Former Liverpool midfielder Jan Molby believes the performance of Alexis Mac Allister could be crucial in the top-of-the-table clash with Manchester City.
While the two teams are generally well-matched in most positions, the hosts boast Rodri, who is regarded as the world’s best in the holding role, while Jurgen Klopp has had to field Mac Allister as a makeshift number six.
It is an unfamiliar position for the Argentina World Cup winner, who is more effective in a slightly more advanced role, but he has been asked to do a job as Liverpool’s all-new midfield still takes shape after a summer overhaul.
Japan international Wataru Endo was one of four midfield arrivals in the summer and while he is accustomed to the defensive job, the 30-year-old has been entrusted with only two Premier League starts and is unlikely to be in consideration against the defending champions.
“When you look at the midfield three, I still think we need to find the right balance and combination,” Molby told the PA news agency at the launch of the club’s Ultimate LFC Experience, a package which includes giving fans the opportunity to train at Melwood – the former home of the men’s team and current training base of the women’s side.
“We’ve managed to get away with that midfield from game to game, but there is every chance Bernardo Silva and Julian Alvarez will be playing in there and he (Mac Allister) will have to look after those and that’s a big job in itself.
“You only have to look at City and what happened when Rodri was out through suspension and they lost games (against Wolves and Arsenal) – that’s how important a world-class number six is.
“When you look at the teams who are doing well, they all have a world-class number six so that’s an area where we might need to look at.
“The majority of games we will get away with it because of the general quality we have, but there might be one or two games where we go ‘we need someone better in that position’.
“That is not a criticism of Alexis as he is not a number six, he is more of a number eight, so the quicker we can get in there the quicker we will improve.”
:: For more information about the Ultimate LFC Experience go to www.liverpoolfc.com/stadium-tours
Nathan Heaney has eyed a middleweight world title fight against Janibek Alimkhanuly after his majority decision victory over Denzel Bentley in Manchester.
The 18-0-0 Heaney became British middleweight champion on Saturday after an expert performance against London’s Bentley.
The Stoke supporter believes last week’s victory makes a future fight at bet365 Stadium more of a reality and set his sights on Alimkhanuly’s WBO and IBF belts.
“Frank (Warren) said the winner (Bentley or Heaney) fights for a world title and I think there’s no reason why I can’t fight Janibek (Alimkhanuly) and do my best,” Heaney told the PA news agency.
“Bentley did a very good job against Alimkhanuly himself (unanimous points defeat).
“Styles make fights and that could be a very exciting thing to happen.
“I want any of the world titles. Janibek has two world titles and so he’d be the best one to fight because you can get two birds with one stone there providing I can beat him.
“It lays the foundation to fulfil my dream which is to fight at Stoke City’s football ground.”
Bentley struggled to deal with the elusive Heaney, who showed signs of brilliance.
https://twitter.com/NathanHeaney/status/1726143846197936259
The undefeated Stoke fighter claimed he “played” with Bentley for 12 rounds and said the victory was emotional.
“Watching the fight back at times I was playing with one of the most dangerous middleweights in the division,” he added.
“He laid out his last title defence in 45 seconds but I’m in there with my hands on my thighs and I’m doing a little shoulder shimmy.
“Steve (Woodvine) told me exactly how to beat Denzel Bentley.
“In the first round I was moving my feet and I thought ‘he can’t close me down’. The plan Steve had set out for me was absolutely perfect.
“It must have been disheartening for him (Bentley) to be told before he’s going to knock me out and then not be able to land a shot on me.
“It was full of emotion. Some fighters online after I boxed behind closed doors said I’ll never get beyond area level.”
Heaney insisted the win was no surprise to him and that it was the best performance of his career.
He said: “It definitely didn’t surprise me (winning) but it did everyone else. It made the win even better because no-one expected it from me.
“Everything was flowing because I was enjoying it so much.
“It’s probably my best performance in terms of how I applied myself and the level of opposition.
“But there’s still lots of areas I could have improved on.
“When they announced me as the new British middleweight champion it gave me validation that I am a good fighter.”
Goshen will have the assistance of Niall Houlihan when he defends his Coral Hurdle title at Ascot on Saturday.
Gary Moore’s seven-year-old has won two of his four starts over timber at the Berkshire track, including when landing this Grade Two event in supreme style 12 months ago.
