Gennady Golovkin became the unified middleweight champion after stopping home favourite Ryota Murata in Saitama, Japan.

The Kazakh regained the WBA (super) belt, which he lost to Cancelo Alvarez in 2018, to add to his IBF title following a ninth-round stoppage against the former Olympic champion.

Golovkin endured a slow start in what was his first bout in over a year, as he looked to set up a potential rematch with Alvarez later in 2022.

Murata, who won gold at London 2012, directed a series of relentless attacks and body shots to gain the upper hand in the opening four rounds.

But the Japanese fighter was unable to build on his early momentum and Golovkin gradually settled into his flow in round five.

The pendulum began to swing in favour of the 40-year-old, who finally put combinations together and sent Murata's mouthpiece flying in the sixth.

The Golovkin onslaught continued until the start of the ninth; flooring his opponent with a devastating shot and the towel came in from the corner, spelling the 42nd win of his career.  

Timo Werner showed why he is still an important player for Chelsea by scoring a pair of goals in Saturday's 6-0 thrashing of Southampton. 

A £47.5million move from RB Leipzig to Stamford Bridge in June 2020 is yet to work out for Werner, whose double at St Mary's took him to nine Premier League goals in 51 appearances. 

All three of the 26-year-old's league goals this season have come against Saints, with his overall tally against them standing at five. He is yet to score against any other opponent more than once in the Premier League.

Werner could have easily scored more against Southampton – he hit the woodwork three times in the first half – but Mason Mount's double and goals from Marcos Alonso and Kai Havertz contributed to a resounding success. 

His poor form coupled with recent comments that he is "more comfortable" playing for Germany have cast doubt on the striker's future at Chelsea. 

However, head coach Tuchel insists Werner's performance against Saints showed exactly what he can bring to the table for the Blues. 

"It was his position, it was the players around him, the connection with Mason, Kai, Kova [Mateo Kovacic] – he loves to play with and has a connection to the players," said Tuchel. 

"It was the half-left position as the double striker, it was an opponent who we could find spaces in behind against because they're a high attacking team. 

"It was set up for him to deliver, it was not in a 4-1-4-1 on the side. Everything was there to deliver and make a statement that he did not give up and he is still an important player for this club and this group. And he did deliver." 

It was an emphatic return to form for Chelsea, who suffered a 4-1 loss to Brentford in the Premier League last weekend and went down 3-1 to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. 

Tuchel felt the Blues' change in fortunes showed they cannot afford to not have their priorities right when they step onto the pitch, as they will be punished otherwise. 

"I think it tells us that we are not the team to escape with results if our input isn't 80 to 90 per cent of energy, commitment and investment. We are a special group when we have our priorities right," said Tuchel. 

"If we are committed, defend with courage, have the attitude right and hunger right, and are clear that this is our foundation to show the quality, then we are a strong group and have [every] right to believe in ourselves. 

"We are not the fancy group who comes with just quality and get away with just 80 to 90 per cent investment, commitment to the whole game. 

"It's not always easy for us to have this hunger and commitment because we come from a ruthless schedule, that's why it's not always easy. 

"It's not about blaming the players, I understand why it was hard for us after the international break, but it just proves the point today that if we have this right and we show our quality, which is what makes us dangerous." 

Mikel Arteta has questioned Arsenal's lack of courage in their potentially costly 2-1 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Gunners registered 20 shots in Saturday's match – four of which were on target – but they struggled to provide a genuine threat to Robert Sanchez's goal prior to mustering a desperate late push.

Martin Odegaard found a way through for Arsenal in the 89th minute but only with the help of a deflection, and Leandro Trossard's curler and Enock Mwepu's fine finish had Brighton two goals up at that point.

And while Arsenal's final flurry saw them end the game with an expected goals return of 1.9 compared to Brighton's 0.7, Arteta accepted his side were not good enough.

"The first half we were sloppy, imprecise and did not take the right approach with the right courage," he told Sky Sports. "We were cold and didn't transmit any energy. 

