Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) talks with a referee before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings will sign a different quarterback this offseason — perhaps a trade — but no one is too sure whether that man will be competition or insurance. If the Vikings opt for the insurance angle, just a player to step in for J.J. McCarthy gets hurt or falters, they’ll need a better plan than last year.
Minnesota can chase insurance if it wants, but the cleanest path stays centered on McCarthy and the long-term bet already in place.
While this website doesn’t necessarily pound the table for “J.J. McCarthy no matter what,” the following is the case in support of McCarthy — if Kevin O’Connell indeed puts all his eggs in the McCarthy basket.
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Reasons the Vikings Should Stick With J.J. McCarthy as QB1 in 2026
Laying it out, why Minnesota might keep McCarthy as the for-sure QB1.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy and center Michael Jurgens work through pregame routines at U.S. Bank Stadium, with the scene unfolding on Aug. 10, 2024, as Minnesota readied for Las Vegas while the pair synced snaps, footwork, and timing during early warmups ahead of the preseason opener. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
Youth — All the Youth
McCarthy turned 23 a couple of weeks ago. He hasn’t even approached an age to determine if he’s “bust.” That term is usually reserved for players around age 25 or so.
Minnesota drafted him at age 21, and two years in, he hasn’t taken the league by storm, missing 70% of games due to various injuries and struggling in 2025, outside of some clutch moments and about three games in December.
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No NFL team should wholly give up on a 23-year-old who was drafted in Round 1 two years ago. It’s too early. It’s just a matter of whether the Vikings have the patience to let it ride or want to hedge the bet by signing another passer to compete with McCarthy.
The Famous O’Connell Quote
A year and a half ago, O’Connell said on the Rich Eisen Show, “I just think as a whole, there’s not enough emphasis put on the organization’s role in the development of the position, meaning I believe that organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations.”
Little did he know, he’d get a chance to put his money where his mouth is in the 2026 offseason. If he trades McCarthy or finds a different-but-various-obvious QB1, he will have fallen victim to what he preached against.
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He also said, “Just overall 30,000-foot view, I think it’s important to understand that every single one of these guys is on a journey. A very difficult journey. That they need the support, they need the teammates around them, they need the systems in place to ultimately try to maximize who they are and what their potential is because you’re still drafting players off of potential.”
“And then everything that happens from that moment to when that potential becomes a reality is really on the organization if you’ve got the right guy that you’re bringing in.”
If O’Connell truly believes his own quote, McCarthy will stay put and probably earn the QB1 job in September.
“I do believe there’s some times where things just don’t work out, and then getting a chance to kinda wipe the slate clean and get a restart while still using your previous experiences to kinda shape how you’re gonna work, why you’re gonna work, why things are important to you, will only make guys better in the end and I think we’ve seen some examples of that in our league as well over the last few years,” O’Connell concluded in September 2024.
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The Sam Darnold Cautionary Tale
In March 2025, the Vikings allowed Sam Darnold to depart in free agency for the Seattle Seahawks, failing to re-sign the passer who had just tossed 35 touchdowns or franchise-tag him as tradebait.
In the 2026 offseason, failing to develop McCarthy could, in theory, set him on a path to another Darnold-like story: Minnesota drops him, and he later thrives with another team.
Do Vikings fans really want to endure this again? How about the Vikings’ ownership?
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The Jared Goff Comparison
McCarthy’s career through 10 starts has begun exactly like Goff’s in 2016.
Fast forward a decade, and Goff is considered a Top 12 quarterback in the NFL. While not widespread, there is a teensy bit of precedent for players like McCarthy “figuring it out” after some initial doldrums.
McCarthy’s Performance against WAS, DAL, and NYG
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When McCarthy healed from one of his many injuries in 2025, he returned for back-to-back-to-back games against NFC East opponents — mostly poor defenses — and excelled. He very much looked the part of a Top 10 quarterback, and that’s not an exaggeration based on those three games alone.
Of course, he got hurt against the Giants, stunting his momentum. That’s the story of McCarthy’s career early on.
Nevertheless, we’re not talking about a young quarterback who’s never played well. He played great, in fact, against the Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants. At a Pro Bowl level, even.
