PREMIER LEAGUE
Haaland declared fit
Erling Haaland has been declared fit for Manchester City’s game against AFC Bournemouth today. The Norway striker was hurt when colliding with the goalpost late on in City’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa last week and was not in the squad for the midweek game against Swansea City AFC. However, City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that Haaland was ready to play against Bournemouth at the Etihad. Influential midfielder Rodri is also in contention to play following a hamstring injury. “I think he’ll be ready to help, I don’t know if from the beginning, but hopefully he can be with us,” Guardiola said about Rodri. “He’s been out a few times and we know how important he is for us.”
Photo: AFP
PREMIER LEAGUE
Holiday to have 1 game
The league on Friday said in a statement that this season would have just one match on Dec. 26, the Boxing Day holiday in the UK, breaking from the tradition of a full slate of festive fixtures that fans have long enjoyed. Manchester United are to host Newcastle United in the lone game, for the fewest top-flight fixtures in 43 years on Boxing Day, which falls on a Friday this year. The league cited mounting scheduling pressures linked to the expansion of European club competitions as the key reason for the change. “There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions — which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup,” it said. “With fewer weekends available, fixture planning has become increasingly constrained,” it added.
BUNDESLIGA
Dortmund beat Augsburg
Borussia Dortmund on Friday battled past strugglers Augsburg 1-0 courtesy of forward Serhou Guirassy’s first-half strike, to climb back into second place in the German top-flight league. It was Dortmund’s fourth win in a row across all competitions, lifting them to second place in the league, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who were to play later in the weekend. Augsburg, who have now lost six of their nine league games this season, are anchored in 15th place on seven points.
A-LEAGUE
Pearson sets youth record
Sydney defender Willa Pearson yesterday became the youngest player to appear in an A-League women’s or men’s match after making her debut in Sydney’s 2-2 draw with Melbourne City at Leichhardt Oval. At 14 years, 312 days, Pearson eclipsed the previous record set by the Western Sydney Wanderers’ Ischia Brooking, who debuted aged 14 years, 347 days in 2023, and also moved ahead of Matildas captain Sam Kerr, who debuted at the age of 15 in 2008. Kerr held the record for nearly 15 years after making her A-League Women debut for the Perth Glory aged 15 years, 45 days, until Talia Younis broke it in 2023 when she debuted for the Wanderers aged 14 years, 361 days. Pearson, born on Dec. 24, 2010, joined five-time champions Sydney earlier this year. Underscoring the generational span of the competition, her debut came opposite Melissa Barbieri, the league’s oldest player. “I’m knackered [tired] at the moment, but thank you to everybody who believed in me, who gave me the opportunity and I’m so thankful we got a point,” Pearson said.
‘COMPLETE GAME’: ‘To be honest, I’m not sure about the history, but I’m very happy about what I did today,’ Yamamoto said through a translator after the game Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a World Series game from another era. Sandy Koufax had October outings like this, and so did Orel Hershiser, but those types of performances have vanished in modern baseball. Until this 178cm starter from Japan delivered like the aces of old. Yamamoto threw a four-hitter for his second consecutive complete game, the first in the World Series since 2015, and the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Saturday night to tie their best-of-seven matchup at one game apiece. “It’s kind of the throwback,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “When he starts a game, he
US President Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, is poised to make her LPGA Tour debut after receiving a sponsor invitation on Tuesday to the Nov. 13 to 16 tournament at Pelican Golf Club in Florida. “My dream has been to compete with the best in the world on the LPGA Tour,” Kai Trump said in a statement posted on the LPGA’s Web site. “This event will be an incredible experience,” she said. “I look forward [to] meeting and competing against so many of my heroes and mentors in golf as I make my LPGA Tour debut.” The 18-year-old high-school senior,
REACTION: Less than 24 hours after a 18-inning Game 3 loss, the Blue Jays’ win ensured that the best-of-seven series is to head back to Toronto for Game 6 tomorrow Vladimir Guerrero Jr on Tuesday blasted a two-run home run as the Toronto Blue Jays bounced back to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 and tie the MLB World Series at two games apiece. Less than 24 hours after a shattering 18-inning Game 3 loss, the Blue Jays climbed off the canvas to breathe new life into their hopes of a first MLB title in 32 years. Guerrero’s two-run blast off Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani and a superb pitching performance from ace Shane Bieber laid the foundations for a gutsy victory that silenced Dodger Stadium. “I’m always trying to compete
Retired defender Jerome Boateng on Saturday pulled out of a planned coaching internship at Bayern Munich after fans voiced their objection due to the FIFA 2014 World Cup winner being found guilty of assaulting a former girlfriend last year. The former Bayern and Germany defender, who played for the club between 2011 and 2021, had discussed a short internship with coach Vincent Kompany. “Following the recent discussion regarding myself, I have decided to focus on my issues such as the A training license.... That is where my focus is,” he said in a social media post addressed to Bayern and
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