SAINTS STUMBLE, BIDEN’S BOLD STATEMENT, WHAT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT IN THE WORLD OF SPORT

Southampton's Premier League rude-awakening, Biden's 'USA the greatest' declaration, ex-Barcelona star Eto'o slapped with 6-month ban

Relegation from the Premier League is depicted in most quarters as a doomsday scenario for clubs. And, sure, there is no argument about the financial hit that results from dropping into the Championship.

Think of all that TV money down the drain, the loss of associated sponsorships and potential blue-chip investors. Except, none of that is what football fans really want to spend their time contemplating. No, the vast majority of supporters want entertainment and fun; a pastime that allows them to lose themselves and banish thoughts of real life for 90 minutes.

All of which brings us to Southampton, whose supporters' jubilation when they beat Leeds United in last season's Championship play-off final was tempered with recent miserable memories of losing every week in the Premier League. Some were only half-joking when they said they quite fancied another season in the second tier.

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They might get their wish in time for next season if things do not turn around soon. Saints' 3-1 defeat at Bournemouth, which leaves them with one point from six matches and a -9 goal difference, was among the sporting action that happened while you were sleeping.

Spineless Saints

Most Southampton fans scoff at the idea of a rivalry with the traditionally smaller and less well-heeled AFC Bournemouth. For Saints devotees, their proper local derby is the spicy-but-infrequent meeting with Portsmouth.

None of that stopped some clever soul christening the all-south coast Premier League affair El Clasicoast, and it was Bournemouth who claimed 'derby' honours, as winless Southampton continued to experience a chastening reintroduction to Premier League football.

Evanilson, Dango Outtara and Antoine Semenyo all scored inside 22 first-half minutes to put Bournemouth in cruise control at 3-0 up. A Taylor Harwood-Bellis strike after half time made the final result 3-1 and kept Wolverhampton Wanderers bottom of the table on goal difference.

Southampton head coach Russell Martin began the process of rallying his troops for their weekend visit to Arsenal by accusing them of playing with "no aggression, no courage and no intensity" during their dismal opening 45-minute display.

Oh-Nooh

Thai snooker player Thepchaiya Un-Nooh was given unfortunate cause to reflect on the old adage about bad luck happening in threes.

In the second frame of his International Championship qualifier against Lei Peifan of China, Un-Nooh missed the final black for a maximum 147 clearance for the third time in his career.

When the fate first befell Un-Nooh, in a UK Championship meeting with Neil Robertson back in December 2015, he subsequently discovered his fluffed black had cost him GBP44,000 (HK$475,645) in prize money. Un-Nooh squandered 'only' GBP9,500 when the final black stayed out in a World Championship qualifier against Anthony Hamilton four months later, in April 2016.

He remains the only player to miss the final ball more than once and has now extended that unwanted record. Credit to the 39-year-old, however, he parked the disappointment to beat Peifan 6-4.

Eto'o-Noh

Okay, maybe we included this line just to continue indulging ourselves in the 'Oh-no' headlines, but how the mighty have fallen.

Samuel Eto'o, one of Africa's greatest footballers and a former superstar striker for Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea, has been slapped with a six-month ban from attending any matches involving his native Cameroon.

Currently the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, and the country's record scorer, with 56 goals from 118 appearances, Eto'o was sanctioned in relation to Cameroon's 3-1 loss to Brazil in the last-16 of the Fifa Under-20 Women's World Cup on September 11.

According to Fifa, Eto'o was punished for breaching rules relating to "offensive behaviour, violation of the principles of fair-play and misconduct of players and officials".

India record spree

On the face of it, there is nothing flashy about the score of 285 for nine that India posted in the first innings of their second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur.

Dig beneath the surface, however, and a different picture begins to emerge. Trying to make up for lost time in a rain-hit match, India blitzed the records for the fastest team to reach 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 in Tests. When they declared, the Indians had spent only 34.4 overs at the crease.

The carnage began when the opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma scored India's opening 50 runs in three overs. Jaiswal scored the fastest half-century by an Indian opener before falling for 72 off 51 balls, while India's run rate of 8.22 was the highest of any team to score more than 200 in a Test innings.

Back in the field, India spinner Ravi Ashwin claimed two quick wickets to leave Bangladesh trailing by 26 runs with eight second-innings wickets remaining and staring at the prospect of a 2-0 series defeat.

Biden's bold declaration

Joe Biden opted against playing down his nation's sporting achievements when the president welcomed United States Olympians and Paralympians to the White House.

The US edged China in the Paris Olympics medal table, after claiming 40 golds, 44 silvers and 42 bronzes. They finished behind China and Great Britain in the Paralympics standings, but the combined efforts of the two US teams persuaded Biden to call America the "greatest sports nation in the history of the world".

Fans who favour football, cricket, rugby or any number of other sports might respectfully disagree, albeit only a flint-hearted individual could fail to smile at Biden's chutzpah.

Biden, who withdrew from the current race for the White House back in July, challenged his successor to "do more to support all of our team USA athletes".

Tributes for Mutombo

Some very sad news from the States, where NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has died from brain cancer at the age of 58.

In an 18-year career, the 7ft 2in Mutombo, who retired in 2009, played for Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.

Mutombo, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, twice played in the NBA finals, first for the 76ers in 2001 and again two years later when he was with the Nets. The Hawks and Nuggets both retired Mutombo's No 55 jersey when he called time on his career.

The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, said: "Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life. On the court he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others."