He Can Already Do the Hard Stuff
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Strangely, McCarthy nailed the hard throws in 2025 but often struggled with the basics.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy goes through throwing drills at U.S. Bank Stadium, with preparations taking place on Jan. 4, 2026, as Minnesota geared up for Green Bay while McCarthy loosened his arm, reviewed protections, and settled into his routine ahead of a late-season divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
As recently as mid-December, Pro Football Focus‘ Nick Akridge wrote, “Putting impressive throws on tape: McCarthy’s season-long big-time throw rate is now 7.2%, tied for the highest among all quarterbacks in the NFL. There’s no denying the pressure on McCarthy. The Vikings went all-in on him as their franchise quarterback this offseason, and the early returns were uneven.”
“But development was always going to take time, and over the past few weeks, the confidence and decisiveness have clearly shown up on tape. These remaining games are crucial for his growth, and if McCarthy continues to look like he did in Week 15, Minnesota should be right back in the NFC mix next season.”
One would think that if McCarthy has the tricky throws on speed dial, he should be able to figure out the fundamentals in the backdrop with proper coaching.
Trashy quarterbacks don’t make throws like this:
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A Short Leash from Ownership
While it’s tempting to cut bait with McCarthy in favor of something more comfy, there’s a very small chance the Wilfs insist that the Vikings — O’Connell in particular — sink or swim with McCarthy.
After all, if one assumes that McCarthy doesn’t work out, the next leadership regime should get a clean slate. That would include the quarterback.
Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf observes pregame activity along the sideline at U.S. Bank Stadium, with the moment dated Sep. 14, 2025, as Minnesota prepared to face Atlanta while Wilf took in warmups and the atmosphere surrounding an early-season home matchup. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
This probably isn’t a stipulation from the Wilfs — they seem to adore O’Connell — but it needed to be noted for full context.
The NFL’s 6th-Best Passer from Week 14 On
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These are the numbers to know about McCarthy’s rollercoaster first season as a starter:
Now ask yourself: Do you really want the Vikings to give up on a guy who turned into the NFL’s sixth-best quarterback in the final month of the year, his first season ever as a starter? Does that seem smart?
Adrenaline was running high for Austrian snowboarder Benjamin Karl after winning a second straight Olympic gold medal in the men’s parallel giant slalom on Sunday.
And that adrenaline had him not feeling the cold temperatures, as he ripped off his jacket and clothes in celebration.
Karl, 40, was flexing his arms and screaming, ripping off his jacket and four layers of clothes during his celebration. He was even seen face down on the snow, which was surely cold, but he didn’t care.
Gold medalist Benjamin Karl of Team Austria reacts after winning the Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Big Final on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Livigno Snow Park on Feb. 8, 2026 in Livigno, Italy.(Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Karl was an Olympic gold medalist once again, and that’s all that mattered at the moment.
Before his medal-winning run, Karl was trailing South Korea’s Kim Sang-kyum for most of the final race, when he took full advantage of Kim’s mistake.
Karl crossed the finish line 0.19 seconds ahead of his South Korean opponent to win gold at Livigno Snow Park. Rounding out the podium was Bulgaria’s Tervel Zamfirov with bronze.
Gold medalist Benjamin Karl of Team Austria celebrates after crossing the finish line in first place to win the Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Big Final on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Livigno Snow Park on Feb. 8, 2026 in Livigno, Italy.(David Ramos/Getty Images)
The crowd at Livigno Snow Park loved every moment of Karl’s celebration, which certainly ranks atop the initial reactions to winning gold at Milano Cortina thus far.
After the celebration, Karl eventually redressed and joined Kim and Zamfirov on the podium.
As the Austrian national anthem played, Karl’s smile never faded.
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Gold medalist Benjamin Karl of Team Austria celebrates after winning the Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Big Final on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Livigno Snow Park on Feb. 8, 2026 in Livigno, Italy.(David Ramos/Getty Images)
He also made Olympics history, becoming the first snowboarder to win four medals. He also won a bronze medal in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, while capturing silver in 2010 in Vancouver at Whistler.
