Jordi Alba and referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz had both "forgotten" about the Barcelona defender's first yellow card prior to his dismissal against Espanyol on Saturday.
Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw by their Catalan rivals on what was a bittersweet day for Alba, who became only the 12th different player to make 300 LaLiga appearances for the club.
Alba's landmark outing was marred as the left-back received two yellow cards in the space of five minutes after Espanyol's leveller, with Lahoz losing control of the latter stages.
Lahoz, who was in charge of Argentina's fiery World Cup quarter-final clash with the Netherlands earlier this month, also sent off Vinicius Souza, while only a VAR review saved Leandro Cabrera after he was initially shown a red card for a stamp on Robert Lewandowski.
Alba will now serve a one-match suspension, meaning he will miss Barca's clash with Atletico Madrid at Civitas Metropolitano on January 8.
The Spain international revealed he received his second yellow card after voicing his frustration at a challenge involving Andreas Christensen and Joselu, whose penalty cancelled out Marcos Alonso's earlier header at Camp Nou.
"I did not understand the expulsion and I told him so," Alba said, in quotes carried by Mundo Deportivo. "I went to Mateu to tell him that Joselu had made [Christensen's] bed, nothing more.
"He thought it was the first yellow, and he showed me the second. For me, it is not even a card.
"I am aware that sometimes I make mistakes and protest too much because I am very impulsive, and I have to correct this aspect, but this time, it was not the case."
Sergi Roberto, who wore the captain's armband during Saturday's derby, concurred, telling Movistar: "Alba had forgotten his first card. We were all a little surprised."
Although Barca returned to the top of LaLiga on goal difference, they were punished for not converting their superiority into maximum points, having enjoyed over three quarters of the possession and registered 21 shots on goal.
"In the second half, we wanted to go for the second goal and to have the game more controlled," Sergi Roberto added.
"The game stopped a lot with the expulsions, the cards, and then we were not able to play our way anymore."
Pep Guardiola remains optimistic about Manchester City's performances despite Demarai Gray's stunning equaliser denting the champions' title hopes on New Year's Eve.
Gray picked out the top-right corner with Everton's first shot of the game after 64 minutes at the Etihad Stadium, cancelling out Erling Haaland's opener in a stop-start 1-1 draw.
Having lost to Brentford before the World Cup, City have now failed to win in back-to-back home league games for the first time since May 2021 and remain without a Premier League victory on December 31 (D4 L1).
While City's dropped points handed Arsenal the initiative in an intriguing battle at the top of the table, Guardiola saw no reason to criticise his team's performance.
"Great game. We've played really well in the last three games and it makes me feel optimistic," he told BBC Sport.
"Dropping points at home is always tough, but I'm always trying to make our game good, and we have continued to do it.
"I would say they had eight at the back. In that situation, it's about movement and attacking at the right moment. In general we did it. We didn't allow them transitions.
"They made a fantastic goal and when that happens you say congratulations, but in general we did really well."
However, defender John Stones was less positive, bemoaning City's failure to find a second goal against a resilient Everton side.
"I don't really know what to say. I feel like we've lost two points," the former Toffees centre-back said. "That's football.
"We controlled the game for the majority of the time and had a lot of chances, but we couldn't seem to get that goal.
"It's difficult to take after the game. We showed great character to keep fighting and pushing. It was a bit of a scrappy game.
"We conceded two shots all game, but it's overlooked because of that incredible goal. On reflection, we'll be more positive when we look back, I'm sure."
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was not interested in revisiting the drama around Cristiano Ronaldo after the striker completed his move to Al Nassr.
The 37-year-old left United in November when the two parties agreed to terminate his contract following a very public disintegration in their relationship that began at the end of last season.
Ronaldo did not go on United's pre-season tour owing to personal reasons, a situation accompanied by widespread reports of the Portugal great wanting to leave.
When Ronaldo did eventually report to pre-season training, he and several team-mates left Old Trafford before the end of the friendly with Rayo Vallecano, conduct Ten Hag described as "unacceptable" from all involved.
Ronaldo was then dropped from the squad entirely for the October clash with Chelsea after he refused to come on as a late substitute against Tottenham, but the final straw came a few weeks later when he took part in a remarkable interview with Piers Morgan, taking the opportunity to publicly criticise the club and Ten Hag.
