The coroner investigating the death of Nottingham Panthers player Adam Johnson has told the governing body of ice hockey in the UK she is “sufficiently concerned that deaths may occur in the future” if neck guards are not worn.
Sheffield’s senior coroner Tanyka Rawden opened the inquest into the death of Johnson on Friday following the tragic incident at the city’s Utilita Arena on October 28, when he was hit in the neck by the skate of a member of the opposing Sheffield Steelers team.
During the four-minute hearing there was no mention of the coroner issuing a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) Report in the wake of the death. But details of the report have now been published.
The report, which is addressed to Ice Hockey UK and the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA), says: “During the course of the investigation my inquiries revealed matters giving rise to concern.
“In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.”
Rawden outlined the “matters of concern” as: “The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) recommends that neck guards or protectors are worn, but there is no requirement for ice hockey players over the age of 18 to wear equipment designed to protect the neck.
“In due course the inquest will consider whether the use of a neck guard or protector could have prevented Mr Johnson’s death.
“At this stage in my investigation however, I am sufficiently concerned that deaths may occur in the future if neck guards or protectors are not worn.”
The death of the 29-year-old American has shocked the ice hockey world, especially as the incident happened in front of 8,000 fans, including many children.
The Panthers and the Steelers are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, a 10-team set-up comprising outfits from across the UK. It is the most senior level of ice hockey in the UK.
According to the PFD report: “During the game Mr Johnson sustained an incised wound to the neck caused by the skate of another player.
“He was taken by ambulance to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield where he died as a result of his injury.”
The report requires the governing body to respond within 56 days and adds: “Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out the timetable for action.
“Otherwise, you must explain why no action is proposed.”
A coroner issuing a PFD report so early in an investigation is a highly unusual move. These reports are normally produced after a full inquest is concluded and Rawden made it clear on Friday that this hearing will not take place for many months.
South Yorkshire Police are also continuing to investigate the incident.
The Elite Ice Hockey League has said it will not make the use of neck guards mandatory but will “strongly encourage” players and officials to wear them following the tragedy.
Last week, the EIHA said neck guards will become mandatory from 2024, but the Elite League is not under its control.
On Saturday, ice hockey fans paid tribute to Johnson at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, with many supporters in tears as they signed books of condolence.
They walked past a photo of Johnson and a shirt displaying his name and team number, 47, as they came onto the ice – which had been carpeted – to pay their respects to the American.
Governing body Ice Hockey UK has been approached for comment.
England’s early exit from the World Cup is already guaranteed but assistant coach Carl Hopkinson insists their bottom-of-the-table clash against the Netherlands is no “dead rubber”.
As the tournament finally edges towards the business end, the defending champions have long since become an afterthought in the wider context of the competition.
They have lost six of their seven games and saw their last mathematical chance of a miracle wiped off the table by rivals Australia in Ahmedabad last week.
The best they can hope for now is avoiding a first ever ODI defeat to the Dutch, the only associate nation competing in India, and keep their prospects of reaching the 2025 Champions Trophy alive.
They need a top-eight finish to book their spot, meaning there is no leeway for wallowing in their dreadful form when they take the field in Pune on Wednesday.
The appearance of Hopkinson, a low-key member of the backroom team responsible primarily for fielding, suggested the squad were not keen on issuing their own public call to arms, but he has no qualms about their motivation.
“I don’t think there’s ever a dead rubber when you play for England, to be honest. I think the lads are completely up for it,” he said.
“We’ve got two games in which we need to win both to qualify for the Champions Trophy, so I think that’s there for everybody to see. The guys are going to be obviously up for it and I think we’ll be good.
“We need to win and win well to qualify for the Champions Trophy, which is what we need to do.”
On his unexpected role as carrier of the England message, he added: “I’m not quite sure why I’m the man to explain, (but) I’m an assistant coach with the England team and I’m more than happy to come out and speak about our campaign so far.”
England have named an unchanged side for the last three games, losing emphatically to Sri Lanka, India and Australia, and could belatedly mix things up.
