Kyle Shanahan was confident the San Francisco 49ers could compete with the Philadelphia Eagles in the AFC Championship game despite the loss of quarterback Brock Purdy.

The rookie QB was forced off at the end of the 49ers first drive with an elbow injury after his throwing arm was hit by Eagles edge-rusher Haason Reddick, leading to the introduction of fourth-stringer Josh Johnson.

More bad luck followed for the 49ers though, with Johnson ruled out due to the concussion protocol and Purdy reintroduced, albeit unable to throw deep passes, in an eventual 31-7 loss.

However, Shanahan felt the team had hope of a comeback until the final Eagles touchdown that led to a three-score lead.

"I don't think we're numb, the guys were up for the challenge. The defence was playing really well, we thought Josh was going to go in there, execute our plan and give us a chance," he told reporters.

"We felt confident coming out in the third quarter, but in that opening drive we lost our last quarterback.

"After that, we were inspired watching our defence, down two scores, we thought we could run the ball well enough and generate some stuff, hopefully get a turnover the other side, but we didn't move the chains enough and once they got that third score, it was really tough to catch up.

"The guys are pretty down in there, we were really excited for today and for the opportunity to play that team. They played great, they did good things, but we wish we had a better opportunity than what we did today."

A controversial incident in the first quarter was a fourth-down conversion for the Eagles in a 29-yard pass to Devonta Smith, which he appeared to drop on closer inspection of the replays.

Questions have been asked as to why Shanahan did not challenge the on-field decision, though there was a simple explanation.

"The replays we saw didn't definitively show that [the catch was dropped]," he explained.

"I was going to throw one anyway, to take the chance, but they showed one on the scoreboard that didn't have all the angles that you guys saw and it looked like a catch. We didn't want to waste a timeout.

"We definitely would have [challenged] if we hadn't had seen that. Then I heard they got a couple of angles and you ended up seeing later than it's not a catch."

Brock Purdy has "no idea" on the full extent of the elbow injury that saw his influence in the NFC Championship game severely limited.

The rookie quarterback threw just four passes in the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles, two of which came on the opening drive before he exited the game due to injury.

Unable to throw on the sidelines, Purdy was not set to go back in, but the 49ers had their hand forced when 4th-string QB Josh Johnson was ruled out in concussion protocol after hitting his head on the ground.

That led to Purdy's reintroduction to the game, but the 49ers had their passing game off the cards, with only two short completions through the air for the remainder of the contest.

Speaking after the game, Purdy confirmed he will have an MRI on Monday to find out the severity of the problem.

"I was throwing after the hit on the sidelines just to see where I was at but even in those throws it was painful. I couldn't throw anything over five-to-ten yards, so that's why we just had some screens," he told reporters.

"I told him [Kyle Shanahan] right there if we run a play, I can't throw deep. It's hurting really bad. If we're going to get a complete, it has to be something short, if that's alright.

"It felt stretched out, I felt a lot of shocks from my elbow down to my wrist. I have no idea, I'll have an MRI tomorrow. It's swollen in the forearm area."

Purdy also said he felt sorry for the more experienced teammates on the team following the loss, though Fred Warner made it clear he was the reason the team progressed so far this season.

"He has nothing to be sad about. He's the reason we even got to this game," he said.

"When Jimmy [Garoppolo] went down against the Dolphins, we didn't know what our season would be. He did a heck of a job."

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni declared his side as boasting "the most physical defense in this league" after manhandling the banged-up San Francisco 49ers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

The 49ers were held to just one scoring drive in the 31-7 demolition, as starting quarterback Brock Purdy and backup Josh Johnson were both knocked out of the game after absorbing hits from the Eagles' defensive line.

Purdy had his throwing arm hit by edge-rusher Haason Reddick halfway through the first quarter, forcing a fumble and causing an elbow injury that forced the talented rookie to watch from the sidelines.

However, Purdy was then called upon to re-enter the game early in the third period after Johnson was hit by hulking defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and slammed the back of his head against the turf, resulting in a concussion.

Purdy's elbow was clearly restricting his ability to throw the ball, attempting only two passes on the 49ers' final three drives as they trailed by multiple scores.

Overall, the Eagles' defense held the 49ers to 83 passing yards and 81 rushing yards, making a statement against a San Francisco side who boasted what was considered the league's best defense coming into the contest.

During his postgame media appearance, quarterback Jalen Hurts agreed the 49ers had "the best defense in the league" but gave a shout-out to Reddick for his game-wrecking dominance after also collecting two sacks.

