Philippa Kaur

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    West Ham 2 Bournemouth 2: Evanilson scores two as Cherries survive quickfire Hammers double but lose ground in Euro race

    WEST HAM fans must just wish the season could end tomorrow.Pride is perhaps the only thing the club is playing for these days.Evanilson levels for the CherriesCredit: ReutersThe Bournemouth striker celebrates his equaliserCredit: GettyIt is highly unlikely, with three poor teams inside the drop zone, that they are going to get relegated from the Premier League.And though the core problems on the pitch are not necessarily his fault, the honeymoon period for Graham Potter ended a while ago.On a sun-drenched afternoon in East London, this had the feel of an end-of-season occasion for the Hammers, with their campaign slowly drifting towards a lacklustre finish.The lack of urgency and intensity at times was matched by the flattest atmosphere imaginable inside the London Stadium.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLNo wonder the cheeky Bournemouth fans sang: “Is this a library?”Though there was a brief moment of joy when their captain Jarrod Bowen headed them in front, Bournemouth striker Evanilson scored with a tap-in to deny Potter what would have been just a fourth win in 12 matches.One image of a West Ham fan YAWNING in stoppage time summed up the sorry nature of the overall display.West Ham could end up finishing in 17th spot, which would be their WORST league finish for 14 years, and plans for next season should really be happening behind the scenes.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKJarrod Bowen had headed West Ham in front on 68 minutesCredit: PABowen celebrates his second-half headerCredit: ReutersThings could have got really bad inside the first minute when Bournemouth showed their attacking threat – but the header by Evanilson from Dango Ouattara’s floated left-wing cross sailed wide.West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was certainly alert to the danger on 32 minutes when he was forced to save with his legs a possible own goal by Tomas Soucek.’He’s got to go’ – Danny Dyer reveals two clubs he’d let Jarrod Bowen leave West Ham for even if it broke his heartThe Czech ace – who played throughout in an advanced role between Bowen and Mohammed Kudus – saw the ball inadvertently come off his midriff when Ouattara hooked it back into the box.Six minutes later, Areola was not so fortunate as his inability to hold on to the ball proved his undoing.The Parisian spilled a shot from Antoine Semenyo, who did well to fire goalbound from a  tight area, and Evanilson reacted first for his fifth goal in six matches.Inevitably there was a VAR check for a possible offside and on the last Saturday before the introduction of semi-automated offside technology, Cherries fans had to wait for someone in a Stockley Park booth to review the monitors.It could have been worse for the home side five minutes later but the flicked header by Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi bounced off the crossbar.Apart from one brief moment of lovely skill from the twinkle toes of Kudus, who performed some trickery in the middle of the field, the first half was easily forgotten from a West Ham perspective.No shots on target and boos greeted the half-time whistle.The second half did improve, from an entertainment point of view, and Niclas Fullkrug came off the bench to score his first goal in front of home fans since his £27.5million arrival last summer from Borussia Dortmund.The German giant, who has had a series of different injuries, scored with a powerful header that Kepa, the Bournemouth goalkeeper, had no chance of stopping.Bowen, who will soon get married to celebrity/influencer Dani Dyer, joined in with the fun and scored with a brilliant header himself – his first goal at home in 2025.Yet West Ham’s luck was popped by the Cherries and Brazilian No9 Evanilson scored at the back post from a Dean Huijsen header, which survived a VAR offside check for Ben Winterburn.Semenyo may have given the visitors a grandstand finish but his attempt was saved well by Areola.Read More on The SunWhen the full-time whistle was blown, most of the West Ham fans could barely bother to boo and several of their stars dropped to their knees with fatigue.For many, the summer break cannot come quick enough.Evanilson gave Bournemouth a first half leadCredit: ReutersNiclas Fullkrug levelled for the HammersCredit: Reuters More

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    Ipswich 1 Wolves 2: Visitors fight from behind to snatch late win to take huge step towards Premier League survival

