Arthur marked his return from injury by starting Liverpool Under-21s' Premier League 2 Division One clash with Leicester City on Saturday.

It was the Brazil international's first Reds appearance in any form since September, with a long-term thigh injury sidelining the Juventus loanee.

Arthur has played just 13 minutes of senior football since joining Liverpool from the Bianconeri, appearing as a late substitute in the Champions League defeat by Napoli, while he has also appeared twice for the under-21s side.

The 26-year-old started in the heart of midfield for the under-21s, who were aiming to end a run of three matches without a win.

Liverpool have the right to buy Arthur, who spent two years with Barcelona prior to joining Juventus in June 2020, with the option entailing a reported £32.3million (€37.5m) fee to be paid at the end of the season.

Former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli has reiterated his support for a European Super League, predicting fans "will move away from football" if the project fails.

Agnelli, who left Juve last November amid an investigation into their financial dealings, has been one of the most vocal supporters of the Super League.

Juventus, along with Barcelona and Real Madrid, remained committed to the controversial project after fierce opposition from fans, media and players caused an attempted 2021 launch to fail.

Speaking to De Telegraaf in his first interview since leaving the Bianconeri, Agnelli laid out his reasons for supporting a breakaway European competition with a league format.

"UEFA's monopoly must be broken to give clubs a financially stable future," he said. "A future in which clubs don't fall if they don't qualify for European competitions once.

"This is a problem for any club. "With such uncertainty, it's not possible as a club to make sustainable and sound long-term decisions.

"This is why I'm in favour of a league system at the top in European football, with more financial and sporting opportunities for every club. It's necessary, because if it remains predictable like now, the public will move away from football."

Agnelli said that of the clubs he has spoken with, "many are in favour" of a new-look football landscape.

The future of the Super League depends largely on the Court of Justice of the European Union, which will soon rule on whether FIFA and UEFA would be breaching EU competition law by sanctioning clubs for taking part in breakaway tournaments.

With the competition's supporters awaiting that judgement, Agnelli says the predictable nature of many domestic competitions necessitates change.

He said: "Whether it eventually catches on will partly depend on the European Court of Justice.

"Why didn't I fight for change in UEFA from within? Internally it was a war that I failed to win. Even knowing that the current system does not offer a future to Ajax, Anderlecht, Celtic, Benfica, Panathinaikos and Red Star Belgrade and many others."

He added: "Apart from the lack of financial stability, the winners of many championships, national and international, are practically known in advance. Especially thanks to the income that clubs get from the transfer market.

"England lead the way in this respect, and you can see how sumptuously the Premier League is represented in the final stages of European cup tournaments, with Spain close behind and some clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

"But in a sporting competition it is important that every participant has the chance to win. So also Ajax, Feyenoord and Juventus.

"As a football fan, I strongly support such an international competition, unlike the international federations. As rulers, they want to keep everything as it is. They oppose any change. That's why the system isn't future-proof."

It remains to be seen whether Agnelli could have any personal involvement in a Super League – though the 47-year-old has not ruled out a return to Juventus.

He was suspended from football for two years by the Italian FA (FIGC) in January after the investigation into the Turin club's finances.

Xavi has paid no attention to critical analysis of Barcelona following their Europa League defeat to Manchester United, looking to return focus to LaLiga.

Having drawn 2-2 at Camp Nou in the first leg of their knockout round play-off tie, Barca took the lead at Old Trafford.

But a second-half rally from United saw the Blaugrana beaten 2-1, exiting European competition.

Rather than stew on that result, though, Xavi has sought to move on quickly, with Barca eight points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the league table.

The coach has steered clear of all commentary around the game at Old Trafford.

"I've read almost nothing or nothing. It doesn't change anything," Xavi said ahead of Sunday's game against Almeria.

"I think we played a great game and we have to live with the defeat. You saw a Barca with a very good image.

"We don't think about criticism any more. You have to work to turn the tables on you."

Barca had already been eliminated from the Champions League after finishing behind Bayern Munich and Inter in their group.

