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Andrew Cesare Richardson

Domestic football was welcomed back with open arms across Europe this weekend after a two-week pause for some of that international stuff.
There were some surprise results such as Arsenal suffering their first loss of the season.
And more predictable outcomes like Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United managing the bare minimum acceptable result to just about save his job when necessary.
While away from football, there was plenty going on, so here’s a look at what happened while you were sleeping.
Arteta’s ‘derby’ defeat

Despite a population of less than one million, the tiny Basque region of Gipuzkoa in Spain has produced a host of football’s best current managers.
Alongside Xabi Alonso, Unai Emery and Julen Lopetegui, the region has also given rise to Mikel Arteta and Andoni Iraola, who went head-to-head in the English Premier League on Saturday. And it didn’t go the way you might think.
It ended with a first defeat of the season for Arteta and Arsenal with Ryan Christie and a Justin Kluivert penalty handing Bournemouth a shock 2-0 victory.
For the third time in six Premier League matches, the Gunners had a man sent off – with William Saliba seeing red after 30 minutes.
Arteta, however, took responsibility for the defeat and … I’m joking, he blamed the red card, of course.
“It’s very difficult to win in the Premier League with 10 men for 60 minutes,” he said afterwards. “It’s just an accident waiting to happen. We have had to go through it in three games and that cost us the game.”
Ten Hag in … for now, and repeat

Ahead of Manchester United’s trip to Southampton last month, boss Erik ten Hag said “I’m not Harry Potter” in relation to trying to fix his side’s mounting issues.
But now I’m starting to wonder if maybe that’s not entirely true.
Because, once again amid strong sack talk and his side staring defeat in the face, he pulls out a result. Not an impressive one, of course – that would be asking too much. But the absolutely bottom grade of acceptability to stay in his job for another week.
A goal down to Brentford at half-time after the visitors took the lead from a corner while United’s defence completely fell asleep as defender Matthijs de Ligt was receiving treatment off the pitch, they came out for the second half a team transformed.
Alejandro Garnacho immediately equalised before Rasmus Hojlund put the hosts ahead with a dinked finish.
“Every game we win is important. This team, you see the togetherness, a fighting spirit. Today we had some determination to score goals, and that’s what we need. Today we scored two brilliant goals and we are very pleased with it,” is what Ten Hag said after the match, though it could have been post-match reaction to almost any result over the past two seasons.
Saints’ sinners
Winless Southampton were 2-0 up with more than an hour played at home to fellow newly promoted side Leicester and still ended up on the losing side with Jordan Ayew netting the winner in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
Meanwhile, Tottenham bounced back from suffering the same fate at Brighton before the international break with an impressive 4-1 victory over London rivals West Ham in Saturday’s early game.
A goal down, they reacted superbly and, after taking the lead through Yves Bissouma on 52 minutes, they added two more inside eight minutes to turn the match into a hammering for the Hammers.
Newcastle were beaten 1-0 at home by a Brighton side who are now just two points behind title challengers Arsenal and Aston Villa, level on points with Brighton, ensured their best start for 26 years with a 3-1 victory over Fulham.
In the day’s other match, Everton ran out 2-0 winners at winless Ipswich to open up a four-point gap on the bottom four.
Continental round-up

There was plenty happening elsewhere in Europe – and here are the main headlines.
Harry Kane’s hat-trick helped Bayern Munich hammer a Stuttgart side, who finished above them last season, 4-0.
While reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen continued their unconvincing start to the campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Over in Spain, Real Madrid ran out 2-1 winners at Celta Vigo with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior on the scoresheet.
The big match in Serie A saw Juventus squeeze past Lazio with a 1-0 win via an 86th-minute own goal by Mario Gila after the visitors had seen defender Alessio Romagnoli sent off on 24 minutes, while AC Milan beat Udinese by the same scoreline.
Ligue 1 giants Paris Germain, meanwhile, beat Strasbourg 4-2 with South Korea forward Lee Kang-in netting the fourth.
Last dance