    JORGEN STRAND LARSEN’S 85th-minute winner at Portman Road almost certainly sent Ipswich Town back to the Championship and ended this season’s relegation battle.The Tractor Boys had hoped for a second win in four days to reduce the gap to their visitors to six points when Liam Delap prodded them into an early lead.Jorgen Strand Larsen scored the decisive winner for Wolves against IpswichCredit: GettyPablo Sarabia climbed off the bench to score and assistCredit: GettyBut just as it has so many times this season, Kieran McKenna’s side failed to hold onto a lead at Portman Road, conceding twice in the final 20 minutes to Pablo Sarabia and then Strand Larsen.In the process, the gap between the sides became a yawning chasm of 12 points that is surely unbridgeable.Wolves’ victory also means that Southampton will be relegated if they fail to win at Tottenham on Sunday.The question coming into the game was whether it could possibly live up to December’s reverse fixture at Molineux and its gloriously chaotic ending which shaped the relegation battle in its own way.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIpswich’s injury-time winner provoked a furious Wolves reaction at the final whistle which saw defender Rayan Ait-Nouri sent off and Matheus Cunha later banned for taking the spectacles off an Ipswich staff member.Even more dramatically, Gary O’Neil lost his job as Wolves boss 24 hours later, paving the way for Vitor Pereira to step in and oversee a Wolves revival which had them nine points ahead of Ipswich at kick-off time in Suffolk.There was plenty of passion cascading down from the sun-kissed stands at Portman Road, fuelled by Wednesday’s surprise by welcome victory at Bournemouth which kept alive Ipswich’s slim hopes of a miraculous escape.Yet while the Tractor Boys sang, it was the visitors who made the early chances.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKFirst, Joao Gomes fed Jean-Ricner Bellegarde who cut inside but lost his cool and lifted his shot wastefully over the Ipswich bar.Gomes was involved again in the 10th minute, slipping the ball to Bellegarde whose through ball invited Strand Larsen to shoot. Ipswich keeper Alex Palmer calmly closed down the angle and beat away the Norway striker’s effort.From the resulting Ait-Nouri corner, Toti sent in a looping header which Palmer carefully tipped over.The importance of Palmer’s interventions was seen after 16 minutes when Ipswich took the lead, sending the Portman Road faithful into raptures.Following a corner that was partially cleared, Axel Tuanzebe sent over a diagonal cross. Dara O’Shea, who had stayed up, rose above Ait-Nouri and headed the ball across the six-yard area. Naturally enough, it was Delap who reacted quickest to stab the ball beyond Wolves keeper Jose Sa.The Ipswich fans know only too well this season that hope can be the most dangerous emotion in football.Their side has surrendered too many leads and conceded too many late goals, especially at Portman Road, for a 1-0 lead ever to be considered safe.Scoring after 16 minutes only extends that agony and Wolves might have equalised within five minutes had Toti not missed his kick under pressure from O’Shea when no more than five yards out.The home side survived an even bigger scare eight minutes before the interval when Palmer, who has been a secure presence since being brought in from West Brom in January, almost committed a howler that would have scarred him forever.Under no pressure, the Ipswich keeper tried to control a simple back-pass from Cameron Burgess, but allowed the ball to pass under his boot.In desperation, Palmer scrambled back to his line and clawed the ball away just before it entered the net.In doing so, he conceded an indirect free-kick on the six-yard line which Ipswich defended by placing all 11 players on the goal-kick and rushing out en masse to block Emmanuel Agbadou’s shot.Wolves manager Pereira might have wondered why Palmer was not sent off when his action was a deliberately denying a goal-scoring opportunity by handling when he wasn’t allowed to do so without committing an offence.The palpable second-half tension in the Portman Road air rose further when the impressive Gomes created space for a shot in the 50th minute and sent it thudding against the Ipswich post.Just before the hour with Wolves pressing for the equaliser, the Ipswich defenders appeared to be frozen between playing the ball out of their area and hacking the ball to safety.They fell in between both options and were grateful in the end that an almighty goalmouth scramble somehow ended in a goal-kick.The Ipswich desperation did at least deny Wolves space for the most part. That was until 17 minutes from time.Ait Nouri had just seen his shot saved by Palmer when Strand Larsen ran beyond the home defence. He swivelled and picked out Sarabia who tried initially to find fellow substitute Rodrigo Gomes, but when that pass was blocked, he moved the ball to one side and whipped a low shot into the bottom corner.Sarabia then turned provider five minutes before the end of normal time, turning Andre’s cross-field ball into the path of Strand Larsen to steer home the goal that all but guarantees Wolves another season in the Premier League.Read More on The SunToday’s defeat means the Tractor Boys have now lost six home games in a row, a stat not seen at the club since 1963.They have also given away an unforgivable 23 points from winning positions.THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. More

