Tyler Reddick could become the first driver in NASCAR history to win the opening four races of a season when the Cup Series heads to Phoenix Raceway this Sunday.
The 23XI Racing driver has enjoyed a flawless start to the 2026 campaign, securing victory in the first three events of the year.
Having already taken the chequered flag at the Daytona 500, Atlanta and the Circuit of the Americas, he now stands on the brink of an unprecedented achievement.
Since the sport’s top level launched in 1949, no competitor has ever commenced a season with four consecutive triumphs.
Phoenix poses distinct challenge
The Toyota pilot, driving for the team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, faces a different test on the one-mile flat layout in Arizona.
While the No. 45 car has conquered superspeedways and road courses this term, historical form at this venue suggests a difficult task ahead.
In 12 previous starts at Phoenix, the Californian has recorded an average finish of 17.8, securing just two top-five results.
However, recent form has defied statistics, with his victories at Daytona and Atlanta coming despite modest previous averages at those tracks.
Chasing legends of the sport
By winning the first three rounds, the 23XI star has already separated himself from historical benchmarks set by legendary figures.
While teams like DePaolo Engineering in 1957 and Petty Enterprises in 1963 swept the opening three events, those victories were shared between team-mates.
Richard Petty, the seven-time champion, famously won 10 consecutive races during the 1967 season.
Yet even ‘The King’ never managed to open a championship crusade with four straight wins, highlighting the rarity of the air Reddick now occupies.
Liverpool have confirmed they will pay the remaining £14.4m of Diogo Jota’s contract to his family following the forward’s tragic death last summer.
It has been eight months since the Portugal international and his brother Andre Silva died in a car accident in Spain.
The club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have committed to honouring the full value of the 28-year-old’s deal, which had two years remaining at the time of the incident.
This financial gesture to his wife, Rute Cardoso, and their three children is estimated to be worth around £14.4m based on his £140,000-a-week terms.
Slot praises ‘unbelievable’ support
The tragedy, which occurred on 3 July 2025, prompted tributes from across the global football community.
Head coach Arne Slot confirmed the decision regarding the contract earlier in the season, highlighting the rarity of such actions within the football industry.
“Owners are mainly criticised, like managers, but the way they’ve handled this situation by paying his wife and his children all the money from the contract is… Maybe people think it’s normal, but it is not in football.”
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot
The Dutchman also spoke movingly about the atmosphere around the club since the loss of the forward, who helped the Reds win the FA Cup, League Cup and Premier League after signing in 2020.
“The way the fans conducted themselves after that tragedy, how many flowers there were, all the memorials, I can almost get emotional thinking about it. It’s unbelievable what our fans have done and our players as well.”
United in tribute at Molineux
The gesture has come back into focus as the Anfield club prepare to face Wolves, Jota’s former employers, in the FA Cup fifth round on Friday.
It marks the second meeting between the sides this week, following a 2-1 Premier League victory for Rob Edwards’ team on Tuesday.
Supporters of both clubs united in the 18th minute at Molineux to chant the name of the former number 20 during that league encounter.
It was the first match between the two sides at the stadium since the brothers’ passing.
Travelling supporters displayed a banner reading ‘Obrigado Diogo’ as the football world continues to mourn a player who made a significant impact at both clubs.
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following a traffic stop in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Police confirmed that officers stopped the vehicle at roughly 01:00 local time on Friday.
Following an investigation at the scene, the 30-year-old was taken into custody before being released following the booking process around 03:30.
Suns gathering information
The NBA franchise acknowledged the incident involving their player in a brief official release.
“We are aware of the situation involving Dillon Brooks and are gathering more information,” the Phoenix Suns said in a statement.
“We have no further comment at this time.”
Brooks sidelined by injury
The forward has not featured in Phoenix’s last five games owing to a fractured left hand.
He sustained the injury during a victory over the Orlando Magic on 21 February.
Despite the setback, the defensive specialist is expected to return to the court towards the end of the regular season.
Brooks had been enjoying a productive campaign, averaging 20.9 points along with 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
That scoring figure represents a significant improvement in form, increasing by almost seven points compared to last season.
Interim manager Martin O’Neill says the possibility of Celtic ending the campaign without a trophy must serve as a "wake-up call" for the club.
The reigning champions face a difficult trip across Glasgow to play city rivals Rangers in a Scottish Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
O’Neill’s side have already lost the League Cup final to St Mirren and currently sit five points behind Premiership leaders Heart of Midlothian.
