Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a four-year contract, Cousins’ agent Mike McCartney posted on social media Monday.

The deal is worth up to $180million, according to multiple media reports, and includes $100million in guaranteed money.

Cousins, who will turn 36 before the start of this season, is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon that he sustained in Week 8 last year.

The move ends Cousins’ six-year tenure in Minnesota and leaves the Vikings with serious questions at the quarterback position. Minnesota lost six of their final seven games last season with Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs and Jaren Hall each getting their turn to start under centre.

"After significant and positive dialogue with Kirk and his representatives, we were unable to reach agreement on a contract that fits the short and long-term visions for both Kirk and the Minnesota Vikings," general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement Monday.

"Our approach heading into free agency always included layers of contingencies regarding the quarterback position. We are moving forward with plans that allow us to continue building a roster that can compete for a championship."

Cousins was selected to three Pro Bowls while in Minnesota, leading the Vikings to a 50-37-1 record and two play-off appearances.

While the Vikings face uncertainty, the Falcons have found stability at quarterback for the first time since Matt Ryan retired, assuming Cousins makes a full recovery.

Atlanta went 7-10 last season while riding the pendulum between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.

With bright, young talents like Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London, the Falcons are hopeful Cousins can lift their offence and help end a six-year play-off drought.

In 150 career games, Cousins has completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 39,471 yards, 270 touchdowns and 110 interceptions.

Manchester City defender Kyle Walker praised referee Michael Oliver for not “crumbling” in a fierce Anfield atmosphere and giving a last-minute penalty to Liverpool.

Jeremy Doku’s chest-high challenge to clear the ball in the 1-1 draw saw him catch Reds midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, but Oliver saw nothing amiss and VAR ruled it was a normal collision.

Jurgen Klopp said it was “a penalty for all football people on the planet”.

However, Walker hailed Oliver’s character and experience in withstanding the pressure.

“I feel the ref did really well. Once you have the Anfield crowd behind them, he could’ve have crumbled,” he told Sky Sports.

“But that shows his experience, shows his character and that’s why he is regarded as probably one of the best referees in this country and the world at this minute.

“The VAR has checked it, the ref has done it. That’s all I’m going to say.”

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher claimed there would have been less fuss had Oliver awarded a potentially match-winning spot-kick.

“I think there would be less argument if it was given as a penalty. If you give it, there won’t be much talk about it,” he told Sky Sports.

“It raises lots of dilemmas.”

The draw left City in third place, a point behind leaders Arsenal, but with the Gunners next up in the league at the Etihad they remain in the hunt for an unprecedented fourth successive title.

Midfielder Rodri believes they will have to win at least nine of their remaining 10 matches but insists they are up for the challenge.

After Arsenal there are potentially-tricky tests against Aston Villa and Tottenham – also at the Etihad – but, as the draw at Anfield was only the second time they have dropped points in the league since mid-December, the Spain international is confident they can put together another winning run.

“We need a break. We have the FA Cup game (against Newcastle) and then go to the international teams, so it will be good for us to refresh and give the last push at the end of the season,” he said.

“We know how good we are in the last part of the season, we just need to charge the batteries again and focus on the last 10 games.

“It seems you have to win nine or 10 games to win this Premier League. This is the challenge and we are going to go for it.”

Castleford head coach Craig Lingard will take the Super League strugglers to his old club Batley in the sixth round of the Betfred Challenge Cup.

Lingard, who lamented his side’s “embarrassing” display in Friday’s 50-8 home mauling by Huddersfield, left the Championship outfit to take over at Wheldon Road last year.

And he will be all too aware of the potential to be on the wrong end of another night to forget on the famous sloping pitch at Mount Pleasant.

Elsewhere, Wigan host Sheffield Eagles in a repeat of the 1998 final which saw the Eagles record one of the tournament’s biggest upsets with a 17-8 win.

