Manchester City kept up the pressure on their title rivals and Kevin de Bruyne hit his 100th goal for the club in their 4-2 victory at Crystal Palace.

There had been doubts about whether or not the Belgian or Erling Haaland would be in the starting line-up for the lunchtime kick-off at Selhurst Park, where the in-form Jean-Philippe Mateta fired the hosts in front three minutes after kick-off.

De Bruyne drew the sides level moments later, and City took the lead for the first time less than two minutes after the restart via Rico Lewis’ second Premier League goal before De Bruyne set up Haaland for City’s third.

De Bruyne then added another with a solo effort to make it a century of goals for City in the 70th minute.

Palace substitute Odsonne Edouard clawed one back late on, and while Pep Guardiola’s men looked to pad what could be vital scoring statistics at the end of the season, they could not find a fifth in seven minutes of second-half stoppage time.

With safety all but secured, perhaps the more interesting proposition for Palace is now how they might affect the title chase.

Arsenal and City will be keeping their eye on the south Londoners, who travel to Liverpool next weekend.

Mateta gave the home support – as well as the Gunners and Liverpool – something to smile about with a low strike that clipped the inside of the far post before crossing over for the opener.

January signing Adam Wharton, who earned the assist, next tried setting up Eberechi Eze but overpowered the pass before City broke back and tested Dean Henderson with efforts from Julian Alvarez and Rodri, the latter calling the Palace shot-stopper into a particularly fine punch.

There was little Henderson could do to stop De Bruyne, who curled into the top right corner for a brilliant finish to draw the sides level in the 13th minute.

Palace replied with determination, enjoying another spell inside City’s final third, and the frenetic pace finally ebbed as the visitors took control and piled on the pressure.

Haaland, through on goal, forced Henderson into a save and Alvarez sent an effort wide, though it was Jordan Ayew who came closest to altering the scoreline before the break after he picked the pocket of Rodri, holding his head in his hands after watching his powerful effort clip the crossbar.

The Eagles wanted a penalty when Josko Gvardiol barged into Eze on the stroke of half-time, and while referee Paul Tierney brushed off their protests, the home support had plenty to cheer about their side’s performance in the first period.

Lewis took the wind out of their sails less than two minutes after the restart, bringing down Jack Grealish’s cross, his shot from near the penalty spot taking a slight deflection off Jefferson Lerma before going in.

More chances came City’s way, first through Alvarez then Grealish from a corner and De Bruyne before the hour mark before De Bruyne and Haaland combined for the visitors’ third.

It took just four minutes more for De Bruyne to bag his brace, drilling past Henderson to pad City’s lead in the 70th minute, after which Palace boss Oliver Glasner introduced a host of substitutes including Michael Olise, who had not played since Palace’s 4-1 loss to Brighton on February 3.

He set up fellow substitute Edouard for a golden chance, and after squandering the initial opportunity he made up for the miss when he poked past Ortega in the 86th minute.

Grealish wanted more with a late chance in second-half stoppage time but sent his effort over. 

Adelaise pulled out all the stops in the Virgin Bet Daily Price Boosts Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes to give Joseph O’Brien a raiding winner at Kempton on Saturday.

The five-year-old produced some consistent performances in several competitive heats last term, but finally secured a valuable black type victory in the hands of William Buick at the Sunbury track.

Sent off the 100-30 second favourite for the one-mile Listed event, Adelaise was ridden along by her pilot with two furlongs to run, but soon hit top gear as she began a ding-dong battle to the line with 5-2 market leader Choisya.

There was little to separate the two protagonists inside the final half furlong, but the Irish challenger got her head in front where it mattered most to make O’Brien’s first UK Flat runner of the year a winning one.

Buick said: “She was a bit in my hands early and a bit fresh, but she was always in a nice rhythm and I attacked early in the straight.

“We didn’t go overly quick and I knew she would stay all the way to the line. She definitely got headed, so she had to show true grit. I think a mile is her trip and she may get a little bit further, but we will see.

