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Napoli Delay Inter’s Title Celebrations with 4-0 Win Over Cremonese

Football - Serie A - Napoli v Cremonese - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - April 24, 2026 Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund scores their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Serie A - Napoli v Cremonese - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - April 24, 2026 Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund scores their second goal. (Reuters)
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Napoli Delay Inter’s Title Celebrations with 4-0 Win Over Cremonese

Football - Serie A - Napoli v Cremonese - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - April 24, 2026 Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund scores their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Serie A - Napoli v Cremonese - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - April 24, 2026 Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund scores their second goal. (Reuters)

Napoli cruised to a ‌4-0 win at home to Cremonese on Friday, a result which means Serie A leaders Inter Milan will have to wait at least another week to celebrate the title win and leaves the visitors in serious relegation trouble.

Napoli are second in the standings on 69 points, nine behind Inter who are away to Torino on Sunday and three points ahead of AC Milan who host Juventus.

Cremonese are third from bottom, level on 28 points with Lecce who are in the safety zone ahead of a trip to Hellas Verona on Saturday. Verona are second ‌from bottom on ‌18 points and look Serie B bound along ‌with ⁠bottom club Pisa.

With ⁠their title defense all but over, Napoli were still keen to impress after a dismal performance last weekend when they failed to register a single shot on target in a 2-0 home loss to Lazio.

"After Lazio, we spoke, I coach intelligent guys and they understood what didn't work," Napoli boss Antonio Conte told DAZN before kickoff.

"Today we have to ⁠get back on track."

Conte's men duly obliged.

Scott McTominay was ‌denied by the onrushing keeper Emil Audero ‌in an early attack, but his opening goal quickly followed in the ‌third minute.

McTominay collected Kevin De Bruyne's pass, took one touch to ‌control before rifling a low shot to the bottom corner of the net for his ninth league goal of the season.

Napoli created plenty of chances before doubling their lead on the stroke of halftime with an own goal.

Rasmus Hojlund ‌slipped as he got his shot away, but the ball took a wicked deflection off Filippo Terracciano ⁠to wrongfoot Audero ⁠and Napoli finished the game off in stoppage time before the break.

After McTominay made an acrobatic pullback from the byline to keep the ball in play, De Bruyne battled to win possession from Youssef Maleh in the area and drilled his shot beyond Audero.

Napoli continued where they left off after the interval. Keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic threw the ball to Alisson Santos who ran the length of the pitch unchallenged before firing home from the edge of the area.

Amir Rrahmani rattled the Cremonese crossbar and Audero denied McTominay from the penalty spot late on as Napoli failed to add to their goal tally, but Conte, and the home fans, will be more than happy with an impressive performance.

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Sports

Liverpool Signs Teen Forward Djylian N’Guessan from French Side Saint-Etienne

Liverpool and Nottingham Forest players observe a minute applause for Kevin Keegan the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool and Nottingham Forest players observe a minute applause for Kevin Keegan the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
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Liverpool Signs Teen Forward Djylian N’Guessan from French Side Saint-Etienne

Liverpool and Nottingham Forest players observe a minute applause for Kevin Keegan the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool and Nottingham Forest players observe a minute applause for Kevin Keegan the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Liverpool has signed teenage forward Djylian N’Guessan from French side Saint-Etienne, the Premier League club said on Friday.

The 18-year-old is set to join Liverpool on a permanent deal in January, the club said.

Financial details were not given. Liverpool added that N’Guessan will play the rest of the season on loan at Brest in France’s Ligue 1, The Associated Press reported.

After going through Saint-Etienne’s academy, the forward made a senior debut in January 2025 and has played 13 matches, scoring one goal.

He played seven game for France at last year’s under-20 World Cup.

It's not clear what role he could have in the Liverpool squad.

During the summer transfer window, the club's signings have included Spain winger Victor Muñoz from Osasuna and a deal finalized on Monday worth 123 million pounds ($166 million) for Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain.

Sports

Arsenal Brace for Chelsea Test as Spurs Seek Spark

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have not conceded a Premier League goal this season. Darren Staples / AFP/File
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have not conceded a Premier League goal this season. Darren Staples / AFP/File
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Arsenal Brace for Chelsea Test as Spurs Seek Spark

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have not conceded a Premier League goal this season. Darren Staples / AFP/File
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have not conceded a Premier League goal this season. Darren Staples / AFP/File

Something has to give when Arsenal host Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend, with both teams putting their 100 percent records on the line, while Tottenham are desperate to stop the rot.

Defending champions Arsenal and Xabi Alonso's Chelsea are among four sides to have won their first two league games this season, along with Manchester City and newly-promoted Hull.

Spurs are bottom of the table as they prepare to face Nottingham Forest while new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is still seeking his first win.

AFP Sport looks at three talking points ahead of the action:

Arsenal steel v Chelsea flair

Arsenal have started their Premier League title defense as they finished last season -- looking impenetrable.