"They played a really good game, they have a really good coach," he said. "I've always talked about that, he does a really good job with them, especially the guys up front.

"We ran the ball really well, and I think they didn't give us many opportunities to take shots down the field – we had some one-on-one shots, hit or miss – but we kind of took what they gave us, it ended up being one of those games.

"We put ourselves in this position. There are definitely things out there that we're going to learn from, but this team played a hell of a game today.

"Haason Reddick – he's been a bad dude all year. That's what we need going forward."

He added: "We're going to the Super Bowl. We put a lot of work in to have this opportunity, and to be here, it's a moment we want to enjoy as a team. 

"Reflecting on everything we've been able to overcome to have this opportunity in front of us – we want to take advantage of it.

"The atmosphere tonight was amazing, the fans showed up. The energy, all of it, we need to bring that to [Arizona]."

Speaking during the NFC Championship trophy presentation, Sirianni credited his defense for the one-sided nature of the matchup.

"This defense just keeps coming to work every single day, and killing it," he said. "This is the most physical defense in this league.

"[Defensive coordinator] Jonathan Gannon did a great job, the leaders on our defensive line where it all starts did a great job, our secondary, linebackers – I mean, it was great team defense. 11 as one, and they competed with one heartbeat tonight."

In the immediate aftermath following the final whistle, Sirianni discussed how it is every football player's lifelong dream to play in the Super Bowl.

"Obviously this is something you dream about as a kid," he said. "All these guys on our team have dreamt about this their entire lives, too. 

"So, to be able to do this together with a group of men who love each other, who are connected to each other, who would do anything for each other is pretty sweet. 

"You see this city and the passion they have for this team. We're so appreciative of these fans. Look at this place – there's no place like this in the NFL. 

"It's a hard-working city, a blue-collar city, and we tend to think that's the type of team we have with the guys we have on the O-line, D-line, but it doesn't stop at O-line, D-line. 

"We've got tough guys everywhere, guys who give it up for each other everywhere."

It will be the Eagles' fourth Super Bowl appearance, where they will be seeking their second championship after Nick Foles led the franchise to their first in 2018.

Roger Federer hailed Novak Djokovic's 10th Australian Open title as an "incredible" feat as the Serbian joined Rafael Nadal on 22 singles grand slams.

Although Federer became the first man to reach 20 majors when he took the 2018 Australian Open title, the Swiss great could not add to that tally before retiring last September and has been overtaken by his two greatest rivals.

With Nadal struggling to stay fit and build up form, it appears Djokovic is the most likely man to add to his haul and finish his career as the outright most successful man in grand slam history.

"Incredible effort, again! Many congratulations," Federer wrote in an Instagram story, acclaiming Djokovic's straight-sets win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday's final at Melbourne Park.

Djokovic's Professional Tennis Players Association co-founder Vasek Pospisil described the Serbian as the tennis "man of steel". Fellow ATP Tour stars Denis Shapovalov and Holger Rune also sent messages of praise on social media to Djokovic, as did Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt.

The Dallas Cowboys will have a new look offensively next season after ownership and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore mutually agreed to part ways.

The move was reported on Sunday, one week after the Cowboys struggled offensively in a 19-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in a Divisional round game.

Head coach Mike McCarthy will reportedly take over play-calling duties from Moore, who had one year remaining on his contract and had been the Cowboys' offensive coordinator since 2019.

Under Moore, Dallas led the NFL in total yards in 2019 and 2021 and also had the league's top-ranked scoring offense last season at 31.2 points per game.

The Cowboys finished the 2022 regular season ranked fourth in the NFL in scoring (27.5 points per game) and 11th in total offense (354.9 yards per game), but the team managed just 282 total yards and one touchdown in the loss to the 49ers.

Dak Prescott threw two interceptions in that defeat after leading the league with a career-worst 15 picks.

The defeat at San Francisco marked another disappointing ending to a season for a Cowboys team who once again suffered an early playoff exit. Dallas have not advanced past the Divisional round of the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl following the 1995 season.

Roma are targeting a solution to their Nicolo Zaniolo crisis before Tuesday's transfer deadline after the winger was "not very happy" about the prospect of joining Bournemouth.

The Italy international was strongly linked with Tottenham earlier this month; however, Antonio Conte subsequently signed Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villarreal as a solution to his wide attacking midfield needs.

Bournemouth subsequently emerged as frontrunners, with the team third from bottom of the Premier League seeing Zaniolo as a player who could help them to safety in their first campaign back in the top flight.

Reports suggested Roma and Bournemouth had reached an agreement on a deal worth an initial £26.3million (€30m), but it appears Zaniolo is not sold on the idea of joining the English south-coast club.

