Ryan Giggs has revealed that Manchester United declined the chance to pursue Kylian Mbappe in 2015 having been left unimpressed after a scouting tip.

Giggs had moved on to the coaching staff at Old Trafford under Louis van Gaal after concluding his playing career, and was advised that the club should look at a youngster who then played for Monaco.

“So, I’m in the south of France. I was coaching United, so it’d be 2015. I’ve been for a walk in the local village and I’m walking back to the hotel. I’m walking on the beach back to the hotel. And you can feel, I can feel someone, you know, when you feel someone like following you,” Giggs explained on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.

“And I’m like, I get to the hotel and then all of a sudden I can feel someone coming up to me. Anyway, this guy is called Lionel, French guy. So he comes up to me and says ‘hi, I’m Lionel. I just wanted to just say hello. I’m a big United fan and big fan of yours. But I watch a lot of youth football in France, and you have to look at this player. He’s called Kylian Mbappé. He’s at Monaco and I think he’s a player for Man United.’

“A few weeks later, he emailed me all the details. So me and Albert [Stuivenberg] again, who’s the coach with Arsenal, he was another assistant at United at the time. We used to in the afternoons just go and watch games or go and watch players at the training ground. So anyway, I’ve told him about this thing. He says ‘come on, let’s get him up.’ And we got a few youth games with Monaco and we seen him and just like, ‘wow, what is this?’ You know, you can see players and they can be special, but he did look exceptional, obviously.

“So anyway, we told the scouting team. They went to watch him. Someone in France went to watch him and he was actually playing PSG. Monaco were playing PSG. So they went to Paris to watch him. Anyway, I think a few weeks later, I said to this guy ‘how did it go?’ and he went ‘yeah, they weren’t too sure about him, so we just left it, and that was it.’”

Mbappe soon made his senior breakthrough at Monaco, helping the club to the Ligue 1 title in 2017 before joining Paris Saint-Germain for the second highest transfer fee of all time and firing France to World Cup glory. He left PSG for Real Madrid in 2024.

Conor Benn is seeking to capture his first world title against Ryan Garcia this weekend, and three-time super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch has provided his final prediction for the fight.

A 15-time national amateur champion, Garcia has been tipped for the top since his pro debut in 2016, but it took until this year for the Californian to get his hands on world honours; dethroning Mario Barrios to claim the WBC welterweight crown back in February.

Meanwhile, Benn has often been criticised for not pursuing the traditional route, but he was controversially installed as the WBC’s mandatory challenger earlier this year, when he announced that he would be returning to 147lbs for the first time since April 2022.

The pair are set to collide in a high-profile showdown this weekend and speaking with The Sun Sport, Froch admitted that he ‘cannot see Benn winning the fight’, believing Garcia to be a level above the Essex-born contender.

“I wouldn’t say that Ryan Garcia is the upper echelon of the elite level as a professional boxer but he is still a world champ. He is a very good fighter, he is fantastic and he has got loads of experience. I just think that is going to be far too much for somebody of Conor’s level, but don’t write off Conor’s self-belief, discipline and work ethic.“

“I can’t see him winning this fight, but that’s not because I don’t want him to win it, of course I want him to win it, he is British, it’s Conor Benn and I am a massive fan.”

‘The Cobra’ then went on to reveal his concerns regarding Benn’s return to welterweight – which will be his final outing at 147lbs – and whether he will be able to absorb a clean shot from Garcia, predicting that the contest could be over faster than many anticipate.

“I don’t know how Conor beats him at this weight, at 147lbs, because he doesn’t look like a big puncher down at 150/154. Now he is down at 147 and he looks like a bald chicken, he looks like Gollum; all drained and scrawny like he is going to snap.“

“He has got to go in there with Ryan Garcia, who is really lightening fast, a good counter-puncher, he can punch like f**k, he is going to hurt him.”

“He is not punching hard below 160 and his punch resistance, we are going to find out, because he [Garcia] will clip him with a hook on the way in. Conor will leap in and leave his feet behind, he will be all eager and he will walk onto a hook.“

“If he can take that, he has got a chance in the fight, but if he starts wobbling early doors, it won’t go past four rounds.”

