Manchester United great Rio Ferdinand lamented the Red Devils for "downing tools" at Brighton and Hove Albion as he questioned the fight of his former side.

Ralf Rangnick's men were thumped 4-0 at the Amex Stadium on Saturday as Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard were all on target for Graham Potter's dominant hosts.

Rangnick, who will be replaced by Erik ten Hag at the end of the season, apologised for the humiliating defeat, while Bruno Fernandes accepted United supporters' assessment that the players were "not fit to wear the shirt".

This is set to go down as United's worst season in the Premier League era, having conceded their most goals in a single campaign (56) and fallen short of their record low for points, sitting on 58, six fewer than their 2013-14 mark with only a game to play.

Ferdinand, speaking on his YouTube podcast 'FIVE', heaped criticism on his old club as he expressed his dismay at United's situation.

"We are getting mocked every week," said Ferdinand, who won six Premier League titles and a Champions League at United. "We have gone down to Brighton to the seaside for a day out.

"We got pumped and sent back home. There is no fight, there is no character, and it seems there is no desire. People have downed tools, it seems.

"We are getting smashed 4-0 at Brighton. Listen, they are a decent team, but United shouldn't be getting beat 4-0 like that. 

"This is a terrible situation and I really wonder what it is like in that changing room.

"Is there anyone standing up? Are there any characters that are picking people up, or is everyone in there thinking that it has gone now? We have gone, and that is it."

Eddie Nketiah scored twice against his former club as Arsenal remained on course for the Champions League and plunged 10-man Leeds United into the relegation zone with a 2-1 win.

Nketiah capitalised on an Illan Meslier error to put the Gunners in front and added a second just 10 minutes into the Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Leeds suffered another massive blow when captain Luke Ayling marked the 500th appearance of his career by getting sent off for a reckless first-half lunge on Gabriel Martinelli with only 27 minutes played.

Diego Llorente pulled a goal back in the second half, but Arsenal moved four points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham and Jesse Marsch's side dropped into the bottom three after Everton won at Leicester City.

Meslier gifted Arsenal the lead in the fifth minute, taking a heavy touch from Ayling's back pass to present Nketiah with a tap-in.

Nketiah doubled the Gunners' advantage five minutes later, finishing clinically with his left foot from close to the penalty spot after the excellent Martinelli picked him out with a cutback from the byline.

A nightmare start for Leeds took another huge turn for the worse when Ayling was given his marching orders for a mindless challenge, referee Chris Kavanagh whipping out a red card following a VAR check after initially booking the defender.

Llorente cleared off the line late in the first half and Martinelli forced a save from Meslier following the restart before blazing over the crossbar, with Leeds on the ropes.

Arsenal were coasting, but Llorente gave Leeds a lifeline when Junior Firpo flicked on a corner from the left and Llorente was on hand to tuck home with his right foot at the back post.

Martin Odegaard spurned a chance to restore Arsenal's two-goal advantage when he cut inside and drilled a left-foot drive just wide, but Nketiah's double extended the Gunners' winning run to four games.

Gary Neville agreed with Jurgen Klopp's verdict on Tottenham under Antonio Conte, believing it shows the coach was not "the right fit" for Manchester United.

United have been linked with Conte on numerous occasions in recent seasons as they have moved from manager to manager since Alex Ferguson's retirement.

The Red Devils have not won the Premier League since Ferguson's final campaign in 2012-13, while Conte has claimed three league titles with three clubs in two countries over the same period.

Now he is seeking to guide Spurs back into the Champions League, frustrating Liverpool to earn a precious 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday.

But the manner in which Conte sets his teams up has been the source of some debate since that match, as Liverpool manager Klopp questioned the tactics employed by his opposite number afterwards. Tottenham had just 34.5 per cent of possession against Liverpool, relying on counter-attacking qualities.

"I don't like this kind of football," Klopp said. "But that's my personal problem. I think they're world class, and I think they should do more for the game."

Klopp has the backing of former United captain Neville, who shared a clip of the German's news conference on Twitter as he suggested Conte's style of football would not work at Old Trafford.

"I respect Conte and his football enormously, but this Klopp interview gives the clear reason why he wasn't the right fit for United," Neville wrote.

