MANCHESTER: Erling Haaland moved to 99 goals for Manchester City after scoring twice in a 2-1 win against Brentford in the English Premier League on Saturday.
The Norwegian’s double maintained City’s 100 percent start to the league after Yoane Wissa fired Brentford ahead with just 22 seconds on the clock.
Liverpool lost for the first time under new manager Arne Slot, to Nottingham Forest by a shock 1-0 at Anfield.
Manchester United won at Southampton 3-0 to end their two-game losing streak.
Unstoppable Haaland
Haaland scored his 98th and 99th goals in his 103rd City appearance in all competitions. And he was the width of the post away from his third consecutive hat trick after trebles against Ipswich and West Ham.
Haaland, who has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or, has nine goals in four league games. He has topped the league scoring charts in each of his two seasons at City since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 for $63 million.
Haaland’s first goal after 19 minutes evened the game following Wissa’s opener, which stunned the Etihad Stadium crowd. Haaland turned and swept a shot past goalkeeper Mark Flekken after a slight deflection off Ethan Pinnock.
He was then too strong for Pinnock when shaking off the defender and running through for his second in the 32nd.
He was inches away in the 81st; the shot came back off the post after beating the keeper.
Slot stunned
Slot suffered his first setback in English football after Callum Hudson-Odoi fired Forest to a stunning win at Anfield.
Hudson-Odoi struck in the 72nd with a curling effort from the edge of the box and beyond goalkeeper Alisson.
Liverpool had been the only team other than City to have a 100 percent winning record after the first three rounds, including a memorable 3-0 win against Man United before the international break.
Rashford snaps run
Marcus Rashford snapped a 12-game barren run in front of goal as United beat Southampton.
Rashford doubled United’s lead at Saint Mary’s after Matthijs de Ligt’s scored his first for the club. Substitute Alejandro Garnacho scored a third in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The win came after back-to-back defeats for United.
Rashford hadn’t scored since March in United’s win over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinals. He curled in a shot from the edge of the area to put Erik ten Hag’s team 2-0 up at Southampton in the 41st minute.
Ten Hag said it could be a turning point for the forward.
“For every striker, they want to be on the scoring list. Once the first is in, more is coming. Like a ketchup bottle, once it’s going, it’s coming more,” he said.
De Ligt, who joined United from Bayern Munich in the offseason, headed in from Bruno Fernandes’ cross in the 35th.
It could have been a different story if Cameron Archer converted a penalty for Southampton in the 33rd. Instead, his effort was saved by goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Newly promoted Southampton was reduced to 10 men when Jack Stephens was sent off in the 79th for a high challenge on Garnacho.
Late drama
Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a stoppage time penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw for Crystal Palace against Leicester.
Leicester led 2-0 at Selhurst Park after goals from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi.
But Mateta sparked Palace’s response with a goal in the 47th, a minute after Mavididi doubled Leicester’s advantage.
Conor Coady fouled Ismaili Sarr in the box right near fulltime and Mateta was cool enough to convert.
West Ham left it even later to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Danny Ings struck in the fifth minute of added time after Raul Jimenez’s goal looked like earning Fulham the win.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, the manager of the month for August, was frustrated as his team was held to 0-0 at home by Ipswich.
Erling Haaland reaches 99 goals for City as Liverpool lose at Anfield to Forest
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Erling Haaland reaches 99 goals for City as Liverpool lose at Anfield to Forest
- Norwegian’s double maintained City’s 100 percent start to the league
Manchester United fans in favor of leaving Old Trafford
The Daily Telegraph has reported that a final decision on which option to choose is likely to be taken in the first half of 2025
MACNHESTER: A majority of Manchester United fans favor building a new stadium rather than re-developing Old Trafford, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
Of 50,000 United season ticket holders, club members and executive club members polled, 52 percent said they preferred the idea of a new facility, while 31 percent supported the re-development of one of the most recognizable stadiums in world football. Another 17 percent were undecided.
United’s cross-city neighbors Manchester City left their Maine Road stadium in 2003 to move into the new City of Manchester Stadium, but Premier League rivals Liverpool have re-developed their Anfield home.
United released artist’s images in September of a potential Old Trafford regeneration project and have indicated that a new stadium could be part of a multi-billion-pound re-development project.
The club’s owners are considering options in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which includes former United defender Gary Neville and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe among its members.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that a final decision on which option to choose is likely to be taken in the first half of 2025.
The Task Force is understood to have focused its discussions on building a new 100,000-capacity stadium rather than redeveloping Old Trafford.
Rick McGagh, United’s director of fan engagement, said: “We know how important our home is to fans and we need to listen to them and gain all their views and insights in order to develop the world-class stadium they deserve.
“We are able to view the results through different lenses to understand if our season ticket holders feel differently about anything than say our official members. And if younger fans have different views to older fans.”
ESL Saudi Challenge — everything you need to know
- The tournament playoffs will take place in Riyadh from Nov. 8-16, with the final on Dec. 7
RIYADH: The ESL Saudi Challenge qualifiers have officially ended and the stage is now set for the playoffs, which take place from Nov. 8-16.
After an intense round of Overwatch2 competition, the best teams from across Saudi Arabia have secured their spots and are ready to face off in the next phase, with a total prize pool of $20,000 up for grabs.
The success of the recent Esports World Cup in Riyadh highlighted the popularity of gaming among Saudi players and fans, and that looks set to continue with more competitions taking place across the Kingdom in the coming years.
The ESL Saudi Challenge, organized by esports and video game entertainment company ESL FACEIT Group, will also give the victors a chance to compete on a global stage.
During the playoffs, teams face off in an attempt to advance to the Finals, where the top three teams will go head-to-head in front of a live audience at VOV Gaming in Riyadh on Dec. 7.