“I’ve ridden a winner for Joseph before and it’s nice to get a call-up from him – he doesn’t come over here for nothing.

“I think this was very important for both her and connections to get that valuable black type against her name and hopefully there will be a bit of improvement to come for the rest of the season.”

Last year’s winner Pic D’Orhy, Ryanair Chase hero Protektorat and Cheltenham Festival absentee Jonbon are among 13 entries for the My Pension Expert Melling Chase at Aintree on Friday.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Pic D’Orhy was a decisive winner of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One 12 months ago and has deliberately been saved for the defence of his crown since claiming the notable scalp of L’Homme Presse in the Ascot Chase in February.

Dan Skelton, who is challenging his former mentor for the champion trainer title this season, entered Protektorat for Thursday’s Aintree Bowl over three miles but has also given him the option of sticking to a shorter distance the following day.

Nicky Henderson’s crack two miler Jonbon sidestepped the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham during what was a tough week for the Seven Barrows team and will therefore be fresher than some on what will be his first attempt at this trip.

The Willie Mullins-trained Easy Game, Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge, Gordon Elliott’s pair of Ash Tree Meadow and Conflated and the Henry de Bromhead-trained duo of Envoi Allen and Jungle Boogie are all possible challengers from Ireland.

Elixir De Nutz (Joe Tizzard), Funambule Sivola (Venetia Williams), Minella Drama (Donald McCain) and Thunder Rock (Olly Murphy) are the other contenders.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero Slade Steel is the potential star attraction in the Trustatrader Top Novices’ Hurdle.

De Bromhead’s charge is one of 21 contenders for the Grade One contest and part of a formidable Irish contingent that also includes Elliott’s mare Brighterdaysahead and Supreme second Mystical Power, who leads a five-strong Mullins squad.

Caldwell Potter, bought for €740,000 out of Elliott’s yard for an ownership group which includes Sir Alex Ferguson, is pencilled in to make his debut for Nicholls in the same race, while Cheltenham Festival heroine Golden Ace (Jeremy Scott) and unbeaten mare Dysart Enos (Fergal O’Brien) also feature.

The opening Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase is similarly strong, with Grey Dawning (Skelton), Corbetts Cross (Emmet Mullins), Inothewayurthinkin (Gavin Cromwell) and Chianti Classico (Kim Bailey) all potentially bidding to follow up Cheltenham Festival success.

The fourth and final Grade One on the card is the Cavani Sartorial Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, which features the Albert Bartlett one-two of Stellar Story (Elliott) and The Jukebox Man (Ben Pauling).

Motherwell have expressed concern “for the welfare of all players” after their cinch Premiership game at Dundee was given the go-ahead following a second pitch inspection on Saturday.

The state of the Dundee pitch has been under intense scrutiny amid heavy rainfall in Scotland, and with the Dark Blues having had four home games postponed due to a waterlogged pitch this term.

After an 11am pitch inspection proved inconclusive, the match referee passed the surface fit for play two hours later with the game set to start at 3pm as planned.

“We can confirm that following a second pitch inspection this afternoon, our cinch Premiership match against Dundee is on,” Motherwell said in a club statement.

“Whilst we are pleased with the outcome of the second pitch inspection, we remain strongly sympathetic to all travelling supporters due to the uncertainty around today’s fixture.

“For those who are making the journey to Dundee, the club would like to extend a personal thank you for your dedication and understanding.

“We are also deeply concerned for the welfare of all players ahead of this match, despite the referee assuring that he is happy that this won’t be an issue.”

A Dundee statement had read: “Following the 1pm pitch inspection the match referee has passed the pitch and the match will kick off at 3pm as expected.

“A massive thank you to club staff, contractors and wonderful volunteers who all played their part to make sure today’s match went ahead.

“We look forward to seeing a great Dundee support at The Scot Foam Stadium at 3pm.”

Motherwell chief executive Brian Caldwell had voiced his concerns about the Dundee pitch this week.

Caldwell had called for the Scottish Professional Football League to postpone the Premiership’s post-split fixtures should the game be called off.

