Kai Havertz eased the pressure on Chelsea boss Graham Potter as his second-half header secured a slender 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Blues, who announced the £89million signing of Ukraine international Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk during the first half, had lost seven of their previous nine games in all competitions before the visit of Patrick Vieira's side.

They were far from convincing against a spirited Eagles outfit, but claimed a precious three points courtesy of Havertz's 64th-minute header.

Despite the win, Chelsea remain 10th in the Premier League, with Palace two places back in 12th.

Palace started with a spring in their step and twice went close shortly before the midway point of the first half as Tyrick Mitchell and Michael Olise were denied by smart saves from Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea improved as the half wore on and they spurned two glorious quick-fire chances, Kai Havertz heading over from eight yards and Lewis Hall flashing wide after an incisive break.

Both goalkeepers made important stops during a frantic period of stoppage time at the end of the first half as Kepa pawed away Jeffrey Schlupp's header and Vicente Guaita tipped over Hakim Ziyech's powerful drive at the other end.

Ziyech was the provider for Chelsea's goal as his superb whipped cross from the left was headed home by Havertz from six yards. 

Havertz inexplicably headed wide of a gaping goal with 10 minutes remaining, but it mattered little in the end as Chelsea held on for a precious win.

What does it mean? Blues continue fine run over Palace

Potter could perhaps not have asked for more favourable opponents than Palace to try and turn Chelsea's season around, given they had beaten the Eagles in their previous 10 Premier League meetings.  

This latest win against their London rivals will surely buy the former Brighton and Hove Albion manager some time, and with the exciting Mudryk to integrate into the team, this might just be the start of a more favourable period for the Blues.

Havertz heads home

Havertz was comfortably Chelsea's biggest threat and he once again proved his prowess in the air. Since the start of last season, only Harry Kane (11) has scored more headed goals in the Premier League than the Germany international (six).

Chukwuemeka off the pace

Carney Chukwuemeka struggled on his first Premier League start of the season. The former Aston Villa man had just one shot, which was blocked, and failed to make a single key pass before he was replaced in the 63rd minute.

What's next?

Palace host Manchester United on Wednesday, before another home game against Newcastle United on Saturday – the same day Chelsea visit Liverpool. 

Gary Neville felt there was "something not right" about Manchester United's equalising goal in Saturday's 2-1 win against Manchester City at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes cancelled out Jack Grealish's opener in controversial fashion, with Marcus Rashford in an offside position and closely following Casemiro's pass, though he did not touch it.

An offside flag was initially raised before being overruled, with Rashford judged to have not interfered with play – a decision that has proven contentious with pundits and on social media.

To rub salt into City's wounds, Rashford would score the winning goal just four minutes later to leave United third and only a point below their second-place rivals.

While it was United who benefitted from the decision, club legend Neville has conceded he would not have been happy if such a decision was given against his team.

"I would be absolutely devastated if I was a defender in a team or it was my team that conceded a goal like that," he told Sky Sports.

"The offside rule has evolved so much over the last 20 years, when I started playing anyone who stood offside was offside, irrespective of whether you are interfering or not.

"Now it has got to a point where they maybe have to bring it back. I have to say, at the time, I was appealing for a goal as I knew Bruno wasn't offside, I knew Marcus was, so I thought he wasn't interfering, so it must be a goal.

"When you look at it again, you think about it, there's something not right about that goal. Manchester United benefitted, maybe the Premier League benefits, I don't know."

United were six points behind leaders Arsenal prior to their north London derby with Tottenham on Sunday, and square off against the Gunners at Emirates Stadium next weekend following a midweek clash with Crystal Palace.

Coco Gauff wants to prove she is more than simply a "teenage phenomenon" as she bids to become a grand slam champion at the Australian Open.

The 18-year-old faces Katerina Siniakova in the first round in Melbourne on Monday, ranked as the seventh seed for the first major of the year.

Gauff has enjoyed a remarkable start to her career, winning the first of three WTA Tour singles titles at the age of just 15 at the 2019 Linz Open.

She reached the last 16 at Wimbledon in the same year after defeating Venus Williams in the opening round, but Gauff is hungry to make her reputation more than just an age thing as she seeks a first major.