Feb 23, 2014; Sochi, RUSSIA; Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) prepares for the face-off against Sweden in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Bolshoy Ice Dome. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
MILAN, Italy — Sidney Crosby waited 12 years to be back at the Olympics but the Canada captain said on Sunday that he sometimes felt as though no time had passed, as he stepped onto the ice at the Milan Cortina Games for the first time.
Future Hall of Famer Crosby is in the minority as a returning Olympian in Milan Cortina, where the NHL is allowing its players to compete in the Games for the first time since 2014, casting a massive spotlight on the men’s tournament.
“There’s some days that it feels like 12 (years) and other days it feels like yesterday,” said Crosby, the architect of Canada’s “golden goal” in 2010, who also helped the team to the top of the podium in 2014.
“There’s been a lot of anticipation ever since we found out we were going back to the Olympics. … So it’s just great to be with the guys, get out there and get to work.”
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Crosby and his teammates hopped off the plane and just hours later onto the ice for their first practice at Santagiulia Arena on Sunday, swamped by reporters with little time to waste ahead of Wednesday’s tournament kickoff.
Led by the Pittsburgh Penguins center Crosby, the Canadian team are favored after beating rivals United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last year.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, another marquee name on the Canadians’ wildly accomplished roster, praised Crosby’s leadership as he prepared for a “surreal” Olympic debut.
“He’s been here and done that and played in the biggest moments and succeeded,” McDavid told reporters. “Just a calming presence … a guy that doesn’t get too high or too low.”
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Canada begins its Olympic campaign with a Group A game against Czech Republic on Thursday.
The Seattle Seahawks produced a devastating defensive display to beat the New England Patriots and claim their second Super Bowl victory.
Two of the NFL’s strongest defences battled it out in Sunday’s showpiece and the Seahawks emphatically came out on top to win 29-13 at Levi’s Stadium.
It was a defensive performance for the ages and Briton Aden Durde played a pivotal role, becoming the first overseas coach to win America’s biggest game.
Seattle’s 46-year-old defensive coordinator has helped create the most-feared defence in the NFL, which has become known as ‘the Dark Side’, and they showed why on American football’s biggest stage in Santa Clara, California.
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New England’s second-year quarterback Drake Maye narrowly missed out on this season’s Most Valuable Player award but was stifled by the Seahawks, who claimed six sacks, forced three turnovers and claimed a defensive touchdown.
After Seattle led 9-0 at half-time, Maye’s first turnover resulted in the game’s opening touchdown for tight end AJ Barner early in the fourth quarter.
Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu then returned an interception for a 45-yard touchdown, while Jason Meyers kicked a record five field goals.
A Davis Cup tie between Columbia and Morocco recently witnessed some shocking scenes, as Colombian player Nicolas Mejia pulled out a controversial ‘shut-up’ celebration. The Moroccan audience was unimpressed by Mejia’s gestures and threw bottles on the court in retaliation.
On Sunday, February 8, Mejia took to court at the Union Sportive Marocaine Tennis Club in Casablanca against home player Reda Bennani. The match got off to an impressive start for the Colombian as he clinched an easy win in the opening set. While Bennani rallied in the second set, in the end it was Mejia who took the win 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. After his victory, the 25-year-old celebrated by shushing the crowd but the audience was quick to return fire, throwing bottles at the Columbian team.
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Watch a video of the moment below:
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The Davis Cup tie between Columbia and Morocco began on a strong note for the latter, with Rena Bennani beating Adria Soriano Barrera. However, things went downhill for Morocco from there, with Columbia clinching the next three matches to win the tie.
Nicolas Mejia defends himself after causing Davis Cup controversy between Colombia and Morocco
Mejia at the 2023 Davis Cup (Image Source: Getty)
Nicolas Mejia’s celebration at the Davis Cup caused a fair amount of controversy, but the Columbian tennis star has defended himself against allegations of disrespect. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the World No.177 stated that the Moroccan crowd had threatened him and his family while maintaining ‘zero fair play’, writing,
“You don’t know what happened. All the time people threaten me and my family. Moroccan team on my face and trying to make people scream at me more every point. Zero fair play. Better get your facts before talking what you don’t know.”