Former Liverpool man Jamie Carragher, Neville's Sky Sports colleague, replied with evidence of the ex-United man calling for the appointment of Diego Simeone, the Atletico Madrid coach whose tactics might also be considered negative.

But Neville insisted Conte and Simeone were not comparable, suggesting the Atletico boss would work well at United.

"Simeone 4-4-2 aggressive style. Proper United that," Neville responded. "Conte wing backs? No..."

Nantes captain Ludovic Blas said he "was taken for a madman" after insisting the club had a good team last year, but had the last laugh after lifting the Coupe de France on Saturday.

La Maison Jaune beat Nice 1-0 in the final at the Stade de France thanks to Blas' penalty early in the second half.

The 24-year-old midfielder emphatically drilled home his spot-kick after Hicham Boudaoui handled and that was enough for Nantes to win their first major trophy for 21 years, marking the fourth time the club has lifted the Coupe de France.

It has been quite the comeback story for Nantes, who only avoided slipping down to Ligue 2 last season after beating Toulouse on away goals in the relegation playoff.

“Last year, I persisted in saying that we had a good team. I persisted," Blas said after lifting the cup. "I was just saying that, and we had talented players. I was taken for a madman. 

"Now, I would like people to remember that, and not take me for a fool. Frankly, it's the most beautiful thing that could happen. Being this close to going down to Ligue 2, and winning the Coupe de France shows that I really wasn't wrong about this team."

Nantes boss Antoine Kombouare was just as impressed by what he had witnessed, also referencing the journey from nearly being relegated to sealing a place in European football next season.

"We had to stay strong, despite the pressure of what was at stake, we had come from nowhere," he told reporters after the game. "A year ago, we could die and end up in Ligue 2, and here we won the Coupe de France and we will play the Europa League.

"I was reminded that we [are] going to play the Trophee des Champions. Can you imagine the difference? It's hard to believe. It is something exceptional, unique, almost miraculous."

Kombouare also revealed a conversation he had when he gave Blas the captaincy, with the player appearing to predict the future.

"I'm going to tell you a secret," he said. "During the first match at Sochaux, I gave him the armband in the locker room just before going to warm up, and he immediately said to me: 'Coach, I'm very proud, I will take us to the Stade de France and I will lift the Coupe de France'. I was a prisoner of these words."

Daniel Sturridge has issued a rallying cry to his former club Liverpool after they dropped points in the Premier League title race.

The Reds were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham at Anfield on Saturday, giving rivals Manchester City a boost ahead of their clash with Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Should City win, they will go three points ahead of Liverpool with three games remaining.

Sturridge – who played for both teams either side of a spell at Chelsea – took to Twitter on Sunday to share his belief that "all isn't lost" for Jurgen Klopp's side.

Despite the setback in their title push, Liverpool still have Champions League and FA Cup finals to look forward to, having already secured the EFL Cup in February.

"To all the red men out there. All isn't lost," Sturridge wrote. "Big games ahead, a lot to play for. An unbelievable squad, backroom staff and ownership intact.

"The club has improved immensely in the last 10 years. My optimism for what @LFC are and will become hasn't wavered. #redordead"

The former England international played 160 games for Liverpool between 2013 and 2019, scoring 67 goals and registering 20 assists.

He left Anfield to sign for Trabzonspor before moving to Australia with Perth Glory.

The draw with Spurs was only the third time Liverpool have dropped points in a Premier League game since the turn of the year, and was the first time they have failed to win at home in the league since a 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion in October.

The winning owner of Rich Strike asked "What planet is this?" after the 80/1 shot produced one of the biggest Kentucky Derby shocks at Churchill Downs.

Rich Strike was only added to the 20-horse field on the eve of one of the most prestigious races in the world after Ethereal Road withdrew and went off as the biggest long shot.

Bought for only $30,000 last October and with only one win in seven outings, the rank outsider was expected to be an also-ran.

Yet the Eric Reed-trained Rich Strike bolted up on the inside with a blistering burst under Sonny Leon to become the second-biggest priced winner in the history of the Kentucky Derby.

Rick Dawson, owner of Rich Strike, could not believe what he had seen as a massive crowd of 147,294 caught their breath following a stunning upset.

"What planet is this? I feel like I have been propelled somewhere. I'm not sure," Dawson told Bloodhorse. 

