Michael Carrick cut a frustrated figure as his unbeaten start to life as Man Utd head coach came to a disappointing end at Newcastle.
Michael Carrick said his Manchester United side must learn their lessons from a painful defeat at Newcastle after seeing his unbeaten start in the job come to an end.
United had a man advantage for the whole of the second half after Jacob Ramsey was sent off before the break, with Anthony Gordon and Casemiro both scoring in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
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But they failed to press home that advantage, with Newcastle starting on top and dominating the early exchanges in the second half, which left Carrick particularly agitated on the touchline.
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United did weather the storm and seemed more likely to find a winner before William Osula’s stunning 90th-minute goal and Carrick admitted defeat was a painful one to take.
Asked what was irking him at the start of the second half, he said: “Just the way the game was going. Emotions are part of the game. Certain things we wanted to do and we didn’t do it.
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“It’s football, these things happen in the game, it goes away from you. There are certain things we have to do. We can be an awful lot better.
“I’m really, really disappointed with tonight, for different reasons. But we can’t lose sight of the position we’ve got ourselves in as well.
“So, as much as I’m disappointed, and we need to learn from it, because it’s been a lesson for us tonight in some ways, we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture as well.”
The Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs lock horns in a regular-season game at the Frost Bank Center on Thursday, with tipoff at 8 p.m. EST. It is the second matchup between the two teams this season, with the Spurs winning the first encounter 114-103.
The Pistons suffered a 113-109 loss in their previous game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. They no longer hold the best record in the league, but remain in first place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 45-15 record.
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Meanwhile, the Spurs destroyed the Philadelphia 76ers 131-91 in their previous outing on Tuesday. San Antonio remains in second place in the Western Conference standings with a 44-17 record.
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Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs Preview, Starting Lineups Tonight, Betting Tips and Game Prediction
Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs Betting Tips and Odds
Moneyline: Pistons (+132), Spurs (-156)
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Spread: Pistons +3.5 (-111), Spurs -3.5 (-111)
Total over/under o/u: Pistons o228.5 (-111), Spurs u228.5 (-111)
Editor’s note: Odds might change closer to tipoff.
Betting Tips
Victor Wembanyama is expected to record over 3.5 blocks.
Cade Cunningham is expected to record under 23.5 points.
Jalen Duren is expected to record over 11.5 rebounds.
Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs Preview
Cade Cunningham has been hot and cold of late, which has adversely affected the Pistons. Against the Cavaliers, Cunningham scored 10 points on 16 shots, while turning the ball over five times. Detroit needs its best player to raise his level and bounce back with an MVP-level performance against the Spurs.
Jalen Duren has been the Pistons’ best player recently, averaging 25.5 points and 13.7 rebounds on 64.4% shooting. He enters this matchup after winning the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award. The Pistons need him to win his matchup against Victor Wembanyama, just like he did when the two teams met last month.
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Meanwhile, the Spurs will face a much stronger challenge against the Pistons than they did against the Sixers on Tuesday. San Antonio made Philadelphia look like a G League team and shot over 55% from the field, including 40% from beyond the arc.
The starters delivered a rollicking performance as usual, and the bench contributed handsomely as well, with rookie Dylan Harper putting on a show off the bench. The young guard made eight of his 11 shots en route to 22 points. Keldon Johnson scored 12 off the bench, helping the Spurs record the most dominant win of their campaign.
Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineups Tonight
The Spurs are at home and already beaten the Pistons once this season. San Antonio would be confident of getting the job done once again and we expect Wembanyama to lead his team to yet another victory.
Jai Opetaia has consistently voiced his plans to become the undisputed cruiserweight world champion, but that dream may be about to fade, with reports suggesting that the Aussie has been given an ultimatum just four days before his fight with Brandon Glanton.
Opetaia won the IBF cruiserweight world title when he overcame Mairis Briedis in 2022, but he was stripped of the belt after just one title defence after opting to fight Ellis Zorro in Saudi Arabia, a fight which the IBF refused to sanction.