Roma head coach Jose Mourinho has expressed major frustration over Zaniolo asking to leave and then stalling when the opportunity arose, saying it "unfortunately" seemed the 23-year-old would end up staying with the Giallorossi.

When asked about firm opportunities to sell Zaniolo, Roma general manager Tiago Pinto said on Sunday: "I have no problem answering this question, everyone understood what happened.

"Zaniolo asked to be sold, and together with the agent we found a solution. We succeeded, but now Nicolo is not very happy with the solution that has arrived, and obviously we are all in a bit of difficulty."

Last season saw Zaniolo score the only goal of the inaugural Europa Conference League final, as Roma beat Feyenoord, yet his time at the Stadio Olimpico may be up.

Speaking to DAZN, Pinto said Roma would not be able to buy a player to take Zaniolo's place before sealing the sale of the former Inter youth-team player.

He, too, is frustrated by Zaniolo's stalling on a transfer, with time at a premium.

"We found this solution following a request from the player and, as you know, with all the limits that we have with financial fair play we are not exactly a company that can yield to Zaniolo's no and take on other players," Pinto said.

"We are always bound by those limits. Now we have another 48 hours, let's see what happens. I don't want to dwell on this issue, it is really a difficult situation for us."

Liverpool wanted a fresh start in 2023 but Andrew Robertson says the Reds have been "nowhere near good enough" this season and played "worse" since the World Cup.

The Scotland international captained Jurgen Klopp's side at Brighton and Hove Albion as Kauro Mitoma's last-minute strike dumped the FA Cup holders out in the fourth round.

Liverpool had taken the lead through Harvey Elliot before Lewis Dunk's fortuitous first-half equaliser paved the way for Mitoma's deserved late winner in Sunday's 2-1 triumph.

Klopp's men are out of both domestic cups and sit only ninth in the Premier League, having won just eight of their opening 19 top-flight games.

Having lost nine times already in 31 outings across all competitions this campaign, Robertson bemoaned Liverpool's abject performances that have continued after the World Cup break.

"This season has been nowhere near good enough," Robertson told ITV Sport.

"At the start of the year, we wanted a fresh start, but that hasn't happened – we've been worse. In the league, we haven't been good enough and now we're out of both cups."

The Reds' downfall may have appeared somewhat of a surprise after falling narrowly short of an unprecedented quadruple last term.

Liverpool missed out in the Champions League final to Real Madrid and saw Manchester City secure the Premier League title on the last day of the season, though they lifted the FA Cup and EFL Cup.

Sadio Mane's sale to Bayern Munich and Roberto Firmino's diminishing role should be factored in, while Mohamed Salah has failed to hit his usual lofty heights after scoring just nine goals in 19 league games.

Luis Diaz has been out injured after a promising first campaign at Anfield and signings Darwin Nunez and Cody Gapko are still settling in, yet Robertson struggled to explain why Liverpool continue to falter.

The left-back added: "It's really disappointing. You can't put your finger on one thing that's gone wrong. It's more than that. It's about trying to put a performance together where all these things click and that's proving difficult right now.

"You can tell we're not as confident in front of goal, and defensively we're still a wee bit open in certain areas.

"We were on the back of two clean sheets, which was positive, but today, two disappointing goals and they had a couple of big chances as well.

"We need to try and get the confidence back. It's easier said than done but that's the only way we can pick up results. You have to be able to score goals and you have to be able to keep clean sheets.

"We're not managing that just now and we need to do it. We keep saying that and it doesn't help the fans. I feel sorry for them, the way we're putting on a show for them just now.

"We let them down again and we're obviously disappointed to be falling out of the cup."

Christophe Galtier insisted he was not worried with Paris Saint-Germain's poor form since the return to action after the World Cup.

Folarin Balogun's last-gasp equaliser for Reims at the Parc des Princes on Sunday left the defending champions with just one win from their past four Ligue 1 matches.

PSG's lead at the summit has been reduced to just three points as a result, a gap that could have been even less had Lens and Marseille not also been held to a draw on Saturday.

Galtier's side have a quick turnaround before Wednesday's trip to Montpellier and he is pushing for a response from his squad.

"Worried no, disappointed yes. We are not going to hide behind the post-World Cup calendar," he said after the match.

"It's been a few weeks since our performances were not at the same level as in the first part of the season. We must work, we must find solutions, and reconnect.

"A crisis of confidence? I don't think so. Maybe a crisis of complacency, all the demands we had.