That unsurprisingly led to his contract termination and Ronaldo finally signed a reported two-and-a-half-year deal with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr on Friday, but Ten Hag simply refused to talk about his former player after Saturday's 1-0 win over Wolves.
"I don't talk about the past, let's talk about the future," Ten Hag told reporters.
"We made a good step today. First time we are in the top four, but it means nothing because it is a long way to go.
"We have to live from game to game, get in the position to win something."
Ronaldo may have been the first to draw the wrath of Ten Hag at United this season, though he was certainly not the last.
Marcus Rashford found himself benched for the trip to Molineux after missing the start of a team meeting due to oversleeping.
The England forward came on for the second half and scored United's winning goal, with the narrative ultimately reflecting quite well on both Ten Hag and Rashford, the former for his decisive leadership, and the latter for his response.
United defender Luke Shaw was keen to salute the manager's commitment to discipline, suggesting it was a departure from some of his predecessors.
"At a top club like this, it has to be like that," he told BT Sport. "I think that people can't do whatever they want and maybe that's been part of the problem in the past, with people getting away with silly little things.
"The manager takes all of that into consideration. Like you've seen today, if you're not keeping the standards high then you won't play."
United's victory ensured they will end 2022 fourth in the Premier League, just two points behind Newcastle United, after climbing above Tottenham.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa showed no initial sign of concussion and there was no violation of protocol in allowing him to play on against the Green Bay Packers, an official review has determined.
The NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) issued a joint statement on Saturday after delving into the circumstances once it emerged Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in last Sunday's game. It was a concussion that was not detected until the next day.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Wednesday that film from the Packers game had been reviewed, leading team officials to question Tagovailoa on how he felt after a particular hit, sending him to see the doctors after inconsistencies in the quarterback's behaviour caused concern.
Tagovailoa will sit out the game against the New England Patriots on New Year's Day, with Teddy Bridgewater set to start in his place.
Star quarterback Tagovailoa also missed two games in October after another concussion, where he was hospitalised during a 27-15 Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals after being whipped around and flung to the ground by the Bengals' Josh Tupou, causing his head to snap back onto the turf.
In that instance, the Dolphins were heavily criticised for having Tagovailoa on the field just four days after an incident in a 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills, where he was pushed to the ground by linebacker Matt Milano, with his helmet slamming into the turf.
In a statement widely reported by US media on Saturday, the NFL and NFLPA said they had completed a review of the application of the concussion protocol in the Christmas Day game.
"The joint review determined the protocol was not triggered," the statement said. "The protocol is initiated when a player receives an impact to the head and exhibits or reports signs or symptoms suggestive of a concussion.
"The review established that symptoms of a concussion were neither exhibited nor reported until the following day at which time the team medical personnel appropriately evaluated and placed Mr Tagovailoa in the concussion protocol."
The Dolphins are 8-7 for the season following their 26-20 loss to the Packers, in which Tagovailoa threw three interceptions, and have now suffered four losses in a row.
McDaniel said this week that Tagovailoa's health holds more importance than the games that lie ahead.
"This is a private time for him to focus on his health. This is a human being. His health is the first and only priority," McDaniel said.
Olympic swimmer Cherelle Thompson on Thursday encouraged Trinidadian athletes to seize the moment, as she spoke candidly about her struggles with injury, adapting to college life and trying to stay positive during the Covid19 pandemic during her feature address at the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee Annual Awards.
Thompson, 30, represented Trinidad and Tobago in the women’s 50-metre freestyle event at the 2020 Olympics, which was held last year because of the pandemic. She is the national record holder in the women’s 50m freestyle for both the long course (50m) and short course (25m).
Reflecting on her challenges, Thompson, a former student of the University of Tennessee, said “We all know the pursuit did not come without threat to the life of my dream. It was many years before I could make it onto the Olympic stage and time would not permit me to share the details of the chapters from that defining moment to the point where I would make it to the blocks in Tokyo.
Faith also got her through dark times. “What I could say though is that it was a long, long road with many defining moments and it was only through reflection that these experiences, by the grace of God, I was able to find reasons to be grateful and wonder amidst the ashes of disappointment and difficulty.”
Thompson said her first "last straw” was a shoulder injury which a surgeon said was “one of the worst they had ever seen.”
On her experience studying in the USA while advancing her swimming career, Thompson said it was not a bed of roses. “I cried buckets of tears being homesick and (not) finding a way to adapt to the new demand of academics and athletics.”
