Ruben Loftus-Cheek says Chelsea owe Graham Potter a victory in their crunch Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea snapped a three-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Leeds United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The Blues had won only one game in their previous 11 before that match, in which Loftus-Cheek filled in at right-wing-back in the absence of Reece James.
Now, Potter's team trail Dortmund 1-0 heading into the second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday, but with home advantage on their side, Chelsea want to repay their head coach's hard work.
"We definitely owe it to the manager. He is obviously a fantastic manager, nobody can argue against that after what he has done with Brighton and other things," Loftus-Cheek told reporters.
"It is up to us as well. We have massive respect for the manager, the way he has been sitting in front of the media with us in this poor form, and he has stuck up for us players.
"So we owe it to the manager to perform as best we can on the pitch and turn things around."
Chelsea are 10th in the Premier League, 11 points back from Tottenham in fourth place.
"A team like Chelsea, we can't accept mediocrity. We understand we have been mediocre in this recent run, and we are not just accepting it," Loftus-Cheek continued.
"It might look like that from the outside, but it's not the case. We are hurting from the losses and the draws, because it is not in us as Chelsea players, and we are fighting our hardest to turn it around.
"It is not nice to hear all the criticism coming our way at Chelsea, to the manager, to the players. We had the poor run, so of course you are going to get that.
"We have obviously had a poor run of form, and we needed to turn it around. We may look back at this [Leeds] win as a turning point in weeks to come. You never know.
"We have got this win, and then if we win against Dortmund and then keep winning... we have the quality and the players and the manager to do that.
"We don't expect to stay in that poor run of form, but we have to stick together and come through it."
Two-time MVP Stephen Curry felt he "got stronger as the game went on" as he returned after 11 games out from a leg injury in the Golden State Warriors' 113-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Curry, playing for the first time since February 4, scored 27 points on eight-of-20 shooting from the field, making five of 13 from three-point range. The reigning NBA Finals MVP also had two rebounds and six assists.
The Warriors guard was inconsistent throughout the game, failing to score in either the first or third quarters, but he did add 19 fourth-quarter points to lead Golden State's charge down the stretch against their Western Conference rivals.
"I felt like I got stronger as the game went on," Curry told reporters.
"I felt great. I missed the first two wide-open ones. I felt like I was in rhythm for the most part. Hopefully I continue to get better as we go forth from here."
The battle for playoff spots in the Western Conference remains wide open, with the Warriors fifth with a 34-31 record, while the Lakers are 11th with a 31-34 record.
Golden State put together a late-season charge to propel them on to win the title around this time last year, but Curry does not see too many parallels.
"The biggest difference is we didn’t start out 18-2 [last season]," Curry said.
"We're still fifth. We have an outside shot at trying to get home-court advantage. It feels weird to say it, but we're trying to win a championship but also trying to stay out of the play-in, too."
Curry's return coincided with the Warriors' five-game winning streak coming to a halt, when many expected him to help their momentum. He said the team would need to adjust to having him back in the line-up.
"The way the guys have been playing over the last five games and the stretch that we had at home, it's a tough transition for everybody," Curry said.
"It's just guys trying to keep their rhythm, keep their confidence. That's our challenge as a team.
"We have to maintain trust in each other because we are all aiming for the same goal – to win at the highest level. I understand everybody has to be a part of that. It's not just about me coming back."
Pat Cummins will not return to India before the fourth and final Test, meaning Steve Smith will again captain Australia in Ahmedabad.
Cummins headed back to Sydney after the second Test – a second defeat – to be with his mother, who is in palliative care with breast cancer.
Former skipper Smith led the Australia team in the absence of the regular captain and oversaw a dominant nine-wicket win in the third Test in Indore.
That victory secured Australia's place in the World Test Championship final, but they need another result in the final match of the series to earn a draw.
Smith will again deputise for Cummins, Australia confirmed on Monday.
Cummins, who is also the ODI captain, has been included in Australia's 50-over squad, with no decision yet made on his involvement in the white-ball series.
Fast bowler Jhye Richardson has withdrawn from that ODI series due to a hamstring injury with Nathan Ellis replacing him in the squad.
