Saturday’s Premier League action produced late drama and big results at the top and bottom of the table, but it was all about one man.

Cole Palmer’s virtuoso performance saw him score a staggering FOUR goals in the first half of Chelsea’s victory over Brighton.

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The England star scored all of Chelsea’s goals in their 4-2 triumph at Stamford Bridge, with his first three coming in a blistering ten-minute period.

And how Palmer’s former club Manchester City could’ve done with his creativity as Pep Guardiola’s men dropped more points with a 1-1 draw at Newcastle in the lunchtime kick-off.

This allowed rivals Arsenal, who almost inflicted a first home defeat in the league since November 2022 on the champions last weekend, to gain more ground on them – although the Gunners almost fluffed their lines.

Mikel Arteta’s men surrendered a 2-0 lead to lowly Leicester at the Emirates Stadium and needed a Wilfred Ndidi own goal in the fourth minute of stoppage-time to spare them from an embarrassing result, with Kai Havertz scoring later on to give them a 4-2 win.

Liverpool, who finish the day top of the table, made hard work of their Saturday evening outing as they edged to a 2-1 win at struggling Wolves.

At the other end of the table, things are looking up for the Reds’ Merseyside rivals with Everton as they secured their first win of the season when beating Crystal Palace 2-1 at Goodison Park.

In contrast, Nottingham Forest suffered their first defeat of the season with a 1-0 loss to Fulham, while Brentford and West Ham played out an uninspiring 1-1 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Across west London there was plenty of inspiration as Palmer putting the Seagulls to the sword had talkSPORT’s Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy purring when picking their winners and losers from Saturday’s action.

Winners

Cole Palmer

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Former Chelsea player Cundy began: “There’s only one place to start for me. I was at Stamford Bridge. I’m at the game for Chelsea TV. Cole Palmer.

“This boy. Joke. Is off the charts.”

Palmer now has three Premier League hat-tricks (all for Chelsea), putting him level with club legends Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

Cundy continued: “And you’re talking about Chelsea’s greatest ever goalscorer in Frank Lampard. Yeah. And Chelsea.

“And probably Chelsea’s best number nine. I know a lot of people say Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank or maybe Gianfranco Zola. Yeah, or maybe Peter Osgood.

“But the best number nine obviously is Chelsea’s Drogba. So he’s got more hat tricks.”

O’Hara responded: “You know what I love about him? He’s just absolutely bovril. I know. He don’t care, does he?”

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Cundy concluded: “At Man City, he wouldn’t have got the chance. So we’re seeing a player at Stamford Bridge in Chelsea shirt that’s been given a chance. He’s the main guy.

“He had to get past Phil Foden. He had Bernardo Silva in front of him. He would not have been this player right here, right now at City, because he wouldn’t have got the chance. That’s the simple truth.”

Mads Hermansen

The Leicester goalkeeper was on the losing side but his heroics before Arsenal’s fortunate third goal make him a winner in the eyes of O’Hara and Cundy.

O’Hara said: “I mean, he conceded four but had an absolute worldy performance.”

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Dwight McNeil

Booed off at half time, it seemed like it was one of those very familiar days as Everton found themselves 1-0 down at home to the Eagles through Marc Guehi’s goal.

But right at the start of the second half, McNeil said enough is enough and almost single-handedly wrestled the game back off Oliver Glasner’s men.

A stunning curling effort from distance got Everton level on 47 minutes, and then on 54 minutes McNeil expertly controlled a cross from the right before beating Dean Henderson to give Sean Dyche’s side a precious three points.

Cundy said: “That’s a massive win for Everton… aren’t they a funny club?”

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Losers

Robert Sanchez

O’Hara believes Chelsea, who have won four of their six league games, now need to be considered as title contenders.

However, the former Tottenham midfielder admitted there is a weak spot in the Blues ranks that need to be addressed in goalkeeper Sanchez.

Sanchez was culpable in both of Brighton’s goals as he failed to punch the ball away before Georginio Rutter nodded the away side in front on seven minutes. The Spaniard then gave the ball away before Carlos Baleba got Brighton’s second of the afternoon.

Cundy added: “Do you know what? Again, goalkeepers being asked to play the ball at the back. He makes two ricks, two goals. That’s what happens when goalkeepers give the ball away.

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“He gives them the first one. He’s come out looking like Superman. A challenge he can’t win. The second one, giving the ball away into the box.

“We were cruising at stage 3-1. Brings it back to 3-2. Obviously, it’s like, where’s Cole Palmer?

“We need another goal. Give us another goal, Cole. And he does. Yeah, Sanchez… the selection of pass, choice of pass, make the right decision.”

Oliver Langford (referee)

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Away from the Premier League briefly, there was a huge bit of controversy in the Championship’s lunchtime kick-off as Norwich claimed a 3-2 win at Derby County.

Just before half time, Borja Sainz fired the Canaries in front with an emphatic finish, however, the goal shouldn’t have stood.

Assist provider Josh Sargeant crossed the ball to Sainz on the stretch but replays show the ball clearly went beyond the byline before the American hooked it back into play.