It has become a tight four-team race for the title involving the Jambos, the two Glasgow giants and Motherwell.
"We are miles away from winning anything," admitted O’Neill.
"The overall picture is that it should be a wake-up call for the football club."
Spoiled by recent success
The interim boss recalled the 2003 season where the club finished empty-handed despite reaching a Uefa Cup final, yet were still praised by supporters.
However, the Northern Irishman believes expectations have shifted significantly since that era.
"You could say that in recent years the fans have maybe been spoiled with no real challenges in many aspects and been able to coast home in the last six or seven games of the season," he said.
"Here, Hearts have arrived, maybe a few years before they thought they would do."
O’Neill noted that Rangers have also strengthened significantly by spending money on quality additions.
"It has been a challenge all season and certainly been a challenge in my couple of spells in here when you’re winning some matches and you’re still trying to peg teams back," he added.
"But we’re in with a chance anyway – that’s the point."
Resilience on the road
The Parkhead club showed significant character to come from two goals down to draw with Rangers in the league last Sunday.
They subsequently overtook their Ibrox rivals in the table following a victory over Aberdeen on Wednesday night.
"We’ve had three games in six days, which has been a tall order for us, all away from home," O’Neill explained.
"We withstood that, which was a great effort."
He emphasised that the victory at Pittodrie was essential to keep their competitive hopes alive.
"If we play like we did in the first half [at Ibrox], we shouldn’t turn up, but the second half gave us great confidence," he said.
"It is testament to the players’ character as much as anything else."
Cup impact on title race
Despite the high stakes of Sunday’s quarter-final, O’Neill remains unsure if the result will dictate the outcome of the Premiership.
"Naturally, taking the game on its own, it would be a big boost for us getting to the semi-final," he said.
"Will it eventually have a bearing on how the league will pan out? I don’t think it will have a serious bearing, but in terms of confidence building, of course it matters."
With tough matches ahead for all four contenders, the interim manager suggests resilience will be the deciding factor.
"I suppose if you get beaten in the game, it’s how quickly you can get over it," he concluded.
Steve Borthwick has abandoned his philosophy of continuity by selecting a new-look England backline to face Italy in the Six Nations in a bid to arrest a brewing crisis.
While rivals France launch glossy retro kits for the tournament’s climax, England have turned to the training ground bibs for inspiration.
The Red Rose’s back division for this weekend has virtually no shared match experience.
Look for established partnerships within the selection and you will find only the thinnest threads of understanding.
Training form over Test cohesion
Fly-half Fin Smith and inside centre Seb Atkinson last played together regularly in the Worcester youth system five years ago.
Northampton’s Tommy Freeman joins Smith in the set-up, though he usually operates on the wing rather than his deployed role at outside centre.
Sale Sharks wing Tom Roebuck offers some familiarity, having toured Argentina with Atkinson, but connections remain scarce.
Seven players from six different clubs represents a significant gamble on unknown quantities.
The head coach has previously prioritized the "white heat" of Test match cohesion but is now citing different evidence for his selection.
"Much of this backline has trained for four or five weeks together and trained very, very well," said Borthwick.
"I say again how much I value what I see in training. I say it to the players, that I’m watching every bit of training and I value performance in training."
"This is a very strong message about the ethos within the England team, that you will be rewarded for performing in that sense."
Stopping the slide
This strategic pivot follows a dramatic downturn in form during the current campaign.
Comprehensive defeats by Scotland and Ireland saw England lose by 11 and 21 points respectively.
Those losses were defined by a lack of power, low energy, and a high error count that undermined the gameplan.
Two defeats have shaken belief in the long-term project, despite the 12 wins that preceded this slump.
Captain Maro Itoje addressed the squad following the Ireland defeat, insisting progress is rarely a straight line.
"Success isn’t always linear… success doesn’t always go like that," Itoje told his team-mates.
"Sometimes it goes like that. Through hard work, though consistency, we’ll get it back on track. Keep faith in what we’re doing, keep faith in each other."
Alan Shearer claims Tottenham being relegated from the Premier League would be a shock comparable to Leicester City’s miracle title triumph in 2016.
The former England captain offered the bleak assessment after Spurs slumped to a 3-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace on Thursday night.
That result marked a seventh loss in nine games for the north London club, leaving them just one point above the relegation zone.
‘One of the biggest shocks’
Despite boasting the status of Europa League holders and competing in the Champions League knockout stages, Tottenham are firmly entrenched in a battle for survival.