In a separate post, Mejia agreed that his celebration hadn’t been the best, but maintained that his gestures were solely in response to insults he had been receiving, explaining,
“My celebration probably wasn’t the best, but I’d been putting up with insults against me and my family the whole match from the crowd, and insults from the opposing team and captain. I let it out, and that’s it. But I didn’t insult anyone.”
Nicolas Mejia is one of Colombia’s leading tennis players at the moment. Outside of the Davis Cup, the 25-year-old, who turned pro in 2019, makes regular appearances in ATP Challenger events and has achieved a career-high ranking of World No.168 earlier this year.
City went into that game wanting to reply to Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday afternoon. But they had champions Liverpool and Anfield standing in their way.
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After a pretty uneventful first half, the game burst into life upon the restart. City found themselves a goal down after Dominik Szoboszlai’s strike in the 74th minute.
But they turned it all around in the final six minutes plus stoppage-time with Bernardo Silva finding the net, and Erling Haaland making no mistake from the spot. There was, however, time for more drama.
City thought that they had made it 3-1 with a late goal, only for VAR to rule out that goal. It was determined that Haaland had fouled Szoboszlai as the ball was making its way into the net.
The Liverpool man was, however, shown a straight red for a pull on Haaland when he was through on goal.
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The win for City moves them to within six points of Arsenal. It means that the next few weeks could be crucial in the title race. Here’s a look at what awaits for the current top-three;
Arsenal (1st place, 56 points)
vs Brentford (A) – Thursday, February 12 (8pm)
vs Wigan (H) – Sunday, February 15 (4.30pm) – FA Cup
The verdict: The standout fixture here is the North London Derby against Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It’s followed by another difficult clash against a resurgent Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.
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Man City (2nd place, 50 points)
vs Fulham (A) – Wednesday, February 11 (7.30pm)
vs Salford City (H) – Saturday, February 14 (3pm) – FA Cup
vs Newcastle (H) – Saturday, February 21 (8pm)
vs Leeds (A) – Saturday, February 28 (5.30pm)
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vs Nottingham Forest (H) – Wednesday, March 4 (7.30pm)
The verdict: On paper, at least, City probably have the easiest of runs, with games against teams in the bottom half of the table.
vs Newcastle (H) – Saturday, February 14 (5.45pm) – FA Cup
vs Leeds (H) – Saturday, February 21 (7.30pm)
vs Wolves (A) – Friday, February 27 (8pm)
vs Chelsea (H) – Wednesday, March 4 (7.30pm)
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The verdict: Villa’s home form could be key over the next few weeks, with four of the five coming at Villa Park. They will have to make the most of that if they’re to close the gap.
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Super Bowl Sunday is upon us and the proverbial “big game” has arrived! The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will kick off Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET. The Seahawks are a 4.5-point favorite against the Patriots with a total installed at 45.5. The Seahawks moneyline odds are -225, while the Patriots are +188.
The Super Bowl brings plenty of fun times with a sizable portion of the American public (and many around the world) watching the game. Whether you’re a football fan or not, there’s a good chance you’ll be watching the game either at home or at a friend’s Super Bowl party. There will be great food and commercials, but also, plenty of prop bets.
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This is the first game in four years not to feature the Kansas City Chiefs, and Seattle is coming into this with high expectations. We’ll be focused on if they finish the job or if the Patriots can spring the upset, but there will be plenty more to enjoy even if you aren’t a fan of either team. There is no shortage of bets to place on just about every possible outcome you can imagine at Levi’s Stadium. Advanced bettors may be the ones focused on the details, but plenty of folks just want to bet on the coin flip or the length of the National Anthem. There is something for everybody on Super Bowl Sunday.
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FanDuel Sportsbook has put together a list of 12 prop bets with an either/or answer on its printable prop bet tracker. The tiebreaker is the final margin of victory for the winning team. You can view the printable prop sheet below, and below that I will be updating the results as they come in before, during, and after the game.
You can use this printable prop bet tracker as part of a contest at your Super Bowl party or just among you and your friends.