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    Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest LIVE SCORE: Latest after Palace beat Brighton and Wolves fight back at Ipswich – latest

    ASTON VILLA are hosting rivals Nottingham Forest in a massive Midlands derby!In a packed Saturday of football, Crystal Palace beat rivals Brighton after 14 MINUTES of injury time.Ipswich were in front against Wolves, but suffered a huge body blow as the visitors fought back from a goal to win 2-1.Graham Potter’s West Ham drew with Bournemouth.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSFollow our live blog below…From Matt Hughes at Selhurst ParkCrystal Palace dug in to secure their first league double over rivals Brighton for 93 years to increase their hopes of qualifying for Europe.  Oliver Glasner’s in-form side are now two-points behind eighth-placed Brighton with a game in hand after this hard-fought win, secured by goals in each half from Jean-Phillipe Mateta and Daniel Munoz.Palace had to play the final 25 minutes (including 12 of tension-inducing added time) with just 10 after substitute Eddie Nketiah was sent off after just 11 minutes on the pitch, but showed the resilience that is becoming the hallmark of their increasingly impressive season. After failing to win their first eight games Palace could yet end it in Europe, having already booked a visit to Wembley to face Aston Villa in an FA Cup semi-final at the end of the month.Copy linkCopiedFrom Ivan Speck at Portman RoadThe Wolves fans are singing ‘We are staying up’ at Portman Road after their comeback 2-1 win at Ipswich who are now headed straight back to the Championship.The mathematics say that Ipswich can still bridge a 12-point gap to their visitors. Logic says otherwise after Jorgen Strand Larsen stabbed home an 85th-minute Pablo Sarabia volleyed cross.Substitute Sarabia had earlier cancelled out Liam Delap’s first-half opener for Ipswich.Copy linkCopiedFrom Rob Maul at the London StadiumWest Ham fans must just wish the season could end tomorrow.Pride is perhaps the only thing the club is playing for these days. It is highly unlikely, with three poor teams inside the drop zone, that they are going to get relegated from the Premier League.And though the core problems are not his fault, the honeymoon period for Graham Potter ended a while ago.Bournemouth, meanwhile, still have aspirations of European football next season.Copy linkCopiedFull time – Crystal Palace 2-1 BrightonThe nine men of Crystal Palace have held on to beat the ten men of Brighton.Daniel Munoz’s trundler was the matchwinner before the red mist descended on Selhurst Park.Copy linkCopiedFull time – Ipswich 1-2 WolvesIpswich Town have now dropped 25 points from winning positions this season, and it has Kieran McKenna and his team staring an immediate return to the Championship in the face.Wolves, meanwhile, can smell survival under Vitor Pereira.Copy linkCopiedFull time – West Ham 2-2 BournemouthIt’s another draw between West Ham and Bournemouth, the only surprise is this one didn’t end 1-1.Copy linkCopiedCrystal Palace 2-1 Brighton90+6. A THIRD red card at Selhurst Park!This time Jan Paul van Hecke is given his marching orders by Anthony Taylor for clipping Daichi Kamada as the Palace player threatened to race through on goal.Who says this isn’t a proper rivalry?!Copy linkCopiedCrystal Palace 2-1 Brighton90. Crystal Palace are now down to NINE men with Marc Guehi following Eddie Nketiah for an early bath.Already on a booking, the England defender crunches his studs into the midriff of Brajan Gruda.And now Oliver Glasner’s depleted team have 12 minutes of stoppage time to hold out for.Copy linkCopiedGOAL! Ipswich 1-2 Wolves84. Jorgen Strand Larsen has Wolverhampton Wanderers on the verge of Premier League safety.The introduction of Pablo Sarabia has turned this game on its head, and after scoring, the substitute how now set up a second for the Norwegian.Strand Larsen bundles in his fourth in three games, a goal finally given the green light after a lengthy offside check,The striker picks up a yellow card for his excessive celebrations, but I doubt he cares too much about that.Copy linkCopiedFrom Matt Hughes at Selhurst ParkDaniel Munoz restored Palace’s lead in the 55th minute with another goal created by Eberechi Eze in front of England manager Thomas Tuchel.Eze’s cross-field pass to release Munoz was exquisite, although it still left the Colombian international with a lot to do.The 28-year-old showed no ill effects from last week’s trip to South America for World Cup qualifiers however, and cut in from the right to beat Bart Verbruggen at his far post. Copy linkCopiedGOAL! West Ham 2-2 Bournemouth79. Two for Evanilson, two