Super League giants Leeds and St Helens will clash at Headingley, while holders Leigh start their defence against Championship Featherstone.

Last year’s losing finalists Hull KR play Salford, Warrington meet London Broncos, Huddersfield take on Hull FC and the fourth surviving second-tier side, Halifax, are at home to Catalans Dragons.

Anthony Davis brushed off injury concerns and confidently declared the Los Angeles Lakers are "hitting our stride" after his record-breaking NBA showing against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Lakers man Davis was the star of the show as Los Angeles powered from a fourth-quarter tie to win 120-109 and secure their ninth victory in 13 games.

Davis finished with 27 points, 25 rebounds, five assists, seven steals and three blocks on Sunday, a feat that has never previously been matched.

No other player in NBA history has tallied 25-plus points, 25-plus rebounds, five-plus assists and five-plus steals in a single game.

"I think we're hitting our stride right now," Davis said after a roaring finish to a week that also saw the Lakers defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Milwaukee Bucks.

"We're just trying to keep going, keep pushing, knowing that just like last year, all we got to do is get in. We feel like it's tough for anybody to beat us in a seven-game series.

"We like our chances against anybody at that point."

Davis was a doubt for the Minnesota meeting after reporting left-shoulder soreness from a collision with the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo on Friday.

"I felt it at times out there," added Davis, who was in constant dialogue with the Lakers' medical staff whenever not on the court. "I still kind of feel it."

Such was the magnitude of Davis' dominance, LeBron James returning from a sore left ankle to put up 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds was somewhat ignored.

A taming of the Timberwolves, alongside a piece of NBA history, also marked a birthday treat for Davis, who turns 31 on Monday.

"It was before my birthday, so I guess we can [count it]," he continued. "It's actually the first time I'm able to celebrate my birthday in my entire career at home, on my actual birthday."

The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference with 16 games remaining, but are just two behind sixth-placed Phoenix Suns, as Austin Reeves insisted Los Angeles will back themselves.

"I think if you go ask anybody in our locker room, we're super confident with what we have," Reeves said.

"Regardless of where we stand, if we go put our best foot forward and play the basketball that we know we can play."

One of the top defensive free agents is no longer on the market.

The Las Vegas Raiders are signing Christian Wilkins to a four-year, $110million contract, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

The deal, which was reported on Monday, includes $84.75million in guaranteed money.

Wilkins had spent his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins after being selected 13th overall in the 2019 NFL draft.

The 28-year-old is coming off a career year, tallying nine sacks and 23 quarterback hits while forcing one fumble.

Among all defensive tackles, Wilkins' 59 QB pressures were fifth most in the NFL.

He has proven to be quite durable, playing in all 17 games in each of the last three seasons and has only missed two games in his career.

With Las Vegas, he'll help bolster a defensive front that is led by Maxx Crosby, who registered a team-high 14 1/2 sacks in 2023.

The NFL free agency negotiating period began Monday, and three running backs are already off the market as Josh Jacobs will sign with the Green Bay Packers, the Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with Tony Pollard and the Chicago Bears added D’Andre Swift.

The terms of Jacobs’ contract are unknown, while Pollard and Swift will both reportedly earn $24million over three years.

Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns in 73 games since the Raiders drafted him with the 24th overall pick in 2019.

Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, and Tennessee brings him aboard with Derrick Henry being a free agent.

Henry’s 9,502 rushing yards and 90 rushing touchdowns are the most in the NFL since the Titans selected the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner in the second round of the 2016 draft.

Swift set a career high with 1,049 yards on the ground in 2023 during his only season with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The NFL free agency negotiating period began Monday, and four top running backs have already found new homes.

The Philadelphia Eagles have brought in Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs will sign with the Green Bay Packers, the Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with Tony Pollard and the Chicago Bears added D’Andre Swift.

Barkley's agreement is reportedly for three years and $37.75million, while Pollard and Swift will both reportedly earn $24million over three years. The terms of Jacobs’ contract are unknown.

