Brentford boss Thomas Frank has backed Phil Foden as the England player most likely to be crowned Ballon d’Or winner.

The 23-year-old scored a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Brentford earlier this month and the Bees manager was wary of a repeat showing ahead of Tuesday’s meeting between the sides at the Etihad Stadium.

Brentford were the last team to beat the defending Premier League champions at their Etihad home, Ivan Toney scoring the late winner in a 2-1 triumph in November 2022.

And they briefly led Pep Guardiola’s side again at the Gtech Stadium 14 days ago before Foden took over to steal the show with three well-taken strikes.

With 15 goals in 35 games so far in all competitions Foden is one short of his best scoring season for City and has featured in all but one of their league games this term.

“He’s a very good player,” said Frank, whose team have lost eight of their last 10 in the league and are 14th, six points above the bottom three.

“For me, he’s the closest England get to potentially having a Ballon d’Or winner in the future. I think he’s got that potential, that level.

“I think he influences the game in so many ways. Last game he got on the end of three situations, scored three goals. He’s very good dribbling, he’s very good sliding people in, works very hard.

“He seems to have a good mentality. I don’t know him personally, but he looks form the outside to have a very good mentality in terms of working hard.

“He is very good, but there are so many good players; (Kevin) De Bruyne, (Erling) Haaland, Rodri, (Jeremy) Doku, (Julian) Alvarez. The whole team.”

Frank predicted his team would need to play “almost the perfect game” if they are to match the heroics of last season – when they also defeated City at home on the final day – but fretted they have been defensively more porous than he would have liked this campaign.

“In general we’re good defensively, don’t give much away,” he said. “But this season we’ve been giving more away than usual. That’s something we’re trying to adjust.”

The meeting on February 5 was marred by a spat between Neal Maupay and City’s Kyle Walker, with the Brentford striker allegedly making personal remarks about the defender’s family.

In an interview with The Times on Sunday, Maupay said he did not believe that his actions had crossed a line.

Frank came to the defence of his player, who has scored five times in his last seven appearances in all competitions.

“All players are different, what gets them to tick, what they think is important for them to perform,” he said. “That I always respect.

“In terms of winding players up, it’s part of the game. It’s a fine line not to cross. If he does that or not, I don’t know. As far as I know Neal is a good guy, a good teammate and he’s very good for us.”

Mark Clattenburg says he is “disappointed” in comments from Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville criticising his appointment as a consultant at Nottingham Forest.

Neville said on Sky that Forest’s appointment of Clattenburg to advise them on refereeing matters was a “step too far”.

Clattenburg, who is the referee on the BBC’s Saturday evening show Gladiators, told The Times: “I am disappointed that Gary Neville has come out with what he said.

“His employer, Sky Sports, employs ex-referees to help fans and viewers understand the laws of the game, and Nottingham Forest are just doing the same.”

Neville said: “You’re being employed to go and tell a football club how referees are making mistakes or what mistakes they’re making. A fan in the crowd could go and tell you what a referee is thinking.

“I’m disappointed with Nottingham Forest. It’s as if, look at all of this, woe is me. I get it, some teams feel as though they’ve been hard done to, some teams feel they’ve had bad decisions against them. That happens sometimes during a season and I would have hated it.

“But to employ an ex-referee to tell you why you’re having decisions against you. For me, I think it’s a step too far.

“This is not an attack on Nottingham Forest fans because some of them will probably think it’s embarrassing.

“They won’t like the decisions against them, but I’m sure they won’t sit there and think that’s a really good move by the club.”

It is understood Forest see Clattenburg as being their expert conduit between the club and Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), who can give his perspective on how rules are being implemented and on the occasions when the club ought to provide feedback to PGMOL chief refereeing officer Howard Webb.

It is expected he would lead the contact between the club and PGMOL and provide advice on the refereeing teams involved in Forest’s upcoming matches.

It is understood the Premier League has raised no objections to Clattenburg’s appointment.

