Emery has had to roll with the punches during his three-and-a-half years in charge but he has consistently improved Villa, having taken over when they were 14th following Steven Gerrard’s reign.
In Austria, skipper John McGinn pointed to the fact they still have Emery while others – Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea – have new managers and that Villa’s structure remains intact.
“We have a structure in place, standards and rules which have made us a success. I am really excited about the new Aston Villa,” said McGinn.
The striker scored on his debut against PSG, eight months after initially signing from Metz for £10m, and could prove one of the surprises of the season.
The drive towards younger players comes after Roberto Olabe replaced Monchi last September as president of football operations with a long-to-mid-term directive on transfers.
Midfielder Joao Gomes, 25, was sent off on his Premier League debut for the club at Brighton, while goalkeeper Suzuki, 23, and defender Matteo Ruggeri, 24, started on the bench.
Villa have also had an £18m bid rejected for 24-year-old Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
The loan signing, with an obligation to buy, of Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea allows Villa to spread the cost, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka set to move from West Ham on a similar deal.
“The problem is they may now be at the end of a chain of transfer deals, with the players involved and their transfer targets dependent on other moves happening first,” said the former Villa decision-maker.
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Above all, though, Emery remains Villa’s biggest asset and he has overhauled them before. This time it would be one of his biggest achievements.
“There’s a lot of hope and ambition resting with the manager,” said the ex-Villa Park executive.
“He’s the ace card they’ve got left and everybody’s hoping with his experience and knowledge they can pull through.
“It’s a lot of pressure on him and you’ve got to wonder if he’s trying to think ‘maybe I need to go somewhere else with more resources?’
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“I don’t think it’ll be this season but, at some stage as a manager, you get fed up juggling all those demands.”
Fans have already began to speculate over who Lopez may turn his attention to next, and it didn’t take ‘The Takeover’ long to make his intentions perfectly clear.
“September 12th you’ve got Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn. We’ll see what happens there, we’ll watch. Obviously Keith Connolly [Lopez’s manager] manages Conor Benn so if he wins it’s a great fight to take across the pond, and I’m rooting for it anyway.”
Lopez also admitted he could be interested in a battle with IBF champion Liam Paro, but explained why he wouldn’t want to take on WBO champion Devin Haney just yet.
“I’d rather wait for Devin at the end, and the only reason why is to reclaim the whole situation with undisputed, not undisputed. We’ll see what Devin does on that end, so it’ll either be Liam Paro next or the winner of Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn.”
Lopez is referring to when he campaigned at lightweight and insisted he was undisputed champion following his win over Vasiliy Lomachenko, only for Haney to be recognised as the legitimate WBC titleholder, meaning there is plenty of history between the pair.
NEW DELHI: The 2028 India Open will be staged in Guwahati, with the Badminton Association of India (BAI) confirming that the tournament will temporarily move out of New Delhi due to Republic Day security arrangements.BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra said the Super 750 event, scheduled for the last week of January 2028, would clash with heightened security protocols in the national capital around January 26.“The 2028 India Open will be held in the last week of January and due to the tournament dates clashing with Republic Day security arrangements in the National Capital, we felt that only for that year, we should shift the tournament to Guwahati,” Mishra said on Sunday.He added that the relocation is a one-off decision, with the tournament set to return to New Delhi the following year.“It will return to New Delhi in 2029,” he continued.The India Open will be held from February 2–7 next year, shifting from its previous January slot to address player complaints. World No. 4 Anders Antonsen, a four-time World Championships medallist, has missed the India Open for the last three editions, including this year, due to pollution and coped a fine of USD 5,000 for his latest withdrawal.Earlier in the week, Badminton World Federation (BWF) Secretary General Thomas Lund had said the governing body is continuing to examine the scheduling of India Open.“There’s obviously a lot of logistical things when you do these things, and we have obviously been in close dialogue around the whole calendar,” Lund had told reporters.“Coming into 2027, it’s quite a bit of quite short space and for now it hasn’t been possible to totally move around, move out of the first quarter.”He acknowledged that a complete restructuring of the calendar has not yet been possible because of domestic scheduling commitments, but said the BWF has already made improvements and would continue to assess further changes.“Right now it hasn’t been possible due to domestic load to actually totally move around in the calendar, but something we are looking at,” Lund said.“But we have actually looked into a schedule that has been improved and will be improved further down the road.”The India Open has been held at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi in recent editions and is one of the marquee stops on the BWF World Tour calendar. Guwahati, which has previously hosted major badminton events including the BWF World Junior Championships and international team tournaments, will now become the first city outside New Delhi to host the India Open in recent years.