"Starting another season as an established pro feels pretty weird. I'm still only 18, but I don't feel like the new kid anymore," she said in a BBC Sport column on Sunday.

"I feel I'm ready to leave behind the tag of 'teenage phenomenon'. Now it is time to be known as a grand slam champion.

"I feel like all the players still call me a baby, and usually I'm still one of the youngest in the draw, but I've been around for a while. My main ambition for 2023 is winning a grand slam title. That's the biggest goal.

"It is something I have chased for my whole life and I came so close last year by reaching the French Open final. If winning a major doesn't happen this year, I will continue to chase this dream."

Gauff was a 6-1 6-3 loser to Iga Swiatek in the Roland Garros final last year, with the Pole dominating the WTA as she claimed eight titles, including the French Open and US Open.

Teenager Gauff was tearful after that match in Paris but has started this season by winning the Auckland Open, becoming the sixth American player to secure three or more WTA-level titles in the last 40 years before turning 19.

Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Venus and Serena Williams were the others to achieve that feat and Gauff hopes she can learn from previous failures to succeed in Australia this month.

The world number seven added: "I know I can win a grand slam title. Now it is about making the final step. One of my other goals was to win a WTA Tour title – I didn't do that last year – and I have already that checked off by winning in Auckland last week.

"The signs are good and hopefully this success continues throughout the season."

If successful, Gauff could become the first teenage female player to reach the final at the Australian Open since Maria Sharapova in 2007 and the first to win the title since Martina Hingis in 1999.

Cristiano Ronaldo must accept "he is not 25 years old" anymore and follow the examples of veterans Ryan Giggs, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paolo Maldini.

That was the message from Manchester United great Eric Cantona, who referenced the leading role Ibrahimovic has played at Milan despite his status diminishing to a squad role.

Ronaldo parted ways with United in an acrimonious exit after stating he felt "betrayed" by the club and had little respect for Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag and former interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

The Portugal forward started just 10 of United's 21 matches prior to his departure, though Cantona suggested the 37-year-old should have handled the situation in a different manner.

Ibrahimovic played through injury as Milan ended an 11-year wait for the Scudetto last term, scoring eight goals in 23 Serie A games to support Stefano Pioli's regular starters Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao.

Cantona told CalcioMercato: "There are two types of veterans: those who want to play every game because they still think they're 25 and those who realise they're not 25 and are here to help young players, they know they won't play every game, but they're aware that they'll have their moment.

"There are players who help new players: Ibrahimovic still does it with Milan, Ryan Giggs or Maldini himself when he was at Milan. 

"Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't realise he's not 25 years old. He's already older and doesn't know that, instead of being unhappy about not having played all the time, he should accept the situation."

Ronaldo could make his debut for Al Nassr against Ettifaq next Sunday after missing clashes with Al Tai and Al Shabab due to a two-match ban from the English Football Association.

Bruno Fernandes insists he was not taking a swipe at Cristiano Ronaldo when describing Manchester United as "a proper team" following the superstar forward's exit.

Portugal international Fernandes struck a controversial equaliser against Manchester City on Saturday before Marcus Rashford earned a 2-1 comeback victory for United at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag's side have now won nine matches in a row – seven of those since Ronaldo's high-profile exit in November – in what is their best league run since January 2017.

It has been quite the turnaround for United, who lost their opening two matches against Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion but are now up in third place.

Speaking to BT Sport after United's latest win, Fernandes said: "We used to be individuals, now we are a team. You can see a proper team that works for each other."

Those comments were perceived as being a dig at international colleague Ronaldo, but Fernandes took to Instagram later on Saturday to clarify what he meant.

"I know it's difficult to see Manchester United doing well, [but I] don't have anything to [say] about us apart [from] good things," he posted. "Don't use my name to attack Cristiano.

"Cristiano was part of our team for half the season and as I said in many interviews, everyone since [the win against] Liverpool has been amazing and acting like a proper team."

Fernandes, who now has four goals and four assists in 26 games this season, added: "You can see the results. We carry on!"

Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr earlier this month after his United contract was terminated by mutual consent following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has yet to make his debut for his new club due to a two-match domestic ban carried over from his time with United.

Ten Hag's in-form side are back in Premier League action on Wednesday with a trip to Crystal Palace.

