Club FriendliesLiverpool 2 - 0 Como FTJeremy Jacquet started alongside Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk for the first time [Getty Images]Jeremy Jacquet scored on his Liverpool debut as Andoni Iraola's Reds capped off pre-season with a 2-0 win over Serie A side Como. After agreeing the 60m transfer for Jacquet in January, the 21-year-old Frenchman's move was confirmed on 1 July but a niggling knee injury had kept him on the sidelines until the visit of Cesc Fabregas' Como.The centre-back impressed in the early stages with some confident play, timing last-ditch challenges expertly. He rounded off a brilliant first appearance in red with a tap-in from Cody Gakpo's cross to put Liverpool into a 2-0 lead in the 44th minute. The arrival of Jacquet in the starting XI will ease Liverpool's defensive worries after conceding seven goals in defeats by Leeds United and Monaco before this clean sheet.The France Under-21 international was replaced by another debutant, Ronald Araujo, at half-time. Iraola will be encouraged by what he witnessed in the first half, with good work from Jeremie Frimpong resulting in a fine Gakpo finish to give Liverpool a 23rd-minute lead. Ryan Gravenberch came closest to scoring in a lacklustre second half when he clipped the top of the crossbar following fine play by Victor Munoz. Liverpool now have a week to prepare for the start of their Premier League campaign when they will face Newcastle at St James' Park (Sunday, 16:30 BST).

Manchester City were playing their first competitive game since Pep Guardiola's exit after a 10-year reign [Getty Images]Did Premier League champions Arsenal show just how far ahead of Manchester City they are with their dominant Community Shield win?Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard helped the Gunners to a 3-0 victory in Cardiff.Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he was "a bit surprised" by his side's convincing performance, telling TNT Sports that "to play in the manner we did is extremely impressive".New City manager Enzo Maresca, who replaced Pep Guardiola over the summer, could say no such thing.Yet Maresca played down the importance of the result, saying: "It's a defeat that hurts us, but it's just the beginning."So, is this result a sign of things to come for both sides, or just a pre-season match that is unlikely to tell us much about the new campaign?'The gap was quite stunning' - how one-sided was it?The Gunners' victory over the FA Cup holders gave them their second trophy in four months and their 18th Community Shield title overall. [Getty Images]Arsenal took the lead after just 23 seconds, doubled their advantage thanks to some static City defending in the 23rd minute, and then added a third three minutes into the second half.Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown told TNT Sports at the end of the game: "The gap was really quite stunning."Arsenal really let the handbrake off, but Manchester City looked lifeless. Arsenal have made a real statement of intent. Their biggest problem is who does Arteta pick? Man City have a lot more problems."Manchester City received "a bit of a schooling", according to former Scotland striker Ally McCoist, who added: "I know it's early days and but it is concerning for Manchester City."The underlying numbers showed how Arsenal dominated. The Gunners created 2.19 expected goals (xG) compared to City's 0.77 and, intriguingly for Arsenal, none of their xG came from set-pieces.That metric gauges how likely chances are to result in goals, taking into account a range of variables, and Arsenal finished with almost three times the xG total of City.This was Arsenal's biggest victory to nil against Manchester City since August 2014 (also 3-0 in the Community Shield), while it was City's heaviest defeat to nil against an English side since a 4-0 defeat in November 2024 against Tottenham."We played some brilliant football. Great performance and a great way to start the season," Arsenal captain Odegaard told TNT Sports."We showed our level today. We're showed we're ready. We're serious and we want to do it again."Arsenal's players and fans were happy to celebrate their second trophy in four months, but just how seriously should we view their performance in a relatively minor competition?Ten-time Community Shield winner Sir Alex Ferguson said in 2011 he had always thought of the match simply "as a stepping stone" to the season ahead.In fact, since the Premier League started in 1992-93, only eight of the 34 winners of the Charity Shield or Community Shield have gone on to win the league.Manchester City, in 2018-19, were the last team to do so - and before that it was Ferguson's Manchester United in 2010-11.Have Arsenal had the better window?Christos Tzolis created two assists in Arsenal's win while Elliot Anderson underwhelmed in City's midfield [Getty Images]Manchester City started the summer window purposefully, swiftly agreeing a 116m deal for England midfielder Elliot Anderson, but they have yet to back that move up with other first-team signings.Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva and John Stones were allowed to leave on free transfers and Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and James Trafford were sold for substantial fees.Key player Rodri is heading for Barcelona, too, with Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez a potential replacement.World Cup winner Rodri is in his final year of his City contract and a 65m deal has been struck.City gave first run-outs of the summer to Erling Haaland and Anderson against Arsenal - after their stints at the World Cup - so Maresca will be keen to stress a lot more is to come.Arsenal, meanwhile, have only sold fringe players Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and Christian Norgaard, while signing first-teamers Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis, and recruiting last season's loanee Piero Hincapie on a permanent deal.Former Newcastle captain Guimaraes looked comfortable at the base of Arsenal's midfield in Cardiff, while Tzolis shone with two assists.The Gunners were also able to call on the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Viktor Gyokeres from the substitutes' bench, as they showed off their serious strength in depth."Elliot Anderson, while he tried hard, is not fitting brilliantly well yet," ex-Chelsea winger Pat Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live."There's a whole big job to do, but City fans will tell you that - it's transition time."City just haven't got the best manager in the business managing them any more. They haven't looked as controlled."Are they going to be in the top two, three? Yes, absolutely, don't worry about that City fans, but are you up there with Arsenal? You look a wee distance behind."Arsenal cruise to Community Shield win against disappointing Man CityOdegaard's importance, Anderson and Foden struggle - how the players ratedFootball Daily: Can anyone stop Arsenal & how do City improve under Maresca?What about Arsenal's other rivals?If not Manchester City - and it is far too early to rule them out - who might stop Arsenal marching to a 15th league title?All of Arsenal's other 'big six' rivals are arguably also in periods of transition.Of that notional group of clubs, only Arsenal go into the upcoming season with the same manager they had at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.Like Maresca at City, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola and Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso took charge this summer, while Manchester United's Michael Carrick and Tottenham's Roberto de Zerbi were appointed partway through last season.Arsenal's stability compared to their rivals looks to be a big factor in their favour.Sports data analysts at Opta have the Gunners as Premier League favourites, giving Arteta's side a 38% chance of lifting the trophy.Should they do so, it would be Arsenal's first successful top-flight title defence since way back in 1934-35.Nevin said: "You can say Arsenal are favourites for the Premier League."Liverpool could come back and be very, very strong. Manchester City, don't write them off at all because of one game here and they were stronger last year and I think there's more to be added."But I'm looking at Arsenal and this isn't six months of build, it's six years of build, and they build every year and it's better now than it was last year."Arsenal fans have waited a long time and it's been nearly so many times in the past and you just wondered if that team could become a winning dynasty. Well, they've got it."I'm not saying they're going to do it, but they're capable of it. I think they're going to add a little bit more between now and the transfer window closing, but that team out there looked comfortable with themselves."What fans thinkGary, LondonArsenal looked sharper, Tzolis looked incredible, Lewis-Skelly wanted to show he's fighting for his place and City looked absolutely lost, it's only the community shield but what a great show from the Arsenal!Luca, New YorkAs a City fan, this is getting embarrassing, Arsenal are levels above us. Either they're amazing and will break the 100 point barrier, or we're terrible and will finish 10th. No in-between.Kurt, NorfolkMaresca might visually be Pep's doppelganger, but he looks to be filling some enormous shoes with toddler feet at the moment. Awful start to his time at the Etihad.Tim, CambridgeLife after Pepnot looking great.Neil, ShropshireCity to finish sixth. Manager sacked by Xmas.David, YorkshireWriting off a team after a glorified friendly with key players on less than a week's training is just silly. Remember when Haaland's Community Shield debut had people calling Darwin Nunez the better signing? Preseason mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.Norwich struggles to assist king - Tzolis could be Arsenal gemChelsea say no Fernandez move as deadline passes - but is it really over?Get football news sent straight to your phone

