49ers v Eagles; Bills beat Jaguars in thriller: NFL playoffs wildcard round live

Josh Allen leads Bills to victory with late drive
Eagles take on 49ers in Philadelphia
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Bills 0-0 Jaguars 9:22, 1st quarter

There is a seriously charged atmosphere in Jacksonville. The jeers are popping off while Josh Allen picks up another 1st down with a 10-yard pass to Brandin Cooks on the right sideline. Before that a Bill and Jag were locking facemasks. Spicy.

Published: January 11, 2026, 9:47 pm

Bloodied but unbowed Josh Allen leads Bills to thrilling playoff win over Jaguars

• AFC wildcard: Buffalo Bills 27-24 Jacksonville Jaguars

• Quarterback’s fourth-quarter touchdown seals win

• Buffalo grab first playoff road win in more than 30 years

• San Francisco 49ers v Philadelphia Eagles – live updates

Josh Allen took a pounding, doled out punishment and delivered Buffalo their first road playoff victory in more than three decades, a 27-24 win over Jacksonville in the AFC’s wildcard opener on Sunday.

With linebacker Devin Lloyd bearing down, Allen found Brandin Cooks for 36 yards just before the two-minute warning and then capped the go-ahead drive with a one-yard touchdown run. On the play before his score, Allen gained 10 yards on a sneak, refusing to go down while being pushed and pulled to the goalline.

Published: January 11, 2026, 9:28 pm

Danny Welbeck shines as Brighton dump Manchester United out of FA Cup

Manchester United’s hunt for trophies is over inside the second week of January after a ruthless Brighton took advantage of yet another loose defensive performance. This FA Cup third-round knockout means the 13-time winners have been dumped from the competition and the League Cup at the first opportunity for a first time since 1981-82.

By the end of May, United’s season will stand at a total of 40 games – their lowest number in a complete campaign since 1914-15. If the Carabao Cup penalty shootout elimination at Grimsby in August was dire, this disappointment was as concerningly insipid. Goals from Brajan Gruda and Danny Welbeck, one in each half, (probably) ended Darren Fletcher’s record as the interim manager as winless – this defeat following the draw at Burnley in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Published: January 11, 2026, 6:38 pm

Guard at Winter Olympic construction site dies in freezing conditions

• 55-year-old worker died during overnight shift

• Temperatures plunged to -12C in Cortina d’Ampezzo

A guard at a construction site near a 2026 Winter Olympic venue in the mountain resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo died during a freezing overnight shift, authorities have confirmed. Italy’s infrastructure minister, Matteo Salvini, called for a full investigation into the circumstances of the 55-year-old worker’s death.

Italian media reported that the death occurred on Thursday while the worker was on duty at a construction site near Cortina’s ice arena. Temperatures that night plunged to -12C (10.4F).

Published: January 11, 2026, 4:43 pm

Superb Malinin cruises to fourth US figure skating title as Chock-Bates make history

• Sublime Malinin cruises to fourth US crown

• Chock and Bates claim record seventh US title

• Olympic team selections to be named Sunday

Ilia Malinin, a red-hot favorite for gold at next month’s Milano-Cortina Olympics, cruised to a fourth consecutive national title at the US Figure Skating Championships on Saturday while Madison Chock and Evan Bates captured a record seventh national ice dance crown.

Malinin, who separated himself from the field in St Louis with a remarkable performance in Thursday’s short program, returned to score 209.78 points in the free skate for a 324.88 total in his final tune-up for the Olympics.

Published: January 11, 2026, 2:48 am

‘I’ve never celebrated a goal at 9-0 down in my life’: inside Exeter’s dressing room on a day to remember

League One club offered behind-the-scenes access for FA Cup tie and manager Gary Caldwell will not let crushing loss at Manchester City define them

“The team to win today, lads” begins Gary Caldwell. Exeter City are two hours from kicking off against Manchester City in the FA Cup third round, and their manager is addressing his players at a hotel shortly before they travel to the Etihad.