He benefitted from the rerouting of Constitution Hill on that occasion and his handler is expecting a sterner examination of his stable stalwart this time around.
“Anywhere right-handed he seems to run well, particularly Ascot,” said Moore.
“He’s in good form with himself, but it’s going to be a little bit tougher than it was last year as you have horses on the up and he’s got a penalty this time.
“He’s been ready to run for a while now and hopefully he will be all right.”
Goshen has been partnered in all of his outings under National Hunt rules by the trainer’s son Jamie Moore. But with the 38-year-old on the sidelines with a bad injury suffered earlier this week, steering duties have been passed on to Houlihan.
A key member of the team at Moore’s Lower Beeding operation, the 23-year-old claimed Grade One glory aboard the stable’s Editeur Du Gite in the rearranged Clarence House Chase earlier in the year and now gets another golden opportunity.
“He’s got a different jockey to contend with,” Moore added. “But Niall has ridden him out a lot at home, especially in his younger days when he used to ride him out all the time, so it is only right he gets a go on him.”
Goshen finished just ahead of Nicky Henderson’s Theatre Glory when they clashed at Sandown at the end of last season, but the Canter Banter Racing team who own the six-year-old hope for a different outcome this time, rematching on a sounder surface.
“We’re very excited and she’s in great form,” said Katie Croft, co-founder of Canter Banter Racing alongside David Fehily.
“It is sort of a similar race to what she ran in at the end of last season (at Sandown). I think the ground was a bit soft for her in that last run at Sandown and it just slowed her down a bit.
“She was only beaten a length behind Goshen and I think the tables will turn this time hopefully on a bit better ground.
“I never say she is ground dependent, but I agree her best form is on quicker ground and she thrives flicking off that and we’re going there hopeful.”
Alan King got his hands on this prize with Yanworth in 2016 and will saddle evergreen 11-year-old Sceau Royal, while Paul Nicholls’ sole victory in this race came via Silviniaco Conti in 2010 and he could have an improving youngster on his hands this time in the form of Blueking D’Oroux.
The four-year-old was a winner at the track before going close in a competitive handicap at Aintree in the spring and seemed to take a huge leap forward with a commanding reappearance victory in Cheltenham’s Masterson Holdings Hurdle last month.
“He is highly progressive, a different horse since we gave him a wind op last season,” Nicholls told Betfair.
“I loved the way he won at Cheltenham last month and he will relish the step up in trip to two miles and three furlongs. While he has a bit to find on official ratings I’m expecting a big run from him.”
The field is completed by Ollie Murphy’s Strong Leader, who was a runner-up to Inthepocket in an Aintree Grade One last term, but bitterly disappointed when sent off favourite for the Welsh Champion Hurdle on his return.
Eddie Howe has insisted the decision not to introduce a ban which could have prevented Newcastle from loaning players from Saudi clubs is no great advantage to them.
Premier League clubs this week voted against a move to stop members drafting in players on temporary deals from associated clubs – those who share owners – which had been interpreted as a bid to thwart the Magpies, who had been linked with a January move for Al-Hilal’s Ruben Neves.
Newcastle are 80 per cent owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which also has controlling stakes in four Saudi Pro League clubs including Neves’ employers, and the decision means in theory that they could sign loan deals to bolster their squad in the midst of an injury crisis.
Howe said: “I found it a bit strange that the focus has been solely on us. Every club has a right to vote how they want to vote, and it hasn’t gone through so it’s not just about us.
“It was a Premier League vote – we’re not the only club involved in that vote. I think the majority of clubs in the Premier League own other clubs around the world, so it’s not solely on us, I don’t think.
“Newcastle as a club had a view. We voted our way in the way we’re allowed to, and the vote came out on the side that it did.
“Just from my dealings with it, we’re very relaxed on it. It’s not the be-all and end-all for us.”
Howe’s squad has been ravaged by injuries and suspension in recent weeks, but midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is available for Saturday’s home clash with Chelsea after serving a one-match ban, as is Kieran Trippier after leaving the England squad for personal reasons.
Striker Alexander Isak is close to a return from a groin injury, but Howe is still without the likes of Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Sean Longstaff, Sandro Tonali, Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes and Callum Wilson.
