Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has been praised by defender Josko Gvardiol for his early sessions with the team.
Enzo Maresca has been called a ‘perfect’ choice to replace Pep Guardiola as Manchester City players enjoy working with the new manager. Maresca took on the daunting challenge of succeeding one of the greatest coaches in the game when he left the Etihad in May after a decade at the club.
All eyes are on Maresca and City to see how they will cope without Guardiola, and their rivals are relishing the prospect of no longer having to compete with the Catalan. Maresca has built his reputation as a head coach over the last three years though and relished the opportunity to take charge at the Etihad after leaving Chelsea last season.
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It is still early days for the squad with many still resting after the World Cup, but those players who have started to work with the new coach have been impressed by his training sessions. City defender Josko Gvardiol described Maresca as perfect for the way that he and the team want to play going forward.
“The level is that high and Enzo has been chosen with reason as the manager,” he said. “I think he has a quality, has some new ideas and also we need to see what we’re going to do [with] the style of [play], the football we are going to play and the tactics and everything. I think he is a perfect one, but of course it takes time.
“It’s something totally new, it’s not easy to change the manager, so we will take time. It’s our job to help him as much as possible and also to listen to try to adapt as quick as possible.”
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Gvardiol was speaking in a wide-ranging interview covering the disappointment of last season and why he will have to play through the pain barrier this season. You can read the full article here.
The new 2026/27 football season is almost here, with the Scottish Premiership kicking off on 31 July and the Premier League starting on 21 August.
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The World Cup concluded barely three weeks ago, yet football supporters have little time to rest – the new club season is almost upon us and promises to be an exciting one.
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With the Scottish Premiership kicking off this week and the Premier League not far behind, now is the perfect moment to ensure you’re ready to watch all the action unfold.
Sky Sportsremains the premier destination for live football in the UK, broadcasting at least 215 Premier League fixtures throughout the season – and that’s merely the beginning. From the opening whistle in Scotland to the dramatic final day in May, there’s an abundance of football to anticipate.
The new Scottish Premiership season begins on Friday with an enticing opener as Derek McInnes starts his spell as Rangers manager, leading his team to face Dundee United. Just three weeks afterwards, the Premier League commences with an appetising curtain-raiser as Arsenal, aiming to retain their title, host Frank Lampard’s Coventry City.
To ensure you don’t miss any of the action, Sky TV’s Essential TV package with Sky Sports is available from £35 monthly with no upfront costs. The package provides access to Sky Stream, Netflix and Sky Sports, although it’s important to note there’s a minimum 24-month contract on this offer and prices may vary during the term.
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Countdown to Kickoff: The Ultimate 26/27 Sky Sports Bundle
Sky’s Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season with more than 1,400 live games across the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.
Every subscription now comes with 135 channels alongside free subscriptions to HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu.
With the Essential package, supporters can enjoy a minimum of 215 live Premier League matches, over 1,000 EFL fixtures – including all the Carabao Cup action – plus a dedicated F1 channel and coverage of all the major golf tournaments.
Fans may also wish to add TNT Sportsto the package for an additional £25 per month – fixed for 24 months – with Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League action all available at the touch of a button, beginning with Aston Villa’s UEFA Super Cup clash with PSG on Wednesday (August 12).
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Further packages are also on offer, including theUltimate TV package from just £24 a month, which incorporates HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, Hayu, and 135 live channels. Sky Sports can also be added for an extra £20 a month, though the same conditions still apply.
TNT Sportswill also broadcast selected Premier League games on TV and its new streaming platform HBO Max. TNT typically holds the broadcast rights to one fixture per gameweek, with Hull vs Man United the first to be aired next season.
Supporters will require a separateTNT Sports subscription to access its coverage, priced at £30.99 via HBO Max or Prime Video’s TNT Sports channel.
Alternatively, fans may prefer to soak up the atmosphere of the opening fixtures this season by purchasing tickets through Seat Unique, which offers a wide range of hospitality options throughout the campaign.
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Key TV Fixtures & Dates
Here are the list of the football matches to be shown live on TV from this weekend’s Scottish Premiership opener to to the opening weekend of the Premier League next month:
Friday 31st July: Start of the Scottish Premiership — Dundee United v Rangers ( Sky Sports )
Saturday 1st August: Carabao Cup Preliminary Round — Tranmere v Rochdale ( Sky Sports )
Thursday 6th August: Carabao Cup First Round — Bristol City v Walsall ( Sky Sports )
Wednesday 12th August: UEFA Super Cup — PSG v Aston Villa ( TNT Sports )
Friday 14th August: Start of the Championship and EFL — Wolves v Blackburn ( Sky Sports )
Sunday 16th August: Community Shield — Arsenal v Man City ( TNT Sports )
Friday 21st August: Start of the Premier League — Arsenal v Coventry ( Sky Sports )
Saturday 22nd August: Premier League — Hull City v Man United ( TNT Sports )
Auqib Nabi favourite to replace Bumrah in India’s Test squad.
