It was just before quarter past four on Sunday 17 May that something out of the ordinary happened for Crystal Palace under Oliver Glasner’s management.
The ball fell to Daniel Munoz but there was no space to shoot. Instead, he took it inside the Brentford penalty area, laid it off to Adam Wharton and, after 80 previous attempts at goal in his 93 previous appearances, he finally scored his first goal for Palace.
A low, fizzing drive from the edge of the area, dummied by Ismaila Sarr and squeezed through the arms of goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
More impressive, perhaps, was the double backflip produced in celebration.
This was not just Wharton’s first goal for Palace but the first time a midfielder has scored in the Premier League since Glasner took over as manager from Roy Hodgson in February 2024.
For Wharton, there had been near misses until his first goal in any competition — most notably an attempt that crashed against the crossbar in the 2-1 defeat by Strasbourg in the UEFA Conference League, admittedly with the goal gaping, was the closest he had come.
Finally, though, he had his goal. “If Wharton scores, we’re on the pitch,” Palace fans have sung of late, an attempt at encouragement and humour. They may not have pitch-invaded but Wharton’s parents were in the stands to see their son score.
“Adam Wharton’s mum” was the song of choice when the travelling supporters clocked on, turning to her, and then to his dad, in unison to celebrate the 22-year-old putting their side 2-1 up in west London.
“Five more years, five more years, Adam Wharton,” was next up, before they encouraged him to shoot at every opportunity.
In stoppage time, Palace broke and Wharton, under pressure, looked like he might be able to repeat the success from earlier, only for that pressure to tell and for his shot to be blocked. But it was another encouraging moment to be higher up the pitch in a moment that could have mattered, in a place to have the shot.
At full time, he was pushed forward by Will Hughes and Maxence Lacroix to take in the appreciation of the supporters, looking almost sheepish at the attention. But he deserves it for his performances over the season and to finally cap it with a goal.
It should have come sooner, and he has improved in front of goal as the season has drawn towards its conclusion, but at least it has now finally arrived.
“It was a question of time for me,” Glasner said in his post-match press conference. “He has the most assists. We spoke about it that we always need him a little bit closer to the box.
“The assist was (after he forced the) keeper to make a good save against Shakhtar Donetsk and he hit the post against Everton from the same position with his right foot. Today was the third try, hopefully one or two more might follow.”
It is a feature rather than a bug of Palace’s play under Glasner that no midfielder had scored in the league until now, and it has been a source of additional pressure for his attacking players. The two No 6s, have, typically, been facilitators rather than direct threats themselves. Those rare times where they have threatened to score, they have been let down by their finishing.
“He used to play like a No 6, he was always great getting the game into final third with his passing quality,” Glasner said in a March press conference before Palace’s Conference League last-16 first leg against AEK Larnaca.
“His next step is showing this passing quality in the final third. His first step was this. Having seven assists (now 10) is great, then the second is getting in positions where you can score.
“Adam is so open to learning and improving that he then will take chances and score. He is in these positions. We all want everything at once, that’s how we are, but for Adam, there has been huge progress with his assists and his quality. Also, not just showing in our half but in the opposite half. Then the next step will definitely come.”
Wharton’s goal celebration was worth the wait for Palace fans (Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images)
It did finally come against Brentford, with a slice of fortune in that Kelleher was unsighted but also because he was able to control his shot rather than balloon it over the bar.
The main thing holding Wharton back is that lack of goals. His passing range and vision are exceptional and his tenacity when challenging has come on significantly to enable him to win more of those midfield battles.
He scored only four goals for Blackburn Rovers and, while he ought to have scored before for Palace, it will be a welcome addition to his game to have added one in the top flight at last.
That is particularly so given that he will hope to be named in England head coach Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the summer’s World Cup on Friday.
Tuchel’s mind is probably already made up, and Wharton’s consistent inclusion in squads this season suggest he stands a good chance of being rewarded again, but, regardless, this goal was very well timed.
The Los Angeles Sparks (12-19) will look to stop a three-game home losing streak when they square off against the Phoenix Mercury (12-22) on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at Galen Center. The contest airs at 10 p.m. ET on AZFamily, Spectrum SportsNet, and NBA TV.
How to watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Los Angeles Sparks
Phoenix vs. Los Angeles odds
Spread: Phoenix -1.5 (-110), Los Angeles +1.5 (-110)
Favorite Moneyline: Phoenix -120
Underdog Moneyline: Los Angeles +100
Total: 180.5
Total Over Odds: -110
Total Under Odds: -110
Injury reports
Mercury
Kelsey Plum: Out (Calf)
Sparks
Monique Akoa Makani: Questionable (Ankle)
Stats to know
The Mercury average 83.6 points per game, 10.0 fewer points than the 93.6 the Sparks give up.