Harry Brook is on hand to add ballast to a badly under-performing top six, but could be added in place of all-rounder Liam Livingstone rather than one of the specialist batters.
Livingstone adds an extra spin option but has not been able to carry his share of the run-scoring load, with just 60 runs in six innings.
Pace bowler Mark Wood, who has been managing a sore knee, could also miss out with Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson snapping at his heels for a chance.
Wood is the fastest seamer in the squad by a distance, consistently clearing 90mph, but has struggled to keep a lid on his economy rate and has only six wickets at 58.16.
Carse and Atkinson are both likely to form part of England’s white-ball future, leaving captain Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott to decide whether now is the time to blood them in a game with live stakes.
Ben Stokes’ fitness was under observation on the eve of the match, with the Test captain carrying various niggles. He missed the first three games here with a hip problem and is set to undergo surgery on his long-standing left-knee injury when he gets back to England.
Former England quick Steve Harmison told the PA news agency this week that the team management should instruct Stokes to leave the camp and go home early in a bid to fast-track his recovery for the new-year Test series in India.
But Hopkinson suggested that idea was not under consideration.
“Knowing Ben, he’ll want to try and play the next game in front of him and try and win that for England,” he said.
“He’s about winning games of cricket for England, so I’d imagine that’s what he’ll be thinking about first and foremost.
“Once he’s obviously made that decision to have the operation, that’s obviously booked in and that’s what he’s going to do, but it’s not before this tournament finishes.”
Sergio Ramos admits the appeal of Champions League football only added to the lure of an emotional return to Sevilla and is hoping injury will not rule him out of Wednesday’s trip to Arsenal.
The 37-year-old won the competition four times during a trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid but is now back at his boyhood club following a stint with Paris St Germain.
The former Spain centre-back is currently struggling with a calf injury and could miss Sevilla’s crucial Group B clash away to Arsenal.
Defeat for the reigning Europa League champions would leave their chances of progression into the Champions League knockout stages on a knife-edge with two games remaining.
Ramos will no doubt be desperate to feature and help keep Sevilla’s ambitions alive after making the “passionate” decision to return to Sevilla after an 18-year absence.
“I had received offers of going abroad, to Saudi Arabia, for instance – but this was a debt I had to my club, to Sevilla, the first team where I triumphed,” he said.
“This is also a personal debt towards my family, my parents, my grandparents – it’s very emotional, very passionate to me. This was a very personal decision, a decision made with the heart.
“The Champions League is something that everybody knows what it means, especially personally to me, when making a decision the Champions League is an important competition.
“Sevilla were playing in the Champions League and that was a plus in making such a decision.
“Arsenal are a consolidated team with young players with a well-defined style of play. They know what they play, and we know it will be a very very difficult game.
“Winning? Well, we know that Arsenal are an amazing team. But of course, the team will go there with the intention of taking the win, the three points home.
“We know how difficult it can be, but we will try to play a serious game, very concentrated to try to make sure that they don’t have a lot of opportunities and we take advantage of the ones we have.”
Asked about his fitness ahead of Saturday’s 1-1 LaLiga draw against Celta Vigo a match the World Cup winner was not involved in – Ramos replied: “Let’s take it one day at a time.
“It is true it’s not a big injury, it is a minor injury. I hope to be able to play the game but I don’t know whether it might come too soon.
“Let’s just take it one day at a time and let’s see how I’m able to evolve and hopefully, I would love to play.”
Arsenal sit top of the group after a 2-1 win in Spain a fortnight ago but Mikel Arteta’s side have lost two of their three domestic games since.
Despite a small blip, Ramos has been impressed with the progress made by the Gunners in recent times and is a particular fan of captain Martin Odegaard, who he spent time with as a team-mate in Madrid.
“We see what kind of style of play they have, they were almost Premier League champions last year, one of the most important competitions in the world,” he added.
“Regardless of the great group – it’s very well balanced. I would maybe refer to Martin Odegaard (as a key player) – his role, he’s very participative, very involved – even if he’s the first one to receive the ball.
