Arsenal stormed back to the top of the Premier League with a fine return to form against beleaguered London rivals Chelsea.
Having not won any of their past four games, the Gunners eased to a 3-1 victory to leapfrog Manchester City for at least the next 24 hours.
Captain Martin Odegaard hit a brace as Gabriel Jesus wrapped up the points before the interval, with Chelsea slipping to a sixth successive defeat under interim boss Frank Lampard.
Recalled Noni Madueke at least hit a rare consolation goal for the Blues, who have now lost six of their past seven meetings with Arsenal.
While it was a night to remember for skipper Odegaard, it was one his predecessor will want to forgot in a hurry, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starting for Chelsea for the first time since facing Arsenal on November 6 but lasting just 45 minutes before being substituted.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had refused to rule his side out of the title race despite a four-game winless run which culminated in a galling defeat to rivals City last week.
This result takes them back to the summit, two points clear of City but having played two games more and with Pep Guardiola’s men in fine form ahead of their visit of West Ham on Wednesday.
Granit Xhaka had an early chance but his close-range strike was saved by the legs of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was in for a busy night.
It was a lively start for the hosts, with Bukayo Saka next to test Kepa, the England forward’s header palmed away by the Chelsea goalkeeper.
There was nothing the stopper could do shortly afterwards, however, only getting a glove to a fine Odegaard finish from a Xhaka cross with both players afforded the time and space to put Arsenal into a deserved lead.
The same pair combined again for the second, again with little to no pressure on either player as Odegaard drifted away from Raheem Sterling to net a 14th goal of the season.
Chelsea almost hit back through Ben Chilwell but his England colleague Aaron Ramsdale pushed his shot behind at full stretch.
Lampard reacted to an abject first half by replacing the ineffectual Aubameyang, who had just nine touches on his Emirates return – four of which were kick-offs.
It was Arsenal, though, who continued where they left off, Gabriel Magalhaes heading a corner towards goal where his fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva controlled on the line before coolly clearing under pressure.
Xhaka nearly went from provider to scorer but Kepa pushed his strike away before Jesus could not keep an effort down with Arsenal rampant.
Chelsea would pull a goal back, just their second in eight games, as Madueke bundled home his first Premier League goal after skipping inside Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Mykhailo Mudryk, strongly linked with Arsenal before his January move to Chelsea, was introduced by the visitors six minutes later. He had a laser pen shone at him on several occasions but saw plenty of the ball as he sought to make the closing stages nervy for the Gunners.
However, unlike in recent weeks when Arteta’s defence has creaked under pressure, they stood firm to see out the game and secure a vital win.
Liverpool can challenge for Premier League titles again but only if they back Jurgen Klopp in the transfer market, says former Reds defender Kolo Toure.
Since arriving at Anfield in 2015, Klopp's Liverpool have been hugely competitive both domestically and in Europe, winning the Premier League and Champions League while finishing runners-up in those competitions a combined four times.
But this season has been a far cry from those past successes, with Liverpool fighting to finish in the European places rather than competing for the Premier League title and crashing out of the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage.
The Reds splashed out over £100million on forwards Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo this season, but Toure believes Klopp must be provided with further spending power to freshen up the squad and get Liverpool back in silverware contention.
Speaking to Stats Perform, Toure said: "They have to look for somebody who has legs again and refresh the team, refresh the squad a little bit, bring in players who have the right mentality.
"They can go again because they have a top manager with them having Jurgen [Klopp], and [they have to] keep him there and make sure they sign the right players for him, then they will bounce again and go and fight for the Premier League, definitely."
Gakpo and Nunez have combined for just 15 Premier League goals this term as Liverpool have failed to keep up with title challengers Manchester City and Arsenal.
Toure feels the pair must do more to fit into Klopp's style of play, saying: "It's been a tough campaign for Liverpool, definitely, but every team goes in a cycle. When you sign players, sometimes they fit, sometimes they don't fit because of whatever reason, you don't know.
"He's signed a few players right now, [Cody] Gakpo and the other striker, [Darwin] Nunez and it's up to them to make sure they can fit in the team. Jurgen is such an incredible manager, he knows how he wants his team to play. But, when you sign players you expect them to fit in your team.
"At the moment, those players have to show that, they have to show more for the team. They haven't done that this season so well. Gakpo needed time to adapt, but he is looking to have the right chemistry in the team, and bringing in new players to refresh the team, to make sure the team can go again. This season will be a transition for them, but next season they're going to be better, definitely."
