Roger Federer is coming back to US Open four years after retirement, set for two blockbuster matches US Open confirmed Roger Federer's return on Sunday, and he will be joined by three other tennis greats Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:25:16 IST Written by Aratrick Mondal Prefer HTon Google Share
Nerves cost us against Australia, but I'm proud of the team: women's hockey coach: Marijne Nerves cost us against Australia, but I'm proud of the team: women's hockey coach: Marijne Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:09:14 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Amstelveen
After seventh seed Victor Lai fell in three games to ninth seed Alex Lanier at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi, the former described the Frenchman as a ‘beast’, lauding his physical fitness and tenacity to go the distance and play the long game
India men’s football team will face Panama in a FIFA international friendly in September, ahead of another friendly against five-time FIFA World Cup winners Brazil in Kolkata on October 3. According to a report by The Times of India, the match between India and the North American side is
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out of the running to replace Gianni Infantino, but says he expects a candidate to challenge the Fifa president's leadership in March. Infantino has faced calls to step down after he scrapped a controversial plan to sell off stakes in Fifa's
Barcelona began their La Liga title defence with a commanding 5-0 victory over Elche on Sunday, with Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scoring twice each and Anthony Gordon setting up two goals on his debut. The result comea a day after Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid defeated Espanyol 2-1 with a late winner
GCT Grand Finale: Praggnanandhaa beats Keymer to stake his claim for finals GCT Grand Finale: Praggnanandhaa beats Keymer to stake his claim for finals Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 09:43:17 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link St. Louis
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin may have been vocal in his demand for the current FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down but he has no interest in replacing the under-fire Swiss. Infantino continues to face pressure to leave his position as world football’s governing body chief following
From last-gasp winners to woes - Liverpool's late goal problem
Liverpool's high-wire act has been fraught with danger this season and the Premier League champions have now lost their balance spectacularly to fall from the top of the table.
Arne Slot's reigning champions snatched wins with late goals in the early stages of the defence of their title, relying on dramatic final acts to escape to victory while disguising form that has been indifferent since the season started.
Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Burnley and Atletico Madrid all fell to last-gasp blows – but it was a high-risk unsustainable strategy, especially with Liverpool so far from their best.
And now they have received a bitter taste of their own medicine twice in seven days.
Chelsea's deserved 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge came courtesy of Estevao Willian's 95th-minute strike, while Liverpool's first Premier League defeat of the season was inflicted by Eddie Nketiah's 97th-minute goal for Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
In between these defeats, Galatasaray beat Liverpool 1-0 in the unique atmosphere of Istanbul's imposing RAMS Park in the Champions League, Slot losing three successive games for the first time in his coaching career.
Slot was in defiant mood in the aftermath of another disappointment, going through his full range of brave faces while accentuating the positive in the face of evidence to the contrary.
"Last week, same as this week, the fine margins haven't been in our favour," Slot told BBC Match of the Day.
In both games we've created more chances than the team we have faced - Palace and Chelsea - but the truth is that we have only scored once in both games and our opponent has scored twice.
Fine margins indeed - but there is no denying the remarkable swing in fortunes. A staggering 10 goals have been scored after the 80th-minute mark in Liverpool's 11 games so far this season.
All but two of those goals have altered the result of the match.
The wins...
Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth (Premier League) - Federico Chiesa 88' and Mohamed Salah 90+4'
Newcastle 2-3 Liverpool (Premier League) - Rio Ngumoha 90+10'
Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal (Premier League) - Dominik Szoboszlai 83'
Burnley 0-1 Liverpool (Premier League) - Mohamed Salah (pen) 90+3'
Liverpool 3-2 Atletico Madrid (Champions League) - Virgil van Dijk 90+2'
Southampton 1-2 Liverpool (League Cup) - Hugo Ekitike 85'
The defeats...
Crystal Palace 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League) - Federico Chiesa 87' and Eddie Nketiah 90+7'
Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League) - Estevao Willian 90+5'
Late goals or otherwise, the brutal truth is that Liverpool have been a pale shadow of the side the cruised to the Premier League last season since the Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace, the tables being turned on them dramatically in the last week as the flaws that have been in evidence since that Wembley defeat have been exposed.
Liverpool have looked unbalanced after an influx of nearly £450m worth of new signings, the introduction of £116m Florian Wirtz into a role behind the strikers – whether it was £70m Hugo Ekitike or £125m Alexander Isak – leaving them more exposed through the centre.
The arrival of two new full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, with instinctive attacking tendencies has also left Liverpool more vulnerable on the counter.
Slot gave Liverpool a more familiar look at Chelsea by dropping Wirtz to restore the title-winning midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alex Mac Allister.