Schedule and Format
Playoffs: Nov. 8-16
The best eight teams face off in the double elimination bracket matches.
Grand Finals: Dec. 7
The top three teams from the playoffs compete in lower bracket and upper bracket for the Grand Final. The winner will be crowned ESL Saudi Challenge Champion, taking home the top prize of $9,000 and qualifying for an international event in 2025.
Teams
The ESL Saudi Challenge will see some of the best teams in Overwatch compete for the grand prize:
Twisted Minds
Vision Esports
Himawari
Amigos
Roc esports
Al-Qadisiah
Dragons
Negative Mental Attitude
Prize money (USD)
Total pool: $20,000
1st: $9,000
2nd: $5,000
3rd: $3,000
4th: $,1000
5th-8th: $500
Where to watch
Fans can watch the playoffs on the ESL Arabia Twitch and YouTube channels. For those unable to tune in live, all matches will also be available to watch on-demand free of charge via YouTube.
Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27
- Zimbabwe to tour Pakistan in Apri-May 2025, New Zealand to tour country in April 2027
- Pakistan will travel to South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in 2026 for cricket contests
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host New Zealand, Zimbabwe and England women’s cricket teams for the first time in 2026 and 2027, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said this week, saying that the tours were part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme 2025-29.
Zimbabwe women’s team will tour Pakistan in April-May 2026 while New Zealand will be visiting the country in April 2027, the PCB said in a statement. The English women’s cricket team will tour Pakistan in October 2027 while Bangladesh will be the fourth side to tour the country in October 2028.
“Pakistan will host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women’s cricket teams for the first time as ICC announced Future Tours Programme 2025-29,” the PCB said in a press release on Monday.
Eleven countries will participate in the fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship being played from 2026-29 to directly qualify for the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029, it said, adding that each team will compete against eight other teams in eight home and away matches.
The fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship, which will be played from 2026-29, will see 11 sides taking part in the event for direct qualification to the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029.
In the Women’s Championship, each team will compete against eight other teams, following the format of four home and four away series, similar to the current edition. Across 44 series, a total of 132 ODIs will be played, with each series consisting of three matches.
“The Future Tour Programme will see an ICC Women’s tournament taking place every year, starting with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England, the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027 and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028,” the PCB added.
Pakistan will travel to South Africa in February 2026 and then play Sri Lanka in July of the same year as part of their away assignments, the board said. In November 2026, Pakistan will visit the West Indies while their final away series in the ICC Women’s Championship 2026-29 cycle will be in Ireland in June 2028.
Saudi Sports For All Federation and STC Group sign sustainability partnership
- Pact between the parties was inked at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh
- Collaboration will help identify opportunities for improving public participation in physical activities
RIYADH: The Saudi Sports For All Federation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the STC Group to promote physical activity, encourage social integration through sports, and support the development of grassroots programs.
The signing ceremony took place last week at the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, which was held under the theme “Infinite Horizons: Investing Today, Shaping Tomorrow.”
Shaima Alhusseini, managing director of the SFA, and Maha Alnuhait, general manager of sustainability at the STC Group, inked the agreement, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The collaboration will focus on establishing sustainability reporting frameworks, key performance indicators, and metrics in alignment with community-driven programs.
The SFA aims to leverage the telecom group’s expertise to achieve their goals and contribute to the objectives of Vision 2030, the SPA reported.
Record number of athletes expected at 16th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship
- Over 9,000 athletes from 137 countries set to take part in tournament from Nov. 6-16
ABU DHABI: The 16th edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, from Nov. 6 to 16 at Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City, is expected to have a record 9,000 athletes from 137 countries taking part.
Participants will have the opportunity to earn points toward the prestigious Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards.
During a press conference on Monday at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, details of this year’s championship were revealed.
Abdulmunem Alsayed Mohamed Alhashmi, chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, president of the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Union, and senior vice president of the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation, thanked the UAE leadership for supporting the event.
“This championship unites the world’s best talent to showcase their skills and elevate their global rankings, further establishing Abu Dhabi as a global jiu-jitsu hub,” he said.
He also thanked the event’s partners and sponsors. “Their support has been vital in helping us achieve this level of global leadership in jiu-jitsu.
“As we celebrate another world-class edition, we hope to continue to inspire new generations to pursue excellence and embrace the core values that make our sport so impactful.”
Saud Abdulaziz Al-Hosani, undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, commented: “Since the inception of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, jiu-jitsu has flourished in the UAE and around the world.
“Thanks to the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s efforts and our wise leadership support, Abu Dhabi has become a global sports hub and the world’s jiu-jitsu capital. We look forward to welcoming athletes and fans from 137 countries.”
Aref Hamad Al-Awani, secretary-general of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, emphasized the championship’s role in reinforcing the city’s standing in the global sports arena.
“This championship solidifies Abu Dhabi’s track record in hosting world-class events, and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council stands ready to provide every support needed to achieve our shared goals.”
This year’s championship will feature an extended schedule, additional mats, and increased capacity to accommodate more athletes across various categories.
The event culminates in the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards, which honors the year’s standout athletes, academies and federations.
Other officials and sponsor representatives who attended the press conference included Ahmed Abdullah Al-Qubaisi, executive director of the Support Services Sector; Yaqoub Al-Saadi, head of Abu Dhabi Sports Channels; and Fahad Ali Al-Shamsi, secretary-general of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
Also in attendance were Saed Hijazi Salama, general manager of sales at Premier Motors; Futoon Al-Mazrouei, group head of consumer banking at First Abu Dhabi Bank; and Mona Hassan Sadoun, vice president of customer service and marketing at Al-Tayer Motors.
