Dubai: There was no shortage of sporting action this weekend, with the Premier League returning alongside major events across F1 and tennis providing plenty of standout performances and some big disappointments.
Check out the Gulf News’ winners and losers from a packed weekend of sport, as we look at the biggest stars, teams and talking points from the action.
Winners
Manchester City: City were arguably the weekend’s biggest winners, delivering a statement 3-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield in their first match since being found guilty of 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, a verdict they have appealed. City faced a hostile atmosphere, but Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki struck to secure a sixth consecutive league win.
Chelsea: Another Premier League club to emerge as big winners from the weekend were Chelsea, who bounced back from their 3-0 defeat to Brentford in emphatic fashion with a 5-1 thrashing of Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge. Jordan Henderson marked his home debut with two goals and an assist, while João Pedro also netted twice and Morgan Rogers got on the scoresheet.
Max Verstappen: In F1 Max Verstappen was the big winner from the weekend after securing a commanding victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, leading from start to finish to claim his first-ever win at the Marina Bay circuit. The Red Bull driver held off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by more than seven seconds to secure his 73rd career Grand Prix victory and make it back-to-back wins following his success last weekend at the Bahrain GP.
Hubert Hurkacz: The Polish tennis player was another big winner from the weekend after stunning Novak Djokovic at the Shanghai Masters, securing a 6-4, 6-3 victory to reach the third round. Hurkacz ended an eight-match losing streak against the 24-time Grand Slam champion, claiming his first win in nine meetings with the Serbian. Hurkacz delivered a superb serving display, firing 13 aces and winning all 10 of his service games.
Losers
Liverpool: The Reds are without a doubt among the biggest losers of the weekend after suffering a damaging 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield, ending their unbeaten start to the Premier League season. The Reds struggled to turn their chances into goals before Ryan Gravenberch’s second-half red card shifted the momentum. The result leaves Liverpool nine points behind leaders City after just six matches, piling pressure on manager Andoni Iraola to turn things around.
Manchester United: It was also a disappointing weekend for Manchester United after throwing away a crucial opportunity to claim three points in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham at Old Trafford. Bryan Mbeumo put United ahead in the 73rd minute, and Spurs’ hopes appeared to suffer a further blow when Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off just five minutes later. However, despite playing against 10 men, United failed to hold on as Dominic Solanke snatched a stoppage-time equaliser. The result extended United’s winless run to four matches and left Michael Carrick’s side with just six points from their opening six Premier League games, their worst start to a league season in 40 years.
Lewis Hamilton: The British driver had a disappointing weekend after costly strategic mistake saw him finish sixth at the Singapore Grand Prix, despite starting third and running in podium contention. When a Virtual Safety Car presented Ferrari with an opportunity to change tyres, Hamilton missed the pit entry and chose to stay out, leaving him vulnerable as his tyres deteriorated in the closing stages. He was subsequently overtaken by team-mate Charles Leclerc, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, dropping from third to sixth.
Novak Djokovic: The tennis legend was among the weekend’s biggest losers after suffering a shock second-round exit at the Shanghai Masters, just days after winning the China Open for a record-extending seventh time. The Serbian, who claimed the 102nd tour-level title of his career in Beijing, was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz on Friday. Djokovic admitted he had struggled to adjust to the conditions following his title-winning run in Beijing and said he would now focus on resting before the indoor season.