Motherwell have two games remaining before the split, with their final fixture coming at home to Hibernian next Saturday.

The SPFL had been working on various contingency measures should the game be called off, with Caldwell revealing plans included delaying the game to Sunday or Monday or even playing it behind closed doors at Airdrie.

Caldwell had said: “Our position is quite clear, we play Saturday at Dens or we reschedule the game for another time and if that means the post-split fixtures are delayed then so be it.”

Dundee are due to host Rangers on Wednesday in a rescheduled clash that was contentiously called off 90 minutes before kick-off last month.

Losing Saturday’s fixture would have left the SPFL with little room for manoeuvre in terms of fitting in any further games before the post-split schedule is confirmed later this month.

Il Est Francais lost his unbeaten record over fences after trailing home a bitterly disappointing last of five in the Grade Two Prix Murat at Auteuil.

Trained in France by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, the six-year-old was thoroughly impressive in winning his first three starts over the larger obstacles, with back-to-back wins at Auteuil followed by a brilliant front-running victory in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Connections soon ruled out a return to Britain for the Cheltenham Festival, instead electing to remain on home soil for the time being, with a tilt at next month’s Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris – the French equivalent of the Cheltenham Gold Cup – top of his agenda.

Il Est Francais was unsurprisingly prohibitive odds to make a successful return from just over three months off the track and with the extra mile of the Grand Steep perhaps in mind, James Reveley switched to more patient tactics, initially attempting to settle his mount at the rear of the five-strong field.

The Yorkshireman eventually gave Il Est Francais his head and allowed him to stride in front, but the petrol tank quickly ran to empty on straightening up for home and he had almost stopped to a walk by the time he clambered over the final fence.

Reveley allowed his mount to coast home from there on in as Youtwo Glass narrowly denied the George and Zetterholm second string Gallipoli victory in a driving finish.

Paddy Twomey is likely to have a clearer idea about Deepone’s potential ambitions for the rest of the season after he makes his return in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday.

The Study Of Man colt finished off his juvenile campaign in fine style, winning the Group Two Beresford Stakes by a length and threequarters at the Curragh in September, his third success from five starts.

Prior to that, he came home fourth behind Diego Velazquez in the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown and was runner-up in the Churchill Stakes at Tipperary.

Deepone, who holds big-race entries in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the Derby at Epsom, will take a step up in trip on his three-year-old debut for this recognised Classic trial over 10 furlongs, won previously by the likes of Galileo, High Chaparral, Fame And Glory and Harzand.

“He’s wintered well and I think it’s a good place to start,” said Twomey.

“He has a 5lb penalty for his win in the Beresford Stakes last season, but we’re looking forward to running him on Sunday.

“I think stepping up in trip will play to his strengths, I think a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half should be well within his compass.”

Aidan O’Brien has three entries as he goes in search of a 12th Ballysax success, including Illinois, a soft-ground scorer at the Curragh before finishing third behind stablemate Los Angeles in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

Ocean Of Dreams made a huge impression on his racecourse debut at this track in October, romping home by six lengths on heavy going, while The Euphrates obliged on his second outing at Gowran Park when the mud was flying.

The field is completed by Dallas Star, with the Amo Racing-owned Zetland Stakes third making his first start for Adrian Murray after moving from the yard of Dominic Ffrench Davis.

Twomey has another promising three-year-old making a seasonal debut on the same card as A Lilac Rolla contests the Group Three Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” Stakes.

A filly by Harry Angel, A Lilac Rolla enjoyed a brief but flawless juvenile season, winning on her July debut at Cork before taking a Curragh fillies’ race by a head from Opera Singer the following month.

That form could hardly have worked out better, as Opera Singer went on to win the Group Three Newtownanner Stud Stakes by six and a half lengths and then the elite-level Prix Marcel Boussac by five lengths.

“She had a good year last year, she won her maiden and then she won her next race in good style,” Twomey said.

“She beat a very good filly in Opera Singer, she’s wintered well and is ready to start.

“The ground conditions may not be ideal but she’s in a good place and this is a good starting point for the season ahead.

