Sports
In Premier League classic, Ngumoha becomes talk of the town ahead of Isak
NEWCASTLE, England — There is perhaps some irony in the fact that, on an evening when Alexander Isak‘s conspicuous absence dominated the prematch buildup, it was a 16-year-old debutant who stole the headlines.
Before Monday night, few people outside of Merseyside will have heard of Liverpool starlet Rio Ngumoha. Now, after his match-winning goal in the Reds’ dramatic 3-2 victory over Newcastle United, his name has been marked out as one to remember.
Having joined Liverpool’s academy from Chelsea in the summer of 2024, Ngumoha’s recent emergence has been so impressive the view in some quarters is that he is Liverpool’s most promising young talent since Raheem Sterling, who joined the club from Queens Park Rangers in 2010 and has since gone on to enjoy a stellar career on both the domestic and international stage.
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– Why everyone is talking about Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha, 16
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It is for that reason that head coach Arne Slot decided to promote him to the first team squad this season, and why he was handed his Premier League debut against the Magpies, just four days shy of his 17th birthday. There can, however, be no escaping the fact that Slot’s need to turn to the teenager with his side in need of a goal may not have been necessary had he had more attacking firepower at his disposal.
It has been a summer of change at Anfield, with more than £300 million spent to bolster a squad that last season won the league title at a canter. However, when you factor in the departures of Luis DÃaz and Darwin Núñez — to Bayern Munich and Al Hilal, respectively — coupled with the tragic passing of beloved striker Diogo Jota, it is clear Liverpool are still in need of reinforcements up front.
Step forward, Isak, who has in recent weeks found himself at the center of the summer’s most protracted transfer saga. It has been known for days that the Sweden international — the subject of a rejected £110m bid from Liverpool earlier this month — would play no part in this game as he continues to agitate for a move away from Tyneside.
And yet, his presence was inescapable in the North East as tensions between the two sides simmered and even, on occasion, boiled over in a game that lived up to its billing as this weekend’s marquee fixture. Even before the Liverpool players had set foot inside the stadium, they were jeered by Newcastle supporters keen to ensure the champions were not greeted with a royal reception.
Slot simply smiled as he soaked up the boos and whistles, and perhaps the Dutchman was fully aware of the fact that his team have been widely cast as the villains in this transfer soap opera. At St James’ Park, the perception is that Liverpool’s interest in Isak has destabilized a player who was, until a few weeks ago, revered as a hero for his efforts in a black and white shirt.
Isak’s sensational statement last week — in which he claimed promises had been “broken” by the Newcastle hierarchy and insisted change was in the interests of all parties — only served to add further fuel to the fire. Despite Newcastle’s subsequent assertion that the conditions for a potential Isak transfer are unlikely to be met before next week’s deadline, it seemed on Monday night like there was far more at stake than just the three points.
The home crowd succeeded in turning St James’ Park into a febrile bear pit, cheering every tackle made and throw in won with the same fervency usually reserved for a goal. Before kickoff, a flag in the Gallowgate End proclaimed: “Nothing is achieved alone”, a thinly veiled jibe at the wantaway Isak that served as a mission statement for Newcastle’s unified first-half display.
However, things started to unravel for the hosts 10 minutes out from halftime when Ryan Gravenberch fired Liverpool in front against the run of play, curling home from the edge of the penalty area. Newcastle’s predicament quickly went from bad to worse when Anthony Gordon — Newcastle’s auxiliary center forward in Isak’s absence — inexplicably lunged in on Virgil van Dijk and, after a VAR review, was handed a red card for his troubles.
Liverpool further compounded Newcastle’s misery just a minute into the second half when Hugo Ekitike — a player the Tyneside club tried to sign on three separate occasions before he moved to Anfield this summer — doubled their lead and became the first Reds player since Daniel Sturridge in January 2013 to score in each of his first three games for the club.
But, under Eddie Howe, Newcastle’s intensity and fighting spirit has been their calling card, and the hosts rallied impressively, halving the deficit through a Bruno Guimarães header in the 58th minute before substitute William Osula looked to have snatched his team a point with his prodded finish two minutes from time.