It wasn’t noticed by referee Langford, nor his assistants, leaving Derby seething.

Sky Sports

But Cundy suggested that the man in the middle shouldn’t necessarily shoulder the responsibility for this blunder.

Cundy said: “Sorry, can I just say something here? Where’s his assistant?

“He’s meant to assist the referee. Assist him.”

Jermaine Pennant added: “The linesman. What’s it called? Lines-man. Because he covers the lines.”

Oliver Glasner

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Not a good day for the Olivers, with Palace boss Glasner coming under increasing pressure after his side’s defeat on Merseyside.

In a season that promised so much for the south Londoners, they are still searching for their first win having drawn and lost three each.

A Palace fan called the GameDay Phone-In demanding Glasner to get the chop.

O’Hara responded: “He’s having a bit of a stinker, at the start. He got beat today. Is he under pressure just yet?”

Pennant added: “Crystal Palace were my dark horse team, the way they finished last season… now I’ve changed my mind.”

Harry Kane could miss Bayern Munich’s Champions League clash against Aston Villa with an ankle injury.

The England captain sustained a knock to his left ankle following a challenge by Bayer Leverkusen forward Amine Adli during the 1-1 draw between the Bundesliga big-hitters on Saturday.

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The 31-year-old was substituted in the 86th minute of the match, thus throwing up questions whether he’ll feature in Bayern’s clash at Villa Park on Wednesday night, live on talkSPORT.

Sky Germany reports that Kane believes he’s ‘okay’ and will be ready to play against Villa.

“At first it was really painful and it was annoying to miss the last five or ten minutes of the game,” Kane has been quoted saying.

There was real concern about Kane’s availability immediately after the incident with Bayern sporting director Max Eberl reported to have said: “If Harry leaves the pitch, then it’s something.

“It doesn’t look good… now I hope he’s made of sturdy English stuff.”

However, there was more optimism about Kane’s knock after the match finished.

Bayern boss Vincent Kompany said: “I’m not a doctor, but I hope that maybe it will be enough for Wednesday.”

Meanwhile, Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen told journalists: “He took a hit. But as the doctors said, it’s probably nothing serious. We’ll have to look at it again tomorrow [Sunday].”

Kane has made a superb start to the season having scored ten goals in just seven appearances.

And four of those goals came in Bayern’s Champions League opener as they romped to a 9-2 victory over Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb.

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They’re set to encounter a sterner test in Birmingham with the Villans making light work of Swiss side Young Boys, winning 3-0 in their first Champions League clash in 41 years.

Bayern remain top of the Bundesliga despite being held to the 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena.

The away side struck first when Robert Andrich swept the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the Bayern goal from the edge of the box on 31 minutes.

However, Kompany’s side hit back just eight minutes later through a brilliant effort from distance by Aleksandar Pavlovic as he fired into the top right-hand corner.

In what was Kane’s first season at Bayern, their 11-year stranglehold of the Bundesliga title was loosened by Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen.

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England have taken Australia to an ODI series decider thanks to a huge win in what was a historic Friday night at Lord’s.

Victory was claimed by 186 runs to level the one-day international scoring at 2-2 thanks to some impressive individual performances.

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Harry Brook, England’s stand-in captain, was on hand to score 87 runs from 58 balls and Ben Duckett scored 63 from 62 balls.

However, Liam Livingstone stole the show by taking an excellent 62 runs from 27 balls against Australia.

It took him just 25 deliveries to hit a half-century, which is the fastest 50 ever reached in an ODI series match at Lord’s.

England’s overall tally of 12 maximums is also a new record set by one team at the widely perceived ‘Home of Cricket’.

Australia set their sights on scoring 313 runs to not only win the match, but also the series and did in fact make a strong start.

However, they couldn’t sustain their momentum and after seeing six wickets fall in seven overs, they settled for 126 all out from 24.4 overs.

Play at Lord’s was delayed by two hours due to rain and each side’s overs were reduced to 39 from the usual 50.

However, this didn’t faze Livingstone as his unbeaten 62 was a catalyst for England’s second biggest ODI victory against Australia by runs.

The 31-year-old hit seven sixes, four of which came against Mitchell Starc in the final over, and three fours in his innings.

Brook also enjoyed a fine display for England as they look carry their form into the fifth and final match following a strong 312-5 from 39 overs.

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“That’s a pretty compete performance,” he told the BBC’s Test Match Special. “We are happy with the way we went about the game and it’s nice to come out victorious.

“I am glad to be somewhere near my best. It’s nice to be out there and contributing to the side.”

England and Australia’s five-match series will be decided this Sunday at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.

And Australia captain Mitchell Marsh is keen to finish the series on a high, though he conceded England were the superior side at Lord’s.

He remarked: “We were a bit off today but fair play to England they put us under pressure.

“They outplayed us today. Probably a bit above-par but Liam Livingstone played a gem of an inning.

“You need a couple of big partnerships in a run chase like that and a couple guys to get going.

“England bowled well. That’s cricket. Bristol will be a great experience, England have come back strongly.”

