Rolling football news & transfers

1. West Brom sign striker Rondon
2. Barton to have West Ham medical
3. West Brom v Man City (20:00 BST)
4. GET INVOLVED #bbcsportsday

Sportsday Live

That's it for Sportsday Live for Monday. Keep up to date with all of the evening's sporting action via the BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 live.

Sportsday Live returns on Tuesday at 08:00 BST.

Football

BBC Radio 5 live

It's the first Monday night of the Premier League season and you can keep up to date with all of the action on the BBC.

On BBC Radio 5 live at 19:00 it's the Monday Night Club, presented by Kelly Cates, with all of the build-up to West Brom v Manchester City.

There is full commentary of the game itself, which kicks off at 20:00 BST and afterwards, there is the 5 Live Football Social with all of the reactions to the game.

Monday blues?

BBC

Ashes win tinged with anger - Fraser

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England's Ashes win is tinged with anger because of past criticisms, according to selector Angus Fraser.

Captain Alastair Cook faced repeated calls to resign last summer, while, in March, Geoffrey Boycott said national selector James Whitaker should also go and cricket director Andrew Strauss was derided for not ending Kevin Pietersen's international exile.

"What has been said or written about Cook, Strauss and Whitaker has been harsh and personal," Fraser told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.

"There's a bit of anger. But there is also huge satisfaction. I'm delighted for Cook and Strauss, who took a lot of stick for the decisions he made."

Broken ribs and pelvis

MTN-Qhubeka cyclist Matt Brammeier had a hideous crash yesterday, flying into the side of a support car in the final stage of the Tour of Utah. The Irishman has broken ribs and a broken pelvis - but it's "all good in the hood".

Wembley or the Emirates?

West Ham debutant Angelo Ogbonna appeared to get it all so wrong after getting it so right yesterday.

The Italian was a rock in the Hammers defence as they beat Arsenal at the Emirates, but he seemed to forget where he was.

@OgbonnaOfficial

The above tweet was hastily deleted, and the centre-halve's management company have since admitted it was all their fault.

SportSuite said it was a "fail" and a "gaffe" and assured fans that Ogbonna was completely aware he was at the Emirates.

Premier League announces new US deal

The Premier League has announced a new deal with American broadcaster NBC Universal to show live games for the next six years.

US rights were already with NBC Universal at a price of $83m a season.

Football gossip catch-up

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Here are some of the big football stories of the day which you may have missed.

Former QPR midfielder Joey Barton is having a medical at Premier League side West Ham. The 32-year-old has been a free agent since his release from the Loftus Road club at the end of last season.

West Brom have signed Zenit St Petersburg striker for a club record fee of around £12m. The Venezuela international, 25, has agreed a four-year contract to become the Baggies' fifth summer signing.

The Daily Mail reports that Chelsea have agreed a deal worth up to £21.7m with Augsburg to sign left back Abdul Baba Rahman.

McIlroy '100% ready' for US PGA

Reuters

World number one Rory McIlroy says he is ready to defend his title in this week's US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits after suffering ankle ligament damage last month.

The 26-year-old played practice rounds at the course over the weekend to test his ankle and also went around nine holes in the rain on Monday.

"It felt fine," McIlroy said. "It's good. I've come a long way in five weeks.

"To play golf, it's 100%. To go back on a soccer pitch, it wouldn't be quite ready. But to do what I need to do this week, it's 100%."

Lawro's prediction

"Manchester City have a tendency sometimes to try to cruise through matches and they cannot afford to do that at The Hawthorns on Monday."

Predictions: Lawro v Graeme Swann

Blind keen to play in defence

PA

Manchester United's Daley Blind insists he is "clever enough and smart enough" to play at centre-back.

Blind, seen more regularly in midfield or at left-back in his first campaign with United last term, was used as a central defender in his side's Premier League opener against Tottenham on Saturday.

"I got a chance on this occasion and I tried my best," he said. "Of course, people always say I don't have the height or the power but I think I'm clever enough and smart enough.

"I think we did well at the back, together with Chris [Smalling], Luke [Shaw] and Matteo [Darmian], and we got a clean sheet so I was happy."

Seamers help Middlesex beat Sussex

James Harris and Toby Roland-Jones starred with the ball as Middlesex beat Sussexby 20 runs at Lord's.

Steve Magoffin (5-73) took the final two Middlesex wickets quickly in the morning as they were bowled out for 331 - setting a target of 266.

Harris (4-57) ripped through Sussex's top order before Chris Nash (66) and Ben Brown took them to 163-5.

But once Roland-Jones (3-78) removed Nash, the visitors fell to 245 all out with Brown last man to go for 68.

Bosnich urges van Gaal to sign Lloris

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Former Manchester United keeper Mark Bosnich has told Talksport that Reds manager Louis van Gaal should sign Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris rather than Ajax's Jasper Cillessen.

"I think Cillessen did ok at the World Cup, but he's not one who stands out in terms of being dominant," said the Australian.

"The English Premier League is definitely the most physically demanding in the world and it takes foreign players quite a while to adjust to that. We saw during [David] De Gea's first season, it was a bit of a struggle. Lloris knows the Premier League inside out and he's had success."

What the managers say

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West Brom head coach Tony Pulis: "I've always worked with the material I am given and that's always been my philosophy, to try to squeeze everything out of everybody. The club has a good structure and we haven't made too many changes but most things are in place."

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini: "It is very important for the club to trust in our work. The support the club gives me is important. But you know in this profession you need results. For me a good season with a big team is that you must win a title. You cannot say it is a very good season if you win nothing."

Mendoza named on GB team

PA

Teenager Jessica Mendoza has been named on the Great Britain team for the European Showjumping Championships which start in Aachen, Germany next week.

The 19-year-old will ride Spirit T at the competition where she will be joined by Joe Clee on Utamaro d'Ecaussines, Michael Whitaker (Cassionato) and Olympic gold medallist Ben Maher (Diva II) while the travelling reserve is Guy Williams.

World number one Scott Brash has not been selected.

Platini backed by Scottish FA

AFP

The Scottish Football Association say they will be backing Uefa's Michel Platini in the Fifa presidential election.

"From the perspective of the smaller countries, he has opened up the channels of communication and ensured that every country, irrespective of size, has a voice," said SFA chief executive Stewart Regan.

"That is healthy for the game and if he is prepared to do that across the world, I'm sure he will be well-received."

Froome to take part in Vuelta

AP

Tour de France winner Chris Froome has confirmed via Twitter that he is taking part in this year's Vuelta a Espana, the year's third and final grand tour.

It starts in Puerto Banus on Saturday, 22 August, and finishes three weeks later in Madrid on 13 September.

Froome joins Tour runner-up Nairo Quintana, 2014 Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali and American star Tejay Van Garderen in the best Vuelta field in memory.

Wenger refuses to panic

AP

According to the Daily Mirror, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will not be panicked into the transfer market despite his side's loss to West Ham on Sunday.

The Gunners remain interested in Karim Benzema but they will not pay the price that Real Madrid want for a player who is 28 in December and now it seems they will only do a deal if one becomes available late in the window.

