The impossible sanction, given that there are only 20 cars on the grid, will translate to the 2009 world champion Jenson Button starting last. (Source: AP)

Jenson Button faces a record but meaningless 70 place grid penalty at the Mexican Formula One Grand Prix after problems with his McLaren’s Honda power unit forced him to sit out Saturday’s qualifying.

The impossible sanction, given that there are only 20 cars on the grid, will translate to the 2009 world champion starting last.

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Button, whose tally was confirmed by the team after he said he had no idea what it amounted to, was frustrated nonetheless with what has become a painfully familiar situation.

“We all get frustrated when things don’t go our way,” said the Briton. “I wanted to qualify today even though I’m going to start last tomorrow whatever.

“I still want to go out in qualifying and do my best. It’s a real challenge, it’s great pushing the car to the limit on low fuel, new tyres. We didn’t have that opportunity today but it happens.

“I’d rather see improvements like we have from the new spec of engine and have a few issues of a race weekend because it’s all promising for the future,” he added.

Honda motorsport head Yasuhisa Arai said the latest problem, which surfaced in final practice, was a sensor signal failure that was still being analysed.

With Button’s team mate Fernando Alonso collecting a 10 place penalty and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen five for a gearbox change, the Mexico grid will see three former champions lining up at the back.

Marussia’s Will Stevens said that would be a strange feeling, if a short-lived one.

“We’ve got so long down to the first corner, so if I’m honest I don’t expect them to be behind us before the first corner,” he said.

“Our starts have been really good but they take off and leave us in the distance. I imagine I will be following (team mate) Alex (Rossi) into turn one and those guys will be in front of us by then.”

 

Australia are unbeaten at the Gabba for the past 27 years and invariably kick off their home summer at the ground with a resounding win to put touring teams instantly on the back foot. (Source: Reuters)

Australia’s head cricket coach Darren Lehmann hopes the Test team can avenge the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup final defeat by the All Blacks with a victory in the series opener in Brisbane starting this week.

Like many of his compatriots, Lehmann was a bit bleary-eyed on Sunday after staying up late to watch the World Cup final on TV, an ultimately disappointing 34-17 loss to the world champions at Twickenham.

“(I) wouldn’t mind a bit more sleep because I stayed up and watched it,” Lehmann, who helped guide Australia to victory over New Zealand in the cricket World Cup final in March, told reporters in Brisbane.

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“Obviously it’s a different sport, we’re very proud of the Wallabies with the way they went about it. It was closer than probably a lot of people thought.

“From our point of view we’d like to get one back on New Zealand and start the series well and (extend) that record another year.”

Australia are unbeaten at the Gabba for the past 27 years and invariably kick off their home summer at the ground with a resounding win to put touring teams instantly on the back foot.

New Zealand, however, will have high hopes of upsetting Steven Smith’s rebuilding side after the retirements of opening batsman Chris Rogers, former skipper Michael Clarke and all-rounder Shane Watson.

Australia’s batting was lamentable for large parts of the 3-2 Ashes defeat in England and may be vulnerable against the pace and swing of New Zealand’s quality attack led by Trent Boult and Tim Southee.

Two-Test opener Joe Burns and Queensland captain Usman Khawaja, playing his first Test in over two years, have been drafted in to the top order and are likely to be keenly targeted.

Lehmann said he expected the pair to make runs from the get-go.

“We want them to perform because you want to win Test matches,” he said.

“Everyone’s got to make runs. (The) top six, if you look at our last series, we didn’t perform as we liked with the bat. We’d like all our batters to make runs and help our bowlers, allow them time to get 20 wickets.”

Nov 1 (Infostrada Sports) - Scoreboard at lunch on the first day in the third and final Test between Pakistan and England on Sunday in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Pakistan 1st innings M. Hafeez c Broad b Ali 27 Az. Ali c Bairstow b Anderson 0 S. Malik not out 37 Y. Khan not out 21 Extras (lb-2) 2 Total

Arsenal’s win helped carry their tally of goals since Arsene Wenger took over in 1996 to more than 2,000. (Source: Reuters)

A clinical second-half display earned Arsenal a 3-0 win at Swansea City on Saturday and proved they are ready to mount a sustained Premier League title challenge.

After playing second fiddle to Swansea before the break, goals from Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Joel Campbell sealed a fifth consecutive league win for the Gunners who are level at the top of the table with Manchester City on 25 points from 11 games.

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It was the perfect riposte to the midweek 3-0 defeat by second-tier Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup, a match in which England pair Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were injured.

“Swansea took six points off us last year and that shows we’ve moved forward. The second half we were a different team,” manager Arsene Wenger told reporters.

“After we scored the first goal it was all us and there was only one winner on the pitch. Our technical level took over.”

Costa Rica forward Campbell’s goal on his first league start for Arsenal was particularly pleasing for Wenger, esepcially with an injury list that also includes the attacking threat of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck.

“Let’s not forget he is still a young player,” Wenger said of a player who has spent most of his Arsenal career on loan at various European clubs.

“He had to wait for his chance. He has adapted to Europe, been in a few leagues, has come back and I like his team spirit, his work rate and he shows he can be on the end of things.”