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Jasprit Bumrah set to sit out Sri Lanka Tests as knee recovery drags on
India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will reportedly miss the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15.
According to The Times of India, the pacer is still experiencing discomfort in his left knee. It is a concern that surfaced during the second ODI against England.
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The medical team at the BCCI Centre of Excellence has concluded that rushing him back onto the field wouldn’t be worth the risk, and has chosen instead to prioritise a complete recovery.
Earlier reports this week had already indicated that BCCI’s medical staff recommended Bumrah undergo an injection to address the knee trouble.
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The 32-year-old received that injection as planned last month, but his full recovery now appears to be taking longer than doctors initially anticipated. There had been some internal discussion around getting him fit in time for the second Test in Colombo, but the medical team at the Centre of Excellence has opted against taking any chances with his fitness.
Tony Gollan’s strategic decision to transfer the gelding Boomtown Boss to the southern states has resulted in an immediate triumph, with the Queensland sprinter capturing the first black-type race of the current Australian racing season, the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.
Following a truncated Brisbane winter campaign, Gollan elected to freshen the gelding after his effort in the Eye Liner Stakes before relocating him to Ciaron Maher’s Cranbourne base, preparing him for a campaign on the iconic Flemington straight.
The relocation proved to be a masterstroke, as Boomtown Boss, sent out at $13, produced a determined effort to narrowly defeat Royal Insignia ($8.50), with Arkansaw Kid finishing in third position.
Gollan commented that the expansive Flemington layout was always expected to suit the gelding’s racing style.
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“He profiles as a horse who loves big tracks and a lot of room so I felt that for a little while he would make a nice straight horse,” Gollan stated.
“During his winter prep, he was going nowhere and when I zigged I should have zagged, everything was going wrong.”
“I knew this race was on the cards so I backed off him (after the Eye Liner Stakes) and sent him to Ciaron’s (Maher) at Cranbourne to really settle him in.”
“I thought the trip away, and with straight racing, I thought it would suit him and through the race he was travelling alright.”
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Pre-race excitement turned to drama when the original favourite, War Machine, was scratched after escaping through the starting barriers. Further controversy ensued after the race when the connections of runner-up Royal Insignia lodged a protest against winning rider Daniel Moor, alleging excessive whip use.
Stewards noted the excessive whip use but determined it was not sufficient to alter the race’s final result, confirming Boomtown Boss’s victory by a neck.
Moor admitted that the gelding was still gaining experience in straight-track racing.
“He came here a bit unknown down the straight and he did wander about a bit and change legs a lot, but you just know that when you’re on a Tony Gollan horse that they are well prepared,” Moor commented.
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This significant win represents Gollan’s second success in the Aurie’s Star Handicap, with his previous victory coming via Temple Of Boom in 2011.
Compare the latest spring carnival markets with Australia’s leading online bookmakers.
Oh, you’re telling me the best pitcher of the past three years is available for trade? Gee, I wonder who might get him. Could it be the organization that’s landed every top prize of the past few years, the one with farm system that never seems to run out and the financial firepower to make homegrown talent entirely optional? Or would the Dodgers simply decide to sit this one out?
That was me about two days before the trade. It wasn’t the boldest take, but my point was that those entertaining alternate possibilities were setting themselves up for disappointment. This couldn’t have gone any other way. The organizations with the prospect capital to outbid the Dodgers require a pipeline of cheap talent to remain competitive, and the organizations that can buy talent don’t have the prospect capital to outbid the Dodgers (or aren’t even contenders, in the case of the Mets).
The only thing that could have stopped the Dodgers was their own follow-through, and we’ve all seen they have no shortage of that.
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So what did it take for them to complete the deal? Ultimately, three prospects: one who’s pretty close to top tier, one who would also be if he wasn’t 27 years old, and one who’s lesser known but has the sort of numbers that could raise his stature in the future. Their names are Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Maybe that package seems light to you, but you have to remember that Skubal is only rental. Whoever got him was getting him for this year alone. It’s the sort of all-in move that only one organization was in a confident enough position to make. They’re already heavy favorites, and again, spending that prospect capital wouldn’t hurt them nearly as much as it would anyone else. For the Dodgers, it’s a pin prick for what’s likely to be a third straight World Series title. For anyone else, it’s foreclosing the future for what’s likely to be uphill battle against the Dodgers. The Tigers were under no obligation to make the Dodgers sweat here. They just needed them to give up more than anyone else, and Hope alone, for as good as he is, probably clinched that.