Glamorgan get fine and points deduction

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Glamorgan have forfeited their Royal London Cup game against Hampshire, which was abandoned because of an unfit pitch.

The Welsh county were also ordered to pay an immediate £4,000 fine in addition to a two-point deduction in the competition.

Umpires called off the game in Cardiff on 2 August after two Hampshire batsmen had been hit by rising deliveries.

Chelsea to appeal red card

Thibaut Courtois could yet be free to play against Manchester City next Sunday...

No rush over Harris, says Koukash

SWpix.com

Salford owner Marwan Koukash has said he is no rush to decide on the future of absent head coach Iestyn Harris.

Harris, 39, has not been present for a Red Devils game since the Super League defeat at Hull KR on 30 June.

Koukash has previously said Harris is missing because of illness. The former Wales international's assistant Ian Watson has been in temporary charge.

"There's no timescale. We could wait until the end of the season," Koukash told BBC Radio Manchester.

Match facts

Head-to-head

• Manchester City are unbeaten in their last five league games at the Hawthorns, winning four of those matches.
• City have recorded seven consecutive wins against the Baggies.

West Bromwich Albion

• West Brom scored 16 headed goals in last season's Premier League - more than any other side.
• Last season they kept 10 clean sheets in 18 league games under Tony Pulis.

Manchester City

• City have won their opening Premier League fixture in five of the last six seasons, drawing once.
• David Silva has scored in three of his last four appearances against the Baggies.

O'Brien sets up rare Leics victory

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A fine half-century from Niall O'Brien helped Leicestershire to a three-wicket win over Derbyshire at Grace Road - their first home win since 2012.

Resuming on 56-4 chasing a target of 273, O'Brien and Aadil Ali extended their fifth-wicket stand to 138 before O'Brien was lbw to Mark Footitt for 87.

Ali (42) shared a fifty partnership with Andrea Agathangelou but both fell quickly to leave the hosts 238-7.

However, Ben Raine's 31 not out off 37 balls saw the Foxes to 273-7 and their second Division Two win of the season.

Wood to lead England at Twickenham

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Northampton Saints back row Tom Wood will captain England as he wins his 37th cap.

Wood led England in their two-Test tour of Argentina in 2013.

"Tom is one of several leaders in the squad and he captained the team well in Argentina when Chris Robshaw was rested," said coach Lancaster.

"This is an ideal opportunity to take the armband at Twickenham against what will be a quality French team."

Lancaster eager for action

Saturday's match against France will be the first of two meetings between the pair in consecutive weeks and England coach Stuart Lancaster is keen to see his side in action.

"We are really excited to play at Twickenham and to put into practice some what we have been working on for the last six weeks," he said.

"The lads are itching to get out and play a match and these games give us a chance to look at a wide range of players and combinations before we narrow down our selection further."

England team to face France

The England team in full is: Alex Goode, Anthony Watson, Henry Slade, Sam Burgess, Jonny May, Owen Farrell, Richard Wigglesworth; Mako Vunipola, Rob Webber, Kieran Brooks, George Kruis, Geoff Parling, Tom Wood, Calum Clark, Ben Morgan.

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Alex Corbisiero, David Wilson, Dave Attwood, James Haskell, Danny Care, Danny Cipriani, Billy Twelvetrees.

BreakingBurgess to make England debut

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Rugby league convert Sam Burgess is one of three uncapped players named in the starting XV for England's World Cup warm-up against France at Twickenham on Saturday.

Burgess will play at inside centre alongside fellow debutant Henry Slade of Exeter while Northampton's Calum Clark starts at flanker.

Slade's club-mate Luke Cowan-Dickie will be hoping to make his debut from the bench.

Signings to watch - Man City

BBC

City made Raheem Sterling the most expensive English player of all time after signing him from Liverpool. The forward will provide extra quality to a side looking to regain the Premier League title.

Ouseph loses at Worlds

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England's Rajiv Ouseph has been knocked out of the World Badminton Championship on the opening day of competition in Indonesia.

Ouseph, the 16th seed, lost 21-16 21-12 to Thailand's Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk while Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour and England's Fontaine Chapman are out of the women's singles.

But in the men's doubles, Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge went through to the second round while Lauren Smith and Heather Olver were winners in the women's doubles on the opening day of the tournament.

Signings to watch - West Brom

BBC

Following an unhappy season with Liverpool, Lambert made the switch to the Hawthorns. The striker showed his worth immediately, netting two goals in a friendly just hours after signing for the club.

England women prepare for Ashes

Ahead of the start of the women's Ashes Test on Tuesday at Canterbury, England pair Georgia Elwiss and Jenny Gunn take time out to pose for a photo.

You can hear every ball of the match on BBC Radio with reaction and analysis across the BBC.

Get involved - Best and worst

Keep sending your favourite and worst starts to a season.

Enyi Nnanta: 12/13 season. Everton 1 Man United 0. Didn't matter though as we strolled to our 20th league title.

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Alex Steele: Aug '95 at the Villa as we stuffed United's "kids" 3-1. Last time we beat them at home in league. Due a win on Friday.

GB celebrate record medal haul

EPA

Great Britain enjoyed a successful time at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships which finished on Sunday in Kazan, Russia, with a record haul of medals.

BBC Sport looks back at their achievements in the pool as Adam Peaty, 50m breaststroke world record holder, led the way with three gold medals as the team came away with five golds, one silver and three bronzes to finish fourth in the medals table.

Tom Daley won gold and bronze in the diving event in the first week of the championships.

Get involved - Best and worst

Tom de Oliveira: 06/07 Reading's first ever top flight game, coming back from 2-0 down at home to Boro with Leroy Lita bagging the winner.

This photo bring back any memories Tom?

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Darrell Kerrison: First Premier League season. Norwich 2-0 down to Arsenal at half time, come back to win 4-2 at Highbury.

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Chris Jones: Fulham winning 11 straight games at the start of the 2000/1 season. We were unstoppable.

West Brom sign striker

West Brom boss Tony Pulis has called on Baggies fans to give Rondon time to settle.

"He's got a fantastic goalscoring record in some of the top leagues in Europe and for his country," said Pulis. "He's 25 years of age and still to fulfil his full potential.

"We hope he hits the ground running of course but understand it might take him time to settle. I'm sure our fans will help him and get behind him.

"But we feel with age on his side and the prices English clubs are asking for their players, it's a deal worth doing. "

West Brom sign striker

West Brom's new boy Salomon Rondon has joined from Russian club Zenit St Petersburg for a fee of £12m.

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When he joined the Russians in January 2014, he was a controversial signing - the first black player to join the club since Zenit's biggest fans group called for non-white players to be excluded from the team.

The 25-year-old, who has signed a four-year deal at the Hawthorns, said: "I am very happy to be at West Brom. This is a new opportunity in my career and I can't wait to play."

BreakingWest Brom sign striker

West Brom have confirmed the signing of Venezuela international striker Salomon Rondon.

'Disgusting and rude'

East Fife have apologised for what they describe as "disgusting, rude and sexist" chants by fans towards East Stirlingshire's female physiotherapist.

SNS

It follows Saturday's 1-0 defeat for the Fifers at Ochilview Park.

