Manchester City's reportedly imminent capture of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland will "set new levels", according to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Pep Guardiola's City and Klopp's Reds have emerged as the dominant forces in the Premier League since the 2018-19 season, when they finished on 98 and 97 points respectively in an enthralling battle for top spot, with each team winning one league title apiece since City's triumph that year.
Their rivalry has been stepped up again this season, with City currently three points clear at the top of the league with just three games remaining.
Meanwhile, Liverpool remain in the hunt for a remarkable quadruple after winning the EFL Cup, reaching the Champions League final, and eliminating City in the FA Cup's last four to reach the showpiece.
However, City look set to bolster their ranks with the incredible signing of Haaland, who has scored 21 goals and provided seven assists in just 23 Bundesliga appearances this season, averaging a goal every 86.9 minutes.
With reports suggesting City could announce the signing of the Norway international before the end of this season, Klopp says Haaland's arrival could push City to new heights.
"I signed a new contract knowing City will not stop developing, so it's not about City to define if we can be happy or not, it's about us and what we can make of it," Klopp told Sky Sports.
"You have so many opportunities and so many different ways to win a football game, we have to find just one.
"It's possible, and you can do that, we can face City in two or three cup competitions, in the Champions League or whatever, in five or six finals a year maybe, all the rest we play against the other teams.
"Yes, if Erling Haaland goes there it will not weaken them, definitely not. I think it's been spoken about enough, this transfer. I know at the moment there's a lot of talk, and people talk about money.
"But this transfer will set new levels, let me say it like this."
Despite often playing without a recognised striker, Guardiola's team have netted more goals (89) than any other Premier League side this season (Liverpool are second with 87), and the 21-year-old forward will undoubtedly be thrilled by the prospect of featuring in a City team that has created 112 big chances in 35 league outings this term.
Since Haaland arrived in Germany from RB Salzburg at the start of 2020, only Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (122) and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe (89) have scored more than his 85 goals in all competitions, among players in Europe's top five leagues.
Norwich City full-back Brandon Williams has claimed he was followed and subjected to taunts and abuse by Canaries supporters in the aftermath of the defeat to West Ham.
A Said Benrahma double and strikes from Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini condemned the already relegated Norwich to a 4-0 hammering at Carrow Road on Sunday.
Manchester United loanee Williams started at left-back for Dean Smith's side after Norwich fans gathered outside the stadium prior to kick-off to protest against owners Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones.
Williams suggested he had been followed after the game, posting on Instagram: "For the people that followed me, he's always awake", and a stream of laughing face emojis.
The 21-year-old has since released a statement, claiming he was followed by some Norwich supporters, who only stopped once they realised he had noticed them.
"Yesterday after leaving the stadium I was taunted and abused by fans surrounding the stadium whilst I was in my car," Williams posted on Twitter.
"After the abuse I was followed by individuals who only stopped following me once they became aware I had noticed them.
"However passionate fans are it is not right that a small minority abuse players or, in this case, follow them.
"Since arriving at Norwich I have played for the club as if I were a permanent member of the team. It is unfortunate that a small number of fans behave like this."
Williams posted a photo of a raised middle finger with the caption "What a beautiful day. Easy up Norwich City", with a location marker for "Suffolk" after the loss. Both Instagram posts were subsequently deleted.
Reports suggested Norwich had opened an investigation into Williams' social media activity, but the defender assured that is not the case.
"There is no club investigation into my conduct as incorrectly reported in the media," he added.
"I would like to thank those fans who have sent me messages of support at this unsettling time.
"I would also like to thank Norwich City and their staff for the support they have given me in the past two days and for their concern."
Jasprit Bumrah's stunning five-for proved in vain as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their hopes of a place in the Indian Premier League play-offs alive with a 52-run win over Mumbai Indians.
Already out of contention for the top four having won just two of their first 10 games, Mumbai confirmed before the match that batter Suryakumar Yadav would miss the rest of the season with a left forearm injury.
However, Bumrah gave their fans something to cheer with a remarkable display of pace bowling, taking figures of 5-10 as KKR were restricted to 165-9.
Yet that total proved well beyond Mumbai as Pat Cummins and Andre Russell thrived with ball in hand to help KKR to their fifth win of the campaign.
A positive start from KKR that saw Ajinkya Rahane (25) and Venkatesh Iyer (43) put on 60 for the opening wicket eventually gave way to a Bumrah masterclass.
The turning point in their innings came in the 15th over as Bumrah removed Russell (9) and Nitish Rana (43) to reduce KKR to 139-5.
