Weekly Wrap-Up: The Chase Continues

As the sports world continues to thrill, this past week brought unforgettable action across the globe. In this edition of the Weekly Wrap-Up, we break down the biggest stories, key results, and standout moments from the world of sport!

Starting off as always here in South Yorkshire, we saw another important weekend of EFL football. Sheffield United faced Derby at home for what was a close battle, with both teams being fairly level so far this season. However, a wonder strike by Gus Hamer in the 53rd minute put the Blades ahead. It was an emotional weekend for both sides, with a tribute to former Sheffield United Women’s player Maddie Cusack, who tragically passed away last September, being paid in the 8th minute. Hamer’s perfectly placed free kick was the only goal of the game, giving Sheffield United an all-important 3 points, pushing them up to 5th in the table.

The Blades' nearest rivals, Sheffield Wednesday, were away at Kenilworth Road, facing a struggling Luton Town. It was a goalless first half for the Owls, despite them being the better team for the first 45 minutes. However, Barry Bannan changed that in the 52nd minute when the midfielder sent a rocket towards Luton keeper Kaminski, who had no chance of stopping it from finding the back of the net. Unfortunately for the Owls, the lead only lasted 25 minutes when defender Di Bernard was shown a straight red card after conceding a penalty for handball. Carlton Morris converted from the spot, making it all level again. Wednesday were now a man down, away from home, with around 15 minutes to go – it wasn’t looking promising. Finally, in the 88th minute, Carlton Morris pounced on a loose ball, securing all three points for Luton.

In League One, Barnsley made another trip away after suffering a heavy defeat mid-week at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup. The Tykes were looking to make a strong return to their league campaign as they faced a struggling Burton Albion side. It seemed to be an even half, with neither side able to penetrate. However, after Albion gave away a free kick just 20 yards from goal, the perfect opportunity arose for Tykes skipper Luca Connell, who unfailingly found the bottom corner. Barnsley were comfortably ahead for most of the game, but a late Albion equaliser looked to have taken 2 points off the Tykes. This was until two minutes later, when Barnsley forward Stephen Humphries snatched back all three points from the Brewers in what ended up being an entertaining game of football.

Rotherham were at home to top-of-the-table Birmingham. It took just 14 minutes for The Blues to open the scoring, after Iwata capitalized on a blocked shot and lashed the ball into the bottom corner. A second goal came in the 22nd minute when Birmingham managed to double their lead via a lob over Millers keeper Dillon Phillips. Rotherham had a couple of opportunities to get back into the game, but unfortunately for the home fans, it wasn’t to be.

Finally, in League Two, Doncaster looked to bounce back from their recent loss away at Harrogate, with another away day, this time down south. MK Dons haven’t had the best of starts but still pose a threat to any team in the league. The game started off poorly for Donny Rovers, as midfielder Harry Clifton received an early red card. MK Dons were soon ahead, leaving Rovers behind at half-time. Only moments into the second half, goal scorer for MK Dons, Ellis Harrison, was sent off, putting the previously struggling Doncaster Rovers right back into the game. It wasn’t until the 82nd minute that Rovers equalised as Anderson headed home Joe Sbarra’s corner. It finished all level at Stadium MK.

Lando Norris had a dominant weekend in Singapore – clinching pole position by a couple of tenths in Saturday’s qualifying. However, it was that all-important start that lingered over the McLaren driver until the lights went out. Thankfully, he got it right, and from start to finish, completely dominated. Max Verstappen was left to race himself, with most of the battling taking place for those final point positions. The final podium was: Lando Norris P1, Max Verstappen P2, and Oscar Piastri P3. The chase for the World Championship is still on!

It has not been a great week or 5-match series for the England Cricket team, having now lost both of the first two ODI matches against a very confident Australia. The Aussies can win the series if they take the third ODI at Chester-Le-Street this Tuesday - let’s hope that’s not the case.

Last week saw the return of tennis at the Laver Cup, an international tournament between Team Europe and Team World. Wimbledon men’s singles winner Carlos Alcaraz sealed a straight-sets win against American Taylor Fritz, leading Team Europe to a strong but close win in Berlin.

Finally, one of the most anticipated events of 2024 took place on Saturday night, as Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois took to the ring in front of a massive 96,000 people at Wembley Stadium. Joshua’s bid to become a three-time champion and return to the top ended in the most dramatic and painful way. Dubois was rampant and eager to win, creating problems for AJ from the start. Joshua was floored on three occasions by Dubois before finally crashing to the canvas in the fifth round. Could this be the end of Joshua’s career? It is definitely looking positive for Dubois!