Los Angeles puts up just 1.8 more points per game (89.2) than Phoenix allows (87.4).
Alyssa Thomas averages 14.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, while shooting 51.1% from the field (10th in league).
Nneka Ogwumike posts 17.1 points, 8.8 boards and 2.9 assists per contest, while shooting 51.5% from the field (ninth in WNBA) and 39.6% from beyond the arc with 1.5 made treys per game.
This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Photo: Julio Aguilar, Ethan Miller, Steph Chambers / Getty Images
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The first brawl came when David Bailey barked at Buccaneers offensive lineman Luke Goedeke and patted him on the helmet. There was some shoving — and some punches. A crowd followed them before it was broken up.
The second brawl came just as Geno Smith finally overcame some accuracy issues to complete an impressive touchdown pass — on the other side of the field, Armand Membou got into it with Buccaneers defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, diverting attention from the play. A crowd followed them before it was broken up.
The third brawl came at the end of a rep during red-zone drills and it ended with Jets rookie defensive tackle Darrell Jackson throwing hands, taking on multiple Buccaneers offensive players in the process.
That’s Bailey, a rookie edge rusher; that’s Membou, a second-year offensive tackle; and that’s Jackson, a rookie defensive tackle. Call it youthful exuberance.
“I think that has a lot to do with it,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said after practice. “The vets are not going to do that. It’s a lot of energy wasted doing that. Those guys have to learn.”
The two early MVPs of Jets training camp
Zack Rosenblatt
Maybe it’s not a bad thing that the Jets have infused their roster with some hard-nosed players in the trenches; it only becomes a problem if that exuberance turns into 15-yard penalties when the real games start. That’s why Membou, after his fight with Robinson, was taken out of Tuesday’s joint practice with the Buccaneers — the first of two, with the second coming on Wednesday.
“He’s definitely a guy that doesn’t go for any BS,” said Jets running back Breece Hall said of Membou. “After the play, if he feels like you’re doing too much he’s going to let you know about it. He’s a guy, he ain’t ever gonna start it but he’ll finish it. That’s the type of guy you want to run behind.”
More often, fights tend to happen on the second day of joint practices. It’s a reason why former Jets coach Robert Saleh often canceled the second day with another team, or didn’t schedule it at all. The Jets could have called Tuesday’s practice early but Glenn and Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles — another former Jets coach — didn’t feel like the fracases reached the level that would require an early ending.
“There’s going to be some dustups, that happens in every joint practice,” Glenn said.
Said linebacker Demario Davis: “Any time you have intense practices, guys are going to the ground, trying to stay up, it’s just playing a physical brand of football. There were some explosive moments but nothing that ran over. We were able to get it under control.”
And defensive tackle Harrison Phillips: “It’s tough, I don’t like seeing fighting. I think that if you do that in a football game you get kicked out. It hurts us tremendously if you do that in a football game. But I’m happy we’re having to pull guys back rather than get guys to go, so I think there’s some positive in the idea that ‘I don’t want to be punked out there.’ … it does kind of get your adrenaline going a little bit.”
Hall, for his part, had no interest in getting involved, saying that: “I got a rule, if you’re over 240 (pounds) I ain’t messing with you”, and “whenever I see a fight happen, that’s my water break. So I’m like y’all can have it at it for however long you want. I’m tired. It’s too hot for me to be fighting outside.”
Overall, it was an intense practice between one rebuilding team (Jets) and one team that looks a bit closer to the postseason. The Jets defense appeared to get the better of the Buccaneers offense. The Buccaneers defense certainly bested the Jets offense.
“Practice had a lot of eventful moments,” Davis said.
Let’s get into them:
Dominant David Bailey
Bailey gets first billing before we get into quarterback performance. The rookie has been one of the best players on the field throughout Jets training camp. There’s an argument to be made that he looked like the best player on the field on Tuesday too.
The dust-up with Goedeke started, it appeared, largely out of frustration because of how decisively Bailey was winning his one-on-one reps. On his first rep against Goedeke, he got around him quickly for an easy win. On the next one, Goedeke jumped early both times before the fight broke out.
Bailey carried that over into team drills too. The draft’s No. 2 pick was winning just about every rep against Goedeke, and also switched to the other side and used his get-off to quickly get around left tackle Ben Chukwuma for an easy sack of Baker Mayfield.
I’ve been covering the Jets for five seasons, and the NFL for nine. In that time I’m not sure I’ve seen a rookie that was appointment viewing quite like Bailey.
“I’ve been around a ton of rookies,” Davis said. “I’ve seen some who were projected high not play up to that level. I’ve seen some projected low who played above that level. He looks like a No. 2 pick. He looks like everything that’s been advertised about him and more.”