Brian Ellison is set to make a late decision on the participation of ante-post favourite Anglers Crag in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Eider Handicap Chase at Newcastle on Saturday.

The nine-year-old is unbeaten in three starts for the Malton handler since transferring from David Pipe in the autumn and brought up a hat-trick for his new training team with a decisive success at Musselburgh earlier this month.

Despite given an 11lb rise for that victory, he as short as 11-4 to extend his winning run in the Gosforth Park marathon at the weekend, with the final call on whether he takes his chance resting with owner Derrick Mossop.

“I’ve seen he’s favourite, but I don’t think a decision (on whether he runs) will be made until Thursday, I need to speak with the owner,” said Ellison.

“The horse is in great form and if he runs he will be in tip-top condition, I’m very happy with him.

“The handicapper didn’t miss him last time and put him up 11lb and I think he’s gone up around 20lb since I’ve had him.

“Ground will come into it (the decision to run) and he’s never been over four miles yet. He won over three-mile-two at Carlisle and he’s also won over three miles at Musselburgh so he’s showed he has a bit of speed and he can stay. If he was to stay four miles he would take all the beating, I would think.”

Ellison won the Eider with Sam’s Adventure in 2021 and the Tyneside native admitted he would love to get his hands on the prize for a second time, with his in-form stayer reported to be in rude health.

“We won it a couple of years ago which was good and it would be nice to win it again,” said Ellison.

“He’s in great form and if the owner wants to run him he will run, but if he doesn’t then I won’t run him.

“He’s been trained like he’s going to run and has never missed a beat since he won at Musselburgh. He worked on Saturday and Andrew Robinson who rides him all the time thinks he’s improved again, so everything is OK.”

Anglers Crag is one of 16 remaining in the hunt for the £80,000 contest after Monday’s confirmation stage, with Jamie Snowden’s Git Maker the one the bookmakers feel will give Ellison’s charge most to think about.

Last year’s runner-up The Galloping Bear is another notable name to stand his ground, alongside Sam England’s hat-trick-seeking Fenland Tiger and Seamus Mullins’ Tommie Beau who scored twice before having to settle for second in the Sussex National.

The Brooklyn Nets fired head coach Jacque Vaugn on Monday, five days after the team suffered a 50-point loss to the Boston Celtics in its final game before the All-Star break.

Brooklyn is 21-33 and in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, but the club is only 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for a spot in the Play-In Tournament.

The Nets said “an interim head coach will be named in the near future.”

“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement.

Vaughn was promoted to head coach early last season following the dismissal of Steve Nash after Brooklyn opened with five losses in seven games.

The Nets immediately started playing better, which led to a contract extension for Vaughn last February.

The Nets posted a 43-32 record under Vaughn last season as they claimed the No. 6 seed in the East before getting swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.

Brooklyn got off to a 13-10 start this season but went on to drop 23 of 31 games heading into break, punctuated by the second-worst loss in franchise history on Wednesday.

Vaughn owns a 129-226 coaching record with the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn.

Magnus Bradbury, Alex Craig, Blair Kinghorn, WP Nel and Hamish Watson have joined the Scotland squad ahead of the weekend’s Six Nations match against England.

They replace Josh Bayliss, Javan Sebastian and Ross McCann, while Darcy Graham remains out after sustaining a groin injury last week and is subject to further assessment.

Toulouse’s Kinghorn has recovered from the injury that ruled him out of the first two games and he met up with the group at the start of the week.

The back-row options have been bolstered by the return of Bristol flanker Bradbury and – after making his 150th appearance for Edinburgh at the weekend – Watson is called up.

Following the injury to Richie Gray in Cardiff, Scarlets second row Craig has joined the squad. The 26-year-old has two caps, playing twice in 2021, including the win over France away from home.

Nel has recovered from his injury and replaces Sebastian, but Bayliss has been ruled out of the squad due to concussion.