"The biggest disappointment of the season was to fall out of the Champions League," Xavi said. "This one hurts, but we have LaLiga and the Copa.

"For us, it is essential to finish the season well. We have to compete in LaLiga and the Copa. We have to keep winning titles.

"We can lose, but we have to keep competing. Yesterday the sun came out again."

"That's not up to us. We cannot control it. We have to win tomorrow, regardless of what happens in the derby."

He added: "We will try not to be affected. You have to think that we are in a good position in LaLiga.

"We haven't lost since the Bernabeu and tomorrow we have a difficult game. We have to change the focus now."

After playing Almeria, Barca have the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Madrid on Thursday.

But Xavi said his side "cannot be aware" of the Clasico ahead of this match, and he is similarly uninterested in Madrid's derby this weekend against Atletico Madrid.

"It's not up to us. We cannot control it," he said. "We have to win tomorrow, regardless of what happens in the derby."

Russell Westbrook relished a "great debut" for the Los Angeles Clippers, despite their narrow 176-175 defeat by the Sacramento Kings in an NBA classic.

Westbrook, who signed earlier this week after his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers, scored 17 points on his first Clippers start in a thrilling encounter at United Center, while his 14 assists were the joint-highest in a team debut in franchise history.

The nine-time All-Star and former MVP also registered a team-high seven turnovers before fouling out in the second overtime of what was the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.

Only the Detroit Pistons' 186-184 victory over the Denver Nuggets in 1983 had seen more points in a game, and Westbrook reflected on a chaotic bow.

"It's crazy," he said. "I don't know if I've ever been a part of a game with that many points.

"Overall, it's a great debut, but just didn't get the win. And that's the sad part about it, but taking that out of it, just being able to go out and compete, the support system around this was at an all-time high. So, I'm very appreciative of that.

"[I'm] just trying to find ways to be effective while I'm on the floor, whatever is asked of me - screening, rolling, handling, cutting. [I] just try to do different things to impact the game and using my IQ to be able to make plays for others."

The Clippers were in search of a point guard after trading away Reggie Jackson and John Wall on the deadline earlier this month, with Paul George campaigning for the franchise to secure Westbrook's services.

And the small forward was full of praise for the impact of his former Oklahoma City Thunder team-mate, saying: "The reason why I was high on Russ being a part of this team was because of what he brings, and you saw the flashes of it tonight.

"We needed a point guard. We needed somebody that you saw tonight, somebody to get us in offense, somebody to get us easy baskets and a floor general. That was just a necessity that we needed."

Bruno Fernandes believes the form of Newcastle United is "the biggest surprise of the season" and is expecting a "pretty difficult" EFL Cup final.

Manchester United face Newcastle at Wembley on Sunday, with both teams impressing this season after struggling in the 2021-22 campaign.

As well as reaching the final, United have worked their way into the Premier League title race, while Newcastle remain in the hunt for a top-four spot and Champions League qualification.

"I think everyone knows that Newcastle is being probably the biggest surprise of the season," Fernandes told Sky Sports. "Not because of their qualities, because the quality has been always there, but because last season they struggle to stay in the Premier League and this season they're doing really well.

"I think everyone knows [they are] a pretty strong and intense team. They haven't conceded many goals this season. I think probably the best or the second best in Europe.

"But it's more about us. It's more about what we can do towards them, what we can do in our intensity levels, passion levels and quality-wise. Because we know that it will be a pretty difficult final whoever the opponent will be. It's always difficult because it's a final, the desire, the passion to win a trophy is always at the highest."

United's resurgence has been swift since Erik ten Hag came in as manager from Ajax, including Thursday's victory against Barcelona in the Europa League playoff round.

"He brought his ideas, the discipline during the training sessions, during the week, during the games," Fernandes said. "Obviously I think the most important change is the results and confidence is much higher now at this moment.

"We believe that the process that we are going through is the right one. I think everyone has the right belief. Everyone is following the ideas that the coach has brought to the club, to the team."

The 28-year-old has seven goals and nine assists in 37 games for United this season, and understands that he and his team-mates must keep up the high standards implemented by Ten Hag if they are to have sustained success.

