Slumping City lose again, Australia win at death, Zheng’s collapse hands Gauff WTA title
Pep Guardiola is in uncharted waters heading into the international break, while Australia have unearthed a new star in Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
The theme for today largely depends on your allegiances; it’s either snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, or grabbing a heroic win against all odds – so a standard sporting weekend in other words.
If you’re a fan of England rugby, China’s Zheng Qinwen, or more surprisingly Manchester City, you might want to think about adding something strong to your morning coffee and going back to bed.
Brighton fans, Australians, and Australians who support Liverpool or Brighton should keep their crowing to a minimum. Unlikely I know, but it never hurts to ask.
Premier League front runners
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been reluctant to discuss his side’s chances of winning the league this season, he might have to start doing so after a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa took them five points clear at the top.
Darwin Nunez scored after 20 minutes, Mohamed Salah with six minutes left and the only downside for Slot was the sight of Trent Alexander-Arnold limping off in the first half with a suspected hamstring injury.
Arsenal and Chelsea battle it out on Sunday, and at this point both need to win just to stay in touch with the leaders. Liverpool have 28 points, Manchester City 23, while the two London clubs are on 18.
“If I look at the games that are ahead they are tough,” Slot said. “It will be a tough season in general. Margins are small, we have a margin but it is small. Many challenges to come for us.”
Free fallin’
So, is it just a four-game blip, a case of other teams catching up, or something much more serious? Either way, Manchester City lost for the fourth time in a row on Saturday, going down 2-1 to Brighton after conceding twice in the last 12 minutes to substitutes Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley.