The adversity did not end there for Thompson. “The second shoulder injury came sometime after, then major disappointment and retirement (temporarily), sitting out for some time after missing out on Rio (Olympics) 2016."
Covid19 had put the careers of athletes on pause and Thompson was no different.
“Let’s fast forward to March 2020 to that time in history. Imagine what it would have felt like when the announcement came for the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Games. I was set to begin medical school later that year and the world was in a state uncertainty with a glimmer of hope that things would improve for the games to be held 12 months later (in July/August 2021).”
Thompson saw her dreams fading. “At this point I was convinced that I had no more straws. All I had was a dream in my heart and a passion for sport, and I placed that into God’s hands. The rest is history.”
Thompson made her Olympic debut competing in her strongest event – the 50m freestyle – placing 41st overall with a time of 26.19 seconds.
She urged all athletes to cherish every moment. “The question that none of us could answer is whether this would be our last competition, our last season, our last breath. All things considered, we know not what the future holds…take each opportunity to compete and engage in this thing called sport as a gift.”
Looking ahead to 2023, Thompson said, “No matter the stage of our journey, may we all transition into 2023 with our minds fixed and fortified, our bodies prepared to fight, and in our hearts a posture of gratitude and wonder to seize each moment as it were our last.”
Thompson also thanked retired two-time TT Olympic swimmer Sharntelle McLean for inspiring her.
If Manchester United could bottle their end-of-year form, perhaps their struggles over the past decade would have long been consigned to history.
Substitute Marcus Rashford's goal gave United a 1-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday, continuing a theme of strong form at this time of year.
The Red Devils have not lost their final league game in a calendar year since suffering a 3-2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers in 2011, winning eight and drawing three of their 11 matches since.
Here, Stats Perform looks at United's impressive run, as Erik ten Hag aims to mastermind a resurgence for the team who were last champions of England in the 2012-13 season.
Blackburn's birthday blues for Ferguson
Alex Ferguson turned 70 on December 31, 2011. His team neglected to deliver a worthy present, though, as they stumbled to a 3-2 home defeat against Blackburn, who began the day at the foot of the Premier League.
United would have gone top with three points, usurping neighbours Manchester City, but Yakubu's two goals put Blackburn into a shock 2-0 lead, and although Dimitar Berbatov replied with a double, Grant Hanley headed a winner for Steve Kean's team.
Of those involved that day, two players remain at United, with David de Gea still first choice as goalkeeper. Phil Jones, the other survivor, was a player United picked up from Blackburn, expecting great things. He is still at United, but you would hardly know it, given Jones has not made a first-team appearance this season.
Come the end of the 2011-12 campaign, Manchester City took the title on goal difference from United, a first English league crown in 44 years, while Blackburn were relegated.
Ferguson's birthday and New Year's Eve celebrations began on a bum note, and United have made sure to finish the year in a more assured manner ever since.
Signing off on a high
Ferguson's last Christmas and New Year stretch as United boss saw his team harvest 10 points from four games from December 23 to January 1.
On their final outing in 2012, an own goal from Gareth McAuley and a late clincher from Robin van Persie secured a 2-0 win at home against West Brom on December 29.
That was the beginning of the 11-game unbeaten stretch in year-ending league games for United, and it was another important stepping stone on their march to winning the title by 11 points.
Since then, United have had year-end league wins against Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Bournemouth, Burnley (twice) and Wolves (twice), while managing draws against Tottenham, Chelsea and Southampton.
Is United's run a record?
It's not even a club record. United had a run of 13 unbeaten year-end league games between 1955 and 1967, so Ten Hag's team have some way to go to beat that tally.
Manchester City put together a 14-game unbeaten streak in their final Premier League fixture of the year from 2002 to 2015. It came to an end on New Year's Eve in 2016, when Georginio Wijnaldum's early header earned Liverpool a 1-0 win over Pep Guardiola's men at Anfield.
Demarai Gray's stunning equaliser dented Manchester City's Premier League title bid and eased the pressure on Frank Lampard as Everton claimed a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Lampard's struggling team looked set for more misery when Erling Haaland continued his incredible goalscoring form in the first half, sweeping home to hand City the lead.
Everton failed to register a single shot until the 64th minute, but they only needed one chance as Gray whipped a brilliant effort into the top-right corner to cap a devastating break.
Pep Guardiola's men looked startled by Gray's intervention, as their failure to find a winner handed Arsenal the initiative in the title race on New Year's Eve.