"The behaviour of a number of East Fife fans was deplorable and an embarrassment to East Fife FC," said a statement on the club website.

"We are a family club with ladies and child supporters, as are East Stirlingshire FC. They should not have been exposed to this type of language and behaviour."

Taking a breather

it’s graft and lots of it for one of Britain’s world champion boxers, Kell Brook.

Team news

Tonight's big game in the Premier League sees West Brom take on Man City at the Hawthorns (kick off 20:00 BST).

There is live text commentary on the BBC Sport website but we'll spend the next few hours building up to the game.

A spot of early team news... Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott is a West Brom doubt but Rickie Lambert, James McClean and James Chester are all set to make their debuts.

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Serge Gnabry's move from Arsenal was completed too late for him to play.

Manchester City duo Gael Clichy and Fabian Delph are out with ankle and hamstring injuries respectively. But David Silva, Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero are all fit after recovering from illness.

Get involved - Best and worst

Daniel J Smith: Walsall 4 WBA 1 in Div 1, 2003 - a brace from Paul Merson gave us the perfect start to a season which ended with relegation!

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Samuel Gater: Aston villa last season. Solid defence at first, including a fantastic Anfield performance! All downhill afterwards .

Duncan Stonehouse: Best opening day has to be Colchester United hitting seven at Carrow Road, though it did lead to them poaching our manager of course.

Canaries boss Bryan Gunn was sacked a week later, with Norwich replacing him with The U's Paul Lambert. Ouch.

Symmonds left out of Worlds team

Reuters

American 800m runner Nick Symmonds says he has been left out of his country's squad for the World Championships because of a row over what training kit he can wear at team functions.

Symmonds, who won world silver in 2013, is sponsored by Brooks Running and has refused to sign a mandatory USA Track and Field (USATF) contract that instructs athletes to wear Nike gear.

Youth hostelling

Fans of Alan Partridge will like this one.

Remember when Norfolk's finest came up with a list of ideas for TV shows including, "Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank"?

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Someone has tweeted Eubank asking if he'd 'ever do a TV programme about the UK's youth hostels?', adding 'Please say yes'.

The great man replied.

Followed by...

Cue retweets galore and much giggling..

M'Vila cleared to play despite headbutt

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Sunderland midfielder Yann M'Vila could make his Premier League debut this weekend despite being sent off in an Under 21 match against Norwich on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Frenchman signed on loan from Rubin Kazan last week but was sent off in the 67th minute for headbutting Norwich striker Jamar Loza.

But any sanction applies to the U21 competition only meaning he could play against Norwich at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

England quartet cleared to play

England captain Alastair Cook and fellow Ashes-winners Moeen Ali, Ian Bell and Jos Buttler have all been cleared to play for their counties in this week's domestic Twenty20 quarter-finals.

Encouraging start for Watford

Geoff Doyle

BBC Three Counties Radio sport

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Watford will really enjoy this week. The Hornets came through their first Premier League test with flying colours at the weekend.

The promoted side were impressive in drawing 2-2 with Everton at Goodison. Quique Flores's team were well disciplined, structured and looked like they had been playing together for months, despite the fact there were six debutants among them. Flores has done his homework and his charges seem right behind him.

On this day

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In 1984, Mary Decker fell over the leg of British athlete Zola Budd during the 3,000m Olympic final in Los Angeles.

Budd was at first disqualified for tripping but was reinstated to her final placing of seventh after Decker was ruled to have caused the incident with her "aggressive tactics".

Get involved - Best and worst

Nath: Antonio Luna scoring the winner in a 3-1 win at the Emirates. First game of 2013-14 season.

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Tim Stubbs: 2012-13. Peterboro lose 1st SEVEN games. Last game of season 3-2 loss at Palace, relegated by just one point on a record total of 54!

Andrew Priestley: Fabrizio Ravanelli's opening day debut hat-trick vs Liverpool in 1996/97. I used to copy his shirt-over-the-head celebration

Tense final session beckons at Lord's

BBC London 94.9's Kevin Hand at Lord's:

"An early tea is being taken at Lord's after a shower brought the players off with Sussex 142-5 having been set 266 to win. Chris Nash is leading the way with an unbeaten fifty after James Harris picked up three wickets to slow a rapid start to the chase."

Live commentary here.

Cracknell and son in sea rescue

The son of double Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell says his dad dived 'David Hasselhoff-style' into the sea to save a man and his grandson from drowning.

Cracknell's son, 11-year-old Croyde, spotted Jim Greatorex, 67 and Emerson Fairclough, seven, in the sea off the Devon coast and raised the alarm.

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The former Olympic rower pulled out the child from the sea while Croyde helped the man up on to his bodyboard.

Croyde told BBC Radio 5 live: "It's not every day you rescue someone from drowning is it.'"

You can listen to the clip here.

Premier League debutants: Hit or miss?

With fellow debutant Wijnaldum impressing, Aleksander Mitrovic was evidently keen to make an impression when he climbed off the bench in the 75th minute.

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Sadly, it was not the kind of impression he would have liked as, less than a minute after coming on, he was booked for a foul on Matt Targett. Youthful naivety from the 20-year-old.

Verdict: MISS

Koeman happy with Rodriguez comeback

Southampton assistant boss Erwin Koeman has hailed the return of forward Jay Rodriguez after 16 months on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.

The 26-year-old England international made his first Premier League appearance since April 2014 in Sunday's 2-2 draw against Newcastle.

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"I think for him it was a big victory to start because he had trained for six weeks already with us and he made some minutes so he was ready for it," he said.

"But after that long period of being out for maybe 15 or 16 months, I have to say he played very well."

Get involved - Best and worst

Ashley Braunton: Home to Liverpool in '09/10, Bassong debut and grabbed the winner with bullet header, two weeks later we beat Birmingham in 95th min.

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Matthew Benson: Got to be Arsenal v Everton '03/04. 2-1 win, even with Sol Campbell sent off, on way to becoming the Invincibles!

Dan Kelly: After the playoffs in '02 Millwall lost 6-0 to Rotherham on day one. Darren Byfield scored four. We signed him a few years later.

Keep sending your favourite - and worst - opening day memories.

No way, Jose...

Is this Facebook post Chelsea's doctor responding to Jose Mourinho calling the club's medical staff "naive" for treating Eden Hazard during their draw with Swansea?

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Mourinho told Sky Sports on Saturday: "I was unhappy with my medical staff. They were impulsive and naive. Whether you are a kit man, doctor or secretary on the bench you have to understand the game."

Hull frontman moves on

Hull striker Dame N'Doye has completed a £2.2m move to Trabzonspor.

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The Senegalese striker arrived from Lokomotiv Moscow on deadline day in January and made an immediate impact, scoring three times in his first four appearances.

He went on to score both goals in the victory over Crystal Palace but ended the season on a five-game scoreless streak as the Tigers slipped out of the Premier League.

County Championship live

BBC Local Radio

Follow the remaining County Championship matches here via our live text or listening to ball by ball commentary from a BBC local radio station.