“Jorginho, Gabriel Jesus too, I think that their structure is clear and they know what they play. But I would refer to those three names first – Jesus, Jorginho and Martin Odegaard.”
Kieran Reilly has talked up his chances of winning a BMX freestyle gold at the Olympic Games next year, following a series of landmark victories in 2023.
The 22-year-old from Gateshead said victory in Paris was “always going to be the goal” and he does not have his “head in the clouds” as focus turns to the showpiece event.
Reilly won the National BMX Freestyle Championships in Nottingham last month, which added to the gold medals he won at the European Games in Krakow in June and the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow in August, beating reigning Olympic champion Logan Martin in the latter.
He shot to fame in January 2021 after breaking a world record by completing the world’s first triple flair on a BMX.
Reilly, a Red Bull athlete, told the PA news agency: “I think the year I’ve had this year, the biggest growth for me has been confidence, learning so much about myself that I can beat these riders who, growing up, [were] guys that I idolised.
“It took a while to really flip the switch on my mindset and want to beat these guys, and I’ve done that this year at the biggest events.
“Everyone who attended the Tokyo Olympics was at the World Championships in Glasgow, and if beating the Olympic champion wasn’t going to give me the confidence to beat him at the Olympics then I don’t know what was.”
BMX freestyle will appear at the Olympics for a second time after making its debut at the Tokyo 2020 games, with a total of 24 riders – 12 men and 12 women – competing at La Concorde Urban Park in Paris.
Two qualifying events in Shanghai and Budapest will be held in May and June next year to determine who will appear at the Games, but Reilly said the showpiece event was already firmly in his thoughts.
“The competitive mindset I have, the second I qualify for these Games the mindset and goal switches from getting there to getting gold and that’s always going to be the goal,” he continued.
“I think that gold is a good goal for me – I haven’t got my head in the clouds thinking that, and when I get to Paris that’s going to be what I’ve got my sights set on.”
It is likely that those two events will be only competitive BMX meets before the Olympics and Reilly acknowledged “there’s a lot of unknown” going into the Games, but he insisted he hopes to debut some new tricks of his own and would “have some surprises” ready for Paris.
He is currently practising these tricks at his training base – Adrenaline Alley in Corby, Northamptonshire – but this remains one of very few purpose-built professional riding areas in England.
Reilly said BMX was now at a position where it deserves greater investment in facilities, particularly with the UK’s recent success in competitions and its growing popularity.
He said: “Now I think, on the British Cycling Team, we have seven or eight guys and three girls and they all are podium potential at the Games and at every single World Cup.
“We have arguably the biggest [and] one of the most competitive teams of riders going into any of these events, so it almost makes sense for a sport where we have this potential to dominate, why wouldn’t you try and find that missing factor and help with facilities?”
Reilly stressed the investment was even more critical as more people now take BMX seriously alongside more established sports, such as football and swimming.
He added: “Now parents are pushing their kids into it. It was more of a hobby that parents weren’t really supporting.
“A lot of kids went into playing football for a Saturday team and riding their bikes was just a side hobby. Now parents have seen that you can have a career in this sport.
“I’ve seen a lot more parents at the skate park now rooting on their kids and entering their kids in amateur competitions.”
Harry Cobden expects Rubaud to prove difficult to beat in Saturday’s West Country Weekend Elite Hurdle at Wincanton.
The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old had a progressive profile last season, which ended with him winning the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr.
He showed there could be more to come this term when winning first time out in Listed company at Kempton last month, when connections expected him to need the run, and Cobden feels that bar Constitution Hill, Rubaud could take some stopping on his side of the Irish Sea.
“Rubaud is in good form after winning at Kempton the other day. The handicapper put him up 9lb for that, but you would want a good one to get by him here I would say,” said Cobden.
“He was impressive when he won the Scottish Champion Hurdle last season, but he was only running off a mark of 135 then. Now he is up to 150 and hopefully he can run up to that mark.
“I can’t think of too many horses in this country that would beat him in this division in Britain apart from Constitution Hill.