Asked if he would consider signing a player from a Saudi club in January, Howe said: “It’s not even in our thoughts at this moment in time.
“It would only be a reaction to the injuries that we have and whether we need to recruit because the majority of our players would be back in January. At this moment in time, we don’t know.”
Howe put the final touches to his preparations for the Chelsea game having watched back his side’s 2-0 defeat at former club Bournemouth on their last outing no fewer than five times in a bid to address what went wrong.
He did so with £55million summer signing Tonali, who is serving a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules, showing just how much of a miss he will be on the training pitch.
Howe said: “You wouldn’t know from our training sessions that he’s unavailable to play and it’s probably been the best we have seen him in training. I’d love to see him when he comes back into the team because I think he will be a huge player for us.”
Mikel Arteta insists he will continue to speak freely on refereeing decisions despite being handed a Football Association charge for comments he made after Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle.
The Gunners boss labelled VAR’s decision to not overturn Anthony Gordon’s 64th minute winner “an absolute disgrace”.
Arteta, who said that he has submitted observations he made during the match to the FA, highlighted the importance of freedom of speech and believes communication is key if the standards of refereeing are to improve.
He said: “I am going to speak (in the future). I think you have to be yourself and as a leader you have to be authentic. You can not be someone you are not and this is who I am.
“We have (sent our observations to the FA) and we will try to give our point and the reasons why and there’s not a lot I can comment on.
“When you get asked to give your observation you have to do it in the right way and there’s a process in place to do that.
“It is good that we are communicating and we all want to improve the game. Referees, managers, officials, sporting directors, journalists, we all want a better game.
“To get a better game we need freedom of speech, respectfully and in a constructive way but we have to promote that.
“It is good that they are talking in front of the media about decisions because it brings clarity.”
Arsenal face Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday bidding to build on their dominant 3-1 victory over Burnley.
Arteta branded the west-London club as one of the best run in the league and reflected on Arsenal’s opening day 2-1 defeat to the Bees in 2021.
“Two years ago we had a really tough start to the campaign there,” Arteta added.
“We have learnt from that, they are a really tough opponent and it’s a really difficult place to go to. They make it extremely difficult, they are really effective, they are well coached and it will be a tough match.
“With Thomas (Frank), the coaching staff and the club, they are one of the best run clubs in the league.
“I’ve followed them for many years and the things they do with their structure and process alongside their vision is incredible to achieve what they have so credit to them.
“They have achieved to get to this level and have maintained it with so many demands as well.”
Arteta also emphasised Takehiro Tomiyasu’s influence at the club despite recent reports linking the defender with a move away from the Emirates.
“I really want him to stay,” Arteta said.
“I value the player a lot and I really like him. He’s loved and respected by everyone at the club, he’s getting a lot of minutes at the moment and he will remain with us.”
George Russell finished fastest in opening practice for the concluding round of the Formula One season in Abu Dhabi.
Triple world champion Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton sat out the first running with 10 rookie drivers blooded at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Three Britons were among them with Zak O’Sullivan, 18, and Jake Dennis, 28, making their Formula One weekend debuts for Williams and Red Bull respectively.
Ollie Bearman, 18, who in Mexico made history by becoming the youngest British debutant at a Grand Prix, was handed his second practice appearance by Haas.
Dennis, in a Red Bull machine which Hamilton has described as the fastest ever seen in Formula One, finished 16th of the 20 runners, 1.1 seconds off the pace.
O’Sullivan was 18th – seven tenths behind Williams’ Logan Sargeant – with Bearman 20th and last, albeit only a tenth slower than Kevin Magnussen in the other Haas.
Mercedes are facing up to ending the season without a single victory – the first time that has happened in 12 years.
But the troubled Silver Arrows will take some confidence from ending the opening running at the top of the order.
Russell finished 0.288 sec clear of Aston Martin stand-in Felipe Drugovich – who finished highest of the substitute drivers – with Daniel Ricciardo third for AlphaTauri.
Valtteri Bottas was fourth in his Alfa Romeo, ahead of Lance Stroll and Oscar Piastri.
The day’s concluding session – which will see the return of Verstappen, Hamilton and McLaren’s Lando Norris – gets under way at 5pm local time (1pm GMT).
Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold believes performances this season provide encouraging evidence they can again push Manchester City all the way in another epic title battle.
After a summer midfield rebuild following a fifth-place finish it was generally expected the realistic aim was to regain their Champions League status but just one controversial defeat sees Jurgen Klopp’s side head into Saturday’s match at the home of the Premier League leaders in second place.
The tantalising prospect is Liverpool will at the very least sustain a challenge like that of 2018-19 and 2021-22, when City pipped their north-west rivals by just a single point, or even go one better like in 2019-20 when they won their first title in 30 years.
But to do that they will have to continue to produce an unerringly-high level of consistency and Alexander-Arnold is well aware of that.
“Last season wasn’t good enough. We brought new players in, it was about adapting as quick as possible and making sure we laid a good foundation at the start of the season,” he said.
“We are in a really strong position and results and form-wise we are doing enough to stay as close as possible to the top of the table.
“So far we’ve performed in a way that is how you would expect someone who can win the league to perform and if we carry this on we should be in and around it come May.
“If that wasn’t the case I would be here saying ‘I want to get back in the top four,’ because, genuinely, there is nothing wrong with that for this team, a team that has just finished outside the Champions League places.
“There is a rebuild going on, a lot of senior players have left, and it would be very normal to say ‘Get back in the top four and push on from there,’ but it (challenging for the title) is something that we believe we can achieve.
“If it doesn’t happen, we have ourselves to blame. We have built a great foundation, it is just about consistency.
“The hardest thing in football is consistently winning games but we have shown we are more than capable of passing (that test).”
While outside observers may have lowered their expectations of Liverpool after their slump, by their own high standards, last season that has not been the feeling within the squad.
Despite the changes made to the personnel – with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch creating a whole new midfield – Alexander-Arnold said there were plenty of players who had gone head-to-head with City enough times to know what is required.
“Our aim as a team is to win the league and that’s the aim again this season,” he added.
“Our ambition is to be as successful as possible and to maximise the potential we have got as a team and as a club.
“At the start of last season it was the same as at the start of this season: our ambition was to win the league.
“We were nowhere near good enough to get anywhere near that last year and that’s where we needed to put it right this year.
“I think the players who are experienced in being successful with the club all understand what it takes and what’s needed to even challenge a team like City.
“It was about getting that message across as quick as possible to the new players and young players coming in; that responsibility of we need everyone to perform and if we do get players who play really well over the course of the season it will get us closer to the top of the table.
“Last season there were too many of us guys who never hit the levels we were expected to and demand of each other, ultimately that’s how you end up being in fifth place.”
What the papers say
Manchester United are keen to add reinforcements at centre-back with 23-year-old French defender Jean-Clair Todibo and Portuguese defender Goncalo Inacio, 22, reportedly on their list. They are seen as ideal replacements for Raphael Varane, according to The Sun.
Sky Sports reports that Real Betis winger Assane Diao, 18, has emerged as a target for Brentford, with the Premier League club looking to make a move for the Spain Under-21 international in the January transfer window.
Wolves are keen to sign striker Rafiu Durosinmi, but they are not the only ones, the Telegraph reports. Eintracht Frankfurt are also interested in the Nigerian 20-year-old.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Rayan Ait-Nouri: Chelsea have added Wolves’ Algeria international to their list of possible targets, according to 90min.
Pedro Neto: Manchester United, Arsenal and several Saudi clubs are all eager to sign the 23-year-old, but keenness may wane as Wolves demand a fee of at least £60m, TEAMtalk reports.
Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from playing professional football, on this day in 2016.
The announcement came a little over a week after the former Liverpool captain, then aged 36, had left LA Galaxy, the only other club on his resume.
In a statement, he said: “I can confirm my retirement from playing professional football. I have had an incredible career and am thankful for each and every moment of my time at Liverpool, England and LA Galaxy.”
It marked the end of a playing career which saw Gerrard come through the academy system of his hometown club to become a European champion and play for England more than 100 times.
In 2000-01, the midfielder was part of a Liverpool side that won the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup.
Four years later, Gerrard inspired a remarkable comeback as he captained his side to victory in the Champions League final against AC Milan, as Liverpool came from 3-0 down to win on penalties in Istanbul.
Gerrard was a two-time FA Cup winner and lifted the League Cup three times in all, but would never take a Premier League title.
