European champions Liverpool made an emphatic start to the new Premier League season by scoring three times in the opening half an hour as they taught promoted Norwich City a harsh lesson with a 4-1 thrashing at Anfield on Friday.
The 32-year-old has not played singles since losing in the first round of the Australian Open in January to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, after which he underwent hip resurfacing surgery in a bid to salvage his career.
World number three Stan Wawrinka beat Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(8) 6-2 on Saturday and will play Alexander Zverev in the St. Petersburg Open final. The Swiss top seed, playing his first tournament since beating Novak Djokovic to win the U.S. Open title, wore down the Spanish fourth seed Bautista Agut after a tight first set.
Chelsea's renaissance under Roberto Di Matteo faces the ultimate test on Wednesday, a trip to fortress Eastlands to face a Manchester City side who must win to stay on the coat tails of leaders Manchester United.
Images from Day 2 of the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday.
FC Pune City also bolstered their defence by signing former Espanyol and Deportivo La Coruna defender Diego Colotto for the second edition of the eight-team league beginning on October 3.
Unbeaten in six games, the draw leaves third-placed Sevilla on 51 points, four ahead of Real Sociedad and five ahead of both Getafe and Atletico Madrid, while Levante are 12th on 35 points.
Brazil firmed up to 3-1 favourites to win the World Cup for the sixth time after goals from Neymar and Roberto Firmino secured a 2-0 win over Mexico and a place in the quarter-finals on Monday.
Victory in their first match on the league's resumption after the COVID-19 stoppage took basement team Espanyol to 23 points from 28 games, three points off the safety zone.
Barcelona's famed youth academy has taken a back seat to big-name signings in recent years but as a result of the FIFA transfer ban imposed on the club, promising youngsters have been given a chance to shine in Luis Enrique's side.
Belgium's soccer team received a hero's welcome in Brussels on Sunday, after achieving their best-ever World Cup result in Russia.
Chelsea moved into the Premier League's top four as Mason Mount's superb first-half goal earned them a 1-0 win at champions Liverpool who suffered a club-record fifth straight home league defeat on Thursday.
Liverpool raised the bar so high and enjoyed such a huge winning margin in claiming the English Premier League title last season it would be churlish to doubt their credentials for a repeat showing.
The loss was the joint-heaviest defeat by a side already crowned Premier League champions. Arsenal were beaten 4-0 at Liverpool in 1997-98 in the game after they clinched the title.
Moments to remember from the quarter-finals.
Europe's national teams will emerge from a 10-month hiatus as the second edition of the UEFA Nations League kicks off this week, still under the shadow the COVID-19 pandemic which brought football to a standstill earlier this year.
Aston Villa have terminated the contract of manager Steve Bruce following a dismal start to the season, the English Championship club said on Wednesday.
India's assistant coach Sanjay Bangar termed out-of-form Shikhar Dhawan as a vital cog, saying the team management wants the right-left combination to fire at the top of the order with the World Cup round the corner.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker scored a stunning header in the fifth minute of stoppage-time as Liverpool snatched a 2-1 victory at the death against relegated West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Sunday.
Juventus substitute Cristiano Ronaldo was denied a stoppage-time winner by VAR as Udinese came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw in their thrilling Serie A season opener on Sunday.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has a midfield conundrum and his Tottenham counterpart Mauricio Pochettino must decide whether Harry Kane is ready for action as both bosses face selection dilemmas for Saturday's Champions League final.
Such is the impact Sadio Mane has made on Liverpool that the 24-year-old is an automatic pick to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday while experienced international teammates scrap it out to play alongside him.
Images from Saturday's action in the English Premier League.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said he was the "proudest man on earth" and lavished praise on his "underdog" team for having the belief to upset five-times champions Brazil on Friday to reach the World Cup semi-finals for only the second time.
Klopp said the youngster has regained match fitness to be considered for his senior debut.
Manchester City now need, at most, 11 points from their remaining seven matches to secure their third Premier League title in four seasons.
Novak Djokovic kicked off his season in style with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Canadian talent Denis Shapovalov on his favourite Rod Laver Arena court on Tuesday before returning to lead Serbia to a doubles victory that sealed their ATP Cup opener 2-1.
Italy's Fabio Fognini said it was a 'strange feeling' playing a Davis Cup tie with no fans. Japan were also playing their tie against Ecuador in an empty stadium in Miki because of the coronavirus spread, which has played havoc with sporting fixtures across the world.
'I hope Brazil can win. It's a long time since 2002, and I think it's time'
San Siro has become a hindrance rather than a help for Inter Milan, coach Roberto Mancini said following their 2-1 home defeat by champions Juventus.
Coach Roberto Mancini made eight changes to the starting line-up from the team which lost 1-0 to Portugal in the Nations League in their last outing where he in turn had made nine changes from the previous game.
Former Chelsea winger Florent Malouda will join Brazilian Roberto Carlos at the Delhi Dynamos for the second season of the Indian Super League, the club announced on Sunday.
The growing rumours that Jose Mourinho will be the next manager of Manchester United were further fuelled by a throw-away remark from Inter Milan dignitary Bedy Moratti on Saturday. The Portuguese's name has been increasingly linked by the media with the job amid the struggles of incumbent Louis van Gaal to win over the United faithful. The speculation was sent spinning into overdrive when Moratti, sister of former Inter president Massimo, let slip to reporters after a meeting with Mourinho that the former Chelsea boss "is going to Manchester". Mourinho was in Milan to watch Inter take on Sampdoria amid reports in Italy that he might be interested in a return to the club he steered to Champions League glory in 2010, a suggestion he was quick to deny. After Mourinho had visited former employer Massimo Moratti and his family for lunch, Bedy, filmed in a video interview with Calcio Mercato, said: "It was pleasant. He's still fantastic. He's been missed on a human level.
Ronaldo's nomination comes after the 33-year-old last week denied rape allegations levelled against him by a woman who sued him in court in the United States.
Images from football friendlies played on Wednesday.
Liverpool prevailed to equal the record of 18 consecutive top-flight wins set by Manchester City in 2017.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, along with hubby Abhishek showed up at Roberto Cavalli's 40th anniversary celebration in Paris yesterday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Champions Liverpool suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to lowly Burnley on Thursday, ending their 68 match unbeaten home record in the Premier League as their title defence continued to fade.
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