“He would struggle to lay a glove on Constitution Hill, but someone has got to win these races and we might as well keep him in this division and win as much as we can.”
Cobden went on: “He needed his first run as he hadn’t been away for a gallop. The runner-up at Kempton (Too Friendly) was race-fit and Rubaud was fresh.
“He can take a chance at his hurdles and the only thing I would say about his Kempton run was that he was bit low at the odd one, but he got away with it.
“That run will have taken the gas out of him and he is a horse that really wants it and he will stick his head out for you. He has got a nice way of galloping, and he has a nice low head carriage.”
LeBron James believes he would have become one of the all-time NBA greats regardless of his spell with the Miami Heat.
James spent four years with the Heat between 2010 and 2014.
During that time, he became a two-time NBA champion, two-time league MVP and two-time Finals MVP.
The 38-year-old credits his time in Miami with introducing him to a new culture, but he feels he would have been the same player regardless.
"I think I would still be at this level no matter if I would've came here or not," James told ESPN ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers' clash with the Heat on Monday.
"Let's not get it twisted. The four years I was here, it was amazing. I loved everything about it. Loved this franchise, this franchise is top tier, it's one of the best franchises in the world.
"But as far as my career, my career was going to be my career as far as individually, because I know how much I put into the game and I know how much I strived to be as great as I can be. [But] as far as what I was able to learn here was second to none, that's for sure.
"I came here for one reason and one reason only, and that was to win championships. That was my only goal. That was the only reason I teamed up with [Dwyane] Wade and [Chris] Bosh.
"Because I felt like I couldn't do it in Cleveland. So I had an opportunity to be a free agent so I did what I thought was best, not only for my career but for me at that point in time."
So, what did James learn in south Florida?
"It was a culture change for me," James said. "People talk about 'Heat Culture'. It was a culture change, period.
"I was changing everything about my life for the first time in my life. To be able to be here and be able to learn and be alongside D-Wade, UD [Udonis Haslem] and Spo [Erik Spoelstra], those guys who had won it already, it definitely was great to be a part of, for sure."
James scored a game-high 30 points on Monday against the Heat, but he could not guide the Lakers to victory, with Bam Adebayo's triple-double and Jimmy Butler's 28 helping Miami win 108-107.
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson promised to work even harder after his hat-trick earned boss Mauricio Pochettino a statement victory at former club Tottenham.
Jackson’s second-half treble settled a pulsating London derby where five goals were disallowed and red cards were shown to Spurs pair Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie either side of half-time.
While Chelsea were far from vintage on their way to a 4-1 victory, Jackson eventually made the difference.
The Senegal attacker side-footed home his first goal in the 75th minute from Raheem Sterling’s cross before he grabbed a similar second after Conor Gallagher’s pass and completed his treble in the seventh minute of stoppage time when he rounded Guglielmo Vicario.
After receiving more yellow cards (five) than goals (three) during the first three months of the campaign, the £31million summer signing from Villarreal was pleased to start to pay back his price tag on Monday night.
Jackson: “Yeah, very happy. It was a difficult time for everybody in the team, but now we are coming back slowly, slowly and I am very happy to score three goals.
“It has been very difficult (for me) but life is like this. Now my first hat-trick and I am very happy I did it in the biggest club in England and everywhere.
“Always need to improve, always need to work harder. We continue working and now this (hat-trick) is the past, so we forget about it and move forward.
“We were dreaming about this, playing big games and winning big games. Now we continue to work hard and the confidence is coming slowly, slowly.”
Chelsea’s youthful side had struggled for consistency during the early months of Pochettino’s tenure, with battling draws against Liverpool and Arsenal married with home defeats to Nottingham Forest and Brentford.
Pochettino watched the Blues struggle to make their numerical advantage count against Tottenham until captain Reece James played through Sterling, who squared for Jackson to slide home with quarter of an hour left in N17.
Next up for the 10th-placed Blues is the visit of champions Manchester City on Sunday, which means a reunion for Cole Palmer against his old club.