If you’ve found this article, odds are you probably know what a prop bet is (pun entirely intended there). But maybe you just stumbled across this here at sbnation.com and have no idea what I’m talking about. If that’s the case, you probably do know what it is, but the term itself is what’s confusing you. A prop bet is when you bet a specific event happening within the auspices of a larger event. There is some greater nuance to it, but we’ll stick with that for now.
You can bet on whether the Seahawks or Patriots will win or lose on Sunday, but you can bet on so many more things besides that. You can bet on Drake Maye total passing yards, or if Sam Darnold will throw an interception (or even a specific number of interceptions), or if Kenneth Walker III will rush for more or less than a certain amount of yards.
We have the full printable prop bet scorecard above, and below we’ll be tracking results into the evening. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor!
Results
National Anthem (119.5 seconds): Over/Under Coin toss: Heads/Tails More turnovers: Seahawks/Patriots First team to score: Seahawks/Patriots Team leading at halftime: Seahawks/Patriots Bad Bunny total songs (11.5): Over/Under Will Cardi B wear a Stefon Diggs jersey: Yes/No Team to start 2nd half with the ball: Seahawks/Patriots Will both teams score in the 3rd quarter: Yes/No Total points scored be odd or even: Odd/Even Will winning coach have Gatorade or water poured on him: Gatorade/Water Will QB win SB MVP: Yes/No Final margin of victory: 16
As the Super Bowl entered the fourth quarter, things got a little bit more intense on the Levi’s Stadium field.
Stefon Diggs of the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks defensive back Josh Jobe grabbed each other’s facemasks early in the fourth quarter and had to be separated, but not before a punch was thrown.
The incident came shortly after the Seattle Seahawks made it a 19-0 game.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe leaves the field at the end of the first half against the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field.(Kevin Ng/Imagn Images)
Jobe pushed Diggs to the turf out of bounds, and Diggs got in Jobe’s face to return some pleasantries.
Diggs then grabbed Jobe’s facemask before Jobe returned with an open hand to Diggs’ head area. Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins then had to take Diggs away from the situation.
Jobe then threw a left fist at Diggs.
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Refs did not catch Jobe’s punch, so he stayed in the game.
Treveyon Henderson of the New England Patriots catches a pass against Josh Jobe of the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Perhaps the brouhaha lit a fire under the Pats, because Mack Hollins scored a touchdown shortly after to make it a 19-7 game.
For a long while, the game looked to be perhaps the first in Super Bowl history without a touchdown, but two were scored on back-to-back drives in a short time after slow offense through three quarters.
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New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29) in the first half in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.(Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Agrarian Girl’s grit has been praised by Adrian Bott as her defining trait, earning her a potential entry into the Golden Slipper via a debut triumph in the Lonhro Plate at Randwick.
Jumping at $31 despite accounting for Hidrix, the Canonbury Stakes winner from last weekend in a trial, the filly set the tempo early before threatening to succumb to Spicy Miss ($3.70), who filled the minor placing.
Displaying resolve, she fought back emphatically to hit the line a half-length in front, leaving Savage Look ($61) 1-3/4 lengths adrift in third.
Bott revealed the stable held no doubts about her ability, viewing her trial efforts as part of an ongoing education process.
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“Maybe she has looked a little bit under pressure in her trials, but she has still been learning and developing, and she responded in those and that’s exactly what she did today,” Bott said.
“She has been a very talented filly all the way through. We did feel we were throwing her a little bit in the deep end, we did have her nominated for Canberra yesterday as well.
In fairness, off her trials and the way she looked, she just looked too magnificent to pass up racing here for a bit of black type on her home track.”
The result qualifies Agrarian Girl for a pathway to the Golden Slipper (1200m), with Bott to decide on the next steps.
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“I think we have to. Whether that’s through a Silver Slipper or we trial into a race like the Reisling (Stakes), she has certainly got to be in contention with that tenacity she showed today,” he said.
“I’m sure there is some really nice improvement to come.”
Jockey Winona Costin notched an early double on Agrarian Girl after landing the opener aboard Zenmaster for Craig Carmody, appreciating the stakes chance from Bott and Gai Waterhouse.