Garcia-Benn goes ahead on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Jai Opetaia taking on reigning WBC cruiserweight world champion Noel Mikaelian in the co-main event.

The Big 12 is 2-1 against the ACC so far this season.

Colorado beat Georgia Tech, Cincinnati beat Boston College, and TCU lost to North Carolina in Week 0.

The wins over the ACC were negated, though, by Baylor’s loss to Auburn and Oklahoma State’s loss to Tulsa.

In other words, the status quo remains.

This week, the Big 12 has six nonconference games against Power 4 opponents. The league needs to win these types of showdowns to gain respect on the national level.

Another round of poor results will only deepen the hole the Conference finds itself in.

But the top matchup of the week is a Conference game when BYU hosts Arizona. And the featured team of this story is Kansas State after their lopsided win in the opener.

Here’s my Big 12 Column for Week 2.

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Featured Team of the Week: Kansas State

Washington State at Kansas State

Saturday, September 12
9:00 AM PT, TNT

All eyes are on Manhattan as Kansas State hosts Washington State.

The Cougars exceeded expectations in the Apple Cup. The result was a loss, yet the team passed the eye test. That makes this matchup with K-State an attention-grabber.

The preseason expectations for the Wildcats were muted. They have a first-time head coach in Collin Klein, an unproven asset that may turn out to be a home-run hire.

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But their quarterback is still Avery Johnson. Probably unfairly criticized and undervalued, Johnson is a walking threat. The senior QB is a very capable runner.

At the same time, Klein was hired specifically for his offensive system.

It sounds like a match made in heaven. Kansas State crushed their FCS opponent in the opener. A convincing win over WSU would make K-State a contender in the Big 12.

Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.

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Mauricio Pochettino has claimed Tottenham should have been awarded the 2017 Premier League title after rivals Chelsea admitted to breaching financial rules.

The Blues, who beat Tottenham to the title in the 2016-17 season, were fined £10m this summer after admitting to making secret payments to agents between 2011 and 2018.

Chelsea admitted to paying up to £47m to unregistered agents and third-parties over the signings of several key players during that period, including to star forward Eden Hazard.

The breaches took place during the Roman Abramovich era and Chelsea’s new owners, BlueCo, self-reported them following the club’s takeover in 2022 – but they did not face sporting sanctions.

But what if they had been? During a wide-ranging interview, Pochettino said title rivals Tottenham and Chelsea “didn’t compete with the same rules” – and other clubs may feel similarly.

“Maybe we could’ve signed some players that would have made the team better or scored more goals,” Pochettino said. “It’s not me complaining. It’s the truth.”

FA Cup – 2011-12

Runners-up: Liverpool

This was right at the start of the period where Chelsea faced sanctions from the Premier League, while the Stamford Bridge club were also charged by the FA for alleged breaches of the governing body’s rules around agent regulations, primarily relating to the seasons between 2010/11 and 2015/16. The 2012 FA Cup final, where Chelsea defeated Liverpool 2-1, featured the old guard of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, but the opening goal at Wembley was scored by Ramires, the Brazilian midfielder who joined in 2010 from Benfica and whose transfer subsequently fell under investigation.

Carabao Cup – 2014-15

Runners-up: Tottenham Hotspur

You could forgive Mauricio Pochettino for not mentioning the 2014-15 Carabao Cup in the same breath as the 2016-17 Premier League title, but it’s still a trophy where Spurs ultimately finished runners-up to their London rivals. John Terry and Diego Costa scored for the Blues at Wembley as Chelsea won their first trophy under Jose Mourinho’s second spell at the club. Eden Hazard, Willian and Ramires all played in the final and they were among the players whose signings were found to have been involved in the making of secret payments to agents.