Notts wrap up comfortable win at Worcs

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Nottinghamshire have knocked off the 75 runs they needed to beat Worcestershire by five wickets at New Road.

After a rain-delayed start, James Taylor and Riki Wessels added 31 runs in the morning to take Notts to 188-3 at lunch.

Saeed Ajmal removed Taylor for 66 and dismissed Wessels in his next over for 88 to leave the visitors 200-5. But Samit Patel and Chris Read settled any nerves as they took Nottinghamshire to victory.

Tuck in

Tommy Fleetwood is in the US ahead of Thursday’s start to the US PGA Championship – golf’s final major of the year. Judging by this pic, he’s taking in a hearty breakfast… simply tweeting “#athlete”.

Live commentary of the final two rounds is on Radio 5live sports extra from 20:00 BST. There will also be live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.

'It's a poor comment'

Now then, you can't beat a good footballing row - and there's a good one going on in Scotland at the moment.

Celtic assistant boss John Collins caused a bit of controversy when he said Scottish sides are not quick or smart enough to challenge the SPL champions.

SNS

It has certainly riled Derek McInnes, the Aberdeen boss responding in the Daily Record: "He's got a lot to say for an assistant manager, to be honest.

"I think it's very disparaging, it's a poor comment. Whether he thinks that or not, I think it's disrespectful to the rest of the league to say that. It's disappointing."

One to keep an eye on.

Premier League debutants: Hit or miss?

Exciting, fast and skilful. Memphis Depay certainly looked like a signing that will get Manchester United fans on their feet, but what his Premier League debut performance lacked was a goal threat.

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The 21-year-old Netherlands winger had a couple of half chances, but never really looked like troubling Michel Vorm in the Tottenham goal during Saturday's 1-0 win for Louis van Gaal's side.

Verdict: Maybe

Get involved - Best and worst

Paul McHugh: Boro V Liverpool 3-3 a Ravanelli hat trick and that Juninho fella wasn't bad either!

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Dan(ilo) Holloway: First ever game for Reading in the Premier League, coming back from 2-0 down against Middlesbrough to win 3-2. Dreamland.

Clarke defends squad unity

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Captain Michael Clarke insists there are no divisions in his squad after losing the Ashes series to England.

Australia are 3-1 down after successive defeats at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge with one match to play, and Clarke has been among those struggling for form.

"I can guarantee you, the feeling in this group is exceptional," the 34-year-old, who will retire after the fifth Test at the Oval, told Triple M Radio. "There is no disharmony is this group whatsoever. The players are as tight as any team I've been a part of.

"It's heartbreaking to have played the way I've played and not helped the team get over the line."

Gibbons named in GB judo team

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Olympic silver medallist Gemma Gibbons will lead Britain's nine-strong squad at the World Judo Championships in Kazakhstan later this month.

Gibbons, who missed the 2014 staging in Russia because of an ankle ligament injury, will compete in the -78kg at the event, which starts in Astana on 24 August.

Also included are Kelly Edwards (-52kg), Nekoda Davis (-57kg), Alice Schlesinger (-63kg), Sally Conway (-70kg), Natalie Powell (-78kg), Ashley McKenzie (-66kg), Colin Oates (-66kg) and Ben Fletcher (-100kg).

Leicester still keen on Inler

The Leicester Mercury reports that, according to Sky Sport Italia, the Foxes have held further talks with transfer target Gokhan Inler.

The Premier League leaders want the 31-year-old Switzerland international, who currently plays with Napoli, to bolster their midfield options after the departure of Esteban Cambiasso.

West Ham confident over Barton deal

West Ham chairman David Gold had some interesting things to say about Joey Barton in January 2013.

The midfielder will undergo a medical at the club later on Monday...

Shaqiri 'passes Stoke medical'

Juliette Ferrington

BBC Sport

Scare for Berlin

Hertha Berlin's team bus has been shot at on the eve of a German Cup match.

The Bundesliga club say the bus was fired at by a motorcyclist in Bielefeld in north-west Germany but added that no-one was injured.

Hertha Berlin

Hertha are staying near Bielefeld before their first-round tie with German second division side Arminia Bielefeld on Monday night.

Only the driver was on board at the time of the shooting and police are now investigating.

Neville explains decision to stay

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England head coach Tracey Neville says her father would have supported her decision to stay with her team for the remainder of the Netball World Cup.

Neville Neville, 65, died in hospital in Sydney on Friday, the day of England's first World Cup match.

"My dad was one of my number one fans and probably would have a thing to say if I'd bailed at this stage," she told BBC Radio 5 live.

"You don't get this far and then bail out. That's not been the mentality of me or my family throughout our careers."

West Ham confident over Barton deal

Ben Smith

BBC Sport

Further to the reports that Joey Barton is close to joining West Ham, BBC Sport can confirm that he is booked in for a medical later on Monday in London.

West Ham are confident of completing the signing of the former QPR midfielder in the next 48 hours.

Tottenham turned down Oxford

AFP

West Ham midfielder Reece Oxford has revealed that Tottenham rejected the chance to sign him before he joined West Ham.

The 16-year-old, who made his Premier League debut against Arsenal on Sunday, joined West Ham at under-13 level after leaving Tottenham where he played as a striker.

"I was at Tottenham for a while, but they did not want me, and I went to West Ham, which was the best option for me," said the teenager, who is scheduled to receive his GCSE results next week.

Second Foxes win on the cards

Niall O'Brien and Aadil Ali have put on 92 for the fifth wicket to keep Leicestershire's hopes of a second victory of the summer alive against Derbyshire.

The Foxes are 142-4 at lunch, needing 130 more runs for victory.

You can listen to live commentary here.

Barton having West Ham medical - reports

According to Sky Sports News, midfielder Joey Barton is having a medical at West Ham.

The 32 year-old has been without a club since being released by QPR at the end of last season

O'Donnell to miss World Cup

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Ireland back row Tommy O'Donnell has been ruled out of World Cup after suffering dislocated hip in win over Wales on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Munster flanker fell awkwardly as he attempted to drive for the Wales line in the 75th minute and used an oxygen mask before being transferred on to a stretcher.

Notts close in on victory at New Road

Only 45 minutes of play were possible in the morning session because of rain, but there was still time for Nottinghamshire to move within 44 runs of victory against Worcestershire.

Riki Wessels is unbeaten on 85 and James Taylor is 63 not out.

The pair have shared a fourth-wicket stand of 151 and look set to take Notts to their fourth Championship win of the summer.

You can listen to live commentary here.

Hampshire claim second win of 2015

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Hampshire's survival fight was given a boost as they sealed a 216-run win over second-placed Warwickshire, whose own title ambitions took a setback.

The Bears resumed on 161-6 at the Ageas Bowl - still 283 runs off their target of 444 - and lost Rikki Clarke (55) to Jackson Bird's fourth ball of the day.

Fidel Edwards (4-55) took two more wickets to end with match figures of 9-87 as the visitors were out for 227.

You can listen to live commentary from the day's remaining games on the BBC Sport website.

Middlesex & Sussex both press for win

BBC London 94.9's Kevin Hand at Lord's:

"Sussex have reached lunch on the final day at Lord's on 68-3 having been set a target of 266 to win.

