Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: September 5, 2026, 10:09 PM ET

Premier League Roundup

Manchester City maintained their perfect start under Enzo Maresca as Erling Haaland scored the 300th goal of his club career in a nervy 1-0 victory over Coventry. The Norwegian striker's winner extended City's 100% record at the top of the table, while the match also saw £185m of deadline-day talent make their Premier League debuts, with both Fernandez and Ndiaye showing signs of promise. Maresca later defended the club's summer spending, insisting the outlay was necessary if they are to challenge Arsenal this season. The manager navigated the surprise Rodri exit during a busy window, and with the £450m squad now assembled, he has the tools to compete on all fronts. However, Maresca also acknowledged the summer spending was hefty, but he insisted it was needed to match the likes of Arsenal.

Tottenham's winless start to the season continued with a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest, and manager Roberto De Zerbi admitted his misfiring side are making "wrong" decisions after a third successive Premier League game without a goal. De Zerbi also insisted it will take time to build his expensive squad, saying the game is "not Football Manager as he defended his team. The Forest match was not without controversy: Oliver Glasner and Neco Williams believe VAR should not have ruled out the defender's goal. De Zerbi also stood by his past prediction that Mykhailo Mudryk could win the Ballon d'Or if he realises his potential.

Leicester's troubles continued under Russell Martin, who suffered a "sackable performance" as the side fell to a 4-0 defeat). BBC Sport analysis asked what next for the Foxes boss after their poor run. The Midlands club's struggles were among the talking points in the EFL, along with the Burnley hangover as they continue to suffer a steep decline.

Championship & EFL Roundup

The Welsh affair between leaders Swansea and Wrexham ended 0-0 in a passionate draw that meant Swansea missed the chance to go three points clear. The match was the centerpiece of a mouth-watering Welsh derby with both clubs eyeing the Premier League. Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson claimed Swansea's captain should have seen red for a "leg-breaker" challenge on Callum O'Hare.

West Brom's bright start to the season continued with Jimmy-Jay Morgan scoring his fifth goal of the season in a 1-0 home win over Sheffield. Norwich, meanwhile, claimed their first away victory of the campaign with a 3-1 win at Sheffield United.

Will Lankshear continued his scoring form with his seventh in as many matches as Middlesbrough beat QPR. Burnley's dire start under Nicky Hayden deepened as Bristol City fought back to snatch a 2-1 victory at Turf Moor. Portsmouth also claimed their first home win of the season, with goals from Shaughnessy and Marezi securing a 2-0 win over Cardiff, though the match was overshadowed by an apology from the Portsmouth boss after an incident involving fans.

Injuries and emotions were a theme at The Den, where Lyndon Dykes scored his first two goals for an injury-hit Millwall in a 4-0 win over Bolton. Preston picked up their first points with a 2-1 win over Blackburn thanks to Callum Lang's early brace. Stoke cruised to a 4-0 win against 10-man Charlton with a Devenny brace.

Late drama unfolded at St Mary's as Mikkel Ladefoged scored his first goal in English football to secure Lincoln a late point against one of the Championship promotion favourites. West Ham cruised to a 3-0 win over Derby that was less decisive than the scoreline suggests, while Sunderland earned a 1-1 draw against Brentford after Captain Le Fee converted a late penalty.

LaLiga & European Football

Real Madrid's new coach José Mourinho was left shocked after seeing his side lose 1-0 to Real Betis, a result he admitted he could not explain. Meanwhile, Marcos Llorente told ESPN that Atletico need Julián Álvarez to start scoring after they suffered a shock 3-0 defeat at Athletic Club in LaLiga on Saturday.

In Italy, Inter Milan maintained their perfect start to the Serie A season with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Napoli, with Lautaro Martínez netting a stoppage-time winner after coming from two goals down.

Scottish Premiership & Football League

Celtic staged an impressive comeback against St Mirren, coming from behind to win 3-1 and maintain their winning start to their Scottish Premiership title defence. Rangers' captain Lawrence Shankland faces a spell on the sidelines after a "significant" hamstring injury picked up in Saturday's win over Motherwell, leaving questions over who will carry the goal threat.

Dundee United and Falkirk had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Tannadice after a late Forbes equaliser, while Aberdeen and 10-man Kilmarnock battled out a tetchy 0-0 draw at Pittodrie as both sides brought losing streaks to an end. Steve Clarke revealed he had to give the SFA a little shove to hand him a new contract, feeling the governing body was hedging.

European Football & Transfers

Bayern Munich failed to score in the Bundesliga for the first time in 18 months as they were held to a goalless draw by Schalke, ending a streak of 47 consecutive league games with a goal. The result was a setback for the new season.

Paris Saint-Germain deepened their winless start with a home defeat to Monaco on Friday, but manager Luis Enrique said he was unfazed and pleased with the team's performances.

Barcelona have a new captain as Raphinha was appointed to the role for the 2026-27 season, becoming the first Brazilian to hold it at the club.

In the transfer market, Arsenal have a teenage Georgian midfielder on their radar for a deal, while Liverpool may make a January move for Ismaila Sarr. Richard Hughes has stepped down as Liverpool sporting director, and is set to take up a similar role at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. Meanwhile, Manchester United's midfield is a key area of focus following a £150m summer recruitment programme under manager Michael Carrick.

Upcoming Fixture & Weekend Preview

As the weekend approaches, Arsenal will host Chelsea in a heavyweight London derby, while PSG and Napoli are under pressure in their title races. In the Premier League, Newcastle welcome Bournemouth, and lively action is expected.

Czech Darts Open

At the Czech Darts Open, Luke Humphries(href=" Beau Greaves' historic run with a 6-2 victory on Saturday night.

Boxing

Heavyweight Andy Ruiz Jr was beaten by unanimous decision in his comeback bout against Damian Knyba.

Dave Allen's heavyweight clash with Thomas Carty at Croke Park ended in a bizarre no contest after the Irish favourite fell out of the ring during the first round. The night was a major event as Croke Park said goodbye to icon Katie Taylor, hailing it as possibly the greatest boxing atmosphere ever.

US Open Tissems

At the US Open, Coco Gauff reached the fourth round, but compatriots Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys were knocked out on the same day. Elsewhere, the Williams sisters suffered an agonizing US Open doubles defeat to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-Ching in a first-round clash.

Rugby Union

In rugby union, South Africa came from behind to edge New Zealand 29-24 in a ferocious third Test, moving them 2-1 ahead in the series with one game remaining.

Golf & Horse Racing

Great Britain and Ireland lead the USA 6½–5½ in the Walker Cup after day one saw some early controversy.

The emotions were high at the Omega European Masters: a tearful Paul Casey made an impassioned charity vow to donate all his prize money to victims of the Crans-Montana bar fire.

Horse Racing

In horse racing, Almeraq left an off-day at Newmarket clearly in the rearview mirror with a dominating victory in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock. At Kempton, Constitution Hill had to settle for a well-beaten fourth as Pride Of Arras scored in the William Hill September Stakes.

Formula 1 and Motorsport

It was a bombshell at the Italian Grand Prix: Pierre Gasly claimed a shock first career pole position for Alpine, stunning the grid's usual frontrunners. This came after he felt "robbed" by a decision losing his podium from June's Monaco Grand Prix, but now there is huge pressure to see if he can convert that pole into a win.

Mercedes remained a threat, with George Russell topping Hamilton in final practice. And Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was left fuming that Russell was denied a pole due to a controversial "done over" by Max Verstappen during the final qualifying laps. Lewis Hamilton was critical of his own team's handling of qualifying, stating that Ferrari's execution had been pretty bad and left him "out in the middle of nowhere."