Ghirls kick-off the season with victory over Glasgow CitySWPL Sunday, August 16, 2026Petershill ParkGLASGOW CITY1(Forrest 10)CELTIC2(O.G 31, Morgan 40)Celtic FC Women kicked off the new season with a 2-1 victory over Glasgow City at Petershill Park on Sunday afternoon.Marking their return to competitive action, the Ghirls did so in style, coming from behind to seal three points against their city rivals.It has been a busy summer for Grant Scotts side, with plenty of new faces joining the group, and a hard pre-season period.The Hoops were handed a tough start to the 2026/27 campaign, with their opener coming at Petershill against Glasgow City.The Celtic boss named four new faces in his starting line-up, with Addie Handley, Fi Morgan, Hannah Jordan and Izzy Fisher making their competitive debuts for the club.With so many new faces in the squad, which included a further four on the bench, it took a little bit of time for Celtic to settle into the match.In the opening proceedings, it was Glasgow City who enjoyed the lion share of possession, with the Celts unable to get their press right in the first few minutes.The home side took advantage of that start, opening the scoring inside ten minutes of the new campaign.After taking a nice first touch inside the area, Lisa Forrest got ahead of Adelaide Gay just in time to tuck home the opening goal of the match.The Celts look to respond quickly from that setback, going straight on the front foot from kick-off.Hannah Jordan, who worked incredibly hard all afternoon looked to find space to get the Hoops first shot off on goal, but the ball was nicked away just in time from the forward.Following their slow start, Celtic began to settle into the game more, and managed to find a leveller on the half hour mark.With their first corner of the game, Hannah Lukes delivery caused chaos in the Glasgow City box, with the ball deflected off a City player which diverted it onto the post, before it was bundled home, with the last touch appearing to come off the home sides goalkeeper.Throughout the afternoon, Celtic looked a huge threat from corner, with Fi Morgan in particular being a dominant force in the Glasgow City box.And the defender was on hand to fire the Ghirls in front, scoring on her competitive debut for the club.This time, it was sent in from the right-hand side by Amy Gallacher, before being headed home at the front post by the Northern Ireland internationalist.Heading into the half, the Celts had done well to recover from a difficult start to the match and find themselves in front.That looked to give Grant Scotts side confidence, with Celtic being the team in the ascendancy in the second half.Glasgow City did come close early on though, striking the crossbar with an effort from distance, which eventually went over the top.However, from there it looked like Celtic would be the one to grab the all-important next goal in the game.Izzy Fisher came close with a volleyed effort at the back post, whilst Addie Handley was also unlucky not to hit the target on the stretch from Jordans cross.Fi Morgan was also unfortunate not to find the net once more, this time with a strike from the edge, which went just by the post.There were also more debuts on the day for Celtic, with Casey Howe coming on to make her first appearance, whilst Chloe Arthur marked her return to competitive action.Howe looked to get off the mark in front of goal but was unlucky not to get her shot off after skipping past her mark.Ultimately, it was Celtic who would come out on top, picking up a hugely valuable three points in their opening match of the campaign.Next up for the Ghirls, is a first home match of the season as they welcome Montrose to Kirkintilloch next Sunday!FixturesGlasgow City Women Vs. Celtic Women - Sun, Aug 16th 2026, 16:10 Final score: 1 - 2

The Los Angeles Rams kicked off the preseason with a 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday afternoon, led by rookie quarterback Ty Simpson. The Rams scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat the Chiefs, with the defense allowing zero touchdowns in the game.Pro Football Focus released grades for every player in the Rams' win, and we broke them down by the best and worst performers on offense and defense, as well as some notables who didn't land on either side of the top five. Top 5 offenseLG Austin Blaske: 80.9WR Brennan Presley: 79.6QB Ty Simpson: 78.1RG Beaux Limmer: 74.4TE Mark Redman: 73.9Blaske allowed only one pressure and had a team-best 80.3 run-blocking grade.Presley looked shifty after the catch, hauling in all four targets for 58 yards.Simpson played a clean game with 190 yards on 21-for-25 passing, but he didn't have any big-time throws.Limmer had the second-best pass-blocking grade on the team and didn't allow a single pressure.Redman caught all three of his targets for 47 yards but had a 58.7 run-blocking grade.Top 5 defenseCB Zech McPhearson: 80.7CB Cam Lampkin: 68.2S Alex Cook: 64.5DT Ty Hamilton: 64.4CB Al'zillion Hamilton: 63.9McPhearson was by far the highest-graded defender, making one tackle and allowing zero receptions on just a single target.Lampkin was targeted three times and allowed three catches for 30 yards.Cook had four tackles and no misses, with one pressure. He also allowed just one catch for 3 yards.Ty Hamilton recorded one pressure and one stop, though he did take a poor angle on a screen pass to the running back.Al'zillion Hamilton missed one tackle and allowed three catches on five targets, with one terrific pass breakup.Bottom 5 offenseWR CJ Daniels: 57.3WR Tru Edwards: 56.2C