D'Angelo Russell insisted the Los Angeles Lakers proved their quality by overcoming the Oklahoma City Thunder, in a win he labelled as "no fluke".
Russell was the star of the show for the Lakers in their 116-104 triumph on Monday, sinking five 3-pointers in a 26-point haul.
Anthony Davis backed Russell up with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while LeBron James added 19 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lakers have now won 10 of their last 14 games, while the Thunder were knocked off of their perch at the Western Conference summit.
"They're so well-coached that you can't relax," Russell said of facing the Thunder, who have now lost two of their last three games after going on a six-game winning streak.
"That team has got everything you need to win and to be efficient at this level. You've got to be ready to play against those guys. It's no fluke [to beat them]."
Austin Reaves, who shot four 3s, added: "Obviously, they're coming off a tough back-to-back.
"But any time you can beat a team confidently going into the fourth of that calibre, it speaks to what you did offensively and defensively.
"Anytime you beat a team like that that’s been playing really good basketball, it feels good and it gives you some momentum going forward."
The Lakers managed to keep Shai Gilgeous-Alexander under wraps, limiting him to 20 points, ending a run of eight successive 30-point performances for the Thunder's talisman.
"Our start was good offensively, but our overall sharpness just wasn't there," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault reflected.
"Defensively, we turned them over a bunch of times, and that kept us in it. But certainly not our fastball tonight.
"I just didn't think we were as sharp offensively as we needed to be. A team like that that’s got size and physicality, that's a requirement to hit shots against them, but we just didn't do that enough."
The Thunder were replaced at the top of the West by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who beat the Portland Trail Blazers 119-114.
Rudy Gobert recorded his 43rd double-double of the season, and the Timberwolves have now swept the Trail Blazers in their four meetings with Portland this term.
"We absolutely had to have this one," said Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, whose team had lost their previous two games.
Damian Lillard cited the Milwaukee Bucks' performance without Giannis Antetokounmpo as proof of the team they are becoming.
The Bucks won 113-106 on Monday, despite star man Antetokounmpo missing out due to left Achilles tendinitis.
Despite trailing by 15 points in the second half, the Bucks rallied, with Lillard finishing with 41 points while Bobby Portis contributed 28 and 16 rebounds.
Milwaukee have now won six straight games as they settle in under new coach Doc Rivers.
"It just shows who we're becoming," Lillard said.
"Nobody talked about who wasn't playing before the game. That just shows what's expected, the standard that we're starting to have, and who we're becoming as a team.
"We just trusted each other. Defensively, we've trusted our communication. We've depended on the next guy to do his job, and the same offensively.
"Because our team is seeing the results that we're getting from playing that way, even when it's not going our way at points in the game, we trust it. It's just coming back in our favour."
Portis added: "Guys needed to step up in their roles.
"I just feel like it was one of those times for me just to step up and be a little more aggressive than I probably was before."
Antetokounmpo has only missed three games this season, though Rivers is unsure whether the two-time NBA MVP will be fit to feature against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
"It's been on and off the last two or three games," Rivers said of Antetokounmpo. "This morning he actually looked good, we'll just figure it out from there."
The Clippers, who will be without Russell Westbrook until April after he fractured his hand against the Washington Wizards last week, have now lost for the third time in five games, though they remain well-placed in the upper echelons of the Western Conference.
"When they went to that zone, I think we got a little jump shot-happy rather than keep attacking the basket and getting into the paint," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said of his team's failure to hold onto their lead.
"I think we were in the bonus pretty early in the fourth quarter. They did a good job of going to the zone, and then we didn't handle it well."
Jonny Bairstow admitted becoming the latest member of England’s 100 Test club means a “hell of a lot” after being joined by close family and friends this week to mark the occasion in Dharamsala.
Bairstow is set to become the 17th Englishman to reach the prestigious milestone when the fifth Test against India starts on Thursday and could not wish for a more picture-perfect setting than the HPCA Stadium, which features stunning views of the Himalayan snow-capped mountains in the background.
Several of his nearest and dearest, including mother, sister, partner and infant son, have flown out to celebrate alongside Bairstow, who recognises the magnitude of the occasion.
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Unlike England captain Ben Stokes, who remarked in Rajkot earlier in the series of his own 100th Test being “just a number”, Bairstow intends to embrace every moment in what he anticipates will be an emotional week.
