MEN’S FOOTBALL: Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists British record signing Alexander Isak’s season starts now as he believes the player has finally reached a level where he will be fully effective. 

The striker has played just 313 minutes over six appearances, scoring just once in a League Cup win over Southampton, since his move from Newcastle on deadline day as the club sought to ease him into life at Anfield after he missed the whole of pre-season. 

Ahead of the visit of arch-rivals Manchester United on Sunday, Slot said the 26-year-old is now ready to go.

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL: Marc Skinner hailed the “Manchester United spirit” of his side after they overcame a first-half red card for defender Dominique Janssen to battle to a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Thursday evening, maintaining their perfect start to the new Women’s Champions League campaign. 

Sweden forward Fridolina Rolfo fired in a close-range volley, her first goal since a summer move from Barcelona, to give the English side a 24th-minute lead. 

It was a second straight European win for Skinner’s side, who had beaten Valerenga in their opening Champions League match.

MEN’S RUGBY LEAGUE: Toulouse and York have been promoted to an expanded 14-team Super League for 2026. 

The two clubs, who contested the Championship Grand Final earlier this month, were selected by a five-member panel chaired by RFL non-executive director Lord Caine. 

The panel was tasked with selecting the two best candidates to join the 12 teams who had already secured their place in the top-flight by virtue of the IMG grading scores announced on Thursday. 

Toulouse and York, who ranked 13th and 14th respectively, were selected from a short list of applicants, with London considered the other viable contenders for a return to Super League.