Manchester United great Paul Scholes was once again left questioning the club's wisdom in hiring Ralf Rangnick as interim manager after Sunday's 4-1 derby humiliation by Manchester City.
Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez got two goals apiece at the Etihad Stadium, as City restored their lead at the Premier League summit to six points over Liverpool.
United – without Cristiano Ronaldo due to a hip injury – started the game well and were good value for their 22nd-minute equaliser by Jadon Sancho, but thereafter it was one-way traffic as Rangnick suffered only his second Premier League defeat in 14 matches.
Despite that record, Scholes cannot get past Rangnick's lack of recent experience in coaching, having only actually been in charge of a team for two of the previous 10 seasons, instead spending much of his time as a sporting director.
Rangnick was hired as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's replacement at the end of November until the end of the season, at which point he will move into a consultancy role.
The move was initially widely praised as it seemed to suggest United were looking to establish an on-field identity that Rangnick would subsequently be able to influence with big-picture decisions, but Scholes is struggling to see the reasoning behind hiring him as the interim manager.
"What do we expect? We've brought in an interim coach who hasn't coached at an elite team," he told Premier League Productions.
"He hasn't coached a big team, he hasn't coached at a big football club like United where there's so much expected of Manchester United, whoever you're playing against, it doesn't matter. He's never been at a top club. He's coached a club for two years out of the last 10 years.
"How have United behind the scenes come to the conclusion that this man is going to be the right man for six or seven months? It baffles me. The players are lost on the football pitch.
"The first 20 minutes I was surprised, they played really well, they were comfortable on the ball, [Paul] Pogba up front looked alright. His [Rangnick's] subs have worked the last few weeks don't get me wrong, but it was a deflated team.
"As much as you can have a go at United, they were playing against possibly one of the best teams we've seen. In the second half, the players looked lost. They looked like they didn't have a clue what they were doing."
Prior to the weekend, Rangnick had been praised for improving United defensively. Before Sunday's hammering, they had conceded 10 goals in 13 league games under the German, having let in 21 in 12 with Solskjaer at the helm – only Norwich City and Newcastle United (27 each) had worse records at the time of the Norwegian's sacking.
But Scholes believes their change in fortunes at the back is a red herring, and the data seems to back him up to a certain degree.
David de Gea's saves since Rangnick's arrival have accounted for the prevention of six goals the average goalkeeper would not be expected to prevent, second only to Jose Sa (6.1).
Sa (192) is also the only keeper to face more shots than De Gea (180) in that time as well, suggesting United are not much better defensively than before – they are just relying on their goalkeeper's improved form.
"They were lucky it's not five or six. Again the goalkeeper, five or six saves," Scholes continued.
"We spoke before the game saying defensively since Ole's gone [Rangnick]'s shored things up – he hadn't. Never in a million years.
"He's kidding himself if he thinks that. The keeper has stopped him from getting batterings for a long time. [Sunday] was exactly the same."
Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets team-mates have no doubt the reigning MVP is the best player in the NBA again this season.
The Nuggets have been hampered by injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. this season but remain a competitive sixth in the West thanks to Jokic's outstanding displays.
The center's latest heroics guided Denver to a 138-130 overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
Jokic finished with 46 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, four blocks and three steals – the first example of a player achieving those statistics in the NBA since blocks and steals were first tracked in 1973-74.
This sensational triple-double included 23 fourth-quarter points – matching Jokic's career high – and seven more in overtime.
Team-mate Aaron Gordon said: "[He is] phenomenal, different, he's just different. That's just not something that you see often.
"He took over, 30 points in the fourth quarter and overtime; that's just sick. That was just an amazing game. He's an amazing ballplayer.
"This dude is incredible. I don't say that about a lot of people. I only say that about a handful of people. This dude is incredible.
"He's the MVP. I believe that. He's coming out night in and night out putting up ridiculous numbers, and we're winning. I don't know everybody that votes on it, but this guy has got to be at the top of the list."