Shearer believes seeing the club drop into the Championship would be a sporting anomaly arguably greater than their current standing suggests.
“It would be one the biggest Premier League shocks if they were to go down. I mean, what would be bigger, Leicester winning it, or Spurs being relegated? I guess it’s on a similar scale.”
Alan Shearer, speaking to Betfair
Thousands of supporters were seen leaving the stadium at half-time during the Palace defeat, underlining the toxic atmosphere enveloping the club.
Tudor under pressure
Igor Tudor, who was brought in to replace Thomas Frank, has been unable to arrest the alarming slide in form.
The Croatian manager refused to confirm whether he would still be in the dugout for Sunday’s daunting trip to Liverpool.
Shearer suggests that another managerial change could be imminent before the campaign concludes.
“I could see Spurs getting rid of Igor Tudor before the end of the season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to me with that club.”
The team has not recorded a single victory in 2026, plummeting from fifth place in November to the brink of the bottom three.
‘They looked done’
While rivals near the foot of the table have begun to pick up points, Tottenham’s lack of cohesion has become a major concern for observers.
Shearer highlighted the contrast between Spurs’ capitulation and the resilience shown by other struggling sides like Nottingham Forest and West Ham.
“Unless that improves big style, then they’re going down… Somehow, from somewhere, they’re going to have to get some unity, because on Thursday they just looked as if they were done.”
Tottenham have been an ever-present fixture in the Premier League era, having last played in the second tier during the 1977-78 season.
Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has flown to Spain for medical treatment after suffering a hamstring injury that is worse than initially feared.
Manager Jorge Jesus confirmed the 41-year-old has returned to Madrid to work with his personal therapist following the setback.
The forward was substituted and seen using an ice pack during the 3-1 victory over Al-Fayha, a result that cemented the club’s lead in the Saudi Pro League.
Setback for league leaders
While Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League fixture against Al-Wasl has been postponed due to regional conflict, the striker will officially miss Saturday’s league match against Neom.
Speaking at a press conference, Jesus provided clarity on the sudden departure of his star player and the severity of the issue.
“In the last match, the player left while complaining of a muscle injury,” explained the Al-Nassr boss.
“After medical examinations, it became clear that the injury was more serious than expected and requires rest and recovery.”
The decision to travel abroad mirrors the rehabilitation protocols used by other high-profile squad members.
Jesus added: “Cristiano traveled to Spain, like other players who went for treatment when they were injured.”
“His injury required treatment in Madrid with his personal therapist, and we hope he returns quickly and helps the team.”
World Cup focus
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is aiming to recover fully before the upcoming international break as Portugal finalise preparations for the World Cup.
Despite missing only two games through injury last season, the veteran attacker has recently hinted that his retirement could be within the next two years.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner currently sits on 965 career goals as he chases the 1,000 milestone before the expiration of his contract in June 2027.
Kelly Gallagher has returned to the Paralympics GB fold in an advisory capacity to guide the next generation of winter athletes ahead of the Milano Cortina Games.
Mixing youth and experience
The retired skier created history at Sochi 2014 by becoming Britain’s first Winter Paralympic champion.
She has now taken up a mentorship role to support the 25-strong squad selected for the upcoming Games.
Gallagher believes the blend of seasoned veterans and debutants offers a strong platform for success.
“There are multi-medallists returning to the Games and then we have got a big group of people for whom this is their first time,” Gallagher said.
“We have got Britain’s first female snowboarder in Nina Sparks and I think just them getting to the start line and putting in their best prepared performance is going to be really, really special to watch.”
Medal targets and unpredictability
UK Sport has set a formal target of between two and five medals for the team in Italy.
This represents a slight adjustment from the six podium finishes achieved at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics.
The former Super-G specialist acknowledges the inherent volatility of sliding on snow and ice.
“Keeping it all together and focusing just on your performance can be really, really difficult,” she added.
“Winter sports are just really unpredictable, so it is hard to predict medals and hang your hopes on any one person.”
However, the Northern Irish athlete remains optimistic about the depth of talent available.
“The fact that we have got so much experience and it is spread out so much means there could be medals out there.”
Raising the bar
Gallagher says her confidence stems from the rising standards and changing attitudes within disability sport.
She notes that the levels of achievement athletes are reaching now are constantly increasing.
Reflecting on her own partnership with guide Charlotte Evans, she highlights how the sport has evolved since her debut.
“When I first began with sport it was very much like an investment in my own kind of time, my own little journey and my own adventure,” she explained.