From humble beginnings to becoming the undisputed super lightweight champion of the world, Josh Taylor’s career was marked by fire, ferocity, and national pride, writes JOHN WIGHT

ARNE SLOT’S Liverpool may have passed their first great test, then the next one, and then the next one, but the Dutch manager is always the first to say that being here now, top of the Premier League and the Champions League in December, isn’t what counts. It’s where you are at the end of the season that does.
This weekend, Liverpool face their latest “first big test” of the Slot era when they face perennial title winners and regular competitive rivals Manchester City at Anfield.
While Slot is right to be pragmatic, his start at Liverpool has been better than anyone could have hoped, and it sometimes feels like it is being taken for granted somewhat.

Palestinian football has been decimated, its players killed, its stadiums reduced to rubble. Yet the global game has looked away silent in the face of genocide, and will remain a stain on the sport, writes JAMES NALTON

The Red’s title defence is built on clever recruitment, long-term planning, and data-led strategy. In contrast, the Magpies are falling behind — and blaming the wrong things, writes JAMES NALTON

With climate change, commercial overload and endless fixtures, footballers are being pushed to breaking point. It’s time their unions became a more powerful, unified force, writes JAMES NALTON