Liverpool's failure to live up to their past glories under Klopp has seen his job questioned by some, with the German himself saying last month his previous successes were the only reason he had not been sacked.
But Toure, who played under Klopp for one season at Anfield, says the former Borussia Dortmund coach still has more to extract from these players.
"In his time it feels like he has squeezed the team, it feels like he has taken everything out of the team, and it feels like he can't do any more – he would say that," Toure added.
"At the moment, he knows he can still up that team, and that's what he's tried to do. He can help them.
"I think Jurgen is such an intelligent manager and if he feels he has squeezed the team to the maximum, he will just feel it and say definitely. For me, I still feel like this Liverpool team don't need a lot to come back to the top of the league there with the other [teams]."
Two weeks ago, Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks created controversy with a few insults directed at superstar LeBron James.
He reportedly will no longer be making any more questionable comments as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.
The unrestricted free agent was informed by the Grizzlies on Tuesday that they will not be bringing him back "under any circumstances," according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Memphis told Brooks of the decision in an exit meeting, with his showing in the Grizzlies' first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers coming as the final "breaking point," according to the report.
Brooks made headlines after the Grizzlies evened their series against the Lakers with a Game 2 win on April 19, when he took a shot at the league's all-time leading scorer.
In addition to calling James "old", he said: "I poke bears. I don't respect no one until they come and give me 40 [points]."
Brooks' comments backfired, as the Lakers responded by winning the series in six games – including a 125-85 thrashing in Friday's clincher.
While the 38-year-old James stepped up his play in the series, Brooks seemed to shrivel.
After taking his jab at James, Brooks averaged just nine points on 28 per cent shooting and 22.2 percent on 27 three-point attempts in the series' final four games.
This came after Brooks averaged 14.3 points on 39.6 per cent shooting and 32.6 per cent on three-pointers in 73 regular-season games in 2022-23.
He did not talk to the media after the Grizzlies' three losses in Los Angeles, and was subsequently fined $25,000 for violating the league's rules regarding media interview access.
The 27-year-old ended up speaking to the media during the team's exit interviews on Sunday, but said he had no regrets about the comments he made.
"That's who I am," he said. "I don't regret it. I'm a competitor, I compete. I don't think it got LeBron geeked up."
Lionel Messi has been suspended by Paris St Germain for two weeks after making an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, according to reports.
Messi is said to have travelled after PSG’s home defeat by Lorient on Sunday without the club’s permission.
The 35-year-old, who has a role as a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia, is expected to miss matches against Troyes on Sunday and AC Ajaccio on May 13.
He will reportedly not train with the club, or be paid, for the two weeks.
Messi played the full 90 minutes of the 3-1 loss to Lorient which left PSG just five points clear of Marseille at the top of Ligue 1.
The Argentina captain has scored 24 goals for his club this season.
Jordi Alba spared Barcelona's blushes against a defiant 10-man Osasuna after his late strike earned the hosts a 1-0 LaLiga win at Camp Nou on Tuesday.
The substitute tucked a low finish past Aitor Fernandez at the near post in the closing stages to keep the Blaugrana on the march to the title.
It delivered crucial relief for Xavi's side after they had largely failed to make the most out of an extra body against the visitors, following Jorge Herrando's 26th-minute red card.
The win moves Barca onto 82 points and potentially just a couple of games away from clinching a first LaLiga title since the 2018-19 campaign.
An otherwise tepid game that had mustered little in the way of excitement burst into life shortly before the half-hour mark when Osasuna debutant Herrando brought down Pedri as the last man.
Referee Javier Iglesias brandished a straight red to end the 22-year-old's involvement, before Raphinha brushed the crossbar with the subsequent 30-yard free-kick.
Barca still looked below their best however and were forced to withdraw a limping Gavi before the break, though Ronald Araujo went close with a low header from a set-piece.
With their man advantage, the hosts stepped up their attempts to find an opener after the interval, with Ousmane Dembele firing wide at close range just after the hour mark.
Robert Lewandowski looked to have finally made the breakthrough with less than a quarter-hour left, only for Ferran Torres to be flagged offside as the hosts feared they would have to settle for a share of the spoils.
But Alba was there to net the winner in the 85th minute, slotting a neat strike between Fernandez and the post to send the home crowd into raptures.