for Bournemouth, and this game is deadlocked once again.It was a long ball lofted to the edge of the area, headed on by Dean Huijsen, and followed all the way in by the Brazilian striker.It’s seven in nine for the former Porto man!Copy linkCopiedCrystal Palace 2-1 Brighton78. Well, this is an interesting 10-minute cameo from Eddie Nketiah.Introduced as a 68th-minute substitute for Jean-Philippe Mateta, the striker was first booked for simulation, and has now been sent off for catching Jan Paul van Hecke with a high boot.Crystal Palace will have to see this one out a man light.Copy linkCopiedGOAL! Ipswich 1-1 Wolves72. What a big goal this could be from Pablo Sarabia!Jorgen Strand Larsen does well to hold the ball up and feed the Spanish substitute, who initially gets lucky with a bounce off a defender before steering low past Alex Palmer and into the bottom corner.It could spell the end of the road for Ipswich Town.Copy linkCopiedFrom Ivan Speck at Portman RoadThe anxiety levels of the Ipswich fans keeps going up. Joao Gomes struck the home upright within five minutes of the restart, while nervous defending has already seen one almighty scramble indie the home area.It’s one-way traffic towards the Ipswich goal now.Copy linkCopiedGOAL! West Ham 2-1 Bournemouth68. What a turnaround at the London Stadium! It’s another brilliant header too, this time scored by Jarrod Bowen!Mohammed Kudus clips over a cross from the byline for the England international, who rises between two Bournemouth defenders in order to steer his effort inside the far post.Copy linkCopiedGOAL! West Ham 1-1 Bournemouth61. Instant impact from Niclas Fullkrug!It’s a thumping, towering header from the substitute, who climbs highest to meet James Ward-Prowse’s corner before powering beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga.It’s a first goal at the London Stadium for Fullkrug, and – surprise, surprise – West Ham and Bournemouth are drawing 1-1 again.Copy linkCopiedIpswich 1-0 Wolves60. Wolves are getting closer.After Joao Gomes crashed a shot against the post at the start of the second half, Jorgen Strand Larsen has just looped a header narrowly over the crossbar.Copy linkCopiedWest Ham 0-1 Bournemouth57. Two more changes for West Ham with Graham Potter wasting no time.Carlos Soler and striker Niclas Fullkrug are on now, replacing Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez.This really would be a good time for Fullkrug to kickstart his Hammers career.Copy linkCopiedGOAL! Crystal Palace 2-1 Brighton55. Palace are back in front courtesy of Daniel Munoz!Ebere Eze is once again the driving force, pushing forward from the left and feeding the marauding wing-back on the right.Munoz’s strike on the run isn’t the best but it has enough on it to bundle its way through a crowd and into the bottom corner.Copy linkCopiedWest Ham 0-1 Bournemouth49. Graham Potter made a change at the break, replacing young Ollie Scarles on the left with Emerson.But it’s a move yet to have the desired effect, and the Hammers are still to register a first attempt on target.Copy linkCopiedFrom Ivan Speck at Portman RoadLiam Delap’s 16th-minute goal, seizing on a Dara O’Shea nod-down, has Ipswich ahead, but they so nearly conceded disastrously when keeper Alex Palmer allowed a Cameron Burgess back-pass to roll under his foot and scrambled back in desperation to paw it away to safety.Nervous times in Suffolk.Copy linkCopiedFrom Matt Hughes at Selhurst ParkDanny Welbeck showed once again that age has not dulled his goal-scoring instincts by nipping in to poach a deserved equaliser for Brighton at Crystal Palace. The 34-year-old snuck in between Palace defenders Jefferson Lerma and Maxence Lacroix to meet a sensational cross from the right from Yankuba Minteh with a well-taken volley. Palace had taken the lead through Jean-Phillipe Mateta’s first goal since returning from that horrific ear injury in the third minute, but failed to fully capitalise on their early dominance as the visitors came back into the game.Copy linkCopiedHalf-time scoresSo far so good for Ipswich and Bournemouth, while yet again nobody can tell the difference between Crystal Palace and Brighton.Crystal Palace 1-1 BrightonIpswich 1-0 WolvesWest Ham 0-1 BournemouthCopy linkCopiedFrom Ivan Speck at Portman RoadIt’s the hope that kills you, but Ipswich have it thanks to Liam Delap’s 12th Premier League goal of the season.Wolves created plenty of early chances but Delap pounced to steer home Dara O’Shea’s knockdown and sent Portman Road into a frenzy.Copy linkCopiedWest Ham 0-1 Bournemouth42. Bournemouth go so close to a second as Illia Zabarnyi loops a header on to the crossbar.Graham Potter’s Hammers could do with half-time here.Copy linkCopied More

