Picks of the week: The Premier League season has taken an unexpected turn, shaking up the title contest. Meanwhile, controversy surrounds the Ballon d’Or awards. Other surprises have emerged, making this season thrilling.
In other sports news, Max Verstappen is poised to secure his fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship. Conversely, the MotoGP championship will be decided in the final race, ensuring an electrifying conclusion.
Manchester City were leaders on the table before match week 10, but their performance meant that it was a deserved 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth. Liverpool came from a goal down to get a hard-earned 2-1 win against Brighton in the last 20 minutes of the game, and with Arsenal suffering a 1-0 defeat against Newcastle, the weekend was just perfect for the Reds. Here’s the full-time result of match week 10 in the EPL.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony was filled with surprises and controversy. Marked by drama, but celebrated exceptional talent in football. Manchester City’s Rodri took home the men’s award, marking the first Premier League winner since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. However, Real Madrid boycotted the event after learning Vinicius Jr. wouldn’t receive the honour, despite being named men’s club of the year. Other winners include Carlo Ancelotti, Emma Hayes, Barcelona, Lamine Yamal, and Emi Martinez.
Elsewhere, Matchday 10 of the Nigerian Premier Football League came with significant results as Remo Stars emerged as new table toppers. Coach Amuneke led Heartland FC to their first away win in the oriental derby. Bendel Insurance also got a headline 2-1 away victory against Sunshine Stars. Matchday 10 ended with 2 away victories, 7 home wins, 1 draw, and 21 goals. Here are the full results of the games played.
The Flying Eagles retained their WAFU-B U-20 title after defeating Ghana 2-1. Both goals for Nigeria were courtesy of Kparobo Arierhi. Ghana, despite pulling a goal back, couldn’t find an equaliser handing the Flying Eagles their deserved win.
Alexander Zverev returns to world No.2 in the world rankings ahead of Carlos Alcaraz after easing past Ugo Humbert, 6-2,6-2 to earn his seventh masters 1000th title in the Paris masters finals.
Meanwhile, Katie Boulter slipped to a 6-1, 6-2 defeat to Diana Shnaider in the Hong Kong Open finals. While Aryna Sabalenka, Jasmine Paolini, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff made winning starts at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
Defending champion, Francesco Bagnaia won the Malaysian Grand Prix ahead of his rival Jorge Martins. Bagnaia finished three seconds in front of Jorge to claim his 10th Grand Prix of the season; with his victory, the championship fight will now be decided by the final race of the season, with Jorge Martin holding a 24-point advantage.
Max Verstappen produced a stunning comeback win from 17th on the grid to win the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Verstappen has now moved to the brink of a fourth successive world championship with rival Lando Norris pole sitter, ultimately finishing sixth. Surprisingly, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly sealed a shocking podium finish for Alpine.