“I’ve always been able to get a fair few two-year-old winners for them so it’s good to get one in town for them,” Costin said.
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Stablemate Lady Moscato, the $3.60 market leader, ran fourth after setting the pace wide.
Resuming from a debut second at the Gold Coast last month, Bott anticipates further progress.
“She was honest. She just got a little bit keen outside the lead,” he said.
“Maybe the time between races for her, she’s still got plenty of time to keep improving.”
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Agrarian Girl’s Golden Slipper quote has contracted from $101 to $34. Bettors should review racing betting markets ahead of her anticipated campaign.
A busy and exciting round of matches took place in the Nigeria Premier Football League on Sunday, with several home teams recording important wins, while some visitors earned hard-fought draws.
Ikorodu City began the day in fine form with a 2-0 victory over Tornadoes. Joseph Arumala was the hero, scoring from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute before adding a second goal late in the game to seal the win.
Rangers and Abia Warriors played out a tight contest that ended goalless, while El Kanemi Warriors and Warri Wolves also shared points in a scoreless draw.
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Kun Khalifat continued their strong home record with a 2-0 win against 3SC. James Ekebuike opened the scoring in the 24th minute, and Blessed Iyamu added another shortly after the break to make the points safe.
Kano Pillars also made home advantage count, defeating Remo Stars 1-0. Luis Dadong scored the only goal of the match in the 57th minute.
Plateau United claimed a late 1-0 win over Kwara United, with Sadiq Yusuf scoring the decisive goal in the 88th minute.
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In Lafia, Nasarawa United and Bayelsa United played to a 1-1 draw. Victor John gave the hosts an early lead in the seventh minute, but Energy Otunuya equalised before halftime.
The most dramatic match of the day was in Bauchi, where Wikki Tourists and Katsina United played out a thrilling 3-3 draw. The game was disrupted by fan protests and was briefly stopped due to poor visibility. Katsina United also had Uche Collins sent off after receiving a second yellow card. The match is expected to resume from the 78th minute on Monday morning.
Sunday’s results showed how competitive the NPFL remains, with teams still battling hard for points as the season continues.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored a late penalty as his team came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield.
19:48, 08 Feb 2026Updated 20:05, 08 Feb 2026
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Manchester City striker Erling Haaland told Liverpool goalscorer Dominik Szoboszlai that he didn’t want to talk to him moments before scoring the winner at Anfield. The Norwegian centre-forward had a quiet afternoon for the most part on Merseyside but with the scores level he was given the chance to win the game.
In the first minute of second half stoppage time, Matheus Nunes was brought down by Alisson to gift City a chance to win the game. Before the penalty could be taken, Nunes was receiving treatment and this gave Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister an opportunity to try and put the forward off.
Reflecting on that moment, the forward told Sky Sports: “He [Szoboszlai] started speaking with me, also Mac Allister, but I don’t remember [what he said] I was just focusing. I told him [Szoboszlai]: ‘This is the first time I don’t want to speak with you, so move away,’ but in the end I was nervous and then I am just happy that I scored.”
Haaland and Szoboszlai would then be at the centre of VAR controversy. With Alisson at the other end of the pitch as Liverpool pushed for an equaliser, City won the ball back and Rayan Cherki looked to have scored from his own half.
Both Haaland and Szoboszlai were chasing the ball as it trickled towards the goal. VAR intervened and ruled out the goal and the makeshift full-back was sent off for fouling Haaland.
Amidst that confusion, City managed to see out the game but Haaland admitted he felt sympathy for Szoboszlai, who he played alongside at RB Salzburg. “Of course the referee has to follow the rules but this will give him three games and in the end I feel bad for him because he gets three games [ban],” Haaland said.
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The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.
“Just give the goal, don’t give a red card. Simple as that.”
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Moments before that disallowed goal, Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a world class save to deny Mac Allister’s long range effort and Haaland reserved praise for the Italian. He concluded: “You see in the second half they managed to play good football and we managed to keep it away.
“Look at Gigi, look at the last save he made. It was incredible, the one with Mac Allister shooting. This is, for me, out of this world and it shows why he is the best in the world.”
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