When it comes to picking the right wedge, there are an awful lot of factors to consider, and there might be a few different options that work for your game.
From shape to bounce to grind to loft to shaft to offset, the list goes on and on.
On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, co-host Jake Morrow explained one common wedge characterisitc that he’s actually no longer looking at when he’s picking his wedges.
“I’ve started to really not care about what the bounce says at all,” Morrow said. “Because I think it’s just a number associated with the shape, and the shape is infinitely more important than whatever that number is.”
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The measurement of bounce often differs between OEMs. One company’s low-bounce wedge could have a similar grind to another’s mid- or even high-bounce wedge. You may even see trends in the next few years of companies removing the bounce number from wedges.
Morrow then explained that he looks for the visual of how the leading edge sits at address. If it’s a little higher off the ground, then he knows the wedge will have some bounce at the bottom and allow him to be a little more aggressive with his attack angle, which is what he wants.
He also explained that there’s a difference between finding the right lob wedge and the rest of his set. It can actually be easier for him to find a lob wedge than a sand and gap wedge.
“I can get over the look of a 60 a little bit quicker than I can over the look of the 50 and the 56,” Morrow said. “The 56 for me, the biggest thing it has to do is look good and play well out of the bunker. A 60 has to do a bunch of things. And then the 50 has just got to look good and go the right distance. That’s kind of my criteria”
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A lot of that, Morrow said he could learn from hitting balls of a mat, which means, yes, it is OK to get fit for wedges indoors and you’ll likely end up with something that works well for you.
Paris Saint-Germain are the overwhelming favourites to continue their dominance of Ligue 1, although there are no shortage of hopefuls seeking to dethrone them.
“Ferran is an international-level player,” coach Luis Enrique said. “He fits perfectly with what we’re looking for. He can play anywhere in attack, with a great mentality.”
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PSG have also bought Maghnes Akliouche and Lucas Digne, both in France’s squad at the World Cup, as well as Belgian Mika Godts, signed this week from Ajax Amsterdam.
Unfit for play
The French champions have been forced to move their Ligue 1 opener against Stade Rennais on Sunday after scorching summer heat left their Parc des Princes pitch unsafe, the club said.
PSG alerted France’s professional football league (LFP) on Monday to the poor condition of the playing surface. A specialist team inspected the pitch and ruled it unfit for play, the LFP said.
The match will instead be played at Rennes’ Roazhon Park.
The extreme heat prevented the grass, which PSG grows from seed rather than installing as rolled turf, from developing properly, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. The stadium’s concrete structure intensified the conditions, the person added.
The club’s Qatari-backed resources have ensured they are able to attract a steady stream of talent as they set off in search of a 15th French championship and sixth in a row.
Lens finished six points adrift of PSG last season in second spot, and won the French Cup. And while they have lost coach Pierre Sage to Crystal Palace, German Dino Toppmöller made a winning start in the season-opening super cup encounter.
Modest hopes
Lille, whose third-place finish last season means they qualify directly for the group phase of the Champions League, have a new coach in 36-year-old Davide Ancelotti.
Former Brazil international Filipe Luis has taken over at Monaco, who had a disappointing campaign by finishing seventh and have offloaded injury-plagued Paul Pogba, who had little impact last season.
Olympique de Marseille were runners-up twice to PSG over the last five campaigns, but with Bruno Genesio arriving from Lille to take the helm they look to be starting a rebuild that will take more than one season for them to be genuine contenders.
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Marseille, who open the league campaign at home to Racing Strasbourg on Friday, were last champions in 2010.
Troyes and Le Mans are the two newly promoted sides, replacing Nantes and Metz, while Nice managed to keep their top-flight status by beating Saint-Étienne over two legs in the promotion-relegation playoff at the end of May.
“The future is bright” — Wakama reacts as D’Tigress continue USA Tour
Nigeria’s D’Tigress suffered a heavy 90-55 defeat to Belgium in their latest World Cup warm-up game, SportsRation Reports.
D’Tigress struggled after the half-time break as Belgium raised their game and pulled away to secure a convincing victory.
The Nigerian team will now look to bounce back in their remaining warm-up matches against Mali and Puerto Rico as preparations for the World Cup continue.