"The process is still on and we have to understand that it's still a long way for us because we want to achieve much bigger things and obviously the manager demands that from us," he said. 

"I have been talking with him sometimes and he's always saying that he has the same desire as me. He is not happy with being behind anyone. So that's a good thing. He brought that culture that we can't be happy to be behind anyone and whenever we are in front, we can't be happy to be with a smaller gap.

"I think that's a great thing to have because we can't be satisfied playing for Man United and not winning trophies and not being in the position of winning trophies.

"But as I said, it is a process. It's six or seven months now and things are going pretty quickly. I think from outside probably more because people never thought that United will be in this position at this time because all the changes, because the new manager, because the results in the beginning. 

"But obviously it's up to us, up to our qualities, up to what we have been doing really well... it's [up to] us to carry on doing our best because we don't want people to forget how good we are."

Mikel Arteta will resist the temptation to rest his best players in the Europa League as Arsenal look to close on a first Premier League title in 19 years.

Arsenal are out of both domestic cup competitions, which has allowed them to focus on the league, where they hold a two-point lead over champions Manchester City and have a game in hand.

The distraction of the Europa League is soon to return, however, with the Gunners paired with Sporting CP in Friday's last-16 draw.

A run in UEFA's secondary club competition could hinder Arsenal's hopes of holding off City, with fans desperate to win the league for the first time since their 'Invincibles' season of 2003-04.

But Arteta will not think like that.

While the manager said Arsenal would have the opportunity to "share many more minutes around the squad", he will not leave key men at home for European games.

"We will try to pick, all the time, the team we believe is the best to win on the day," Arteta said.

"Because if you do something different people will say: 'Why did you pick this team and we didn't win in the Europa League?' You're never going to win that battle.

"We're going to pick the players that are in the best possible condition, because it's really important to win the game to be in a better condition to win the next one."

Arsenal are scheduled to visit Portugal on March 9 before welcoming Sporting to Emirates Stadium a week later.

Carlo Ancelotti said the "issue of age is the same for veterans as it is for youth" in expressing empathy for Sergio Ramos following his international retirement from Spain.

The veteran defender announced he was calling it a day from international football earlier this week after a hugely decorated Spain career, saying head coach Luis de la Fuente had left him no choice.

Ramos racked up 180 appearances for La Roja - making him their most-capped player - while he played a vital role as they lifted the European Championship trophy in 2008 and 2012 either side of becoming world champions in South Africa in 2010.

But the Paris Saint-Germain centre-half, who turns 37 next month, last played for Spain in March 2021 and was left out of Luis Enrique's squad for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.

Although Luis Enrique's replacement De la Fuente initially said the door was open for Ramos to potentially return to the team, the defender indicated the new head coach had changed his stance when announcing his decision to call it quits.

Real Madrid boss Ancelotti, who coached Ramos during his first spell with Los Blancos between 2013 and 2015, said he can understand the frustration.

The veteran coach also highlighted notable examples to demonstrate that age is not important when determining a player's impact.

"The issue of age is the same for veterans as it is for youth," he said. "If a player complies, he does not have to look at the passport.

"If at 17 he deserves to play, let him do it. He doesn't have to play if he doesn't deserve it or if he's not better than another, the same with a 37-year-old player.

"A coach has to evaluate what happens on the field every day, in each training [session], if the player is well and can meet, no matter the age. Through thick and thin, it never has to be something to make a decision, in my opinion.

"Sometimes, they tell me I don't use the academy and forget that I put [Gianluigi] Buffon in at the age of 17 at the beginning of my career. It was because he was very good, better than others.

"The Champions League has been won by a 39-year-old player like [Paolo] Maldini, who trained once a week and played because he was better than others, period. If you are better than others, you have to play." 

Klay Thompson drained 12 threes to achieve an NBA first in the Golden State Warriors' win over the Houston Rockets, showing he is "still so hungry to be great".

It was the second time in Thompson's past six games he had made 12 threes, something no player had previously done multiple times in the same season.