Roy Hodgson has stepped down as Crystal Palace manager hours before their Premier League meeting with Everton.

A Palace statement also confirmed the 76-year-old, who was hospitalised after falling ill during a training session on Thursday, was “out of hospital and doing well”.

Hodgson’s right-hand man Ray Lewington and assistant manager Paddy McCarthy will lead the team on Monday at Goodison Park, with the Eagles just five points clear of their opponents who are in the relegation zone.

Hodgson, in a statement released by the club, said:  “This club is very special and means so much to me and has played a big part in my footballing life. I have fully enjoyed my time here across six seasons, as it has given me the chance to work with top class players and staff doing what I love every day.”

Newcastle have confirmed sporting director Dan Ashworth has been placed on leave as Manchester United prepare to formalise their efforts to take him to Old Trafford.

The 52-year-old has stepped away from his duties at St James’ Park having told the ownership group that he wants to accept the Red Devils’ overtures.

Chief executive Darren Eales said: “We are naturally disappointed that Dan has chosen to leave, however our exciting journey doesn’t stop and the process to recruit a new sporting director will begin immediately.

“We thank Dan for his efforts at Newcastle United and we wish him and his family well for the future.”

New Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has identified the former Football Association technical director as the man he wants to lead an overhaul and now faces the prospect of striking a deal to prise him from the Magpies.

The PA news agency understands there has been no formal contact between the clubs as yet but there is little doubt that both will want the matter resolved swiftly to their satisfaction after a week of speculation.

Magpies head coach Eddie Howe has already expressed his concern over the potential for Ashworth to take his inside knowledge with him and that fear is likely to have a major say in Newcastle’s willingness to cut short a stipulated period of inactivity before he can take up a role with a competitor.

In the circumstances, Manchester United may have to bite the bullet on a significant compensation package if they want to get their man in time for an important summer transfer window.

Ashworth was drafted in by Newcastle’s Saudi-backed owners in June 2022 after they paid Brighton substantial compensation to secure his services.

They had identified him as the man they wanted to knit together the various arms of the club’s football operations and not just to oversee its transfer dealings.

He was at the helm as the Magpies surged to a top-four Premier League finish and earned a return to Champions League football after an absence of two decades.

Along the way, they also reached the Carabao Cup final, where they were beaten 2-0 by Erik ten Hag’s men at Wembley.

Howe has enjoyed a close relationship with Ashworth, who was in the stands at St James’ Park for Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, but admitted after the game he had not spoken to his sporting director since voicing his fears about the confidential information he has about the club’s future planning.

Asked on Friday if Ashworth knew the details of Newcastle’s summer recruitment mission, he said: “Yes, and that’s why I say he’s in a position of power, with a lot of intelligence and information.”

Newcastle have not commented on the situation, but are sure to drive a hard bargain as they attempt to protect themselves while at the same time looking for the right administrator to replace a key member of the hierarchy.

Josh Taylor wants to silence his doubters when he takes on bitter rival Jack Catterall for a second time.

Catterall was distraught when he controversially lost a split decision against Taylor for the undisputed super-lightweight championship two years ago and there were many inside and outside the sport who thought he had every right to feel aggrieved.

The Scot vacated three of his titles before losing his WBO championship to Teofimo Lopez last June in his only bout since fighting Catterall, whom he will meet again in a non-title bout on April 27 at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.

Both boxers had to be separated when they went head-to-head at a sometimes rancorous Edinburgh city hotel media conference, packed with Taylor fans, and afterwards the man from Prestonpans spoke about silencing any critics.

“A lot of people to shut up and put up the middle finger to,” said Taylor.

“There is a lot of bragging rights and pride and to put the doubters to bed. I learned not to underestimate your opponent (against Catterall). I lived by that my whole career.

“But when you have the level of success I have had in such a short period of time then they say you are fighting Jack Catterall who hadn’t really proven himself.