Jokic ranks 11th for points per game (25.8), second for rebounds (13.8) and seventh for assists (8.0) this season, with his combined 47.6 just clear of MVP rival Giannis Antetokounmpo (46.9) in first place.
For Nuggets coach Michael Malone then, it was a "luxury" to be able to turn to such a player late in the game against the Pelicans.
"What a luxury to have the MVP in an overtime game knowing you can just play through him," Malone said.
"They double-teamed him, Monte Morris makes a big three. It's just such a confidence that you have because you know in a close game he's just going to make the play again and again.
"For him to step up the way he did just speaks to his greatness."
Kalon Barnes came within a hundredth of a second of John Ross' NFL Scouting Combine record in his stunning 40-yard dash.
The Baylor cornerback ran a 4.23 on Sunday, the second-fastest time since media were allowed into the event in 2003.
Barnes becomes the fastest defensive back in Combine history in the fastest defensive back class.
There were a record 13 DBs who ran sub-4.40 dashes, including Texas-San Antonio cornerback Tariq Woolen, who was close behind Barnes with his 4.26.
Remarkably, Baylor had three players to run sub-4.40, with Barnes joined by wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (4.28) and safety JT Woods (4.36).
They became the first school since 2003 to have three such players at a single Combine, while no other school have had two sub-4.30 players across that entire period – as Baylor did in 2022 alone in Barnes and Thornton.
"It feels amazing to be out here competing with a bunch of guys on the same mission as me," Barnes said in a short social media message. "It's a real blessing to be here."
Jayson Tatum was living in dreamland after his 54-point haul in the Boston Celtics' 126-120 victory over a Brooklyn Nets team boasting Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on Sunday.
Durant and Irving teamed up for only the fourth time this season, but it was Tatum who took centre stage, shooting 16-of-30 from the field and eight-of-15 from beyond the arc.
His incredible display included 34 second-half points, with 18 coming during the final quarter as the Celtics overturned a one-point deficit.
While Durant put up 37 points in only his second game back from an MCL sprain, becoming the 23rd player to reach 25,000 career NBA points, Irving managed just 19 points with four rebounds and six rebounds.
And Tatum was thrilled to get the better of two stars of the game as the Celtics, for whom Jaylen Brown scored 21 points, improved to 39-27.
"As a competitor, night in, night out, but especially games like this, those matchups when you're [against] one of the better teams in the league with two of the best guys, just as a competitor, these are the kinds of moments that as a kid you dreamed about and looked forward to," he said.
"When those opportunities come, you try to make the most of it.
"Obviously, somebody like myself or [Brown] can have nights like this. And it's contagious when guys are hitting shots, spreading the wealth and making the extra pass, driving and kicking.
"Just getting those open looks and seeing them go in, it just opens everything up for us. We know how tough we can be on defense. When we kind of match that energy on offense, we'll really be special."
Team-mate Marcus Smart cited slight tweaks in Tatum's approach that had led to an upturn in his performances.
He said: "He stopped trying to force it, and making the right read, making the game easy for himself.
"Saving that energy and not trying to beat every double-team that comes his way and that's allowing him to do what he does at the end of games. He has the legs late in those fourth quarters to take over the games and that's what it's all about.
"When you are a great player, that's what it's about, having those legs in crunch time to be able to do that. The way you do that is getting everyone else involved, picking your spots wisely.
"He's doing a great job of that, him and Jaylen. They both are and that's the reason why we are doing what we are doing. That's good players that get us going on the offensive end, making sure we get great shots either for themselves or for their team-mates."
Jayson Tatum produced a dominant display with 54 points as the Boston Celtics won 126-120 over the Brooklyn Nets who had the rare partnership of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on Sunday.
Durant and Irving teamed up for only the fourth time this season but their presence would not deny Tatum's brilliance, shooting 16-of-30 from the field and eight-of-15 from beyond the arc.
Tatum, who scored 34 points in the second half, led the Celtics' late charge as they won after trailing by one point at the final change.
Durant scored 37 points in his second game back from an MCL sprain which kept him out since mid-January, becoming the 23rd player to reach 25,000 career NBA points.