“It means a hell of a lot,” said Bairstow, well-known for wearing his heart on his sleeve. “Every young kid that sets out on a journey playing professional cricket wants to try and play 100 Test matches.
“You look back to 2012 when I made my debut at Lord’s, if 12 years later you’d said I’d be playing 100 Test matches, you’d snap your hand off for one but also pinching yourself as well.
“It’s great to have my family out here, it’s an amazing place to come, they’ve come to some pretty cool places along the way as well. It’s a special occasion for everyone who has been there on the journey.
“It will be an emotional week. I’m proud, you know what I’m like, I’m an emotional guy – so get the tissues ready! It’s a special week for me like it was a special week for Ben a few weeks ago.”
Bairstow, who coincidentally registered his 100th ODI appearance at the same venue, made his Test debut in May 2012 and has gone on to enjoy several giddy highs in the whites as well as a few crushing lows.
He amassed the most runs by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year in 2016 and lit the touchpaper for the Stokes-Brendon McCullum era with four jaw-dropping centuries in five innings in a stunning 2022.
But he had to rebound from a badly broken leg at the back end of that year while his place has seemed under relentless scrutiny. Having yet to pass 40 in four Tests in this series, there has been speculation he might be overlooked in the summer with Harry Brook to come back into the England side.
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As for whether he can cash in on his landmark appearance in England’s final assignment on the tour of India, who took an unassailable 3-1 lead last time out in Ranchi, Bairstow was sanguine.
“It would be nice,” said Bairstow. “Like in every game, you put your best foot forward.
“No matter what it is, I’ll be going out there, chewing my gum, puffing my chest out and trying to have a good time with the other 10 blokes out there.
“Whatever the situation is, we’ll be going out there with smiles on our faces, like we have done in the whole series.”
A chillier climate has greeted England in the foothills of the Himalayas and a couple of players were in their thermals in training on Tuesday morning, with conditions akin to the early English summer.
There has been speculation at England altering the balance of their bowling line-up, with the most recent match on this wicket in India’s domestic first-class competition four weeks ago showing all 36 wickets fell to seam.
“I’ve probably batted the worst I have all trip,” said Bairstow of his net session. “But the whole trip I’ve been happy with how I’ve been moving, I’ve been in the zone the whole way.”
England’s last visit here was blighted by concerns about the outfield ahead of a World Cup group game against Bangladesh last October, but Bairstow is satisfied there will be no issues this time.
“The transition that has been made to produce something like that has been amazing,” Bairstow added. “It’s absolutely stunning here.”
Doug Watson has been appointed as Scotland’s new head coach, returning to the role he performed on an interim basis last year.
The South African stepped in when Shane Burger departed for Somerset and successfully steered the side to victory in the T20 World Cup qualifier.
He will now be the man to take charge of that tournament in the West Indies this summer, where Scotland will take on England, Australia, Oman and Namibia in the group stages.
The 50-year-old takes up his post in April after completing the season with Auckland, who he has already led to the 20-over Super Smash title.
“I’m really excited to be rejoining Cricket Scotland again. I had a wonderful time here in 2023 and I’m looking forward to getting back to work with the players and staff alike,” he said.
“I love the city of Edinburgh and the Scottish people, and working with such a good group of players and seeing their determination and their passion to represent Scotland and the badge was a big part of my desire to come back.
“We’ve got a lot of hard work to do ahead of the T20 World Cup, but there’s some great fixtures to look forward to. We play England and Australia, as well as Namibia and Oman, so they’re all going to be tough games, but we’ve also got to make sure that we see it as a wonderful opportunity to showcase our passion, our fight, and our skills.”
Steve Snell, Cricket Scotland’s head of performance said: “We interviewed candidates across the world from a number of high-performance environments and it was a hugely competitive process.
“Throughout, it was clearly evident that Doug is a high-quality coach with experience across a variety of environments. He is an excellent cultural fit for Cricket Scotland. He will make a huge difference to the game here, not just to the Scotland men’s squad but also within Scottish cricket as a whole.”
Damian Lillard poured in 41 points and helped lead a fourth-quarter rally as the Milwaukee Bucks withstood Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence and remained unbeaten since the All-Star break with Monday's 113-106 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Despite Antetokounmpo sitting out with left Achilles tendinitis, the Bucks moved to 6-0 following the break behind Lillard and Bobby Portis, who scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter after Milwaukee trailed by as many as 15 in the third.
