Skip to content

Good Week/Bad Week: Sky Sports take a look at the winners and losers from the past seven days

So long is a week in the sporting world, one can rise to fame while another can fall from grace. We sift through the highs and lows to bring you the best and worst of the action...

A digital display commemorates the NFL record 509th career passing touchdown by quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos
Image: History maker: Peyton Manning became the most successful quarterback in NFL history on Sunday

Another week has passed in the world of sport and, yet again, heroes and villains have been made. From the enthroned to dethroned, Sky Sports pass judgement on the unadulterated highs and soul-destroying lows.

In a week when tornados hit the headlines, Southampton blew Sunderland away, Peyton Manning stormed into the NFL record books and the West Indies caused a storm of their own in India.

Andy Murray’s hopes of reach the ATP Tour Finals in London were rejuvenated; Saracens and Glasgow enjoyed a perfect start as a new dawn rose for European Rugby, while produced a stirring display to defend his WBA Middleweight belt.

Good Week

Peyton Manning

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

History in the Manning

History was made on Sunday night as Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning broke Brett Favre's National Football League record for career touchdown passes. Manning began the day two behind Favre and the 38-year-old needed just four drives against the San Francisco 49ers to eclipse the record.

Manning's eight-yard pass in the second quarter was caught in the end zone by Demaryius Thomas to surpass the record of 508 touchdowns Brett Favre set in 2010 while playing for the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran quarterback reached the milestone in just his 246th regular-season game - Favre needed 302.

Andy Murray

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Murray on the move

With the cooker firmly turned up to maximum heat Andy Murray came good under pressure in Vienna to put himself firmly in contention for a place in the ATP World Tour Finals in London. His gutsy and exhausting 5-7 6-2 7-5 victory against 'Duracell Bunny' David Ferrer helped him clinch his second title of the year at the Erste Open to move up from 10 to eighth spot in the Race To London.

Ferrer had beaten Murray in the third round of last week's Shanghai Rolex Masters and with both men feeling the heat with a run of five service breaks in the deciding set it was Murray who kept his cool to exact revenge and boost his chances of reaching the O2 event starting on November 9. With two weeks left, Murray still has plenty of work to do to confirm his place. The British No 1 now heads to Valencia this week knowing there can be no let-up in his bid to qualify for the end-of-season event before the penultimate tournament - the Paris Masters.

Glasgow Warriors

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Champions Cup review

European rugby entered a new era this weekend with inaugural Champions Cup pool stages getting underway and Glasgow Warriors successfully translated their Guinness PRO12 form onto the continental stage. In a clash of two of the season’s high-flyers, Glasgow dismantled Premiership opponents Bath, racing in five tries in a 37-10 triumph.

Mark Bennett, the 21-year-old Glasgow outside centre, starred with a brace of tries while Sean Maitland, Tommy Seymour and Niko Matawalu also got in on the act. It was a resounding display which was rewarded with the bonus-point; the Warriors now turn attention to extending their rich vein of form into the second week of European action with a trip to Montpellier on the cards.

Gennady Golovkin

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Gennady Golovkin on song

“It was a very hard punch.” That was the description given by Gennady Golovkin after he delivered a knockout blow to Marco Antonio Rubio, the latest boxer to feel the power of the Kazakhstan-born, California-trained middleweight. Golovkin needed fewer than two rounds to record an 18th consecutive stoppage victory and successfully defend his WBA title.  Rubio was unhappy at the decision taken by the referee to wave the fight off, but in truth the result had looked a formality from as soon as the opening bell had sounded.

Golovkin delivered the crucial blow when he caught his opponent high on the top of the head with a chopping left hook, almost in a cartoon-like style as if he was going to drill poor Rubio into the canvas and leave just his head above ground level. Next up could well be a clash with Miguel Cotto, though George Groves – a studio guest for Sky Sports’ coverage of the fight in Carson – feels ‘GGG’ could even move down in weight, creating the chance for him to take on Floyd Mayweather. Now what a fight that would be!

Bad Week

Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson of Sunderland begin to digest a terrible day for Sunderland - the game finished 8-0 to the Saints

Sunderland

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Take the blame

Saturday saw a near 700-mile round trip for Sunderland fans as their side took on Southampton. From early on the signs were ominous and when Santiago Vergini thumped the ball into his own net after 12 minutes were no doubt fearing the worst. However, even the most pessimistic of Black Cats supporters could not have anticipated the events that were to unfold. Southampton led 3-0 at the break before running riot in the second half, assisted by another own goal and some ‘questionable’ goalkeeping from Vito Mannone, to win 8-0.

Only Ipswich and Wigan have been on the receiving end of bigger hidings in the Premier League era, losing 9-0 and 9-1 to Manchester United and Tottenham respectively. Mannone has called on his fellow players to reimburse the fans who travelled to watch the team’s capitulation on the south coast, money that may well be spent on therapy to forget Saturday’s match.

West Indies

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Board blast Bravo

Taking your bat and ball home.” An old adage more common on the school playground than the international sporting stage, but the West Indies cricket team literally did just that this week. After a 59-run defeat in the fourth one-day international against Sri Lanka they called off their tour, abandoning the final ODI, a one-off Twenty20 match and a three-match Test series.

While we’re on the subject of playground behaviour, the aftermath of the early exit has been similarly squabbled. There are clear signs of a rift between the West Indies board and the players, who have similarly blamed each other for the breakdown in a row which looks set to run for some time to come.  

Sale Sharks

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Munster sting Sharks

Steve Diamond’s half-time team talk would have been brimming with enthusiasm and optimism given the first-half display which saw Sale Sharks take a 23-7 lead against Munster in the Champions Cup. Fair to say those positive sentiments were well and truly eclipsed come the full-time whistle after the Sharks lost all their bite and were stung 27-26.

While Munster must not be denied credit for a scintillating comeback, Sale’s capitulation may well have scuppered any hopes of reaching the knockout stages. Branded the ‘Pool of Death’, with in-form Saracens and Top 14 heavyweights Clermont also gunning for glory, Sale could be left to lament a prime opportunity.

England Netball

Australian Diamonds hold the Constellation Cup after beating the New Zealand Silver Ferns in Auckland
Image: Australia: Diamond display

A poor start to the match cost England dear as they were beaten 55-37 by the Australia Diamonds in the opening match of their autumn tour in Bendigo. With the reigning Commonwealth and World Champions coming into this fixture off the back of a 4-0 Series whitewash against New Zealand, the opening quarter was always going to be crucial. 

The in-form Diamonds were immediately on the front foot and continued their sparkling run of form. Madi Robinson was pulling the strings for the Diamonds, helping to cement her Player of the Match award. A dominant end to the quarter saw the hosts draw clear at 18-6, a lead they never surrendered in a dominant display.

Around Sky