Dylan McMahon: 51.5LG Blake Hance: 45.7QB Stetson Bennett: 40.5Daniels and Edwards were both quiet in this one, with Edwards being blanked and Daniels only catching two passes for 18 yards.McMahon didn't allow any pressures or sacks, and had a 51.8 run-blocking grade.Hance allowed a team-high two pressures and a team-worst 40.7 run-blocking grade.Bennett only played two drives and completed four of six passes for 38 yards.Bottom 5 defenseS Tanner Ingle: 39.4DT Tim Keenan III: 36.5LB Monty Rice: 35.4DL Larrell Murchison: 34.7DT Jaxson Moi: 33.2Ingle missed one tackle and allowed two catches on two targets.Keenan had one sack to go with five tackles and one missed tackle.Rice allowed two catches on three targets for minus-1 yard.Murchison didn't have any tackles or pressures on 22 snaps played.Moi's grade was weighed down by his 33.9 run-defense grade, though he didn't miss any tackles.Other notablesWR Xavier Smith: 65.8RB Dean Connors: 65.7TE Max Klare: 63.4S Nick Andersen: 55.5OLB Desjuan Johnson: 52.5OLB Keir Thomas: 50.9Smith, Connors and Klare were all standouts for the Rams on offense, with Smith going for 26 yards receiving on four catches. Connors scored two touchdowns and Klare caught seven passes on eight targets.Andersen was credited with one pass breakup by PFF and he led the team with eight tackles.Johnson had two pressures, including a sack, with Thomas generating three total pressures.This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams PFF grades: Best and worst performers in win vs. Chiefs

Rodri captained Spain to World Cup glory this summer [Getty Images]Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Spain captain Rodri from Manchester City for about 65mThe 30-year-old, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2024, is set to sign a four-year deal with the Spanish champions. The transfer is expected to be completed in the coming days.Rodri made 298 appearances across seven trophy-laden seasons at City after joining them from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a then club record 62.8m.He missed much of the 2024-25 campaign after sustaining a serious knee injury, and parts of last season were disrupted by a hamstring issue.However, he was back to his best at the World Cup in the summer, leading Spain to their second title and being named player of the tournament.Rodri leaves City having won 12 major honours, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the Champions League in 2022-23.Latest Manchester City news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Man City - what do you want to know?

Mariners expected to make Dan Wilson job decision if one thing happens originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Seattle Mariners have had a very disappointing 2026 season. From being on the cusp of the 2025 MLB World Series to now being on the outside looking in on the playoff hunt, this has not been a good year at all.Considering how bad the year's gone, it should come as little surprise that talk about Dan Wilson's job has come up. It's a real question as to whether he'll be around next year or not.USA Today's Bob Nightengale revealed a lot about Wilson's job security, reporting that the Mariners manager's job relies on one thing: whether the team makes the postseason or not.Dan Wilson's Mariners job relies on postseason berth"In the American League, Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson is expected to be fired if the Mariners miss the playoffs," Nightengale reports.This report from Nightengale shouldn't come as a huge surprise, as the Mariners missing the postseason this year would almost require some major changes.The roster isn't in bad shape, as this team should be playing a lot better than they are. The issue for the Mariners is that the stars are playing below expectations, and a lot of others are simply not playing well enough.In the American League West, the Mariners are 5.0 games behind the Houston Astros. Considering how bad the start to the year was for the Astros, this five-game difference is incredibly disappointing for Seattle.MORE:Red Sox get 8.2% chance to win World Series, which is more than Yankees oddsThey've dropped 21 of their last 32 games heading into Sunday, August 16. They're 3.0 games back in the AL Wild Card, which has a sub-500 team in the 61-63 Texas Rangers holding the third and final spot.At 58-66, the Mariners somehow have a chance to make the postseason due to how bad the AL is this year. But things aren't looking great for Seattle and, in turn, for Wilson's status as the team's manager, based on Nightengale's report.Raleigh and the other stars need to step it up over the next month and a half; otherwise, Wilson's time as the Mariners' manager might be coming to an end if they miss the postseason.More MLB news:Phillies receive slightly worrying 65% playoff odds projection from ESPNDodgers prospect Kendall George to undergo knee surgery months after viral bat dog incidentDave Dombrowski reveals why Phillies didn't trade for a righty-hitting outfielderBrewers toyed with idea of trading for Padres closer Mason MillerYankees dabbled in trade talks for Tarik Skubal despite not willing to deal George Lombard Jr.