Chief executive Alan Burrows has warned that Aberdeen “will be a very difficult club to deal with” if any interested parties attempt to sign their best players.
Strikers Luis “Duk” Lopes and Bojan Miovski have notched 18 goals apiece in their maiden seasons at Pittodrie and have been the subject of interest from elsewhere.
“Both Duk and Miovski are in the first year of long-term contracts,” said Burrows. “The club is under no pressure to sell them and the club don’t want to sell them.
“If anybody wants to take our best assets away from us, particularly ones who have long contracts, we’re going to be a very difficult club to deal with.
“We have to marry up a model that says we develop young players through the academy and players we bring in to develop and sell, but at the same time you’ve got to balance that by building a squad rather than consistently chipping away at it, so in order to do that you’ve got to retain the best value for these players.
“People have got to know that Aberdeen Football Club will do that. The board have done that in the past, they’ve knocked back big offers for players and I sense from the ownership group and the board that they’re more than prepared to do that again.
“We want to build a strong team and retain the best players whilst also understanding that there is a model that requires us to continually look to trade on players to continue the health of the football club and invest in the team.
“It won’t be easy for anybody who wants to take any of our best players, that’s for sure.”
Burrows was speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, a day after interim boss Barry Robson – who was initially in situ only until the end of this season – was handed a contract for the next two years.
The recently-recruited CEO explained why former under-18s coach Robson, who has won eight of his 10 games in charge, emerged as the favoured choice following an “extensive” recruitment process that explored “a number of key candidates”.
“I had never met Barry before I came to the club but I’d heard a lot about him. I was really taken aback by how highly regarded he was by the senior people at Pittodrie and then after my first meeting with him at Cormack Park,” said Burrows, who joined Aberdeen at the end of February, a month after Robson took the reins from the sacked Jim Goodwin.
“That hour-and-a-half I could really sense what type of character he is and I really liked him from the get-go. I thought ‘this guy’s really got the materials to be doing it’.
“In terms of the stuff he’s been doing away from the pitch, Barry’s been developing a bit of a DNA about what it means to be an Aberdeen player, right through from the youngest academy players, to the development age groups, to the first team, and really trying to home in on what it means to play for this club and be successful.
“And now that he’s the manager, we’re really excited about him being able to drive that forward from the top down.
“It’s almost that utopia of what football clubs want, that connectivity between the three different areas of player development and we think Barry now is the flagship, most senior person within the football department and he can really drive that forward and connect up those departments.
“First and foremost it’s about winning matches – and he’s doing that. Developing players and giving them confidence and a structure, and he’s done that.
“And the third thing is to connect up all the various departments and the various age groups to create a real synergy between the very youngest player and the most senior player.
“Those were the three key reasons about (appointing) Barry and also we’ve got a big job to do this summer and that was part of the reason for expediting the process slightly from what we’d said about six weeks ago.”
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 2.
TennisAn announcement from Serena Williams.
View this post on InstagramAndy Murray was “gutted” to have missed the Met Gala.
FootballBirthday wishes for David Beckham.
View this post on InstagramView this post on InstagramDavid Rocastle was remembered on his birthday.
Kasper Schmeichel reflected on Monday Night Football duties.
Rugby unionA third baby for Sam Warburton.
View this post on InstagramBoxingJob satisfaction for Joe Cordina.
Formula OneWill Lando Norris opt for another NBA-style helmet this weekend?
Daniel Ricciardo scrubbed up well for the Met Gala.
It was like Christmas in Romain Grosjean’s house.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s insistence he did not intentionally call referee Paul Tierney’s integrity into question has not prevented the Football Association charging him with improper conduct.
While blaming the emotion of a last-gasp 4-3 win over Tottenham, having been 3-0 up, can in no way excuse the Reds boss for charging down the touchline to celebrate wildly in front of fourth official John Brooks or his suggestions Tierney “had history” with the club, Klopp said he never meant to cast aspersions.
Tierney actually appears to have done Klopp a favour by not sending him off as the German claimed the referee had told him his actions on the touchline were worthy of a red card but he chose to issue a yellow on the advice of Brooks.
It was that red card suggestion which led Klopp to say what Tierney said to him was “not OK”, with the 55-year-old German insisting he has not lied about the interaction after the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) rejected Tierney’s actions were “improper” and insisted a review of the recording proves Tierney behaved in a “professional manner”.