"Dawid Malan was not out on 120 as Middlesex were bowled out for 331."

You can listen to live commentary here.

Surrey set 313 to win by Essex

BBC London 94.9's Mark Church at Colchester:

"All bubbling up nicely at Colchester. Essex declared after an hour's play after Gareth Batty's five wickets leaving a victory target of 313 for Surrey.

"Rory Burns and Zafar Ansari made a solid start in pursuit of the target and the visitors go the lunch on 47-0."

You can listen to live commentary here.

Kirby angered by 'sexist' comments

Chelsea and England striker Fran Kirby has tweeted her anger at "sexist" comments made about women's football...

The 22-year-old came off the bench to score a debut goal in Sunday's 4-0 win over Birmingham City that sent her side top of the Women's Super League.

Baines blow

Daily Express: Everton left-back Leighton Baines could be out for three months following surgery on his ankle injury this week.

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Baines underwent repair work to his right ankle in May in an attempt to cure a long-standing problem but injured the same ankle in a training ground accident last week.

Get involved - Best and worst

Andrew Dennett: Brighton v Doncaster, August 2011. First game at The Amex, two goals for Will Buckley - including a 97th-minute winner - in a 2-1 win!

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Keep your favourite - and worst - opening day memories coming to #bbcsportsday

Burke wins first Ladies European Tour title

Tristan Jones

Britain's Hannah Burke said she was "in a state of shock" after winning her first Ladies European Tour title in the Czech Republic.

The 27-year-old from Welwyn Garden City shot a final-round 64 to finish two strokes clear of Denmark's Nicole Broch Larsen in the Tipsport Golf Masters.

Her previous best finish was second place at last year's Indian Open, but a closing round of seven birdies and no bogeys finally brought her the win.

Becky Morgan of Wales was a shot back, while Melissa Reid and Charley Hull both qualified for the Solheim Cup.

Swansea concerns

Peter Shuttleworth

BBC Sport Wales

Ki Sung-yueng will have a scan this week after Swansea's midfielder came off with a hamstring strain in their draw at champions Chelsea.

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Jefferson Montero was replaced after suffering cramp but is Ok and available for Saturday's first home game of the season with Newcastle.

Link to early deaths?

Mr Perfect, The Ultimate Warrior and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper have two things in common.

All we were superstars of the world of professional wrestling, and all died unexpectedly and at a relatively young age.

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Rowdy Roddy Piper (right) in action with Chris Jericho in 2009

Mr Perfect died in 2003 of acute cocaine intoxication at the age of 44. The Ultimate Warrior died last year of a heart attack, aged 54. Most recent to go was "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who also died suddenly on 31 July of a heart attack. He was 61.

Do former wrestlers die younger than athletes who take part in other sports?

This fascinating article ponders the question.

get involved - Best and worst

Gary Smith: Ipswich 93/94, 3 straight wins and top of the table, finished the season staying up on last day of the season!

Gary Hornsby: Rewind 11 years, Norwich started the with same fixture, Huckerby got off to a great start in minute 16. Big Nige W in charge.

Clearly a lot of Sportsday readers in East Anglia today...

Mourinho happy with Costa

EPA

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said he is satisfied with striker Diego Costa's fitness after the Spanish international recovered from a hamstring injury to play the full 90 minutes in Saturday's 2-2 draw against Swansea City.

The injury had ruled Costa out of Chelsea's Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and their last pre-season game against Fiorentina.

"He did very well and it was very important for us that he played for 90 minutes with such a physical performance," said Mourinho. "He's very happy with the reaction of his body after such a difficult game."

On this day

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In 2006, John Terry was named England captain by new manager Steve McClaren. The Chelsea defender succeeded David Beckham.

Man City ponder De Bruyne bid

Ben Smith

BBC Sport

Manchester City are weighing up whether to make a bid in excess of £40m as they continue to pursue the Wolsburg and former Chelsea winger Kevin De Bruyne.

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The Premier League club have held talks with their German counterparts about a move for the 24-year-old but no agreement has yet been reached, with Wolfsburg determined not to sell.

It may take an offer of £45m to land a player who left Stamford Bridge in January 2014 and who has also attracted interest from Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich.

Premier League debutants: Hit or miss?

Jordan Ayew - younger brother of Swansea's Andre - started for Aston Villa at Premier League new boys Bournemouth, but the former Lorient striker failed to make an impression and was substituted on the hour.

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His replacement, Rudy Gestede, instead caught the eye as he grabbed the Villa winner.

Verdict: MISS

Get involved - Best and worst

Jon Ferguson: WBA v Southampton in 2013. Bad traffic so arrived 20mins late, left my tickets at home, and we lost to a 90th min penalty.

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Transfertrail: Opening day fixtures don't get much more exciting than Arsenal's 6-1 demolishing of Everton back in 2009.

Josh More: Dunfermline winning 6-1. Lovely.

Norwich 'giving it all' to stay up

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Norwich City are desperate to avoid a repeat of the 2013-14 season that saw them relegated from the Premier League, says midfielder Jonny Howson.

The Canaries, promoted from the Championship last term, lost 3-1 on the opening day to Crystal Palace.

"The majority of the squad is still here from when we got relegated two years ago," Howson told BBC Radio Norfolk. "It's not a nice feeling and not something we want to go through again so we'll be giving it our all."

Scottish football highlights

A cheeky outside-of-the-boot flick, a ballooned penalty and a goal scored while a frantic keeper chased back from the opposition half all feature in the highlights from this weekend's Scottish football fixtures.

If you are in the UK, you can watch Sportscene on iPlayer or catch up with the individual games below...

• Aberdeen 2-0 Kilmarnock
• Dundee 1-2 Hearts
• Motherwell 0-2 Dundee Utd
• Partick Thistle 0-2 Celtic
• Ross County 2-0 Hamilton
• St Johnstone 1-1 Inverness CT
• Rangers 3-1 St Mirren

Get involved - Best and worst

Dave Emery: Bolton 1-3 Newcastle. Sam Allardyce first game in charge, Martins overhead kick - celebration wasn't bad either!

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Alexander Harris: Leicester 4 Sunderland 2. First win on the way to their treble winning season!

Send us your favourite - and worst - opening day memories.

Double your money

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes £49m summer signing Raheem Sterling could be worth £100m in the future, reports the Manchester Evening News .

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Meanwhile, Pellegrini has told The Sun that his job is at risk if he fails to win the Premier League title this season.

Premier League debutants: Hit or miss?

There were plenty of reasons to be impressed with Swansea's performance as they held defending champions Chelsea to a 2-2 draw, and Andre Ayew was one of them.

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The Ghana forward showed cat-like instincts to pull a rebound from a Thibaut Courtois save to catch out John Terry, before calmly steering the ball home for one the opening weekend's best goals.

Verdict: HIT

Scotland lose to Jamaica

Scotland have been beaten 71-24 by Jamaica at the Netball World Cup in Australia.

The Scots struggled against the world number four ranked side and finish third in their pool after losses to England and defeat of Samoa.

