James O'Brien 
Brighton delivered an emphatic 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace in a Premier League match. Match of the Day analysts Shay Given and Dion Dublin argued that such a performance could see the Seagulls contend for the title race.
American star Taylor Fritz has accepted a wildcard into the ATP 250 Lyon Open and, as the second seed, receives a bye into the second round. The draw, however, presents a challenging route that could jeopardize his push for an ATP Finals berth, with potential match‑ups against strong opponents such as Sebastian Baez, Arthur Fery, Tommy Paul and Flavio Cobolli.
London City Lionesses continued their impressive start to the Women’s Super League season by beating Everton 2-1 at home. The win keeps their early-season momentum alive and highlights their strong performance in the league so far.
Northampton Saints secured a 28-12 victory over Cardiff Blues at Franklin’s Gardens in the opening pool round of the Investec Champions Cup. Tries from Pater, Thame, Hendy and Dingwall gave the English side a comfortable win despite a late Cardiff comeback. The result made Northampton the only English club to win in the tournament’s first round.
Reigning champion Jack Lisowski opened his defence of the Northern Ireland Open with a 4-1 win over Huang Jiahao in Belfast. Meanwhile, four‑time world champion Mark Selby suffered a surprise first‑round exit, losing 4-2 to Louis Heathcote.
Chelsea Women secured their fifth consecutive WSL victory, beating Tottenham 6-2 at Stamford Bridge. Lauren James starred with two goals, while manager Sonia Bompastor celebrated her 50th league game in charge.
Harlequins, sitting bottom of the Premiership after three defeats, opened their 2026‑27 European Challenge Cup campaign with a dominant 57‑19 win over Vannes. Marcus Smith contributed 22 points with two tries and six conversions, while the team scored nine tries in total, securing a valuable bonus point.
Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez broke his jaw after a head clash with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite during a 2-0 Premier League win. He underwent an operation and said he will be back in a few weeks, while backup keeper Mike Penders steps in for upcoming matches.
Bath Rugby were beaten 14-32 by Montpellier at home in their opening pool game of the Investec Champions Cup. Despite early tries from Ollie Lawrence and Arthur Green, Montpellier’s Donovan Taofifenua scored two tries and Alex Becognee added another to secure a comfortable win.
The Stormers overwhelmed the Bristol Bears 49-12 in their Champions Cup opener, scoring seven tries and securing a bonus point. Bristol fought back briefly but a red card for Stormers hooker JJ Kotze and a sin‑bin for Zas could not prevent the South African side’s dominance. Bristol will host Munster in their next pool game on 12 December.