List of All Articles with Tag 'sports'

Jason Kelce has mixed fun and football like no one else for the Philadelphia Eagles

Some bad news for Kyle Walker. Manchester City’s oldest player, the third-choice goalkeeper Scott Carson excepted, has age-defying speed and prides himself on his pace. And yet there may come a point in the near future when he finds himself only the second-quickest player on their right flank. Jeremy Doku’s acceleration impressed even Kylian Mbappe – “I have never seen someone develop so much strength from a standstill as him,” – football’s answer to Usain Bolt said in 2021, and his arrival in England might not be welcomed by opposing full-backs who are not as fast as Walker. If the Rennes winger signs as immediate replacement for Riyad Mahrez, in a sense he is more of a belated successor to Leroy Sane: the sprinter, the roadrunner with the scorched earth policy. And part of the intrigue behind his £55m deal is because, in various ways, Doku is the antithesis of a Pep Guardiola winger; certainly of a recent Guardiola winger. Think of Mahrez, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva and a common denominator is a midfielder’s skillset, a capacity to retain possession, often while cutting infield. In contrast, Doku is likelier to run forwards, often at a rate of knots, taking on defenders. He averaged more than 10 dribbles per 90 minutes last season. He had the most successful take-ons in Ligue 1 in 2020-21 and the second most last season, behind only Lionel Messi (and third only in the five major European leagues, in a table topped by Vinicius Junior). If the sense is that Grealish has been a more restrained player at City, exhibiting more positional discipline, running wild and free less often than at Aston Villa, Doku can be a spectacular solo artist. Perhaps the pick of his goals for Rennes was a burst from his own half against Ajaccio, taking him past three defenders. It was the sort that City rarely score these days but also one they rarely try to. And Doku invites comparisons with Allan Saint-Maximin and Adama Traore, two great entertainers and crowd-pleasers with the ability to torment defenders with electric surges but who can lack productivity. Doku’s goalscoring return – six in 37 games for Anderlecht, 12 in 92 for Rennes – is mediocre and emulating Sane, who scored 14 and 16 in successive seasons for City, or Mahrez, who got 24 and 15 in his last two campaigns, would require a dramatic improvement. Yet while he only registered two assists in Ligue 1 last season, his expected assists per 90 minutes was the joint fourth best in the division – his teammates missed too many of the chances he created. Nevertheless, he has the feel of a project player for Guardiola: it is easy to imagine melodramatic, if rather incomprehensible, gestures from the touchline if Doku is so busy on solo runs that he fails to pick out colleagues. But that speed and ability to commit several opponents comes with a capacity to mean other City players will be free; the key then will be the decision-making of when to pass and who to find. Certainly, Doku is young enough to learn: a prodigy at still just 21. He has been touted for the top for years. Doku’s father suggested that, on a visit to Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp saw his son as a successor to Sadio Mane. He has been on many shortlists, scouted by everyone. That Rennes paid a club record €26m (£22m) for a teenager seemed designed with resale value in mind and, while he did not realise his potential with them, they will pocket a healthy profit with a £55m sale. At international level, Roberto Martinez first capped him for Belgium at 18 but, while Doku excelled in the Euro 2020 quarter-final exit to Italy, he was given just 18 minutes in last year’s World Cup. With Eden Hazard in international retirement, he could take over from one of his country’s golden generation. For City, he might add another dimension or look a Plan B. His counter-attacking menace may be less relevant when teams defend deep against the treble winners, as they often do. Perhaps, though, it could make him more useful against more ambitious opponents, who are often the better sides. Or maybe he suggests another shift in their style of play. Guardiola used false nines but then got a towering, prolific centre-forward in Erling Haaland. His full-backs were often midfielders by trade until he started playing centre-backs there recently. His wingers often had certain similarities with midfielders – in the cases of Silva, Grealish and Phil Foden, they have spent much of their careers infield – but Doku is more dribbler than distributor, more touchline sprinter than tiki-taka passer. And, before he even gets on the pitch, his training-ground contests with Walker could be well worth watching. Read More Football rumours: Arsenal put £50million fee on Folarin Balogun as rival circles Pep Guardiola to miss Man City matches after emergency surgery Man City agree £55m fee for winger - which could see Cole Palmer depart

Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis has been added to the KSI vs Tommy Fury fight card in October. YouTube star Paul has boxed before, drawing with KSI in an amateur bout and losing to his now-business partner in a professional contest, and the American has also taken on Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition fight. Now Paul, 28, will return to the boxing ring – having spent much of the last year in the wrestling ring with WWE – as he fights Danis on 14 October. Danis, 29, is an ex-teammate of UFC star Conor McGregor and has fought in MMA promotion Bellator. The American is best known as a jiu-jitsu practitioner, and he withdrew from a boxing match with KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) in January. Upon Tuesday’s announcement of the upcoming fight at Manchester’s AO Arena, Paul said: “Almost two years after fighting the greatest boxer of all time, I am so pumped to return to the boxing ring. “Manchester, I hope you are ready for a night you will never forget, because The Prime Card is delivering in a big way, with KSI and I on either side of a double main event. “The world has seen the energy, athleticism and showmanship I’ve brought to WWE, but this October I plan on reminding everyone that I can bring it to boxing, too.” Paul and KSI launched the energy-drink company Prime together in 2022. Danis added: “I couldn’t care less what Logan Paul has done in the WWE, because when he is in the boxing ring, he is in a completely different world. It’s a world of pain, a world where he doesn’t have control, and it’s my world – not his. “On 14 October, in Manchester, Logan Paul is getting beat down.” Paul’s younger brother Jake, 26, has boxed more frequently than his sibling, compiling a 7-1 pro record. On Saturday, Jake Paul beat ex-UFC fighter Nate Diaz on points in Dallas. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More KSI vs Tommy Fury: When is fight and how to watch KSI vs Tommy Fury press conference features flipped tables and thrown cake as Logan Paul and Dillon Danis get heated Don’t sneer at the boxing crossovers – they’re lucrative, successful and here to stay Tommy Fury and KSI press conference chaos as John Fury flips and kicks over tables KSI vs Tommy Fury press conference features flipped tables and thrown cake KSI vs Tommy Fury press conference LIVE: Logan Paul and Dillon Danis face off

KSI and Tommy Fury will fight each other in a boxing match in October, as their brewing rivalry threatens to boil over. YouTube star KSI, 30, has fought several times, notably drawing with Logan Paul in 2018 then beating him in 2019, and most recently fighting Joe Fournier to a No Contest. KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) knocked out Fournier with an illegal elbow in May, and the result was later overturned. Meanwhile, Fury – half-brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson – is unbeaten like KSI but with much more professional experience. The 24-year-old is 9-0 as a pro, having most recently beaten Jake Paul on points in February. After KSI’s contest with Fournier, ex-Love Island contestant Fury entered the ring for a face-off, and the pair will share a ring again when they square off in October. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the fight? KSI vs Fury will take place at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 14 October. No timings for the event have yet been announced, but the main card is likely to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET). Ring walks for the main event are likely to follow at around 10pm BST (2pm PT, 4pm CT, 5pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will air live on the streaming platform Dazn. It will be available to existing subscribers, and it will also be purchasable on Dazn Pay-Per-View for non-subscribers. A Dazn subscription is available to purchase here, with monthly plans starting at £9.99. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the KSI vs Tommy Fury fight then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Who else is fighting? Logan Paul, KSI’s opponent-turned-business partner at their Prime energy-drink company, will fight in the evening’s other ‘main event’. He will box Dillon Danis, former teammate of UFC icon Conor McGregor. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More KSI vs Tommy Fury press conference features flipped tables and thrown cake as Logan Paul and Dillon Danis get heated Terence Crawford’s masterclass puts him in conversation to be an all-time great Justin Gaethje stuns Dustin Poirier with brutal head-kick knockout at UFC 291

