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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Guardian sport

NHL magic, north London derby memories and very long drives

New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal scores from between his legs.
New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal scores from between his legs. Photograph: Kevin Hagen/AP

1) It’s the north London derby this weekend and no one has a clue which Arsenal or Tottenham will turn up at the Emirates. What is known is that there will be no fans, meaning there will be no atmosphere. Hopefully there will be some of this sort of thing, a bit of this and potentially even plenty of this. Either way, it’s definitely worth a quick reminder of Paul Gascoigne’s genius.

2) Trying to skate on ice at high speed, while an opponent waves a stick in your face would result in mere mortals hitting the deck. Mat Barzal, however, kept his balance, before bamboozling the netminder and flicking the ball into the net with his stick reversed between his legs. For those who are not NHL fans, there is plenty more Barzal to witness.

3) When Bryson DeChambeau hits a golf ball, it stays hit. The technological advances allow the punter to now see the cleanness of the hit as the ball flies through the sky and down the fairway. The pleasurable ping of wood on ball is worth listening to over and over again. Even DeChambeau might struggle to see off the competition in a longest drive competition.

4) Kieron Pollard became just the third man to hit six sixes in an international over by blasting Akila Dananjaya all over the park. The West Indian joins India’s Yuvraj Singh and South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs in achieving the feat. Pollard is following in the footsteps of his compatriot, the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers, who was the original six hitter.

5) Keely Hodgkinson became Great Britain’s youngest indoor champion since 1970 at the European Indoor Championships when she won the 800m in Torun. It was a reasonable week for Great Britain in Poland, sisters Cindy Sember and Tiffany Porter took home silver and bronze in the 60m hurdles.

6) Sometimes in football, you just got to do what you got to do. Maybe Paulo Otávio was just trying to impress Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

Our favourites from below the line last week

1) Kevin Magnussen’s dad goes wheel to wheel with Jörg Bergmeister in an epic GT2 battle at Laguna Seca.

2) Top class Pétanque.

3) NASL gold from Roberto Cabañas.

4) Bastien Héry takes to the streets of Belfast with just a ball and a long CV of clubs in the Football League.

Spotters’ badges: RopyDavits, germit, Boctramore, TexasKopite.

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