It was at this point that Slot rolled the dice by introducing Ngumoha, a gamble that was rewarded when the teenager struck to become the fourth-youngest goalscorer in Premier League history.
“It’s of course special for him to score a goal in a moment like this,” Slot said after the game.
“We know how it feels. Last season we conceded after 89 minutes here and now we were the lucky ones. That’s what we were, lucky to get a winner over the line.”
After the Liverpool supporters had paid tribute to Ngumoha and his teammates after the final whistle, they then cheekily began to clamour for Isak, chanting: “Hand him over, Newcastle.”
Of course, if Liverpool are to land the center forward’s signature this summer, it will not be quite that simple. But, while the dust settles on a thrilling Premier League encounter, it appears the drama off the pitch could continue until deadline day.
Sports
Travis Kelce calls for Shedeur Sanders to start for Browns amid controversy: ‘Give the people what they want’
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Travis Kelce has spoken out about the ongoing controversy over Shedeur Sanders‘ role with the Cleveland Browns.
During his “New Heights” podcast this week, the Kansas City Chiefs star said he believes the Browns should start Sanders, who is third on the team’s depth chart behind veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.Â
Travis Kelce spoke about Shedeur Sanders’ role with the Browns on the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast, which aired before the official start of the NFL season. (Imagn)
“Give the people what they want, in terms of the Browns fans. Start Shedeur. … Put him in coach,” Kelce said. “Give the people what they want. The world wants to see him go out there, and not only play, but have success. At this point, guys are rooting for him. This isn’t anything against Dillon. This isn’t anything against Joe. I’m just saying the excitement is there for [Sanders] to go out there. He’s going to put eyes on the screen. He’s going to bring people to the game.Â
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“I would love to f—ing see it, man.”Â
On the contrary, Kelce’s brother and co-host, Jason Kelce, defended the team naming Joe Flacco as the starter.Â
“[Browns head coach Kevin] Stefanski and the Browns are trying to do the thing that they feel gives them the best chance to win football games,” Jason said. “If the Browns and Kevin Stefanski felt their best option and the most confident option they had to win games was Shedeur Sanders, they would be playing him.”Â
Still, Jason conceded that he “wants” to see Sanders play.Â
“What do I want? I want to see Shedeur Sanders,” Jason said.Â
Jason also rejected the “conspiracies” surrounding the situation as to why Sanders is as low on the depth chart as he is.Â
Criticism and conspiracy theories directed at the Browns reemerged after the team’s preseason finale on Saturday.Â
Sanders entered the game in the third quarter and completed three of six passes for 14 yards, while taking five sacks for a combined loss of 41 yards against the Los Angeles Rams. He netted minus-27 yards for Cleveland before being pulled from the game on the final drive and replaced by veteran Tyler Huntley.Â
Huntley led the Browns’ offense on a game-winning field goal drive, and the Browns won 19-17.
It was a far cry from Sanders’ first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers Aug. 8, when he threw for two touchdowns and was praised by fans and sports stars, including LeBron James and Dawn Staley.Â
However, many fans and pundits were quick to defend Sanders for his rough outing on Saturday and blamed the Browns’ coaching for putting Sanders in a position where he had to rely on backup teammates while also calling questionable plays.Â
EX-NBA PLAYER MAKES SHEDEUR SANDERS-LEBRON JAMES COMPARISON AFTER QB’S PRESEASON DEBUT
Jason Kelce on the ESPN postseason countdown set during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium Feb. 2, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Former NFL quarterback Derek Carr questioned why Sanders wasn’t left in the game to finish the final drive.Â
“I need to understand why we don’t get to see Shedeur Sanders run this 2-minute drill? Wouldn’t you want to see your young QB operate in this situation? Get him more reps for the future? I didn’t see the whole game so maybe he already showed enough? Help me understand this…” Carr wrote on X.Â
Sports talk show host Skip Bayless posted a 16-minute rant in defense of Sanders on X, while condemning the Browns for their handling of the quarterback.Â
“They sabotaged it. They rigged it against him today, putting him in with third- and fourth-stringers, fifth-stringers. You got no shot at quarterback,” Bayless said.Â
Other users on social media leveled similar criticisms at the Browns, with some speculating that the obstacles being put in front of the quarterback are intentional.Â
Prior to that game, NFL Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson stoked conspiracy theories related to Sanders in a recent interview, claiming that NFL teams were “told not to” draft Sanders to “make an example” of the quarterback when he fell to the fifth round of the NFL Draft in April.Â
“I tell you this much, what I heard from someone that’s in the NFL [is] that the NFL told [teams], ‘Don’t draft him, do not draft him,'” Dickerson said in a recent interview on the “Roggin and Rodney” show on AM 570 LA Sports.Â
“‘We’re going to make an example out of him.’ And this came from a very good source, a very good source. They were going to have him not get drafted to basically show you, ‘This is what happens when you do this.’ I mean, look, the NFL’s got all kinds of power. They do all kinds of stuff.”Â
Sanders’ slide out of the first round shocked many, including President Donald Trump, who condemned the league’s owners for passing on the quarterback in a Truth Social post.