Last week's 1-0 win at Aston Villa, following their opening 3-0 victory over Coventry, was a sixth clean sheet in seven league matches.

Another bonus for manager Mikel Arteta is the form of England winger Bukayo Saka, who has scored twice already following an injury-disrupted 2025/26 campaign.

Chelsea have launched the Xabi Alonso era with three wins in all competitions, looking dangerous in attack but vulnerable at the back.

The club's new attacking trio of Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers have scored five of the team's seven league goals in victories against Fulham and Brighton.

But former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss Alonso will be keen to tighten up his team's defense, which has conceded five goals in those games.

Recent history is against Chelsea, who are winless in nine Premier League games against Arsenal ahead of Sunday's clash at the Emirates.

Spurs' struggles

Roberto De Zerbi is certain Tottenham will avoid another embarrassing relegation battle despite a calamitous start to the season.

The north London club, who have finished a lowly 17th in successive campaigns, lost their opener against Brentford 3-0 before a 2-0 defeat by Newcastle.

The club spent more than £350 million ($473 million) in the summer transfer window in an attempted reset, with a clutch of high-profile arrivals including Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Savio.

But there is scant evidence that things are improving as they prepare to face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday -- a team that beat them twice last season.

De Zerbi, who arrived in late March, remains upbeat despite his team's woes.

"After two defeats, maybe somebody can think it's the same story, the same as the last two seasons," he said.

"I have no doubt it's not like this. I think I can't change my opinion after two defeats. I have a big, big confidence in the qualities of my players."

Liverpool's Iraola eyes fresh start

New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is still seeking lift-off after frustrating draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.

France forward Bradley Barcola is in line to make his debut at newly-promoted Ipswich on Friday after his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain this week for a fee of up to £124 million.

The winger is the latest addition to an expensively assembled Liverpool attack that also includes Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and the currently injured Hugo Ekitike.

But four goals conceded in two matches suggest problems in other areas.

"It does not look like a balanced squad," former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports. "Liverpool are short in the full-back areas and probably a midfield player as well."

Iraola welcomed the end of the summer transfer window earlier this week.

"Once the market is closed, we know who we are," he said on Thursday. "I think we have a lot of talent in this group of players.

"Now we have to perform, we have to do our job and we have to start from tomorrow."

Sports

Kyrgios Gets Month Ban for Cocaine, Enters Treatment Program

Australia's Nick Kyrgios after a match in December 2025. (Reuters)
Australia's Nick Kyrgios after a match in December 2025. (Reuters)
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Kyrgios Gets Month Ban for Cocaine, Enters Treatment Program

Australia's Nick Kyrgios after a match in December 2025. (Reuters)
Australia's Nick Kyrgios after a match in December 2025. (Reuters)

Nick Kyrgios has accepted and served a one-month ban for taking cocaine, the tennis anti-doping agency said Friday, clearing his return to the court after completing a treatment program.

The temperamental Australian, who reached the final at Wimbledon in 2022, failed a doping test during an ATP event in Mallorca on June 22.

Kyrgios was provisionally suspended on August 4 by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), the 31-year-old admitting he made "a huge mistake".

In a statement Friday, the doping agency said Kyrgios had explained his use of the drug occurred socially during a night out before he was due to play in Mallorca.

The ITIA consulted an independent scientific expert at a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory who found his explanation was consistent with the level of cocaine found in his sample.

"As a result, the ITIA accepted that Kyrgios' use of cocaine was outside of competition," the ITIA said.

Under WADA rules, the default suspension for a breach of this type is three months, which can be reduced to one month if an individual commits to a treatment program.

"Kyrgios has entered into a treatment program," the ITIA added.

"As such, the player's suspension will end on September 3, 2026, subject to completion of the program. Prize-money and ranking points from the Mallorca event will be forfeited."

Boasting a big serve and booming ground strokes, Kyrgios was one of the sport's most dynamic players when at the top of his game.

He has won seven singles titles on the ATP Tour and rose to a high of 13 in the world in 2016.

At Wimbledon in 2022 he reached the championship match, losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic.

Despite his natural talents that was as good as it got, with problems off court including severe injuries to his right elbow, left wrist, hip, knees, shoulders and collarbone.

He has had numerous surgeries, the most serious a complete reconstruction of his right wrist in 2024 and is now ranked 918.

The Australian has barely played in recent years and was last on court as a wildcard entry in the men's doubles at Wimbledon in July this year, when he and partner Alexander Bublik lost in the first round.

Kyrgios, who has hinted previously at retirement, was contrite when the news of his cocaine use emerged last month.

"I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine," he posted on Instagram at the time. "I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it.

"I'm sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me. Above all, I'm sorry to the kids who follow me.

"I know the example this sets and I'm deeply disappointed in myself."