Premier League – 2014-15

Runners-up: Manchester City

Chelsea won the title at a canter in Mourinho’s second season of his return, with the signings of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa proving pivotal. Eden Hazard was the player of the year and midfielder Nemanja Matic was named in the team of the year; the signing of Matic, from Benfica in January 2014, was another transfer that fell under the Premier League’s investigation. Manchester City never felt like true challengers this season. Manchester City, however, continue to await the verdict of the hearing into their own financial charges. The Premier League have City’s alleged rule-breaking took place between 2009 and 2018. City have always strenuously denied the charges. Arsenal finished third that season.

Premier League – 2016-17

Runners-up: Tottenham Hotspur

If there was a season for Tottenham to win the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino, this would have been it. Tottenham went unbeaten at home in their last season at White Hart Lane, while scoring more goals than Chelsea and conceding fewer than the eventual champions. They finished the season with a club-record 86 points. “For sure, we [Tottenham] deserve to be champions for that year because we were second best,” Pochettino. “We should have been awarded it. We should win one title, one Premier League. They [Chelsea] were punished, they admitted it, so that’s it. The title should be for the team that was second. It’s not me complaining, it’s the truth. We didn’t compete with the same rules. The Chelsea fans will be upset with me because I’m saying this. But if we were at Tottenham and broke the rules, I’d admit the same and say ‘look, we don’t deserve the title because we broke the rules’.”

While Pochettino praised Antonio Conte’s impact at Chelsea, with the Italian leading the Stamford Bridge to the title in his first season in English football, a year after the Blues had finished 10th, the Argentina said he had “no doubt” that Eden Hazard once again made the difference that season. The Belgian winger scored 16 Premier League goals that season while centre-back David Luiz, another Chelsea player whose transfer to the club fell under the Premier League’s investigation, having joined the Blues from Benfica in 2011 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2016, had his finest season in English football as part of Conte’s back-three.

FA Cup – 2017-18

Runners-up: Manchester United

A second FA Cup final falls under the period that was investigated by the FA and Premier League. Eden Hazard scored a first-half penalty as Antonio Conte’s Chelsea defeated Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United. Hazard would also scored in Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Arsenal in the Europa League final the following the year. Under Roman Abramovich’s 19-year ownership, between 2003 and 2022, Chelsea won 21 major trophies, including two Champions Leagues, five Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, two League Cups and two Europa Leagues.

The Cincinnati Bengals come into 2026 with legitimate Super Bowl expectations — and a lot of pressure on head coach Zac Taylor to avoid a sluggish start.

FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano ranked Cincinnati No. 8 in his preseason NFL power rankings released Sept. 8. Vacchiano acknowledged the upside of a healthy Joe Burrow, an elite collection of skill players and an improved defense.

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But he also surfaced a striking alternative for how the season could unfold.

“Or they could start slow again, and Zac Taylor could be gone by mid-October,” Vacchiano wrote. “It’s a coin flip.”

The warning comes after Cincinnati went 6-11 in 2025 and missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season. NFL.com previously included the Bengals among the teams under the most pressure entering 2026, writing that Taylor “absolutely will feel pressure to win — or else.”

That makes Cincinnati’s opening stretch especially important. The Bengals host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 before road games against the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. They then face the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins before their Week 6 bye.

Taylor has survived previous slow starts, but the consequences are higher after three straight postseason misses.

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With Burrow ready to go and Cincinnati having contender expectations, there may be less patience if September starts to unravel.

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals’ Zac Taylor gets ‘gone by mid-October’ warning

Harshit Rana and Yash Thakur (Agency Image)