Jack Wilshere stood alongside four-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Mo Farah to announce a new challenge.

The former midfielder currently works at his boyhood club Arsenal as the head coach of their U18s side.

INSTAGRAM @jackwilshere and @the_bhf

Wilshere was unable to reach his full potential during his playing career at the Gunners due to an unfortunate series of injury issues.

However, the 32-year-old is embarking a new quest and took to his Instagram account to reveal the news after teasing it on talkSPORT Drive the day before.

In a video on Friday, Wilshere announced that he will be running in the next London Marathon, which takes place in April 2025.

“Okay guys, I have an announcement,” he said at Arsenal’s training ground in London Colney. “Not like me to do this type of thing but it’s important.

“I am doing the London Marathon 2025 for the British Heart Foundation. Don’t worry though, because I’ve called in the expert to help me.”

Former long-distance runner Farah, who won Olympic gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m, then stepped into the video.

“Any tips Mo?” Wilshere asked the Arsenal fan, who said: “Yes Jack, we’ve got this. It’s all for charity and I believe he’s putting the work in, you can enjoy it and the result will be amazing.”

“What a legend,” Wilshere responded as Farah cheered him on with a ‘Come on Jack!’, before he added: “Yes guys. So I’m doing it for the British Heart Foundation.

“I want to try and make a difference, obviously with what we went through as a family but what other families are going through as well if I can make a difference.

“It’s going to be tough, before the banter starts about the ‘glass ankles’, my missus has beat you to it. I’m going to struggle, I know, but I’m doing to do it. I need your help though guys.”

INSTAGRAM @jackwilshere and @the_bhf

Farah had some words of encouragement for his marathon preparation[/caption]

In the caption of his video, Wilshere referenced why he will be raising money for the British Heart Foundation charity.

“As some of you may know, our little girl Siena went through open heart surgery earlier this year and so the charity means a huge amount to our family,” he explained.

“My wife Andriani and I are proud to be ambassadors for such an amazing charity and we hope to help other families who have been affected in the same way we were.”

Over 54,000 people ran the London Marathon earlier this year, with a similar number surely set to do so in 2025.

Wilshere will be one of those completing the 26.2 mile course around the English capital to help raise money for an incredible cause.

talkSPORT co-host Andy Goldstein was quick to wish Wilshere good luck, as he said in the comments: “Go on son.”

Ex-Arsenal and England teammate Theo Walcott messaged: “Love this.”

Meanwhile former Gunners man and current Birmingham star Krystian Bielik said: “What a guy! All the best!”

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Newcastle are confident they are close to reaching an agreement with Anthony Gordon over signing a new long-term contract, talkSPORT understands.

talkSPORT reported in July that the Magpies wanted to get Gordon tied down after he almost joined Liverpool in June.

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A £70million deal was virtually agreed between the two clubs as Newcastle were frantically trying to sell players to avoid a potential PSR penalty.

However they were able to keep hold of the ex-Everton winger having offloaded Yankuba Minteh and Elliott Anderson to Brighton and Nottingham Forest respectively.

And now Gordon looks poised to extend his stay at Newcastle, where he is currently tied down to until 2026.

Boss Eddie Howe recently stressed the important of getting Gordon to pen fresh terms.

He said last week: “I think having your players secure in their futures is key to their performances.

“You don’t want the transfer speculation or the contracts potentially running into shorter terms because I think that it distracts and rarely benefits the player or the club.

“So, my wish is that players are always focussed on their performances and that the outside distraction is minimal.

“Our best way to do that is to get them secure and happy but of course there is a balance because with wage structures and PSR we can’t be reckless with what we do either.

“So we have to get those calls right but, of course, getting those players to play at their best levels will have a dramatic effect on our season.

“I think that if there are issues with either player, or any player, then of course communication and resolving any issues is really important.”

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Gordon has established himself as one of the Premier League’s top wingers since making a £45million move to St James’ Park from Goodison Park in January 2023.

The 23-year-old chipped in with 12 goals and 11 assists in 48 matches in all competitions last season.

He proved to be a big-game player – scoring against the division’s ‘Big Six’ in Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham.

His form earned him a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad under then-boss Gareth Southgate.

But much to the disappointment of fans, he was restricted to just a single match in Germany – a one minute cameo off the bench in a 0-0 group stage draw against Slovenia.

Since arriving back in Tyneside following a summer which was shrouded in mystery, Gordon has helped Newcastle sit sixth in the table after five games.

The Magpies sit just three points behind leaders Manchester City, who they welcome to their ground in Saturday’s early afternoon kick-off – live on talkSPORT.

With just one goal to his name from his five top-flight starts, Gordon will be hoping to find the back of the net since the 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on matchweek two.

Jordan Henderson was involved in a furious bust-up with Ajax teammate Bertrand Traore.

Ajax were facing Besiktas in the Europa League and controlled the game from start to finish in a 4-0 win in Amsterdam on Thursday.

However that didn’t stop the former England star from making his feelings clear to Traore.

The winger, who previously played for Chelsea and Aston Villa, had given away the ball in his own half before conceding a foul.