Novak Djokovic will not feature at the Indian Wells Open.
It was confirmed by tournament organisers on Sunday that the world number one would miss the first Masters 1000 tournament of the season.
As he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, Djokovic had applied for special permission to enter the United States, but that has seemingly been denied.
Until at least April 10, international visitors to the US must have proof of vaccination.
Djokovic, a five-time winner at Indian Wells, is also set to miss the Miami Open later in March, while his participation in the US Open could be in doubt.
The 22-time grand slam champion – who reached the semi-finals at the Dubai Tennis Championships last week – missed last year's major at Flushing Meadows due to his vaccination status. He was, however, allowed to play in this season's Australian Open.
Nikoloz Basilashvili moved into the main field following Djokovic's withdrawal.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants Kevin De Bruyne to return to the basics to re-discover his best form after a recent dip by his own standards.
The two-time Premier League Player of the Season missed two games recently due to illness and has not been his lively and proactive normal self when on the field.
The Belgian struggled for impact against Newcastle United in Saturday's 2-0 win, turning the ball on occasion, before being replaced near the hour by Bernardo Silva.
De Bruyne had found some form with a brilliant strike in City's 3-0 FA Cup win at Bristol City last week but Guardiola said he had a "passive" first half.
"Kevin, always the standards of Kevin are the sky," Guardiola said.
"Everyone knows his level. In one week he has an opportunity to show his quality, delighted for the victory we had, this is what we have to do. Come back to principles, work hard.
"Everything will come back without any effort. Just do it your usual quality, your best."
De Bruyne has scored four goals and provided 12 assists in the Premier League this season, with City sitting second, five points behind Arsenal.
City have a rare midweek break with no games scheduled, allowing Guardiola's players an opportunity to rest and recover prior to Saturday's league trip to Crystal Palace, before hosting RB Leipzig in their Champions League last-16 second leg.
Guardiola underlined the importance of both games to their season.
"We prepare good for the game against Crystal Palace, always was really difficult for us," Guardiola said.
"And, of course, Leipzig, I have the same opinion that I had when we played them and after Burnley with Vinnie will come back here before the international break.
"If we are able to win the games, we are still alive in three competitions and that last part we will be there. If we lose, we will be out. Simple as that.
"Arrive in a stage when you are there that you know exactly when you lose games you lose competitions. Now is the moment that is going to happen."
George Russell says Red Bull have got this year's Formula One championship "sewn up" and declared "they should win every single this year" after dominating the season opener in Bahrain.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez claimed a comfortable one-two finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix having both started at the front of the grid.
The reigning world champion won by 11.987 seconds from his Red Bull team-mate, who was almost 40 seconds ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso who rounded out the podium.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said Red Bull were on a "different planet" after the race and felt his team would need to completely abandon its own cap concept.
Russell, who finished down in seventh, reiterated that sentiment, pointing to Red Bull's probable dominance in 2023.
"Red Bull have got this championship sewn up," Russell said. "I don't think anyone will be fighting with them this year. They should win every single race this year, is my bet.
"They've got it easy at the moment. They can do what they like. They might not be on pole all the time because we know Ferrari are very competitive in qualifying but when it comes to race pace they're in a very strong position."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner downplayed Russell's comments, insisting it was far too early to be talking like that.
"Twenty-three races is a marathon," Horner said. "It's about being consistent over the campaign.
"Today was a great start. We full expect our rivals to come back hard in the future races."
Giannis Antetokounmpo says he "stole one" after rebounding his intentionally missed shot to earn his fourth triple-double of the season in the Milwaukee Bucks' 117-111 win over the Washington Wizards.
The Greek forward finished the game with 23 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and a season-high 13 assists in a dominant display as the NBA-leading Bucks improved to 46-18.
But Antetokounmpo appeared set to fall one rebound short of a triple-double when he won the ball in the final seconds, dribbling to the basket.
With the Wizards defense letting him run, a wide open Antetokounmpo opted not to score but gently tossed the ball off the backboard to himself to bring up his 10th rebound.