Haaland went close early on when he hit the side-netting from a tight angle after rounding Jordan Pickford, but he was not to be denied 24 minutes in.
Jack Grealish's neat work down the left allowed Riyad Mahrez to square for Haaland, who finished beyond Pickford in a crowded penalty area to put City ahead.
Former Everton defender John Stones hit the post with a diving header as half-time approached, and City appeared destined to add to their lead as they pinned the Toffees back.
However, the visitors silenced the Etihad with their first attempt of the game after the hour mark, with Gray breaking clear and recovering from a stumble to arc a terrific effort into the far corner from the left of the area.
Pickford denied Mahrez from close range as City threw players forward in desperation late on, but Everton stood firm through 11 minutes of stoppage time to claim a huge point towards their survival bid – much to the delight of Arsenal.
Xavi refused to blame referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz after Barcelona's 1-1 draw with Espanyol but acknowledged the feisty Catalan derby "totally got out of control."
The Blaugrana were forced to settle for a point on their return to action following the World Cup despite a dominant display at Camp Nou, where Joselu's penalty cancelled out a header from Marcos Alonso.
The contest descended into chaos as Lahoz, who was in charge of Argentina's fiery World Cup quarter-final clash with the Netherlands this month, prolifically handed out cards during the bruising final exchanges.
Jordi Alba was dismissed for two bookable offences on his 300th LaLiga appearance for the Barca, while Vinicius Souza after, and Leandro Cabrera was fortunate to stay on the field having appeared to stamp on Robert Lewandowski.
But while Xavi, who was booked by Lahoz, was disappointed by the official's performance, the head coach insisted Barca only had themselves to blame for failing to convert their superiority into three points.
"Mateu is a referee who controls the matches, and today escaped him," he is quoted as saying by Marca. "Today, the match has totally got out of control.
"He is a referee who gives you the feeling that he dominates and controls the game. But today, it was not like that. I don't blame him for anything. The tie is our fault. I have to look for my own, for what I can control.
"I can't control the referee. I have said it many times. The referee would have to come out and speak and say what he has seen and what the players have told him. Jordi has told me that he has not said anything to him.
"We have created chances. From the 30th minute, we have slowed down, the intensity. We haven't attacked so well, perhaps. My feeling is that we should have won well. The penalty is an unfortunate move for us.
"We are angry with ourselves. In football, there are times when you are better, and you don't win. The team has generated a lot of danger in corners. It's a pity and we're upset."
Barca are level on points with Real Madrid at the top of the table but have a better goal difference.
Marcus Rashford found the "right answer" to being benched by scoring Manchester United's winner at Wolves on Saturday, according to manager Erik ten Hag.
Despite being England's joint-top goalscorer at the World Cup and then netting two in two for United on his return to club football, Rashford was named on the bench for the visit to Molineux because of an "internal disciplinary" breach.
But after a lacklustre first-half display, Ten Hag brought on Rashford at the break, a decision that paid dividends as the forward scored a 76th-minute winner to send Manchester United into the Premier League's top four heading into 2023.
Ten Hag was delighted with the forward's response to being left out of the starting line-up, which the 25-year-old explained after the game was because he overslept and arrived late to a team meeting.
"It's good after the decision," Ten Hag told BT Sport. "Rashford came in.
"He was bright, he was lively and he scored a goal to give a good reaction. Everyone has to adhere to the rules and if you react like this, it is the right answer."
United's poor performance in the opening 45 minutes left Ten Hag with little choice but to make a change at half-time, with Fred also coming on shortly after the interval.
As well as the substitutions, Ten Hag feels his side's improved mentality in the second period spurred them to victory, saying: "We were not that good in the first half.
"In my opinion, the second half was better. Fred was winning second balls and linking play when he came on.
"In the first half, you analyse the game but sometimes things do not work as expected. Wolves did not create many chances and we did but you have to be sharp.
"I was not happy at half time and I told them with this attitude they will not win this game and everyone had to give 10 per cent more."
Marcus Rashford has revealed he was benched for Manchester United’s Premier League win over Wolves after he overslept and was late for a team meeting.
The in-form United forward was among the substitutes for the Premier League clash at Molineux on New Year’s Eve, but came on to score the only goal of the game.
Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag said the England international was left out of the starting line-up for a breach of discipline and Rashford confirmed he was punished for staying in bed too long.