Hopefully, that spells it out for you. You may not like it, but everyone is acting rationally here. And if rational behavior by all parties can lead to such a dissatisfying outcome for fans, then there’s a fundamental flaw in the league’s core financial structure, just in time for new CBA negotiations. Goody.
Well, what does it mean for Fantasy Baseball? You turn to me more for that than my rosy disposition, I presume. You already know what I’m going to say here, though. Skubal joins the best supporting cast in baseball. If you didn’t already have him as the top starting pitcher rest of season, even for as good as he’s looked coming back from a midseason elbow procedure, you should now. Over his past six starts, he has a 1.95 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 12.2 K/9.
I’m not even sure anyone loses their job here, at least not immediately. The Dodgers recently had to pull Shohei Ohtani from the starting rotation for a balky knee, with no timetable for a return given, so Skubal probably just slots into his spot, keeping the Dodgers on a six-man rotation. True, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are both on the road to recovery, but Eric Lauer is expendable enough. Meanwhile, Emmett Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki are all likely to have their innings curtailed at some point. This trade ensures that even without Ohtani, the Dodgers are poised to enter the postseason with a rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Skubal, Glasnow and Snell. Goody.
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What about the rest-of-season impact for the Tigers, you ask? Presumably, we’ll see Ryan before the year is done, though he’s currently recovering from a hamstring strain. I suspect we would have seen him even if he had stayed with the Dodgers, but there’s obviously less competition in Detroit. Injuries and the Dodgers’ perpetual surplus have kept him in the minors to age 27, so don’t hold that against him too much. He looked good in four starts for the big club in 2024 and was also pitching well earlier this year, despite being newly recovered from Tommy John surgery. He had a 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 in seven starts at Triple-A before injuring his hamstring in his eighth start.
Again, Hope is the biggest prize going back to Detroit and likely pushes for a roster spot as soon as next spring. He’s a physical player with significant power who just wrapped up a monster July, batting .372 with 10 homers, six steals and an 1.184 OPS. His removal from the Dodgers system frees up a logjam of outfield prospects highlighted by Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero and James Tibbs. Clearly, Dodgers fans still have plenty more to look forward to.
The French Football Federation (FFF) is set to unveil its new manager for ‘Les Bleus’ squad – but the secret is only secret by name. The new coach is expected to be Zinedine Zidane, star player of the mythical 1998 football squad captained by France’s last coach, Didier Deschamps. FRANCE 24’s Emily Boyle is on the ground and tells us about Zidane’s legendary status.
Great Britain won golds in the women’s synchronised 10m diving and artistic swimming mixed duet at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.
Maisie Bond and Lois Toulson achieved a score of 300.06 to clinch the women’s 10m – just ahead of second-placed Germany (298.20) and Ukraine (286.20) in third.
“We came into these championships wanting to win and knowing it was possible,” said Toulson. “We’d been training really hard and looking good I think.
“That was a [personal best] for us. To be able to do that and get a gold medal – we’re really proud.”
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In the mixed duet, Isabelle Thorpe and Ranjuo Tomblin narrowly claimed their first European title in the event.
The pair won with a score of 258.2383 as they beat Spain by just 0.2650 to take victory, with Italy (255.1641) in third.
“It’s incredible. I’m really happy and to have done it with Ranjuo is incredible.” said Olympic silver medallist Thorpe.
“We didn’t have the most smooth sailing preparation due to injury, but it’s good we have been able to come through it and be on top.”
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Tomblin, who defended his title in the men’s solo technical event on Friday, added: “Today is more special because I get to do it with Izzy, so it’s incredible.”
In the men’s 1m springboard diving final, Jack Laugher claimed silver with a score of 418.25 and fellow Briton Jordan Houlden took bronze with 410.30 as they finished behind winner Germany Moritz Linus Wesemann (431.45).
Alex Eala of the Philippines celebrates after winning a women’s singles match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Amid the fame and her continuous rise in tennis, Alex Eala always makes sure to keep her feet on the ground.
The 21-year-old Eala is playing her best tennis yet, and despite her rapidly growing popularity, she has also remained steadfast and focused on becoming better on and off the court.
“For one, I still have so much motivation to become a better player, become a better person. I’m 21, so it’s not like I’m the queen of the world or anything,” Eala said.
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“I think another thing is that tennis is such a humbling sport. Another thing is I look back at how far I’ve come or where I’ve come from. And I’ve come a long way. That’s another thing that keeps me grounded.”