Back in January, the unbeaten southpaw signed with Zuffa Boxing – a decision which confused fight fans due to Dana White’s plans to phase out the four traditional belts.
“There is a lot of things that are happening behind the scenes and I am a proud fighter that won the IBF fair and square, and I am happy to hold that belt.
“Whether we defend it [against Glanton] or not, I am not sure, but I will be defending it. Whether it’s in this one or the next one.
“It is my mission to become undisputed, so I don’t become undisputed without the IBF as well.
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“[There is no danger of me being stripped] that I know of. I don’t think there is any danger.”
Now, just 96 hours before facing Glanton, ESPN’s Salvador Rodriguez has reported that the IBF have informed Opetaia that he must pick whether to fight for the Zuffa title or for their belt.
“Sources: IBF has requested Jai Opetaia to make a decision on the title he’ll be fighting for this weekend. He can either defend the IBF title or fight for the promoter’s belt, but not both.”
Sources: IBF has requested Jai Opetaia to make a decision on the title he’ll be fighting for this weekend. He can either defend the IBF title or fight for the promoter’s belt, but not both.
Being the marquee signing of Zuffa Boxing, and should this report be accurate, it is expected that Opetaia will elect to fight for the Zuffa belt and then hope that the IBF do not strip him and thus scupper his plans to challenge the victor of Ramirez-Benavidez for the unified cruiserweight throne.
SCG will play host to Thursday’s
Round 1 AFL game between Sydney Swans and
Carlton Blues. The game kicks off at 7:30 pm with Sydney Swans heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Sydney Swans vs.
Carlton Blues
game and give you our free tips and bets.
The 2026 AFL season begins under lights at the SCG, where Sydney hosts Carlton in a season-opener rich with storylines. All eyes will be on Charlie Curnow as he lines up in red and white against his former club, having requested a trade from the Blues in a deal that saw Will Hayward and three first-round picks head to Princes Park.
Carlton enters the new campaign in transition after a nine-win 2025, farewelling Sam Docherty to retirement while Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni joined St Kilda. The Swans also fell short of expectations, missing the finals for just the fourth time in 23 years despite 12 wins.
Sydney claimed a 16-point victory in this fixture last season, with Isaac Heeney starring in a dominant midfield display. Thursday night shapes as an early litmus test for both clubs’ new eras.
In less than four weeks, Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder will step into the ring for their landmark 50th professional bouts.
Ahead of the fight, Tony Bellew has provided his prediction, where he believes one man will go through the other ‘like a knife through butter’.
A two-time world title challenger, Chisora’s recent string of victories has seen him rise the rankings and and come close to a possible third shot at the heavyweight crown, with belts expected to soon fragment.
Although, in an interview with First Round Boxing, Chisora’s good friend and fellow British boxing fan-favourite, Bellew, believes ‘Del Boy’ will not walk away from the sport following his dust-up with Wilder.
“No, I don’t think it is [his last fight]. I don’t think that he will ever retire from boxing. Boxing will retire that lunatic, he won’t retire from boxing, which is sad.”
As for the fight itself, Bellew admitted that he would have been concerned if the fight was made a few years prior, but that he now favours Chisora over the American, due to his superior hunger and will to win.
“If this fight would have been made three or four years ago, it would have probably caused murder.
But, at this stage now, I think that he [Derek] will come through a few dodgy moments in the first couple of rounds and then he will go right through him [Wilder], like a knife through butter, in the second half of the fight.
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“Wilder is always going to have that punch, but I just don’t believe that he actually wants it, the way that Del wants it. I think that has been apparent in his last few fights.”
Scottie Scheffler has a little reminder for those who might be worried about his slow starts.