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    Medics race on to pitch to help Maxence Lacroix after sickening head injury as Crystal Palace fans call him ‘warrior’

    MEDICS rushed on the pitch to help Maxence Lacroix after a sickening head clash with Joao Pedro. The centre-back collided with Pedro as Brighton trailed Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park. Medics rush on the pitch to help Maxence Lacroix after a head clash with Joao PedroCredit: GettyLacroix actually wanted to continue playing but the Eagles bench decided to replace him with Joel Ward. And one fan said: “Lacroix what a warrior.” Another added: “Lacroix just became an honorary one of our own hope he’s ok.” It was just one of several crazy incidents in a game that included THREE red cards. READ MORE IN football Jean-Philippe Mateta – back after his horror head injury in the FA Cup against Millwall – opened the lead after three minutes.Danny Welbeck then equalised on the half hour mark before Daniel Munoz restored Palace’s lead ten minutes after the break. The first to be shown red was substitute striker Eddie Nketiah – after being booked for diving and a studs up challenge. Marc Guehi followed as the game headed into the 90th minute following the England international’s second yellow. Most read in FootballBut the drama did not stop there as Jan Paul van Hecke was sent off six minutes into added time for his second bookable offence. Palace held onto victory to take bragging rights back down the M23. Wife of Man Utd goalkeeper Andre Onana ‘robbed of £62K handbag and Rolex’ in horror theft as man, 25, charged More

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    Forgotten Premier League star ‘ROBBED in broad daylight as thugs steal luxury watch and dash off on motorbike’

    EX-PREMIER LEAGUE star Arthur Melo was the victim of daylight robbery, according to reports in Spain.Arthur, who joined Liverpool on loan in the 2022/23 season, is said to have been walking around in Barcelona on Thursday when the incident occurred.Arthur Melo was reportedly the victim of a daylight robbery in Barcelona on ThursdayCredit: RexStar played just once while on loan at LiverpoolCredit: GettyMarca report the 28-year-old, who now plays for Girona on loan from Juventus, was enjoying some time off shopping when, at around 4pm, he went to pay for his parking on Passeig de Gracia.It was then that an individual hopped off a motorbike and stole a luxury watch from him before bolting off at speed with the help of a second suspect.The midfielder was unhurt in the robbery which he later reported to the police.He returned to Girona training as normal on Friday and was named on the substitutes bench for the club’s 1-0 defeat to Alaves today.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLArthur played just once for Liverpool during his time in England, with injuries limiting him to just 13 minutes of action.This is the third season in a row he has been sent on loan by parent club Juventus, whom he joined from Barcelona in 2020.He was on loan at Fiorentina last season before returning to the Turin club in the summer, only to be sent on loan to Girona during the winter transfer window.The Brazilian was previously the victim of an alleged robbery in 2019 when two burglars threatened his brother with a weapon at his home.Most read in FootballIt happened during Barcelona’s 3-0 Champions League semi-final win over Liverpool, a lead which would dramatically be overturned in a stunning comeback by the Reds in the second leg.Arthur has played six times for Girona since moving on loan.Criminal who infamously tried to rob Ozil and Kolasinac of £200,000 during Arsenal days now partially blind after attack More