NEW DELHI: India fast bowler Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan and the 2026 Asian Games after suffering another injury setback, with Vidarbha pacer Yash Thakur named as his replacement in both squads.As TimesofIndia.com had earlier reported, Rana had been progressing well with his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), but suffered a rectus femoris strain while bowling during a match simulation on September 7. Following the setback, the Men’s Selection Committee ruled him out of the upcoming assignments.The development comes after a prolonged injury layoff for Rana. The fast bowler sustained a hamstring injury during the third T20I against England at Trent Bridge earlier this year.He also injured his knee during India’s warm-up match against South Africa ahead of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup and was ruled out of the tournament. Rana then underwent surgery and missed the 2026 Indian Premier League, where he was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad.After completing his rehabilitation, Rana was brought back into India’s plans and was added to the squad for the third ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai on June 20.The latest injury, however, has forced him out of India’s next two assignments.Rana’s absence will be a blow to a pace attack that already includes Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. The selectors have opted for Yash Thakur as his replacement, handing the Vidarbha pacer another opportunity at international level.Yash Thakur gets another India call-upThe 27-year-old Thakur recently made his T20I debut during India’s tour of Zimbabwe in July. He featured in two matches and picked up four wickets.His domestic record has also made him a regular name in India’s limited-overs plans. Thakur has played 50 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches and has taken 81 wickets at an economy rate of 7.04.He will now be part of India’s squads for both the Afghanistan T20I series and the Asian Games.India will face Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series on September 13, 15 and 17. Although all three matches will be played in Delhi, Afghanistan are the official hosts of the bilateral series.India will then turn their attention to the 2026 Asian Games. The team is scheduled to depart from Delhi on September 18, with Iyer continuing as captain and Tilak as vice-captain.India’s updated squad for Afghanistan T20Is: Shreyas Iyer [C], Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson [WK], Ishan Kishan [WK], Tilak Varma [VC], Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Yash ThakurIndia squad for the 2026 Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur

Manchester United host Sabah FK in the Champions League tonight aiming for three points on their return to Europe’s top competition

Manchester United welcome Azerbaijani side Sabah FK to Old Trafford this evening for their Champions League opener. United enter the game as heavy favourites despite entering this competition for the first time since the 2023/24 season. Their opponents Sabah were founded in 2017 and defied all the odds to reach this stage.

While Michael Carrick’s side is expected to win comfortably, they won’t be underestimating their opponents. Carrick will be looking to field a strong line-up tonight, albeit conscious of the impending derby against Manchester City on Sunday.

United do have a handful of fitness concerns heading into the game that could impact Carrick’s selection calls. With this in mind, MEN Sport has taken a look at the latest injury news ahead of today’s game.

Luke Shaw

Injury: Fatigue

Shaw did not feature in training on Wednesday, ahead of tonight’s game. In his pre-match press conference, Carrick explained the left-back’s absence. “We just gave him an extra recovery day today, Luke,” the boss said. “So, obviously we’ll see by tomorrow how he is, but it’s not an ongoing thing or a plan or anything like that. It was just off the back of the game the other day.

“So, as normal, each individual has kind of different little things that we manage, and Luke was one of them today.”

Potential return date: September 10 vs Sabah FK or September 13 vs Manchester City

Marcus Rashford

Injury: Unknown

After a good performance against Everton, Rashford was replaced on 70 minutes. Carrick confirmed after the game that Rashford ‘felt something’ and thus was replaced as a precaution. Rashford trained on Wednesday and is expected to be fit for tonight’s game.

Potential return date: September 10 vs Sabah FK

Carlos Baleba

Injury: Ankle

Baleba picked up an ankle issue during pre-season with Brighton & Hove Albion. This has prevented him from making his United debut so far. The defensive midfielder was given a return date of 2-3 weeks during Carrick’s press conference at the end of August. He did not feature in training at Carrington on Wednesday.

Potential return date: September 16 vs Brighton

Amad

Injury: Unknown

Prior to the opening day defeat to Hull City, Amad picked up an injury that has kept him out since. Carrick has mentioned that the Ivorian is in a race to be fit before the international break.

Potential return date: September 20 vs Fulham

Matthijs de Ligt

Injury: Back

De Ligt has been missing since the victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in November. What started as a minor injury has gradually evolved into something more serious. In May, he was forced to undergo surgery to correct the issue in his back. Recently, De Ligt has been on the grass again with his teammates but was absent from the training squad on Wednesday.

Potential return date: October 10 vs Tottenham Hotspur

Tom Heaton

Injury: Hamstring

Heaton picked up a hamstring injury while clearing the ball against Paris Saint-Germain in pre-season. He has been absent since and there has been no clear information as to when he may return to the side.