Irving only managed 19 points with four rebounds and six rebounds for the Nets who slip to 32-33, while the Celtics have won 21 of their past 27 games to improve to 39-27.
Middleton scores season-high
Khris Middleton scored a season-high 44 points as Giannis Antetokounmpo took a back seat in the Milwaukee Bucks' 132-122 win over the Phoenix Suns, who were missing both Chris Paul (thumb) and Devin Booker (protocols). The Bucks, who have won four straight, stormed home with a 12-1 run over the last three minutes as Antetokounmpo got into foul trouble.
The Houston Rockets snapped their 12-game losing run with a shock 123-112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, for whom Ja Morant scored 22 points with six assists. The Utah Jazz closed on Memphis in the west with a 116-103 win at the Oklahoma City Thunder as Bojan Bogdanovic hit a franchise-record 11 three-pointers for his 35 points.
Nikola Jokic scored 46 points, including 30 in the fourth quarter, as the Denver Nuggets won 138-130 over the New Orleans Pelicans in over-time. Jokic had 46 points plus 12 rebounds and 11 assists as the Nugs rallied after squandering a 21-point lead.
Allen injury sours Cavs win
The Cleveland Cavaliers won 104-96 over the Toronto Raptors but lost Jarrett Allen indefinitely to a suspected fractured finger. Rookie Evan Mobley had 20 points with 17 rebounds for the Cavs who are 37-27.
Kyrie Irving believes New York City mayor Eric Adams is "on my side" as the Brooklyn Nets' All-Star hopes he rolls back the city's vaccination mandate to permit him to play home games.
Irving contributed 19 points as the Nets went down 126-120 on the road to the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
The 29-year-old has not been permitted to play any home games at Barclays Center this season due to New York City's vaccination mandate, although a recent change of mayorship offered Irving hope.
Adams said last week that allowing the point guard to play home games "would send the wrong message" to the people of New York, despite wanting to see Irving win an NBA championship, thus ruling out an exemption.
"Shoutout Eric Adams, man," Irving told reporters after the loss to the Celtics on Sunday, speaking publicly for the first time since Adams' comments.
"It's not an easy job to be the mayor of New York City. And with COVID looming, the vaccination mandates, everything going on in our world, with this war in the Ukraine, and everybody feeling it across America, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now trying to delegate whether or not one basketball player can come and play at home. I appreciate his comments and his stance. He knows where I stand.
"And I know one day we'll be able to break bread together and he'll be able to come to the games and hopefully we'll move past this time like it never happened in our sense.
"But, it's just the reality that it's been difficult on a lot of us in New York City and across the world. So, I know he's feeling it and I'm just grateful that he's on my side, as well as the [NBA] commissioner."
Kevin Durant became just the 23rd player in all-time NBA history to reach 25,000 career points during the Brooklyn Nets' 126-120 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
Durant, who also played for the Seattle SuperSonics, Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors during his NBA career, scored a team-high 37 points for the Nets on Sunday.
The 2014 NBA MVP admitted the milestone was "pretty cool" but pointed out that it should be more, referring to injuries during his career.
"It's pretty cool," Durant told reporters after Sunday's loss. "I should be at 30 [thousand] right now, to be honest.
"But it's cool, it's cool to reach that milestone and be amongst the greats and I just got to keep pushing and keep going and see where I end up."
Durant is the seventh fastest player to achieve the feat, reaching 25,000 points in his 922nd game, behind Wilt Chamberlain (691), Michael Jordan (782), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (889), LeBron James (915), Oscar Robertson (917) and Jerry West (920).
Only James and Carmelo Anthony are active players who have also scored 25,000 NBA points.
Nets teammate Kyrie Irving added: "I told him in the locker room, 25,000 points, you're a savant. "You are an artist. You have clipped history. And will forever be remembered as a legend in our game.
"He's been doing it since he was 19, and there's a level of admiration I have for my best friend right there, and he just does it in ways that makes it look easy. And even when he takes six weeks off, it looks like he hasn't missed any time. And that level of work ethic that he puts in, it shows why he's as great as he is.