“It was a good race (the Curragh race), she’s done well all winter and we’re looking forward to getting her started.”

Elsewhere in the seven-furlongs contest, there are four Ballydoyle runners in Buttons, Cherry Blossom, Greenfinch and Sweetest, with Donnacha O’Brien set to saddle Mysteries.

Joseph Murphy has entered Alpheratz, Jim Bolger is represented by Finsceal Luas and the field is completed by Natalia Lupini’s Kitty Rose, Noel Meade’s Money Dancer, Ger Lyons’ Wendla and the Alice Haynes-trained British raider Lexington Belle.

The other Group Three on the card is the Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” Stakes, which features Aidan O’Brien’s trio of Battle Cry, Samuel Colt and The Liffey, as well as Joseph O’Brien’s course and distance winner Atlantic Coast, plus Jack Davison’s dominant Madrid Handicap winner Take Me To Church.

Sunway will be out to keep Classic dreams alive when he returns to action in the Prix la Force at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.

David Menuisier’s colt highlighted his ability right from the beginning of his two-year-old campaign and although fluffing his lines in the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot, was back to his best when second in a soft-ground Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September.

He ended the season by striking at the highest level in Saint-Cloud’s Criterium International and it is no surprise the son of Galiway heads back to France for the first outing of his Classic season in the hands of regular big-race pilot Oisin Murphy.

“The horse seems well and he had a stretch of the legs at Kempton the other day and we were very pleased with him,” said Menuisier.

“He’s in a good place for a first run and we will be keeping our fingers crossed.

“It is famous last words, but the ground shouldn’t be an issue. It will be hard on the horses but we feel ours goes on it quite good and the trip shouldn’t be a problem, so we go there quite positive.”

Sunway holds an entry for the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in early May, but Menuisier would like to keep treading a continental path with his star colt, with a return to his homeland for the French Derby at Chantilly high up on the three-year-old’s list of priorities.

“Later down the line, we would like to aim at the Prix du Jockey Club, but we need to take races one by one, obviously,” he added.

“We could drop back in trip to run in one of the Guineas or we could go up in trip to run in a Derby trial next month. It will all depend on what happens this weekend and what Oisin and the owners think – and then we will take it from there.”

There is plenty of British interest in the French capital on Sunday afternoon and Charlie Appleby’s one-time Derby hopeful Military Order will continue his recovery mission in the Prix d’Harcourt.

A winner of three of his first four starts, the son of Frankel was sent off at 9-2 when disappointing at Epsom last summer.

Another failure at Chester followed, but having been gelded over the winter, he has produced two encouraging displays on the all-weather, landing the Winter Derby at Southwell most recently.

Rivals in the 10-furlong Group Two include Grand Prix de Paris winner Feed The Flame and Patrice Cottier’s multiple winner and Champion Stakes third Horizon Dore, with Military Order one of two Godolphin candidates alongside Andre Fabre’s Birr Castle.

“Military Order goes into this in good shape on the back of his Winter Derby success,” Appleby told www.godolphin.com.

“Conditions will be testing in Paris, although he handled soft ground at Newbury last season.”

Karl Burke’s Molten Rock will attempt to build on her encouraging third in Newmarket’s Montrose Stakes on her return to action in the Group Three Prix Vanteaux, while both Jack Channon’s Gather Ye Rosebuds and Kevin Philippart De Foy’s Ermesinde will take part in the Listed Prix Zarkava.

Leopardstown’s high-profile meeting on Sunday, due to feature a recognised Derby trial in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, will have to pass a 7.30am inspection if it is to go ahead.

The Group Three contest has thrown up several top-class performers over the years, including three subsequent Epsom winners in Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002) and Harzand (2016).

Leopardstown is also due to stage two other Group Three events in the Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” Stakes and the Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” Stakes, but the prospect of further rain falling on already heavy ground has prompted IHRB clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer to call a morning check.

He said: “Following three millimetres of rain since declarations, the track at Leopardstown is heavy and fit for racing at present.