Portis added a season-high 16 rebounds for Milwaukee, which took the lead for good with a 15-0 run that erased a 96-90 deficit with under 5 1/2 minutes left.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Lillard and Patrick Beverley began the spurt, which Portis capped with four consecutive points that gave Milwaukee a 105-96 advantage with under two minutes to go.
The Clippers, who shot just 35 per cent in the fourth quarter compared to Milwaukee's 61.9 per cent, never got closer than five points down the rest of the way.
Los Angeles owned a 74-59 lead just past the midway point of the third quarter, but the Bucks scored the period's final five points and pulled to within 81-73 entering the fourth on Malik Beasley's triple in the final seconds.
The Clippers, who were coming off Sunday's 89-88 road win over the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves, got 29 points each from Paul George and James Harden. Kawhi Leonard finished with 16 points, but was held to one in the fourth quarter while going 0 for 4 from the field.
Lakers continue surge, knock Thunder out of first in West
It was a better night for Los Angeles' other team, as the Lakers continued their recent strong play by knocking the Oklahoma City Thunder out of first place in the Western Conference with a 116-104 victory.
D'Angelo Russell recorded 26 points and Anthony Davis had 24 along with 12 rebounds as the Lakers improved to 10-4 since Feb. 1. Los Angeles currently stands in ninth place in the West but is now just two games behind the sixth-place Phoenix Suns, with the top six teams guaranteed a first-round play-off series.
The Thunder, who were coming off a 118-110 win over Phoenix on Sunday, shot just 39.4 per cent and fell a half-game behind Minnesota for the West's top spot after the Timberwolves registered a 119-114 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 20 points but finished 5 of 13 from the field.
The Lakers seized control with a 12-0 run to build a 37-27 lead with seven minutes left in the second quarter, and went into the break owning a 52-43 advantage behind 10 points from Russell and Austin Reaves.
Davis then took over in the third quarter, as the All-Star forward netted 15 points in the period as Los Angeles stretched its lead to 89-72 entering the fourth.
The Lakers' margin grew to as much as 25 points in the final quarter before the Thunder scored the game's final 13 points with the outcome already determined.
Bulls stun Kings with furious late comeback
Coby White put up a career-high 37 points and helped ignite a big second-half comeback that carried the Chicago Bulls to a stunning 113-109 road win over the Sacramento Kings.
Chicago trailed by 22 points late in the third quarter before outscoring the Kings by a 36-18 margin in the fourth to deal Sacramento a third loss in four games. DeMar DeRozan had 19 of his 33 points in the final period, while White tallied 24 of his points in the second half.
After closing out the third quarter on a 10-2 run to cut their deficit to 91-77, the Bulls continued to chip away in the fourth. They outscored the Kings by an 18-5 count over the final 5 1/2 minutes and held Sacramento without a point over the last 2:20.
White's layup off a Sacramento turnover tied the contest at 109-109 with 1:32 left, and after the Kings gave the ball away on their next possession as well, White again drove the lane and scored to put Chicago ahead with 47.6 seconds to go.
The Bulls would miss their next two shots, but got a late offensive rebound before DeRozan was able to seal the victory with two free throws with 3.5 seconds left.
De'Aaron Fox led the Kings with 20 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a two-game absence, while Domantas Sabonis grabbed 21 rebounds to go along with 18 points before fouling out with 2:57 remaining.
What the papers say
Manchester United and Paris St Germain have emerged as the frontrunners to land the signature of Victor Osimhen in the summer. According to The Independent, Chelsea and Arsenal are also interested in the Napoli forward.
The Telegraph reports Newcastle are edging closer to inking a new deal with midfielder Joelinton. The 27-year-old has little over a year left on his current deal, but the two parties are believed to be on similar terms with negotiations proving productive thus far.
Tottenham have reportedly taken an interest in Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand. The Sun, citing Portuguese paper Record, says Spurs sent scouts to watch the Denmark international in action as Sporting beat rivals Benfica 2-1 last Thursday, with a view to a potential summer move for the 24-year-old.
And the i says Newcastle intend to send 19-year-old winger Yankuba Minteh out on loan for a second successive season. Minteh has been at Dutch side Feyenoord this season.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Alphonso Davies: Real Madrid are willing to offer as much as £43m for the Bayern Munich defender, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Archie Brown: HITC reports Chelsea, Leeds and West Ham are all monitoring the English defender, currently playing for Belgian side Gent.
