Jofra Archer briefly left the Indian Premier League this month to travel to Belgium, where he reportedly went under the knife for a minor procedure on his troublesome right elbow.

The England paceman was conspicuous by his absence for Mumbai Indians, featuring in his side’s season-opener on April 2 but then missing their next four matches before returning to action on Saturday.

Concerns were heightened by the revelation Archer was experiencing discomfort in a joint that required a couple of operations and contributed to him spending much of the last two years on the sidelines.

"Post bowling video Admin" – Presenting Jofra चा पहिला over in MI colors ??#OneFamily #MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #IPL2023 #TATAIPL @JofraArcher MI TV pic.twitter.com/h2Y1KvEV1O

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 31, 2023

The PA news agency understands Archer flew to Belgium to see his specialist during a near three-week absence for Mumbai, and according to the Daily Telegraph had minor surgery before going back to India.

Archer coming back into the fray at the weekend and bowling his full four-over allocation, reaching speeds of 90mph against Punjab Kings, suggests the issue is not another dramatic step back for him.

He was rested for Tuesday’s fixture against Gujarat Titans but could come back into the reckoning when Mumbai take on Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.

England’s medical team have been working closely with their counterparts at the franchise, with Archer still only a few months into his comeback following stress fractures to his elbow and then his back.

Akha Mumbai jaanta hai kaun aaya hai ??#OneFamily #MIvPBKS #MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #TATAIPL #IPL2023 @JofraArcher pic.twitter.com/Jf60XJ6aGK

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 22, 2023

He put in some encouraging performances on his England return in the white-ball tours of South Africa and Bangladesh, leading to suggestions he could have a starring role in this summer’s Ashes series.

Sussex indicated ahead of the county season that Archer may not play any first-class cricket for them before the Ashes, and the difference in workload between T20 and Test cricket is stark.

Archer, who has not played a first-class match since May 2021, has been keen to play down expectations and said when he was out in Bangladesh: “If I can play one (Ashes) game this summer, I’ll be happy.

“If I play more than one, that’s just a bonus.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted to being a “little bit” nervous ahead of his side’s crucial title showdown against Arsenal.

Guardiola has also warned his players the wounded Gunners will be a tougher opponent in Wednesday’s “big battle” because of their recent stutter in form.

The eagerly-anticipated clash at the Etihad Stadium could determine the destiny of the Premier League title.

Arsenal hold a five-point advantage at the top of the table but City, after six successive wins and with two games in hand, appear to have the momentum on their side.

Another victory would see the initiative shift firmly in their favour but Guardiola is not afraid to admit he has butterflies in his stomach.

The Spaniard said: “I manage well but, it is a good sign, being a little bit nervous.

“Being nervous is part of our lives, being anxious is part of our lives, being scared is part of our lives. We don’t have to be perfect.

“When we educate our kids, they (think they) have to be perfect for Instagram and TikToks, and this kind of thing, they have to be a genius.

“But I would say the uncertainty, things that happen before a game, happen. When I feel that feeling I know it’s normal. The problem would be if I didn’t have that feeling.

“At the same time, after the game, whatever happens, good or bad or whatever, you say it’s just part of the game and we look to the next one. I like to live this kind of adrenaline.”

Arsenal have seen a healthy advantage at the top of the table eroded after a run of three successive draws.

Most bookmakers now appear to make champions City, who are chasing the treble, the firm favourites but Guardiola is not so sure.

He said: “Always I had the feeling that it would be so difficult to play them at this stage but, after three games dropping points, it will be much, much more difficult now.

“I would have preferred it if they had come here with better results than the three last results when they didn’t win a game.

“Always it would be difficult but with these results it will be much more difficult.”

Guardiola expects his team to face some tough moments but hopes their experience shines through.

While the situation is a new one for the current crop of Arsenal players, Guardiola’s group are bidding for a fifth league title in six years.

He said: “I don’t like to suffer and the opponents have chances. I try to minimise that as much as possible but, at the same time, you have to accept sometimes it won’t happen because the opponent plays with the ball, you can play badly and can lose the game, and the opponent can do many good things.

“I know how difficult it will be. We will suffer in the bad moments but the players have experience too. The team is ready for a big battle.”

Brentford boss Thomas Frank is convinced the “boring” gulf between football’s haves and have-nots is “only getting worse”.