Potential return date: Unknown

Manuel Ugarte

Injury: Knee

The United midfielder is the furthest away from a return after suffering a knee ligament tear during the World Cup. He is not expected to be back before the year’s end.

Potential return date: 2027

NFC West contenders open their regular seasons when the San Francisco 49ers battle the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFL Australia Week 1 matchup in Melbourne on Thursday. Both teams tied for second in the division with 12-5 records last year. The Rams fell short to the eventual champion Seattle Seahawks 31-27 in the NFC Championship Game. The Niners also were eliminated by the Seahawks, losing 41-6 in a divisional round matchup. Aaron Donald will not play for the Rams this week as he continues to condition following his return from a two-year retirement. Visit our DraftKings promo code review and get $200 in bonus bets as a new user after $5+ in wagers here:

Kickoff is at 8:35 p.m. ET from Melbourne Cricket Ground. The latest Rams vs. 49ers odds have Los Angeles as 3.5-point favorites, while the over/under for total points scored is 48.5. Before making any 49ers vs. Rams picks, be sure to see the NFL Australia game predictions from SportsLine’s projection model.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on betting sites on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters the 2026 NFL season on a 53-37 run on top-rated picks dating back to 2024. Anybody following its picks at NFL betting sites could have seen strong returns.

Now, the model has zeroed in on 49ers vs. Rams. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Rams vs. 49ers:

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Top 49ers vs. Rams predictions

After 10,000 simulations of 49ers vs. Rams, the model is going Over 48.5 combined points at betting apps. The Rams and their opponents combined to score 49 or more points in 12 of 20 games, including the postseason. Los Angeles averaged a league-best 30.5 points a year ago. San Francisco was 10th in scoring in 2025, averaging 25.7 points.

San Francisco’s Brock Purdy is projected to throw for more than 220 yards and one touchdown. Los Angeles’ Matthew Stafford, meanwhile is projected to throw for over 235 yards and two touchdowns. SportsLine’s model projects 49 combined points between the 49ers and Rams. See which team to back at SportsLine.

How to make 49ers vs. Rams picks

In addition to going Over on the total, the model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time. See what it is at SportsLine.

Who wins 49ers vs. Rams, and which side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the 49ers vs. Rams spread you need to jump, all from the model that is 53-37 on top-rated picks since 2024, and find out.

It’s NFL picks time again, which means Week 1 torture.

Figuring out Week 1 picks is as complicated as it gets. We have no idea who will be good and who will be bad. How will new coaches impact teams? How will returning injured players show in their first game back? 

That makes picking this week’s games even tougher than other weeks. 

I had a good season in 2025, so let’s see if that can carry over this year. The way I see it, if you can navigate the early weeks and settle in for October and November, you have a chance at a good season.

So let’s start strong — even in the face of Week 1 adversity.

All lines via DraftKings; All times ET

New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks (-3)

• Wednesday, 8:20 p.m. on NBC (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

This rematch of the February Super Bowl will go much like that game. The Seahawks will dominate. Opening on the road in this stadium is a tough ask for any team. The Patriots‘ offense didn’t play well in the postseason and didn’t against Seattle in the Super Bowl. That plays out again here. Seattle wins it.

Pick: Seahawks 26, Patriots 14 

Follow live updates on Seahawks vs. Patriots

San Francisco 49ers (+3.5) vs. Los Angeles Rams, in Australia

• Thursday, 8:35 p.m. on Netflix

The Rams are the trendy Super Bowl pick by most because of all the stars on the roster. But the 49ers have stars as well. These two have played a lot of good, close games. This will be no different. The Rams will win it late, but the 49ers will hang around.

Pick: Rams 28, 49ers 27

Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5)

• Sunday, 1 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The Falcons have quarterback issues with Tua Tagovailoa named the starter. The Steelers are trotting out Aaron Rodgers for the start of his final season. With the Falcons having their two top pass rushers down, this will be a chance for Rodgers to start the season right. The Pittsburgh defense will do the rest. Steelers take it.