Brentford pitch 'terrible' - Fraser

Ipswich winger Ryan Fraser says Brentford's pitch was "terrible" in their opening match of the Championship season.

Fraser put Town 2-0 ahead but two stoppage-time goals earned Brentford a draw at Griffin Park.

Afterwards, Fraser told BBC Radio Suffolk: "The pitch was terrible. I've never played on a pitch as bad as that before, especially at the start of the season, never mind the end of the season."

Get involved - Best and worst

Send us your favourite - and worst - opening day memories.

Craigogamer: The shocking performance by Simon Hooper at Carrow Road has to be up their for the worst start to a season by a ref!

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Mark Davies: Premier League debutants. Hit or Miss, Simon Hooper MISS!

References, of course, to Norwich's game with Crystal Palace at the weekend. With the score 2-1 to Palace, the Canaries had a goal chalked off when Cameron Jerome was controversially penalised for a high boot.

Hernandez to Hammers?

Daily Star: West Ham will offer Manchester United £12m for striker Javier Hernandez, 27, after having an initial £8.5m bid rejected.

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The Star says the Hammers are eager to seek a replacement for injured Enner Valencia, who is out for at least three months with knee and ankle injuries.

Move imminent?

Xherdan Shaqiri is having medical at Stoke City ahead of his proposed move from Inter Milan, report Sky Sport News.

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The winger was at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday to watch Stoke's Premier League defeat to Liverpool.

Stoke had agreed a club record fee of £12m for the Swiss international but they withdrew the offer in July after he failed to respond to their deadline.

The Olympic Journey: How far? How fast?

One of the attractions of athletics is its fascination with limits. After all, there's only so fast a human body can cover 100m - we're never going to see it below six, seven seconds, for example.

BBC

These are the kinds of questions and themes The Olympics Journey: How far? How fast? covers, as Gabby Logan speaks to some of the record breakers about just how much man and woman can continue to push at the margins of physical ability.

You can watch the programme here

Get involved - Best and worst

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Jordan: Wigan 0-4 Blackpool. Even a past-it Marlon Harewood scored a cracker.

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Kone delight at Toffees strike

Reuters

Everton's Arouna Kone has told the club website that it was a weight off his shoulders to finally score his first goal at Goodison Park.

The Ivorian scored a late equaliser against Watford on Saturday after an injured-hampered first two years at the club.

"I am very happy for this goal. I was injured for a long time - it was very bad for my career. Now I am feeling a lot better," he said.

"My confidence is better and I want to have better performances for the team."

Ranking boost for Murray?

Mail Online's Stuart Fraser tweets...

Murray is seeded second for the Rogers Cup in Toronto. 

The Scot has a bye in round one and will play Tommy Robredo or Feliciano Lopez in his opening match.

Rondon closes in on Baggies move

Reuters

The Daily Mirror reports that West Brom are set to break their transfer record after Venezuela striker Salomon Rondon agreed a lucrative five-year deal to join the club.

The 25-year-old, who is said to be moving from Zenit St Petersburg in a £15m move, has reportedly finalised personal terms and passed a medical ahead of Monday's game against Manchester City.

Cisse committed to Newcastle

Striker Papiss Cisse remains committed to Newcastle amid continuing speculation over his future on Tyneside.

After scoring his 35th Premier League goal for the Magpies in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Southampton, Cisse told the Chronicle: "I have a contract at Newcastle United. I need to be professional every time I play.

AFP

"I don't have a team to leave to. I am a Newcastle player. I try to work hard in every game I get.

"I want to show him I want to play. I want to score goals to help this team get the wins."

Get involved - Best and worst starts

Martin Ratcliff: Spurs' 2-1 over Liverpool in 09/10, kickstarted a season that ended in CL qualification. And what a strike by Assou-Ekotto!

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AJPS: Chelsea's emphatic 4-0 win vs Portsmouth in 2008 under new man Scolari, the brightest false dawns Chelsea have had.

Ross Buet: Rudy Gestede, comes off the bench to score a bullet header to give villa a winning start.

Stones pursuit continues

Chelsea are set to increase their bid to £30m in their attempts to sign England central defender John Stones from Everton, reports The Mirror.

Chelsea have already had two bids for the 21-year-old turned down.

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Meanwhile, The Guardian says Toffees manager Roberto Martinez says Stones is "an incredible professional" who will not "sulk" if the move to Stamford Bridge does not materialise.

Happy birthday

Anyone brave enough to wish this man many happy returns?

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Former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder Roy Keane is 44 on Monday, making him exactly a year older than former England and Wasps flanker Lawrence Dallaglio.

Former undisputed heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe celebrates turning 48, while 2005 snooker world champion Shaun Murphy is 33.

Vardy apology

Leicester's Jamie Vardy has apologised and his club have promised to carry out an investigation after claims that the striker made a racial slur in a casino.

The Sun on Sunday has published a video showing the alleged incident, believed to have taken place on Sunday, 26 July.

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"I wholeheartedly apologise for any offence I've caused," Vardy said.

"It was a regrettable error in judgement I take full responsibility for, and I accept my behaviour was not up to what's expected of me."

England celebrate Ashes success

PA

Monday should have been the final day of the penultimate Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. But England wrapped up a comprehensive victory on Saturday and in doing so, retained the Ashes.

In case you missed out on the excitement, here is some of what you may have missed.

• With only one away team winning the Ashes in 14 years, Tom Fordyce asks if the Ashes is becoming too predictable.
• The Pint-Sized Ashes wrapped up all of the day's action.
• Read Jonathan Agnew's verdict on Alastair Cook's captaincy.
• What were the 10 moments that shaped the England win?

Good luck everybody

We all used to love doing Spot the Ball in the paper way back when right?

Well, here's your chance to relive those days with the BBC's very own version.

You can have a bash at things like this...

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Be warned though, it's deceptively tricky.

Head here to take part.

Get involved - Best and worst

Chelsea Warrior: Our opening day win away at Burnley last season. That Fabregas's chip assist; the Schurrle finish. Magical.

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Keep your favourite - and worst - opening day memories coming to #bbcsportsday

Young gun

BBC

Jose Baxter, who make his Everton debut against West Brom in August 2008, is the youngest at 16 years and 198 days. And Wayne Rooney was 16 years 297 days when he made his first Everton appearance against Tottenham Hotspur in August 2002.

Pat on the back

On which note, praise from the BBC's Match of the Day frontman...

'Even Messi wouldn't worry him'

Lionel Messi would struggle to faze 16-year-old West Ham midfielder Reece Oxford, according to Hammers boss Slaven Bilic.

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The teenager marked a memorable Premier League debut by helping his side to a shock 2-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday.

"If Messi was in front of me, I'd be more fazed than Reece," Bilic said.

The West Ham youth product finished the game with the best pass percentage in the match, with 95%.

Do battle with Lawro

Think you know your football better than Mark Lawrenson?

Prove it then. Head to BBC Sport's Predictor page and have a bash at predicting scores for all the games with season.

You can see how you fare against other other supporter as well as the legend that is Lawro.

Best of British - you'll need it.