"It went haywire for different reasons. It's hard to restart. I have high-level players who cannot accept to be at this level since the beginning of 2023."

With just a few days remaining until the mid-season transfer window slams shut, Galtier confirmed the club intend to be active in order to bolster the squad.

"There are 48 hours left. The club is working on the arrival of at least one player. There are significant constraints with financial fair play," he added.

"We want reinforcement. Will it happen? I don't know. We cannot hide behind the absence of a player. We have quality players in the squad. Everyone must find their level very quickly."

Jose Mourinho claimed Roma suffered an "unfair" defeat to runaway Serie A leaders Napoli as he saluted both his team and the rival side he is convinced will win the Scudetto.

Head coach Mourinho could not get the better of opposite number Luciano Spalletti, whose Napoli players sit 13 points clear at the top of the table after 20 games.

Sixth-placed Roma would have moved level on points with Inter, who sit second, had they got the win at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Victor Osimhen converted Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's cross in stunning style to give Napoli a 17th-minute lead, but Roma levelled up in the 75th minute through Stephan El Shaarawy.

Yet Mourinho's visitors could not hang on for a point, with Giovanni Simeone firing an 86th-minute winner when he took on a short pass from Piotr Zielinski and was allowed to turn inside the penalty area before firing powerfully into the right corner.

Mourinho said: “From the first minute we played well. The team were always in control, we pressed very hard, we defended well.

"Napoli suffered, we are the team that scared them most. The stadium seemed empty, and beyond the negative result I leave here more confident.

"Sometimes football is unfair, the team that deserves more loses. Sometimes we won without deserving it, tonight they [Roma] deserved to win. I told the boys that we must be sad for the defeat, but calmly see you on Wednesday at the Olimpico."

Roma face Cremonese in midweek in a Coppa Italia quarter-final.

"Today we saw that Napoli are very good and have the champion's star," Mourinho told DAZN. "I have won eight championships, I know what it means to have the star that lights up for you. The championship will definitely be theirs."

Mourinho saw plenty to admire about Napoli striker Osimhen, but warned the Nigerian striker would have to change his game if he ever goes to the Premier League.

"Osimhen is very strong, he's difficult to mark, he's a top player, but if he goes to England he has to change because they'll kill him," Mourinho said. "Certain attitudes are accepted in Italy."

Napoli boss Spalletti said determination was key to his team's success.

"They're delicate matches and those who have played have done so with the right attitude," Spalletti said.

His team's lead is the largest by any team at this stage of a Serie A season since 1994-95, when the three points for a win era began.

Osimhen's opener was a special strike, with the striker controlling the ball on his chest, then taking a touch with his knee, before rifling an unstoppable shot into the top-right corner.

"There is technical quality, there is personality," Spalletti told DAZN. "He is a physically strong player and it becomes difficult to get at him."

Carlo Ancelotti hailed a "complete" Real Madrid performance as "one of the best of the season" despite a goalless LaLiga draw with Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Madrid sit five points behind leaders Barcelona after failing to breach Imanol Alguacil's defence in a largely one-sided encounter at Santiago Bernabeu.

La Real goalkeeper Alex Remiro thwarted a dominant Madrid with seven saves, the most he has managed in a LaLiga game this season, including three fine stops against the energetic Vinicius Junior.

Head coach Ancelotti was "satisfied" with his side's showing, though, as third-placed La Real held on for a precious point that kept them just three behind Madrid, having played a game more.

He said: "It was a shame because we played very well and we deserved to win. We played a complete game, one of the best of the season, but we didn't have any luck.

"The team is improving and growing and physically we are much better. Now the injured return and we have confidence for the coming months. 

"We have done very well with and without the ball and all we had to do was score, we came so close but it is a draw. I am satisfied because the team has played very well."

The majority of Madrid's attacking threat came through Vinicius, who attempted 21 dribbles – the most by one player in a single LaLiga match since Opta began recording in the 2005-06 season.

Dani Ceballos impressed in a rare start in the Madrid midfield, while Eduardo Camavinga showed his versatility in a fine performance at left-back.

"We pushed the 90 minutes to the fullest with great intensity, Real Sociedad has not played as they like because we pressed well up top," Ancelotti added.

"The extra time of the Copa del Rey [a 3-1 quarter-final win over Atletico Madrid on Thursday] was not noticed, we have had a high intensity for the 90 minutes.

"It was difficult to make changes because nobody deserved to leave the field, the team was playing well and I did not want to change the dynamics. 

"Ceballos and [Federico] Valverde played very well. [Camavinga] did well, he is an option because of his quality and his energy. He is not used to playing there and with Vinicius they created many chances.