"This is unbelievable. I asked my trainer up on the stage, I said, ''Are you sure this is not a dream? Because it can't be true.' He assured me this is real."

Trainer Reed was also in dreamland after such an unlikely success on the big stage.

"I don't know how [to put the win into words]," Reed said. "I fell down in the paddock when he hit the wire. I about passed out. I'm so happy.

"This is something, you know, is the reason everybody does this, because we're not supposed to be here, but I knew this horse loved the track, and we've been training so good all year."

Jockey Leon was not entirely surprised as he worked his way through the field to cross the line first.

"I didn't know if he could win but I had a good feeling with him," Leon told Bloodhorse. "I had to wait until the stretch, and that's what I did. I waited, and then the rail opened up.

"I wasn't nervous. I was excited. Nobody knows my horse like I know my horse."

Floyd Mayweather was celebrating another Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez defeat in Las Vegas on Saturday after Dmitry Bivol's victory earned him $42,500.

Russian Bivol retained his WBA light heavyweight title at the T-Mobile Arena, claiming the scalp of the Mexican superstar with a unanimous decision victory.

Super-middleweight king Canelo suffered only the second loss of his illustrious career stepping up in weight, with all three judges scoring the bout at 115-113 in favour of Bivol.

Mayweather consigned Canelo, rated as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, to the only other defeat of his professional career at the T-Mobile Arena nine years ago.

The retired American legend cashed in on the 31-year-old's second defeat, placing a $10,000 bet on Bivol to come out on top for a return of $52,500.

Mayweather posted a picture of his winning betting slip on Instagram and wrote: "Easy pick up."

Alvarez confirmed he would exercise his rematch clause.

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez accepted the result of his unanimous decision defeat to Dmitry Bivol, hailing his opponent as a "great champion" after just the second loss of his career.

The Mexican came up short of claiming the WBA light heavyweight title in Las Vegas on Saturday against the Russian, who won 115-113 on all three scorecards after a 12-round bout.

His only other defeat in 61 fights coming against Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2013, Alvarez was left in an unfamiliar position.

But speaking afterwards, the 31-year-old was congratulatory of Bivol, while vowing to bounce back even stronger down the line.

"You have to accept it, it's boxing," Alvarez said. "He's a great champion. Sometimes in boxing you win and lose and I'm not giving excuses. I lost and he won."

On the possibility of whether he desired a rematch, he added: "Yeah, of course I do. "This doesn't end like this."

"This doesn't end in this way, I'm a very competitive person, I've got many years ahead of me, and I'm gonna come back stronger.

“We want the rematch, and we want to do much better in the rematch. I'm very proud and competitive. I've gone up and fought at 175lbs.

"I've gone out of my comfort zone to fight at a weight that's not mine, there's no shame in that. I'm looking for challenges that others would be scared to take on because they might lose.”

Alvarez's loss means he now moves to 57-2-2, while Bivol extends his unbeaten record to 20-0.

Red Bull are hopeful DRS and a strategic edge could help them overhaul Ferrari in Sunday's inaugural Miami Grand Prix, with drivers expecting racing to be difficult on a surface that has been branded "a joke".

World championship leader Charles Leclerc took pole ahead of Carlos Sainz as qualifying ended in a Ferrari one-two.

Max Verstappen was third ahead of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who did not mince his words when asked about the track following qualifying.

Echoing a sentiment shared by seemingly every driver in the paddock, Perez was emphatic in his criticism of a lack of grip off the racing line.

"I think most importantly the surface is a joke," Perez told Autosport when asked if there will be overtaking during the race.

"Tomorrow the racing is going to be difficult. And you're going to have the drivers making mistakes because we've been put into this situation."

With racing potentially set to be compromised, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner pointed to the deployment of DRS on straights where Red Bull have a pace advantage over Ferrari as an area where the race could be decided in their favour.

Praising the performance of Verstappen, whose qualifying session was impacted by a lack of track time in Friday practice because of gearbox and hydraulics issues, Horner said: "Max has been on the back foot, he's down on laps on the other guys and still learning about the track so it's a good recovery from him.

"We know both our cars have good straight-line speed and the DRS could be pretty powerful here tomorrow, and with all the support races the braking zones should open up a bit, so there are a couple of places where we should be able to overtake.

