It was another miserable night for Arsenal in the Premier League last night, as they fell to their first ever home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion - the Seagulls winning 2-1 at the Emirates. The size of the task facing temporary manager Freddie Ljungberg was laid bare as yet more poor defending allowed Adam Webster to open the scoring for the visitors in the first half, before Alexandre Lacazette equalised on 50 minutes. However a Gunners comeback never materialised, and Neal Maupay leaped ahead of David Luiz in the 80th minute to give Graham Potter's side a famous victory and darken the mood in north London. In the night's other top flight fixture, Newcastle's revival under Steve Bruce continued as they beat Sheffield United 2-0 at Bramall Lane thanks to goals from Allan Saint-Maximin and Jonjo Shelvey. Elsewhere Everton are on the hunt for a new manager after they confirmed the sacking of Marco Silva last night, with the Toffees currently languishing in the relegation zone. David Moyes - who since leaving Everton has endured unsuccessful spells at Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham - is reportedly set to return to Goodison Park.
Jim Gavin has been named the Signify Sports Manager of the Year for 2019, after he guided Dublin to a historic and unprecedented fifth All-Ireland senior football title on the bounce with September's final replay win over Kerry. Gavin announced his decision to step down after seven golden years in charge of the Dubs last Saturday, ending a tenure which produced a staggering six All-Ireland titles. And speaking yesterday for the first time since his departure, the 48-year-old insisted he had no regrets over his decision: "I reflect on it very objectively every year. There are a whole number of factors, my family, my work, Dublin GAA, and the conclusion I came to is what's best for Dublin GAA, and more importantly what's best for the players, is to hand it over and create that environment for them to grow once more." And while he wouldn't be moved on who is in line to try and fill his considerable shoes, he suggested the chances of him taking over another inter-county side are slim: "I'm just reflecting on the moment and I don't see that happening."
In his column this morning Matt Williams has looked ahead to this weekend's Champions Cup action, and suggested both Leinster and Munster are faced with difficult tasks in their December double-headers. Leinster travel to Franklins Gardens to play Northampton tomorrow, which he believes is always a daunting trip: "It does not matter at what stage of their erratic performance cycle they are in, Franklin's Gardens remains one of the toughest away games in Europe. Northampton are a club steeped in the history of the Champions Cup. They get Europe." Meanwhile Johann van Graan's Munster welcome defending champions Saracens to Thomond Park, and the size of the challenge which awaits them will become clearer at midday today when both sides reveal their starting XVs. Saracens salary cap-induced woes have been widely reported, but they could still head to Limerick with their big guns in tow. He writes: "Pick a weakened team and Saracens may save Munster's defensive frailties from being exposed once again. But if they come fully loaded, with aim of making a massive statement in Europe, Munster have a season-defining battle coming their way."
The FAI are set to reveal their accounts for 2018 at midday today - after a 24-hour delay - with the final six-figure payment made to former chief executive John Delaney before his departure from the association set to be confirmed. The 2018 accounts are set to include substantial losses, as the excesses of the Delaney years are laid bare, and as Emmet Malone writes, there are plenty lessons to be learned: "If wider Ireland is anything to go by, a decade after the crash, it is hard to feel confident that the lessons of what went wrong at the FAI will really be learned here at home. But they may well be taught the world over."
And Anthony Joshua has said Saudi Arabia is "trying to do a good job politically," as he prepares for a potentially career-defining fight in Riyadh on Saturday night. The British heavyweight takes on Andy Ruiz Jr for the WBA, IBF and WBO world titles in the "Clash on the Dunes," as he bids to avenge his shock defeat to the Mexican in June.