"I was a little bit late for a meeting," he told BT Sport. "I just slept in and overslept. It's a mistake that can happen.
"[I was] obviously disappointed not to play, but I understand the decision. I think we can draw a line under it and move on."
Team-mate Luke Shaw was full of praise for Rashford following his match-winning impact off the bench.
"When you've got someone like Marcus Rashford to come on in the second half, you know there’s a goal coming," he added.
"I think he's in a good way at the moment. It's nice to see it. Everyone knows the quality he's got, and he can be one of the best of the world if he keeps going."
Vinicius Junior has criticised LaLiga bosses for failing to effectively tackle racism after the Real Madrid forward was targeted at Real Valladolid.
The Brazilian had items thrown at him from the stands after he was substituted late on, and shocking footage of verbal abuse emerged after Friday's game.
Madrid sealed a 2-0 win in their first league game since the World Cup, with Karim Benzema getting both goals.
Vinicius posted a picture of himself with Benzema soon after the away victory, with the caption: "God bless us!"
Having considered the unsavoury events of the evening, Vinicius added on social media on Saturday: "Racists continue to go to stadiums and watch the biggest club in the world up close and @LaLiga continues to do nothing...
"I will continue with my head held high and celebrating my victories and those of Madrid. In the end it's MY fault."
Madrid are next in action against fourth-tier Cacereno in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday.
The preparations for the IPL 2023 are underway, and all ten franchises have completed their squads after buying their preferred players at the recently concluded IPL auction.
Sam Curran became the most expensive player in IPL’s history after Punjab Kings bought him for 18.50 crore. Meanwhile, Ben Stokes and Cameron Green also went big.
One surprising pick that went for big money was West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran. Lucknow Super Giants spent 16 crore (US$ 2 million) on the 27-year-old, which left many shocked.
Pooran has had his moments of fame in the IPL, but his overall stats are disappointing, which is why the fans felt that Pooran has been overpaid by the KL Rahul-led franchise.
In 47 matches in his IPL career, Pooran has scored just 912 runs, including four fifty-plus scores.
LSG’s global mentor, Gautam Gambhir, responded to the trolls and criticism for Pooran and justified the big spending on the Caribbean star.
Gambhir said that he does not judge a player by last year’s performance but looks at its impact on the game.
“I do not look at the last season. I look at a player’s ability and impact. Pooran can win us 2-3 matches, and with age on his side, we wanted him to build the team around him.”
Gambhir took an indirect dig on old-school players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who score fifty-plus runs but at an underwhelming strike rate.
“The tournament is not about scoring 500-600 runs in a season. It is about winning matches by scoring impactful runs.”
Rio Ferdinand thinks Harry Maguire should be looking to leave Manchester United in January.
The Red Devils defender has made only three Premier League starts this season, with Luke Shaw preferred to him at centre-back in the wins over Nottingham Forest and Wolves following the World Cup.
Maguire was impressive for his country in Qatar, but remains out of favour with United boss Erik ten Hag
Former United defender Ferdinand believes the former Leicester City man needs a new challenge.
"If I'm Harry Maguire, I'd be looking for a new club right now," he told BT Sport. "You've seen what he's done with England, he's [been] impeccable.
"He's faultless for them, the way he plays. He puts in good, solid performances. [But] at Manchester United, it hasn't worked out for him.
"This new manager, by his team selection, has shown him he is not going to be one or the top two or three centre-backs in his squad."
Maguire has struggled with illness since returning from England duty, but came off the bench against Wolves and Forest.
Lisandro Martinez will be expected to be restored to the team when he returns following Argentina's World Cup triumph, while Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof have both been given more opportunities than Maguire.
Joselu's late penalty denied Barcelona as Espanyol rescued a 1-1 draw during a Catalan derby that descended into chaos towards the end.
The Blaugrana replaced Real Madrid at LaLiga's summit on goal difference but were forced to settle for a point on their return to action despite dominating with over three-quarters of the possession and 21 shots.
Marcos Alonso broke the deadlock with an early header but then conceded the spot-kick that Joselu converted 17 minutes from time.
Both sides ended the game with 10 men after Jordi Alba and Vinicius Souza were dismissed for second bookings as referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz – the man in charge of Argentina's feisty World Cup quarter-final clash with the Netherlands earlier this month – prolifically handed out cards during the bruising final exchanges.
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