"I was thinking about scoring the ball, but I feel like in those situations it's best to kind of keep the ball," Antetokounmpo told reporters, before adding with a wink. "But yeah, I just try to play the game smart and kinda stole one."
The NBA has previously overturned similar stat-padding with Atlanta Hawks guard Bob Sura retrospectively denied a triple-double by the league in 2004.
Antetokounmpo's triple-double aside, the Bucks showcased their depth with six players reaching double-figure scoring, led by Jevon Carter with 20 points off the bench including six three-pointers.
Jrue Holiday (19 points), Brook Lopez (15 points), Joe Ingles (14 points) and Grayson Allen (11 points) all contributed strongly.
Six Bucks players also hit multiple three-pointers, with the team shooting 22-of-49 from beyond the arc.
"We feel like we’ve got a lot of depth," Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said. "We've got a lot of guys that are good shooters that can get hot from the three-point line.
"So that's part of a good team and being able to play on back-to-backs and make it through the season and be prepared for the playoffs."
Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins addressed Ja Morant's suspension prior to Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, highlighting his star point guard's "difficult decisions and poor choices".
Morant, the reigning Most Improved Player and All-NBA Second Team selection, was suspended by the team on Saturday after appearing to show a gun on camera while in a nightclub. It is the latest in a string of questionable incidents from Morant.
In May last year, he tweeted "it's free to see how hollows feel" as a threat to an online troll, and just over a month ago members of his entourage were banned from the Grizzlies' home arena after Indiana Pacers staff reported to the league that they believed someone in Morant's car pointed a laser attached to a gun at them.
Days after the laser situation, he was also named in a police report after a 17-year-old kid claimed Morant punched him multiple times and then retrieved a gun from his house as a threat after a pick-up basketball game escalated to violence.
When asked about Morant's nightclub video, Jenkins was clear that the team was disappointed with his actions.
"Very tough moment, for sure," he said. "He understands he's made some difficult decisions and poor choices in the past that he's got to account for.
"He's definitely embracing the mistakes that he's made, but only time will tell. We're going to support him and we're going to hold him accountable to make those changes."
When asked for a specific date that Morant would rejoin the team, Jenkins said there is no "definitive timeline", calling it "an ongoing healing process".
"We love him, we want what's best for him, we support him," he said. "It's going to be a difficult process, but we've got a great group to get through this.
"This is a tough time for a young kid that's got to grow and get better. He's got huge responsibilities – not just for the team, for the city – but I know how he's built with that care factor and what steps he's now taking.
"It's a step in the direction of really being the best version of himself. [He is] a generally amazing person, great family person, a father, brother, son, member of our community.
"My hope is that he just gets better. He knows he's got a lot of love and support."
The New York Knicks secured their ninth straight victory with an epic 131-129 double over-time win over the Boston Celtics as Immanuel Quickley scored a career-high 38 points.
Quickley stepped into the Knicks starting line-up in the absence of Jalen Brunson (left foot injury), playing a career-high 55 minutes, and scoring their first seven of 10 points overall in the second over-time period.
The Knicks shooting guard scored 27 of his 38 points in the second half including OT. He made 15-of-28 attempts from the field, including five-of-12 from beyond the arc, with eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
But the Celtics almost snatched victory, with Al Horford's three-point attempt on the buzzer rimming out after a pass from Jayson Tatum.
Tatum also spurned a chance to win it in the first over-time period, missing a two-point attempt after Jaylen Brown kept the ball for too long with the clock ticking down, putting his team-mate under pressure for a tough look.
Brown had sent the game to OT with a three-point play after a foul from Quentin Grimes at the end of regulation squared it up.
Tatum finished with 40 points on 12-of-30 shooting with six-of-17 from three-point range, 11 rebounds and six assists. Brown added 29 points, while Horford had 20 points, making six-of-10 three-point attempts, but not the crucial last one.
Randle offered excellent support to Quickley with 31 points, nine rebounds and four assists, draining five triples. The win improved the Knicks' record to 39-27, sitting fifth in the east.
