Scott Murray's Blog

Union Saint-Gilloise 0-4 Newcastle United: Champions League – as it happened

Newcastle got off the mark in this year’s league stage with an easy but nevertheless impressive win in Belgium

6 min: USG launch it long down the right. Botman attempts to hook back upfield, but only succeeds in kicking the ball into his own face and out for a corner. The set piece comes in from the right. Leysen, in the centre heads it back to the near post, from where Rodriguez eyebrows over the bar. That was a decent chance, and Newacstle were fortunate the USG striker didn’t get that on target. Had he done so, Pope was most likely picking the ball out of the net.

4 min: Tonali and Elanga combine well down the inside-right channel. The latter works himself a little space to shoot … but not enough so his eventual effort doesn’t get blocked the moment it leaves his boot.

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Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool: Champions League – as it happened

Victor Osimhen’s first-half penalty and a late VAR intervention condemned disjointed Liverpool to defeat

1 min: Liverpool have stationed Szoboszlai at right back, with Frimpong up in Salah’s usual position … and the latter wins a corner after 49 seconds. The former to take.

Liverpool huddle, the Gala fans whistle their displeasure, and then the visitors get the ball rolling. Roar! Growl! Bedlam!

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Ryder Cup 2025: Europe win after epic singles finale – as it happened

Team USA threatened to complete a record-breaking comeback but Ludvig Åberg, Shane Lowry and Tyrrell Hatton hauled Europe over the line

… and as for the match itself, Donald adds: “Zero complacency … we know how strong these guys are … they’re very dangerous at singles … the crowd will be behind them … we have to take care of our own matches and try to win the session.”

Luke Donald reports on Viktor Hovland’s injury. “He started stiffening up yesterday morning … tried to go out yesterday afternoon … it got worse and worse … went to get an MRI last night … was really stiff this morning … tried to go through his warm-up but just couldn’t play … he’s devastated … gutted … he wants to go out there and represent Team Europe … it’s very unfortunate.”

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Ryder Cup: Europe dominate fourballs to stretch lead over USA to 11½-4½ on fiery day two – as it happened

Europe won three out of four fourballs matches to put themselves in a commanding position at Bethpage Black

Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young send their drives at 2 down the middle. Ludvig Åberg finds the green with his approach but the ball spins back into the fringe. Bryson should learn something about how receptive the greens are, but doesn’t, spinning America’s second back into the thicker stuff behind the fringe. Slight advantage to Europe here, with the not inconsiderable caveat of the hot-in-form Young taking Team USA’s next shot.

Back on the 1st tee, Rory McIlroy is roundly abused in the pantomime style. He throws back a couple of theatrical kisses to the gallery. A cheeky smile. All good knockabout fun. Everyone enjoying it. He takes the first shot of match two … but with the adrenalin pumping, lashes his drive into the gallery down the left! We’ve not seen anyone over there yet. McIlroy and his partner Tommy Fleetwood were excellent yesterday; their opponents here, Harris English and Collin Morikawa, not so much. But English starts well by finding the semi-rough down the right of the fairway. Advantage USA.

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Ryder Cup 2025: Europe extend lead to 5½-2½ over USA after day-one fourballs – as it happened

Fleetwood and Rahm stun USA as Europe take three-point lead

Trump’s visit results in fans missing early action due to tight security

Jon Rahm’s left-to-right slider is dead on line … but the early-morning green is slower than he thinks, and the ball stops one turn short. That’s par, but he’s given DeChambeau a good read, and the Americans are ten feet closer. Bryson walks in the birdie putt, and the gallery goes bananas. First blood to the hosts! A long way to go in this Ryder Cup, to be fair.

1UP DeChambeau/Thomas v Rahm/Hatton (1)

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Arsenal, Spurs, Man City and Newcastle win, plus Carabao Cup fourth-round draw – as it happened

All the Premier League clubs won on an unremarkable night of Carabao Cup action … though the resulting fourth-round draw threw up some potential crackers

There are over two emails in our bulging pre-match postbag. In fact, we’re three from three with Arsenal fans not 100 percent pleasured by Mikel Arteta’s selection tonight. Look!

“That Arsenal XI is strong. Worryingly strong. I hope to God Eze doesn’t pick up an injury from this one. Also, since Gyokeres hasn’t been pulling down trees against City, I thought he’d start this one and grab some goals to boost confidence. Very strange” – Kieran McKintosh

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Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened

A precious win for Ruben Amorim on a rainy, rowdy and ramshackle night at Old Trafford

Let’s have a rummage around the pre-match postbag ... and by the looks of the contents, Ruben Amorim has lost the crowd.

“Any sign of a Papal Bull at Old Trafford? After all, there’s been plenty of another kind of bull there over the last 12 months” – Gary Naylor

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Tottenham 1-0 Villarreal: Champions League – as it happened

The Europa League holders marked their return to the Champions League with a scrappy win

Bergvall is sent scampering down the right flank. He looks for Richarlison in the middle with a low cross. Junior dives to claim, but in diving forward to collect, allows the ball to squirt out of his hands, backwards, and into the bottom right. What a huge blunder! What a gift! What a start for Spurs!

2 min: Foyth’s first act on his return to north London is to clatter into Richarlison, knocking him upside the head in an aerial duel. The resulting free kick is launched long, and Van de Ven tees up Simons, who screeches a first-time shot over the bar from distance. A statement of intent from Simons on his home debut.

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Leeds 0-0 Newcastle: Premier League – as it happened

The spoils were shared after an uneventful match at Elland Road

2 min: A fairly nondescript start to the game, during which Leeds see plenty of the ball. Elland Road in good voice.

Leeds get the ball rolling. The rain tipping down in West Yorkshire.

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Newcastle 2-3 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

Ten-man Newcastle fought back from two goals down, only to succumb to a sensational 100th-minute winner from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha

44 secs: Elanga chases down the right and wins the first corner of the game. From which …

A huge St James’ Park roar as the two teams huddle, then Liverpool get the ball rolling. Plenty of boos as they kick off. Then another roar as Burn heads clear. What an atmosphere!

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