Indeed, Thompson missed his only two two-point attempts, making his 42 points the most ever scored by a player without making a two-point attempt.

The Warriors guard, taking responsibility while Stephen Curry is out injured, was aware of that statistic as he met the media after a 116-101 victory.

"I did something that no one else has ever done before," Thompson said.

"I looked at Steph immediately when I did it, because that man's got all the records, so it's fun to push the game forward with him.

"I'm still so hungry to be great. I'll never be satisfied."

Thompson is averaging career highs in three-point shots attempted (4.4) and made (10.7), while only Buddy Hield (234) has made more than his 210 for the season.

This is in Thompson's first full season back after missing more than two years through injury.

Coach Steve Kerr suggested Thompson "can't just expect to be the same player that you were five years ago", but the 33-year-old is just enjoying himself.

"It's incredibly gratifying," he said. "I always reflect on the year I was not playing. I think about the time I was sidelined, watching.

"Now, it's easy to put everything in perspective and appreciate being able to move my body and play with great pace and flow and not even hesitate or think about anything."

Enzo Fernandez has urged Chelsea fans to trust the players, staff and head coach Graham Potter amid a poor run of form.

Chelsea have won just four of their last 19 games and are without a win in their last five after losing 1-0 at home to Southampton last weekend.

That is despite a significant outlay on new players in the last two transfer windows, including a record £106.8million (€121m) on bringing World Cup winner Fernandez in from Benfica in January.

The Blues sit 10th in the Premier League ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham, and Fernandez has called on the fans to back them.

"My message to the fans would be never forget that we are representing you," the 22-year-old told The Times. "Trust us. Trust the players, trust the backroom staff, trust the manager. Because we are all moving in the same direction.

"It is a restructuring of the club. We are going to be trying to win games, starting on Sunday. Then we can start to turn things around."

Fernandez became the most expensive signing in British football history when he arrived at Stamford Bridge, but he insists that does not factor into his thinking on the pitch.

"These figures are nothing to do with me," he said. "It's part of football. My job is to go out and give my best."

Fernandez was one of several new faces brought in by Chelsea, along with Mykhaylo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke, David Datro Fofana and Joao Felix, who signed on loan from Atletico Madrid, and Fernandez would like the Portuguese attacker to sign permanently at the end of the season. 

"He called me when I got here to ask if he could be any help," Fernandez said of Joao Felix. "When you get on with someone it helps on the field. He's a great player, isn't he? Let's hope that Chelsea can do all they can to keep hold of him."

The former River Plate midfielder also enjoyed a breakout World Cup last year, helping captain Lionel Messi and Argentina to success in Qatar in December, and Fernandez described what it was like to play alongside his idol.

"He's one of those leaders who are really positive all the time, both in the example he sets in his play but also on a human level in the dressing room," he said. "He's down to earth and kind to everyone. He offers support to everyone within the squad, from the biggest stars through to the youngsters.

"I felt very conscious that he was with me all the way, giving me a lot of moral support. It was my biggest dream ever – to play with Messi. To then go on in that team to win the World Cup, it's almost like God has given me a huge gift... What can I take from that time with him? Energy. It was a special dressing room, a lively dressing room.

"Energy, positivity and a real will to win, but also keeping humble. I know I'm still young and I need to keep learning but maybe tomorrow, maybe at some point in the future, I want to really demonstrate that I'm a leader."

Zach LaVine insists the Chicago Bulls will "throw everything at these last 22 games" after returning to winning ways with a 131-87 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

LaVine scored 32 points at United Center as the Bulls ended a six-match losing streak, inflicting their opponents' heaviest defeat and holding them to their lowest score of the season.

DeMar DeRozan chipped in with 17 points on his return from injury, as did Patrick Williams, while Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond each had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Patrick Beverley also made his start since signing with the Bulls, having negotiated a buyout with the Orlando Magic having been traded by the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Bulls moved to within 1.5 games of a play-in place in the Eastern Conference, and LaVine urged his team-mates to replicate their performance levels against the Nets going forward.