Sam Reinhart scored two goals and Ryan Lomberg recorded the game-winner in the third period as the Florida Panthers stayed hot with a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers in Monday's showdown between division leaders.
Anton Lundell sealed Florida's fifth consecutive win and 11th in 12 games with an empty-net goal in the final minute, while Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling had two assists in support of Sergei Bobrovsky's 26-save effort.
The win maintained the Panthers' two-point advantage on the Boston Bruins for first place in both the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division, with the Metropolitan-leading Rangers now four points back of Florida.
After the Rangers tied the game at 2-2 on Chris Kreider's power-play goal late in the second period, the Panthers outshot New York by a 12-6 margin while dominating the third.
Lomberg snapped the deadlock 6:11 into the period when his wrist shot got past New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin, and Lundell put the game out of reach by scoring with 59 seconds remaining.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead after one period on Will Cuylle's power-play goal, but Reinhart registered his 43rd and 44th goals of the season within a span of 2:45 in the second to put Florida ahead. His first of the night was his league-leading 25th in power-play situations.
Shesterkin stopped 25 of 28 shots for New York, which has now lost three of four following a franchise-record 10-game winning streak from Jan. 27-Feb. 24.
MacKinnon extends home point streak as Avalanche blank Blackhawks
Nathan MacKinnon increased his home point streak to 30 games with a two-goal, two-assist performance that helped the Colorado Avalanche cruise to a 5-0 rout over the badly struggling Chicago Blackhawks.
Justus Annunen stopped 37 shots to record his second shutout of Chicago in five days and send the Blackhawks to a seventh straight loss. The rookie netminder had 24 saves in Colorado's 5-0 win at Chicago on Thursday.
MacKinnon gave Annunen all the help he would need by blasting a shot past Chicago goaltender Petr Mrazek 12:31 in. The Colorado captain's home point streak is the second-longest to start a season in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky's 40-game run with the Los Angeles Kings in 1988-89.
MacKinnon then set up Jonathan Drouin's goal later in the first period before adding another assist on Cale Makar's score with 7:22 left in the second that extended the Avs' lead to 3-0.
Zach Parise made it 4-0 when he redirected a drive from Caleb Jones five minutes after Makar's goal, and MacKinnon capped his four-point night with a power-play tally with 4:25 remaining.
Mrazek finished with 32 saves in Chicago's ninth shutout loss of the season, tied with the San Jose Sharks for the most in the NHL.
Zacha's two goals lead Bruins past Maple Leafs
The Boston Bruins were able to keep pace with the Panthers in the Eastern Conference race by delivering a 4-1 win over the rival Toronto Maple Leafs behind Pavel Zacha's two goals and 32 saves from Jeremy Swayman.
Jake DeBrusk chipped in a goal and an assist and David Pastrnak had three assists to help the Bruins win for the second time in three outings following a three-game losing streak.
Morgan Geekie added a goal that put Boston ahead midway through the first period, and Zacha made it 2-0 by converting a power-play chance just under three minutes later.
Swayman came up with 13 saves during a second period in which DeBrusk produced the only goal, though Toronto's John Tavares scored for a second straight game to end the shutout bid 3:52 into the third.
Zacha completed his first multi-goal outing of the season by knocking in a feed from Pastrnak with 9:25 remaining.
Toronto, which had won nine of 10 coming in, received 23 saves from Joseph Woll.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta described his side’s 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United as “a great night” as they climbed to within two points of leaders Liverpool.
The Gunners dominated from start to finish against a Blades team who looked well beaten after Martin Odegaard, Jayden Bogle’s own goal and Gabriel Martinelli had put them 3-0 behind inside 13 minutes.
Kai Havertz and Declan Rice put the irrepressible Londoners 5-0 ahead at half-time and Ben White crashed home their sixth before the hour mark.
Arteta, whose side’s seventh straight league victory saw them become the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals, said: “It was a great night.
“The way we started made a difference. We were really aggressive and positive and we showed real quality in the final third to take the game into a great position for us.
“Then we maintained the rhythm, maintained the hunger and I love that about the team.”
Arsenal struck their fifth goal in the 39th minute, the earliest an away side has had a five-goal margin in Premier League history.