"The first chance they had they scored. In the second half the reaction was better, especially late on. It's great not to give up, but we have to do it from the start. 

"We didn't have the speed, purpose and courage to attack. We were predictable and were second-best to a lot of balls."

Arsenal have now lost back-to-back matches – having gone down 3-0 to Crystal Palace earlier in the week – to hand the top-four initiative to fierce rivals Tottenham.

Those two games are the first time Arsenal have conceded the first goal in consecutive league games since their opening three matches of the season – three defeats.

But while not pleased with the performance of his side on Saturday, Arteta was quick to point out the same group guided Arsenal into the top four to begin with.

"It's the same players that have played the whole season," he said. "They took us here. Not everything is smooth and there are always difficult moments in seasons.

"We've shown for many weeks how well we can play. It has been a difficult week, but this is our team in the good moments and the bad."

Brighton's victory snapped a seven-game winless streak and was their first Premier League win in the month of April at the 16th attempt.

Reflecting on a much-needed victory for his side, Brighton boss Graham Potter told BBC Sport: "It's a fantastic performance from the players and an even better result.

"We've had a tough time, but we reset with a strong performance against Norwich and a really good one today. You can see how tough it is to win games in the Premier League.

"We had to hang on and suffer, but we did, and the result makes it worth it. Arsenal are top quality and we respected that."

Sunrisers Hyderabad eased to an eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings on Saturday to inflict a fourth successive Indian Premier League defeat on their opponents.

Chennai posted 154-7 from their 20 overs, with Moeen Ali top scoring with 48 runs, and the Sunrisers surpassed the target with 14 balls remaining to pick up their first win of the season.

Abhishek Sharma played a key role for the Sunrisers with 75 off 50 balls, while Kane Williamson (32), Rahul Tripathi (39 not out) and Nicholas Pooran (five no) also chipped in.

Put in to bat first, the Super Kings had lost the wickets of Robin Uthappa (15) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (16) within the powerplay, and their innings was rather stop-start throughout.

Moeen aside, the struggling defending champions could not find any rhythm as Thangarasu Natarajan (2-30) and Washington Sundar (2-21) helped restrict them to a gettable target.

Mukesh Choudhary gave the Super Kings hope when making a breakthrough with the wicket of Williamson, but Sharma cut down the gap between runs required and balls remaining.

The opener led the chase with a first IPL half-century before being dismissed in the 18th over, by which time he and Tripathi had already done much of the damage.

Tripathi finished off the run chase in style by hitting a four off Dwayne Bravo to get the Sunrisers off the mark for the campaign.


Sharma shakes it up

Sharma has come under pressure as an opener but more than delivered here, with his 75 runs consisting of five fours and three maximums.

He will be disappointed with the manner of his exit with just 10 runs required for victory, the young all-rounder caught by Chris Jordan when trying to hit a huge one.

Super Kings lose again

Defending champions CSK have lost their first four IPL matches for only the second time, with the other instance coming in 2010 when, impressively, they went on to win the title.

On the basis of their displays so far, it will take some doing to repeat that feat of 12 years ago.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins has died at the age of 24 after being struck by a car on Saturday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the 2019 first-round pick was hit by a vehicle in South Florida, where he had been training with other Steelers quarterbacks, running backs and receivers.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin read: "I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins.

"He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community. Dwayne was a great team-mate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kalabrya, and his entire family during this difficult time."

Haskins signed with the Steelers in 2021 after being released by the Washington Commanders late in the 2020 season.

Washington selected Haskins with the 15th pick of the 2019 draft after his stellar 2018 season with Ohio State, throwing 50 touchdowns to eight interceptions in that campaign.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said in a statement: "I am absolutely heartbroken to hear of the news of the passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr. Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him.

"This is a very sad time and I am honestly at a loss for words. I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed. Our entire team is sending our heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers to the Haskins family at this time."

Washington co-owners Dan and Tara Snyder added: "We are devastated to hear the news of the tragic passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr. He was a young man with a tremendous amount of potential who had an infectious personality.

