Champions League: England’s fourth place under threat from Italy after Man United, Arsenal and Man City flop in Europe September 22, 2015 English clubs’ disappointing start to the Champions League group stage has increased the chances of the Premier League’s allocation of places being cut from four to three. Figures published by European governing body Uefa show Italy is only narrowly behind England in the coefficient rankings, which determine how many teams from a given country qualify for [...]
Arsenal’s Gabriel has ban overturned – but may receive another suspension for protesting ‘wrong’ red card against Chelsea September 22, 2015 Arsenal have received a boost ahead of the north London derby after defender Gabriel had his red card against Chelsea rescinded and a three-match ban overturned on appeal. The Brazil centre-back could yet be suspended later this week, however, as he still faces a charge of improper conduct for protesting his dismissal on Saturday at [...]
Diego Costa: Chelsea striker banned for three matches after FA throws out appeal September 22, 2015 Chelsea must make do without striker Diego Costa for the next three matches after the Football Association upheld a charge of violent conduct. The Blues appealed the charge, which related to the Spain forward’s tussle with Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny in a 2-0 win over the Gunners on Saturday, but the appeal was rejected. Chelsea [...]
Australia skipper Stephen Moore keen for Wallabies to shrug off Rugby World Cup cabin fever September 22, 2015 Australia skipper Stephen Moore believes the competitive nature of the opening Rugby World Cup jousts have increased the anticipation for England’s Pool A rivals ahead of their tournament bow against Fiji at the Millennium Stadium. The Wallabies can deal a huge blow to Fiji’s World Cup hopes with a second successive defeat after the Pacific [...]
Japan out to prove slaying of South Africa was no Rugby World Cup fluke, says coach Eddie Jones September 22, 2015 Japan coach Eddie Jones insists his side need to dispatch Scotland in their Rugby World Cup Pool B clash in Gloucester to prove they are not one-hit wonders after toppling two-time winners South Africa. The Brave Blossoms rocked the tournament by overcoming the Springboks 34-32 in Brighton on Saturday, a result dubbed the biggest shock [...]
Lessons in wine: A leisurely stroll through the sublime Medoc region September 22, 2015 Those who love Bordeaux will know that the Left Bank is Cabernet Sauvignon territory while the Right Bank is dominated by Merlot. My apologies to readers who are loyal to the wines of the Right, but today I want to delve further into the wines of the Left. The likes of Petrus and Cheval Blanc [...]
Solheim Cup 2015 row: Suzann Pettersen apologises for sparking bitter disagreement between Europe and United States September 22, 2015 Norway's Suzann Pettersen, the player at the heart of the Solheim Cup row between Europe and the United States, has backtracked and apologised for prioritising winning over fair play. Pettersen sparked a huge spat on Sunday, the final day of the biennial competition, by refusing to concede a putt when American Alison Lee mistakenly picked up [...]
Solheim Cup 2015 row: Europe were better off losing after ‘concession’ controversy – Sam Torrance’s Golf Comment September 22, 2015 Honesty and fair play are cornerstones of golf, so the row that erupted during the Solheim Cup between Europe and the United States on Sunday jarred horribly with everything this great game should be about. I was extremely disappointed with Europe’s behaviour after it emerged that American Alison Lee had picked up her ball [...]
Golfer Jason Day’s 2015 PGA Tour earnings make him even richer than the FTSE 100’s highest earning chief Sir Martin Sorrell September 22, 2015 FTSE 100 bosses may be thinking of a change in career; as it’s been revealed that professional golfer Jason Day has pocketed more than $5m (£3.2m) from an incredible run of form in the past two months, not only pushing him above Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth to golf’s No1 ranking, but also one of [...]
Japan’s shock Rugby World Cup slaying of South Africa has blown Pool B wide open, says Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist September 21, 2015 Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist believes Japan’s surprise slaying of South Africa has changed the dynamic of Rugby World Cup Pool B and altered the mindset of teams vying to make the quarter-finals. Japan’s 34-32 success over the two-time tournament winners has been dubbed the biggest shock in World Cup history and ended the Brave Blossoms’ [...]