Palmer, who took his Chelsea goal to three with the equaliser against Spurs, told Sky Sports: “This was a big game, we knew it was before we came into it. Big stadium and obviously they were unbeaten, but we thought we could come here and get a result and we did that.
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“Obviously it is easier to play against nine men, but we knew we needed to win the game when they went down to 10 and then when they went down to nine especially.
“We knew we needed to score and if we kept pressing, making the runs in behind, because their line was so high, we would get in and we did eventually.
“It has obviously been a difficult start for Nico, no hiding from it, but he was brilliant.
“He just needs to work hard on the training pitch and keep his head down. Then I think he will get many more hat-tricks.”
Calle Jarnkrok's goal 46 seconds into overtime capped a furious rally for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who overcame an early three-goal deficit to hand the Tampa Bay Lightning a 6-5 loss on Monday.
Both Jarnkrok and Auston Matthews scored two goals for Toronto, which trailed by a 4-1 margin after one period and bounced back after allowing Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel to tie the game late in the third. Matthews added an assist, while Mitchell Marner finished with four points on a goal and three assists.
After the Leafs' Matthew Knies recorded the game's first goal, the Lightning struck four times against Toronto starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov before the first intermission. Nikita Kucherov scored twice with Victor Hedman and Brayden Point also beating Samsonov to stake Tampa Bay to a 4-1 lead.
Toronto cut its deficit to one on two second-period goals by Matthews, then took a 5-4 advantage when Jarnkrok and Marner scored just eight seconds apart early in the third. The lead lasted late into regulation before Hagel found the back of the net with 2:26 left in regulation.
Joseph Woll stopped 18 of 19 shots in relief of Samsonov, who was pulled late in the first period after allowing four goals on 12 shots. Jonas Johansson made 26 saves for Tampa Bay.
Two rookies get first NHL goals in Bruins' win
John Beecher and Mason Lohrei each scored the first goals of their NHL careers to help the Boston Bruins continue their sizzling start with Monday's 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars.
Brad Marchand added a goal and Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves as the Bruins improved to 10-1-1 and bounced back from their first regulation loss of the season, a 5-4 defeat at Detroit on Saturday.
Beecher opened the scoring just past the midway mark of the first period and Lohrei made it 2-0 less than four minutes later when he converted a feed from Danton Heinen past Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger.
Swayman kept the Stars off the scoreboard until Wyatt Johnson's goal 5:09 into the third period. Marchand later scored on the power play to restore Boston's two-goal advantage before Dallas' Joe Pavelski cut the lead to 3-2 with just 28 seconds remaining.
Oettinger finished with 26 saves for the Stars, who have now lost two straight following a 7-1-1 start to the season.
Canucks rout sputtering Oilers to extend win streak
Quinn Hughes had one of three Vancouver goals in the first period and added three assists as the Canucks rolled to a 6-2 victory over the slumping Edmonton Oilers to extend their winning streak to four games.
Hughes, Pius Suter and Brock Boeser scored within a span of 3:22 in the opening period to help surprising Vancouver move to 9-2-1 on the season. The Canucks have missed the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons.
Boeser finished with two goals and J.T. Miller had a goal and an assist to support a 40-save performance from Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko.
Mattias Ekholm scored on a power play to give Edmonton a short-lived 1-0 lead less than seven minutes in. Following Vancouver's three-goal barrage later in the period, Leon Draisaitl got the Oilers within 3-2 in the second before Nils Hoglander restored the Canucks' two-goal advantage with just over nine minutes remaining before the second intermission.
Stuart Skinner recorded 30 saves for Edmonton, which has now lost three straight and fell to 2-8-1.
What the papers say
David Moyes could remain at West Ham even if his contract as manager expires in the summer, it has been reported. According to the Daily Mail, the 60-year-old is being lined up by Hammers bosses for a job ‘upstairs’, although details of the exact role are not clear. Moyes has been in charge of the club since 2019, but there are reports his future as manager is in doubt following a run of four defeats in five games.