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Phillies expected to name Alex Cora manager after 2026 unless one thing happens originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Philadelphia Phillies fired Rob Thomson early in the 2026 season after a brutal 9-19 start to the year. Don Mattingly took over, and things have turned around since then.But looking into the future, the Phillies clearly have their sights set on one person to become their manager: Alex Cora. They tried bringing him in after firing Thomson, but the ex-Boston Red Sox manager is holding off until the offseason.USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports that the Phillies are still expected to name Cora their manager after the 2026 season. That is, unless one thing happens: The Phillies win the World Series.Phillies expected to hire Alex Cora unless they win the World Series"Alex Cora, who turned down the job when Rob Thomson was fired, is expected to be the Phillies' manager next year barring a World Series berth or title," Nightengale writes.The Phillies aren't guaranteed to make the playoffs this season, but if they do, they'll have a realistic chance at winning the World Series.Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, and Jesus Luzardo are a fantastic three-man rotation for the postseason, and with Aaron Nola turning it around recently, Jhoan Duran to close games, and the revamped offense, there is some hope.Of course, it's going to take a lot of things to go right to win it all this season for the Phillies. But it's not out of the question as long as they can make the postseason.MORE:Phillies receive slightly worrying 65% playoff odds projection from ESPNIt seems, according to Nightengale, that winning the World Series might be the only thing that could stop the Phillies from turning the keys over to Cora this offseason.Mattingly helping to lead the Phillies to a World Series title would give him plenty of reason to ask for another chance to lead the Phillies in 2027 and beyond.As much as Dave Dombrowski wants to reunite with Cora, it would be hard to tell the interim manager who just helped you win a World Series to walk.They could still hire Cora even after a World Series title, but another championship might be the only thing that could give the Phillies any pause about bringing in Cora as the new manager.More MLB news:Red Sox get 8.2% chance to win World Series, which is more than Yankees oddsDodgers prospect Kendall George to undergo knee surgery months after viral bat dog incidentDave Dombrowski reveals why Phillies didn't trade for a righty-hitting outfielderBrewers toyed with idea of trading for Padres closer Mason MillerYankees dabbled in trade talks for Tarik Skubal despite not willing to deal George Lombard Jr.

Tottenham Hotspur Have Set Their Sights On This Chelsea Defender: Good Choice For De Zerbi?In a recent post on X, journalist Sebastien Vidal claimed that Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on Chelsea defender Malo Gusto this summer. It has been mentioned that Spurs are eyeing a move to acquire the services of the French full-back this off-season.Gustos Impressive Form In The Premier LeagueGusto had a solid campaign in the Premier League recently as he put in a run of influential displays on the right side of Chelseas backline. The 23-year-old scored three times and picked up five assists in 49 matches for the Blues in the previous campaign across all fronts.The France international is currently one of the most talented full-backs in the Premier League. Hence, it is no surprise that Spurs are hoping to land him in this transfer window.His current contract at the West London club will expire in the summer of 2030, which could make it tough for Tottenham to sign him on a cut-price deal this month.LONDON, ENGLAND AUGUST 15: Malo Gusto of Chelsea passes the ball under pressure from Alex Marchal and Jon Martin of Real Sociedad during the pre-season friendly match between Chelsea and Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on August 15, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Will Gusto Be A Good Choice For Tottenham Hotspur Boss Roberto De Zerbi?Gusto loves a tackle and can sense the danger well to earn possession back for his team inside his half. He usually puts his foot through the ball when needed and is a decent crosser as well from the wide areas.The French talent is a strong runner with the ball as well and can contribute by scoring and creating a few important goals for his side. Gusto is primarily a right-back but can also operate as a left-back or as a right-sided wide player if required. He is already quite familiar with the Premier League and wont take much time to adjust to life at Tottenham.We can expect Gusto to enhance the quality of Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbis defence. He has what it takes to nail down a regular first-team spot at the North London club next season.At 23, Gusto has his peak years ahead of him, which makes him a decent choice for Tottenham to consider this summer. He will also help Spurs fight for a European spot in the Premier League over the next few years. Thus, De Zerbi should go all out to recruit Gusto before the end of this month.