Stick on the kettle and settle in to some of our favourite pieces from the last seven days.

A lack of clean sheets and a low ratio of converted chances underline the struggles Manchester united have endured over the course of the last 12 months.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the splash signing of Tom Brady, but they are not among the winners from free agency.

In an evolving market, companies are turning to a bricks-and-clicks approach.

Spurs sacked Mauricio Pochettino’s this evening.

The Bundesliga club are searching for a new head coach after Niko Kovac departed.

The heavyweight clubs have served up a few treats in the Premier League era, even if recent meetings have been mostly forgettable.

Madrid almost squandered a three-goal lead, but the Belgian’s debut offered cause for optimism.

The Dublin-based research centre is looking at changes in the way that people communicate.

Australia endured a miserable 2018 and there is no room for error in a World Cup year. But can their mixed bag of a squad succeed?

The WBO welterweight title holder gets a chance to impress against another former world champion.

The Carlow native’s FA Cup goals have made him the toast of Newport.

Several top sides face an anxious final Champions League matchweek as they look to move into the last 16.

The Spaniard has withdrawn from the ATP Finals.

From war-torn Zadar to the World Cup final, Luka Modric has turned making the difficult look easy into a habit of a lifetime.

The reported addition of DeMarcus Cousins makes NBA champions the Golden State Warriors even stronger.

Pascal Cygan doesn’t make the cut.

Kylian Mbappe celebrates his 19th birthday today.

For the second year in succession, an invitational event in The Bahamas will bear witness to Tiger Woods’ latest comeback attempt.

West Ham have confirmed the appointment of the Scot as their new manager. Here, we look at his career in numbers.

The Dodgers and Astros will start their World Series match-up tonight.

Nou Camp chiefs have a job on their hands.

As Lionel Messi celebrates his 30th birthday, we look back at the best goals of the Barcelona and Argentina superstar’s career.

‘You are alive in the time of Messi and Ronaldo and should cherish both of them while you still can.’

Ronaldo again refused to answer questions following his nation’s 1-0 defeat of Russia in the Confederations Cup

For the second British and Irish Lions tour running, Sam Warburton has been named captain.

Grab a comfy chair and sit back with some of the week’s best longreads.

Sergio Garcia has suffered his share of heartbreaks, but victory at the Masters would be particularly significant at Augusta this weekend.

The Foxes earlier this week acted on a dire run of form by sacking their much-loved Italian manager.

Opta’s stats make for interesting reading.

Nice’s ascension is a result of successful gambles on players and astute coaching appointments.

Iheanacho can fill the void left by Sergio Aguero’s ban but there is plenty more to worry the Manchester City boss.

Claims of Real Madrid becoming more like Barcelona or vice-versa are inevitable in a rivalry that sustains two footballing superpowers.

With the help of Opta data, we take a look at some of the most remarkable numbers from the German’s Premier League career thus far.

Clubs and players have been paying tribute to the striker.

*Not your phone specifically, but the features that make it what it is.

With Opta’s help, a look at some of the stats that show why Manchester City have made the youngster England’s most expensive defender.

Much has been made of the pair’s rivalry, but their post-match actions suggested there were no personal problems between the two.

The men’s world number one has never been more dominant, but Serena Williams will hold no grand slam titles if she is beaten at Wimbledon.