Bristol Live, via Sky Sports, says Liam Manning is closing in on becoming the new Bristol City manager. Manning’s Oxford are second in League One, but the opportunity to go up a division with Bristol City is believed to be too good for the 38-year-old to turn down.
And the Daily Mail reports Steven Gerrard‘s Al Ettifaq are gearing up for a spending spree across Europe as the side looks to dramatically improve their fortunes in the Saudi Pro League. Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson joined Al Ettifaq over the summer, while ex-Celtic striker Moussa Dembele is also on the books.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Bruno Fernandes: The Manchester United midfielder is wanted by several Saudi Pro League clubs, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.
Rayan Cherki: Football Insider reports the Lyon forward is on the radar at Manchester United and Newcastle.
Sport England has announced a £250million expansion of a scheme designed to bring investment into local communities.
The investment extends the Place Partnerships programme which aims to break down barriers to ensure people in the greatest need are able to be physically active.
Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth and Sports Minister Stuart Andrew announced the investment – funded by the Government and National Lottery – at Waterside Leisure Centre on Canvey Island, one of the places which will benefit from the scheme.
Mr Hollingsworth said: “Access to sport and physical activity in England is still not close to being a level playing field.
“Where a person lives and the environment around them has a huge impact on how likely they are to be physically active. Too often, people in low-income communities don’t have access to the same facilities or opportunities as wealthier areas.”
He continued: “This is manifestly unfair – and must be addressed as a real priority. That is why our expanded Place Partnership programme will unashamedly see us target our resources and efforts on communities that need the greatest levels of support and experience the greatest levels of inequality.
“We will invest most in those that need it most so that everyone has an equal chance to access the very real benefits of playing sport and be physically active.”
Of the £250million over the next five years, £190million will be focused on an additional 80-100 places which have the greatest need.
An additional £35million will go to strengthen work with existing partnerships with a further £25million creating key tools and resources to ensure every area of England can access support.
A statement from Sport England said: “We’ll target the greatest resource to areas with highest inactivity levels and other social need indicators.
“This is where this commitment can have the biggest impact on our key outcomes.
“Our targeted investment is on top of our universal place-based support, and over the coming months we’ll be developing and expanding this offer that includes leadership development, the transfer of learning and access to resources, advice and guidance for partners.”
Ange Postecoglou lamented that VAR has diminished the authority of referees after he watched nine-man Tottenham lose 4-1 to Chelsea.
A frenetic meeting between the two rivals saw five disallowed goals, two red cards, a penalty and two Spurs players forced off during the first half with injury, as Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino marked his return to north London by ending the Premier League’s last unbeaten record.
But the match was dominated by VAR’s involvement with the red cards two of nine decisions referred to the video referee.
Even with nine men the hosts continued to take the game to Chelsea and were well in the contest before Nicolas Jackson twice sprung their high line in stoppage time to add his team’s third and fourth goals and complete an unlikely hat-trick.
Postecoglou’s team had been comfortably on top in the first half before Cristian Romero’s red card in the 33rd minute, dismissed for a dangerous challenge on Enzo Fernandez and conceding the penalty from which Cole Palmer equalised Dejan Kulusevski’s deflected goal.
Destiny Udogie followed 10 minutes into the second half, receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Raheem Sterling, but it took a further 20 minutes before Chelsea finally took the lead for the first time through Jackson.
Spurs’ night was compounded by the loss of James Maddison and Micky van de Ven to injury, on top of what is likely to be a three-game ban for Romero.
But it was VAR’s impact that dominated Postecoglou’s thoughts after the game after a total of 21 minutes were added on at the end of each half.
“It’s hard to analyse from a football perspective,” he said.
“We’re left with a result which is disappointing, but (I’m) super-proud of the players’ efforts and will and desire to get something from the game.
“(Lengthy VAR pauses) are going to become the norm, I think it’s where the game is heading. Unfortunately it’s how we’re going to have to watch and participate in football from now on.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like the standing around, the whole theatre around waiting for decisions. But I know I’m in the wilderness on that.