But before we get to that, here’s a refresher: Scheffler, the top golfer on the planet, has a victory and finished in the top 12 in all four of his starts this season. That’s pretty good for anyone, but what’s peculiar for him is that, save for his victory at the American Express in his first start of the year, he’s opened the last three tournaments with 74, 72 and 73 in the first rounds.
Very un-Scottie Scheffler-like. And those rough opening rounds have been just enough to keep him out of the winner’s circle. He’s tied for 117th in first-round scoring average this season (70.50), trailing Chris Gotterup by about five full shots (65.80).
This week, Scheffler is back at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Fla., for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a tournament he’s won twice and never finished worse than 15th. On Wednesday, he was asked about those slow starts and if there’s anything he might do differently pre-round to fix them. This is where he offered a reality check.
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“Last year on Tour I led the Tour in first-round, second-round, third-round and fourth-round scoring,” he said. “So I’m not too concerned over a very small sample size.”
He’s right! How quickly we forget.
In fact, Scheffler’s opening rounds have been where he’s at his best. His scoring average in the first round last year (67.45) was better than his Tour-leading averages in the second (68.0), third (68.40) and fourth (68.10) rounds.
Go back another season and he led the Tour in scoring average in the first (67.84) and second (67.53) rounds in 2024. And then turn back the clock one more year, to 2023, and his 67.91 first-round scoring average also led the Tour.
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So to recap: should we really worry about the guy who has played better opening rounds than anyone else in each of the past three years? Probably not.
“When you look at the body of work for me this year, I played four tournaments, so that’s 16 rounds,” Scheffler said. “And I’ve always been a guy that’s been really good at staying in the present, doing what I need to do in order to go out and play well. And so at 16 rounds I’ve had 13 that have been really solid and three that haven’t been as good. So I’m still batting at a pretty nice percentage. And so if I wanted to dig deep into it I could completely change how I approach tournaments, but I don’t think that would be very wise.”
Scheffler begins his opening round at 10:20 a.m. ET on Thursday alongside Russell Henley, meaning we are less than 24 hours away from finding out if Scheffler is about to ditch the trend he’s really not worried about in the first place.
Nigeria’s dream of playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to an end after FIFA confirmed the final teams for the inter-confederation play-off tournament.
In a statement released on Wednesday, FIFA named DR Congo as Africa’s representative in the six-nation competition. The decision means there is no place for Nigeria in the tournament.
The Nigeria Football Federation had earlier submitted a formal protest. The federation claimed that DR Congo used ineligible players during their CAF play-off match in November 2025. That game ended 1-1 before Nigeria lost on penalties.
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Nigeria’s appeal asked FIFA to overturn the result and award them a spot in the inter-continental play-offs. However, FIFA’s latest update has now settled the matter.
According to FIFA, six countries will compete for the final two tickets to the World Cup, which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 cities.
The qualified teams are Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname. The play-off matches will begin on 26 March.
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With DR Congo officially confirmed, Nigeria’s protest has failed, ending their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup.
NEW DELHI: The defending champions India take on England at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday in the second semi-final of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The winner of the contest will then face New Zealand in the summit clash in Ahmedabad on Sunday, after the Kiwis defeated South Africa by nine wickets in the first semi-final in Kolkata on Wednesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!While the weather forecast currently looks clear, fans remain cautious after two earlier matches in the tournament were washed out due to rain, raising concerns about what could happen if the weather disrupts the knockout match.
Why India vs England semi-final match will be a nightmare for bowlers | T20 World Cup 2026
To prevent chaos in the crucial stage, the International Cricket Council has scheduled a reserve day for both semi-finals. If rain or bad weather stops play on the scheduled day, the match will either continue or restart on the following day, ensuring that every effort is made to produce a result.There is also additional time built into the playing schedule. The semi-finals have up to 90 minutes of extra time on the main day, while the reserve day allows up to 120 minutes of extra play if required. For the final, both the main day and the reserve day have 120 minutes of additional time available to complete the match.