The 10th-placed Bees maintain one of the smallest wage bills in the Premier League but have routinely punched above their financial weight, entering Wednesday night’s Chelsea encounter in the top half of the table, one place above their cash-splashing opponents.

It is a position that delights Frank, but the Danish head coach remained bluntly pessimistic in his assessment of the bigger picture in which his side remain an anomaly.

He said: “The beauty of football is that everything can happen. The beauty of football is that we could go to Chelsea last year and win. And we have a chance (Wednesday). That’s the beauty.

“But the reality is that there is a big risk, or whatever we call it, that we will or can lose against a team of world-class players and they have used £600million. That’s the reality, that would be very difficult.

“There’s very little chance for any club outside the top six/seven with Newcastle that can get into the top four. That is almost impossible. I hope it will happen one day. I don’t think it has happened since Leicester won in 2016.

“That’s seven years ago and I think it’s only getting worse. I think you’re seeing PSG (Paris St Germain) in France, I think you’re seeing Bayern Munich, hopefully Dortmund will win – they’re still up there, one of the two, but you don’t see anyone but Bayern or Dortmund that are winning the championship in Germany.

“For me personally I think it’s a little bit boring. I think it needs to be a little bit tighter, but I don’t think we can change that. I think that’s a bigger question for others than me to answer.”

After two fantastic days in Brussels to hold our launch event, the UEC looks forward to continuing discussions with clubs, stakeholders and EU institutions in the coming weeks.

The following media articles will help you learn more about our initiative⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1dpHlEcC9H

— Union of European Clubs (UEC) (@clubs_union) April 25, 2023

Brentford representatives were among those who attended Monday’s launch of the Union of European Clubs (UEC), an organisation which seeks to give a voice to over 1,000 professional clubs on the continent.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish was also part of the delegation from five English clubs at the Brussels event, where he warned that “there is a two-speed Premier League – there’s a top half and the bottom half and that disparity will get bigger and bigger and bigger unless we put some rules in to try and control it”.

The UEC bills itself as an “independent representative body founded to improve support and advocacy for non-elite professional clubs across Europe.”

The group believes there are around 1,400 professional clubs in Europe who do not have a voice and who should be represented on UEFA decision-making boards in the same way that member clubs of the European Club Association (ECA) are.

Frank agreed the organisation could be beneficial to clubs like Brentford in addressing collective concerns as a united front.

He added: “I think it’s good. I think it is very important (because) when you speak to other clubs at the same level I think there’s more to compare, and you have some of the same challenges that you can discuss and learn from those experiences. And that can hopefully add value to the wider group.”

Football has lost sight of what counts as reasonable expectation after the number of Premier League sackings this season rose to 13, according to Frank Lampard.

The dismissal of Tottenham caretaker Cristian Stellini on Monday following the team’s 6-1 drubbing by Newcastle means Spurs and Chelsea have each now removed two coaches during the campaign.

Stellini had been due to take the north London club through to the end of the season having replaced Antonio Conte, to whom he was formerly the assistant, in March. However, he lasted under a month before himself being let go following the debacle on Tyneside.

Building towards Brentford. ? pic.twitter.com/Lh2f97d3GP

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 24, 2023

Lampard is the fourth coach to have taken charge of Chelsea during a chaotic first campaign for owner Todd Boehly, with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter both sacked and stand-in boss Bruno Saltor overseeing a single game.

Eight other clubs have also sacked their manager during the season, with Southampton another side to have got rid of two. The second, Nathan Jones, lasted eight matches after replacing Ralph Hasenhuttl in November.

Chelsea’s interim boss could himself find he is replaced before the season is out, with Mauricio Pochettino close to agreeing to take over on a permanent basis, though the club are still speaking to other candidates.

It is not known whether any new manager would be expected to begin work right away or wait until summer.

Lampard made the point that whilst he did not consider Chelsea to be culpable, the football industry has suffered from polarisation leading to an absence of reason.

“I think the landscape has changed,” he said. “I think we’ve lost sight of alignment sometimes, maybe expectation sometimes, what is a reasonable expectation.

“Some of it has been fast-tracked, social media surrounding (it) and this open world of media. It’s a bit like politics now – you either hate something or you love it. You’re not allowed to be somewhere in between. It kind of feeds into football.