“I thought he had lost against Ohara Davies and it was ‘just be fit and I will beat this guy’ and that was the biggest mistake I made. I never learned the lesson but I won’t be making the same mistake twice.”

Taylor spoke about the online trolls who have made life difficult for him and his family since the Catterall fight.

He said: “It has been OK. At the start was pretty heavy but it was all online.

“In person I haven’t had anything really. I have had people come up to me and say I thought he won the fight which is great, that is their opinion and I have absolutely no problem with that at all.

“But when the abuse starts and the family start getting it and you see how it affects them, that’s when it turns to a different dynamic and tone and it turned violent, putting my wife and sister’s places of work online and threats of violence, coming to their work.

“It is unacceptable. Any man would defend their family. I should have kept my mouth shut but then you can only kick a dog so many times before it bites back and that’s what I did bit back a couple of times but I should have kept quiet.”

39Christopher Head has raised the possibility of Ramatuelle running in the Qipco 1000 Guineas, as connections seek to plot a mile campaign this summer.

Co-owned by former NBA star Tony Parker, Ramatuelle sports black and silver silks based on his former championship-winning team the San Antonio Spurs and made a serious impression on course at two.

The high-class daughter of Justify won three of her five appearances as a juvenile, including the Group Two Prix Robert Papin, before finishing her campaign going down by the barest of margins to star colt Vandeek in the Prix Morny.

Plans for Ramatuelle’s early-season target are still to be finalised and as well as a possible raid on Newmarket, she holds an entry for the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches the trainer won with Blue Rose Cen in 2023.

But Head will begin testing her Classic credentials at Deauville on April 9 and having seen dual Classic-winning filly Blue Rose Cen switched to Maurizio Guarnieri earlier this year, will be hoping Ramatuelle can fill the void and become another household name for his Chantilly operation.

He said: “Ramatuelle has been a tremendous filly for us as a two-year-old and we are now preparing her for pretty much the mile programme in France, but not only in France, in the UK too.

“We’re looking all over Europe to make the best programme for her as a three-year-old. It (Newmarket) is of course a possibility, but at the end of the day her owner will decide where she will run and of course there is a possibility she could go for that race.

“She’s going to go to the Prix Imprudence and then from there we will see where we go. To be a successful miler is the main objective this year.

“I think Ramatuelle is a really nice filly and Justify has proven he can sire very versatile horses. I’m very happy to have her at three and can’t wait to see what she is going to do for us in the mile races this year.”

Owners Yeguada Centurion may have switched Blue Rose Cen, but their Group One-winning colt Big Rock remains in Head’s care and is being geared up for another enterprising programme.

He was last seen recording a brilliant victory from the front in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day and his handler is excited by the possibility of returning to the UK in search of further riches during the 2024 season.

“Big Rock is brilliant and has done very well over the winter,” continued Head.

“He will have a nice programme in Europe and we will be able to come over to the UK again.

“I will speak with the owners before saying anything about where he is going to start, but don’t worry the horse is doing very well and we’re very happy with his training. We can’t wait to see him back on track.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has stressed he is “more than satisfied” with what he is seeing from his team.

Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium, secured by Rodri’s late equaliser, brought an 11-match winning run in all competitions to an end for City.

The defending champions are third in the table, two points behind second-placed Arsenal and four behind leaders Liverpool ahead of playing their game in hand when hosting Brentford on Tuesday.

Guardiola – whose treble-winners are aiming for a fourth successive league title – told a press conference: “The last five, 10 minutes first half, (and) in the second half, we were in our best level.

“But I know the standards we have, that we create to be there, for what we have done in the past, and I understand completely the doubts for the people but what I am seeing, I’m more than satisfied.

“I’ll give credit to Chelsea, who created problems, not just because in some actions we were not good. But in general when you analyse the game, we were more than decent.

“But I know our standards, and you demand our standards, for what we have done in the past. I know it’s not easy to sustain it. For a long, long, long time we did it.