“In my 26 years, I was always prepared to accept the referee’s decision, good, bad or otherwise, and I’ve had some shockers in my career. I’ve had some go my way as well.
“I’ll cop that because I just want the game to be played. But when we’re complaining about decisions every week, this is what’s going to happen.
“People are going to forensically scrutinise everything to make sure they’re comfortable it’s right, and even at the end of that, we’re still not happy.
“It’s just diminishing the authority of the referee. You can’t tell me referees are in control of games. They’re not. Control is outside of that, but that’s where the game’s going. You have to accept it and try and deal with it.”
Pochettino reflected on a game in which, despite a host of contentious decisions, he felt his team were deserved victors.
“I think we deserved to win,” he said.
“We forced them to make too many mistakes. Tottenham were better in the first 15 minutes but then we matched the game. Our performance was good.
“Everything you can see during the game I think was fair. We compare to the Tottenham/Liverpool game, a similar game like today. Liverpool complained. But today, everything that happened was fair. That’s why I think 4-1, the performance was good.”
Willie Mullins was not ruling out a future bid for Lexus Melbourne Cup glory after watching his favourite Vauban disappoint in the Flemington highlight.
The Irish handler rated Vauban and stablemate Absurde as his best ever chance in the two-mile contest, but while the latter horse performed with credit in seventh, Vauban trailed home 14th in the hands of Ryan Moore.
The five-year-old, who is a multiple Grade One winner over hurdles, carried plenty of confidence into the race having registered a wide-margin win over Absurde at Royal Ascot before following up in a Group Three at Naas in August.
Ryan Moore appeared to have a good position on Vauban but he faded in the straight to be beaten over 13 lengths by winner Without A Fight.
“I thought Vauban was a little disappointing all round. He was beaten too far out for my liking,” Mullins told www.racing.com.
“When I saw him six furlongs out with Ryan having to give him a little niggle, I thought, ‘that’s too far out for him to be niggling him’. He just flattened out and ran very disappointing.
“But there we are. That’s the nature of this game.”
Moore said: “Obviously a disappointing run from him. Maybe he didn’t fire today, the winner was very good, and we didn’t get home today unfortunately.”
Ebor winner Absurde was well supported before the start and posted a fine effort for jockey Zac Purton, hitting the front with two furlongs to run before fading in the closing stages.
Mullins said “I thought Absurde ran a cracker. He was in a position to win at one stage coming up the straight but didn’t see it out.”
Purton added: “He travelled nicely, he presented at the right time, he just didn’t run through the line. Anyway, he ran well, but not what we wanted.”
Vauban has not won over hurdles since the 2022 Punchestown Festival but placed three times at the highest level last term, while Absurde has won one of his two runs over obstacles and Mullins will take stock before deciding on a return to the National Hunt sphere.
He said: “We will bring them back, see how they are. They are dual-purpose horses. If either of them had won they wouldn’t have jumped a hurdle again.”
Mullins has won virtually every major prize in jumps racing but his multiple Australian raids have ended in disappointment, with Max Dynamite his best performer having finished second in 2015 and third in 2017 in the colours of Vauban’s owners Susannah and Rich Ricci.
Despite leaving empty handed again, Mullins would be eager to run if the right candidate comes along.
“It’s a great prize, it’s a great day, great occasion,” he said.
“If we get one good enough, we will try again.”
James Harden's anticipated first game as a Los Angeles Clipper ended in a loss, as the New York Knicks spoiled the former NBA MVP's debut with his new team with Monday's 111-97 win.
Julius Randle had 27 points and 10 rebounds and RJ Barrett added 26 points in his return from injury as the Knicks handed the star-studded Clippers their second straight defeat following a 3-1 start to the season.
Harden took the court for the first time since being traded to Los Angeles by the Philadelphia 76ers last week. The 10-time All-Star had 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting along with six assists as a part of a starting lineup that included three other accomplished veterans in Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
The dynamic guard scored five straight points late in the third quarter to give the Clippers a 76-73 lead, but the Knicks countered with a 16-3 run to take an 89-79 advantage with under 9 1/2 minutes left and never trailed thereafter.