"To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. Our hearts and prayers are with the members of the Dwayne's family and all of those who knew him and loved him."

Keshav Maharaj produced his best performance with the bat of his Test career before South Africa's pace attack put the Proteas in firm command of the series finale with Bangladesh.

Hoping to secure a 2-0 victory in the two-match series, South Africa resumed on 278-5, but an excellent all-round performance from the hosts in Port Elizabeth ensured they ended day two in a dominant position.

Maharaj's efficient 84 helped South Africa reach 453 all out, then Wiaan Mulder did the bulk of the damage with the ball as Bangladesh slumped to 139-5 in reply, trailing by 314 runs.

The tourists' hopes of avoiding the follow-on would appear to rest with Mushfiqur Rahim, who survived until stumps on 30 not out.

There were only 22 runs added to South Africa's overnight total before Kyle Verreynne was bowled by Khaled Ahmed.

But any hopes of Bangladesh quickly working through the South Africa tail were soon subverted by Maharaj, who hit nine fours and three sixes in a superb innings, his half-century coming in 50 balls.

Taijul Islam removed him either side of claiming the dismissals of Mulder (33) and Simon Harmer (29) to finish with figures of 6-135.

Having made a solid contribution with the bat, Mulder trapped Tamim Iqbal and Najmul Hossain Shanto lbw two overs apart, that duo having compiled a partnership of 79 to move Bangladesh to 82-1.

Captain Mominul Haque (six) fell in the same fashion to Mulder, and Duanne Olivier, who earlier dismissed Mahmudal Hasan Joy for a duck, knocked over Litton Das' middle stump to leave Bangladesh five down and in a dismal mess.

Maharaj magic

A half-century for Maharaj was his fourth in Test cricket and his first since December 2020. A mistimed and perhaps overaggressive attempt at a sweep to leg side saw Taijul deny him his first Test hundred.

Mulder shows all-round ability

After scoring valuable runs in a seventh-wicket stand of 80 with Maharaj, all-rounder Mulder tilted the contest decidedly in South Africa's favour with the ball. He ended the day with figures of 3-15, eyeing his first Test five-for.

Atletico Madrid missed the chance to go joint-second in LaLiga after they were beaten 1-0 by relegation-threatened Real Mallorca. 

Vedat Muriqi's penalty settled a scrappy contest at the Visit Mallorca Estadi, where Diego Simeone's side saw their six-match winning streak come to an end. 

The reigning champions remain fourth in the table – three points behind second-place Sevilla – but have now won just twice in their last 11 away league meetings with Mallorca. 

Meanwhile, Javier Aguirre's side climbed out the relegation zone after ending a run of seven straight defeats. 

Seeking a seventh straight league win and aiming to bounce back from their midweek Champions League defeat by Manchester City, Atletico dominated large periods of a stop-start first half. 

Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann were narrowly off target but despite enjoying over two-thirds of the possession, the visitors were unable to turn their superiority into the opening goal of the contest. 

Mallorca went close to breaking the deadlock within a minute of the restart. Brian Olivan, who last found the net on the opening day of this season, drew a smart save out of Jan Oblak with his 20-yard volley. 

The hosts eventually opened the scoring midway through the second half, Muriqi confidently firing home from the penalty spot after Reinildo felled Pablo Maffeo in the box. 

While Atletico continued to enjoy superiority in possession, they were unable to generate a threat to truly trouble Mallorca, who held on to complete only a fourth league double over Los Rojiblancos despite the loss of Iddrisu Baba to a head injury late on. 

Mikel Arteta saw faltering Arsenal suffer a third defeat in four Premier League games as Brighton and Hove Albion snatched a 2-1 victory in north London.

Leandro Trossard and Enock Mwepu gave Brighton their first ever Premier League win in April – at the 16th attempt – and inflicted a painful blow on their hosts.

Trossard put Brighton ahead in the 28th minute with the visitors' first shot on target, striking his fifth Premier League goal of the season. Mwepu hit the second in the 66th minute as he sent a 20-yard strike fizzing past Aaron Ramsdale.