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith revealed a text message from an associate who compared the situation to Colin Kaepernick being out of the NFL since 2016, suggesting “collusion.”Â
“‘This is a bad look for the NFL. This feels like Kaepernick-level collusion,'” Smith said of the content of the text, adding the situation goes beyond “talent evaluation.”Â
“All the hard work the NFL League Office puts in to eradicate these kinds of perceptions, only to turn around and watch as the OWNERS look like they’re colluding, messing up everything. What has been done to Shedeur will outshine everything else in this draft. We’ll never believe this is about just talent evaluation again.”Â
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders against the Philadelphia Eagles during a game at Lincoln Financial Field. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)
Sanders was eventually taken by the Browns on the third and final day of the draft with the 144th pick. The quarterback was initially considered a possible contender for the first overall pick early in the draft process after finishing his final season at Colorado.Â
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Pakistan men’s hockey team has accepted an invitation to compete in the Pro League 2025–26 season, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed on Thursday.
The Green Shirts were formally invited by the apex body to participate in the “League of the Best” after Hockey New Zealand withdrew from the nine-team tournament despite winning the FIH Nations Cup earlier this year in Malaysia.
The PHF was initially given a deadline of August 12 to confirm its national men’s team’s participation, but the federation sought an extension until August 20 as it was awaiting financial support from the government.
The federation was subsequently issued Rs250m for the event on Wednesday, leading to it confirming its men’s team’s participation the next day.
“The International Hockey Federation (FIH) can confirm that the Pakistan men’s hockey team, nicknamed the Green Shirts, have accepted the invitation to participate in the upcoming 2025-26 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League,” the apex body said in a statement.
Pakistan will join arch-rivals India, alongside Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain in the upcoming seventh edition of the tournament, replacing Ireland, who were relegated after finishing last in the previous season.
The Green Shirts’ participation in the tournament meant that they would also square off against traditional rivals India, who narrowly escaped relegation last season as they finished just above bottom-ranked Ireland.
FIH President Tayyab Ikram expressed his delight over Pakistan’s addition to the Pro League, stating it would be a major boost for the team with a rich history and would bolster the tournament’s viewership.
“Great to see Pakistan back in elite competition — this is a truly impactful milestone for world hockey,” Ikram said in an FIH-released statement.
“Their return marks not only the comeback of a team with such a rich and storied history, but also an exciting boost to the visibility and reach of the FIH Hockey Pro League. I can already anticipate an enhanced visibility of the Pro League with Pakistan’s participation.
“Congratulations to the Pakistan men’s team for qualifying through the FIH Hockey Nations Cup and earning their place in the ‘League of the Best’ for the very first time. This achievement is a strong example of how creating more opportunities at every level of our sport fosters growth and provides a natural pathway to the very top.”
For the unversed, Pakistan were set to participate in the inaugural edition of the FIH Pro League in 2019 but pulled out their first three games scheduled against Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, citing ‘inevitable circumstances’, which resulted in them being suspended from the tournament’s remainder.
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