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The games will give D’Tigress another chance to improve their performance and build confidence ahead of the tournament.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is competing with Shedeur Sanders for the starting role. Watson, who has not played in the NFL since his Achilles tear in 2024, was booed by fans during the preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
Watson went 5-for-12 for 36 passing yards and one interception and was booed by fans as he exited the home preseason game. Following the game, the veteran quarterback said the reaction from fans was “personal.”
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“I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do with the performance,” Watson said. “It’s a little bit more personal than that. So, I think it’s a disrespectful thing.”
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NFL commentator Joe reacted to Watson’s comments after he was booed by the Browns fans.
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“Yeah, dude. You’re widely believed to be a s*x criminal, you are the highest paid QB ever, the Browns replaced a star QB with you, and you’ve been objectively abysmal ever since leaving Houston. I’d be kind of worried if they didn’t hate you.”
Yeah, dude. You’re widely believed to be a s*x criminal, you are the highest paid QB ever, the Browns replaced a star QB with you, and you have been objectively abysmal ever since leaving Houston. I’d be kind of worried if they didn’t hate you.
Watson, who signed a blockbuster five-year, $230 million deal with the Browns in 2022 after a trade from the Houston Texans, has managed just 19 games with a 9-10 record, 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over four seasons.
Apart from his injury struggles, Watson’s off-field controversy has also sparked criticism. He faced 27 civil lawsuits accusing him of se*ual misconduct and assault during massage therapy sessions.
Although he settled the lawsuits and wasn’t convicted, he was suspended for 11 games and was handed a $5 million fine by the NFL in 2022 in the wake of the allegations.
Shedeur Sanders didn’t “appreciate” boos from Browns fans for Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson, who hopes to reclaim his spot on the Browns lineup, faces competition from second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders for the starting role.
Despite the competition, Sanders didn’t “appreciate” the reaction from fans during the Bills game.
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“Yeah, I mean, in general, I don’t appreciate that at all,” Sanders said. “Regardless of competition, we’re all human beings. I think we all need to understand that. In this room too, we’re all humans. I don’t do things to humans that I wouldn’t want done to me.
“For all the fans, we appreciate you showing up, and however you feel about the situation with Deshaun and everything, I think it’s more about a bigger purpose and it’s respect. We’re going out there to win games, doing everything we can. So I don’t really appreciate that.”
It will be interesting to see the reaction from Browns fans if Watson is named the starting quarterback over Sanders for the 2026 season after Saturday’s fallout.
Swimmers in action during the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Championships in Boracay. – PAI/Pet Salvador via PSC
MANILA, Philippines–Jie Angela Mikaela Talosig surprised herself with a bronze medal in her international debut at the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Championships on Sunday at Boracay Newcoast.
The 20-year-old La Salle varsity swimmer clocked 1 hour, 18 minutes and 57 seconds to finish third in the women’s 20-and-above division.
Indonesia’s Nadya Sirasawati won gold in 1:07.23, while Thailand’s Musikul Hirunhas took silver in 1:09.15.
“Honestly, I just wanted to experience competing at the international level, so to win a bronze medal for my efforts, and in front of a hometown crowd at that, is a pleasant surprise,” Talosig said.
“This is a truly nice feeling,” added Talosig, who won a gold in the women’s 800-meter freestyle and two bronzes in the last UAAP Season 88 swimming meet.
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Julia Jewels Pobleto also won bronze in the girls’ 12-13 3K event after clocking 50:40.
Thailand’s Kanchana Konsub won gold in 47:16, while compatriot Aliyah Sawangmun took silver in 49:48.
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Alfonso Joaquin de Mesa narrowly missed the podium after finishing fourth in the boys’ 14-15 division in 1:04.57.
Thailand’s Kantapong Polyiem took bronze in 1:02.55, while Vietnam’s Vin Thai Bao Nguyen won gold in 57:44 and Thailand’s Sakdichot Talawong settled for silver in 59:42.
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The three-day championships were organized by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Aquatics Inc. and sanctioned by the Southeast Asian Swimming Federation.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes and several Argentina players have received bans and fines for their part in clashes with Spain players at the World Cup final, FIFA said on Friday. Spain won the match 1-0 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
Argentina have also been ordered to play their next two home matches behind closed doors, though one match of that sanction is suspended.
Boca Juniors player Paredes will be banned for 10 international games and was fined $90,000.