“You know why I said that?” he continues, his thick Scottish accent filling the room. No one knows. He explains the phrase is borrowed from Roberto Martínez, under whom Caldwell won the competition with Wigan in 2013. It was used to bring humour and break tension when his team were inevitably written off.

Published: January 11, 2026, 8:00 am

Stafford’s last-minute TD strike lifts Rams over Panthers in wildcard thriller

• Stafford throws late TD as Rams survive Carolina rally

• Nacua shines with 111 yards and two total touchdowns

• Panthers’ first playoff trip in eight years ends late

• Williams sparks fightback as Bears oust rival Packers

Puka Nacua stepped into the huddle with the Los Angeles Rams trailing by four with 2:38 left, the home crowd roaring and his team’s season on the line.

He never thought twice about losing.

Published: January 11, 2026, 1:17 am

Alex Bregman set for Chicago Cubs move on five-year deal worth $175m

• Bregman agrees to five-year, $175m contract with Cubs

• Deal includes no-trade clause, pending physical

• Chicago adds former Astros star to strengthen infield

All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman has agreed to a $175m, five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, according to two people familiar with the deal.

The people spoke to the Associated Press on Saturday night on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. The contract includes a no-trade provision allowing Bregman to block deals without his consent.

Published: January 11, 2026, 5:42 am

Salah inspires Egypt with energy recalling golden generation to evoke recent history | Jonathan Wilson

Liverpool forward will face his former teammate Sadio Mané in Afcon semi against Senegal after arguably the Pharaohs’ best performance since 2008

It is a long time since Egypt had a night this good. There have been two World Cup qualifications since their golden age of three successive Cups of Nations came to an end in 2010, and they’ve got to the finals of two Cups of Nations since, but this had a different feel to the knockout phases in 2017 or 2021 (played in 2022). This wasn’t grinding through, doing just enough (across the knockouts in 2017 and 2021, Egypt won one game without needing extra time or penalties; a grim 1-0 against Morocco in the 2017 quarter-final). It was taking on one of the giants of African football and beating them well. A 3-2 victory over Côte d’Ivoire was probably Egypt’s best single performance since they beat the same opposition 4-1 in the semi-finals of Ghana 2008.

That game in Kumasi was always going to cast its shadow over this quarter-final. Saturday’s coaches were on opposite sides when Egypt beat Côte d’Ivoire on penalties in the 2006 final in Cairo – Hossam Hassan as a 39-year-old squad captain and unused sub and Émerse Faé in the centre of midfield – but it was the semi-final two years later this game most resembled. The 4-1 hurt Côte d’Ivoire far more than the final had, the image of a bewildered Kolo Touré running away from Amr Zaki as he scored Egypt’s third a symbol of the Pharaohs’ superiority that night. Within four minutes on Saturday, Odilon Kossounou had got in a similar mess, legs tangled as Omar Marmoush sped by him to put Egypt ahead.

Published: January 11, 2026, 8:00 am

Gabriel Martinelli hat-trick guides Arsenal to win at stubborn Portsmouth

Gabriel Martinelli ended Arsenal’s last game as public enemy No 1 with Liverpool fans and Gary Neville after his clash with Conor Bradley on Thursday. But the Brazilian was his team’s saviour against Portsmouth, after the Championship side had threatened briefly to record their first win against the Premier League leaders in 23 attempts after Colby Bishop’s early strike.

Martinelli’s first senior hat‑trick included two almost identical headers from corners after an own goal from Andre Dozzell had drawn them level following – you guessed it – another corner. That takes Arsenal’s tally from set‑pieces this season to 17 and one wonders where they would be without them. Yet such is their proficiency under Nicolas Jover these days that Mikel Arteta can virtually rely on at least one bearing fruit.

Published: January 11, 2026, 4:23 pm

Former Manchester United coach Eric Ramsay takes charge at West Brom

• 34-year-old led Minnesota United to MLS semi-finals

• Ramsay appointed head coach after sacking of Ryan Mason

West Brom have named the former Manchester United assistant Eric Ramsay as their new head coach after the 34-year-old guided Minnesota United to the semi-finals of the Major League Soccer play-offs.