Mumbai Weather Forecast at Match Time Today
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For a valid result to be declared, each team must bat at least 10 overs. If rain prevents that from happening on the main day, the match will resume on the reserve day from the exact point where it stopped rather than starting from scratch.However, if the game still cannot be completed even after the reserve day, the rules favour the team that finished higher in the Super 8 stage. This scenario could prove tricky for India. India finished second in their Super 8 group, while England topped theirs with three wins.That means if the India versus England semi-final is completely washed out, England would advance to the final. The tournament final is scheduled for March 8 in Ahmedabad, with March 9 kept as the reserve day.
Mandatory testing introduced last year to verify the sex of track and field athletes has been branded a “backwards step” and a “harmful anachronism” by a group of academics.
World Athletics implemented testing for the SRY gene last September, a measure designed to ensure that only biologically female athletes can compete in the female category at the elite level.
The governing body’s president, Sebastian Coe, stated at the time that the decision was taken to “protect and promote the integrity of women’s sport”.
However, 34 academics have now sharply criticised the testing in a report submitted to the British Journal of Sports Medicine and shared with the Press Association.
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Sebastian Coe spoke out on the testing last year (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)
The group, which includes Professor Alun Williams from the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute for Performance Research, argues that the testing violates athletes’ human rights and risks creating significant stigma and psychological distress.
“These new regulations are an anachronism, and a harmful one,” the report authors wrote.
“They are a simplistic way of reducing a characteristic to a single gene, which does not reflect the complex nature of sex, and is couched in narratives of protecting the sanctity of fair competition in the women’s category that are not based in science and need to be challenged.”
The report further highlights an absence of robust data demonstrating that the presence of the SRY gene in individuals with a difference in sexual development (DSD) directly correlates with athletic performance advantages.
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Professor Williams added separately: “There are already stigma and shame to people both inside and outside of sport arising from these regulations, and these consequences cannot be considered proportionate to the objective pursued by World Athletics.
“The longevity of the new regulations will probably be determined in court, but not before subjecting women and girl athletes to foreseeable and unjustifiable harm.”
The report also challenges World Athletics’ implication that genetic tests are straightforward, easy to administer, preserve dignity and privacy, and maintain confidentiality.
“These ostensibly reassuring words ignore the practical challenges, legal constraints, and huge ethical problems of implementing such tests across 214 member federations,” the report concluded.
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In response, a spokesperson for World Athletics defended the policy, stating: “Biological men competing against biological women violates the human rights of thousands of female athletes who have the right to compete on a fair and level playing field. The expansive research on the performance advantage of biological men in sport is unequivocal.”
IOC president Kirsty Coventry is expected to explain how the female category at the Olympics can be best protected in the coming weeks (AP)
They added: “All athletes competing in the female category at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year successfully took a once-in-a-lifetime low-invasive SRY test – an excellent example of global co-operation among our 214 member federations and World Athletics to ensure the protection of the female category.
“Our thanks go to them for having the passion and determination to make this happen.
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“Clear and comprehensive communication, counselling if requested, complete confidentiality, and robust follow-up processes if test results are inconclusive are a critical and core part of World Athletics’ implementation of this test designed to protect and promote the integrity of women’s sport.”
The International Olympic Committee is expected to issue a consensus statement on how it believes the female category could be best protected in the first quarter of this year, according to its president Kirsty Coventry.
NEW DELHI: Speculation surfaced on social media after India’s win over West Indies that Sanju Samson could face disciplinary action — or even a ban — for his emotional on-field celebration in Kolkata. The rumours claimed that the Indian batter might miss the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against England on Thursday because he dropped his helmet to the ground after hitting the match-winning boundary.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The moment came at the end of a tense chase when Samson sealed India’s victory with a boundary. As the ball raced away, the right-handed batter removed his helmet and dropped it onto the ground before falling to his knees and offering a prayer. The emotional celebration quickly went viral, with some observers suggesting the act might fall under the International Cricket Council’s Code of Conduct related to equipment abuse.