De Gea to stay sidelined

Bill Rice

BBC Radio Manchester

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal suggested David de Gea could still play for the Reds again despite omitting him from the squad for Saturday's Premier League opener against Tottenham. However it seems increasingly likely the goalkeeper will now make a move to Real Madrid before the transfer window closes.

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The sticking point is the price - with United wanting a fee higher than the world record £32.6m for a goalkeeper Juventus paid for Gianluigi Buffon in 2001, and Madrid so far understood to only be willing to offer £20m for a player who is available on a free transfer next summer.

If the two clubs can't agree De Gea could be back in goal for United in September, but for the time being it seems Sergio Romero will keep his place, leaving De Gea with fellow Spaniard Victor Valdes out of the manager's plans.

County Championship Division Two

There are two Division Two matches which are due to finish today, ahead of the T20 Blast quarter-finals getting under way this week.

Essex closed day three on 214-4, 237 runs ahead of Surrey at Colchester.

And Leicestershire will resume on 56-4 against Derbyshire at Grace Road, requiring a further 217 runs to force only their second four-day victory of the summer.

You can listen to commentary from each of the matches here

Talking point

Joey Barton, working for BBC Radio 5 live, didn't think much of the fare on show at Bournemouth v Aston Villa on Saturday...

But the former QPR midfielder didn't think much of that tweet from the Match of the Day account either...

County Championship Division One

Three County Championship Division One matches head into the final day all with the possibility of a positive result.

Nottinghamshireneed just 75 more runs to beat Worcestershire at New Road with seven second-innings wickets remaining.

Warwickshire face a much taller order against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl, requiring a further 283 runs for victory with only four wickets remaining.

And Middlesex will resume 260 runs ahead of Sussex with two wickets left, with Sussex still to bat in their second innings.

You can listen to commentary from each of the matches here

Get involved - Best and worst starts

Harry: Chelsea v Wigan season opener, Hernan Crespo's wonder strike right at the death! (93rd minute) Marvellous!

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Baron of Sussex: Brighton 6-0 Mansfield, a glorious return home after a 2 year exile to Gillingham. Local boy Darren Freeman hat-trick on debut.

Andy Head: Excellent debut for Joe Gomez against the experienced and physical Walters, positive going forward and involved in the goal.

Tough guy

AFP

Raheem Sterling is tough enough to handle any crowd abuse this season, according to new Manchester City team-mate Fernandinho.

The 20-year-old was booed during pre-season games following a messy move from Liverpool to the Blues.

"I think he is a strong character with the right personality," said Fernandinho. "I remember seeing him in an interview talking about his determination to win trophies and I'm sure he will be able to manage the situation."

Tensions high

Sporting Lisbon clinched the Portuguese Super Cup with a 1-0 win against arch-rivals Benfica, following the controversial team swap of coach Jorge Jesus.

Tensions were high at the match after Jesus - Benfica coach for six years - made a shock move to coach Sporting earlier this year.

Jesus departed after refusing to sign a new contract with Benfica, which would have seen him take a pay cut.

Lowry celebrates maiden US title

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Ireland's Shane Lowry has captured his first title in the US on Sunday with victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at the Firestone Country Club in Ohio.

The world number 48 began the final day in third, two shots behind co-leaders Justin Rose and Jim Furyk but while they both shot over par, Lowry carded four birdies in a 66 to finish on 10 under, two clear of Bubba Watson.

The 28-year-old, who won the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009, earns a three-year exemption on the PGA Tour for his victory in the co-sanctioned event.

Cheers Craig

Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has told the Birmingham Mail he signed £6m striker Rudy Gestede, 26, from Blackburn following a recommendation from former Wales international Craig Bellamy.

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Meanwhile Sherwood says in the Independent that no Premier League manager can match his commitment to giving English players opportunities.

Wales beat Uganda at Netball Worlds

Netball World Cup

Wales have come from behind to beat Uganda 49-47 at the Netball World Cup in Australia to top their pool.

Wales trailed 39-35 going into the final quarter but good shooting from Chelsea Lewis and Emma Thomas helped them to victory.

It sets up games against Australia, England and South Africa in the next phase of the competition.

Scotland are in action shortly against Jamaica.

Premier League debutants: Hit or miss?

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Newcastle's signing of Dutch midfielder from PSV was certainly one of the more impressive captures of the summer, and the 24-year-old made a strong impression on his Premier League debut.

Wijnaldum headed Newcastle ahead against Southampton on Sunday, but the hosts could not hold on as the Saints fought back to earn a 2-2 draw.

Verdict: HIT

Stoke confident over Shaqiri

Graham McGarry

BBC Radio Stoke Sport

Stoke boss Mark Hughes is quietly confident of securing the signing of long-term target Xherdan Shaqiri.

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Swiss international forward was at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday yesterday to watch the 1-0 defeat by Liverpool.

An agreement has been reached with Inter Milan, but Stoke still have to persuade the 23-year-old to sign.

"We are still in discussions to bring in a top-class player," said Hughes. "If we can do it I think we will have had a good window."

Get involved - best and worst starts

Andy Head: Returning from holiday in the days before social media and proper internet to see Liverpool had won 6-1 at Palace. Loved it!

Steven McNamara: Newcastle in 2011-12 went unbeaten until November and finished fifth, not a bad manager that Alan Pardew you know.

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Will ‏Welham: Vurnon Anita for Newcastle was dynamite until he got stretchered off. Solid link between defence and midfield.

Ian Seath: Folk keep banging on about Cech having a howler but obviously forget that Courtois got red carded and will be banned for three games.

Which is Africa's favourite Premier League team?

Arsene Wenger's side are flavour of the month in North Africa. Manchester United, whose shirts appear to be worn from pole to pole, hardly even get a look-in. Read the rest of Stanley Kwenda's analysis here.

BBC

Which is Africa's favourite Premier League team?

Southern Africa now, where Manchester United squeeze out Arsenal in the popularity stakes. Chelsea third. We haven't said that for a while. Read the rest of Stanley Kwenda's analysis here.

BBC

Which is Africa's favourite Premier League team?

Heading east now on our Premier League tour of Africa, where Arsenal are top of the table. Read the rest of Stanley Kwenda's piece here.

BBC

Which is Africa’s favourite Premier League team?

We hear a lot about the global reach of the Premier League, but just how far does it stretch? Well, there are 260 million fans in Africa, for starters. So, which club comes out on top? First up, let's look at West Africa. You can read the full analysis here.

BBC

De Bruyne's head turned

Wolfsburg's director of sport Klaus Allofs says he can understand Manchester City target Kevin De Bruyne wanting to listen to what other clubs have to offer him.

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"I think some other clubs have definitely turned Kevin's head," Allofs told Kicker magazine. "Some huge figures are doing the rounds and I can understand why Kevin is leaving everything open.

"He's got to listen to the offers. I can't expect that he doesn't even want to entertain them."

City are rumoured to be on the verge of tabling a £50m bid for the 24-year-old.

Premier League debutants: Hit or miss?

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Dimitri Payet, signed by West Ham from Marseille in the summer, created more chances than any other player in Europe's top five leagues last season and he certainly added a creative edge to the Hammers' attack in Sunday's shock 2-0 win at Arsenal.