The all-action midfielder played 114 times for England, featuring at three World Cups and three European Championships, before retiring from international duty in 2014.
He was part of the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ and captained his country, but was unable to progress beyond the quarter-finals of any major tournament, with his international career ending when England failed to advance from the group stages at the 2014 World Cup.
In announcing his retirement, Gerrard added: “I am excited about the future and feel I still have a lot to offer the game, in whatever capacity that may be.
“I am currently taking my time to consider a number of options and will make an announcement with regards to the next stage of my career very soon.”
Gerrard would return to Liverpool as a youth-team coach only a matter of months after his retirement, before he achieved great success in charge of Rangers, helping them win the Scottish Premiership title for the first time in 10 years in 2021.
He would later depart Ibrox to become Aston Villa manager but was sacked after less than 12 months in charge of the Premier League club in October.
In July of this year, Gerrard was named manager of Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq where another former Liverpool captain, Jordan Henderson, is among his players.
Dak Prescott threw for four touchdown passes as the Dallas Cowboys eased to a 45-10 Thanksgiving victory over the Washington Commanders.
Tony Pollard added a seven-yard touchdown run while DaRon Bland rounded things off with a 63-yard interception return for a score – his fifth of the season to set an NFL record.
The win lifts the Cowboys to 9-3 and stretched their home-winning run to 13 matches.
For the Commanders, who have lost eight of their last 10 matches, Sam Howell threw for 300 yards and ran for a touchdown.
The Green Bay Packers beat NFC North leaders the Detroit Lions 29-22.
Jordan Love connected with Christian Watson from 53 yards on the first play of the game and ended with three touchdown passes.
Opposite number Jared Goff struggled against the Packers defence, fumbling three times – one of which was returned for a touchdown by Jonathan Owens.
Novak Djokovic told rowdy British fans to “shut up” after leading Serbia to a 2-0 victory in the Davis Cup quarter-finals in Malaga.
The world number one showed his annoyance with a section of the 5,000-strong British support by cupping his ear and blowing ironic kisses at the end of the first set of his 6-4 6-4 victory over Cameron Norrie.
When the same group of fans began drumming during Djokovic’s on-court interview, the Serbian responded: “Learn how to respect players, learn how to behave yourself,” before adding, “no, you shut up, you be quiet”.
It was a sour end to what was a disappointing evening for Britain, with the writing on the wall once Jack Draper fell to a 7-6 (2) 7-6 (6) defeat by Miomir Kecmanovic in a opening rubber that was a must-win.
On his spat with the supporters, Djokovic said: “In the Davis Cup, it’s normal that sometimes fans step over the line but, in the heat of the moment, you react too, and you show that you don’t allow this kind of behaviour.
“They can do whatever they want, but I’m going to respond to that. I was trying to talk and they were purposely starting to play the drums so that I don’t talk and they were trying to annoy me the entire match. So we had a little bit of a chat in the end.”
Britain’s dramatic success against France in Manchester in September had sent them through to the final eight event for the first time in the revamped format.
The tie did not get under way until 6.10pm, more than two hours later than billed, because of the over-running first match of the day between Italy and the Netherlands.
The near-capacity crowd, which also included a sizeable number of Serbian supporters, gave the event the sort of authentic Davis Cup feel that has so often been missing since the switch from the home-and-away format.
Among those sat in the stands at the Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena was Dan Evans, who had hoped to build on his brilliant performances in Manchester before a calf injury prematurely ended his season.
But even the British number two would have had his work cut out against an inspired Kecmanovic, who was chosen ahead of the higher-ranked Laslo Djere and fully justified the decision.
Draper had the better form coming in having reached his first ATP Tour final this month and had beaten Kecmanovic – ranked five places higher at 55 – earlier this year, but the Serbian was dominant on serve and edged two tie-breaks.
It was only the 21-year-old’s second Davis Cup rubber and he admitted knowing Djokovic was looming added to the nerves he felt.
“That’s seemingly a must-win match for me,” said Draper. “It’s definitely a tough challenge to go out there knowing that there is a lot more pressure on me to win the match.
“That’s the kind of pressure that, if I want to be a top player, I have to cope with and have to perform under. It’s tough not to get the win today. I gave it all I had mentally. I didn’t do a few things as well as I wanted to, but he played a great match.”
