West Ham Confident Michail Antonio Will Stay and Plan Pay Reward

 West Ham’s Michail Antonio (centre) gets past Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa in their final game of the season. Photograph: Andy Rain/Reuters
West Ham’s Michail Antonio (centre) gets past Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa in their final game of the season. Photograph: Andy Rain/Reuters
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West Ham Confident Michail Antonio Will Stay and Plan Pay Reward

 West Ham’s Michail Antonio (centre) gets past Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa in their final game of the season. Photograph: Andy Rain/Reuters
West Ham’s Michail Antonio (centre) gets past Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa in their final game of the season. Photograph: Andy Rain/Reuters

West Ham are confident of agreeing a new deal with Michail Antonio and plan to reward the forward’s excellent late-season form with a pay rise.

While Antonio has a year left on his deal, West Ham are relaxed about the situation as they have an option to trigger a two-year extension. However, the 30-year-old is in line for improved terms after helping the east London club to win their fight to stay in the Premier League, scoring eight goals in his last nine games to help lift David Moyes’s side to safety.

Antonio earns around £70,000 a week, which puts him below West Ham’s highest-paid players. Felipe Anderson, Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko and Sebastien Haller are on deals worth in the region of £100,000 a week. It is understood Anderson, who is up for sale this summer, earns around £115,000 a week. The Brazilian winger has lost his place under Moyes, who is looking to raise his transfer budget by selling players who have fallen out of favour.

Antonio does not fall into that category and although West Ham are not in a rush to conclude negotiations, it is expected that talks will go smoothly. While Antonio knows his next deal is an important one because of his age, he does not want to leave the London Stadium.

The versatile forward, who scored 10 goals in total last season, has been a popular figure since joining West Ham for £7m from Nottingham Forest in 2015.

West Ham, who are rivalling Crystal Palace for the Queens Park Rangers forward Eberechi Eze, remain adamant Declan Rice will not be sold to Chelsea this summer. While they are likely to have to make sales before bringing in new signings, they are determined not to raise funds by selling Rice.

One player on his way out is Albian Ajeti, who is set to join Celtic after turning down the chance to sign for Brentford. The Swiss striker, who joined West Ham for £8m from Basel last summer, will join the Scottish champions for £4.5m.

The Guardian Sport



Resurgent Acosta Beats Martin for Maiden MotoGP Win in Austria

Spanish MotoGP rider Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing celebrates after winning the Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria, 20 September 2026.  EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK
Spanish MotoGP rider Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing celebrates after winning the Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria, 20 September 2026. EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK
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Resurgent Acosta Beats Martin for Maiden MotoGP Win in Austria

Spanish MotoGP rider Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing celebrates after winning the Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria, 20 September 2026.  EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK
Spanish MotoGP rider Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing celebrates after winning the Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria, 20 September 2026. EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK

Pedro Acosta claimed the first MotoGP victory of his career in the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, bouncing back from his sprint-race crash to beat world championship leader Jorge Martin at KTM's home Red Bull Ring circuit.

The 22-year-old Spaniard, who qualified third before crashing out while leading Saturday's sprint, seized the lead from polesitter Martin on lap nine of the 28-lap race and never looked back.

Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium, while Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura finished fourth.

It was an emotional moment for Acosta, nicknamed 'The Shark', who arrived in MotoGP with ⁠huge expectations after ⁠winning the Moto3 world title in 2021 and the Moto2 crown in 2023.

"The first one is always special," Reuters quoted Acosta as saying. "Nice way to close a season like this with KTM in front of all Austrian fans. Super happy for them because they deserve it even more than me."

Acosta is set to leave KTM at the end of 2026 to join the factory Ducati team.

Martin, the 2024 ⁠MotoGP champion, got off to a brilliant start but was overtaken by teammate Bezzecchi for the lead at Turn One on lap two. The 28-year-old responded immediately, reclaiming top spot at Turn Three on the same lap.

However, Acosta's pace proved decisive and he passed Martin for the lead on lap nine before pulling away.