"I think that's what we have to do from here on out and throw everything at these last 22 games, because we understand where we are," LaVine said. "We have to put that type of energy into it."

Coach Billy Donovan added: "I thought, collectively, the group was pretty connected on both ends with the way they played.

"I thought our effort to get out there and contest and challenge shots and try to make it difficult was good. I thought the group that started the game was really good."

William Saliba vowed "I will be back to my best soon" following a difficult spell of form, ahead of Arsenal's clash with Leicester City.

The defender has played an integral role in the Gunners' Premier League title challenge this season, missing just 14 minutes, while no player has recovered possession in the defensive third on more occasions (100).

Although, the France international feels his standards have dropped in recent weeks since returning from the World Cup, where he played just 27 minutes in Les Bleus' run to the final.

Saliba lost all 10 aerial duels he contested in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brentford, while he struggled to cope against Erling Haaland in the defeat by Manchester City.

"I came back [from the World Cup], and I have this little period where I didn't play my best," he told Sky Sports.

"I know I have to work, to get back [to my levels]. I know when I play [well] and when I play [poorly]. We are lucky here, I have the coaches to help me grow.

"When you play well, it's good, also, to know when you aren't - [Arteta] tells you. He gives you advice every day - to get better.

"This is the best league in the world, there is no excuse. If I am bad, I am bad. I don't say: 'Yes, this is my first season in the Premier League'. I will be back to my best soon, but I have to work."

Mikel Arteta's side moved two points clear at the Premier League summit with a game in hand on second-place City when they twice came from behind to beat Aston Villa 4-2 last weekend.

It was a welcome boost for the Gunners, of whom questions had been asked following a three-game winless streak, but Saliba feels he and his team-mates demonstrated their credentials.

"We didn't start well [against Villa], it was a bad first half," he added.

"When we got into the dressing room, the boss gave us some good advice. We knew we could come back. We have a good mentality, and we never give up, and we trust each other. 

"We only focus on us, not on what the people say - and I think that's most important."

De'Aaron Fox led the Sacramento Kings to victory in the second-highest scoring game of all time but had no interest in repeating the experience.

The Kings beat the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in double overtime on Friday, with the two teams combining for 351 points.

Only the Detroit Pistons' 186-184 victory over the Denver Nuggets in 1983 had seen more points in a game.

Indeed, only those Pistons and Nuggets teams had previously reached 175 points as both the Kings and the Clippers did in this encounter.

It was the first game in NBA history to go to overtime after both teams had scored 150 points, with the game then tied at 153-153.

Three players across the two teams had 40-point games, but Fox was the undoubted star.

He had 42 points, along with 12 rebounds and, vitally, five steals – with many of those coming down the stretch as the Kings recovered from 11 points down with three minutes left in regulation.

Fox acknowledged it was the best regular season game he had been a part of but also called it a "grind" before adding to some laughter: "Obviously, we don't want to play in a game like this again.

"I think we have to be more consistent defensively, and we've talked about this, we've talked about this all year. But that is what it is, right there."

Fox, described as "unbelievable" by coach Mike Brown, recognised the standard of the offense, too, though.

"It was very high-level offensive play today from just about everybody who is out there," Fox said before explaining what he thought was the key.

"We were able to win this game because we lasted a bit longer, we're younger, and we just tried to keep the tempo up, even in the fourth, even in both overtimes," he said.

"We wanted to keep the tempo up, keep it up. I felt like we were able to get some easy buckets out of that.

"Once we started causing turnovers and just creating chaos in the game, that's where we were successful."

Russell Westbrook was making his debut for the Clippers, but that was of no concern to Fox, who said: "Is it about Westbrook, or is it about us?

"Because I don't give a f*** who's over there. It doesn't matter.

"You see the talent in this league, there are a lot of talented teams. Obviously we added talent to this team, but we come in and we worry about us."

Clippers coach Ty Lue was at least enthused by what he saw from Westbrook, who finished with 17 points and 14 assists.

"I thought he was great," Lue said. "He's still learning the offense, still learning where guys like the basketball, running the plays and things like that. I thought he did a really good job."