Pick: Steelers 27, Falcons 17

Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) at Indianapolis Colts

The Ravens and first-year coach Jesse Minter face a tough road game to open the season. Lamar Jackson and the new-look offense will have success here on the fast track. The Colts won’t be able to match that. Look for a lot of points in this one with Jackson winning it.

Pick: Ravens 34, Colts 27

Buffalo Bills (-1.5) at Houston Texans

The Bills have lost the last six meetings in Houston against the Texans. Josh Allen hasn’t been himself against that defense either. But this Bills team will be much more aggressive. That will help against that vaunted Houston front. On other side, the Bills will attack C.J. Stroud, which will lead to turnovers. The Bills take it.

Pick: Bills 23, Texans 20

Chicago Bears (-3) at Carolina Panthers

• Sunday, 1 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

Caleb Williams and the Chicago offense should be ready to make big strides this season, starting in this one. The problem is the Chicago defense has issues. But I think that defense will play well enough to find a way to win against Bryce Young. Bears take it on the road.

Pick: Bears 29, Panthers 21

Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars (-8.5)

The Browns come to Jacksonville with Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback. That will be an issue against an improved Jacksonville defense. The Cleveland defense should be solid this year, but Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars‘ passing game should have a big day here. Jaguars big as they get off to a good offensive start.

Pick: Jaguars 30, Browns 13

New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions (-7)

• Sunday, 1 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The Saints and second-year quarterback Tyler Shough will be an improved team this season, but this is a tough way to open. The Lions have a dynamic offense and the venue will make it a challenge. Look for Jared Goff and the Detroit offense to have a big day. The Saints won’t keep up. Lions big.

Pick: Lions 33, Saints 21

This game features two teams that need to get off to good starts to try and gain some confidence. The Jets will be facing former coach Robert Saleh here. But this game will be about the Jets’ defense against Cam Ward. I think the Jets’ defense gets the best of him. Jets take it.

Pick: Jets 23, Titans 19 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3.5) at Cincinnati Bengals

• Sunday, 1 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

This is a tough road game to open the season for the Bucs. They have some injury issues at receiver that could be in play for Baker Mayfield against an improved Bengals defense. Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ passing game will face an improved Tampa Bay pass rush. In the end, the Bengals will find a way to win a close one. 

Pick: Bengals 29, Buccaneers 28

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers (9.5)

The Chargers‘ new-look offense under Mike McDaniel will be unleashed here against the Cardinals. It should be run heavy, which will help Justin Herbert with some big play-action shots. The Cardinals will counter with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. This has the look of a blowout.

Pick: Chargers 31, Cardinals 14

Green Bay Packers (+1.5) at Minnesota Vikings

This will come down to how well the Packers handle all those Brian Flores pressure looks on defense for Minnesota. That’s a challenge on the road. But Jordan Love has been good against the blitz in his career. That matters. The Green Bay defense will manufacture enough pressure — without Micah Parsons — to slow down Kyler Murray. Packers win it.

Pick: Packers 26, Vikings 24

Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders (-3.5)

• Sunday, 4:25 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

This is a game featuring two teams that likely won’t be doing a lot this season, so this is a chance to steal a win for both. The Raiders will start Kirk Cousins at home, while Malik Willis makes his first start for the Dolphins. I think this will be close, but the Raiders will win it late.

Pick: Raiders 21, Dolphins 17

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5)

• Sunday, 4:25 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The Commanders come into this one with offensive line issues, which is never a good thing against the Eagles‘ defense, especially on the road. The Eagles had offensive issues last year, but this will be a game to get them going again like the Super Bowl season two years ago. Look for the Eagles to win thanks to the defense.

Pick: Eagles 30, Commanders 21

Dallas Cowboys (-3) at New York Giants

• Sunday, 8:20 p.m. on NBC (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The Cowboys have retooled a defense that badly needed it, which will present a tough challenge for Jaxson Dart. On the other side, the Cowboys’ offense should be able to have success against the Giants‘ defense if they block them. I think they do, even without talented guard Tyler Smith. Cowboys win it. 