Ramsay, 34, took charge of Minnesota in February 2024, his first senior managerial role, after working alongside Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford. He has also worked as an assistant coach for Wales and had spells with Swansea, Shrewsbury and Chelsea, though his playing experience extends only to a short spell with Welshpool Town and international futsal for Wales.

Published: January 11, 2026, 9:38 pm

Taty Castellanos edges West Ham past QPR in FA Cup to offer respite for Nuno

Forget the magic of the FA Cup, for West Ham the reality of what is soon likely to be a Championship fixture – an indicator that life in the second tier will be no cakewalk. That QPR took them to extra time will do little for Nuno Espírito Santo’s standing, despite a first win since 8 November.

There were, though, positives to take in the performance of Taty ­Castellanos, the Argentinian striker who scored the Hammers’ winning goal. Have West Ham at last ended a search for a striker that has lasted almost as long as their London Stadium tenancy? They have looked everywhere.

Published: January 11, 2026, 5:33 pm

Gnonto and Tanaka turn tie on its head as Leeds knock Derby out of FA Cup

Daniel Farke had no need to ­channel his inner Marcel Bielsa and send any spies to watch Derby train this past week to know that, even with eight changes to his starting XI, his Leeds squad had more than enough Premier League class to overcome mid-table Championship opposition. Goals from the fringe players ­Wilfried Gnonto, Ao Tanaka and James ­Justin enabled Leeds to bounce back from their dramatic 4-3 defeat at Newcastle and overcome Ben Brereton Díaz’s first-half goal.

Leeds have lost just once in nine games now and, as well as an eight-point buffer from the relegation zone, can now countenance the prospect of an FA Cup run.

Published: January 11, 2026, 2:09 pm

West Ham’s Guarino endures tough start as Baltimore double seals Chelsea rout

Chelsea secured a statement 5-0 victory against struggling West Ham to breathe life back into their Women’s Super League title defence. Sandy Baltimore scored twice and Lauren James and Alyssa Thompson once each in an impressive demolition of their London rivals.

Rita Guarino endured a nightmare start to her West Ham tenure as her team conceded four first-half goals to put them firmly on the back foot on in an already difficult encounter. A combination of defensive errors and careless work in possession contributed and left West Ham’s new head coach with problems to solve as the Hammers remain locked in a battle with Liverpool at the bottom.

Published: January 11, 2026, 2:24 pm

European football: Bayern sparkle as Wolfsburg keep firing into the wrong net

• Bundesliga leaders crush Wolfsburg to go 11 points clear

• Milan draw 1-1 at Fiorentina with late Nkunku equaliser

Bayern Munich, helped by two record-breaking own goals and two from Michael Olise, demolished Wolfsburg 8-1 to extend their lead at the top, as the Bundesliga resumed from its winter break.

The reigning champions, who are on 44 points, 11 ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, took a fifth-minute lead when Luis Díaz’s cutback was turned in by Kilian Fischer for an own goal. It was the third consecutive league game that Wolfsburg had scored an own goal, setting a Bundesliga record.

Published: January 11, 2026, 4:41 pm

Scottish Premiership: 10-man Hearts beat Dundee thanks to Braga and Gordon

• Alexander Schwolow sees red but Hearts win 1-0

• Aberdeen 0-2 Rangers | Celtic 4-0 Dundee United

Hearts demonstrated their title credentials by overcoming a red card for their goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow to grind out a 1-0 victory at Dundee, leaving the leaders’ manager, Derek McInnes, praising Craig Gordon for doing so well after “coming on cold”.

In front of a 4,000-strong travelling support, the league leaders went ahead through Cláudio Braga’s 27th-minute strike. The wind was removed from their sails when Schwolow was sent off in first-half stoppage time for fouling Tony Yogane. But the Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon came on for his first Hearts appearance of the season and helped secure a potentially huge victory in their quest for glory by pulling off a stunning 93rd-minute save from Emile Acquah.