KKR never recovered from there and were helpless in the 18th as Bumrah produced a triple-wicket maiden.
Mumbai failed to deliver a batting effort to match his performance with the ball, the tone set when Rohit Sharma (2) was given out caught behind on review from the sixth ball of the reply.
Ishan Kishan (51) was the only Mumbai batter to score more than 15, Cummins displacing him in the 15th over, which also saw Daniel Sams (1) and Murugan Ashwin (0) caught to turn the tide firmly in KKR's favour.
The final three dismissals all came via run-outs as Mumbai's increasingly desperate chase ended with them bowled out for 113.
Bumrah blitz
India fast bowler Bumrah's figures marked the best of his IPL career, beating the 4-14 he took against Delhi Capitals in 2020.
The highlight was unquestionably the 18th over, in which Sheldon Jackson and Cummins both fell before Bumrah had Sunil Narine caught and bowled. Tim Southee denied him a sixth wicket and a hat-trick.
KKR still in the hunt
Defeat for KKR would have ended their top-four hopes. As it is, they still have an outside chance of making the play-offs. They are one of four teams on 10 points, four points behind fourth-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore.
However, three of those teams have a game more to play, meaning KKR's fate is therefore not in their own hands.
FIFA has confirmed Brazil and Argentina will have to replay last September's abandoned World Cup qualifier after rejecting appeals from both countries' football federations.
The original fixture in Sao Paolo was abandoned after just five minutes when Brazilian health officials entered the pitch, with players Emiliano Martinez, Emiliano Buendia, Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso accused by the Brazilian government of providing false information on their immigration forms and breaking the nation's Covid-19 laws.
FIFA's original ruling on the matter was announced in February, ordering the fixture to be replayed with all four of those players suspended and handing fines to both sides.
Both countries' federations subsequently lodged appeals against those measures, but FIFA has now confirmed the fixture will be replayed at an as-yet unspecified date and venue.
A statement from world football's governing body on Monday said: "The FIFA Appeal Committee has taken decisions on the appeals lodged by the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) and the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).
"After analysing the submissions of both parties and considering all circumstances of the case, the Appeal Committee confirmed that the match would be replayed and also upheld the fine of CHF 50,000 that was imposed on both associations as a result of the abandonment."
Brazil and Argentina have both qualified for the tournament in Qatar in comfortable fashion, with Brazil sitting top of the CONMEBOL qualification group with 45 points after an as-yet unbeaten campaign, and Argentina second with 39 points, meaning the replayed fixture will have no impact on the final standings.
United States centre-back Miles Robinson is a major doubt for the World Cup after rupturing the Achilles tendon in his left leg.
The 25-year-old sustained the non-contact injury in the 14th minute of Atlanta United's 4-1 MLS win over Chicago Fire on Saturday.
Robinson, who has been capped 21 times by USA, slammed the turf in frustration and was stretchered off.
Atlanta confirmed on Monday that the defender will undergo surgery to rectify the damage.
While no timeframe has been given for Robinson's return, he is not likely to play again before Qatar 2022, which runs from November 21 until December 18.
He had become a regular for USA alongside Walker Zimmerman in their World Cup qualifying campaign, but coach Gregg Berhalter may now be forced to rethink his plans.
Berhalter's side have been drawn in a group alongside England, Iran and one of Scotland, Ukraine or Wales.
Valencia have called on their supporters to respect manager Jose Bordalas as they condemned "the harassment" against the coach and his side this season.
Bordalas was appointed as Valencia manager before the start of the 2021-22 campaign, just two days after departing Getafe following a successful five-season spell.
The 58-year-old was chosen by Valencia owner Peter Lim as the successor to Javi Gracia, who became the 11th coach to leave the LaLiga side in the past nine years.
Bordalas has guided Valencia to 10th in the league and suffered penalty shoot-out heartbreak in the Copa del Rey final against Real Betis in April.
Valencia finished 13th in the league last season, but supporters have voiced their disgruntlement at the club, directing questions towards to Lim, who has sold top players to reduce high debts and made no signings to strengthen the squad.
Bordalas revealed his frustrations before a clash with Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, suggesting that Valencia must bring in top-level talent as opposed to selling their best players.
Los Che supporters responded by barracking their team and Bordalas, singing chants against the manager, and Valencia have urged for the fans to back their coach and squad.
"Valencia CF condemn the campaign of harassment and disruption that both coach Jose Bordalas and the team have been receiving throughout this season," a statement from the club said on Monday.