What followed was an altercation between Traore and Kian Fitz-Kim, before Henderson got involved and made it very clear what he thought of the 29-year-old.

The former Sunderland man got right in Traore’s face, where they could be seen exchanging heated words.

Henderson then had to be pulled away by Fitz-Kim and Devyne Rensch, as he walked away still raging.

Footage on TNT Sports appeared to show Henderson saying, “f****** embarrassing,” to himself after being removed from the argument.

Speaking after the match, Henderson played the incident down saying: “If you watch me play over the years, that’s pretty normal to be honest.”

Asked if his behaviour was intimidating, Henderson replied: “It’s football! We want to win, we want to improve!

“If we concede a goal there is still much time left. Sometimes you will have words with each other but it’s good, it keeps everybody on their toes.”

While the night ended in a comfortable victory for Ajax, the atmosphere in the dressing room is likely to be anything but comfortable when the players greet each other again.

TNT Sports

TNT Sports

Traore came through the youth setup with Chelsea before going on to score four goals in 16 appearances for their senior team.

A move to Lyon followed in 2017, before he returned to the Premier League with Aston Villa after joining for £17million.

There he scored 10 goals and provided seven assists in 62 matches before joining Villarreal in February, before moving on to Ajax in the summer.

There he has linked up with Henderson who completed his move to Amsterdam in January this year after a short spell with Al Ettifaq.

However it was with Liverpool where he made his name after making 492 appearances for the Reds, many of which were as captain, where he helped the club to a series of successes in the Premier League and Champions League among others.

After finishing fifth in the Eredivisie last term, Ajax will be hoping for a better campaign this time around.

But with the club currently ninth in the table, you can see why Henderson might be a little bit frustrated as he aims to guide the Dutch giants back to their former glory.

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Manchester United star Christian Eriksen has sensationally claimed that FC Twente ‘wanted’ a result more than his teammates in the 1-1 draw.

The Red Devils failed to impress in their Europa League opener at Old Trafford against a side they were expected to beat.

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Erik ten Hag decided to start a near full strength line-up for the clash against their Dutch opponents, with Eriksen breaking the deadlock courtesy of a 35th minute stunner.

But it was the Denmark international who was at fault for Sam Lammers’ equaliser in the 68th minute after he dithered on the ball.

Robbing Eriksen of possession, Lammers proceeded to drive into the box before firing past Andre Onana at his near post.

FC Twente managed to hold on for the famous result, with United now winning just one of their last six European games when scoring the first goal.

Eriksen was quick to comment on his frustration at his side’s performance when speaking to TNT Sports, where he made a worrying admission.

He said: “We’re mostly disappointed as a team. Obviously, we wanted more, but in the end it was far from good enough.

“It’s being said also in the changing room, I think they looked like they wanted it more than us and that can’t be right.

“Personally, I think you score a goal and then after you think it’s going to be the match-winner, but obviously it’s gone the other way.”

He continued: “Everyone is looking at themselves.

“Everyone is a professional footballer and knows what to do and knows what can happen in a game like today.

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But it was his lapse in concentration which led to FC Twente’s equaliser[/caption]

“Obviously, we don’t lose, but it feels like a loss and that’s something at home against Twente that can’t happen.”

It’s not just Eriksen that has been critical of United’s display, with Sunderland cult hero Micky Gray lamenting the performance of Ten Hag’s men.

Speaking on talkSPORT commentary, he raged: “It was an absolute shocker.

“Twente showed determination in the second half, Man United just switched off thinking, ‘we’re going to breeze through this game’.

“We’ve seen the best of United tonight, but we’ve definitely seen the worst.

“They played as individuals in that second half and clearly that wasn’t good enough.”

The ex-Black Cats left-back added: “Erik ten Hag’s body language in the technical area is as bad as I’ve seen.

“It’s just shocking it really is. That was just unacceptable what we just watched. It was as bad as it gets.”

United have no time to feel sorry for themselves with the club to welcome Tottenham to the Theatre of Dreams on Sunday.

And following last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace, Ten Hag knows 11th-placed United must claim all three points to stop them from sliding further down the table.

Chris Eubank Jr has apologised and retracted his extraordinary comments about Frank Warren, Eddie Hearn and Kalle Sauerland.

On Wednesday, Eubank Jr shocked the boxing world for his verbal attack on the three promoters, labelling them ‘scumbags’ during the press conference for the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol fight.

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Eubank Jr, who will make his long awaited return on the undercard in Riyadh against Kamil Szeremeta, was asked about the contract he recently signed with Ben Shalom’s BOXXER.

And Eubank Jr’s response was a remarkable rant at Warren and chairman of Matchroom, Hearn as well as Sauerland.

He began: “Why BOXXER? Because every other promoter out here is a scumbag.

“We have Frank Warren behind me, he has been lying and cheating his way through boxing for the last few decades.

“He sued me for a couple of hundred thousand a few years ago so obviously I’d never go with him. Scumbag.”

Warren shouted: “Speak up, I can’t hear you.”