"Strategy and pit stops will be crucial, as no one has really been able to do any long runs, it should be a fascinating contest tomorrow."

Leclerc topped the timesheets with a lap of one minute and 28.796 seconds, reaping the benefit of upgrades that appear to have strengthened the hand of the team that have emerged as the favourites to win both championships.

"It's definitely better," Leclerc said of the performance of his F1-75. "Yes, I mean both cars are very competitive, so Carlos and I are very competitive.

"So, it's great for the team and yes, we'll push to try and finish in the same positions tomorrow.

"It is a very strong package that we have, it works in more or less every condition since the beginning of the season so that is a good sign for the future.

"As I've said many times, the upgrades this year will be very, very important. We've had a few here that went in the right direction and hopefully we'll have a few more throughout the season to stay on top."

Verstappen will be out to ensure Ferrari do not stay on top in Florida and joked he may need to call his father for advice, former F1 driver Jos having recently returned to motorsport as a rally driver.

He said: "It's quite slippery outside the racing line, it almost feels like gravel, maybe I need to call my Dad and ask for some rally advice."

New York Rangers coach Gerard Gallant has defended his call to pull goaltender Igor Shesterkin after the first period as Pittsburgh Penguins ran out to a 7-4 victory in Game 3.

The visitors suffered a playoffs setback at PPG Paints Arena, as their Pennsylvanian hosts moved into a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series.

Shesterkin was hooked after the first period after Pittsburgh raced into a 4-1 lead and was replaced by Alexandar Georgiev.

That helped spark a turnaround for the Rangers, who clawed back three goals in the second period to move back on level terms.

But after Danton Heinen put the Penguins back in front halfway through the third period, Pittsburgh did not relinquish their lead again, with Jake Guentzel and Jeff Carter extending their advantage.

Gallant backed his decision to withdraw Shesterkin, a 2018 Olympic gold medallist, saying that it was to offer the goaltender much-needed rest after a busy schedule and thought it might provide a spark.

"It's 4-1 and you want to change momentum," he stated. "Igor has been outstanding.

"If you look at it right now, he's played 10 periods, more or less, in basically 4 and half, five days. I thought it was a good time to jump-start it.

"It was 4-1. It was totally tilted. Sometimes you spark your team with a goalie change. Igor was our MVP all season.

"I thought we'd give him a little rest tonight and hopefully spark our team. And it worked."

The Rangers will attempt to hit back in Game 4 on Monday.

Jordan Poole has refuted he "broke the code" with a play on Ja Morant that left the Memphis Grizzlies point guard an injury doubt in the Golden State Warriors 142-112 Game 3 win.

Morant posted 34 points, plus three rebounds and seven assists, but limped off with five to go in the last quarter after the Warriors man grabbed his knee in a trap near half-court.

The Warriors surged on to a blowout victory in the end, resulting in them taking a 2-1 lead in the series after they were edged out in Game 2.

That led to a fiery post-game response from the Grizzlies star, who tweeted and then deleted a video claiming that Poole "broke the code" in intentionally injuring him.

The Grizzlies are yet to formally confirm the extent of Morant's injury - but speaking afterwards, Poole knocked back suggestions his play was intended to harm his opponent.

"It was a basketball play when we doubled him," Poole said. "And I hit the ball and I was going for the ball.

"I mean, obviously, you don't want to see anybody get hurt. I'm not even that type of player. I respect everybody.

"Hopefully he gets better and, you know, we can see him out there next game. I don't even play like that for real. That's not my type of game."

Poole's grab is the latest flashpoint in a fiery series, with Memphis forward Dillon Brooks sitting out Game 3 after hitting Gary Payton II in the head, resulting in a fractured elbow.

Memphis boss Taylor Jenkins skirted an official comment on whether Poole's move on his player was intentional, instead saying: "We just watched the replay.

"He was going after a dribble and Jordan Poole actually grabbed his knee and yanked it, which kind of triggered whatever happened.

"I'm actually going to be very curious to see what happens after that. I don't know what goes through you guys' head.

"No, I didn't say that it went on purpose. I said the play happened. There was a grab. I'm just curious what happened."

The two teams meet for Game 4 on Monday at Chase Center, San Francisco once more, with the Warriors looking to go 3-1 up.