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    ‘How is he not off?’ – Fans baffled by Ipswich keeper’s blunder but little-known rule says he shouldn’t even be booked

    FANS called for Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer to be sent off after he used his hands to clear a back-pass off the line. But a little-known rule saved him from being booked for his shocking blunder, with Ipswich 1-0 up on Wolves at the time.Fans called for Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer to be sent off after he used his hands to clear a back-pass off the lineReferee Anthony Taylor immediately awarded an indirect free-kick to Wolves inside the six-yard boxIpswich passed the ball back to Palmer but he let the ball run through his legs.It was about to roll over the line before the stopper chased back and scooped it up with his hands.Referee Anthony Taylor immediately awarded an indirect free-kick to Wolves inside the six-yard box.All 11 Ipswich player gathered across the line in unison, as seven Wolves stars stood inside the box on top of the ball. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSBut Wolves had to pass the ball before shooting, which allowed the relegation-threatened home side to clear.Wolves touched the free-kick to Emmanuel Agbadou who belted it from six yards but Sam Morsy was out quickly to block it away.However, fans were outraged and confused as to why Palmer hadn’t been sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.But the rules clearly show that it’s not a bookable offence.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThe International Football Association Board (IFAB) who set the laws of the game state if a goalkeeper handles a backpass “an indirect free kick is awarded and no card is shown.”The Football Association’s guidance is also clear: “If the goalkeeper handles the ball inside their penalty area when not permitted to do so, an indirect free kick is awarded but there is no disciplinary sanction.”BBC pundit names England’s long-term successor to Harry Kane after Premier League star’s ‘bullying’ performance Liam Delap opened the scoring inside 16 minutes after a lengthly VAR check.THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. More

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    ‘Don’t know why everyone’s not doing it’ – Ollie Bearman shares shock tactic which saw him qualify top ten for Japan GP

    OLLIE BEARMAN has revealed the stunning tactic he used to score a surprise top-ten qualifying result at the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix.The Haas rookie, 19, made a shock Q3 appearance after only running at best 15th fastest across the three practice sessions.Ollie Bearman scored a surprise P10 in qualifying for the Japanese Grand PrixCredit: RexBearman revealed the surprise tactic he used to earn his impressive resultCredit: RexBut the Brit, racing at the circuit for the first time in his F1 career, turned his form around on Saturday to place P10 – his team’s best qualifying result at Suzuka since 2019.Speaking about his lap, Bearman revealed how using a tactic from “iRacing”, online motorsport races played through video games, had helped him gain vital time at the end of his lap.He said: “I had a snap in the chicane. I was taking more and more kerb every single lap, and the last lap was a little bit too much.“Every time I was doing it, I was gaining more and lap time, so I thought, why not take a little more?READ MORE IN F1″I was going as tight as I could to the wall. I don’t know why not everyone is doing that.”“I was doing it since FP1. I thought that’s the real iRacing line there.”Bearman’s team-mate Esteban Ocon had a far less enjoyable session, being eliminated in Q1 and qualifying down in P18 which made the teen’s pace even more impressive.He added: “It was quite an unexpected result. I was really happy to be in Q2, so you can imagine how happy I was to be in Q3.Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“We were [estimating we would be] on the cut-off, from our predictions prior to the session, to be in Q2. “So when that lap finished and I think I popped up to eighth at the end of that Q2 lap, and then slowly back down and I just about managed to sneak into Q3, it was great.”Sky Sports F1 pundits in hysterics as star reveals he ‘almost crash’ after bizarre injury in ‘sensitive area’Qualifying was topped by a record lap time from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ahead of McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.Charles Leclerc and George Russell came in P4 and P5 respectively.Rookies Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar qualified P6 and P7 ahead of Lewis Hamilton in P8, with Alex Albon then making up the final driver in the top ten in front of Bearman.Hadjar told Sky Sports afterwards how he almost crashed after suffering a bizarre injury in a “sensitive area”.Qualifying and practice were hit with chaos as the sunny and windy conditions led to a number of trackside grass fires which suspended the sessions.Sunday’s race will see a cold front coming in with a chance of showers which should dampen the grass enough to stop any more fires popping up.Japanese Grand Prix qualifying resultsMax Verstappen Red BullLando Norris McLarenOscar Piastri McLarenCharles Leclerc FerrariGeorge Russell MercedesKimi Antonelli MercedesIsack Hadjar Racing BullsLewis Hamilton FerrariAlex Albon WilliamsOliver Bearman HaasPierre Gasly AlpineFernando Alonso Aston MartinLiam Lawson Racing BullsYuki Tsunoda Red BullCarlos Sainz Williams *three-place grid penaltyNico Hulkenberg SauberGabriel Bortoleto SauberEsteban Ocon HaasJack Doohan AlpineLance Stroll Aston Martin More