"For me, it motivates me to continue to get my game up and hopefully when I'm done with my career I could be sitting next to him and having 25,000 as well and look back and we just crack jokes on a few championships that we won together. So that's the goal at hand."
Leylah Fernandez saved five championship points before converting her first to successfully defend her title at the Monterrey Open over Camila Osorio on Sunday.
Last year's US Open runner-up Fernandez triumphed in two hours and 52 minutes over the Colombian fourth seed winning 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3).
The Canadian second seed held her nerve after a 15-minute delay due to a light failure inside the stadium upon Osorio's fifth championship point. Fernandez won the next three points upon the resumption to force a tiebreak which she won.
The triumph is 19-year-old Fernandez's second WTA title, both in Monterrey, having lost the Mexican Open final in 2020 as well as at Flushing Meadows to Emma Raducanu last year.
Osorio, 20, was chasing her second WTA title but will be left to rue missed opportunities, converting only four of her 15 break points for the match.
The reigning champion had led 4-1 in the opening set before Osorio fought back to win the set in a tie-break.
Fernandez again led 4-1 in the second set before Osorio responded with a break, but the Canadian steadied to level the match.
Osorio broke Fernandez in the fourth game of the final set and also led 4-1 before the popular 19-year-old leveled at 4-4.
The Colombian failed to convert her first championship point on Fernandez's serve at 40-30 when up 5-4, as well as four more opportunities on the Canadian's serve at 6-5. Fernandez was ruthless in the tie-break, swooping on her first championship point.
Scottie Scheffler backed up last month's Phoenix Open triumph by taking out the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one stroke after a final round of 72 at Bay Hill on Sunday.
Scheffler carded an even-par round with three birdies and three bogeys to finish five under and one shot ahead of Viktor Hovland, Billy Horschel and Tyrrell Hatton – who stormed 10 places up the leaderboard with a final-day 69 to earn a tie of second.
The 25-year-old Scheffler made his move on the third day, with a five-under 68 launching him into contention. American Scheffler will now move up to fifth on the official world rankings.
Joint overnight leaders Horschel and Talor Gooch lost their grip on top spot, with the former making three bogeys and a double bogey on his final-day front nine before finishing with a three-over 75.
Gooch ended up two further strokes back with a five-over 77 after four bogeys and two double bogeys on his front nine.
Norwegian world number four Hovland loomed as the likely player to capitalise on their misfortune, as he assumed the lead.
But five bogeys in Hovland's closing 11 holes left the door open for Scheffler, who held his nerve, notably making an excellent long putt to save par on the 15th hole.
"It feels great, especially to win on such a difficult golf course and the way it finished," Scheffler told Sky Sports.
"I didn't play my best stuff, I just kept grinding and made some key putts down the stretch, and it was really just a fight all day."
First-round leader Rory McIlroy never threatened on Sunday, with a four-over-76 meaning he finished back at one over after 72 holes.
World number one Jon Rahm was one stroke behind the Northern Irishman after a final-round 74.
West Ham have confirmed key player Jarrod Bowen avoided a serious injury after being forced off the field during Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Liverpool.
The 25-year-old sustained the injury to his right heel during the early stages of the second half at Anfield when colliding with former Hull City team-mate Andy Robertson.
Bowen was helped off the field by West Ham's physios and boss David Moyes admitted after his side's narrow defeat that he was "worried" about the extent of the damage.
However, an MRI on Sunday revealed Bowen suffered no significant injury, though it is unclear at this stage if the versatile attacker is facing a spell on the sidelines.
West Ham's head of medical, Richard Collinge, told the club's official website: "Jarrod underwent an MRI scan in London and thankfully no significant injury has occurred.
"He will continue to be monitored by the medical team and will undergo further examination in the coming days."
Bowen has scored eight goals and assisted the same number in 28 Premier League appearances for West Ham this season.