Liverpool were not quite as open, although Szoboszlai was moved to right-back when Conor Bradley was replaced at half-time, but for all Slot's positive messages this was another largely flat display. They still almost got a point through Cody Gakpo's equaliser after Moises Caicedo's magnificent early opener for Chelsea.
This was until Estevao intervened as the biters of early in the season were painfully bitten back.
"I thought Chelsea just wanted it a little bit more," said ex-England forward Wayne Rooney, who is a pundit on Saturday's Match of the Day. "They showed more bite and determination in how they played. It wasn't the Liverpool we've been used to watching and Chelsea definitely deserved the three points.
I know that's now back-to-back Premier League games where Liverpool have lost because of late goals but that's just the way it can go. They obviously started the season really well, scoring late goals themselves, but have now had a bad spell, losing three times in the space of a week, and it can be difficult to get out of that type of slump.
Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin told BBC 5 Live Sport that Liverpool's status as champions means they are firmly in the sights of their rivals.
"Arne Slot won the league in his first season and he's had to change things up a bit," said Nevin.
Remember, he said himself, Liverpool have this big, gigantic target on their back now, everyone wants to beat them. That's the problem you've got if you're the champions. That's why it's so hard to retain the title.
Mohamed Salah, one of the greatest players ever to pull on the Liverpool shirt, has been emblematic of their struggles.
Only a fool would write off the 33-year-old who has been applying brush strokes of genius since he arrived at Anfield from Roma in June 2017, but even this great appears to be currently suffering a crisis of confidence.
Salah uncharacteristically lost possession too often then, when played in by a clever Wirtz flick at the start of the second half, dragged a perfect opportunity to equalise wide.
The Egyptian's shooting was also wild and wayward when he carved out shooting chances later in the half, his head bowed in disappointment at his own efforts.
Isak currently looks way off match sharpness, although he can claim an assist for Gakpo's goal as he turned on Szoboszlai's cross.
He headed a very presentable chance well off target from Salah's cross in the first half, looking out on his feet when he was replaced by Hugo Ekitike with 16 minutes left, his last act a vain plea for a penalty when he clashed with Reece James.
Wirtz showed some nice touches but was again mainly on the edges of the action rather than a central figure.
After Liverpool regroup following the international break, they will justifiably expect a lot more from £241m worth of attacking talent in Wirtz and Isak.
From a team threatening to carry all before it earlier in the season, albeit without being at their best and relying on late goals, Liverpool now look rocky.
This has been the worst week for Slot since he succeeded Jurgen Klopp.
Many bemoan the interruption of the international break – Liverpool are currently struggling so badly they may just welcome the chance to clear their heads.
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Sports
The French are known for a lot of things but badminton isn’t one of them. Till Sunday, when the country that has never been considered among the top nations even in Europe created history at the 2026 World championships, in more ways than one
12 hours ago
AITA picked them, the government cut them: Why has India’s Asian Games tennis squad been slashed from 12 to 7? The AITA had originally proposed a 12-member squad for for the Asian Games, which included six women. But the list was slashed down to just seven players. Updated on: Aug 24, 2026
12 hours ago
Ashton Jeanty injury update: Is the Raiders RB out for the season? Doctor reveals possible diagnoses; ‘best case…’ Ashton Jeanty was injured after attempting a catch, prompting a tense silence at the Raiders’ facility before his teammates gathered and knelt in prayer. Updated on: Aug 24
15 hours ago
When Liverpool came to Newcastle last August, there was utter jubilation as Rio Ngumoha scored a remarkable 100th-minute winner. They scored late again this time around, through Dominik Szoboszlai's 99th-minute penalty, but it felt more like a sense of relief than joy as they rescued a point
15 hours ago
'Is Sydney Taylor playing tonight?' Chicago Sky guard's slow start vs Fever sparks injury concerns Sydney Taylor was in Chicago’s starting lineup when the Sky hosted the Indiana Fever on Sunday night. Updated on: Aug 24, 2026, 07:32:12 IST By Ojas Jaiswal Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
15 hours ago
Yet again, the England men's cricket team is picking through the wreckage of a late-night misdemeanour. The latest stain on the game's reputation is a result of pictures of fast bowler Brydon Carse in handcuffs and surrounded by police officers outside a nightspot in Derby
15 hours ago
Jean-Philippe Mateta is arguing the remainder of his Crystal Palace contract is invalid and has taken his case to Fifa. Multiple sources have told BBC Sport the France international has launched an official challenge over the validity of the final 10 months on his Selhurst Park deal
1 days ago
Bangladesh 64: Starc 6-12 & 95: Shanto 31; Starc 4-39, Cummins 3-10, Lyon 3-25 Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets in the match as Australia bounced back from last week's shock defeat by Bangladesh to win the second Test by an innings and 51 runs and draw the series 1-1. Second Test
1 days ago