Martin Odegaard's deflected long-range late effort proved to be only a consolation, and after losing to Liverpool and Crystal Palace either side of a win at Aston Villa, this latest setback could have major implications for Arsenal's hopes of a top-four finish.

Gabriel Magalhaes should have put Arsenal ahead in the 26th minute but could only head Bukayo Saka's cross into the side-netting.

And Arsenal were regretting that miss a couple of minutes later when Lewis Dunk's quick ball forward was met on the right flank by Mwepu, whose cutback to Trossard was followed by a thumping 15-yard strike into the right corner.

In first-half stoppage time, Gabriel Martinelli thought he had got the hosts level, nodding in from close range, but a lengthy VAR check concluded the striker was offside.

Saka lashed over the Brighton bar from the edge of the penalty area in the second half, and Arsenal were two down soon afterwards, the visitors doubling their lead through Mwepu's skilfully controlled low shot after Moises Caicedo clipped the ball into his path.

Odegaard hit the bar with a free-kick and substitute Eddie Nketiah also hit the horizontal on the rebound as Arsenal chased the game late on.

Odegaard, with the help of a deflection off Danny Welbeck, finally halved the deficit from 30 yards, but Nketiah's stoppage-time header was met with a great save from Robert Sanchez as Brighton held on.

Timo Werner and Mason Mount registered doubles as Chelsea dismantled Southampton and claimed an outstanding 6-0 victory at St Mary's in the Premier League on Saturday. 

Following the disappointment of home losses to Brentford in the Premier League and Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals in their previous two outings, Chelsea were back on song on the south coast. 

Marcos Alonso, Mount, Werner and Kai Havertz all hit the back of the net as Thomas Tuchel's side blew Saints away and surged into a four-goal lead inside just 31 minutes. 

Werner and Mount were on target early in the second half to complete the rout and open up an eight-point gap to fifth-placed Arsenal, who lost at home to Brighton and Hove Albion. 

The pressure from Chelsea was incessant early on and they took the lead when Alonso drilled home a cushioned pass from Mount, who rifled in a brilliant second from 20 yards. 

After hitting the woodwork twice, Werner finally had a goal when he pounced on a loose header from James Ward-Prowse at the halfway line and held off Jan Bednarek before rounding Fraser Forster. 

Havertz tucked home a simple finish in the 31st minute when Werner's shot came back off the upright, and only a trio of strong saves from Forster stopped the gap increasing before half-time. 

The onslaught continued after the break with Werner rolling the ball into an empty net after Forster parried N'Golo Kante's dink straight to him. 

Edouard Mendy kept Che Adams at bay on a rare Saints attack and Chelsea punished his miss when Mount converted on the follow-up after Forster kept Christian Pulisic and Werner out. 

Alonso and Reece James went close but Southampton were able to get to the final whistle without conceding another goal, though Chelsea's confidence will have been sufficiently boosted before their second leg against Madrid. 

What does it mean? Chelsea's rip-roaring start makes the difference 

With Alonso, Mount and Werner finding the net in the opening 21 minutes, Chelsea had their earliest three-goal lead ever in a Premier League away game. 

It was four 10 minutes later, meaning they were the quickest to reach that tally away from home in a top-flight game since October 2011, when Chelsea needed just 27 minutes at Bolton Wanderers. 

The incredible start meant the game was all but done by half-time and Chelsea were able to cruise to the final whistle. 

Mount on top 

In a little over a quarter of an hour, Mount had a goal and an assist for Chelsea. It was the fifth time he has scored and set up another in the same game this season, with Mohamed Salah (also five) the only player to match him. 

Another Hasenhuttl horror show 

Southampton conceded at least four goals in a single half for the 21st time in their Premier League history. Seven of those instances have now come under Ralph Hasenhuttl. 

What's next? 

Chelsea travel to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Madrid, while Southampton have a week to recover before the visit of Arsenal in the Premier League. 

