Sport

Max Verstappen beats Piastri to take F1 title race to Abu Dhabi GP as Norris falters
Posted on Sunday November 30, 2025

Norris only fourth in Qatar, making Abu Dhabi decisiveMcLaren failure to pit on safety car costs their driversMax Verstappen believed he had long since “checked out” from being able to defend his world championship. Yet the Dutchman, while down, was far from out and has, with victory in the Qatar Grand Prix, battled and bludgeoned his way back into contention just as McLaren have somehow contrived to leave Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri vulnerable to his late charge, as Verstappen forced the title race to the wire at the final round next weekend in Abu Dhabi.With Lando Norris, the title leader, fourth and his teammate Oscar Piastri second in Doha, after McLaren made an egregious strategy error, there will now be a three-way fight to the finish at the season finale, with 16 points separating all three drivers. Verstappen is 12 points back from Norris, with Piastri a further four worse off. It is a scenario that was all but unthinkable when Verstappen was 104 points behind Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix on 31 August and he had in effect written off his championship ambitions. Continue reading...

Arsenal held by 10-man Chelsea in feisty draw after Moisés Caicedo gets VAR red
Posted on Sunday November 30, 2025

Arsenal would surely have taken a draw beforehand, against a Chelsea team that have emerged as surprise title rivals in recent weeks – and especially when they realised they had to play without William Saliba, who injured himself in training on Saturday.It was a different story when, in the 38th minute, Chelsea were reduced to 10 men after Moisés Caicedo’s X-rated challenge on Mikel Merino. It was one of those that made you wince upon each replay, the stand-in Arsenal striker fortunate to emerge unscathed. Continue reading...

Middlesex CCC chief executive investigated after complaint by staff member
Posted on Sunday November 30, 2025

Cricket Regulator launches investigation into claimsAndrew Cornish understood to deny misconductThe Middlesex County Cricket Club chief executive, Andrew Cornish, has taken leave of absence from the club following an allegation of misconduct made by another member of staff.The Guardian has learned that Middlesex have handed the complaint over to the Cricket Regulator, which has launched an investigation into the matter. Continue reading...

Duplantis wins top award and takes aim at Grand Slam Track’s exclusion of field events
Posted on Sunday November 30, 2025

Duplantis named World Athletics’ male athlete of yearSydney McLaughlin-Levrone wins top female awardArmand Duplantis has capped a remarkable 2025, in which he broke four world records and won another world title, by being named World Athletics’ male athlete of the year.Immediately after picking up the award, the Swedish pole vaulter took aim at Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, which collapsed earlier in the summer and is still yet to pay athletes their full prize money. Continue reading...

Alexander Isak ends drought as Liverpool stop rot with win at West Ham
Posted on Sunday November 30, 2025

For long spells nothing happened. At one point it was so quiet you could hear a distant plane droning by. But Liverpool will not care.Sometimes you have to get back on the horse however you can, and if that requires a stepladder, an awkward bunk from a scornful stablehand and an ungainly scramble into the saddle, so be it. Continue reading...

Mount’s sweet strike completes Manchester United’s comeback win at Crystal Palace
Posted on Sunday November 30, 2025

Just when Ruben Amorim must have thought his luck would never turn, Manchester United managed to inflict Crystal Palace’s first home defeat in the Premier League since February and end their own five-year wait for a victory at this ground after a first half when their opponents should have been out of sight.Oliver Glasner’s side had been rampant and deservedly took the lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s retaken penalty but they could not make their dominance count. Having failed to score in four previous league meetings that included three defeats, like the proverbial London buses United struck back twice in nine minutes through Joshua Zirkzee – his first goal in the Premier League for almost a year – and Mason Mount to snatch the points. Continue reading...

Arundell crowns Bath comeback victory at Saracens to advance England claims
Posted on Sunday November 30, 2025

Saracens 29-36 BathChampions recover from 14-0 down in bonus-point winIn the battle of the X-factor wingers with England ambitions, fleetness of foot edged out the head for heights. Henry Arundell came out on top of a captivating duel with Noah Caluori to crown a fine individual showing with a second try and finally sink Saracens. That the Bath head coach offered comparisons with Bryan Habana is a demonstration of just how impressive Arundell’s performance was.It may be reductive to condense such an absorbing, chaotic multifaceted contest into a singular head‑to‑head but the contest between Caluori and Arundell was thrilling. Saracens’ early ascendancy owed much to Caluori’s aerial skills – Owen Farrell kicked for him to chase four times in the opening eight minutes – while Bath’s revival from 14-3 down was sparked by an Arundell intercept that had Johann van Graan recalling Habana in his heyday. He finished off the decisive score four minutes from time and held up well in the face of Saracens’ aerial bombardment, with Caluori’s influence waning in the second half. Continue reading...

NFL roundup: Panthers shock Rams as Shedeur Sanders loses first home start
Posted on Sunday November 30, 2025

Bryce Young excels in Carolina victoryAFC South now a battle between three teamsBryce Young completed 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns – two of them coming on fourth down – and the Carolina Panthers (7-6) forced three turnovers by Matthew Stafford to beat Los Angeles (9-3) and snap the Rams’ six-game winning streak. Carolina’s defense intercepted Stafford twice with Mike Jackson returning one for a 48-yard touchdown and ended the 37-year-old’s NFL record of 28 straight TD passes without an interception. Derrick Brown, who tipped a ball resulting in one of Stafford’s first pick, came up with a key strip-sack with 2:25 left in the game to preserve the win. Stafford completed 18 of 28 passes for 243 yards with two touchdown passes to Davante Adams, his 13th and 14th of the season. Continue reading...