Eubank Jr continued over the top of Warren, saying: “Kalle Sauerland, [Wasserman Boxing promoter] kept me in a terrible contract for several years. Scumbag.

“Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith tried everything they could to make this Conor Benn fight…”

Warren quickly and furiously interjected: “Why have we got to listen to this scumbag? Fight Hamzah Sheeraz then, scumbag.

“Why don’t you fight certain fighters?”

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Eubank Jr continued: “So yes – scumbags. The only one who isn’t is [Saudi boxing chief] Turki Alalshikh.

“This is a man who isn’t trying to take money for fighters, and use lawyers and accountants in slave contracts.”

Warren didn’t rise to the comments again but looked extremely agitated by Eubank Jr’s rant.

However, Warren later joined talkSPORT to address the comments made by Eubank Jr.

A furious Warren told Drive host Andy Goldstein: “I wasn’t next to him. I was behind him and the speakers were facing outwards. So we couldn’t quite hear all what was being said.

“And the bottom line of it is very simple. He was sued by me for a legal breach of a contract and I was successful in suing him and he paid substantial damages.

“Now you know what he can’t accept is what’s legal and what’s not. And as regarding what he’s just said just so you know I’m gonna keep it short and sweet. He’s gonna get sued again for the comments that he’s made publicly.

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“He will be sued and he will have a problem over that and anybody else who says it, they can get in that queue.”

Goldstein then asked why he believes Eubank Jr suggested it was over the course of 20 years.

To which Warren concluded: “I’ve got no idea. I can’t really see into an idiot’s mind.”

Warren continued: “He’s been on my shows. He’s been on Billy Joe Saunders a couple other fighters every show every fight they had.

“He was paid on time. He was received his money. He lost against Billy Joe Saunders and that is the bottom line of it.

“So he needs to back up now on what he says. Otherwise he’s got a big problem.”

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Later on Wednesday, Eubank Jr issued a statement withdrawing his earlier comments and also issued an apology to Warren, Hearn and Sauerland.

It read: “Following today’s press conference for the historic Riyadh Season on October 12th, I would like to retract my inaccurate statements and offer my apologies to Frank Warren, Eddie Hearn and Kalle Sauerland.

“I now wish to focus purely on boxing and preparing for a huge fight in Riyadh next month.”

Warren responded in a statement: “I accept Chris’ apology and retraction. I too have said things before and apologise to him also if any criticism of him has upset him in the past.

“I look forward to seeing him compete on this huge Riyadh Season card. We look ahead to some potentially massive bouts in the future.”

The pair have history with Warren having reportedly sued Eubank Jr for breach of contract winning money in damages.

His issues with Hearn stem from the fact he promotes bitter rival Benn, and the pair were set to fight in 2022.

But Benn failed a drugs test which saw the showdown postponed, and Eubank Jr clearly has no loved loss to Matchroom Boxing.

It was a series of awkward exchanges which could make fights with Benn and rising prodigy Sheeraz difficult to negotiate moving forward.

Hearn in particular expressed hope that a domestic clash with Benn could be revived in 2025.

“Chris Eubank Jr has got one thing on his mind, it starts with ‘m’, ends with ‘y’, and it’s got ‘one’ in the middle,” he said.

“It’s spelled ‘money,’ it’s all he cares about. He ain’t bothered about legacy, he ain’t bothered about championships, he wants the monies.

“And the monies are to fight Conor Benn. So, Chris Eubank Jr, you can say about this fight, say about that, but if you want the monies, let’s play.

“And we will play in the first quarter of 2025.”

During the press conference, Warren appeared to suggest that Eubank Jr was ducking the a potential fight with Shiraz.

In a statement sent to talkSPORT, Eubank Jr’s team said: “In relation to the Hamzah Shiraz-Denzel Bentley fights, we have never spoken about the Bentley fights.

“No offer has ever been made and even if there was an offer it would not make sense after he lost to Nathan Healy and Felix Cash.

“As for Hamzah Shiraz, we sat down with him and Hamzah’s family in Saudi and explained to them clearly that Chris was already in talks to fight Terence Crawford.

“Team Warren was told it could only be made if it was for a full title but at the end of the day they decided to upgrade the interim champion at the time instead.”

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We may only be two episodes into High Potential, but Kaitlin Olson and ABC have a certified hit on their hands!

I am not usually a procedural kind of guy. However, this show is making me reevaluate my interests! Miss Morgan is a whole vibe, and despite her eccentric nature, I feel like I know people like her — including people with a wealth of random knowledge.

High Potential has proven that it’s a series with enough potential to last for years. Interestingly, I’ve heard it both ways about this show. Some people were hooked instantly and loved it. Others didn’t find the character relatable and took issue with a few aspects of the show.

I am here to tell you that I heard you, and there are things I can agree with from both camps.

The Secret Sauce In High Potential Is Kaitlin Olson’s Morgan

First, let’s state the obvious. High Potential is as formulaic as it comes. All the standard bells and whistles of a female police chief who leads with her heart. The seasoned detectives are unfriendly to newbies. And the case-of-the-week is filled with twists and turns, likely leaving the audience in tears.

