Sport

Díaz and Salah double up as leaders Liverpool run riot at Tottenham
Posted on Sunday December 22, 2024

Well done, boys, good process. Liverpool stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points, having played one game fewer than second-placed Chelsea, with the latest illustration of their remorseless cut and thrust under Arne Slot.It was an occasion when Tottenham, playing their way, the Ange Postecoglou way, with zero compromises, were taken to pieces. They conceded six but it could and should have been double figures. Time and again, Liverpool sliced through and a prominent detail at the end of a wild occasion was the glaring nature of some of their misses. Continue reading...

Semenyo seals stunning Bournemouth win to add to Manchester United misery
Posted on Sunday December 22, 2024

After mid-morning wind and rain that might have caused Noah a problem, the skies cleared and Bournemouth took apart a Manchester United team as amateurish as any of the iterations of the past decade or so.Ruben Amorim’s men could not defend, retain the ball or finish. So in these three fundamentals they failed, to leave their head coach appearing hapless and isolated. It is a fate familiar to all who have occupied the Old Trafford hotseat during this post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Continue reading...

Usyk stakes claim as best man in boxing after making Fury eat his words | Donald McRae
Posted on Sunday December 22, 2024

Boxing is full of unsavoury people but it also produces extraordinary men. The Ukrainian champion is one of themAs Oleksandr Usyk walked towards us just after three in the morning, resplendent in his purple tracksuit while carrying Eeyore under his arm, his promoter let slip a gentle cry: “Here he comes, the best man in boxing …”Alex Krassyuk is not a traditional boxing promoter, being a much more understated man than most of his contemporaries in this riotous old business. But his pride was understandable in the immediate aftermath of Usyk’s decisive second successive defeat of Tyson Fury. Continue reading...

Saracens serve Premiership notice with six-try victory against Northampton
Posted on Sunday December 22, 2024

Saracens 39-24 NorthamptonFergus Burke leads the way for home side with two tries It was a cold, bleak midwinter afternoon in north London but the race to be crowned as England’s top club side in 2025 is hotting up. Saracens also have key upcoming games against the Premiership pace-setters Bath and Bristol over the next fortnight and this emphatic win against the champions of last season underlined their ambitions to finish top of the tree in six months’ time.If it helped that Northampton, 24-0 down at half-time, were initially miles off the pace there was no doubting the hosts’ superior power, aggression and defensive line speed off the back of a couple of encouraging Champions Cup results. Their aerial game also heaped pressure on Saints’ rearguard and the upshot was six tries and third place in the table heading into Christmas. Continue reading...

Tiger’s son comes up aces in PNC Championship with first hole-in-one
Posted on Sunday December 22, 2024

Charley Woods, 15, makes first ace on par-3 fourth holeHole-in-one gives Woods clan temporary share of leadTiger Woods isn’t the only member of his family to can produce big moments. His 15-year-old son Charlie made his first ace Sunday in the PNC Championship.Woods was more excited than if he had made the hole-in-one himself. Continue reading...

Joe Cullen storms out of press conference at PDC worlds over lack of respect
Posted on Sunday December 22, 2024

‘I’ve been shown no respect … I’m going to go home’Ian White jokingly calls Luke Littler ‘Runcorn’s No 2’Joe Cullen stormed out of his post-match press conference after accusing the media of a lack of respect following a 3-0 second-round win over Wessel Nijman at the PDC World Championship.The 2022 Masters champion, who will face 2021 winner Gerwyn Price next, gave short answers during a tetchy on-stage interview at Alexandra Palace. Bradford-born Cullen then vented his frustration at reporters backstage before departing prematurely. Continue reading...

European football: Mbappé on target as Real Madrid climb up to second in La Liga
Posted on Sunday December 22, 2024

French striker scores and assists in 4-2 win over SevillaDybala scores twice in Roma’s 5-0 win against ParmaReal Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé netted the opener and set up another goal as the hosts beat mid-table Sevilla 4-2 on Sunday to move up to second place in La Liga and close the gap on Atlético Madrid to one point going into the winter break.Mbappé scored with a thunderbolt from outside the box in the 10th minute before Federico Valverde put reigning champions Real two goals ahead from long-range 10 minutes later. Rodrygo fired home the third in the 34th from a cross by Lucas Vazquez. Continue reading...

Nicolas Jackson denied as Chelsea held to goalless draw against Everton
Posted on Sunday December 22, 2024

The immediate aim of the Friedkin Group is to restore stability to Everton after their takeover on Thursday. In some ways, Sean Dyche has beaten his new employers to it. High-flying Chelsea became the latest team to run into a royal blue wall and out of ideas as they lost valuable ground in the title race.Enzo Maresca declared himself content with a point at a ground where Chelsea had lost on five of their previous six visits, despite the end of an eight-match winning run in all competitions. The Chelsea head coach has insisted all along that his young side lack the experience and pedigree to sustain a title challenge with Liverpool. His argument gained credence here but Everton, he asserted, provided a valuable learning curve for a team that failed to score in a Premier League game for the first time since the opening day. Continue reading...