“You’re either winning games and you’re doing all right and we love you or you’re not and there’s pressure.

“You mention I’ve been sacked twice. When I was a player I was fortunate to have a career where you never have to have that feeling too much. I got released by Chelsea, but I was 35.

“To be a manager you are concerned about the fact that pretty much every manager will get let go at some point. Once it’s happened once or twice it feels a little bit softer than the first time. That’s a reality.

“It’s about getting the balance right of what is and isn’t reasonable expectation.”

Lampard has lost all four matches since being placed in temporary charge, and any hope of finishing the season strongly took a hit after it was confirmed Reece James will not play again this campaign.

James was clearly in discomfort after injuring his hamstring during Chelsea’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid last week but played on through the pain, completing the 90 minutes as the holders romped to a 4-0 aggregate win. A scan has since confirmed the extent of the injury.

His form has been one of few bright spots for the club in a dismal season, albeit one that has been blighted by fitness issues for the England defender.

Lampard was asked whether he saw James, who has been used as part of a back four as well as an advanced wing-back, evolving into a more attacking player in years to come.

“I think he can be a lot of things because of his level,” said Lampard. “Modern full-backs we sometimes see managers moving into midfield, but you can only do that if you’ve got the level of player to receive the ball in midfield, and Reece definitely has that.

“In the shorter term I do see him as a right-back or a right wing-back. It’s how he’s come through. In the modern day you can be effective, if you look at what Liverpool’s full-backs gave them in their really strong years, a huge amount of their attacking play was generated by their full-backs.

“There doesn’t seem any urgency to move Reece. At the moment I see him as one of the best full-backs around in world football.”

Mason Mount is due to have surgery on a long-term pelvic problem meaning he too is unlikely to play again this season.

Asked whether Mount had played his last game for Chelsea, Lampard said: “The bigger picture is something that’s going to become clearer over the next weeks and months.”

Jurgen Klopp has said Liverpool must go about their pre-season differently this summer as they look to improve on what has been an often frustrating campaign.

A year after coming within a couple of games of an unprecedented quadruple, instead settling for two domestic cups, Liverpool will go into the final month of this season already out of every knock-out competition and facing a fight to qualify for Europe via the league.

Klopp has already voiced regrets about last summer, saying a trip to Asia came too early during preparations for the season, with the squad flying to Bangkok only a month after the Champions League final brought to an end a 63-match campaign.

No plans for this summer have yet been confirmed by the club, but it has been reported that a possible trip to the United States has been axed with a single fixture in Singapore preferred.

While insisting last summer’s tour was not enough alone to explain why Liverpool have been so far from their usual standards this term, Klopp was clear there must be change this time around.

“We have to plan (pre-season) early and usually you have to plan without the Champions League final because that doesn’t happen constantly, you just have to deal with it,” he said. “And that is what we did (last summer), we dealt with it.

“But then we started in Hong Kong and pretty much playing immediately because we had to and then the boys came back step by step by step. It was never a perfect pre-season but that is not the reason for our season now because before that we had similar pre-seasons.

“But this year must be different. We have now already three, four, five weeks without (European) football. Usually you play all the time. Now we play a lot – I actually have no clue where they would have put in the Champions League games (if we had got through).

“But it’s different and that’s why we have to step up. We have to step up. And we have to prepare that in the pre-season and that’s why I want them back together as quick as somehow possible, respecting the necessity of holidays.

“I know that and I respect that and I want them to go on holiday for as long as possible but for this year we have to make sure we are together as soon as possible and can go from there.”

A trip to the capital comes next ?️#WHULIV pic.twitter.com/o9Ay3uLyJa

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 24, 2023

Liverpool’s season will end on May 28 with their final Premier League fixture away to relegation-battling Southampton.

Several players will then be heading off to national team training camps before the international window which runs from June 12-20, but Klopp said it would be possible for his players to fit in three weeks of holiday and recuperation before they report back for pre-season.

The first players are due back on July 8, with those who have been in international action reporting on July 11.

“The day after the season ends they go on a camp to prepare for whatever is coming up, it’s crazy but our hands are tied, we cannot say anything about that,” he said.

“So that is why the next season stands above everything to be honest. It means the next season starts with the pre-season and the boys on international duties will have at least three weeks plus the three days more…

“But then we start here, we will have three or four days here for the testing and all these kind of things – even the boys who come slightly late – and then we go on a training camp to Germany and we can work there properly with the whole squad and that is exactly what we need.”