AD leads Lakers past GSW in Curry's return
Stephen Curry scored 27 points on his return from injury, but it was not enough as Anthony Davis led the Los Angeles Lakers past the Golden State Warriors 113-105 in a big Western Conference clash.
Davis scored 39 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers home, improving their record to 31-34 as he continues to shine in LeBron James' absence with a foot injury.
The result snapped the Warriors' five-game winning streak even with Curry back in action after a left leg injury. The Golden State guard added 19 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, shooting five-of-13 from three-point range.
Booker and Doncic square off as Suns win
Kevin Durant landed a fadeaway jumper with 11 seconds left to earn the Phoenix Suns a 130-126 victory over Kyrie Irving's Dallas Mavericks in another huge clash in the West.
Devin Booker and Luka Doncic squared off face to face after the Mavs guard missed a two-point shot at 128-126 with 3.5 seconds remaining, earning them both technical fouls. That square-off was a flashback to the tense Mavs-Suns Conference Semi-Finals last season, when Dallas eliminated Phoenix in a Game 7 blowout.
Durant finished with 37 points and seven rebounds in his first match-up against his former Nets team-mate Irving, since both left Brooklyn. Booker added 36 points with 10 assists for Phoenix, while Doncic finished with 34 points and nine rebounds and Irving had 30 points.
Donna Vekic stamped her red-hot start to 2023 with her first title of the season, defeating world number five Caroline Garcia 6-4 3-6 7-5 in the Monterrey Open final on Sunday.
Vekic, 26, has now won 14 of her past 16 matches dating back to New Year's Eve, and she dropped only two sets through her five matches in Mexico this week. She also made the 2023 Australian Open quarter-finals, losing to eventual winner Aryna Sabalenka.
The Croatian grabbed the early break to control the first frame, and when serving for the set, Vekic showed grit to fight back from a 40-0 deficit and save three break points en route to securing the opener.
She kept her momentum rolling into the second, breaking and consolidating to jump ahead 2-0, but the response from France's Garcia showed why she was the WTA Finals champion last season, rattling off five games in a row.
But Vekic showed no signs of slowing down, and Garcia was forced to save eight break points to keep the third set level, before the dam finally broke at 6-5 to prevent a tiebreaker.
It was the fourth title of Vekic's career, but only her second since 2017, having snapped a four-year drought at the 2021 Courmayeur Ladies Open.
Santiago's own Nicolas Jarry thrilled his hometown crowd with a stirring come-from-behind 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 triumph in Sunday's Chile Open final against Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Jarry, 27, had not made it through to an ATP final since his first and only title win at the 2019 Swedish Open, but the wait was worth it as the Santiago crowd treated him like royalty.
There were no breaks of serve in the opening set, and only one opportunity, but Jarry found himself a set down for the second match in a row after falling short in the tiebreaker.
But just like he did in his semi-final comeback against Jaume Munar, Jarry dug in and quickly ran out to a 3-0 lead in the second set.
It was short-lived, as Etcheverry rallied back to tie things up and force another tiebreaker, when Jarry turned around a 4-2 deficit and rattled off three important points in a row to gain the ascendancy, successfully serving it out to take things to a decider.
After posting an accurate first serve percentage of at least 67 per cent in each of the first two sets, Etcheverry fell apart in the third, landing only 36 per cent of his first serves fair, and winning just half (11-of-22) of his total service points.
Meanwhile, when it mattered most, Jarry's serve became overwhelming, winning 94 per cent (16-of-17) of his service points to slam the door shut on his Argentine challenger.
Devin Booker admitted there is some extra feeling in the rivalry between his side and Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks after Kevin Durant hit the game-winner in the Phoenix Suns' 130-126 victory on Sunday.
In a star-studded showdown, Durant (37 points), Booker (36), Doncic (34) and Kyrie Irving (30) all eclipsed 30 points each, and the contest took on a playoff atmosphere in the second half.
The Suns were unceremoniously dumped out of last season's playoffs on their home floor by the Mavericks in a 123-90 Game 7 blowout, and the rivalry only grew stronger after Booker and Doncic went nose-to-nose in the final seconds on Sunday.