A brief scuffle erupted at the final whistle when Paredes grabbed Eric Garcia by the throat and wrestled Spain’s Gavi to the ground as the European champions’ substitutes rushed onto the pitch to celebrate.
Paredes’ Argentina teammate Nahuel Molina received a seven-match ban and must also pay a fine of $90,000, while Thiago Almada was suspended for one match and fined $30,000.
Gavi was handed a similar penalty for his part in the fracas.
The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has been fined $321,000 for breaches of FIFA’s disciplinary code relating to using a sports event for making demonstrations of a non-sporting nature, team misconduct, and discriminatory chants and gestures by its supporters.
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After Argentina beat England 2-1 in a tense World Cup semi-final, several Argentina players held up a banner saying: “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”).
Argentine forces invaded the British overseas territory in the southwest Atlantic Ocean in 1982, which resulted in then-British prime minister Margaret Thatcher sending a naval task force to reclaim them.
The resulting conflict, which lasted for 74 days from April to June 1982, led to the deaths of 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen. Three people from the islands also died.
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The AFA said it would appeal the suspensions and fines.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has launched an investigation into England fast bowler Brydon Carse after footage emerged on social media showing him being led away in handcuffs by police outside a nightclub in Derby. The incident reportedly occurred late on Saturday, August 22, after Carse joined his Durham teammates for celebrations following their 338-run County Championship victory over Derbyshire.Videos circulating on social media show Carse surrounded by police officers outside a busy nightclub, with four officers appearing to escort the England pacer away in handcuffs. Durham teammates Matthew Potts and Ben Stokes were also present at the scene, with Potts seen attempting to speak to Carse.According to The Telegraph, Carse was briefly detained but was not arrested. He was subsequently released and returned to the Durham team hotel. The circumstances that led to police intervention remain unclear, and there has been no official confirmation about whether Carse was involved in any altercation.The incident could have implications for Carse’s England future. The fast bowler was released from the national squad to play for Durham after missing the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley, but remains part of England’s squad for the second Test at Lord’s, beginning on August 27.Carse is due to rejoin the England camp on Monday. The ECB and Cricket Regulator are understood to be gathering information before deciding whether any further action is required.“We are aware of an incident which is reported to have taken place in Derby last night, and are currently investigating,” the ECB said in a statement.“We will provide a further update when possible.”The investigation comes just days after England Test captain Joe Root called on his players to set a better example following the start of his second stint as Test captain.“You always want to represent your country in the best possible light,” Root told BBC Sport.“We might have fallen short of that on a few occasions in the recent past. The only thing we can do to rectify that is be really good role models, good human beings and put in really strong performances on the field,” he added.
Earning a first DP World Tour win in 14 years – and effectively saving his job by doing so – would be enough to disturb the composure of most golfers.
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But as Scott Jamieson tried to come to terms with ending his drought at the Nexo Championship in Aberdeenshire, the 42-year-old Scot found himself speaking to President Donald Trump on a video call.
It has become tradition that the United States president contacts the winner at Trump International Golf Links in the immediate aftermath of their success.
And Glaswegian Jamieson was the bewildered recipient of the call this time, following compatriot Grant Forrest last year.
“He was very complimentary and it sounds like he was actually watching it,” Jamieson told BBC Sport Scotland. “He said he was following along, so it was really cool… I mean he is the President of the United States.”
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That Jamieson kept his shape over a tense final few holes is testment to his resolve. The Scot posted a final round 67 to come from three shots back and beat England’s overnight leader Matthew Jordan by a couple of strokes.
He finished on 11 under par, for just his second DP World Tour triumph, with his last success coming in 2012 at the Nelson Mandela Championship.
And given he looked at significant risk of losing his card, it has given Jamieson the security of knowing his playing rights are secure for next season at least.
“I didn’t realise it had been 14 years,” he conceded. “I practice every day and explore different ways to get better and sometimes it is like you are just banging your head against a wall. So the odd win here and there makes it all worthwhile.
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“There have been times where I ‘ve thought ‘I might be losing my job here’ so thankfully I don’t need to worry about that for over the next few weeks.
“And hopefully this may open up some doors to kick on and try and push up the ladder.”
Defending champion Forrest endured a tough Sunday, with a score of 80 taking him to a 10 over total.
But fellow Scots Euan Walker and Connor Syme were among those in a share of 10th place on four under.
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