Boss Julen Lopetegui believes Wolves have proved the doubters wrong as they close in on Premier League safety.

Joachim Andersen’s own goal and Ruben Neves’ late penalty gave Wolves a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Molineux.

It left them 13th, level with the Eagles, and nine points clear of the relegation zone with five games left.

Lopetegui was appointed with the club second bottom but after four wins from their last five home games they are close to a sixth straight top-flight season.

He said: “They have been very important victories, we need points to achieve our aim. Four months ago all the people thought it was impossible. Now, it’s at least possible so we have to fight very hard to achieve our aim.

“It was a very bad situation but now we have hope and it’s possible. We have worked very hard, we have to continue because we haven’t achieved anything.

“It has been a very hard match. We were playing against a very strong team. They have played their last matches at a top level.

“We have to work a lot, to achieve our aim we have to get more points. It’s an important victory but we have to keep on working.

“We have to get more points. We have to be ready for the next five games.”

? @Wolves rise ? the #PL table ⚔️ All to play for at the bottom #WOLCRY #LEELEI pic.twitter.com/ABQ23InOug

— Premier League (@premierleague) April 25, 2023

Andersen unwittingly put Wolves ahead after just three minutes when he turned in Neves’ corner from close range.

It was a goal Palace never recovered from but the hosts still needed Jose Sa to save well from Albert Sambi Lokonga in the first half.

Wolves had been on top before the break but the visitors improved in a second half of few chances and Sa turned over Eberechi Eze’s dipping drive.

With a slender lead the hosts were edging towards victory and Palace gave them another gift in injury time.

Sam Johnstone collected a throw-in but a heavy touch left him lunging into Pedro Neto. The goalkeeper escaped a red card but was beaten by Neves from the spot.

“Credit to Wolves, we had such a lot of the ball in the second half and some of the football was very good. They defended well”, said Palace boss Roy Hodgson, after a first defeat since his return last month.

“It was hard for us, with that number of players, to create a lot of space to get the equaliser I believed we were going to get and we deserved.

“Then the worst thing happens when you get robbed of those last three or four minutes where there is hope.

“I don’t think 2-0 is a fair reflection on how the game went. We do have a healthy margin to the bottom three but I’m not interested in trying to preach to the players that we need X amount of points to stay up.

“I enjoyed the performance but of course you don’t enjoy defeats.”

Jamie Vardy struck a late equaliser to clinch Leicester a vital point in a 1-1 draw at relegation rivals Leeds.

Luis Sinisterra headed Leeds into an interval lead but Leicester were rewarded for their second-half pressure when substitute Vardy fired them level with 10 minutes left.

Patrick Bamford spurned a golden chance to snatch victory for Leeds in the final minute as he missed from a yard out at the back post and that could prove costly for the Yorkshire club come the end of the season.

Vardy rescues Leicester ?#LEELEI pic.twitter.com/jiY89l4tJO

— Premier League (@premierleague) April 25, 2023

Leeds remain 16th in the table, one point and a place above 17th-placed Leicester, who stay one point above the bottom three – who all have six games to play to Leeds and Leicester’s five.

Leicester were celebrating in the seventh minute when Youri Tielemans crashed a 25-yard shot into the top corner, but his effort was ruled out after VAR adjudged Boubakary Soumare to have been offside.

Leeds fans celebrated that decision as if their side had scored a goal before hush descended again when James Maddison was inches away from connecting with Kelechi Iheanacho’s cross.

Leeds had made an encouraging start themselves without creating a clear-cut chance until the 20th minute, when they took the lead with their first effort on target.

Jack Harrison tricked his way into space on the right and his brilliant cross to the far post picked out Sinisterra, who scored his fifth league goal of the season with an emphatic downward header.

Sinisterra was replaced by Crysencio Summerville after limping off in the 32nd minute and a tetchy first half – Leeds pair Luke Ayling and Rodrigo were both booked – concluded without further goalmouth incident.

With so much at stake for two struggling sides, it was not a night for pretty football but both were showing plenty of fight.

Patrick Bamford’s shot was blocked by Caglar Soyuncu early in the second period and Rodrigo almost wriggled clear in the box, but Leicester then had their best spell.