But it was Klopp’s comments that the referee was acting against Liverpool based on past experiences which has landed him with a misconduct charge and facing an extended touchline ban.
The FA’s statement said “they imply bias, and/or question the integrity of the referee, and/or are personal/offensive, and/or bring the game into disrepute”.
“I probably have to expect the punishment,” said Klopp, speaking before he learned of the charge, who has until Friday to respond.
“I think the refs think I questioned the integrity (of their colleague), which when I am calm and sitting here I don’t do, but in that moment I just describe my feelings.
“I am very sure he is not doing it intentionally but we have a history and I cannot deny that.
“Of course they didn’t happen intentionally but they are still there and it’s a feeling and nothing else.
“I know the refs were really angry about what I said and now go for it. I heard I was lying.
“I did a lot of things that day but I didn’t lie. I shouldn’t have said a couple of things but lying was not one of them.”
Klopp served a one-game suspension in November after the FA successfully appealed against an independent regulatory commission decision to only fine him £30,000 in regards to his behaviour in confronting assistant referee Gary Beswick and subsequently being sent of by referee Anthony Taylor.
He said he regretted allowing his emotions to get the better of him again.
“We won a football game 4-3 in a very spectacular manner and the only headlines are the ones I created and I really regret that,” he said. “It is absolutely not necessary and not how it should be.
“The whole situation shouldn’t have happened at all. It was out of emotion, it was out of anger in that moment. That’s why I celebrated the way I celebrated.
“Paul Tierney came over to me and I didn’t expect at all a red card. I know I had a red card not too long ago but I didn’t expect for a second a red card because I didn’t feel it was right.
“He (Tierney) said to me ‘For me it’s a red card but because of him’ – that’s what I understood because it was loud in the stadium – ‘but because of him (Brooks) it’s yellow’. Showed me a yellow and smiled to my face. That’s it.
“The final whistle we go inside and I try to calm down and it didn’t work out properly and I said what I said.
“I said ‘What he said to me was not OK’ and I thought it was not OK because it was not a red card in my view.
“I understand I opened the box. It was not intentional but I opened it.”
Liverpool face Fulham on Wednesday looking for a fourth successive victory to maintain their unlikely pursuit of Champions League football.
There will inevitably be increased scrutiny on the manager but he said: “If there is one good thing, I prefer I am in that situation than any player.
“We will see but I can’t see it will have an influence on the team.”
Fran Kirby has become the latest England player set to miss this summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The midfielder confirmed that she will be sidelined for “a significant period” due to a knee injury and will undergo surgery.
The news is a big blow for England boss Sarina Wiegman, who will be looking to build on their European Championship success this summer.
Here the PA news agency takes a look at some of the big names who are set to miss out for England.
Fran Kirby – Chelsea
Kirby is the latest casualty for England following a knee injury picked up in Chelsea’s Continental League Cup semi-final against West Ham in February.
The midfielder started every game of last summer’s European Championship campaign – providing three assists and scoring two goals as the Lionesses won on home soil – and has scored seven times for Chelsea in 13 appearances across all competitions this season.
Leah Williamson – Arsenal
Kirby’s injury announcement comes just weeks after England captain Leah Williamson was herself ruled out of the World Cup.
The 26-year-old ruptured her anterior cruciate knee ligament during Arsenal’s Women’s Super League defeat to Manchester United last month after appearing to catch her studs in the turf.
A pillar at centre-half, Williamson has been an integral part of the England set-up, where she skippered the side to their first major trophy at Euro 2022 and has since led them to victories in the Arnold Clark Cup and last month’s Finalissima.
Beth Mead – ArsenalView this post on Instagram
Williamson joined a long injury list at Arsenal which includes fellow Lionesses favourite Beth Mead, who has been out with the same injury since November.
Mead caused havoc for opposition teams at last summer’s Euros, working as a goalscoring threat but also able to provide assists where needed.
Her performances saw her named player of the tournament and she was awarded the Golden Boot, but a particular highlight came in England’s 8-0 thrashing of Norway, where she scored a hat-trick in a stunning team display.
Academy director Craig Mulholland will leave Rangers at the end of the season as a “wide-ranging transformation of all areas of the football club” continues.
The 45-year-old joined the Gers in 2003 – initially as football in the community manager – and held various roles before becoming head of academy in 2015.
