Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: September 21, 2026, 2:02 PM ET

Premier League: City Edge Sunderland in Eight-Goal Thriller

Manchester City held off Sunderland 5-3 in a chaotic eight-goal encounter, with Erling Haaland scoring the eighth and final goal of the match to set a unique Premier League milestone. Enzo Maresca expressed relief after his first-place side passed what he called a "difficult" test against the Black Cats, giving him a chance to relax over the international break. The match was pure chaos under Maresca, while Cody Gakpo shone for Liverpool elsewhere on the same matchday. Sunderland's Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick in the defeat, becoming the first player to net three goals on a losing side in a Premier League fixture in recent memory.

Manchester United: Another Draw, Growing Pressure

Manchester United failed to win for yet another match, drawing 1-1 with Fulham after a comical own goal by Lisandro Martinez. Michael Carrick dismissed concerns that his squad is out of shape, playing down worries about United's poor start to the campaign. Gary Neville urged Carrick to stop defending his players after what the former captain called a "disgrace" against Fulham. Carrick faces an impossible job at Old Trafford, with the squad not good enough and the club not doing enough to fix it after repeated transfer failures.

Liverpool: Isak Finds His Form at Bournemouth

Liverpool's expensive attack looked devoid of spark at Bournemouth until Alexander Isak scored the winner, giving Andoni Iraola hope. Defender Jeremy Jacquet made a step forward in the victory, earning praise from Iraola after an impressive performance at the back. The result compounded a difficult afternoon for Bournemouth, who also saw their former manager return to the Vitality Stadium.

Mourinho's Derby Meltdown

Jose Mourinho blasted the referee and VAR after Real Madrid's 2-1 derby defeat, claiming there should have been "two red cards" for Atletico Madrid. The Real Madrid manager printed out screenshots displaying the two incidents he believed warranted dismissals, presenting them in his post-match protest. His outburst dominated the Euro Debrief, which also covered Raphinha's hat-trick, a Harry Kane milestone, and Mohamed Salah's surge in form across the continent's top leagues.

MLS: Messi's 101st Goal Not Enough

Lionel Messi scored his 101st goal for Inter Miami, but Anders Dreyer outdueled him as San Diego FC rallied to hand Miami their fourth straight draw in a 2-2 result. The union representing MLS and USL referees launched a critique of MLS NEXT Pro over its handling of discipline involving Gonzalo Higuain, escalating a dispute between match officials and the league. In the NWSL, Denver's 2-1 win over Seattle made them the big movers in ESPN's Power Rankings, though Gotham retained the top spot after Matchday.

USMNT: Pepi Out, Downs In

Ricardo Pepi has been replaced on the squad by Downs for the next four United States men's national team friendlies, starting with the Chile match. Pepi's injury in a PSV match forced him off and immediately raised concerns about his availability for the international window.

European Leagues: Pulisic, Marseille, and Transfer News

Christian Pulisic started and scored his first AC Milan goal of 2026 as the Rossoneri continued their unbeaten Serie A run with a 3-0 win over Lecce at San Siro. Angry Marseille fans displayed hostile banners directed at American owner Frank McCourt, bashing what they called his "Ligue 2 project" at the club. Arsenal are monitoring Maximilian Beier, the versatile Borussia Dortmund forward, as a potential transfer target, while United have set their sights on Mesloub. Tottenham could move for Morgan Gibbs-White in a £125m January deal, according to Monday's gossip column.

Celtic: O'Neill's Future in Doubt

Paul Lambert said it would not surprise him if Martin O'Neill left Celtic, though the former midfielder stopped short of calling for a sacking. Roy Keane's appearance at Celtic Park was played down as O'Neill ponders his future, with the gossip column also covering Maloney, Elding, Makhanya, Marshall, and Potter. Rangers' narrow win at Celtic Park headlined Sportscene, setting up the Old Firm derby as Celtic seek immediate revenge for last week's Cup defeat.

England: Palmer Out, Gibbs-White In

Cole Palmer is withdrawing from the England squad because of a muscle injury. Morgan Gibbs-White is in line for a recall to replace the injured Palmer in the Three Lions setup.