Rafa Nadal hailed his “amazing rivalry” with Novak Djokovic after what was likely their final encounter during the “Six Kings Slam” exhibition in Saudi Arabia.
With Nadal retiring after the Davis Cup Finals next month, this may well have been their last dance.
Djokovic ran out victorious after a straight sets 6-2, 7-6 success in their third-place match.
“Don’t leave tennis, man,” the Serbian implored his rival after their match.
“I’ve witnessed Andy Murray retiring this year, Roger (Federer) a few years ago as well,” Djokovic added. “And now Rafa, you know?
“It’s tough in some way to see them go, because all of my career, basically, I’ve played with them.”
And it looks like the baton in men’s tennis was well and truly been passed on as Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in the tournament’s final to avenge his defeat in the China Open showpiece earlier this month.
GB’s cycling gold
Britain’s Anna Morris stunned three-time champion and world record holder Chloe Dygert of the United States to win the individual pursuit title at the world track cycling championships on Saturday.
Dygert, who was aiming for a fourth triumph in the event, had improved her own world record to three minutes, 15.663 seconds in qualifying.
However, in the final, 29-year-old Morris was too strong and claimed her first individual title after two victories in the team pursuit in 2023 and in this year’s championships.
“I’m in disbelief. Chloe posted an incredible time in the qualifying round and I did a huge personal best, so I wasn’t sure how much more I had to give,” Morris told the BBC.
“I felt like I could potentially have gone a bit harder at the start so I went out a little bit harder in the final, tried to keep it as controlled as I could, and at the end I could hear my teammates and coach screaming, so I knew I must be close.”
Back on track
Max Verstappen got that winning feeling for the first time in four months as he topped the podium at the US Grand Prix.
The win, with nearest challenger Lando Norris finishing third, extends the Dutchman’s lead at the top of the overall championship.
“It feels a bit like old times. I’m very happy with today,” Verstappen said. “For us, finally we are racing again. Normally we are always looking back but now we can just do our own race, so we had good pace.”


Saka, Sterling in double injury blow for Arsenal, Christmas sackings in Italy and Spain

Liverpool hit Spurs for six, United channel 1980s form; Joshua your only option, Fury told

Arteta bullish on Arsenal’s title chances, City in relegation mode, Lee’s darts championship over

Fury piles on pounds for Usyk fight, Dias adds to City injury woes, Gatland keeps job

While you were sleeping

Arsenal’s shock loss, Man United win (shock) while Djokovic faced Nadal for final time

Novak Djokovic and Rafel Nadal with their third and fourth-place trophies after meeting at the “Six Kings Slam” exhibition in Saudi Arabia. Photo: EPA

Bournemouth’s Spanish manager Andoni Iraola embraces ‘neighbour’ Mikel Arteta after their Premier League clash. Photo: AFP

Erik ten Hag lives to fight another day as Manchester United narrowly overcome Brentford. Photo: Reuters

Harry Kane scored three as free-scoring Bayern Munich put four past Stuttgart. Photo: Reuters

Novak Djokovic embraces eternal rival Rafael Nadal after their third-place tennis match at the “Six Kings Slam”. Photo: AFP

Formula One: Max Verstappen wins US Grand Prix sprint race to extend lead over rival Norris

Max Verstappen (centre) celebrates his first victory for four months after winning the US GP with Carlos Sainz ( second right) second and Lando Norris (left) third. Photo: EPA

Great Britain’s Lando Norris finished third in Austin in a blow to his bid to win the overall championship. Photo: USA TODAY

English Premier League opens Beijing office, offers development courses to Chinese coaches

Manchester United, along with Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers sent coaches to deliver a four-day training course in China. Photo: Reuters

Ex-England star Michael Owen met the Chinese coaches who went to England as part of their course. Photo: Reuters

Sport

Football

Formula One (F1)

Tennis

Once again Erik ten Hag pulls a victory out of the bag when he needed it most, while there was a likely final meeting for two tennis GOATs


Once again Erik ten Hag pulls a victory out of the bag when he needed it most, while there was a likely final meeting for two tennis GOATs.


English Premier League