Mulholland becomes the latest Ibrox figurehead to head for the exit, with chairman Douglas Park stepping down recently and sporting director Ross Wilson departing for Nottingham Forest, while it was announced last week that managing director Stewart Robinson would leave his role in the summer.
“I have loved my 20 years working at the club that I had grown up with, and, in particular, the last eight leading our academy, B team and women’s teams,” Mulholland told Rangers’ website.
“However, in all leadership positions, sometimes knowing when the right time to move on is as important as deciding which opportunities to take.
“My successor will inherit some fantastic people, working passionately to deliver on a clear strategic vision, underpinned by strong processes and modern, innovative methodology.
“They will also inherit some outstanding young talents which will lead to an exciting future for the club and the academy over the next few years.”
Recently-appointed chief executive James Bisgrove added: “On behalf of the board, I would like sincerely to thank Craig as he moves on, having transformed our academy into one which is on a par and even exceeds many clubs in Europe’s biggest leagues.
“Craig will leave the club with a fantastic legacy, which includes the professionalisation of our women’s programme, being the leader on B teams being introduced into senior Scottish football, creating our Boclair Academy performance school and having brought in over £15million in academy player sales in the last five years.
“Together with Michael Beale, John Bennett and the board, I will now lead a thorough process to identify his replacement, as we continue a wide-ranging transformation of all areas of the football club.”
Steve Smith is excited to gain his first taste of County Championship cricket after “the stars aligned” to give him the chance to play for Sussex ahead of the Ashes.
The Australia batter will play three games for the club in May starting with the trip to Worcestershire on Thursday, before games at Leicestershire and at home to Glamorgan.
The first Ashes Test will begin at Edgbaston on June 16, and some critics have questioned whether it could damage England’s chances giving Smith the opportunity to have game time in the country in the weeks leading up.
Sussex coach Paul Farbrace dismissed the suggestion that it could put Australia at an advantage and said having a player of the 33-year-old’s calibre in the County Championship can only be good for English cricket.
Smith’s arrival has been a coup for Sussex after they finished seventh in Division Two last season, and despite having served a 12-month ban from cricket for his role in Australia’s ball-tampering scandal in 2018, he remains an elite player.
Last year he announced he had elected not to take part in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).
“I’m excited by the next couple of weeks,” said Smith. “I originally didn’t put my name in the IPL auction. Particularly coming off the Test series there, I’ve done that a couple of times and it’s very long, having the IPL on the back of it.
“I’ve got a lot of cricket coming up and a window opened up to come and play some county cricket. It’s something I’ve never done and have always wanted to do, so the stars aligned in a way.
“We are over here for the English summer and it’s a good opportunity to play some county cricket, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’m excited.
“I don’t know if it’s career-defining, not sure about that. It’s certainly going to be a good couple of months. I’m excited by everything that is coming up.
“I’m just looking forward to getting a few games in here for Sussex where hopefully I can have an impact on some younger players and the team has started really well this year. Hopefully get some good results and help Sussex win some games of cricket.”
Farbrace was emphatic that Smith’s presence was a sign of the growing appeal of the County Championship.
England captain Ben Stokes in January questioned his involvement so close to the start of the Ashes, saying: “I think it’s one of those where you would probably prefer them (Australian players) not to get any game time out here before the Ashes.”
But the Sussex coach insisted the club have not compromised England’s chances of winning a first series since 2015 after failing to regain the urn at the last three attempts.
“Sport is all about opinions,” said Farbrace. “That’s what we love about the game. I’ve got very strong views on Chelsea. The fact that people are talking about Championship cricket is only good for the game.
“I’ve got good friends who think that we’re helping Australia to win the Ashes. We’re not at all. I think this is really good for English cricket.
“It was a very easy decision and conversation with Rob Andrew the CEO. We both realise it’s about trying to create this winning mentality and a culture within our set-up that we expect to win.”
Of his side’s chances of winning this summer, Smith added: “England just play tremendous cricket at home all the time. We generally play pretty well at home as well. Anyone who plays at home knows the conditions a lot better.
“It’s going to be a terrific summer. Both teams are playing good cricket, different brands of cricket.”
Chelsea and England forward Fran Kirby says she is “absolutely gutted” to be missing the World Cup after learning she will require surgery for a knee injury that will leave her out of action for a “significant period”.