Barkley stays in the NFC East after spending his first six NFL seasons with the New York Giants.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft has run for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns in 74 career games while adding 288 receptions for 2,100 yards and 12 TDs.

Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns in 73 games since the Raiders drafted him with the 24th overall pick in 2019.

Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, and Tennessee brings him aboard with Derrick Henry being a free agent.

Henry’s 9,502 rushing yards and 90 rushing touchdowns are the most in the NFL since the Titans selected the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner in the second round of the 2016 draft.

Swift set a career high with 1,049 yards on the ground in 2023 during his only season with the Eagles.

The NFL free agency negotiating period began Monday, and five top running backs have already found new homes.

The Philadelphia Eagles brought in Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs will sign with the Green Bay Packers, the Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with Tony Pollard, the Chicago Bears added D’Andre Swift and the New York Giants landed Devin Singletary.

Barkley's agreement is reportedly for three years and $37.75million, while Pollard and Swift will both reportedly earn $24million over three years. The terms of Jacobs’ and Singletary's contracts are unknown.

Barkley stays in the NFC East after spending his first six NFL seasons with the New York Giants.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft has run for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns in 74 career games while adding 288 receptions for 2,100 yards and 12 TDs.

The Giants added Singletary after losing Barkley. Singletary played one season with the Houston Texans in 2023 and established a career high with 898 rushing yards after totalling 3,151 yards on the ground with the Buffalo Bills from 2019-22.

Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns in 73 games since the Raiders drafted him with the 24th overall pick in 2019. After agreeing to terms with Jacobs, the Packers informed Aaron Jones that he would be released.

Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, and Tennessee brings him aboard with Derrick Henry being a free agent.

Henry’s 9,502 rushing yards and 90 rushing touchdowns are the most in the NFL since the Titans selected the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner in the second round of the 2016 draft.

Swift set a career high with 1,049 yards on the ground in 2023 during his only season with the Eagles.

Mikel Arteta has called on his players to control their emotions when they host Porto on Wednesday as he looks to guide Arsenal into the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years.

A late Galeno winner gave Porto a 1-0 win in the first leg of the last-16 clash in Porto last month on a tough night for the visitors.

There were 36 fouls during the match – a Champions League high this season – with Porto boss Sergio Conceicao claiming after the game: “They (Arsenal) wanted to play, we wanted to win.”

The Gunners have won eight straight Premier League matches either side of the loss in Portugal, and head into the second leg top of the table.

Arteta has asked supporters to “bring your noise” and create a passionate environment at the Emirates Stadium – but has warned his players to remain in check.

Asked if there has to be a level of control on the pitch, he replied: “For sure. The game context is very important.

“We know that we have a long match to play. There are moments that could go your way and that it can change dramatically quick.

“That’s the Champions League and you have to be ready for these kind of games.

“We’re certainly going to have to tweak a few things to generate much more than we did (in Porto). It’s the level of the Champions League.

“You’re facing top teams. The fact that there are two games plays in your mind and we have to be better (on Tuesday).

“That’s the opportunity that we have (on Tuesday). In front of our people, in our stadium for 96 minutes. Bring your energy, bring your noise and let’s do it together. I think the impact that they can make is incredible. I don’t think they realise.

“It’s a beautiful opportunity to live one of those nights. It’s been 14 years (since a Champions League quarter-final) so everything that we put in there is going to be worth it.”

Arsenal have been in fine form domestically of late, winning 5-0 at West Ham and 6-0 at Burnley and Sheffield United, while beating Newcastle 4-1 at home.

Their last game ahead of the visit of Porto was a tighter contest as a late Kai Havertz header earned Arteta’s side a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Brentford.

While not dispatching the Bees in the same emphatic manner, captain Martin Odegaard believes the stop-start nature of the game was good preparation for what they expect from Porto.