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The secret sauce in this recipe is Kaitlin Olson’s Morgan. She sets the tone. For one thing, the family dynamic is refreshing to see. Usually, fictional eccentric geniuses lead lives too solitary to form meaningful relationships, let alone whole families.

One of the first dings I and others had for the series is that High Potential runs the risk of making the police look incompetent. After careful reflection, I no longer feel that way.

Interestingly, I never heard people make that remark about other shows where a genius helps out the police or some other form of authority. Have we all forgotten Scorpion, Psych, and Elsbeth? The cops needing a helping hand is nothing new.

Also, crimes go unsolved in the real world all the time. After watching High Potential Season 1 Episode 2, I finally noticed something. It’s not that the cops are incompetent. It’s that Morgan is faster. She speeds up the process of discovery.

Every time technology and science advances, it isn’t just people in authority that are helped. Criminals also have access to all of the same advancements. That means more hands on deck are needed to figure out crimes that get more complicated to solve every year.

In that regard, High Potential is ahead of other procedurals. Who else could’ve clocked the footage in the pilot?

I believe the cops would have figured it out, but it wouldn’t have happened as fast without everyone’s favorite cleaning lady. However, I’ll never turn down more screen time from Detective Karadec. That is a man right there.

High Potential Boasts A Disturbingly Attractive And Talented Cast Of Supporting Characters

One other thing about the recipe for police procedurals: You have to have some good-looking people to fill out the station. I don’t make the rules, but I’m not mad about it. I haven’t spent much time at police stations, so you all will have to let me know if the cliche is based on reality.

That being said, Detective Karadec is disturbingly handsome. Like, commit-a-crime-just-to-be-arrested-by-him handsome. And don’t even get me started on Deniz Akdeniz’s character! If you watch the hilarious series Ghosts, you may recognize him from Ghosts Season 3 Episode 7, “The Polterguest.”

If you haven’t seen it, he plays a male stripper who does a sexy dance for a ghost while talking about dinosaurs. Those who have seen it know that it is a one hundred percent accurate depiction of what happens in the scene. All I’ll say is that he was COMMITTED to his character.

However, looking amazing is great and all, but if you can couple that with solid talent, you get Judy Reyes as Captain Selena. Her character is so warm and understanding. I find that so refreshing from the usual police chief who just wants his coffee in between grunts and talks AT his people.

She’s a good one, that Miss Judy. We also got more of Daphne and Ludo, which is great because their characters felt like supporting characters of supporting characters in the pilot.

Speaking of Ludo, High Potential shows how common it is for divorced or broken-up couples to maintain healthy co-parenting. While that may not always be the case, everyone I know who has kids with someone they are no longer with has a healthy co-parenting relationship.

And if you can do it looking as fabulous as Miss Morgan, even better!

High Potential Plays Around With The Relatability Of Its Main Character

One of the things that I heard from a couple of viewers was that they took issue with how Morgan always looks put together. Here’s the thing: I somewhat agree with that opinion.

However, I know moms with multiple kids who will not step out of the house unless their face is beaten for the gods. And that’s their prerogative. Sure, her hair and make-up always look put together. Sure, she dresses like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. But she has help!

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She has her lovely elderly neighbor, who was absent in this episode, and her ex, who seems more than willing to watch his kids. Now, right there is some fiction because I don’t know many baby daddies who can drop whatever they’re doing to watch their kids.

Notice how I didn’t say “babysitting.” I’m looking at some of you non-custodial dads out there. It’s not babysitting when it’s your kids. So, I couldn’t be happier for the character of Ludo (Taran Killam). It’s about time we had more “good dad” representation. However, if other “good dad” characters come to your mind, please let me know in the comments!

Back to Morgan, Kaitlin Olson’s performance during any heartwarming scenes is so moving. Morgan is sincerely sweet and caring to the people around her, including total strangers. How can you not instantly love a character with such a big heart?!

It’s not easy to keep smiling when dead people are now a part of your daily life.

“Who’s Dead This Week?”

Now, here’s the thing about police procedurals. It’s a case-of-the-week format. Sure, there’s always an over-arching storyline, but for the most part, it’s “Who’s dead this week?”

And that’s perfectly fine because every broadcast show has that in one form or another. It’s just a vehicle to develop the plot and characters further. However, High Potential is delivering some intriguing cases!

Did you guys know that thing about the moon? I certainly didn’t! Side note: I loved the tap-dancing car mechanics. It’s so important to have interests and hobbies outside of work.

More to the point, this case was much easier to follow than the one in High Potential Season 1 Episode 1. We also met Garret Dillahunt as Lieutenant Melon, another addition to the handsome roster of detectives.

Is it a requirement that all male detectives look like they stepped out of a Lincoln car commercial with John Slattery? Specific, I know, but also true. We also got double the case boards in this episode with lots of lovely banter from the newly introduced Detective Melon.

Are case boards really a thing? And do police stations really hire someone who is in charge of making them? If you know, please let us know in the comments! That goes for all questions asked. These aren’t rhetorical.