"This trend, fed by some media outlets and which has the sole purpose of harming the coach and the team, has led to very serious insults from various opposing sets of fans towards our coach.
"In addition, it also intends to create a negative environment in an attempt to try to affect refereeing decisions.
"Valencia CF request the utmost respect for both our coach and our squad."
Rafael Nadal conceded Spanish tennis fans have a new star to support after Carlos Alcaraz continued his remarkable season with success at the Madrid Open.
Alcaraz breezed past Alexander Zverev in just 62 minutes in the Madrid final on Sunday as he became the second-youngest player to win two ATP Masters 1000 titles, after also triumphing in Miami in March.
The 19-year-old is also the youngest five-time ATP Tour winner since Nadal won seven titles by the same age in 2004-05.
Alcaraz had already made more history en route to the final in the Spanish capital as he achieved a new feat, becoming the first player to defeat Nadal and Novak Djokovic in consecutive matches.
Record 21-time grand slam winner Nadal acknowledged that Alcaraz's meteoric rise to success has caused somewhat of a changing of the guard within Spanish tennis.
"First, I think he is young, he is new and all the new things are much more interesting than older things. Without a doubt, when you see a new car, it always looks better," Nadal told reporters.
"When you see a new phone, they always look better than the old ones. It's something that is normal in this life. I can't complain at all about that.
"At the same time, I am happy to have somebody like him from my country achieving all the things that he is achieving."
Alcaraz opted to sit out of the Internazionali d'Italia this week to recover from an ankle injury, with the upcoming French Open at Roland Garros his next target for more success.
Nadal has had his injury problems as well, only recently returning from a rib injury that kept him sidelined for six weeks, while he continues to struggle with foot issues.
"Of course, at my age, when you start having more problems than what you can manage, of course it is tough," 35-year-old Nadal added.
"Body issues, pains, you can manage that. The problem is when you start to feel that with all the things that are going through your body, you can't be competitive enough to fight for the things that really keep exciting you."
For now, though, Nadal remains content with how he is competing as he seeks improvements in Rome, where he faces either John Isner or Francisco Cerundolo in his opening match.
"I like what I do, honestly. I am not playing anymore for things outside of my happiness and for things outside of my personal motivation," he continued.
"For the moment I am happy. It is true that I went through, again, a tough period of time. But I am here to enjoy and to give myself a chance to play well here in Rome.
"I need to keep improving. In terms of movement, in terms of being more fitter, in terms of reading again the game. In general terms, [it was] not a negative week in Madrid, even if the tournament is probably the most difficult for me."
Rafael Leao's pace, power and flair invokes memories of Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario, while only Cristiano Ronaldo was as talented as the Milan winger aged 18 at Sporting CP.
That is according to former Sporting coach Tiago Fernandes, who worked with Leao as he came through the ranks at the Portuguese club and coached a young Ronaldo before he joined Manchester United.
Leao has become central to Stefano Pioli's plans at Milan this season as the Rossoneri seek a first Scudetto since the 2010-11 campaign, sitting two points clear of Inter with two Serie A games left to play.
The 22-year-old starred in the 3-1 comeback victory at Hellas Verona on Sunday, driving down the left flank to provide two almost identical assists for birthday boy Sandro Tonali to score.
Leao leads Milan charts for most goals (10) in the league this campaign, while only Theo Hernandez (6) boasts as many assists.
He has created 38 chances in total in the Italian top flight this season, a tally that only Hernandez (49) and Tonali (42) can better.
Fernandes, speaking to Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb, heaped praise on Leao as he drew comparisons between the forward and Brazil great Ronaldo.
"Leao has the power of Ronaldo, he has the talent to solve matches on his own," said Fernandes, who worked at Sporting between 2011 and 2018.
"He reminds me of the 'Phenomenon' [Ronaldo] with speed, technique and explosiveness in decisive moments, qualities that this season have emerged every game to drag Milan towards great results."
Fernandes reflected on his memories of developing Leao when he was at Sporting's academy, with Portugal compatriot Ronaldo the only other youth player to display so much potential.
"We are talking about a very special guy for me, I'm so happy with what he's doing," he added on the Milan star. "I met him when he was just 12-13 years old, coaching him in almost all the youth teams of Sporting until his first team debut at 18.
"I can assure you that only Cristiano Ronaldo in Lisbon had the same talent as him at that age. It is very exciting. It repays the many hours of work spent together on the pitch at Sporting.
"I am proud that he has landed in a great club like the Rossoneri, he is doing very well. I want him to win the Scudetto, now there are only two games left to finish the job."