“We were 11 games winning, and the people say ‘they are not going to lose any other game’. So now, just for one draw…when for 55, 60 minutes, we were who we are.”

Guardiola added: “You demand to us all the time, the only team, because we achieve what we have achieved. We have to live with that. We know that. We know how difficult it is, we know it. It’s you that believes it’s easy, not us.”

And when then asked if people demanding perfection every game was the price of success, he said: “Absolutely – I had experience at my previous clubs, especially Barcelona.

“It’s an honour. Go for it. But no effect – we know what it is and we have to continue doing what we try. It’s normal.

“In the beginning was a lack of consistency, and I said it’s how we behave in many, many things in how we perform and I demand, I’m the first to demand myself, the team do it during in 95 minutes, knowing it’s impossible.

“The reality is since we lost against Aston Villa (on December 6) we didn’t lose one game (in 15), and in the (two) games we drew, we were better.

“Are we going to win the Premier League? I don’t know. But still we are there and this is why we continue.”

Guardiola – who confirmed Jack Grealish (groin) and Josko Gvardiol (ankle) will again be unavailable on Tuesday – was also asked what he thought of Kylian Mbappe as a player, following a report in Spain that one of the Paris St Germain star’s representatives had a meeting with City last week.

And he said with a smile: “I think he’s quite good – he has a future! He’s really, really good.”

Chris Ashton believes Ollie Lawrence has the physical presence to become the long-term successor to Manu Tuilagi as England’s midfield powerhouse.

For the first time in this Guinness Six Nations, both Lawrence and Tuilagi are available after recovering from respective hip and groin injuries and Steve Borthwick is deciding what role they should play in Saturday’s clash with Scotland.

Owing to their lack of match fitness, former England wing Ashton insists the existing midfield of Fraser Dingwall and Henry Slade needs to be retained with Lawrence included on the bench.

And while the rampaging, if injury-prone, Tuilagi still has a role to play at 32 years old, Ashton feels Lawrence is ready to show he can also punch holes in defences at Test level.

“Ollie seems like a very, very similar to Manu and its taken his move to Bath to realise his full potential in how good he can be,” BBC Rugby Union Daily podcast co-host Ashton told the PA news agency.

“Against Toulouse a few weeks ago he was outstanding. We have yet to see that at England level, but I see Ollie as the perfect replacement for Manu, a really natural fit.

“When Manu’s available you still have to use him because he’s so different, but he’s more of a risk because he hasn’t had any game time.

“He can come off the bench and do 15 or 20 minutes, but that’s a problem in itself because if someone goes down early and Manu’s got to go on, then he’s at real high risk because he’s got to do 60 or 70 minutes.

“Ollie’s less risky just because of his age, the number of injuries he’s had is quite low and he’s played a lot of ruby for Bath this season, so he can get going quickly. I would be leaning towards Ollie on the bench for those factors.”

Dingwall is the most likely to lose out because of the availability of Lawrence and Tuilagi, having produced solid but unspectacular performances against Italy and Wales, and Borthwick could decide a more muscular carrier is needed at inside centre.

But Ashton, who won 44 caps in a distinguished England career lasting from 2010 to 2019, believes he should be retained for the Calcutta Cup showdown at Murrayfield.

“Fraser is a very unselfish player and is the kind of player I would love to play with,” Ashton said.

“You know he’s always going to provide and work hard to get to places that not necessarily everyone would cover. He’s a link player and he’s knows how to combine and provide for everybody else.

“You know that he will provide the right pass or cover your inside shoulder all the time. Every team needs players like him.”

One change forced upon Borthwick will be at scrum-half after Alex Mitchell was ruled out by a knee injury, creating a vacancy for either Danny Care or Ben Spencer to fill.

“It’s a shocker to lose Mitchell because he’s so good. He’s a big loss and it’s not great timing going into these games,” Ashton said.

“Before we all thought he was an attacking nine, but he showed at the World Cup he can do it all and he’s carried on doing that in the Six Nations.