But Arteta warned his side they cannot afford to drop any points between now and the end of the season if they are to pip Liverpool and Manchester City to the title.
“The fact that we’re scoring many goals and not conceding is a great sign, but it’s about winning every game now,” the Spaniard said.
“That’s the demands these two teams have set over the past few years and that’s the task ahead of us.”
Arteta confirmed Bukayo Saka was withdrawn at half-time due to illness, while Martinelli was replaced by Gabriel Jesus in the 64th minute after cutting his foot.
“We need to wait and see how it is,” added Arteta on Martinelli’s setback, which was the only downside to the evening.
The Russell Wilson era in Denver opened with such excitement and hope for the Broncos.
Just two years later, it's ending with considerable disappointment.
The Broncos announced on Monday that they will release Wilson after the start of the new league year, which begins on March 13.
"On behalf of the Broncos, we thank Russell for his contributions and dedication to our team and community while wishing him the best as he continues his career," Broncos GM George Paton and coach Sean Payton said in a statement released by the team.
"As we move forward, we are focused on building the strongest team possible for the 2024 season and beyond. We are excited to improve this offseason and will have the flexibility to get better through the draft and free agency.”
The decision to cut Wilson allows Denver to save an extra $37million in guaranteed money for 2025, though he is still guaranteed $39million for the 2024 season.
The Broncos paid a hefty price to acquire Wilson in March of 2022, in a deal that will go down as one of the biggest trade busts in NFL history.
Denver sent two first-round draft picks, two second-round draft picks, a third-round selection and three players to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for the nine-time Pro Bowler.
Then shortly before the start of the 2022 season - before he had even played a game for the Broncos - the team signed Wilson to a massive five-year extension worth more than $242million.
The trade looked to be doomed from the start as Wilson struggled mightily in his first season in Denver as the Broncos finished last in the AFC West with a 5-12 record in 2022.
After throwing 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and compiling a career-worst 84.4 QB rating in 2022, Wilson had 26 TDs and eight picks in 2023 for a 98.0 rating - eighth best in the NFL.
Although he played better this past season, Denver opted to bench Wilson for its final two games with a play-off berth nearly out of reach.
The Broncos split their final two contests and ended up missing the play-offs for the eighth year in a row.
Wilson, who led Seattle to a Super Bowl championship following the 2013 season, will turn 36 in November, and will likely be able to find another starting job after a nice bounce-back season in 2023.
Great Britain is in the running to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, according to UK Athletics chief executive Jack Buckner.
The last time the event was staged in the UK was in London in 2017, while Glasgow hosted the World Indoor Championships at the weekend.
Now Buckner has told BBC Sport that UK Sport and UK Athletics are conducting a feasibility study into launching a bid to stage the 2029 event.
“We’d love to have another crack at 2029 and a World Championships,” said Buckner.
“We just do a great job. Everyone talks about the atmosphere at every event we’ve done.
“We first of all have to do a feasibility study and look at what the various options are.”
Buckner indicated that London would be the favoured venue for the event, in light of the successful staging of both the 2017 event and the 2012 Olympics.
“We can’t definitely say it’ll be London, but it would be in our mind given the success of it before,” Buckner added.
“I think London (2017) was transformational and it built off 2012 (the Olympic Games). It was transformational in all sorts of ways.”
Raddesh Roman has added another milestone to his career by signing with TruShake as their latest brand ambassador.
Roman is the fourth jockey in less than two years to join the TruShake family.
He placed fifth in the 2023 standings and is currently in second place behind Tevin Foster, another TruShake Ambassador.
Lauren Mahfood, Marketing Manager, Trade Winds Citrus Limited, says she is elated to add another brand ambassador to their sporting family.
She noted that, “Horseracing in Jamaica is very popular and as a Jamaican brand it is amazing to be a part of sport that Jamaicans are so passionate about and support our talented jockeys.”
Mahfood went on to say that "TruSHAKE is a great fit for the jockeys who are very mindful of their weight. As a nutrition shake, TruSHAKE can act as a meal replacement or as a snack to complement the jockey’s diet depending on their goal weight."
Roman is pleased to be associated with the company and has set his sights firmly on taking the 2024 championship. He said, "I will do all I can to make this relationship work and will perform at my best at all times."