And let’s all applaud Morgan for finally getting her car back! I don’t think she could’ve gotten away with bringing a grocery cart onto the bus too many more times.

However, the best part of “Dancers in the Dark” has to be the last few minutes. The scene where Captain Selena confirmed that Morgan’s missing partner, Roman, didn’t abandon them was heartbreaking.

There were so many tears in this episode, from the wrong person being pushed off the roof to Morgan finally getting an answer about Roman. Full disclosure: I teared up. Oh, how I teared up. One point for High Potential and zero points for this TV Fanatic.

And the daughter overhearing and then crying?! I was a mess. On the one hand, he didn’t abandon his family, but that means he is actually missing and possibly even dead. There’s no way of knowing what will transpire, but it’s safe to say we have our over-arching story.

Whatever the case, or rather, cases, I will be glued to my seat, absorbing every entertaining moment of this fantastic show!

Do you think Morgan and Karadec will develop feelings for each other?

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Do you think we will see any of Olson’s castmates from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia make cameos?

Please drop a comment below to let me know what you liked about this or any other show, and join me again when I review the next episode of High Potential!

Watch High Potential Online

The post High Potential Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Dancers in the Dark appeared first on TV Fanatic.

There are always secrets in a small town, yet someone always spills them to the wrong person.

FOX’s Murder in a Small Town has all the elements of the perfect murder mystery. However, since it is co-produced by Canada’s Sepia Films, it is not as gruesome as some U.S. procedurals.

Murder in a Small Town Season 1 Episode 1 opened with the murder scene. In many ways, their format reminded me of another Canadian procedural –Motive — but the suspect wasn’t as clear this time.

The series premiere was adapted from L. R. Wright’s initial Karl Alberg novel, “The Suspect.” While it wasn’t a carbon copy, many details were similar.

Since I guessed who the suspect was fairly early on, Murder in a Small Town focused more on the motive.

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There was something off about George Wilcox (James Cromwell) right away. Understandably, finding your elderly neighbor dead could rattle you, but he seemed like he was hiding something.

At first glance, George appeared like a kind gentleman who checked on his neighbor occasionally. He had an affinity for gardening and reading and was fond of Cassandra (Kristin Kreuk).

We later learned Cassandra looked similar to his dead sister, Audrey, which explained part of it.

Interestingly, Carlyle Burke wasn’t a kind elderly man that anyone missed. Even his sister seemed detached and estranged but dropped the juicy tidbit that George and Carlyle knew each other for years.

Carlyle had married George’s sister Audrey, and then she died in an accident only two years later. That gave Karl a motive but was only a hunch without proof.

Evidence quickly mounted against George with the neighbors and the fish guy recounting seeing him at Carlyle’s earlier in the day, but Karl wanted a foolproof confession.

George Wilcox wasn’t an evil man; this was a complicated case. It was difficult not to feel some empathy for him. He watched his mother in an abusive marriage, so he recognized the signs.

George recognized the signs of an angry, manipulative man and tried to warn his sister Audrey away from Carlyle, but she didn’t listen, and she died in an accident. We’ll never know if Carlyle was responsible for that, but Audrey’s letters revealed Carlyle had abused her.

Is murder the answer? No. But how many of us would want to hurt the person who had abused our sibling? Cassandra was right. Justice isn’t always black and white. This was a grey case, as domestic violence situations often are.

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George was an old, dying man. Prison wasn’t the place for him, but was it fair to let him go? Karl Alberg showed him more compassion than most cops would have, which benefited him, too.

While the case was interesting and James Cromwell did a fantastic job, the series’ draw was Karl and Cassandra’s relationship. Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk already have sizzling chemistry and angst. I ship them already.

In procedurals, romance generally gets pushed to the side. I loved that we saw their first blind date, including the awkwardness as they got to know each other.

Cassandra seemed more wary of dating than Karl since he figured it was a friendly lunch.

Neither seemed like the type to use a dating site, and I wasn’t surprised that Cassandra admitted her friends encouraged her to use one. She had gotten used to being independent and single, which many men didn’t like.

Watching them talk about anything was part of their charm. Karl was one of those men who didn’t need an elaborate date and was happy spending time with her.

I generally love slow-burn couples, but I also appreciated their teasing banter and instant connection. There was something about the cinematography between their passionate kisses and George’s sinister rowing on the lake.

Their relationship worked so well that it only had room to fall. Part of that was mixing business with pleasure, and part of it was Cassandra’s trust issues.

She thought Karl only liked her if she could help his case, and Karl believed she should trust him enough to confide in him about George. They had only known each other for a few days and didn’t know each other well enough to make those assumptions about their relationship.

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Thankfully, our suspect, George Wilcox, played matchmaker by sending them each a letter, hinting that Karl should be nice to Cassandra.

So far, the series hasn’t used the supporting cast much. Sgt. Sid Sid Sokolowski and Corporal Edwina Yen assisted Karl with the case, but Andy Kendrick and Isabella barely appeared. Perhaps we’ll see them more in future episodes.

Corporal Edwina Yen( Mya Lowe) surprised viewers as much as she did her superiors with how well she interviewed suspects. She put them at ease and got witnesses to open up. I’m intrigued to learn more about her.