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Having a solid support system plays a big factor in keeping Eala grounded.
“There are so many things. My family keeps me grounded. My team keeps me grounded. Every error I hit on the court keeps me grounded. Every time I’m mad on the court keeps me grounded,” Eala said. “When I wake up in the morning, I have bad hair. There are so many things that keep you grounded. And I feel like these people, they’re here with me. And of course, they’re here for me.”
Apart from her family, Eala said her coach Joan Bosch is also a vital piece in her career.
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“He’s the best, and I trust him so, so much on court.I trust him so much with my tennis and, lowkey, just in life. I’ve been telling him everything, and it makes me feel like I’m not alone on court, along with the rest of my team,” Eala said. “All of us have that dedication and that drive for us to improve. I would think of all the people on tour, you would feel the least alone on court.”
Eala also attributed her rise to the Rafa Nadal Academy.
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“I’ve been there for a really long time, and I spent a lot of my formative years there. I’ve made so many great relationships. And of course, the coaching staff at the academy are so knowledgeable, so experienced. And of course, Rafa himself. So I’ve learned so many things. I left at 13, and now I’m 21. So how much has improved from then to now? I think tactically, physically, technically, so many aspects,” she said.
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The 29-year-old is also set to undergo a medical on Monday before the transfer is officially announced.
Newcastle have been picked apart this summer, with Guimaraes the latest key figure on the way out of St. James’ Park in what has been a chaotic transfer window for the Magpies.
With Guimaraes on his way out, Newcastle will need significant investment to rebuild an already depleted squad to boost their chances of competing at the top end of the table this season.
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They’ve already sorted out their managerial dilemma, with Matthias Jassle set to replace Howe.
Guimaraes’ desire to join Arsenal reportedly played a huge role in helping the transfer move forward, while Newcastle were prepared to consider offers after missing out on Champions League football.
The Brazilian has been a talismanic figure for Newcastle since joining from Olympique Lyon in January 2022 in a deal worth around £40m.
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Over the past few years, he has established himself as one of the team’s leaders and a fan favourite.
He’s also considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, which explains why Arsenal were ready to pay a premium fee to secure his services.
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Despite missing two months of last season through injury, the Brazilian still finished as Newcastle’s top Premier League goalscorer with nine goals.
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He’d become Arsenal’s third signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Greek winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who joined on a free transfer after leaving Leeds United.
Welcome to our special cricket edition of our Who am I? game.
The rules are simple. Each day of The Hundred there’s a new cricketer taking part in the tournament who we want you to guess in as few attempts as possible.
After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. Guess the answer after as few clues as possible to score more points.
Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.
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So take part and return for more tomorrow.
Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Callum Matthews.
After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Sports Quizzes page and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.
Aug 1, 2026; Carson, California, USA; FC Dallas forward Petar Musa (9) kicks the ball into the face of LA Galaxy midfielder Justin Haak (15) during the first half at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images
Jonathan Sirois made nine saves to help FC Dallas preserve a 0-0 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night at Carson, Calif.
It was only Dallas’ fifth clean sheet, and the first of the season for the 25-year-old Canadian, who returned to the net last weekend when new acquisition Daniel had to depart with a hamstring injury.
Sirois’ performance helped Dallas (7-5-6, 27 points) improve to 2-2-1 five matches into a stretch of nine consecutive away league fixtures during the latest phase of an ongoing construction project at its home stadium.
J.T. Marcinkowski made four stops to keep his second clean sheet and a third for the Galaxy (5-7-7, 22 points), who are winless in their last five.
Los Angeles led 18-16 in shots and 9-4 in efforts on target, but missed a chance to go above the playoff line had it been able to find a goal and earn a third home win of the season.
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Sirois’ best moment in the first half came on saves of John Nelson and Marco Reus in the 37th and 38th minutes before Harbor Miller followed with another attempt that missed high of the frame.
He was even busier after the break.
He denied Joseph Paintsil in the 58th minute with a lunging stop to his left, and substitute Kyogo Furuhashi 10 minutes later with a comfortable save from the Galaxy newcomer’s first real involvement in the game.
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Then came the dying stages, when the Galaxy finally showed some desperation but could not solve Sirois.
In the 90th minute, he arched back to push Jakob Glesnes’ arcing header over the crossbar for arguably his finest stop of the match.
Just a moment later in second-half stoppage time, he intervened on what may have been an intended cross by Paintsil from the right side of the penalty area, nonetheless providing an important pair of sure hands for the visitors.
After that, he easily handled another effort from Nelson that came in at a catchable height, and punched away Reus’ free-kick service on what was the final kick of the game.
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