The 28-year-old took the free-kick that caught out Petr Cech and allowed Cheikhou Kouyate to head home the opener, and was a lively presence throughout.

Verdict: HIT.

Premier League debutants

As we're talking about best and worst starts, let's outline who were the hits and misses on the opening Premier League weekend...

Get involved - best and worst starts

Robert Scott: Norwich losing 7-1 at home to Colchester 2009. Then nicking their manager and everything going upwards from there.

It was also this man's first day as permanent manager at Norwich. Bryan Gunn was sacked just one week later...

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Toddy: Sheffield United losing 4-0 to Gillingham having spent £££££££ in last two transfer windows! Embarrassing #sufc well done.

Pablo de Roman: My best opening was 2005 when Chelsea were drawing with newly promoted Wigan, only for Crespo to score a 90th minute winner.

Keeping your best and worst starts to a football season coming to #bbcsportsday and the BBC Match of the Day Facebook page.

White on the move

Wayne White is to move from Derbyshire to Leicestershire, for the second time, with immediate effect.

The 29-year-old all-rounder began his career with his native Derbyshire, before a successful spell at Grace Road between 2009 and 2012 - helping to win the Twenty20 Cup in 2011.

Carlton fine after scare

Millwall midfielder Danielle Carlton has learned she has an infection after suffering chest pain in Sunday's Women's Super League loss at Everton.

She left the field on a stretcher in the second half and was taken to hospital in an ambulance.

Empics

Elsewhere Manchester City Women continued their 100% winning record since the Women's World Cup with a thrilling 3-2 victory at title rivals Arsenal (not been a good weekend at Arsenal has it?)

Fran Kirby scored on her debut to help send Chelsea Ladies go top of the league with victory over Birmingham City, while Sunderland drew 2-2 with Liverpool.

Worth a look

Want to catch up on all the weekend's talking points? Though so.

BBC Sport

The new-look Match of the Day 3 is now on the BBC Sport website - right here in fact - with Danny Murphy and Jermaine Jenas giving their two penneth on who shone and who didn't.

Giroud all-clear

Some good news for Arsenal fans - the club has confirmed striker Olivier Giroud did not suffer a concussion during the 2-0 defeat to West Ham United.

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The 28-year-old France international collided with Hammers defender James Tomkins in the 76th minute at the Emirates and appeared to be dazed - but was left on the pitch after being assessed by his team's medical staff, leading to some criticism in the media.

"Contrary to some reports, Olivier was not unconscious at any point after the collision and has returned home as usual," a club statement read.

Trying for Kane again?

Manchester United have made discreet enquiries about signing Tottenham striker Harry Kane and would make a move if given any encouragement, claim The Mirror.

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United boss Louis Van Gaal is desperately short of strikers having lost Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao, adds the paper, and wants to make a stellar signing before the end of the transfer window on September 1.

United kicked off their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 win over Kane's Spurs.

On this day

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In 2007, Carlos Tevez completed his protracted move to Manchester United on a two-year loan deal.

Monday's schedule

.

Get involved - best and worst starts

Right then, your turn to get involved.

We want you to nominate your best and worst starts to a football season.

It doesn't matter who you support, or what division your team is in, tell us about memorable opening days from years gone by, whether it's results or performances by a player.

We'll publish all the best responses.

Tweet us at #bbcsportsday or post a message on the BBC Match of the Day Facebook page.

Feeling happy

Spoils shared

One other game from Sunday to mention, with Southampton striking late to deny Steve McClaren a first Premier League win in charge of Newcastle.

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At least McClaren was able to watch the action from the touchline - Saints counterpart Ronald Koeman watched from his lounge after rupturing his Achilles tendon during a training session.

"I went through every emotion," said McClaren. "We played some terrific football and could have been out of sight.

"There were a lot of positives. It would have been a travesty if we had lost."

From a distance

BBC

'Outstanding performance'

It wasn't particularly pretty but Liverpool earned three big points at Stoke, thanks to a fine strike from Philippe Coutinho.

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The Reds were hammered 6-1 at Stoke in the final game of last season, leading to speculation about the future of manager Brendan Rodgers.

"To get a win and perform from where we were 11 weeks ago - I thought it was an outstanding collective performance," said Rodgers.

"It certainly feels better than 11 weeks ago."

Look away now

All of which has led to this rather-nasty looking (for Arsenal fans) opening weekend Premier League table.

BBC Sport

Not bad reading for Leicester and Palace followers though.

Cech blunders

Petr Cech is dominating the headlines today because of a rather shaky start to his Gunners career.

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He misjudged a cross into the box for West Ham's opener, then appeared suspiciously slow to get down to Mauro Zarate's shot from outside the area.

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic, on the other hand, was delighted, not only at victory but at the debut of Reece Oxford - who, at the age of 16 years and 237 days, became the second-youngest player to start a Premier League game, after Jose Baxter (for Everton against West Brom in August 2008).

"Only on paper he is 16," said Bilic. "He is a part of this new generation."

Nervy opening

Let's pause to look at Arsenal, who lost to West Ham because - according to manager Arsene Wenger - they were "nervous".

Quite why a team of experienced, highly-paid, professional footballers would be nervous about a home game with West Ham, we're not sure.

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Best let Arsene explains. "The players were maybe too nervous and put too much pressure on themselves. Today we have been hurt," he said.

"We were not convincing offensively or defensively. I knew it could be a tricky game. If you can't win the game, make sure you don't lose it."

Not the ideal start.

All eyes on Sterling

The big Premier League game today is West Brom v Man City at the Hawthorns, with the Blues looking to gain an early advantage over title rivals Chelsea and Arsenal.

"It will be something of a novelty for Tony Pulis - taking charge of a team for their opening match of the season; the first time he'll have done that since his Stoke days," says BBC Radio 5 live football reporter John Murray.

Reuters

"But the national spotlight is more likely to focus on how Manchester City's expensive new recruit Raheem Sterling fares."

Kick-off is at 20:00 BST - we'll have more build-up throughout the day.

Monday's papers

The Guardian

A photo of poor old Cech, plus some cricket lest we forget there's still an Ashes series going on. Alastair Cook can lead England for years to come, says vice-skipper Joe Root ... which is quite a turnaround from 12 months ago when Cook looked out on his ear.

Monday's papers

The Mirror

Yep, more Arsenal, and Petr Cech.

Monday's papers

Daily Star

And again, with a bit of Liverpool jubilation thrown in.

Monday's papers

The Sun

More Arsenal woe.

Monday's papers

Daily Express

One imagines when Petr Cech was sleeping soundly the night before his Arsenal debut, his dreams didn't consist of dropping a clanger and a 2-0 home defeat. Not the best of starts for the man tipped to win the Gunners "12-15 extra points" this season.

Mixed emotions

Not the ideal day for the exasperated-looking chap in the red tie.

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Thanks to a spot of magic from a Brazilian, it was a much better day for the man below.

Reuters

All the reaction to a dramatic opening weekend in the Premier League, plus the build-up to tonight's West Brom-Man City fixture and all the day's breaking sports news as it happens.

Welcome to Sportsday, here are the back pages...