She and Sid (Aaron Douglas) quickly learned that Karl solves cases by looking at the entire picture and studying anything out of place. The trio will be entertaining to work with.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more about Karl and Cassandra’s families in upcoming installments.

We saw his older daughter and heard he was estranged from his younger one. The series needs to explore this more if he and Cassandra date.

The series is different than many procedurals. It’s similar to other cozy mysteries and may fill the void for some Will Trent fans.

What did you think of the Murder in a Small Town series premiere? Do you like Karl and Cassandra’s relationship? Did you suspect George was the killer?

We would love to hear your thoughts, so please share them with us below.

The post Murder in a Small Town Season 1 Episode 1: The Suspect appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Unai Emery has become the quickest Aston Villa manager to achieve 50 wins.

The Spaniard achieved the feat as his side got the better of League One side Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

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Emi Buendia’s header and a Jhon Duran penalty in the second half put Villa in charge at Adams Park, and a stoppage-time goal from Wycombe’s Richard Kone wasn’t enough for the Chairboys to fight back as Villa secured a 2-1 win.

And in doing so, Emery made history by achieving his 50th win as Villa boss in his 90th game in charge.

The former Arsenal boss beat previous record holder Joe Mercer, who got his 50th Villa win in his 93rd game in charge.

Emery also beats John Gregory (101 games), Tony Barton (103), George Ramsay (103) and Jimmy Hogan (104) to win no.50.

“It’s always difficult playing against teams away from home with their supporters, they have a duty to show the capacity to fight the teams in the Premier League,” Emery said after the game.

“They were playing with motivation and they played well. We were trying to control the first half with our positioning.

“We didn’t have a lot of chances but I was happy because I think it was a must to play 90 minutes and play in a way where we feel comfortable on the pitch.

“Not losing any easy balls, I think we more or less did, and then proceed when creating chances to be clinical and we did. I am happy.”

Villa have booked their place in the last 16 of the competition and wait to find out their next opponents following the conclusion of the third-round ties on Wednesday night, which see Arsenal entertain Bolton and Liverpool play host to West Ham, which is live on talkSPORT 2.

The Villans have made a strong start to the season as they currently sit third in the Premier League table with four wins from five.

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Meanwhile, they won their first match in the Champions League for 41 years with a convincing 3-0 win at Swiss outfit Young Boys.

Emery was hired as Villa boss in October 2022 following the sacking of Steven Gerrard.

After a slow start to the 2022/23 season, Villa finished in seventh spot and thus qualified for the Europa Conference League.

Although Villa fell in the semi-finals to eventual winners Olympiakos, last term proved to be a memorable one with a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League ensuring Champions League football would return to Villa Park.

Mikel Arteta has declared Pep Guardiola’s use of John Stones scuppered Arsenal’s defensive masterclass away at Manchester City.

The Gunners looked to be heading for their first win at the Etihad Stadium in a decade only for substitute Stones to score a dramatic equaliser in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

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Arsenal led 2-1 going into the break after coming from behind, with the visitors seeing Leandro Trossard sent off just before the half time whistle.

It led to the Premier League title challengers to adopt an ultra defensive approach for the second half, with Ben White replacing Bukayo Saka to put every available defensive player behind the ball.

And it so nearly paid off, with Arteta conceding centre-back Stones’ introduction as a striker late in the game – something he hadn’t accounted for – cost his side a famous win.

The north London outfit switched off from a quick corner, which ultimately saw an unmarked Stones breaking Arsenal hearts at the death.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup third round clash against Bolton, Arteta was asked about his tactics at City.

Declaring he and his squad knew their roles and how the second half would pan out, Arteta revealed the unforeseen use of Stones added to the chaos.

Discussing his 5-4-0 set-up, he said: “It’s a necessity and what I believe [was the right thing to do].

“It wasn’t just that, there were other things that in my opinion we had to do because I expected what they were going to do.

“Until they had the decision to bring Stones as a No.9 and then the context changed a little bit.”

Arteta was also pressed for comment regarding City’s complaints regarding Arsenal’s approach following the break.

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Kyle Walker, John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Manuel Akanji have all had their say on the north London outfit’s defensive tactics and their use of the ‘dark arts’.

It led broadcaster Piers Morgan telling talkSPORT insisting the Citizens have been left ‘rattled’ by his beloved Arsenal as he hit out at Guardiola’s side.

But Arteta refused to be drawn into an argument, as he simply stated: “No comment.”

Questioned whether Arteta’s mindset is ‘win at all costs’, he then remarked: “No, for me, the thing is if we play such a game and at the game the discussion is about those topics, we are in a great direction.

“That means we are putting away things that normally are associated to them after games, so that’s it, I can’t do anything.”

Arteta then vowed to continue changing up his system, whether that is attacking or defensive.

He said: “What is not going to change is my will and what game I want and whether I want to play it.

“But if I cant, because we are not good enough or because the opponent forces you to do it, or because of the circumstances or if you are outnumbered or whatever happens, then you have to be really good at that for sure.”