Pick: Cowboys 30, Giants 17 

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5)

• Monday, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

This will be Patrick Mahomes in his first start since tearing his ACL. How limited will he be? It won’t help he’s facing one of the best defenses in the league. The Chiefs will counter with a young defense that will try and slow down a good Denver offense. At home, I think they do it. Mahomes wins it late.

Pick: Chiefs 20, Broncos 17

The former partner of boxing legend Ricky Hatton has emotionally opened up about his death for the first time

Ricky Hatton’s former fiancée, Jennifer Dooley, has spoken about his death in an interview for the very first time. It has been nearly a year to the day since The Hitman’s passing.

Greater Manchester was left in ruin on September 14, 2025, when former two-weight world champion Hatton, one of the city’s own, was discovered unresponsive at his home aged 46.

Hatton embodied the spirit of Manchester and thousands lined the streets on October 10 last year as Hatton’s 14-mile funeral procession wound its way from his hometown of Hyde to Manchester Cathedral and eventually the Etihad Stadium. The eulogy at Hatton’s service was delivered by close friend and former head of boxing at Sky Sports, Adam Smith.

In honour of Hatton, Smith has written a book entitled Ricky Hatton: The Light That Never Goes Out. Smith spoke with members of the Hatton family for this heartfelt tribute, as well as some of the fighter’s former partners. This included Dooley, who had only addressed Hatton’s death previously during his inquest and agonisingly said: “I always knew he wasn’t going to be an old man.”

Hatton began dating Dooley shortly after his world title victory over Kostya Tszyu in 2005 and went on to welcome two daughters, Millie and Fearne, with her. He had previously fathered a son, Campbell, with a former girlfriend in 2001 and had since become a grandfather to Campbell’s daughter, Lyla.

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The couple got engaged on Valentine’s Day in 2009, but over the following decade their relationship came under increasing pressure as Hatton struggled with alcoholism and substance abuse. They eventually separated in 2016, though they remained amicable and successfully co-parented their children.

Dooley made the heartbreaking confession in the book, saying: “I always knew he wasn’t going to be an old man. Rick was quite childlike and maybe he never really became an independent, fully functioning adult. I think that’s why he got on with his kids so well. Rick’s favourite time was with his girls.

“He lived for everybody else. He was vulnerable about mental health and so many have come to me since his passing and said they had been very close to the edge.

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“Rick was really empathetic and looked at life through a wide lens, not concentrating on himself. He thought he was the same as everyone else, with small children, trying to navigate life, but he was actually a trailblazer. I wish we could have done something, but he wanted to save others.

“He was as daft as a brush but also so switched on, a contradiction, yes, but he felt very deeply. Millie and Fearne loved their time in the house with him. He was really affectionate and cuddly and they loved him hugely.”

Former Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney began dating Hatton in early 2024, though the pair had known each other for decades, having first crossed paths at various events.

It was their joint appearance on ITV’s Dancing on Ice that truly brought them together and they made their red-carpet debut as a couple in May 2024. She opened up more about their relationship in the book, saying: “I was better than him on the ice. I miss the laughter, even after we split, we were great pals.”

Sweeney and Hatton’s romance lasted less than a year before they parted ways in December 2024, yet the two remained on close terms. She added: “I was blessed to be part of his life.

“He was such a good dad and I have a son so I understood. Ricky introduced me to his great mates. We spoke all the time. Ricky was the joker and although he had his deep moments, the only thing I noticed was that he became unusually reflective. He always had so much time for people.

“My happiest time was when I would come home from filming Corrie and we would cook a nice, healthy meal. Not naughty food. I even introduced him to an air fryer and it changed his life!

“Ricky would get so excited choosing a boxing movie for his home cinema. We would sit on the sofa and watch films. He was so normal. [But] I saw his vulnerabilities.

“He was not frightened to show me then. He was extreme, but he was wonderful. I loved being with all his mates at the pub on the estate or having a sing-song at home. So much laughter. He made me laugh so much.”