As for the future of Leao, Fernandes believes he could play for any of Europe's elite given the qualities he possesses.
"Rafael has the talent to play in the best clubs in the world, from Real Madrid to Barcelona," Fernandes added. "I am convinced that he has an incredible career ahead of him."
Joe Root captaining England "at the most horrendous time" for his side in Test cricket is "one of the great sporting achievements", according to new men's managing director Rob Key.
Root succeeded Alastair Cook as red-ball captain in 2017 and resigned last April after a torrid run of one win in 17 Tests, with a 1-0 series defeat to West Indies the final straw.
Yorkshireman Root still delivered remarkable returns with the bat in 2021, despite England's struggles, scoring 1,708 runs in 15 matches, including two double centuries and a further four tons.
Only Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf (1,788 in 2006) and West Indies legend Viv Richards (1,710 in 1976) have ever managed more in a single calendar year.
Key, tasked with transforming English cricket in his new role, appointed Ben Stokes as the new skipper of the Test side but was quick to credit Root for his efforts during a tumultuous period.
"I remember just thinking: Oh, my God. Joe Root. How well has he done?," Key told Sky Sports. "We obviously know he's had a great year but he has had that year when he was doing everything as well it seemed.
"There was so much put on his shoulders. He was trying to be the ambassador for the England team that he is as a captain, and in a team that was struggling and the way that he was playing and what he was able to do. It's honestly one of the great achievements.
"Statistically it will just look in history as 'He got this amount of runs and he did this and he was this as a captain', but it won't actually say in there, 'Oh, and by the way, it was the most horrendous time to be an England cricketer, where you are under so much pressure and the captain was the lone man doing it all'.
"It's one of the great sporting achievements. And as well for him to then now seem to have somehow parked it all to some degree and he's like, right, what do you need? How do we move on from here? How can I help Ben? We probably don't realise how lucky we are to have him."
James Anderson and Stuart Broad have 1,177 Test wickets between them but were surprise omissions for the tour of West Indies, as Root travelled with a new-look side under the interim stewardship of Paul Collingwood.
However, Key and Stokes have both made it clear that England plan to reintroduce the pair for the three-Test series against New Zealand, which starts on June 2 at Lord's.
Key also acknowledged why Broad and Anderson were left out of the squad, even if he would not have done the same thing.
"I don't look at everything as just black or white, I always look at the reason," Key said. "I always thought this as a pundit; if there's logic behind what they're doing to some degree, then fine, I can understand why people are doing it.
"There was no logic to me when England in the World Cup in 2015, dropped Alastair Cook and then brought in Gary Ballance. There's no part of me that can understand why you would do that.
"But there's part of me that can understand with Broad and Anderson away from home, getting on a bit as well when you wanted to try and find out about other people. I can understand that. It doesn't mean that I would have done it – but I've shown now that they've come back."
The New York Islanders have fired Barry Trotz as head coach after a disappointing 2021-22 season.
Trotz spent four years in New York, and reached the playoffs in each of his first three, but the Islanders have struggled this season, ending in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 37-35-10.
A statement on the organisation's website on Monday simply read: "New York Islanders President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello announced today that Barry Trotz has been relieved of his duties as Head Coach."
Trotz was brought in by the Islanders in 2018 having just won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals, but he was unable to repeat the feat in New York.
They were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the playoffs in 2018-19, though Trotz won the Jack Adams Award for the second time in his career that year, having also won it with the Capitals in 2016.
The Islanders were beaten by the Tampa Bay Lightning in each of the next two seasons, who went on to win the Stanley Cup on both occasions.
Suryakumar Yadav has been ruled out of the remainder of the Indian Premier League season with a left forearm injury.
Mumbai Indians confirmed Suryakumar would miss the final four games of the campaign prior to Monday's clash with Kolkata Knight Riders.
Suryakumar has enjoyed a fine season in a poor campaign for Mumbai, scoring 303 runs at an average of 43.28 - including three half-centuries.
But with bottom-of-the-table Mumbai already out of contention having won just two of their 10 games, the news is likely to be of greater concern to India ahead of next month's T20 International series with South Africa.
A brief statement on Mumbai's Twitter account read: "Suryakumar Yadav has sustained a muscle strain on his left forearm, and has been ruled out for the season.
"He has been advised rest, in consultation with the BCCI medical team."
Suryakumar has featured in 14 T20Is for India, scoring three half-centuries and averaging 39.
His 31-ball 65, which featured seven sixes, saw him named player of the series in February when India secured a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies.