Jannik Sinner's absence benefits Carlos Alcaraz: What to expect from the US Open champion after his long injury layoff Jannik Sinner is out, but is it premature to call Carlos Alcaraz the US Open favourite after four months away? Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
US Open leaves Stan Wawrinka out in the cold, denying former champion a wild card for his final Grand Slam The US Open has surprisingly denied Stan Wawrinka a wild card for what could be his final appearance at a Grand Slam. Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
India faced the Netherlands in their Pool E match of the ongoing FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 on Saturday (August 22) at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen but suffered a 1-3 defeat. India conceded one goal in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter to go down against the hosts
1 days ago
There is an uncanny resemblance between Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa’s bronze-medal run at the 2011 BWF World Championships and Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand’s campaign at the 2026 edition. Jwala and Ashwini faced the second-seeded Cheng Wen-hsing and Chien Yu-chin as early as the
1 days ago
Runs on the board and rival wickets, is the template that Dhananjaya de Silva will chase when the second Test commences at the SSC Ground on Sunday (August 23, 2026). “It’s about putting runs on the board. That’s what India did [at Galle]. For the first two days they batted and got 460 runs
1 days ago
Serena Williams returns to US Open after four years, joins Carlos Alcaraz for mixed doubles Serena Williams will return to the US Open for the first time since 2022, partnering Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles after receiving a wildcard. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
Roberto De Zerbi may have spent close to £400m by the time his Tottenham Hotspur rebuild is complete – but it took just his side's first Premier League game of the season to prove all the money in the world is no guaranteed cure for a losing mentality
1 days ago
Manchester United's fans had endured a bad enough day on the banks of the River Humber when Hull City's stadium announcer gleefully piped up midway through the second half. Two trains back to Manchester from the city centre station had been cancelled
1 days ago
From a shy girl to team mentor, Savita Punia says hockey changed her life From a shy girl to team mentor, Savita Punia says hockey changed her life Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 12:08:49 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Amstelveen
2 days ago
Shubhankar makes cut after spectacular ace at Nexo Championship Shubhankar makes cut after spectacular ace at Nexo Championship Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 12:17:58 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Aberdeenshire , Shubhankar Sharma ended his streak of four missed cuts as he made the
2 days ago
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi has been fined for slapping Philadelphia Union's Quinn Sullivan during their side's Major League Soccer (MLS) 2-2 draw on Wednesday. Messi, 39, slapped Sullivan around the back of the head towards the end of the game as he complained the Union player had elbowed him after
2 days ago
Premier League champions Arsenal will start the new season with some of the nightmares of the previous two as their marquee signing, midfielder Bruno Guimarães, is not part of the squad due to an injury. Guimarães signed for £75 million (Rs. 979 crore) from Newcastle United and suffered a knock
2 days ago
Nostalgia may have enveloped Sairaj Bahutule when he entered the SSC Ground. He would have remembered his last Test played at the same venue in 2001, a game India lost. The Indian spin-bowling coach, though, quickly immersed himself in the nets here Friday (August 21, 2026)
2 days ago
Lionel Messi fined for slapping opponent on the head as Inter Miami-Philadelphia clash erupts into late red-card chaos Lionel Messi was fined by MLS after slapping Philadelphia's Quinn Sullivan on the head as Inter Miami's 2-2 draw desecended into stoppage-time chaos. Updated on: Aug 22, 2026
2 days ago
Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra managed to deliver his season’s best performance at the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday but fell agonisingly short of the top spot, as Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage finished first with a throw just nine centimetres more than his
2 days ago
Why did Nick Chubb retire? Net worth in focus as NFL player ends career at 30 Nick Chubb played for eight seasons in NFL that included seven years with the Cleveland Browns and one with the Houston Texans. Updated on: Aug 22, 2026, 09:25:09 IST By Shirin Gupta Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link
2 days ago
Arsenal started last season as nearly men - but now they have the swagger of winners. That much can be seen on the approach to Emirates Stadium. Above the entrance to the ground is new signage, a simple message in gold: 'Champions'. Players and fans alike have taken the confidence of last season's
2 days ago
Liverpool, Man City face questions in new era without Salah, Guardiola Liverpool, Man City face questions in new era without Salah, Guardiola Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 06:32:41 IST AFP Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Mohamed Salah and Pep Guardiola are two of the most iconic figures in
2 days ago
Nakashima knocks out Fritz to reach Cincinnati semi-finals Nakashima knocks out Fritz to reach Cincinnati semi-finals Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 04:36:47 IST AFP Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Brandon Nakashima continued his red-hot pace on Friday
2 days ago