Djokovic had lost only six of his 61 previous matches this season, with just one defeat since the Wimbledon final, while his Davis Cup record is utterly formidable.
It is 12 years since he lost a singles match in the competition, and even that was by retirement, with now 21 straight wins and only four sets dropped.
Norrie had managed only a single set in three previous meetings and has endured a miserable run since the clay-court swing back in the spring, but he was captain Leon Smith’s only option once Andy Murray pulled out with a minor shoulder injury.
He did not put in a bad performance by any means, but was fire-fighting from the moment he was broken at 2-2 in the opening set and won only eight points on Djokovic’s serve during the contest.
While Serbia are a step closer to the trophy, Britain must start again in February in the qualifiers – barring an unlikely wild card through to September’s group stage.
Novak Djokovic ended Great Britain’s hopes of winning another Davis Cup title as he led Serbia to a 2-0 quarter-final victory in Malaga.
Britain’s dramatic success against France in Manchester in September had sent them through to the final eight event for the first time in the revamped format.
But they fell at the first hurdle, with Miomir Kecmanovic defeating Jack Draper 7-6 (2) 7-6 (6) before Djokovic comfortably saw off Cameron Norrie 6-4 6-4 to send a jubilant Serbia through to a semi-final against Italy on Saturday.
Given the presence of Djokovic, who cemented his position at the top of the sport by winning a seventh ATP Finals title on Sunday, Britain’s hopes depended on Draper winning the first rubber.
The tie did not get under way until 6.10pm, more than two hours later than billed, because of the over-running first match of the day between Italy and the Netherlands.
There were around 5,000 British fans in a near-capacity crowd, giving the event the sort of authentic Davis Cup feel that has so often been missing since the switch from the home-and-away format.
Among those sat in the stands at the Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena was Dan Evans, who had hoped to build on his brilliant performances in Manchester before a calf injury prematurely ended his season.
But even the British number two would have had his work cut out against an inspired Kecmanovic, who was chosen ahead of the higher-ranked Laslo Djere and fully justified the decision.
Draper had the better form coming in having reached his first ATP Tour final this month and had beaten Kecmanovic – ranked five places higher at 55 – earlier this year, but the Serbian was dominant on serve and edged two tie-breaks.
Draper hung on during the first set, saving two break points at 3-4 and then two set points at 4-5 with some gutsy play only to double fault twice in the tie-break.
His chance came when he recovered from 2-5 to level at 5-5 in the second tie-break but, despite saving a match point, he could not force a decider.
It was only the 21-year-old’s second Davis Cup rubber and he admitted knowing Djokovic was looming added to the nerves he felt.
“That’s seemingly a must-win match for me,” said Draper. “It’s definitely a tough challenge to go out there knowing that there is a lot more pressure on me to win the match.
“That’s the kind of pressure that, if I want to be a top player, I have to cope with and have to perform under. It’s tough not to get the win today. I gave it all I had mentally. I didn’t do a few things as well as I wanted to, but he played a great match.”
Djokovic had lost only six of his 61 previous matches this season, with just one defeat since the Wimbledon final, while his Davis Cup record is utterly formidable.
It is 12 years since he lost a singles match in the competition, and even that was by retirement, with now 21 straight wins and only four sets dropped.
Norrie had managed only a single set in three previous meetings and has endured a miserable run since the clay-court swing back in the spring, but he was captain Leon Smith’s only option once Andy Murray pulled out with a minor shoulder injury.
He did not put in a bad performance by any means, but was fire-fighting from the moment he was broken at 2-2 in the opening set, throwing everything he had at Djokovic to fight back from 0-40 in his next service game.
The Serbian lost just three points on serve in the first set – and only eight in the match – and blew kisses towards a vocal British fan who had been warned by the umpire after clinching it to love.
Norrie promptly dropped serve to start the second set before again hanging on grimly, this time saving five break points at 1-3, but Djokovic was able to stay in his comfort zone through to the finish line.
While Serbia are a step closer to the trophy, Britain must start again in February in the qualifiers – barring an unlikely wild card through to September’s group stage.
Great Britain’s hopes of reaching the Davis Cup semi-finals were hanging by a thread after Jack Draper lost the opening rubber to Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in Malaga.