His 16 direct goal involvements in the competition is a tally bettered only by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, who has 19 goals and 10 assists in 25 games.
Indeed, his 21 goal contributions in all competitions this term is the most of any England-qualified player in Europe's top five leagues, followed by Trent Alexander-Arnold (18).
Moyes will be eager to have the Liverpool-linked star available for Thursday's Europa League last-16 first leg against Sevilla, with the second leg on home soil following a week later.
West Ham host Aston Villa in the league between those European matches as they aim to bridge a three-point gap on fourth-placed Arsenal, who have played three games fewer.
FIFA has called for "swift justice" after Mexican football was shamed by a mass brawl between supporters in the Liga MX game between Queretaro and Atlas.
The world governing body said the violence was "barbaric" and "tragic", with 26 supporters reported to have been hospitalised after Saturday's top-flight fixture.
Violence broke out just beyond the hour mark at Estadio Corregidora, with visitors Atlas leading 1-0, forcing fans to stream onto the pitch to escape the trouble.
Any hope of restarting the match was extinguished as fighting spread around the upper bowl of the stadium.
Mexican newspaper El Universal reported three supporters were in a serious condition in hospital on Sunday, with a further three having been discharged. Quoting Mauricio Kuri, governor of the state of Queretaro, the report said two of those taken to hospital were women.
League authorities called off the weekend's remaining games, while Atlas executive president Jose Riestra said the episode was "truly unfortunate, very far from the values that football represents".
Now FIFA has expressed its dismay and called for those responsible to be held to account.
In a statement on Sunday, it said: "FIFA is shocked at the tragic incident that took place at La Corregidora stadium in the city of Queretaro during the fixture between Queretaro and Atlas. The violence at the La Corregidora stadium was unacceptable and intolerable.
"FIFA joins the Mexican Football Association and CONCACAF in condemning this barbaric incident and encouraging the local authorities to bring swift justice to those responsible. Our thoughts are with all those who suffered its consequences.
"Once again FIFA would like to stress that violence should have absolutely no place in football and we will continue working with all parties to eradicate it from our game."
Kuri denied reports there had been deaths.
He said on Twitter: "I know that the images of the stadium are disturbing and that the names of people who are supposed to have died have been released; but today we confirm that fortunately they are ALIVE and receiving medical attention.
"We have no reason to lie, we will continue to make all verified information available to the public."
Kuri added: "This violent and angry minority does not represent Queretanos or our values. It is a tragedy that will be punished with the full weight of the law.
"Rest assured that we will handle the results with all transparency and clarity. We will not allow impunity to stain Queretaro."
Antonio Conte does not expect Dele Alli to come back to haunt his former side Tottenham when they host Everton on Monday, claiming players usually go "down, not up" when they leave him.
Alli's seven-year spell with Spurs came to an end in January as he left for Goodison Park in what is said to be an initial free transfer.
Frank Lampard's side will reportedly be obliged to pay £10million for the midfielder after he makes 20 appearances, with subsequent performance-based add-ons that may take the eventual figure as high as £40m.
England international Alli was one of four departures from Spurs last transfer window, with Bryan Gil, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso all sent out on loan.
Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur were brought in as replacements by Conte, whose side next host Everton in the Premier League, but the Italian is not worried that Alli will make Spurs rue their decision.
"I don't remember a player that when he went away, came back with a great spirit of revenge," Conte told reporters.
"Honestly, I don't remember one. During my coaching, I always try to be honest with the players and give all the players the possibility to show me that they deserve to play.
"I don't remember a player that had their revenge with me. What happens usually is that when players went away they went down, not up."
Alli enjoyed a swift rise after arriving at Spurs from MK Dons, with former boss Mauricio Pochettino describing the two-time PFA Young Player of the Year as the best 21-year-old in the world in 2018.
But after the dismissal of Pochettino, who Alli reserved special praise for when he left for Everton, the midfielder struggled to make his mark under Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and then Conte.
However, Conte still believes Alli has time to rediscover the form that led him to become a mainstay in the England squad that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.