Published: January 11, 2026, 7:05 pm

Humiliating FA Cup loss leaves Crystal Palace and Oliver Glasner at crossroads

After Macclesfield defeat, club must invest wisely to bolster a weak squad and convince their manager to stay

Oliver Glasner’s face told the story. The Crystal Palace manager watched in exasperation as the FA Cup holders headed towards ignominy on Macclesfield’s artificial surface and was still in shock when he conducted his post-match interview. “Honestly, I have no explanation for what I have seen today,” said Glasner.

A mere 238 days since the greatest day in Palace’s history, when he and the club stalwart Joel Ward paraded their first major trophy at Wembley, Marc Guéhi’s first thought after the final whistle at the weekend was to face the music from the diehards who had made the trip to Cheshire from south London. Accompanied by the assistant manager, Paddy McCarthy, the Palace captain held intense discussions with several supporters as Macclesfield celebrated their historic victory with a pitch invasion.

Published: January 11, 2026, 3:20 pm

Darren Fletcher in dark over his future after Manchester United’s Cup exit

• Interim manager: ‘I’ve had no discussions, zero indications’

• Admits players are ‘fragile’ and confidence is low

Darren Fletcher admitted he was in the dark about his future as Manchester United’s interim manager and expected to find out when he reported to the club’s Carrington training base on Monday.

The Scot was in charge for the 2‑1 FA Cup third-round defeat by Brighton on Sunday and he described United’s players as “fragile”. This was his second game in temporary charge, after the 2-2 league draw at Burnley on Wednesday. Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick have each been interviewed to become the interim manager until the end of the season.

Published: January 11, 2026, 8:36 pm

Tom Willis wins family affair to help Saracens topple Toulouse in Champions Cup

• Pool 1: Saracens 20-14 Toulouse

• Rotimi Segun also scores twice for Prem side

Even for the world’s best rugby player it is not all glamour. As he sniffed the damp air on a blustery, cheerless Sunday night in north London, Antoine Dupont must privately have been wondering if this was some sort of fiendish Anglo-Saxon conspiracy. Any similarity with the classic cathedrals and comforting familiarity of the Stade de France in next month’s Six Nations was conspicuously lacking.

For a defiant Saracens, though, this chilly, sodden evening delivered the most beautiful of outcomes and a result that transforms the mood of their previous flagging season. They fully deserved this rousing victory, two first-half tries from Rotimi Segun and a barnstorming display from man-of-the-match Tom Willis laying the foundations for the hosts’ best performance of the season which has sharply improved their Champions Cup knockout qualification prospects.

Published: January 11, 2026, 7:50 pm

Manchester United 1-2 Brighton: FA Cup third round – as it happened

The ageless Danny Welbeck scored the decisive goal against his old club, who had the teenage substitute Shea Lacey sent off

3 min Moments later, Dalot blooters over the bar from the edge of the area.

Cunha wanders infield and curls a marvellous long pass to put Dalot through on goal. He scampers into the area and is denied by the outrushing Steele. Dalot needed to lift it but his first touch was slightly heavy and that allowed Steele to close the gap.

Published: January 11, 2026, 6:49 pm

Portsmouth 1-4 Arsenal: FA Cup third round – as it happened

A hat-trick from Gabriel Martinelli helped Arsenal come from behind to beat Portsmouth with plenty to spare

At Pride Park, Leeds have come from behind to lead Derby. They’re playing with so much confidence now they’re setting up in a 3-5-2.

Bad news for Liverpool:

Published: January 11, 2026, 4:25 pm

David hat-trick dismantles Stormers to send Harlequins into Champions Cup last 16

• Pool 3: Harlequins 61-10 Stormers

• Quins score nine tries against much-changed opponents

Harlequins back? Or is this latest outrageous twist in the story of their inconsistency a case of same old, same old? First, it needs to be acknowledged that this was a comprehensive dismantling of a side who had not lost a game this season. This was hardly the Stormers’ first team, but an unbeaten squad is an unbeaten squad. God knows, they are beaten now.