Draper’s 7-6 (2) 7-6 (6) defeat left Cameron Norrie needing to hand Novak Djokovic just his seventh loss of the season to send the tie to a deciding doubles.
Serbia sprang a surprise by picking Kecmanovic, ranked five places above Draper at 55 in the world, ahead of their number two Laslo Djere, but the 24-year-old fully justified the decision with an impressive display.
Twenty-one-year-old Draper was unable to impose his big game on the match and came out on the wrong end of two tie-breaks in a contest lasting two hours and two minutes.
The tie did not get under way until 6.10pm, more than two hours later than billed, because of the over-running first match of the day between Italy and the Netherlands.
Around 5,000 British fans, including Dan Evans, who was forced out of the event through injury after playing the leading role in qualification, made up the majority of a virtually full crowd at the Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena.
The International Tennis Federation’s decision to move away from the traditional home-and-away format and to a World Cup-style event has been unpopular with players and fans, but this was the sort of occasion they would have envisaged.
It was a huge moment for Draper, who only played his first match in the competition in September in Manchester and now found British hopes depending on him given the presence of Djokovic in the second rubber.
He could draw on better recent form than Kecmanovic, having reached his first ATP Tour final in Sofia earlier this month while the Serbian had lost his last four matches, and also won their only previous meeting on clay in May.
But Kecmanovic is a quality player who was ranked in the top 30 at the start of the year and, despite three aces in his first service game from Draper, it was the Serbian who was the more impressive in the early stages.
Draper had to dig deep to save two break points in a long eighth game and then found himself facing two set points at 4-5, which he again fought off in gutsy fashion.
But two double faults cost him dearly in the tie-break and left him with a lot of work to do to turn the match around.
Neither man faced a break point in the second set, but again it was Kecmanovic who looked the more convincing on serve.
After losing five points in a row from 2-0 up in the tie-break, Draper did well to level at 5-5 and then save a match point with a volley that just caught the line, but a wayward forehand gave Kecmanovic a second chance and this time the British youngster netted a return.
Luis Enrique is confident his Paris St Germain squad have the depth needed to cope without injured captain Marquinhos and France starlet Warren Zaire-Emery as they prepare to face Ligue 1 rivals Monaco.
Brazil defender Marquinhos picked up a hamstring problem during the World Cup qualifier defeat against Argentina, which PSG expect to see him sidelined for at least 10 days and so will also miss next week’s Champions League match against Newcastle.
The Ligue 1 leaders were already facing up to 17-year-old midfielder Zaire-Emery missing for the rest of 2023 with an ankle injury suffered while he scored on his senior France debut against Gibraltar.
Enrique, though, feels there is enough cover to see his side produce the required performance when they host third-placed Monaco on Friday night.
“We have a squad that is the best of the (Ligue 1) championship, in my view. The only thing that every time a player gets hurt, it’s sad, because they won’t be able to play,” Enrique said.
“However, the number of players is very broad and is at a very high level.”
Enrique told a press conference: “We are used to it (injuries), but we have to make sure that the players get back.
“We take stock of what happened to the players, and we advise according to each one to have the best possible recovery.”
Monaco sits just three points behind PSG and Enrique warned against complacency as his side look to maintain their seven-match unbeaten domestic run.
Enrique said: “Monaco is a team I really like. They don’t waste time calculating, they don’t ponder about the result, they press hard.
“They always play at a good level and are the team that has created the most chances behind us.”
The PSG boss added: “It is an important match because they are a direct rival, but there is lots of time left to go in the league and there are many games to be played.
“It is not decisive, but we want to play to a better level than our opponent and have more chances,
“It is going to be a difficult match – but I have never seen an easy match in Ligue 1.”
Monaco boss Adi Hutter is expecting an open encounter at the Parc des Princes.
“We are not going to change our style of play, even if it is PSG, the leader and favourite for the title,” he told a press conference.
“They are very dangerous because they have already scored 29 goals, compared to 25 for us, which is not so bad.
“They are on five consecutive victories, so it will certainly be an open match for both sides.”
Monaco look set to welcome back Brazilian right-back Vanderson for the first time since late September.
Former Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu is also stepping up his recovery following groin surgery, but is not expected to feature against PSG.
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