Arsenal’s win helped carry their tally of goals since Wenger took over in 1996 to more than 2,000.

“I am proud of scoring goals because people like to come to see football to see people try to play but the most important of course was the three points,” the Frenchman said.

The 0-0 draw kept in Manchester United fourth place in the Premier League but with just 15 goals in 11 games this season. (Source: Reuters)

Manchester United’s goal drought continued with a scoreless draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday but manager Louis van Gaal brushed off criticism that his squad lacks firepower.

The Premier League stalemate was the team’s third 0-0 draw in a row, highlighting fans’ frustration with Van Gaal’s more deliberate style of play and his decision to sell three strikers and replace them with just one.

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That was promising French teenager Anthony Martial who is not even an out-and-out striker, being played out on the wing for much of the game against Palace.

With Wayne Rooney continuing to struggle, the team’s lack of penetration was exposed.

Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey had only one save to make in the entire game, diving to his right to hold a Rooney free kick midway through the first half.

“Today when you’re not creating so many chances, I cannot complain. Nevertheless, today we had chances we could finish, then you win this game. That is our history to now. So we have to improve that,” Van Gaal told reporters.

“It can change in one match. And let it be against CSKA Moscow because we need a victory,” said the Dutch coach, referring to United’s game against the Russian side in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The 0-0 draw kept in United fourth place in the Premier League but with just 15 goals in 11 games this season, Van Gaal’s side have scored fewer than any other team in the top four.

Palace manager Alan Pardew thought his side deserved to win the game having enjoyed more clear-cut opportunities.

“We really should have won it, we caused enough problems to have won it,” he said. “It was a good day for Crystal Palace today.”

Pardew offered Van Gaal his support.

“I can understand the pressure that’s got to be on a Man United manager when they haven’t scored for two or three games,” he said.

“I really wish them good luck in the week because it’s very important for the Premier League that they pursue and do well in the Champions League,” he added.

 

There was speculations that Chelsea have called a special news conference at 5 PM GMT and whether they are going to sack Jose Mourinho today? (Source: Reuters)

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho’s said he expected to be given time to turn around the defending English champions’ dreadful start to the season after a 3-1 home loss to Liverpool on Saturday.

With rumours of emergency news conferences spreading like wildfire, Mourinho remained tight-lipped about his future but asked by a reporter if he expected to be dismissed, the three-times Premier League winning coach said: “No, I don’t.”

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When another reporter asked if he thought Mourinho would be given the chance to fix Chelsea’s alarming slump to just above the relegation zone, the Portuguese coach simply said: “Yes”.

Mourinho is mired in the worst run of his glittering career as a top manager which includes two English league titles in his first stint with Chelsea and a third one last year, when the London side won the league by eight points.

Chelsea fans chanted his name througout Saturday’s game. But they have now suffered six defeats in 11 Premier League games and have conceded 22 goals, a startling slump from the 32 goals they let in last season as a whole.

Mourinho was given public backing by owner Roman Abramovich this month, but since then the team’s form has not improved.

A spokesman for the club denied speculation on social media that Chelsea would hold a special news conference later.

Chelsea looked like they might banish some of the blues when they went ahead in the fourth minute with Brazil midfielder Ramires heading in from a cross by Cesar Azpilicueta.

But the game swung Liverpool’s way with two goals from Philippe Coutinho. Substitute Christian Benteke added the third in the 83rd minute.

Mourinho declined to respond directly to questions about whether Liverpool midfielder Lucas, who had already been booked, should have been shown a second yellow card by referee Mark Clattenburg for tripping Ramires who was bursting forward with the scores level at 1-1.

Mourinho was given a heavy fine and a suspended one-match stadium ban for criticising refereeing decisions earlier in the season and he was banished to the stands in Chelsea’s previous game, a defeat at West Ham.

He did, though, appear to allude to the Lucas incident in a post-match news conference.

“Everything is a consequence of some crucial moments, moments that the stadium saw,” he said. “The players more than see, they felt it and from now what happens is just a consequence.”

MORE CHANGES, SAME BAD RUN

In his search for a way to stem Chelsea’s slide, Mourinho made fresh changes to his starting 11, dropping midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic to the bench.

Winger Eden Hazard played in a central role and Brazil’s Oscar returned to the side for the first time in the league in almost a month.

But Liverpool recovered from their shaky start to dominate possession. As Mourinho gambled by bringing on Brazilian Kenedy, Fabregas and Radamel Falcao as attack-minded substitutes, the Reds punished Chelsea with counter-attacks.

Mourinho said his focus was on Chelsea’s Champions League Group G home encounter with Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, once he had taken the time to digest Saturday’s defeat.

“I will go home and find a sad family,” he said. “I will try to watch a little of the rugby (World Cup final) and disconnect a little bit from this and then I will start preparing the training sessions for tomorrow morning and the game Wednesday.

MELBOURNE, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Australia's head cricket coach Darren Lehmann hopes the test team can avenge the Wallabies' Rugby World Cup final defeat by the All Blacks with a victory in the series opener in Brisbane starting this week.