The Foxes pushed Leeds on to the back foot. Marc Roca and then Liam Cooper were both booked for the home side – the latter for a desperate challenge on Iheanacho on the edge of the box.

Leicester pair Soumare and Tielemans were also shown yellow cards but the visitors began to build momentum, with Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier twice denying Iheanacho to preserve his side’s slender lead.

The visitors’ pressure told in the 80th minute. Cooper held up Iheanacho on the edge of the box but the ball broke to Maddison and he slipped in Vardy, who converted into the bottom corner.

Vardy had another effort soon after ruled out by VAR for offside as the Foxes went in for the kill, but it was Leeds who almost snatched the win.

Marc Roca’s flick-on from a last-minute corner forced Leicester goalkeeper Daniel Iversen into a brilliant save before Victor Kristiansen booted the ball off the goal-line.

Bamford then somehow blazed wide from the subsequent corner after the ball had fallen for him at the back post and the points were shared.

Aston Villa continued their push for Europe as they moved up to fifth place in the Premier League with a 1-0 home victory over Fulham.

Tyrone Mings’ 21st-minute header proved enough for Unai Emery’s side in a game that saw them rarely troubled by their opponents.

Having extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches, eight of which have been wins, Villa leapfrog Tottenham into fifth, a point better off than them, ahead of Spurs hosting fourth-placed Manchester United on Thursday.

TEN UNBEATEN IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE. pic.twitter.com/LNhP5rswlk

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 25, 2023

Emery has overseen some turnaround for the midlands outfit, who were 17th, outside the relegation zone on goals scored, when they lost 3-0 at Fulham in October, their final game under the Spaniard’s predecessor Steven Gerrard.

Marco Silva’s Fulham, meanwhile, remain ninth in the table.

After the Cottagers went close to taking the lead in the opening minute, Andreas Pereira sending an acrobatic effort wide, early pressure from Villa included Ashley Young’s shot deflecting behind.

Ollie Watkins went down in the box via a challenge from Tosin Adarabioyo, prompting home shouts for a penalty, but nothing was given.

Then the visitors – having already made a late change to their starting XI by replacing Willian with Manor Solomon – were forced into a 17th-minute substitution, Harry Wilson unable to continue as Bobby Decordova-Reid came on.

Moments later Villa were in front as Mings connected with John McGinn’s corner and flicked the ball past Bernd Leno into the far corner, the defender’s first goal for the club since November 2021.

Leno subsequently dealt with a Watkins shot and McGinn header as Villa continued to look well in control of proceedings for the remainder of the half, with Fulham struggling to get much going.

After that remained the case for the Cottagers in the early stages of the second half – while Villa also showed little attacking threat – Silva opted to make a triple change midway through, introducing Carlos Vinicius, Tom Cairney and Cedric Soares.

Watkins then sent a shot off-target as Adarabioyo worked to thwart him, before Douglas Luiz looped an effort over the visitors’ bar.

With  only a goal in it, Villa fans might have been feeling nervy, and the ball was in the hosts’ net in the 83rd minute when Harrison Reed’s delivery went in off Mings – but the flag went up for offside.

There was little further from Silva’s side after that, while the hosts might have scored again in stoppage time as McGinn flashed a shot wide.

Aston Villa continued their push for Europe as they moved up to fifth place in the Premier League with a 1-0 home victory over Fulham.

Tyrone Mings’ 21st-minute header proved enough for Unai Emery’s side in a game that saw them rarely troubled by their opponents.

Having extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches, eight of which have been wins, Villa leapfrog Tottenham into fifth, a point better off than them, ahead of Spurs hosting fourth-placed Manchester United on Thursday.

Emery has overseen some turnaround for the midlands outfit, who were 17th, outside the relegation zone on goals scored, when they lost 3-0 at Fulham in October, their final game under the Spaniard’s predecessor Steven Gerrard.

Marco Silva’s Fulham, meanwhile, remain ninth in the table.

After the Cottagers went close to taking the lead in the opening minute, Andreas Pereira sending an acrobatic effort wide, early pressure from Villa included Ashley Young’s shot deflecting behind.

Ollie Watkins went down in the box via a challenge from Tosin Adarabioyo, prompting home shouts for a penalty, but nothing was given.

