Sports - Thursday, April 16, 2026

Ten years ago, Aston Villa were relegated to English football's second tier for the first time since 1987. Now they are in their second European semi-final in three seasons.

A seismic clash between City and Arsenal, Tottenham need leadership, and could Eddie Howe recall Yoane Wissa? Josh King learned of the difficulties that come with being a Premier League player at Liverpool on Sunday. The 19-year-old was withdrawn at the break after a tough first half at Anfield as Marco Silva wanted to change things when two goals down. It will be interesting to see how King reacts to the half-time hook when he is next called upon, whether he uses it as inspirational fuel or sees it as an undeserved irritation because he was not solely to blame for Fulham being behind. Silva will have a quandary over whether to start the youngster again or leave him stewing on the bench, offering a further reminder of what is required at the top level. King has impressed over the season and at this stage of a player’s development it is sometimes a good idea to see what lessons are learned from a challenging moment. Will Unwin Brentford v Fulham, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST) Leeds v Wolves, Saturday 3pm Newcastle v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm Tottenham v Brighton, Saturday 5.30pm Chelsea v Manchester United, Saturday 8pm Continue reading...

Greg Wyshynski catches you up on all of the storylines you might have missed entering this weekend's event.

After overcoming Fiorentina over two legs to reach the semi-finals, Crystal Palace will now fancy their chances of going all the way in the Conference League and adding a European trophy to their FA Cup success last season.

Hull 14-24 St Helens Battling display in defeat feels like coach’s last stand There is rarely a shortage of emotion and passion in this particular part of the rugby league world but even by the usually high standards set in Hull, this was a night many, least of all their head coach, will never forget. On any other night, the headline would be St Helens producing another impressive statement of their title credentials to go top of Super League. But this was no ordinary night: perhaps underlined not necessarily by the action on the field, but by what transpired after Saints’ win over Hull FC. Continue reading...

After a devastating blowout loss in Oklahoma City on April 2, the Lakers lost two of their three stars. Now they face Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets -- as a home underdog.

Nottingham Forest continue their remarkable Europa League run - but does it only increase the pressure on staying in the Premier League?

St Helens go top of Super League after a second-half comeback against Hull FC at the MKM Stadium.

It's early. Still, the richest showdown in baseball history said a lot about both teams.

The final whistle brought a second of relief before the celebrations truly kicked in after Nottingham Forest secured a place in the Europa League semi-finals. It should have been easier but nothing is simple at the City Ground as they made hard work of overcoming Porto, who played almost the entire match with 10 men. Morgan Gibbs-White settled the match, to set up an all-English clash with Aston Villa for a place in the final. His goal came in the aftermath of Jan Bednarek’s early sending off and should have laid the foundations for more but Forest’s finishing was poor, forcing them to grind out the victory by surviving Porto hitting the crossbar twice. Even so, the ultimate jubilation was reminiscent of those great nights of the 1980s under Brian Clough when the club last reached this stage in Europe. Continue reading...