India host South Africa for five T20Is next month, the series opener taking place in Delhi on June 9.
The fit-again Stan Wawrinka secured a first win in 15 months by defeating Reilly Opelka at the Internazionali d'Italia on Monday.
Three-time grand slam champion Wawrinka, whose most recent major success came at the 2016 US Open, was competing in just his second ATP Tour match in 14 months after recovering from a foot injury but battled past American Opelka 3-6 7-5 6-2 in Rome.
Opelka seemed to hold the initiative after dominating the first set and boasting a 4-2 advantage in the second, but the 37-year-old Swiss recovered well to fight back against the world number 17.
Wawrinka managed to release his heavy-hitting forehand and close the court by nearer to the net, with Opelka providing no response as the former world number three triumphed in two hours and five minutes.
Laslo Djere or Borna Coric will be the second-round opponent for Wawrinka, who registered his first tour-level win since February 2021.
Before defeating Opelka, Wawrinka had not won a match since he defeated Pedro Sousa at the Australian Open last season.
His only other ATP Tour match since then ended in defeat to Alexander Bublik in Monte Carlo last month.
Nikola Jokic has won the NBA MVP award for the second successive season, according to reports.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday reported Jokic will be officially announced as MVP later this week.
It follows a 2021-22 season in which the Denver Nuggets center led the league in points/assists/rebounds per game with 48.7.
That average marked an improvement on his 2020-21 numbers, which saw him rack up 45.5 PAR per game.
His reward for that increased production is to become the 13th player in NBA history to win the MVP award in back-to-back years.
Giannis Antetokounmpo achieved the feat in 2019-20, with Stephen Curry and LeBron James the two other active NBA players to go back-to-back.
Bill Russell was the first to win successive MVPs, heading a list that also features Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.
Tim Duncan won in 2001-02 and 2002-03 and Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash was named MVP for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.
Jokic's regular-season form did not translate to success in the postseason for the Nuggets, who lost 4-1 to Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
Jurgen Klopp has questioned why Liverpool would stop believing they can win the Premier League title and dismissed Pep Guardiola's claim that the entire country wants the Reds to be crowned champions.
Manchester City moved three points clear at the top of the table with three games to play by thrashing Newcastle United 5-0 on Sunday after Liverpool were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham.
A visibly angered Klopp heaped criticism on the defensive style of football Antonio Conte employed at Anfield and Guardiola also delivered a notable post-match interview the following day.
The City boss suggested "everyone in this country supports Liverpool" in a thrilling title race.
However, Klopp explained Guardiola may have been talking in the heat of the moment after the game, as was the case following the Tottenham stalemate when Klopp suggested he could not coach like Conte.
"I live in Liverpool, here a lot of people want us to win the league but even here it is only 50 per cent," he told a pre-match news conference ahead of Tuesday's clash with Aston Villa.
"As managers, after a game, we're obviously massively influenced by games and situations. What I said after Spurs [the criticism of Conte], I wouldn't say it again.
"I said: 'they play like they play and are still only fifth', but that was just my feeling at the moment and I couldn't respect Antonio more.
"I don't know how Pep reacted after getting knocked out of the Champions League and of course, Liverpool made it to the final, we played Villarreal, they played Real Madrid.
"I have no idea if the whole country is supporting us, it is not the feeling when we go and play around the country. Maybe he knows more than me."
Liverpool are also four goals behind City on goal difference and Klopp says they must beat Villa, Southampton and Wolves to have any chance of dethroning City.
"It's easy to describe our situation. We drew, they won, the goal difference too. We can decide for ourselves how we see it. There are some facts but I try to help the boys see it like me," he added.
"I am not sure I said [the title race is still on] because it is obvious. We both have three to play, my concern is how can we win our games. We shouldn't add on points before games are played.
"Why should we stop believing? The perfect situation would be we were nine points clear, 30-plus goals but it's not possible, so let's go from here.
"Whatever happens tomorrow night if we win, it helps. If not, we train for the FA Cup final [against Chelsea on Saturday].
"Ideal world, we win them all. We have to respond. The only chance to win is to win all the games."
Klopp is looking forward to seeing how Liverpool respond after coming up against a well-organised Spurs side at the weekend.
"Having another game is cool but it's not that we have to overcome something," he continued. "When I said about it being a funeral, I meant the press conference, not the players.
"A draw was a normal result, especially against Spurs. We played a good game against a well-organised team.
"It's not possible to be perfect due to the part of the season we are in now. We have to keep going."
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