Then the visitors – having already made a late change to their starting XI by replacing Willian with Manor Solomon – were forced into a 17th-minute substitution, Harry Wilson unable to continue as Bobby Decordova-Reid came on.

Moments later Villa were in front as Mings connected with John McGinn’s corner and flicked the ball past Bernd Leno into the far corner, the defender’s first goal for the club since November 2021.

Leno subsequently dealt with a Watkins shot and McGinn header as Villa continued to look well in control of proceedings for the remainder of the half, with Fulham struggling to get much going.

After that remained the case for the Cottagers in the early stages of the second half – while Villa also showed little attacking threat – Silva opted to make a triple change midway through, introducing Carlos Vinicius, Tom Cairney and Cedric Soares.

Watkins then sent a shot off-target as Adarabioyo worked to thwart him, before Douglas Luiz looped an effort over the visitors’ bar.

With  only a goal in it, Villa fans might have been feeling nervy, and the ball was in the hosts’ net in the 83rd minute when Harrison Reed’s delivery went in off Mings – but the flag went up for offside.

There was little further from Silva’s side after that, while the hosts might have scored again in stoppage time as McGinn flashed a shot wide.

Joachim Andersen’s comical own goal helped put Wolves on the brink of Premier League survival.

The Crystal Palace defender’s unfortunate effort and Ruben Neves’ late penalty gave the hosts a 2-0 win and moved them nine points above the relegation zone.

They sit 13th, level on points with Palace, after a third straight home win without conceding.

It is a run which has given Julen Lopetegui’s side a platform to safety and, barring a late collapse, should see them earn a sixth straight season in the top flight.

Palace, with their own status almost assured, were no great shakes but Jose Sa still had to deny Albert Sambi Lokonga and Eberechi Eze.

The Eagles paid for presenting Wolves with goals to slip to their first defeat since Roy Hodgson’s return last month.

It took just three minutes for the hosts to grab the opener as Andersen produced one for the blooper reel.

Hugo Bueno crossed for Diego Costa to force a smart save from Sam Johnstone – but Wolves did not have to worry.

Ruben Neves swung in the resulting corner, it was allowed to bounce and Andersen failed to get his feet right as it cannoned off his knee and over the line via the bar.

An early lead left a buoyant Molineux sensing safety with Wolves having won three of their previous four home games after what seemed like a potentially damaging defeat to Bournemouth at Molineux in February.

When Palace did threaten, however briefly, Lokonga slipped in the box after being picked out by Michael Olise.

After three wins and a draw since Hodgson returned to Selhurst Park last month, Palace’s own relegation fears were almost over and it was Wolves who were on top.

Yet that intensity began to fade as Palace found a foothold and Eze shot at Sa.

Olise and Eze were finding space and Wolves were indebted to Sa as he preserved their lead three minutes before the break.

Will Hughes controlled Chris Richards’ drive to set up Lokonga from 10 yards and Sa produced a brilliant reaction stop.

Eager to make up for their slow start Palace were encouraged but failed to make any significant inroads and it took until 17 minutes from the end for them to test the goalkeeper again.

This time it was Eze’s turn to be frustrated as his fine 25-yard drive was turned over by Sa.

Wolves had struggled to rediscover their early momentum, with only Craig Dawson’s header’s threatening, but it mattered little as Palace gave them another gift in injury time.

Johnstone collected the ball from a throw in but an awful touch left the goalkeeper dangerously lunging in on Pedro Neto in the box. He was lucky to avoid a red card but was beaten low by Neves from the spot to settle the game.

Ronnie O’Sullivan repelled a fightback from Luca Brecel to move three frames away from a place in the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.

Despite looking far from his best over the majority of the opening two sessions of their last eight clash, O’Sullivan preserved his early four-frame lead and will take a 10-6 advantage into Wednesday afternoon’s concluding session.

Twice Brecel pounced on uncharacteristic errors by the seven-time champion to haul himself back within two frames of levelling the match, only for lapses of concentration to prove his own worst enemy as O’Sullivan pulled away again.

The tournament favourite had struggled to rediscover the form that had swept him through his second round match against Hossein Vafaei with a session to spare, complaining that “it’s a hard game today” as he laboured through a scrappy fourth frame of their opening session.