Bayern Munich restored their nine-point lead at the Bundesliga summit thanks to Robert Lewandowski's penalty in a late 1-0 win over Bavarian neighbours Augsburg.

The hosts were beaten 1-0 by Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie in midweek and were frustrated for 82 minutes at Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Just when Bayern looked to be heading for a first league blank since January 2020, Lewandowski's header hit Reece Oxford's arm and the striker stepped up to convert from the spot.

Bayern have now won three league games in a row and retain a healthy lead over Borussia Dortmund, who beat Stuttgart 2-0 on Friday, ahead of the sides meeting in two weeks.

 

David de Gea issued a damning assessment of Manchester United's quality and acknowledged it will be "very difficult" for them to finish in the top four. 

United succumbed to a surprise 1-0 loss to relegation-threatened Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday, with Anthony Gordon's deflected strike proving to be the difference. 

Ralf Rangnick has now triumphed in just eight of his first 17 Premier League games as the Red Devils' boss, giving him a win percentage of 47% – the worst of any manager the club has had in the competition. 

It was United's eighth defeat of the season – only the eighth time they have lost that many games in a single campaign but the sixth since 2012-13. 

They could find themselves six points adrift of the top four by the end of the weekend, with De Gea admitting they lack the requisite quality to qualify for next season's Champions League. 

"We knew before today they were struggling and how difficult it was going to be," De Gea told BT Sport. 

"We don't score, we don't even create proper chances to score. I don't know what to say, to be honest. We're not good enough, that's for sure. It's going to be very difficult now to be in the top four. 

"Of course, it's not the perfect atmosphere. They were tired, they were nervous, but they keep going and keep fighting. They had more desire than us, which is not acceptable. It's very sad to lose today." 

Rangnick will move into a consulting role at Old Trafford at the conclusion of the season, with Ajax boss Erik ten Hag reported to be the frontrunner to take over. 

Mauricio Pochettino has also been linked with the role, but Rangnick does not believe the uncertainty can be used to excuse a dismal run of one win in seven in all competitions. 

"I don't think this should be an excuse. We are Manchester United. We have lots of international players. There shouldn't be an alibi," Rangnick said. 

"There will be a new manager next season. If this is announced now or in 10 days, it shouldn't have an impact." 

He added: "If you don't score a single goal in 95 minutes, we have to be disappointed. We had a good start and should have created more chances out of that domination. Then we concede a deflected shot and lost a bit of our composure. 

"The second half we were trying to add creativity with substitutions, but we didn't always take the right decision. 

"We had to do something. We needed a goal and we decided to bring on [Juan] Mata and more verticality with [Anthony] Elanga. 

"They were defending with their players in the last 35 minutes. We didn't find the right player at the right moment. We didn't have enough players in the box when we played crosses." 

Max Verstappen believes the Australian Grand Prix has been hindered by the FIA removing a DRS zone. 

Reigning Formula One champion Verstappen was pipped to pole position for Sunday's race in Melbourne by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. 

The Dutchman questioned the FIA's decision to continue with three DRS zones for the rest of the weekend after removing one between turns eight and nine for "safety reasons".

"Of course, with taking away one DRS zone, it's going to be harder," Verstappen said of overtaking at a restructured Albert Park. 

"I don't really understand why they took it away, because it was much safer than what we did in Jeddah, for example. So, it's a bit of a mystery to me why that happened. But we'll give it our best. 

"There was only one team who complained about it and it got removed this morning, so I don't really understand because, for me, it was way easier than doing it in, for example, in Jeddah because there were way more corners. 

"For me, there was never any issue with driving there with the DRS open. You'll have to ask the FIA why they took it away. It's a shame because it would have helped the racing." 

Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who qualified third, added: "I think it's a bit of a shame because I think definitely the racing could have been a lot better. 

"And it sounds like when you look at Jeddah where we have the DRS within the corners, within the walls ... but I think I'm not the right one to answer." 

Mohamed Salah is beginning to believe Liverpool can win an unprecedented quadruple and has told team-mates to "enjoy it and go for everything". 