Why India vs England semi-final match will be a nightmare for bowlers | T20 World Cup 2026
Sanju Samson’s possible ban: What do the ICC rules say?
A closer look at the rules suggests that the fears of a suspension are largely misplaced. Under Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, players can be penalised for “abuse of cricket equipment,” which includes actions such as throwing or striking items like helmets, bats, or stumps in frustration. The rule also covers deliberate damage to advertising boards, boundary fences, or dressing room fixtures.Even if Samson’s act were to be reviewed under this provision, it would most likely fall under a Level 1 offence — the lowest category of disciplinary breaches. Level 1 incidents typically attract fines or demerit points rather than suspensions.Former international umpire Anil Chaudhary also dismissed the speculation, explaining that Samson’s gesture appeared to be an emotional celebration rather than an act of anger or protest. According to him, such moments are common in high-pressure matches and are rarely treated as serious offences.Recent examples support this interpretation. Scotland’s George Munsey received only one demerit point earlier in the tournament after throwing his helmet in frustration following his dismissal.As things stand, there has been no official charge or complaint against Samson from match officials. India are scheduled to face England in the semi-final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 5, and the wicketkeeper-batter remains fully eligible to play.
India and England will face off in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2026 on Thursday, March 5. The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will play host to this contest.
India finished at the top of Group A in the initial round. In the Super 8s, they finished second in Group 1 and qualified for the semifinal. The Men in Blue made it to the top four for the sixth time in the history of the tournament.
On the other hand, England finished second in Group C to advance to the Super 8s. In the Super 8, they topped Group 2 and remained unbeaten. This is also England’s sixth semifinal appearance in the T20 World Cup.
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While the Men in Blue are the defending champions, having won the previous edition in 2024, England won the tournament in the 2022 edition.
On that note, let us take a look at three players who could score the most runs in today’s clash between India and England.
#3 Jos Buttler
England opener and senior pro Jos Buttler has had a tournament to forget so far. Despite his experience, he has failed to get going at the top. In seven games, he has scored just 62 runs at an average of 8.85 and a strike rate of 106.89.
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That said, England will back Buttler in a knockout game and expect him to come good under pressure. He is due for a big score and would like to deliver in the semifinal.
Buttler has played 27 T20Is against India and has scored 644 runs at an average of 32.30 and a strike rate of 143.75. Moreover, having played for the Mumbai Indians (MI) and a lot of IPL cricket, he will be aware of the conditions at the Wankhede Stadium as well. In 24 IPL games at the venue, he has scored 761 runs at an average of 34.59 and a strike rate of 141.19.
#2 Harry Brook
England captain Harry Brook has been in solid form for them in the tournament so far. He is their leading run-getter with 228 runs from seven games at an average of 32.57 and a strike rate of161.70 with a century and a half-century.
Brook has a decent record against India. In 10 T20Is, he has scored 171 runs at a strike rate of 140.16. In India, he has scored 179 runs from nine T20Is at a strike rate of 147.93 with two half-centuries.
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At the Wankhede Stadium, Brook has played three T20Is, scoring 72 runs at a strike rate of 144.00 with a half-century. The England skipper will aim to lead from the front with the bat in a crucial game.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav‘s form has been hot and cold in the tournament. He began on a brilliant note with an unbeaten 84 against the USA, but has not gotten a big score after that. However, he has been batting well, scoring 231 runs from seven games at an average of 38.50 and a strike rate of 135.88.
Against England, Suryakumar has scored 349 runs from 13 games at a strike rate of 171.92. In three T20Is at the Wankhede, he has scored 93 runs at an average of 43.50 and a strike rate of 150. Moreover, he has played 39 IPL games at the venue, piling on 1394 runs at an average of 43.56 and a strike rate of 165.36.
Playing domestic cricket for Mumbai and IPL for the Mumbai Indians (MI), he will be expected to do well with the bat in familiar conditions.