Barrett scored 11 points in the fourth quarter after missing New York's previous two games with a sore left knee, while Mitchell Robinson finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds to help the Knicks snap a two-game losing streak.
Edwards sparks overtime win as Wolves hand Celtics first loss
Anthony Edwards scored eight of his 38 points in overtime as the Minnesota TImberwolves handed the Boston Celtics their first loss of the season with a 114-109 victory.
Edwards added nine rebounds and seven assists to help Minnesota overcome an off night from fellow star player Karl-Anthony Towns, who managed just seven points in 28 minutes before fouling out in overtime.
Jaden McDaniels hit a game-tying 3-pointer late in regulation and finished with 20 points for Minnesota, which also received 14 points and 12 rebounds from Rudy Gobert en route to its third straight win.
Boston entered the game as the NBA's lone remaining unbeaten team following a 5-0 start. The Celtics got 32 points and five steals from Jayson Tatum and 26 points from Jaylen Brown, but shot just 28.2 per cent from 3-point range as well as a season-low 39.1 per cent overall.
The Celtics held a 105-103 lead after Tatum hit two free throws with 3:56 left in overtime, but Minnesota's Mike Conley buried a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession before Edwards capped a pivotal 9-0 run with three consecutive baskets that put the Timberwolves up for good at 112-105 with 1:30 remaining in the extra session.
Adebayo's triple-double propels Heat past Lakers
Bam Adebayo delivered a massive performance with 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Miami Heat overcame a late scoring drought to hold on for a 108-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Adebayo became the first Heat player to record a triple-double with at least 20 rebounds, and Miami received 28 points from Jimmy Butler and 22 from Tyler Herro to record its second straight win following a four-game losing streak.
The Heat prevailed despite nearly blowing a 10-point lead with four minutes to play and not making a field goal over the final 4:15 of the contest.
The Lakers scored the game's final nine points and had a chance to win in the final seconds, but Cam Reddish was off the mark with a jumper and Butler grabbed the rebound right before time expired.
LeBron James finished with 30 points on 13-of-23 points to pace the Lakers, while Austin Reaves just missed a triple-double after compiling 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Los Angeles has now dropped the first two outings of its current four-game road trip and played the entire fourth quarter without star forward Anthony Davis, who sustained a groin spasm during the game and was limited to nine points in 25 minutes.
David Haye became the WBA heavyweight champion with victory over Nikolai Valuev on this day in 2009.
Haye took victory with a majority points decision in Nuremberg, winning the fight on two judges’ scorecards, with the other scoring it even.
The then 29-year-old took the win despite being seven stone lighter than the 7ft ‘Beast from the East’, who had gained the WBA title for a second time with victory over John Ruiz a little over a year earlier.
Haye’s superior speed showed over his 36-year-old opponent and he became the first Briton to hold a world heavyweight crown since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Haye, who followed Evander Holyfield to become only the second former cruiserweight king to win a portion of the heavyweight crown.
“From when I was a baby, I said I would be the heavyweight world champion.
“I’ve fought the biggest heavyweight champion and caught him with big shots.
“I made him look like an amateur. People doubted my skills, but I did enough to win.”
Remarkably, Haye managed to delight a sizeable British contingent in a 10,000 crowd at the Nuremberg Arena with a suspected broken right hand, which trainer Adam Booth said gave way in the third round.
Haye seemed to tire in the seventh round but he hurt Valuev in the eighth with a huge body shot and almost floored his opponent with yet another vicious left-right combination in the final round.
Haye, who was awarded the fight 116-112, 116-112, 114-114, became only the third Briton to win a world heavyweight title since Bob Fitzsimmons lost his crown to James J Jeffries in 1899.
He promised to “clean up the division” but, after making successful WBA title defences against John Ruiz and Audley Harrison, he lost a unanimous points decision to Wladimir Klitschko in their unification showdown in July 2011.
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