O’Sullivan also thumped his leg in anger after missing a black in the seventh frame, but still managed to overhaul a 2-1 deficit and reel off five in row to take a convincing 6-2 lead ahead of their evening resumption.

The 28-year-old Brecel made a scorching start to the evening session as he responded to an early O’Sullivan miss with a break of 128 to reduce the deficit.

When O’Sullivan missed a rare black off its spot in the next, Brecel sensed a real chance to pull back in contention and a cool clearance of 33 took him firmly back into the contest.

But it was a position from which Brecel would singularly fail to capitalise, running out of position when he got the first chance in the next, then labouring through a disjointed 12th frame as O’Sullivan restored his four-frame lead at 8-4.

Once again the momentum swung back in Brecel’s direction, as consecutive breaks of 58 and a dazzling 81 took the Belgian back within two frames, but his raw talent could not disguise an inconsistency in his game that was to cost him dear.

A missed red to the middle blew Brecel’s hopes of capping another comeback, and O’Sullivan will count himself fortunate to have emerged unscathed from the evening’s action after he fought through the final two frames of the session to emerge unscathed.

Mark Selby racked up his 99th Crucible century as he hit back from a 4-1 deficit to earn a share of the opening session of his semi-final against fellow former winner John Higgins.

A series of uncharacteristic errors from Selby helped Higgins move into a commanding position but the Leicester man benefited from a fluked red midway through a break of 70 that helped him claim his second frame of the day.

Selby followed up with an 82 then rounded off an intriguing session with a clearance to black of 103 to ensure the pair will resume on Wednesday at 4-4.

Anthony McGill also fought back from 4-1 down to ensure he will also resume on Wednesday at 4-4 against Crucible debutant and fellow qualifier Si Jiahui.

West Ham hit back from a goal down to claim their first FA Youth Cup crown in 24 years after a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Arsenal in the final.

Omari Benjamin gave the Gunners’ under-18s a seventh-minute lead at the Emirates Stadium, but George Earthy levelled just after the quarter-mark with a fizzing strike from the edge of the box.

Two minutes later and the Hammers were ahead through Callum Marshall, who coolly netted from Gideon Kodua’s ball into the area before the provider turned goal-scorer moments before half-time.

OH. MY. ?@WestHam's Gideon Kodua has just done this in the #FAYouthCup Final ?#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/5iwCr3YaFq

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 25, 2023

Josh Robinson mis-controlled a pass on halfway which allowed Kodua to steal in, with the West Ham forward expertly chipping over stranded Arsenal goalkeeper Noah Cooper from 40 yards out.

Kaelan Casey extended West Ham’s lead after 79 minutes by heading home from Ollie Scarles’ corner, while substitute Josh Briggs scored with his first touch at the death to rubber-stamp an emphatic victory.

The last time West Ham went all the way in this competition was in 1999, when a team containing Joe Cole and Michael Carrick thrashed Coventry 9-0 over two legs.

Taty Castellanos became the first player this century to score four past Real Madrid in LaLiga as Girona beat Los Blancos 4-2 at Montilivi on Tuesday to put Barcelona a step closer to the title.

Madrid went into the midweek round of fixtures 11 points adrift of their bitter rivals with eight games left, and this deserved defeat could see the gulf widen even further.

Castellanos netted twice inside 24 minutes to put Girona in charge, and although Vinicius Junior pulled one back just after the half-hour mark, Madrid largely looked blunt without the injured Karim Benzema.

Girona picked up where they left off at the start of the second half, Castellanos quickly completing his treble before adding a fourth that rendered Lucas Vazquez's late goal irrelevant.

Michel's side raced into an early lead.

Rodrigo Riquelme instigated a wonderful move with an incisive disguised ball into the box for Ivan Martin, who backheeled to Miguel Gutierrez, and his first-time cross was nodded home by Castellanos.

He got his second in the 24th minute, blasting home after nudging Eder Militao out of the way and racing on to a hopeful Arnau Martinez punt.

Vinicius nodded in Marco Asensio's right-wing cross in at the back post to earn Madrid a lifeline.

But the two-goal deficit was restored 36 seconds after half-time as Castellanos guided Yan Couto's delivery home.

Any remaining doubt about the outcome was then put to bed just past the hour, Castellanos heading a deflected cross past the unconvincing Andriy Lunin, with Vazquez's Vinicius-assisted tap-in too little, too late.