Kirby, 29, was unavailable for Sarina Wiegman’s most recent England squad in April and will also miss Chelsea’s challenge for a fourth consecutive Women’s Super League title and this month’s FA Cup final against Manchester United.
In a tweet posted following an official statement from her club, Kirby revealed efforts to rehabilitate the injury, sustained in Chelsea’s Continental League Cup semi-final in February, had failed to restore her fitness.
She wrote: “Unfortunately after a few months of rehab the decision has made that I will require surgery on my knee. I have been trying my best to not have to undergo this but unfortunately my progress has been limited due to the issue in my knee.
“I’m absolutely gutted to announce my season is over and I will not be able to make the World Cup in the summer.
“I’m going to be doing everything possible to be ready for the start of next season and want to wish my team-mates at Chelsea the best of luck for the rest of the season and my Lioness team-mates the best of luck for the summer.”
Kirby’s statement followed one posted to the official Chelsea website, which read: “Following an injury sustained during our Continental League Cup semi-final against West Ham, Fran has been reviewed at Cobham by the Chelsea medical team.
“Following that review and further discussion with a specialist, Fran is set to undergo surgery and is expected to be sidelined for a significant period.
“Fran will begin a rehabilitation programme with support from the club’s medical team. Everyone at Chelsea sends their best wishes to Fran in her recovery.”
Kirby netted twice for England during last summer’s Euro 2022 triumph and has scored seven times for Chelsea in 13 appearances across all competitions this season.
The news comes as another blow for England head coach Wiegman, just weeks after captain Leah Williamson was ruled out of the World Cup after rupturing her ACL, while a timely recovery for Euro 2022 player of the tournament and Golden Boot winner Beth Mead from the same injury looks unlikely.
Wiegman is set to announce her squad for the upcoming tournament in late May.
Carlos Alcaraz cruised to victory over Alexander Zverev in a rematch of last year’s Madrid Open final.
Zverev is still trying to rediscover his best form after suffering a serious ankle injury at the French Open last summer and this time he was no match for the young Spaniard, who claimed a 6-1 6-2 victory to reach the quarter-finals at the Caja Magica.
Alcaraz, bidding for back-to-back titles after winning in Barcelona last week, dominated from the start and Zverev could find no answers, with his forehand particularly wayward.
Alcaraz, who turns 20 on Friday, said in an on-court interview: “For me it’s amazing to play the level that I played today.
“It’s been a question mark for me – this result isn’t normal. I played great, I feel really good right now and this match gives me a lot of confidence.”
There were two shocks in all-Russian contests, with Daniil Medvedev losing to Aslan Karatsev and Karen Khachanov beating Andrey Rublev.
Second seed Medvedev complained about the lack of space behind the baseline on the Arantxa Sanchez Stadium during a 7-6 (1) 6-4 loss to qualifier Karatsev, who plummeted down the rankings last year after his remarkable 2021 breakthrough, where he reached the Australian Open semi-finals.
This was a brilliant display of power hitting from Karatsev, who will return to the top 100 next week.
Fifth seed Rublev has been enjoying an excellent season, winning his first Masters 1000 tournament in Monte-Carlo last month, but he was edged out 7-6 (8) 6-4 by doubles partner Khachanov.
“I hope he will play with me tomorrow,” said Khachanov, who now faces Alcaraz in singles. “This match is over, we need to have some time maybe to absorb it, for him.
“It was the same in Monte-Carlo, he beat me. Life goes on, he’s doing well this year, I’m doing well.”
Richard Taylor has signed a new deal at St Mirren, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2025.
The 22-year-old defender initially joined the Buddies on a six-month deal in January, with the Paisley club holding the option to extend further which has now been taken up.
Taylor signed for Saints after leaving League of Ireland First Division side Waterford and made his debut in a 1-1 draw with Hearts on January 7.
He has gone on to make eight first-team appearances so far this season, and boss Stephen Robinson told the club’s website: “Richard has come in and been fantastic in the games he has played.
“He’s stepped up to the level in games against Celtic and Hearts, and in the longer term, I think he’s a very good addition to our squad.
“He’s someone we are constantly working on, he’s someone who wants to learn and he’s still only young.
“He’s left-footed which gives us more balance on that side of defence and he can play at left-back as well.
“He’s 6ft 2ins and he’s quick as well as being very composed on the ball and going forward he gives us a few more options playing out from the back.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
