Tottenham Thrashes Aston Villa 4-1 in Premier League

Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - November 3, 2024 Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - November 3, 2024 Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
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Tottenham Thrashes Aston Villa 4-1 in Premier League

Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - November 3, 2024 Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - November 3, 2024 Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Dominic Solanke scored twice as Tottenham thrashed Aston Villa 4-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.
The forward struck two goals in the space of four second-half minutes at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after Villa had led at the break, The Associated Press reported.
Solanke scored in the 75th and 79th as Spurs produced a stunning second-half performance to follow up its victory against Manchester City in the League Cup on Wednesday.
Morgan Rogers had given Champions League-chasing Villa the lead in the 32nd minute, but Brennan Johnson leveled the game four minutes after the break.
Solanke's double put Spurs 3-1 ahead and James Maddison curled a free kick into the top corner in the sixth minute of added time. Solanke is now on five goals for the season.
Tottenham is up to seventh in the standings, while fifth-place Villa missed out on the chance to move into the top three.
Grudge match AFC Wimbledon beat MK Dons 2-0 in the first round of the FA Cup and took bragging rights in one of English soccer’s fiercest grudge matches.
Matty Stevens and Omar Bugiel scored either side of halftime at Stadium MK in a competition that holds deep ties for fans of both clubs.
Wimbledon was a shock winner of the Cup in 1988 when beating the mighty Liverpool 1-0. The team relocated to Milton Keynes in 2002 and was renamed MK Dons, which prompted disgruntled fans to create a phoenix club called AFC Wimbledon.
And it was the traveling AFC Wimbledon fans who were left celebrating Sunday after securing its place in the next round of the Cup.



Crippa, Demise Claim Paris Marathon Victories

Athletics - Paris Marathon - Paris, France - April 12, 2026 Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa and Ethiopia's Shure Demise celebrate on the podium after winning the men's and women's elite race respectively REUTERS/Tom Nicholson
Athletics - Paris Marathon - Paris, France - April 12, 2026 Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa and Ethiopia's Shure Demise celebrate on the podium after winning the men's and women's elite race respectively REUTERS/Tom Nicholson
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Crippa, Demise Claim Paris Marathon Victories

Athletics - Paris Marathon - Paris, France - April 12, 2026 Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa and Ethiopia's Shure Demise celebrate on the podium after winning the men's and women's elite race respectively REUTERS/Tom Nicholson
Athletics - Paris Marathon - Paris, France - April 12, 2026 Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa and Ethiopia's Shure Demise celebrate on the podium after winning the men's and women's elite race respectively REUTERS/Tom Nicholson

Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa won the Paris marathon on Sunday, while Ethiopia's Shure Demise claimed victory in the women's category in a new course record.

The Ethiopian-born Crippa, 29, clocked a personal best of 2hr 05min 16sec for the win in the French capital.

Bayelign Teshager of Ethiopia finished second, just five seconds off Crippa, with Kenya's Sila Kiptoo rounding off the podium (2:05:26).

The women's race saw 30-year-old Demise smash the course record by more than a minute.

She won in 2:18:33 ahead of compatriot Misgane Alemayehu (2:19:06) and Kenya's Magdalyne Masai (2:19:18).


Belgium Shock United States to Reach Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova (R) and team captain Barbora Strycova celebrate winning their Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers round between Switzerland and Czech Republic in Biel, Switzerland, 11 April 2026. EPA/PETER SCHNEIDER
Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova (R) and team captain Barbora Strycova celebrate winning their Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers round between Switzerland and Czech Republic in Biel, Switzerland, 11 April 2026. EPA/PETER SCHNEIDER
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Belgium Shock United States to Reach Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova (R) and team captain Barbora Strycova celebrate winning their Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers round between Switzerland and Czech Republic in Biel, Switzerland, 11 April 2026. EPA/PETER SCHNEIDER
Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova (R) and team captain Barbora Strycova celebrate winning their Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers round between Switzerland and Czech Republic in Biel, Switzerland, 11 April 2026. EPA/PETER SCHNEIDER

Belgium knocked out 18-times champions the US to qualify for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on Saturday, as Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Spain, Ukraine and Czech Republic also secured places in the season-ending team event alongside hosts China.

Belgium sealed qualification in Ostend, where world number 149 Greet Minnen completed the upset with a 7-5 6-3 victory over Iva Jovic, sending her team back to the finals for the first time since 2022.

Britain booked their spot with a 3-1 win against Australia in Melbourne, wrapping up the tie with victory in the doubles after taking a commanding 2-0 lead from ⁠Friday’s singles matches.

Harriet ⁠Dart and Jodie Burrage sealed the contest with a 6-3 6-4 win over Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez, ending the Australian pair’s unbeaten doubles run in the Billie Jean King Cup dating back to November 2022.

Champions Italy also progressed after a 3-1 home win over Japan on clay in Velletri. Holding a 2-0 advantage overnight, Jasmine ⁠Paolini and Sara Errani clinched the tie by defeating Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi 6-2 7-5 in the doubles, Reuters reported.

Ukraine booked a return to the finals for a second straight year with a dominant 4-0 victory over Poland in Gliwice.

Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok secured the decisive point with a 7-5 6-7(4) 6-3 win over Maja Chwalinska and Martyna Kubka, and then Oleksandra Oliynykova completed a perfect couple of days for Ukraine with a 6-4 6-1 win over Linda Klimovicova.

Spain took an unassailable 3-1 lead against Slovenia in Portoroz, with Aliona Bolsova ⁠and Sara ⁠Sorribes Tormo sealing qualification thanks to a 6-4 6-3 doubles win over Veronika Erjavec and Nika Radisic.

Kazakhstan advanced after Yulia Putintseva outlasted Canada’s Bianca Andreescu in a three-hour and 39-minute singles marathon in Astana.

Putintseva’s 7-6(5) 3-6 7-6(4) victory gave her side an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five tie.

Elsewhere, Czech Republic defeated Switzerland 3-2, with Marie Bouzkova sealing victory by defeating Viktorija Golubic 7-6(4) 6-3 in the deciding singles.

The Czechs forced a decider after Linda Noskova saved three match points to beat Belinda Bencic 6-3 3-6 7-6(9), before Bouzkova returned to the court to clinch the tie.

The Finals will be held in Shenzhen from September 22-27.


Al-Nassr Break Club Record with 14th Consecutive League Victory

It was Al-Nassr’s 14th straight victory. Photo: Al-Nassr website
It was Al-Nassr’s 14th straight victory. Photo: Al-Nassr website
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Al-Nassr Break Club Record with 14th Consecutive League Victory

It was Al-Nassr’s 14th straight victory. Photo: Al-Nassr website
It was Al-Nassr’s 14th straight victory. Photo: Al-Nassr website

Leaders Al-Nassr claimed their longest-ever Saudi Pro League winning streak with a 2-0 victory at Al-Akhdoud thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix on Saturday.

Al-Nassr top the standings with 73 points from 28 ⁠games, five ahead ⁠of second-placed Al-Hilal with six games to go.

It was Al-Nassr’s 14th straight victory, which broke their previous ⁠record posted in the 2013-2014 season, the Pro League said on its website.

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a close-range strike for his 24th goal of the season, three ⁠shy ⁠of Al-Ahli’s league top scorer Ivan Toney.

Joao Felix doubled their advantage two minutes into the second half from close range, capitalizing on a rebound after Kingsley Coman’s header hit the post.