“According to Met Eireann, there is the potential for a further three to five millimetres of rain throughout today into tomorrow, as well as the high winds associated with Storm Kathleen today.

“Due to the current adverse weather conditions, we will have a 7.30am inspection on Sunday morning to assess the situation.”

Downpatrick’s meeting on Sunday has already been cancelled, while officials at Carlisle have announced a precautionary inspection for 7am ahead of the scheduled final day of the Go North Series Finals.

Saturday’s meeting at Uttoxeter was given the go-ahead following a morning check, but racing at the Curragh was called off due to waterlogging.

Tuesday’s Flat meeting at Navan has been called off, while Hexham’s jumps card on the same day also looks in serious doubt, with officials calling an inspection for 7.30am on Sunday.

Looking even further ahead, officials at Leicester have announced an inspection for 8am on Tuesday ahead of the track’s scheduled fixture on Friday, with the course currently waterlogged and unraceable.

Kyrie Irving credited P.J. Washington for a "spectacular" performance after the Dallas Mavericks overcame Luka Doncic's absence to halt the Golden State Warriors' six-game winning streak.

The Warriors approached Friday's trip to American Airlines Center on their best run of the season and with a chance of clinching one of the Western Conference's Play-In spots.

They needed to win and hope the 11th-placed Houston Rockets lost to the Miami Heat to clinch their top-10 seed, and though they got a favour from elsewhere with a 119-104 Miami win, they couldn't hold up their end of the bargain.

With Andrew Wiggins out due to ankle soreness and Jonathan Kuminga a late scratch with a knee injury, the Warriors found themselves facing a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Though they rallied to draw level at 106-106 through Stephen Curry's jumper with 13 seconds left, Washington capped a 32-point night with a decisive layup with just 4.5 seconds on the clock.

Dallas then held on for their 108-106 victory as Klay Thompson missed with a potential buzzer-beater, leaving Irving to heap praise on their hero Washington.

"He was spectacular," Irving said of Washington. "You could tell it was going to be a special night just based off how he started the game. 

"That's what we need, especially when we don't have certain guys in the lineup and we need that offensive firepower."

With star guard Doncic missing out due to soreness in his right knee, Washington took up the mantle by finishing 12-of-18 from the field, also adding five rebounds and three assists.

Despite the Warriors missing a chance to seal their postseason berth, head coach Steve Kerr was pleased with the way his short-handed team refused to give up the fight.

"The level of competition and unity, just the way they fought, short-handed out on a back-to-back with an older group of guys, it was just an amazing effort," Kerr said. 

"I love these guys. They're incredible. We just didn't quite have enough tonight."

The defeat represented a blow to Golden State's hopes of climbing the standings, leaving them two games back of the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers.

However, they remain four clear of Houston in 10th with three of their final five regular-season games coming at home, the first of them against the Utah Jazz on Sunday. 

Edinburgh have moved their European Challenge Cup tie against Bayonne on Saturday evening to Murrayfield due to Storm Kathleen.

The round-of-16 tie was to be played at the Hive Stadium next door to Murrayfield, but the venue has been switched because of the strong winds which are set to hit Edinburgh on Saturday.

Edinburgh said their operations team and Scottish Rugby health and safety officials had been in contact with the Met Office to discuss the impact of the yellow warning for the wind. The game’s 8pm kick-off time remains unchanged.

“The safety of our fans, players, and people is paramount,” Edinburgh Rugby managing director Douglas Struth said.

“Unfortunately, Storm Kathleen and the worsening weather forecast has meant that the only way to now play this match safely and securely is in the bigger main bowl at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.

“We’re obviously very disappointed not to be playing in our home, Hive Stadium, but I hope that people will understand.

“We know our fans love Hive Stadium, and the atmosphere we’ve built there over the past two seasons is second to none, but I’d encourage all our supporters to bring that same passion and energy to the main bowl this evening.

“There is still a lot of work to be done today to make this move happen, and there will inevitably be some compromises from our normal matchday experience.