Geno’s struggles
Smith had a down day in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage — and he was even worse going against Bowles’ blitz-happy defense. He completed four straight short passes in seven-on-seven drills to Garrett Wilson, Braelon Allen, Mason Taylor and Jelani Woods. On his next run he threw a bad pass that was easily picked off by a Bucs defender — the pick was called back due defensive holding away from the play. He followed that up by throwing it behind Adonai Mitchell on a deep ball.
Even worse: Wilson fell on Smith’s first pass of 11-on-11 drills, only Smith didn’t see him fall in time to adjust and threw it anyway, easily picked off by Buccaneers cornerback Damarion Williams and returned for a touchdown. He completed a short pass to Isaiah Williams, and then threw it behind Mitchell again, who was getting open all afternoon.
Smith was sacked on the first play of his next run of team drills, completed a short pass to Williams again, and then threw it right into the arms of linebacker Josiah Trotter for another pick.
Smith finally found a groove on the next run, completing short passes to Woods, Wilson and Taylor. Williams dropped a catchable ball, and Smith connected two more times with Wilson too — though one of them that might have put Wilson in harm’s way in a live game.
On Smith’s last drive starting in the red zone, he threw an impressive touchdown pass to Taylor and hit Wilson, who juked a few defenders to get into the end zone.
On Wilson’s play, Glenn’s reaction: “Smile, that’s what you do. You smile.” And Hall: “I just laugh because he’s so good.”
All told, Smith completed 6 of 7 passes in seven-on-seven and 10 of 15 in 11-on-11 with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Hall admitted that the offense came out flat. “We definitely could’ve been a little bit better,” he said.
Miscellaneous notes and standouts
• Cornerback Qwan’Tez Stiggers left practice in an ambulance after passing out on the sideline, though Glenn sounded confident that he’s going to be OK. • Glenn said all the starters are going to play in Friday night’s preseason game. • Rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik had some moments and made some plays with his feet on scrambles, though most of his efficiency came in the shorter areas of the field. He completed 5 of 5 passes during seven-on-seven and 7 of 12 in 11-on-11 drills. • Jackson had another standout day outside of the fracas, getting at least one sack of Mayfield in team drills and making his presence felt otherwise. Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar called him a “big, strong human being” before practice and said “he’s adapted to what we’re doing and I think that bodes well for us because we got an extra piece in the puzzle.” Jackson has gotten plenty of valuable reps with T’Vondre Sweat (hamstring) still out.
• Safety Dane Belton continues to stand out and looks like the clear best choice to start next to Minkah Fitzpatrick. He had a tackle for loss and a pass deflection, and always seems to find himself around the ball. Andre Cisco, who opened the summer as the starter, allowed a touchdown in coverage. Of Belton, Glenn said: “He’s a ball magnet.” • Nickel corner Jarvis Brownlee had a pass deflection against Bucs backup quarterback Jake Browning. Linebacker Jaden Keller had a tackle for loss on a running play. • Safety Jarius Monroe picked off Mayfield during red-zone drills and returned it for a touchdown. • Undrafted rookie receiver Malik McClain has had a nice camp and made some plays catching passes from Klubnik and Bailey Zappe.
Amid a lost season and on pace for a franchise-record number of losses, the Los Angeles Angels have fired veteran pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Dom Chiti and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott.
Entering Tuesday, the club’s pitchers have posted a 4.51 ERA this season — 24th in baseball.
Tim Leveque, who had been serving as the Double-A pitching coach, will be the interim pitching coach for the rest of the season. Michael Wuertz, who had been the minor-league assistant pitching coordinator, will be the interim bullpen coach.
“After spending time discussing with (manager Kurt Suzuki) where we are as a coaching staff and where we want to go in the future, we felt it was best to make a change,” John Mozeliak, the club’s baseball operations consultant, said in a news release. “With seven weeks remaining, we plan to use this time to evaluate what additional steps are needed to elevate our entire pitching program and best position us for success moving forward.”
It has been a summer of change in Anaheim. General manager Perry Minasian was fired in June, with Mozeliak — the long-time head of the St. Louis Cardinals — put in charge on an interim basis. At the time, Mozeliak said the coaching staff was safe through the end of the season.
At the trade deadline, the Angels acted more aggressively in selling than they had under Minasian, most notably dealing starter José Soriano to the Toronto Blue Jays for a package of prospects headed by shortstop Arjun Nimmala.
Maddux, 64, had been hired last winter after spending the previous three seasons with the Texas Rangers. This marked his 24th consecutive season employed as a major-league pitching coach, including tenures in Milwaukee, Texas, Washington and St. Louis. In half of those seasons, Maddux’s team qualified for the postseason. He was the pitching coach for all three Rangers teams to win the pennant, including the 2023 championship team.
After a prolonged period of relative stability under Mike Scioscia, the Angels have had seven managers in the last nine years and now seven different pitching coaches.
