beneficial for Arsenal as they move towards the end of the season.
Compact against the ball
It has been a very notable part of Arsenal’s recruitment strategy in recent seasons to recruit tall and physically imposing players in all areas.
They have recruited players who are more than capable of standing up to the physical demands of Premier League football.
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This is, in part at least, responsible for the sheet defensive strength of Arsenal this season.
They have conceded just six goals in the league and for the vast majority of the matches that they have played they have looked very strong from a defensive perspective.
This is partly down to the fact that in William Saliba and Gabriel they have two of the top central defenders in all of Europe.
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Against Southampton, the Arsenal midfield and defence are very compact and prevent the opposition from being able to build an attack
Arsenal were very compact in their draw with Man City
As the season progresses we believe Arteta will look to set up his side to be even more solid and compact out of possession as they look to strangle the opposition and prevent them from being able to break them down in central areas.
This is where the size of the players that Arteta has at his disposal comes in.
They are big and physical but also mobile and they have a very high technical level.
This means that Arteta will be able to have them play in a deeper block against the ball but then also retain possession and build their attacks when they win the ball back.
By keeping the players on the pitch compact against the ball Arteta will deny them any space to attack into between the lines of defence and midfield or midfield and attack.
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This will force the opposition to either go long, where Saliba and Gabriel are comfortable or around the outside where Arsenal will set pressing traps and triggers in order to quickly engage and regain possession.
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Arsenal were incredibly disciplined against Man City as they work to prevent the champions by refusing to allow any space for a goal scoring chance
Arteta has already shown that he is not afraid to use some of the ‘dark arts’ of football so Arsenal fans should not be surprised to see them starting to play slightly more defensively when out of possession.
Greater control
Arteta is clearly an obsessive and detail-oriented coach who wants to control and micro-manage every aspect of Arsenal’s performances on and off the pitch.
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This is part of the reason that Arsenal have already reached the level that they have this season, and indeed last season when they finished a credible second, and it is this search for control that will see him look to use his fullbacks in such a way that they can dominate and control matches when they are in possession of the ball.
Calafiori was wide but also tucked inside against Leicester
With the likes of Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori all capable of playing the fullback positions Arteta has developed a set of options in these positions that are comfortable in different positions.
They can invert and play inside when Arsenal are in possession as extra midfielders.
Or sit deeper in wide areas and almost play as very deep fullbacks who only move forward to support the attack at very specific moments.
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In the moments before Calafiori’s goal vs Man City, the Italian international is narrow and receives the ball in a pocket of space, instead of moving wide as you might expect
Meet the Arsenal Wags from Strictly star to a flight attendant
Tolami Benson – partner of Bukayo Saka
Benson and Saka have kept information on their relationship largely quiet.
They do not appear on each others Instagram pages but she was seen speaking to Saka at the 2022 World Cup.
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Helene Spilling – partner of Martin Odegaard
A professional dancer from Norway who rose to fame in the country’s version of Strictly Come Dancing, the pair were first spotted together at the Football Awards in March 2023.
Sophie Weber – partner of Kai Havertz
Weber works as a model and social media influencer and is the most high profile member of the group on online with almost 400,000 followers on Instagram.
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They are childhood sweethearts having grown up in the same neighbourhood.
Milly White – partner of Ben White
The couple got engaged in 2022 before tying the knot officially in May last year. They have matching “I love you tattoos” on their wrists. Milly White works as a model.
Laura Trossard Hilven – partner of Leandro Trossard
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The pair met in 2014 before getting married in 2019.
They have two sons together, Thiago and Amadeo.
Lauren Fryer – partner of Declan Rice
Lauren Fryer and Declan Rice have been together since 2015. She tends to keep a lower profile compared to some of Arsenal’s other Wags but is no less stunning.
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She sadly deleted all pictures on her Instagram after suffering horrific abuse by vile trolls.
Georgina Ramsdale – partner of Aaron Ramsdale
Georgina Ramsdale works as a flight attendant.
The couple got married last June after the Arsenal star proposed in 2022. They originally met in 2019.
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These movements from the Arsenal fullbacks, whether inverting into the midfield or staying wide and deeper to support the attack, are a way for Arteta to ensure that his side always have control in possession.
They give options to receive the ball when Arsenal are attacking but that is not the main reason for the fullbacks to be used by Arteta in this way.
The main purpose is that in this kind of tactical shape and with the fullbacks operating and behaving in this manner so that when Arsenal do lose possession they are immediately in a position to defend against dangerous counter attacks from the opposition players.
The fullbacks add an extra element of control and security for Arsenal in these situations.
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Once again we see Calafiori inverted and positioned inside in order to help the build-up play from Arsenal. This narrow position is ideal for ball possession
Jurrien Timber is a full back who is comfortable inverting into midfield
Arteta is a coach who favours control and security in and out of possession.
Now that he has these fullbacks in his squad expect to see them used in this manner more frequently between now and the end of the season.
Conclusion
With Liverpool under new management this season and with Man City losing their talisman Rodri for most of the rest of the season Arsenal are many people’s favourites for the league title this season.
We believe that the three tactical concepts we have outlined in this article will be used extensively going forward by Arteta and they could be the key to finally delivering the Premier League title back to North London for the first time since 2004.
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