“I’d like to thank our fans and our visitors from Bayonne in advance for their patience and understanding in that regard, as we try to make this switch as seamless as possible.

“Finally, to those fans coming this evening, please plan well ahead, take care, and travel safely.”

Worsening weather in Scotland saw several Highland League games postponed.

The cinch Premiership match between Dundee and Motherwell was also set to undergo a second pitch inspection at 1pm after an 11am check proved inconclusive.

“Following this morning’s scheduled pitch inspection the referee has deemed there will be a further inspection at 1pm this afternoon,” Dundee posted on their X account.

Saturday afternoon’s National Hunt meeting at Uttoxeter will go ahead as scheduled after the track passed a morning inspection, but racing at the Curragh has been abandoned.

If Jon Rahm needed any reassurance that his shock move to LIV Golf would not harm his chances of winning more majors, he did not need to look hard for evidence.

After starting with a four-putt double bogey in last year’s Masters, Rahm ended up battling with Brooks Koepka in the final round and ultimately finishing four shots clear of Koepka and Phil Mickelson.

With Patrick Reed another shot behind in a tie for fourth it was a strong showing for the LIV contingent, who enjoyed even more bragging rights a month later when Koepka claimed his fifth major title in the US PGA.

So while it is undeniable that Rahm’s preparations for his Masters title defence are a world away from those of 12 months ago – three PGA Tour wins in eight starts compared to contesting just five 54-hole LIV events – there is little chance of the Spaniard being written off for being unprepared.

“I came in here last year thinking the same thing about all of the LIV players, the ones that potentially could win, and they proved me wrong,” two-time US Open champion and ESPN analyst Curtis Strange admitted.

“Two or three of them played really well. So I don’t think that’s a point any more.

“I expect Rahm to be ready to go. I think, because of what Rahm’s been through a little bit the last year, going over there, he might feel that he has a little bit more to prove.

“But he’s incredibly talented, great champion at the Masters. There’s no reason why he couldn’t be champion there again this year.”

The stars certainly seemed to align for Rahm last year, his victory coming on the 40th anniversary of his idol Seve Ballesteros claiming a second win at Augusta National and on what would have been his fellow Spaniard’s 66th birthday.

It even concluded with the kind of par on the 18th of which Ballesteros would have been proud, although Rahm still insists his tee shot into the trees, which meant his ball failed to even reach the fairway, was not as terrible as it looked.

“Out of all the great things that week, a lot of people remember the four-putt and the tee shot on 18, which wasn’t as bad as people think,” Rahm said with a smile.

“What stood out to me is I had this image in my mind of how great I played all week, which I did, and then I watch the actual summary and I couldn’t help to think, man, I missed a lot more shots than I thought I did.

“I guess it is a good lesson to have in mind, right? Not only that I could play better in theory but the fact that there’s a mental lesson there, that you’re going to miss shots and you just have to figure out how to minimise the damage.

“Going back to Sunday, it’s always very difficult to put into words. Very few times do I remember in any sporting event to have so many things line up to make something so memorable for a player.

“With it being Easter, with it being Seve’s birthday, with my caddie Adam and me registering as the 49th player and being 4/9, the actual date of April 9th, being the fourth Spaniard to win it, 10th Spanish major.

“Just a lot of little things that made it so much more special than what already winning the green jacket and being the Masters champion is.”

Speaking of special memories, Rahm’s came in the early hours of the morning following his victory, when he took advantage of his new status to access parts of the clubhouse which are usually off limits.

“I was there with my dad and [wife] Kelley in the clubhouse,” he explained.

“It’s one in the morning and I said if there’s a time to maybe get away with something it’s right now, so I asked, can we go to the champions locker room because I don’t know if they’re ever going to be able to go up there again. They said yes.

“It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, to see people’s names on the lockers, to actually see the locker room.

“My dad and I walked out to the balcony looking down Magnolia Lane, what you could see of it in the pitch darkness. Somebody took a picture of my dad and I talking, me with the jacket on, and it’s one of the better pictures we have.