Cricket: Brook Embraces Pietersen Mentorship

Captain Harry Brook said leaning on a mentor of Kevin Pietersen's calibre will only help him in England's white-ball setup. Middlesex ended a 36-year wait for a List A trophy by beating Leicestershire Foxes in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final.

Wales and the Home Nations

Wales suffered a triple injury blow before their Nations League A campaign, with Harry Wilson, Karl Darlow, and Broadhead all out of the squad. Craig Bellamy's side take on Portugal in Lisbon on Thursday, September, and fans can pick their preferred lineup. The Republic of Ireland begin their campaign in Pristina against Kosovo, with Israel and other opponents awaiting in a testing Nations League group. Northern Ireland's return to League B will see them face a player of Kvaratskhelia's quality, with no Bradley in the squad among the major talking points.

Scotland: Pocognoli's First Test

Sebastien Pocognoli faces his first test as Scotland head coach against Slovenia, with the squad still taking shape ahead of his debut. BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team explained how the Nations League works and who is in each league ahead of the new campaign.

The Long International Break

Clubs are planning how to train during the extended three-week international break, with BBC Sport examining their strategies. The break puts more pressure on managers, with three coaches already having lost their jobs this season and plenty of others under scrutiny. This is the longest international break ever, and fans may find that it is actually a good thing for the game. BBC Sport also took a look at the lessons from the opening weeks of the Premier League season as the pause looms.

Premier League Season Assessment

Five matches in, BBC Sport ranked the teams' starts to the season, from "far from their best" to "a joy to watch." Paul Merson believes there is no way that Manchester City, the current Premier League leaders, will win the title. Match of the Day featured highlights of Man City v Sunderland and Andoni Iraola's return to Bournemouth with Liverpool.

Other Football News

Former Birmingham winger Jordan Graham is in hospital after being involved in a serious road accident. Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka is under investigation over an issue with his Covid-19 certificate. Former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been banned from driving for six months after his Rolls-Royce was clocked speeding in Wilmslow. Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac bought The Turf pub adjacent to Wrexham's stadium, deepening the Hollywood owners' ties to the club. Ipswich Town is investigating racist abuse directed at Abdul Fatawu, condemning the abuse as "completely unacceptable." Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has asked for forgiveness as he awaits the FA hearing into his 'Spygate' misconduct charge. Vincent Tan has now gone 1,000 days without attending a Cardiff City game, prompting BBC Sport Wales to assess his often controversial stewardship. Former England international Andros Townsend remarkably escaped injury after being run over by a pitch roller. The pros and cons of being a long-distance football manager were examined, with former Stoke City manager among those cited.

Darts: Smith Wins World Series After Littler's Exit

Ross Smith thrashed Gerwyn Price 11-5 to become World Series of Darts Finals champion after Luke Littler's shock exit. Littler withdrew from two events in the Netherlands after his clean sweep hopes were dashed.

Golf: Bridgeman, Spaun, and McIlroy

Jacob Bridgeman heads into his Presidents Cup debut as a two-time PGA Tour winner after racing to the Biltmore Championship title. JJ Spaun said he played with a chip on his shoulder during his BMW PGA Championship win, using his Team USA snub as fuel. Rory McIlroy has turned his attention to chasing down Patrick Reed for another Race to Dubai title after his BMW PGA near-miss, admitting "I had my chances."

Boxing, F1, NFL, and Rugby

Johnny Fisher takes on Michael Pirotton in a heavyweight clash with a "golden ticket" at stake, with fight time, ringwalks, and undercard details confirmed. Former Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg believes Kimi Antonelli's mind will be the deciding factor in the 2026 title race. In the NFL, Brian Flores struck again as the Vikings dominated the Bears 9-3, with another New Orleans Saints comeback and more pressure elsewhere in the weekend review. Caleb Williams was injured in the Bears' loss, while the Saints shocked the Ravens in a dramatic set of results. Ireland blew a 19-point lead to suffer a 40-36 loss to the USA in their opening WXV Global Series match.