"I want to congratulate Pedro. He fought a lot during the last few years to get this victory. This feeling is amazing for him, so I'm really happy for him," Martin said of his fellow Spaniard.

"For myself, I think I did a great race. I was trying to manage the ⁠fuel. Then Pedro ⁠took me but I thought everything was under control. But step by step, he was stepping away. I tried to push a bit more but my rear tire was completely destroyed. I did my best.

"This is what we have to do every weekend for the rest of the season, and the fight is on. So I am really looking forward to continuing like this."

Martin now has 306 points in the standings, a 12-point lead over compatriot and reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez ahead of next month's Japanese Grand Prix. Italian Bezzecchi is third with 264 points.

Marquez endured a frustrating weekend as Ducati lacked the outright pace of the Aprilias. The seven-time MotoGP champion qualified second but slipped back on the opening lap and eventually finished fifth.


Britain, Zverev-inspired Germany Book Davis Cup Finals Spots

Germany's Alexander Zverev, right, after defeating Croatia's Dino Prizmic in their Davis Cup second qualifying round tennis match in Halle, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
Germany's Alexander Zverev, right, after defeating Croatia's Dino Prizmic in their Davis Cup second qualifying round tennis match in Halle, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
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Britain, Zverev-inspired Germany Book Davis Cup Finals Spots

Germany's Alexander Zverev, right, after defeating Croatia's Dino Prizmic in their Davis Cup second qualifying round tennis match in Halle, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
Germany's Alexander Zverev, right, after defeating Croatia's Dino Prizmic in their Davis Cup second qualifying round tennis match in Halle, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)

Great Britain stamped their ticket to the Davis Cup finals with a 3-0 win over Ecuador in London on Sunday, while US Open champion Alexander Zverev sealed Germany's place in the last eight.

Henry Patten and Neal Skupski wrapped up the victory for Britain with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Diego Hidalgo and Gonzalo Escobar, consolidating the work put in in the singles the day before by debutant Toby Samuel and Arthur Fery.

Top-ranked doubles player Patten and his partner Skupski, the world number three, secured a sole break of serve in the first set to take control against their 91st and 93rd-ranked opponents.

In the second set, the British duo got their noses in front in the ninth game, before promptly serving out for the 10-time Davis Cup champions.

"We're feeling great," Patten said on-court, according to AFP.

"We're very, very happy to get it done on the first match."

On Saturday in the British capital, 23-year-old Samuel overcame Andres Andrade and Wimbledon semi-finalist Fery saw off Alvaro Guillen Meza to set up the victory.

Germany's Zverev then put the elation of claiming the second Grand Slam of his career firmly behind him as he led his country into the finals.

The world number two beat 103rd-ranked Croatian Dino Prizmic 6-2, 6-4 to take Germany one step closer to a first Davis Cup title since 1993.

Zverev broke his 21-year-old opponent three times, without facing a break point himself, to win in 77 minutes in Halle.

The 29-year-old had got the Germans off to a winning start against Croatia on Saturday with a straight-sets success against Matej Dodig.

Prizmic hit back instantly for the away side but Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz's win in the doubles rubber tipped the tie back in Germany's favor.

Spain also stand on the brink of a return to the finals as they lead hosts Chile 2-0 in Santiago following Daniel Merida and Rafael Jodar's victories in Saturday's singles rubbers.

Jaume Munar and Pedro Martinez will meet Tomas Barrios Vera and Alejandro Tabilo in the first of three possible matches on Sunday.

The winners of that final tie will join triple defending champions and finals hosts Italy, as well as Britain, Germany, Czech Republic, South Korea, Austria and Canada in the Davis Cup Final 8, which will run from November 24-29 in Bologna.