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    ‘My kids feared I was going to die, I could see their fear ‘ – Premier League icon Tony Mowbray on his cancer battle

    TONY MOWBRAY has opened up on his harrowing battle with bowel cancer.The popular boss, 61, stepped away from his job as Birmingham boss in February 2024 as he battled the disease.Tony Mowbray was appointed as West Brom boss in JanuaryCredit: PAFollowing a “dehumanising” 16-month period that left him fearing for his life, Mowbray was finally given the all-clear to return to work by doctors.The experienced manager subsequently returned to West Brom, the club he won promotion to the Premier League with in 2008.On the stark reality that followed his cancer diagnosis, Mowbray told The Times: “I had the conversation with my family and you could see they were frightened.”Was I frightened? My only thoughts were for my family, my three children and my wife and making sure they were OK.MOST READ IN FOOTBALL”I had to put everything in order and I tried to. My wife saw our banking app for the first time in her life. It’s little things like that.”She understood. This was serious stuff. I felt she needed to know where we had our money, whether it was ISAs or pensions and what was in the bank.”Having collapsed at home, Mowbray spent a night in hospital on a drip.Reliving the awful experience, Mowbray said: “I remember sitting there in bed and my kids’ eyes were watering up. They were scared I wasn’t going to live. How old were they? They were 15, 17 and 19. I could see the fear in their eyes.”Most read in FootballMowbray underwent crucial surgery just 10 days after his diagnosis, and now admits: “Lots of things go through your mind. Am I going to wake up?”I feel very humble. I have been in the hands of some amazing people. I’ve spent a lot of time in hospital, I’ve spent a lot of time on medication. I’ve spent a lot of time in chemotherapy. It’s a medicine to treat cancer. It ravages your body.”Fans say ‘you can’t help but love Tony Mowbray’ as he hails Birmingham’s ‘Champions League’ BUFFETHaving previously been on temporary leave, Mowbray formally stepped down as Birmingham boss in May 2024.His No2 Mark Venus had initially stepped in, before Gary Rowett was appointed until the end of the season.On what made him decide to resign, Mowbray added: “I remember catching myself in a glass door and I didn’t even recognise it was me in the reflection. I was a shell of a man really. My cheeks were sunk in.”I had lost 4.5 stone, I was hunched over and I made the decision then. I phoned Garry Cook [Birmingham chief executive] that day and said I wouldn’t be going back because I needed to get well.”Mowbray maintained that he would like to return to work if his health would allow.And when Carlos Corberan left The Hawthorns for Valencia following Mowbray’s all-clear, the possibility of a dream return to West Brom became a possibility.In January he sealed a remarkable return to work, penning a two-and-a-half year contract with the Baggies.Read More on The SunUpon taking the West Brom job, a delighted Mowbray said: “I’m ready to relish the challenge again. It’s a new challenge.”I know I’ve been here before, but it’s a new challenge, a new time, a new era for me at the football club.” More