Rampant Arsenal beats Liverpool; Ronaldo nets landmark club goal
It must be getting harder and harder for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to deny his team is a genuine title challenger in the Premier League this season.
Still, after recording another statement win — 3-2 over Liverpool on Sunday — Arteta was sticking to the script.
“They are really strong, they have shown that for five years,” Arteta said, in reference to defending champion Manchester City, the winner in four of the last five seasons. “We haven't done any of that.”
Well, if anyone is going to stop City, it looks like it will be Arsenal.
RONALDO'S MILESTONE >>
Cristiano Ronaldo has finally scored in the Premier League this season. It was a landmark goal, too.
The 37-year-old Portugal striker took his tally in his club career to 700 by netting the winner as Manchester United beat Everton 2-1.
Ronaldo came off the bench in the 29th minute to replace the injured Anthony Martial and scored 15 minutes later, running onto Casemiro's through ball and driving a low leftfooted shot under England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
CONTENTIOUS WINNER >>
Gianluca Scamacca is adjusting nicely to life as West Ham's new striker.
Make that a goal in each of his three games over the past week, his latest a brilliant but contentious one in a 3-1 win over Fulham.
Motor sports
BELL TAKES CHARLOTTE >> Christopher Bell saved his title chances with an overtime win on the road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a stunning finish that knocked
reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson from the playoffs.
Bell entered the race 11th in the standings with four drivers set to be eliminated as NASCAR's playoff field was trimmed from 12 to eight. He knew he had to win to avoid elimination, but seemed to have little chance as Chase Elliott dominated the final stage.
But a race void of any cautions suddenly flipped with five laps to go when a sponsorship sign flew off the speedway wall and landed on the track. VERSTAPPEN TAKES WIN, TITLE >> Red Bull driver Max Verstappen clinched his second consecutive Formula One drivers' title by winning the Japanese Grand Prix in the rain at Suzuka.
Verstappen has been dominant all season and claimed the title with four races remaining.
The Dutchman started from pole in pouring rain only for the race to be stopped after two laps as several cars crashed. It was resumed two hours later with 28 of the 53 laps completed and Verstappen leading the whole way.
MLB
YANKEES RULE OUT CHAPMAN >> Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman has been ruled out for the American League Division Series after he skipped a mandatory workout, leading to a fine and likely ending the All-Star's seven-year tenure with New York.
The 34-year-old flamethrower probably would not have been on the 26man roster for the best-offive series against Cleveland that starts Tuesday night due to erratic performances and inconsistent mechanics.
Chapman, who has not gotten a save since May 17, had been scheduled to pitch batting practice Friday at Yankee Stadium but the team said he instead was in Miami. After speaking with Chapman, manager Aaron Boone told general manager Brian Cashman he instructed the pitcher to stay away from the club.
Golf
RAHM WINS SPANISH OPEN AGAIN >> It took a year longer than he'd hoped for but Jon Rahm is finally a threetime winner of the Spanish Open, matching the achievement of his hero Seve Ballesteros.
There was frustration and disappointment after Rahm finished his home tournament last year when he failed in his first attempt to match the three titles won by the Spanish golfing great.
It was a lot different this time as Rahm raised his putter and gave a hard fist pump after making his second straight birdie to close out a remarkable final round 9-under 62 for a six-shot win at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. STRICKER WINS ON CHAMPIONS TOUR >> Steve Stricker followed his plan to perfection until the final hole, and by then it didn't matter. He closed with a 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory in the Constellation Furyk & Friends, his fourth PGA Tour Champions title this year.
Staked to a three-shot lead, Stricker played it conservatively at Timuquana Country Club.
Tennis
DJOKOVIC WINS FINAL >> Novak Djokovic needed only 75 minutes to win his 90th tour title, overcoming third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Astana Open.
Djokovic dominated his Greek opponent from the start, winning the first game in little more than a minute. The Serb did not face a break point in the match and hit 15 winners with only seven unforced errors.
SWIATEK FALLS IN FINAL >> Iga Swiatek lost in a final for the first time in three years as Barbora Krejcikova claimed her second title in successive weeks at the Agel Open.
Home favorite Krejcikova rallied from a set down to win the final 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3.