Asked why Alli's career has been on a downward trajectory, Conte responded: "It is difficult to say something about this, for sure he is still young and his career is in his hands.
"He is very young and he has all the time to take his career again. I really think so. [Alli joining Everton] was a good decision for the player and the club.
"This decision was the best for the player because in the last few years he wasn't playing regularly and I think it was good for him to go to another environment to challenge himself.
"I can tell you that in the period that we were working together I tried to get the best out of him and he was always involved in the training session.
"But in the end, it was a good decision for him and he deserves big respect for what he did for this club in the time that he played here."
Milan coach Stefano Pioli thinks Inter remain Scudetto favourites despite seeing his Rossoneri side beat Napoli 1-0 to go top of Serie A on Sunday.
Both teams knew they could breathe new life into their respective title challenges with a win at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, but it was the visitors who left with the victory.
Olivier Giroud's instinctive finish early in the second half following Davide Calabria's wayward shot proved decisive, that goal being enough to return Milan to the summit with 60 points, two clear of Inter.
But Inter do still have a game in hand, and as such Pioli recognises the defending champions have to still be considered the team to beat.
Speaking to DAZN after the game, Pioli said: "For sure, we've not done as well against the so-called smaller teams, however, we won't have many direct clashes [with title rivals].
"But since the calendar tells us we have many of these games to come, honestly we have to do more.
"It is clear that there are difficulties for everyone, we are not a perfect team. We have to show that we have learned the lessons [against lesser sides]. Attitude and quality will be important in the next matches.
"The favourites are still Inter. Inter are a very strong team and the standings are still virtual. I'm sorry that there are games left over to be played, it would be more correct if we had all played the same number of games at this point in the championship.
"We have to concentrate on getting a lot of points."
Giroud once again proved his value to Milan, with the Frenchman scoring his eighth Serie A goal despite starting just 12 games.
There were many who questioned his signing when Milan spent just €1million in acquiring him from Chelsea at the start of the season, but for Pioli there was never any doubt what Giroud could add.
"My idea and the club's idea was to include players of experience, who had already won something, who know what it means to work to win," Pioli added.
"There is always a great need for people with stature. A video call was enough for us to understand what a professional he was.
"The more players with charisma and personality you have – especially for us who have a very young team – the better."
Jan Oblak believes Atletico Madrid have turned a corner after battling to a 3-1 victory at Real Betis on Sunday.
Atleti followed up victories over Osasuna and Celta Vigo in LaLiga with three more points at Estadio Benito Villamarin to move above their opponents into fourth place.
Two goals for in-form Joao Felix, either side of Cristian Tello's equaliser deep in first-half stoppage time, was followed up by a late strike by Thomas Lemar.
After winning three league games in a row for the first time this term, Oblak feels confident his side can hold off the chasing pack and secure a Champions League berth.
"This is a different Atletico, we have to continue like this," Oblak told Movistar. "Only in this way can we reach the Champions League.
"There's a long way to go. All the players and the coaching staff are involved in that. If we continue like this, we have no doubt [of finishing in the top four]."
Joao Felix has now scored four goals in his last four appearances in all competitions for Atletico, compared to three goals in his first 23 outings at club level this campaign.
He has scored two or more goals on five occasions for Los Colchoneros, though this is the first such occasion he has managed that since November 2020 against Cadiz.
While his output in front of goal has improved drastically in recent weeks, the Portugal international insists he has performed at a consistent level all campaign.
"Nothing has changed," he said. "I was also doing things well before, but goals were missing. Now they are arriving and I'm hoping to keep it up.
"As a team we are well-connected and clear about our objective. We are performing well and our attitude is good. When that is the case, the quality shows."
Atletico are two points better off than Betis, who slipped from third to fifth this weekend, and are level with Barcelona – 2-1 winners against Elche earlier on Sunday – in third.
Reflecting on a huge victory for his side with the pressure on, head coach Diego Simeone said: "We were facing a rival who is in a very good moment.
"You have to play with humility, with the same spirit, and go game by game. We will now try to get better."
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