“We will take a lot of good things,” Odegaard said. “It was a really good practice for this game coming up. We had to deal with a lot of different situation, a lot of time wasting. 

“We had to control our emotions the whole game and I think we did that brilliantly. It was really good practice for another big game and we did really well. 

“Top of the table so of course we have to build on that momentum and the good feeling we have at the moment. That’s the goal, to keep that going.”

Simona Halep's four-year ban being overturned comes as a "relief", though the decision to reinstate her WTA Tour position may be "bittersweet" due to time already missed on the court.

That was the message from Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) representative Ahmad Nassar, who discussed the damage that the initial decision could have on Halep's career.

The two-time grand slam champion was handed a long ban by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for "intentional" doping offences.

Halep, who won the 2018 French Open and Wimbledon in 2019, repeatedly defended her innocence.

The 32-year-old's appeal was eventually successful earlier this week as the ban that was initially set to last until 2026 was reduced to a nine-month suspension, which was backdated, meaning Halep can return to the court immediately.

"Bittersweet is a good word," Nassar told Stats Perform after the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) ruling.

"Relief is another word I would use. It's just a relief after a year and a half. The ups and downs of waiting, and then having this initial decision with the four-year ban, and the resulting 116-page decision.

"I worked in US federal court for a year after law school and a lot of times people write decisions to try to bulletproof it on appeal. Other times, it's kind of a pro forma thing, because there's zero chance that's going to get overturned on appeal.

"So when I saw that my first reaction was this is intended to try to bulletproof, throw the proverbial book at her and her team.

"So that on appeal, exactly what ended up happening didn't happen. That's such a sign of how broken the system is, because that shouldn't really be the motivation, the motivation should be what's the right answer?

"I represent all the players, not just Simona. And we go out of our way to say, all the players deserve a clean sport, first and foremost.

"Nobody's more affected by potential doping, especially in tennis, where it's one on one or two on two, than the players. 

"It's a win in a fairly technical sense. They sought to take it from four to six years, which to me is just a jaw-dropper. If you think about that, neither side was happy with the four-year ban, which makes it all the more remarkable that CAS ruled the way they did."

Halep, the former world number one, will make her return at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, where action starts on March 17.

Whether she will be able to get back into her stride after a prolonged absence remains to be seen, a sticking point for Nassar.

He added: "Nobody won because you don't get to go back in time. Even if you went back to exactly the day after the nine-month suspension ended, which would have been last summer and let her resume play.

"Still, she went through nine months of assuming the worst, reading the worst, seeing the worst, hearing the worst. It's not only time but also opportunity, it's reputation.

"You take years and years and a whole career, decades to build up your name and you can lose it and your credibility and trust. You can lose it in an instant, and it's hard from that standpoint.

"That really frustrates me. This is not one of those things where you say, 'It's just professional sports, it comes with the territory', because when I look at other sports, this same dynamic does not exist.

"We don't want to call this a real win. She's a former number one, a major champion, with resources and wherewithal and ability, and later in her career, to be able to push back against this real machine that was mobilised against her.

"Most players, 99 per cent of them do not have that and so they take it on the chin, and either retire, or just take the four years and hope that they cut some terrible deal, if that's even in the offing, to settle and move on with their lives.

"That's why the players created the PTPA. It just highlights a huge gap in the system that is going to take years to fill, even on the anti-doping side. It's going to take years.

"I think there's some incremental reforms that hopefully can occur because of this situation that are better for everybody, not just the players. But it's going to be a long-term process."

Carlos Alcaraz must ignore the comparisons to fellow Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal otherwise it will "hinder his career".

That was the message from former Dutch player Richard Krajicek, who won the Wimbledon men's singles title back in 1996.

Alcaraz triumphed at Wimbledon last year as well, his second major title after winning the US Open in 2022.

Though veteran Nadal has some 22 grand slam titles to his name, two behind the ever-reliant and ruthless Novak Djokovic, comparisons continue to be drawn between the two Spaniards.