Roman joined the big leagues when he rode Blue Vinyl to victory in the 2000 Guineas and St Leger Classic races in 2022 and added an elite win on his resume last August (2023) when he rode Runaway Algo for his 100th career winner.
Roman joins the other jockeys 2023 winner, Reyan Lewis, Tevin Foster and Javaneil Patterson; while the other athletes are Olympic bronze medalist in women's hurdles, Megan Tapper and race car driver, Fraser McConnell.
Roman had three wins on Saturday for the SVREL 7th Anniversary.
Denver Broncos have announced their decision to release quarterback Russell Wilson, bringing an end to a hugely disappointing two-year stint.
Wilson was acquired in a high-profile trade from Seattle Seahawks but the Broncos won just 11 of the 30 games he started, and he was benched for the last two games of the 2023 campaign.
Wilson will be released after the new league season begins on March 13.
The Broncos said in a statement: “We spoke with Russell Wilson today to inform him of his release after the start of the league year.
“On behalf of the Broncos, we thank Russell for his contributions and dedication to our team and community while wishing him the best as he continues his career.
“As we move forward, we are focused on building the strongest team possible for the 2024 season and beyond.
“We are excited to improve this off-season and will have the flexibility to get better through the draft and free agency.”
Inter Milan stretched their lead at the top of Serie A to 15 points after they earned a 2-1 win over Genoa at San Siro.
After a slow opening spell, the home side soon clicked into gear and established a two-goal lead by the 38th minute through Kristjan Asllani’s strike and Alexis Sanchez’s penalty.
Inter looked like they would go on to cruise to victory but they were soon forced to increase their concentration levels when Johan Vasquez pulled a goal back for the away team nine minutes after half-time.
Vitinha then thought he levelled things up for Genoa but the offside flag saved Inter, who held on to stretch their winning run in Serie A to nine games.
Inter were frustrated through the opening quarter with the hosts coming closest when Nicolo Barella pounced on Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s long ball but guided over the crossbar.
Genoa came close to breaking the deadlock after Stefano Sabelli’s cross was powerfully headed towards goal by Mateo Retegui but Yann Sommer saved. The rebound fell into the path of Albert Gudmundsson who diverted wide.
Inter had the breakthrough on the half-hour mark when Sanchez’s through ball found Asllani, who smashed emphatically into the roof of the net to make it 1-0.
The hosts had a chance to double their lead when Lautaro Martinez picked out Barella, who was adjudged to have been fouled inside the area by Morten Frendrup and a spot-kick was awarded.
Sanchez stepped up for the penalty and powered into the right side of the net, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Inter were smelling blood and could have had three when Mkhitaryan raced through on goal and let fly only to see his goalbound shot blocked by Johan Vasquez.
Genoa had a route back into the game nine minutes after the break after Stefan de Vrij’s defensive header looped straight into the path of Vasquez who arrowed a volley into the bottom right corner.
The visitors thought they had an equaliser when Vitinha cut inside and picked out the bottom corner but the assistant referee’s offside flag cut celebrations short with 20 minutes to go.
Genoa came close once again but Tottenham loanee Djed Spence’s cross was glanced wide by Retegui and Inter held their nerve to edge closer to the Serie A title.
Rampant Arsenal made history with a 6-0 win away to shambolic Sheffield United as Mikel Arteta’s side moved back to within two points of the Premier League summit.
Having seen title rivals Liverpool edge past Nottingham Forest and Manchester City defeat Manchester United, Mikel Arteta’s men knew they had to respond at the Championship-bound Blades.
Arsenal did so in style and could easily have struck more than the five first-half goals they managed at Bramall Lane, where the Monday evening mauling was completed by a Ben White thunderbolt.
This was the Gunners’ seventh straight Premier League win and saw them become the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals.
By contrast, the Blades have now conceded five or more in four successive home games in all competitions – not exactly the fight boss Chris Wilder promised from his rock-bottom side.
Instead, United fans watched one the most humiliating first halves in Premier League history, with a Jayden Bogle own goal coming between efforts from Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli in the opening 15 minutes.
Kai Havertz and Declan Rice made it five by the half-time, which was greeted by boos from the Blades fans who had not already headed for a pint or an early exit.
White brilliantly fizzed home Arsenal’s sixth – the 10,000th goal in club history – as Arteta rung the changes, including taking off injured Martinelli after withdrawing Bukayo Saka at the break.
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