"The game was good but if you don't score... now we are five points behind and we have to chase."

Madrid will hope to make up ground on Xavi's Barca when they host top-four chasers Valencia on Thursday.

The Philadelphia Eagles advanced to their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history after a dominant NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers, who were hampered by injuries to Brock Purdy and backup Josh Johnson.

A big 31-7 victory was never really in doubt as the luckless 49ers dealt with yet more injury misfortune in the biggest game of their season.

Already without quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, surprise rookie star Purdy – the final pick in the 2022 draft – left the game at the end of the team's opening drive after a Haason Reddick strip sack saw his right elbow injured.

Johnson unconvincingly came in for Purdy, only to be ruled out after his head hit the ground and he was checked for a concussion. Purdy returned but was clearly limited, seemingly unable to throw the ball as the 49ers' season ended in frustrating fashion.

Miles Sanders had wandered straight up the middle for the opening touchdown, but the 49ers then kept the Eagles in check following Purdy's injury and levelled the game via a remarkable 23-yard Christian McCaffrey TD as he ran through a series of tackles.

The contrast of those two scores epitomised the game for these two teams, however, and Sanders again found a gap to restore the Eagles' lead.

Boston Scott ran in another and, with Purdy repeatedly handing the ball off to a stifled 49er rushing offense, Jalen Hurts also forced his way into the endzone to build an unassailable lead.

Early chaos benefits Eagles

No team scored more points on their opening offensive possessions in the regular season than the Eagles, but the drive that led to Sanders' early TD set in motion a manic first quarter. It included a 29-yard pass for a fourth down conversion that replays showed Devonta Smith appeared to drop. That was not spotted until after play resumed.

The 49ers had already seen Fred Warner take a trip to the blue tent, and Purdy's injury was not their last of the quarter as Nick Bosa was wiped out on the sideline. Meanwhile, Johnson came in for Purdy and was likewise promptly run over by the relentless Reddick.

An unforgettable quarter ended with the Eagles claiming – unsuccessfully – a punt had hit an overhead wire. The 49ers started the second quarter with the ball, their fourth-string QB and a 7-0 deficit.

Running to the Super Bowl

The 49ers paid the price both for their injuries and a sequence of understandably frustrated penalties, but there was also a complete mismatch in the run game.

While this should have been a close call between the Eagles' most successful run offense and the 49ers' second-most successful run defense, four TDs on the ground saw Philly set a single-season record across the regular season and postseason, improving to 39 rushing scores for the year.

The NBA referees' official Twitter account apologised for a "gut-wrenching" mistake after a decisive last-minute officiating error cost the Los Angeles Lakers against the Boston Celtics.

With the score tied at 105-105, LeBron James was smacked on his shooting arm at the rim by Jayson Tatum as the Lakers star went for glory with under five seconds remaining on the clock.

The four-time MVP and four-time NBA Finals MVP would fall short with his attempted drive before the Celtics snatched a 125-121 triumph in overtime.

James, Anthony Davis and the entire Lakers bench erupted at the last-gasp call, with Patrick Beverley issued a technical foul after bringing over a camera to referee Eric Lewis to review the decision.

Davis said Los Angeles were "cheated", while James expressed confusion at the clear error and the NBA referees took to social media to apologise on Sunday.

"Like everyone else, referees make mistakes. We made one at the end of last night's game and that is gut-wrenching for us," the official account wrote.

"This play will weigh heavily and cause sleepless nights as we strive to be the best referees we can be."

The apology may prove little consolation for James, whose 41 points on Saturday in Boston proved in vain.

Defeat saw the Lakers fall to 23-27, sitting 13th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference ahead of four road games in the coming week.

Los Angeles will look to bounce back at the Brooklyn Nets on Monday without James and Davis after the Lakers confirmed the pair would be absent on the first night of their back-to-back.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been ruled out of the Los Angeles Lakers' game at the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

James is dealing with left ankle soreness, while Davis has a right foot stress injury, the team confirmed the day before the game.

Both men played in Saturday's overtime loss to the Boston Celtics, in which James scored 41 points.

For James, his absence in Brooklyn may well mean a historic NBA moment comes in front of a home crowd in Los Angeles.

The four-time MVP now has 38,271 career regular season points, putting him just 116 behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record.

Averaging 30.2 points per game this season, James would only require four more games to pass Abdul-Jabbar at his current rate of scoring.

The Lakers have four games in this coming week – all on the road.

After that, the Lakers return to Staples Center on February 7 to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game in which James will likely be targeting the record.