"If he starts to think about it or live up to it or try to beat it, then it will hinder his career," Krajicek said of the similarities between Nadal and Alcaraz.

"His name is Carlos Alcaraz, he said it himself and he's not the new Nadal. Nadal is a legend and he's going to do what he has to do.

"I think by winning two grand slams, being number one, I don't think he feels any pressure or like, 'I have to do this or this'. He's improved already so much.

"I don't think he has too much to prove and he's just playing for the love of the game and he's going to win many more Grand Slams and he will be number one for many weeks also."

An athletic, bustling right-hander Alcaraz has the pure power, mixed with delicate control, to trouble major-title contenders for the next decade or so.

However, Krajicek says it is Alcaraz's passion for the sport that is most impressive.

"I like everything about this game. I mean, he's physically good, he's fast, I love his mentality on the court. Also like Rafa, very humble person, and he can do it all," he added.

"He can play, he plays from the base, and he's got a big forehand, he's got a very good touch on the drop shot. He can volley. Yeah, and he really loves the game.

"When he played the US Open and it was a really important point, and they were playing for number one in the world. It was one set all, Alcaraz loses the point, but the point was unbelievable, and Alcaraz smiled to his box 'Wow, I just played a great point and I love this game'.

"So for me, then I became a fan. I'm like, 'Wow, you really love this game'. So that's so great to see."

Lewis Hamilton’s first Formula One world championship is the subject of legal action after Felipe Massa filed a lawsuit against Formula One, its governing body the FIA and the sport’s former supremo Bernie Ecclestone in London’s High Court on Monday.

Massa, 42, believes he is the rightful winner of the 2008 title he lost to Hamilton by just a single point following the ‘Crashgate’ scandal at that year’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Renault staged a win for Fernando Alonso by ordering Nelson Piquet Jr to crash in the other car.

Ferrari’s Massa, leading at the time of Piquet’s smash, finished 13th, before losing the championship at the final round in Brazil.

Piquet revealed the following season that he was under instruction by his bosses to deliberately crash.

However, Ecclestone, who bossed F1 for four decades before he was deposed in 2017, revealed last year the sport’s executives were aware of the cover-up before the 2008 campaign concluded.

Lawyers acting on Massa’s behalf want the FIA to acknowledge it “breached its regulations by failing to promptly investigate” Piquet’s crash as well as seeking compensation for the former Ferrari driver.

A statement from Brazilian law firm Vieira Rezende Advogados read: “On March 11, 2024, Felipe Massa filed a lawsuit in the High Court in London, England against Formula One Management Limited (FOM), Bernard Charles Ecclestone and the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA).

“Mr Massa is seeking declarations that the FIA breached its regulations by failing to promptly investigate Nelson Piquet Junior’s crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, and that had it acted properly, Mr Massa would have won the drivers’ championship that year.

“Mr Massa also seeks damages for the significant financial loss he has suffered due to the FIA’s failure, in which Mr Ecclestone and FOM were also complicit.

“Attempts to find an amicable resolution have been unsuccessful, leaving Mr Massa with no choice but to initiate legal proceedings.”

Hamilton, who has won a record-equalling seven titles, said last September: “If that’s the direction that Felipe wants to go, that’s his decision. I prefer not to focus on the past.

“Whether it’s 15 years ago, two years ago, or three days ago, I’m only interested in the present and my focus is on helping my team this week.”

Ecclestone, 93, told the PA news agency on Monday: “If he had asked me, I would have said it was the complete right thing to do, to sue, and to let an English judge decide what is right and wrong.

“I cannot say anything about the outcome and what will happen. I have not got a clue, I don’t think anyone has, but from his point of view, it is better that an English judge comes up with a verdict. It will be of more help for him.”

An FIA spokesperson told PA: “We will not be providing any comment on the matter.”

F1 declined to comment.