After Durant hit a mid-range pull-up to give the Suns a 128-126 lead with 12 seconds left, Doncic tried to answer and send it to overtime, but his uncontested layup somehow did not drop after discarding his defender.
Durant snatched down the rebound to seal the game, and Booker appeared to have words for Doncic about the miss, with the pair having to be separated.
When asked after the game about what was said, Booker claimed he was initially talking to the referee before Doncic directed a comment his way.
"I was talking to the ref – [Doncic] said something first so I responded," he said. "You guys say you don't want everyone to be friendly-friendly – there you go, we got some smoke.
"It's just two competitors going at it, like I just said, everyone speaks on how friendly the NBA is now, and don't like that. I've got no problem with Luka – on or off the court – but when we're competing, we're competing."
Doncic laughed at the notion Booker did not instigate the scuffle, and subtly referenced his own "everybody acting tough when they're up" comments from the playoffs by telling the Suns star to keep the same energy throughout the contest.
"Oh no, he was talking to me." he said. "It's not for TV, I would get fined, the NBA would fine me. Based on the words, I don't think [Booker was talking to the referee].
"It's fine, it's just a competitive game, it's all good – just next time don't wait until there's three seconds left to talk."
But Doncic also had plenty of nice things to say about his Western Conference rivals.
"They're incredible," he said. "After everything, those two guys are probably one of the best in the league – Book and KD – but I love it, it's competitive.
"I think today was a great game to watch, and they have an amazing team."
Marcus Smith has been recalled to England's 36-man squad ahead of next weekend's Six Nations clash with France.
The fly-half was not part of England's training camp in Brighton after being omitted from the squad by Steve Borthwick.
Smith instead played for Harlequins in Saturday's 40-5 victory over Exeter Chiefs at Twickenham, where he set up two tries in an impressive display.
After getting some valuable minutes under his belt at club level, Smith is firmly in Red Rose head coach Borthwick's plans for Saturday's visit of France.
Joe Heyes also returned to England's extended squad that was announced on Sunday, while the uncapped Cadan Murley was included on the list.
Borthwick is scheduled to announce his 23-man matchday squad on Tuesday as England look to keep their outside Six Nations title hopes alive.
They lost to Scotland in their opening fixture of Borthwick's reign, but they have since defeated Italy and Wales to sit within five points of leaders Ireland.
Full England squad:
Forwards: Ollie Chessum, Dan Cole, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt, Tom Dunn, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Nick Isiekwe, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, David Ribbans, Bevan Rodd, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Mako Vunipola, Jack Walker, Jack Willis.
Backs: Henry Arundell, Owen Farrell, Tommy Freeman, George Ford, Ollie Lawrence, Max Malins, Joe Marchant, Alex Mitchell, Cadan Murley, Henry Slade, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward, Manu Tuilagi, Jack van Poortvliet, Anthony Watson, Ben Youngs.
David de Gea says Manchester United's 7-0 loss to Liverpool was "a disastrous moment" and vows they will turn matters around with their "duty to this club".
Erik ten Hag's side suffered their joint-record heaviest defeat in history, as Jurgen Klopp's hosts ran rampant in their Premier League encounter at Anfield.
Coming just a week after United ended their six-year silverware drought with success in the EFL Cup final, such a capitulation stood in stark contrast to the progress they have made this term.
De Gea was all too aware of the result's impact, and took to Twitter afterwards with an open missive to supporters, vowing he and his team-mates will respond.
"I know these messages don't sit well on such a day," he wrote.
"This was a disastrous moment for us and these results shouldn't happen, especially with the journey we are all on.
"We have a duty to this club, a responsibility to represent the badge, but we have many opportunities to look ahead.
"[We have] many games coming fast, and we have to lock our focus on these."
Having played a key role at Wembley last month, De Gea turned in one of his roughest performances of the season, saving just one of eight attempts on target throughout.
Braces for Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, plus a Roberto Firmino finish, helped Liverpool extend their winning run over United.
The latter will look to promptly bounce back with the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against Real Sociedad to come on Wednesday.
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