Arsenal Crash to Defeat at Brighton, Tottenham Gloom Deepens

 Brighton's Charalampos Kostoulas, right and Kadioglu celebrate after scoring second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal in Brighton, England, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP)
Brighton's Charalampos Kostoulas, right and Kadioglu celebrate after scoring second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal in Brighton, England, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP)
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Arsenal Crash to Defeat at Brighton, Tottenham Gloom Deepens

 Brighton's Charalampos Kostoulas, right and Kadioglu celebrate after scoring second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal in Brighton, England, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP)
Brighton's Charalampos Kostoulas, right and Kadioglu celebrate after scoring second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal in Brighton, England, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP)

Brighton and Hove Albion brought Arsenal's perfect start to the season to an abrupt end with a stunning 3-0 demolition of the Premier League champions on the south coast on Saturday.

Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas rewarded Brighton's first-half dominance with precise finishes and Chema Andres struck with a header after the interval as Arsenal slumped to their heaviest defeat for three years.

Earlier, Tottenham Hotspur scored their first Premier League goals of the season, but they proved in vain as they remained without a victory, going down 3-2 at home to Aston Villa.

Promoted Hull City suffered their first league defeat of the season as they lost 2-1 at Newcastle United while Everton moved into the top five as they beat Ipswich Town 1-0.

Coventry City scored their first goal and earned their first points since ending their 25-year exile from the top flight with a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest to move off the bottom.

Arsenal had won seven successive matches since the start of the ‌campaign, including their ‌opening four Premier League games, to begin their title defense in ominous fashion.

But the wheels ‌fell ⁠off spectacularly against ⁠a free-scoring Brighton side who moved into third place.

'NOT RESPECTING THE GAME'

"A really disappointing result and performance. Brighton were another gear up from us. We were extremely poor technically and not respecting the game," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.

"They were another gear from us in the basics of the game."

Wearing a special blue-shirted kit to mark their 125th anniversary, Fabian Huerzeler's Brighton produced an intensity that Arsenal simply could not match.

Gross beat Arsenal keeper David Raya in the 31st minute with a low shot that went in off the upright -- his fourth goal in his last five games -- and Kostoulas scored with a similar effort following a counter-attack less than a ⁠minute after Bukayo Saka was close to an equalizer at the other end.

Andres punished some ‌slack marking to head in from close range from Gross's corner.

Arsenal have 12 ‌points from five games, the same as Manchester City who can move three points clear at the top if they beat Sunderland on ‌Sunday. Brighton, who have scored a league-leading 16 goals, have 10 points.

TOTTENHAM LURCH DEEPER INTO TROUBLE

Aston Villa breathed a sigh ‌of relief as they claimed their first league win of the season, but Tottenham's season lurched deeper into trouble after a third league defeat of the season.

Villa keeper Zion Suzuki produced several fine saves to frustrate Tottenham and Unai Emery's side took the lead in first-half stoppage time when summer signing Johan Manzambi tapped in while the hosts were down to 10 men after Micky van de Ven was off ‌the pitch receiving treatment for a cut face.

Nicolas Jackson doubled Villa's advantage in the 67th minute, finishing clinically to put the visitors firmly in control and Emi Buendia struck ⁠11 minutes from time with ⁠a rocket to the top corner from 22 yards.

Many Tottenham fans had streamed to the exits before Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke scored late on to salvage some respectability for Roberto De Zerbi's strugglers.

"Today I was very disappointed, very sad, very frustrated for the performance. Because we can't lose this game in this way, absolutely," De Zerbi, whose side have two points and could end up bottom heading into the international break, said.

Thierno Barry's goal was enough for unbeaten Everton to take the points against Ipswich and move fifth. Abdul Fatawu was sent off for a second yellow card for Ipswich in the 67th minute.

Newcastle galloped into a two-goal lead against Hull with Joe Willock and Lewis Hall scoring in the opening seven minutes but were forced to hang on as Mohamed-Ali Cho replied for the visitors midway through the second half.

In the late game at the City Ground, Jay Dasilva's brilliant 55th-minute effort was enough for Coventry to make their mark after a tough start to the season for Frank Lampard's team.

Dasilva latched on to a long clearance and curled a shot past Matz Sels. Forest were denied a late equalizer when Igor Jesus poked home but was adjudged, after a VAR check, to have tripped defender Caleb Yirenkyi in the build-up.