“He’s just such a threat, especially because of the danger he poses near the try-line when he pulls people out of place. You can’t coach the skills Alex has.”

* Chris Ashton is a co-host of the BBC’s ‘Rugby Union Daily’ podcast with new episodes available every morning during Six Nations match weeks.

Roger Federer’s final moments of his tennis career will be shown in a documentary.

The 20-time grand slam singles champion and eight-time Wimbledon winner retired in 2022 after a Laver Cup appearance in London.

British filmmaker Asif Kapadia will direct the Amazon Prime Video feature looking at the final 12 days of Federer’s professional career.

It “captures Federer at his most vulnerable and candid self, as he says goodbye to a game and the fans that shaped his life for the last two decades”, by using home video that was never intended for public viewing.

Federer said: “Initially the idea was to capture the final moments of my professional tennis career so that I could have it later on to show my family and friends.

“During my career I tended to shy away from having cameras around me and my family, especially during important moments. But I didn’t see the harm in shooting this as it was never intended for the public.

“However, we captured so many powerful moments, and it transformed into a deeply personal journey.

“I am happy to be partnering with Prime Video because of their vast global reach and significant presence in the film industry. This ensures that the story of my final days in tennis will resonate with both tennis enthusiasts and broader audiences worldwide.”

Kapadia, who will direct with Joe Sabia, was behind the Oscar-winning Amy Winehouse documentary Amy and has previously explored the lives of footballers Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The untitled Federer documentary – for which an official release date has not been announced – will include interviews with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, who were all part of Team Europe for the Laver Cup.

Until last year, when Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the final, the Wimbledon men’s singles title had not been won by anyone other than those four players since Australian Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.

Federer won his first major title in 2003 at Wimbledon and went on to win seven more times, currently the men’s record at the tournament.

Damian Lillard was honoured to achieve a feat only previously accomplished by Michael Jordan on the NBA's All-Star weekend. 

Lillard saw off competition from the Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns and the Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young to win the 3-point contest on Saturday, then he dazzled again one day later.

The Milwaukee Bucks guard was named All-Star Game MVP after putting up 39 points as the Eastern Conference All-Stars recorded a 211-186 win over their Western Conference counterparts. 

Chicago Bulls legend Jordan is the only previous player to complete such a double, having taken the 1988 dunk contest before winning the first of his three All-Star MVP trophies.

For Lillard, who was appearing in his eighth All-Star Game but his first as a starter, following in Jordan's footsteps made it all the more memorable. 

"Anytime you're mentioned in the same category as Mike, it's an honour, it's a major accomplishment, even if it's All-Star weekend," Lillard said during his post-game news conference. 

"Because if it was that simple, more people would have done it. I'm a vet in the game at this point. Why not go and try to get an MVP? I've been here enough."

However, a perceived lack of competitiveness in Sunday's All-Star Game – the highest-scoring in history – led to criticism from some quarters. 

The league's all-time leading scorer LeBron James said the All-Star Game "is something we need to figure out", with players unwilling to risk injury in the mid-season exhibition. 

Asked for his views on that debate, Lillard said: "I think it could be more competitive, 200 is a lot to be scored. It shows we didn't go out there and compete like I guess you would want us to. 

"But I think that's just what it is. Guys are talented, they make a lot of shots. We hit a lot of 3s, and that was it."

Lillard joined the Bucks in a blockbuster trader from the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the season, but his first campaign in Milwaukee has been a turbulent one. 

The Bucks fired coach Adrian Griffin last month, bringing in Doc Rivers after a short interim stint for Joe Prunty. They sit third in the Eastern Conference with a 35-21 record, but have lost five of their last seven games.

"It's been a tough year with the transition to a new team, we've had three coaches since I've been there," Lillard said.

"Anytime you have these types of experiences where you have adversity, that's the time you've got to show who you really are. 

"Keep doing what you do, keep believing, and when you do that, usually it comes back to you. You just can't fold."