“I think it’s my dad’s or my mom’s WhatsApp picture, which is really cool to see, and then having Kelley up there for that as well, is special.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to recreate that again with any of them, but I’m really glad that they let us do that and they got to see the history of it.”

Dundee’s cinch Premiership meeting with Motherwell will undergo a second pitch inspection at 1pm on Saturday.

The state of the Dens Park pitch has been under intense scrutiny amid heavy rainfall in Scotland, with the Dark Blues having had four home games postponed due to a waterlogged pitch this term.

“Following this morning’s (11am) scheduled pitch inspection the referee has deemed there will be a further inspection at 1pm this afternoon,” Dundee posted on their X account.

Motherwell chief executive Brian Caldwell voiced his concerns this week, calling for the Scottish Professional Football League to postpone the Premiership’s post-split fixtures should their game at Dundee be called off.

Well have two games remaining before the split, with their final fixture coming at home to Hibernian next Saturday.

The SPFL has been working on various contingency measures should the game be called off, with Caldwell revealing plans included delaying the game to Sunday or Monday or even playing it behind closed doors at Airdrie.

Caldwell said: “Our position is quite clear, we play Saturday at Dens or we reschedule the game for another time and if that means the post-split fixtures are delayed then so be it.”

With Dundee due to host Rangers on Wednesday – in a rescheduled clash that was contentiously called off 90 minutes before kick-off last month – the SPFL would be left with little room for manoeuvre in terms of fitting in any further fixtures before the post-split schedule is confirmed later this month.

Lando Norris has dismissed suggestions from dominant Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez that they could struggle for pace in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Verstappen took pole position to continue his run of locking out the first spot on the grid so far this season, while Perez was just 0.066 seconds slower to secure his place on the front row.

Norris emerged from a pack of cars all running very similar times to take the place as best of the rest for McLaren on another Saturday where it was Red Bull who shone.

Despite a 27th qualifying one-two for the Red Bull team, both drivers were quick to point out they are not as happy with their longer race pace.

Having run with their race set-up in the final practice session ahead of qualifying, Verstappen complained: “So far, I haven’t been happy with my long runs. The pace wasn’t what I would have liked, so there’s a bit of a question mark going into tomorrow.

“Our race pace is still not too bad, but it’s not how I have been feeling in some of the races this year, last year, as comfortable, let’s say it like that.”

Perez, meanwhile, echoed the views of his team-mate: “Let’s see what we are able to do tomorrow,” he said.

“I don’t think we are looking great at the moment in our long run pace, but we’ve done some changes and hopefully that will translate into our race pace.”

However, Norris did not seem to buy the suggestions that Red Bull may have any sort of Sunday struggles.

“Obviously last year I was side by side with Max into turn one. So hopefully trying to redo that,” he said of his plans for the race.

“But it’s tricky. They’re quick. They complained about their race pace, but I don’t think they’ve had a bad race in the last four or five years, so I think they’re going to be good tomorrow.

“Of course we’ve got a lot of pressure from behind so we have to keep an eye on the mirrors. But at the same time I want to go forward and I think we have pace to stay where we are, so that’s my goal.

“That will be our target for tomorrow. But I think realistically, we’re still too far away to challenge them. They’re too quick for us. Yes, we are quicker in qualifying, but in the race, normally, they always pull away a bit more.

“So, I think we’ll be realistic. I’m always realistic when I say it. So I think our competition is with the guys behind and at the same time, I’ll do my best to push forward.”

Carlos Sainz won in Australia last time out and will start Sunday’s race fourth for Ferrari, with the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso fifth.

Oscar Piastri was sixth-fastest in the second McLaren, while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are down in seventh and ninth respectively – with Mercedes later fined 5,000 euros for an unsafe pit-lane release of Russell.

Charles Leclerc is sandwiched between the pair, with home favourite Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top 10.

Tsunoda scraped into the final session, eliminating RB team-mate Daniel Ricciardo at the end of Q2 to the roar of the Suzuka crowd.

Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon also failed to make it through and will start 12-15th, respectively.

Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu were knocked out in Q1.