The coach of Spain’s Women’s World Cup champion soccer team is facing scrutiny after footage emerged showing him touching the chest area of a female assistant while celebrating the only goal of the final

The importance of a good night’s rest is not lost on American sprinter Gabby Thomas

Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles each kicked off their quest for a second medal at the world championships

A battle of Scotland vs England takes place in one of Europe’s admittedly less-than-stellar occasions on Wednesday, with Scottish Premiership outfit Hibernian hosting Premier League side Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League play-off. With a place in the group stage up for grabs, a positive first-leg result feels imperative for Hibs if they are to give themselves a chance of making it through to the competition proper - which would be their first true European campaign since a 2005/06 Uefa Cup first-round exit, aside from a few Intertoto Cup appearances. Domestically, matters haven’t gone well for Hibs though this term; despite coming through two qualifying rounds in Europe already, beating Andorran side Inter Club d’Escaldes and Swiss outfit Luzern, it’s so far two defeats from two in the SPL. Aston Villa were thrashed by Newcastle before hammering Everton in a topsy-turvy pair of fixtures themselves at the start of 2023/24. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game and get all the latest football betting sites offers here. When is Hibs vs Aston Villa Hibs face Villa in the first leg of their play-off tie on Wednesday 23 August, with kick-off set for 5:45pm BST. Where can I watch it? The game will be broadcast live on BBC Scotland, while it can be streamed on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website. What is the team news Hibs should have Jake Doyle-Hayes back from an injury lay-off, while Dylan Vente should be fine to start after going off injured at the weekend. Dylan Levitt will not play, however. For Villa, there may be a debut for new loan signing Nicolo Zaniolo, while John McGinn will hope to face the club he spent over three years with before signing for Villa in 2018. Youri Tielemans and Jhon Duran will hope to feature after coming off the bench to good effect in the weekend win over Everton, but Philippe Coutinho went off injured in that game and joins Alex Moreno, Jacob Ramsey, Emi Buendia, Tyrone Mings and Leander Dendoncker on the sidelines. Predicted lineups Hibs - Marshall, Fish, Hanlon, Stevenson, Miller, Jeggo, Boyle, Newell, Obita, Vente, Doidge. Villa - Martinez, Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, Zaniolo, Diaby, McGinn, Watkins Odds Hibs 21/2 Draw 19/4 Villa 2/11 Get all the latest football betting sites offers here. Prediction Villa don’t need to go all-out to get the win away from home, but probably can do if they attack the same way they did at the weekend. Hibs 1-2 Aston Villa. Read More Unai Emery can draw on his own Europa legend to write Aston Villa history Everton condemn ‘vile’ racist abuse aimed at midfielder Amadou Onana Are Everton the first crisis club of the season? Unai Emery hails ‘amazing’ Aston Villa captain John McGinn after Everton rout Unai Emery Aston Villa masterclass delivers humiliating defeat for hapless Everton Pep Guardiola applauds Manchester City’s mentality following Newcastle victory

Zac Gallen struck out 11 over six stellar innings, Alek Thomas had a spectacular diving catch on the warning track for the first out of the ninth and the Arizona Diamondbacks held off the skidding Texas Rangers 6-3 on Tuesday night

Shea Langeliers homered for the second consecutive day, and the Oakland Athletics spoiled the return of former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke with a 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals

Jesús Luzardo threw a two-hit shutout over six innings and Jorge Soler hit his 33rd homer of the season to lead the Florida Marlins to a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres in a matchup of National League wild-card hopefuls

Graham Ashcraft racked up a career-high 10 strikeouts over seven innings, and the Cincinnati Reds spoiled Mike Trout’s return to the Angels’ lineup by scoring three unearned runs in the fifth inning of a 4-3 victory over Los Angeles