Speculation over his Anfield future is adding a soap opera element to Liverpool's push for titles on all fronts, as it remains to be seen whether the Egyptian signs a new contract. 

That is a distraction Liverpool and Salah are trying to push aside for the moment, with an intense schedule of games meaning there is scant time to deal with such matters. 

Salah will be the player Liverpool look to again on Sunday when Jurgen Klopp's team tackle Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in a game that is being dubbed, rather preemptively, as a title decider. 

Liverpool trail City by one point and both will have seven matches remaining after Sunday, with City not having to face any side currently in the top five across those remaining games. 

It makes it perhaps imperative that Liverpool do win in Manchester, and Salah said: "We know how to play big games. Hopefully we will win the next game but if you ask me about advantage, they have more of an advantage because they are a point ahead and are at home. 

"The most important thing for us is not to lose the game, but if we lose the gap is going to be bigger." 

Salah is the Premier League's top scorer with 20 goals, albeit he has not netted from open play in his last eight games for Liverpool. 

He has not quite maximised the chances that have come his way this season, given his expected goals (xG) total of 21.7 exceeds the number of times he has found the net. Last season he scored 22 Premier League goals from an xG total of 19.3. 

Team-mates Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane have 14 and 12 Premier League goals respectively this term, with Liverpool the competition's highest scorers with 77 goals from 30 games. 

Salah has scored in four of his previous five Premier League games against City, including each of his last three in a row, but Liverpool are winless in their past four against Pep Guardiola's side in the competition (D2 L2). 

This time they believe it can be different. Liverpool have won each of their last 10 Premier League games, keeping eight clean sheets in this run, and with the EFL Cup already secured, Klopp's team are closing in on glory in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. 

City are their FA Cup semi-final opponents, and the teams could even meet in the Champions League final. 

Salah senses the chance to make trophy history, saying: "We wish we can do four. We've never done four before. This season we are really close and we are in top form. 

"We've won the last 10 games in the Premier League so we are in a good way, and hopefully we can win the next game. 

"We look at this situation now and we just have to enjoy it. We can't be in this situation and feel pressure. We just have to enjoy it and go for everything." 

Klopp's team are 3-1 up in their Champions League quarter-final against Benfica, ahead of the second leg on Wednesday, as the big games keep coming. 

"Our programme is insane," said the Reds manager. "We play City, Benfica, City, [Manchester] United and Everton. They all will hope if we win one of the City games we will celebrate for three or four days, but we will not." 

Anthony Gordon scored the only goal as relegation-threatened Everton dented Manchester United's Champions League qualifying hopes with a 1-0 win at Goodison Park.

The Toffees boosted their Premier League survival bid with Gordon's deflected first-half strike sealing consecutive home victories for the first time since September.

United remain three points off the top four, although the deficit could be extended to six should either Arsenal or Tottenham win later today.

Meanwhile, Everton move four points clear of the relegation zone after only a third success in 10 league games under Frank Lampard, who was under pressure following the 3-2 loss to fellow strugglers Burnley on Wednesday.

Ralf Rangnick's side made a bright start as they sought consecutive away wins over Everton for the first time in the Premier League since September 2007.

Marcus Rashford was looking for his first goal since netting the winner against West Ham in January, and it took two brilliant saves from England team-mate Jordan Pickford to prevent him from ending his drought inside the opening quarter of an hour.

Despite having just 35 per cent of possession, it was the hosts who broke the deadlock in the 27th minute when Gordon's 20-yard strike deflected past David de Gea via Maguire.

De Gea came to the visitors' rescue later in the half with magnificent reflexes to tip Richarlison's deflected looping effort over the crossbar.

Everton continued to press for a second goal after the break, with Ben Godfrey heading over from a corner, while it took an important block from Victor Lindelof to deny Gordon from eight yards.

At the other end, Anthony Elanga fired over and Paul Pogba tested Pickford from distance but, despite dominating possession, United were unable to convert it into an equaliser.

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