Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea said the team’s performances this season have been “unacceptable” and this is the “most difficult” period he has experienced since joining the club. The Red Devils lost 1-0 at Newcastle on Sunday to extend their worst start to a league season for 30 years.
Los Angeles FC striker Carlos Vela hit a hat-trick against Colorado Rapids to break Josef Martinez’s Major League Soccer record for goals scored in a single season. Ex-Arsenal forward Vela began the match level with Orlando City’s Martinez, who registered 31 goals in 35 games to win the MLS Golden Boot last season.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says “the distance is big” but still believes his team can catch Liverpool in the Premier League title race. City’s 2-0 defeat by Wolves means they are now eight points behind Liverpool. It is the biggest lead any side has had after eight games in the Premier League era – the previous biggest was Chelsea in 2014, who went on to win the title.
Marc Marquez has won his sixth MotoGP world title – and his fourth in a row – after victory in Thailand on Sunday. The 26-year-old, who was taken to hospital after a crash in practice at Chang circuit in Buriram, sealed his latest crown with four races to spare.
Gennady Golovkin beat Sergiy Derevyanchenko by unanimous decision to reclaim the vacant IBF middleweight title at Madison Square Garden. Kazakh Golovkin, 37, was fighting for just the second time since losing to Saul Alvarez in Las Vegas in September 2018.
An emotional Sifan Hassan defended herself after winning 1500m World Championship gold, saying she is a clean athlete despite her coach being banned for doping violations. Alberto Salazar, who has been Hassan’s coach since 2016, was given a four-year ban earlier this week.
La Liga side Leganes have appealed for their match against Levante to be replayed after claiming the video assistant referee system failed. Leganes believe they wrongly conceded a first-half penalty for a foul by Dimitris Siovas on Roger Marti that appeared to occur outside the area.
New Zealand’s Israel Adesanya extended his perfect professional record to 18-0 as he dethroned UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in spectacular fashion at UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia. The Nigerian born Adesanya, 30, arrived in the arena to an acrobatic choreographed dance routine and produced a near-punch-perfect performance to finish Whittaker after three minutes and 33 seconds of the second round and capture the undisputed UFC middleweight title in front of nearly 60,000 fans at Marvel Stadium.
Female fans have bought 3,500 tickets for Iran’s World Cup qualifier against Cambodia in Tehran on Thursday. Women have effectively been banned from stadiums when men are playing since just after the 1979 Islamic revolution. Sahar Khodayari died last month a week after setting herself on fire while awaiting trial for trying to attend a match disguised as a man.
Juventus great Claudio Marchisio has announced his retirement at the age of 33. The Italy midfielder joined Juve at the age of seven and won seven league titles with the Turin club.
Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain won the women’s 400m World Championship gold in one of the fastest times in history in Doha of Thursday October 3, 2019. She was born Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu originally from Anambra state of Nigeria.
The Europa League game between F91 Dudelange and FK Qarabag was temporarily halted when a drone was flown over the ground. A delay of more than 15 minutes followed the appearance of the drone, which was carrying a flag.
Former Nigeria striker Isaac Promise has died at the age of 31. His club, American side Austin Bold, said that he passed away on Wednesday night but offered no explanation as to the cause.
Noah Lyles capped off a marvellous season with victory in the world 200m final in 19.83 seconds. Lyles, the clear pre-event favourite, having run the fourth fastest time in history earlier in the season.
French Ligue 1 club Nice have sacked Lamine Diaby-Fadiga after he admitted stealing a watch worth a reported £62,000 from team-mate Kasper Dolberg. Denmark forward Dolberg, 21, had his watch stolen from the dressing room on 16 September and reported the theft to police.
World Cup winner Sydney Leroux was back in action for Orlando Pride on Sunday – just three months and a day after giving birth. The Orlando Pride striker was an 88th-minute substitute in her side’s 1-1 draw with Sky Blue FC in New Jersey.
Eden Hazard says he does not feel like a ‘Galactico’ yet following a summer move from Chelsea which could exceed £150m in value. The Real Madrid forward, 28, has started three games in La Liga but is yet to record a goal or an assist. ‘Galactico’ is a term given to big-money, world-class signings by Real Madrid.
Halimah Nakaayi won the women’s 800m title at the IAAF World Championships in dramatic fashion in Doha. Pre-race favourite Ajee Wilson tried to dictate the pace, but the Ugandan challenge was coming with Nakaayi and Winnie Nanyondo attacking the long-time leader.
Canada’s double Olympic bobsleigh champion Kaillie Humphries will compete for the United States following a row over abuse allegations. Humphries, 34, won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics and a bronze at Pyeongchang in 2018.
In the women’s 100m finals at Doha 2019 world championship, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce added title number four, a decade after winning her maiden crown – and coming just 13 months after giving birth to her son, it is surely her finest world title date.
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