The notion that Harlequins are one of the Premiership’s whipping boys was made to look absurd as they strutted the turf of the Stoop with supreme confidence and aplomb. Try after try followed, a hat-trick for Nick David with consecutive tries either side of half-time. But the star performers were legion here. Their eighth try (of nine) on the hour opened up a 54‑0 lead. How far away seemed the past few weeks, in which they have conceded nigh-on 150 points in three Premiership matches.

Published: January 11, 2026, 3:10 pm

Manchester City 2-0 Everton, Chelsea 5-0 West Ham and more – as it happened

Manchester City kept their place at the top of the WSL table with a win over Everton, while Chelsea cruised to a 5-0 victory over West Ham

Meanwhile, London City Lionesses cut ties with Jocelyn Prêcheur despite being sixth in the table. Prêcheur had been in charge of the club since the summer of 2024 and led them to the Championship title last term.

Eder Maestre took over as the club’s new head coach on New Year’s Day. Upon his arrival, he said: “I am delighted to join London City Lionesses. I love English football and representing this club is a real honour. In my opinion this project is now the best project in women’s football. The ambitions are very aligned with my values and I’m very excited.”

Published: January 11, 2026, 2:40 pm

Williams sparks 18-point fightback as Bears oust Packers for first playoff win in 15 years

• Williams engineers late comeback in playoff debut

• Bears erase 18-point hole to stun rival Packers

• Chicago earn first playoff win since 2010 season

• Stafford’s last-minute TD lifts Rams over Panthers

Caleb Williams dropped back, pump-faked and found DJ Moore wide open down the sideline for the go-ahead touchdown.

His latest clutch throw propelled the Chicago Bears to yet another improbable comeback win and kept their breakout season going for at least another round of the postseason.

Published: January 11, 2026, 5:13 am

USMNT’s Ricardo Pepi set for surgery after breaking forearm in PSV win

• Pepi injured after scoring in Eredivisie rout

• PSV confirm surgery and two-month absence

• US striker faces race to be fit for World Cup

United States men’s national team striker Ricardo Pepi is expected to miss roughly two months after suffering a broken forearm while playing for PSV Eindhoven on Saturday, the Dutch club confirmed.

Pepi, 23, was injured after landing awkwardly after scoring PSV’s second goal during their Eredivisie match against Excelsior. Medical examinations carried out later that night at a hospital revealed a fracture, and the club said Pepi will undergo surgery on Sunday. PSV did not indicate any complications but ruled the striker out for the immediate future.

Published: January 10, 2026, 10:58 pm

Warriors’ Steve Kerr rips US government’s response to ICE ‘murder’ in Minneapolis

• Kerr says video contradicts federal account of shooting

• Timberwolves held moment of silence before home game

• Killing sparks protests and scrutiny of ICE tactics

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr delivered a blistering condemnation of the US federal government on Friday, criticizing official accounts of the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis and praising the Minnesota Timberwolves for publicly acknowledging the woman’s death.

Speaking to reporters before the Warriors’ game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center, Kerr said the response from federal authorities following Good’s killing by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent was “shameful”, accusing officials of misrepresenting events despite the existence of video footage and eyewitness accounts.

Published: January 10, 2026, 7:30 pm

NFL wildcard weekend predictions: Allen can carry Bills – if he can handle the pressure

The NFL playoffs kick off with ground-game battles, QB duels and a high-stakes edition of the Packers v Bears rivalry

What the Rams need to do to win Hold on to the ball. Across five regular-season defeats, Matthew Stafford gave the ball away seven times with six interceptions and a fumble. In the Rams’ worst loss of the season, to the Panthers in November, Stafford held his team back from taking a commanding lead with two picks in the first quarter. Keep it tight.

Published: January 10, 2026, 9:30 am