Nick Kyrgios is delighted to see tennis "on the map again" following the launch of the 'Break Point' documentary.

The Australian is one of a number of ATP and WTA players to feature in the Netflix series, which was made available on Friday.

Kyrgios gets his Australian Open campaign underway this week against Roman Safiullin, and expressed his excitement about the future of the sport.

"[The documentary is a] massive opportunity for my brand to get out there," Kyrgios told the ATP Tour website. "It's just so important for tennis. I think we've got so many great personalities, so many young personalities, and so many colourful athletes.

"Frances [Tiafoe], [Carlos] Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, these guys are great tennis players and great people as well.

"I think when the big three settle down and end up retiring, it's so important that these guys are on showcase globally.

"Tennis is one of the most global sports in the world. We need it to be successful."

Kyrgios won the doubles at the Australian Open last year with Thanasi Kokkinakis, before reaching the singles final at Wimbledon in what was a productive season for the 27-year-old.

"I'm definitely a fun kid who grew up in a very quiet sort of town with my family. It's obviously pretty cool to see how far I've come," Kyrgios added.

"But I think the later episodes as well, following me around Wimbledon, that type of stuff, will be super exciting.

"I'm just glad that tennis is on the map again. I think it's one of the main talking points, one of the biggest sports right now, obviously with the Netflix documentary dropping."

Chelsea have completed the signing of Ukraine international Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The 22-year-old has penned an eight-and-a-half year contract with the Blues, who have reportedly splashed £89million (€100m) to beat London rivals Arsenal to the punch.

The Gunners' interest in Mudryk had been well documented throughout the season, with Mudryk publicly expressing his desire to join the club last year and dropping regular hints on social media throughout the transfer window.

However, after it was reported that Premier League leaders Arsenal were making progress towards their own deal, Todd Boehly sanctioned a last-minute swoop to win the race for the winger.

Shakhtar confirmed on social media on Saturday that a deal with Chelsea was close. The post was shared on the Blues' official channels. 

The deal was officially announces by Chelsea on Sunday, with Mudryk in attendance at Stamford Bridge for the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.

"I'm so happy to sign for Chelsea," Mudryk told his new club's official website.

"This is a huge club, in a fantastic league and it is a very attractive project for me at this stage of my career. I'm excited to meet my new team-mates and I'm looking forward to working and learning under Graham Potter and his staff."

Mudryk caught the eye in Shakhtar's Champions League campaign this season, scoring three goals and contributing two assists.

He becomes Chelsea's fifth signing of a busy transfer window, following on from the acquisitions of Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana and Joao Felix, who joined on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season.

Joao Felix initially impressed on his debut against Fulham only to see red for a lunge on Kenny Tete, with Graham Potter's side going on to lose for a seventh time in 10 games.

Potter was also dealt a further blow as Denis Zakaria went down with a quad injury, adding to Chelsea's long list of absentees.

The Blues boss will be hoping Mudryk can hit the ground running as Chelsea aim to arrest their poor form.

Over the last two Ukrainian Premier League seasons, Mudryk has played 23 times for Shakhtar, scoring nine goals and setting up a further 13.

Arsenal, meanwhile, will have to turn their attention to other targets as Mikel Arteta's side aim to keep up their title charge.

Chelsea have completed the signing of Ukraine international Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The 22-year-old has penned an eight-and-a-half year contract with the Blues, who have reportedly splashed out £89million (€100m) to beat London rivals Arsenal to the punch.

The Gunners' interest in Mudryk had been well documented throughout the season, with Mudryk publicly expressing his desire to join the club last year and dropping regular hints on social media throughout the transfer window.

However, after it was reported that Premier League leaders Arsenal were making progress towards their own deal, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly sanctioned a last-minute swoop to win the race for the winger.

Shakhtar confirmed on social media on Saturday that a deal with Chelsea was close. The post was shared on the Blues' official channels. 

The deal was officially announced by Chelsea on Sunday, with Mudryk in attendance at Stamford Bridge for the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.

"I'm so happy to sign for Chelsea," Mudryk told his new club's official website.

"This is a huge club, in a fantastic league and it is a very attractive project for me at this stage of my career. I'm excited to meet my new team-mates and I'm looking forward to working and learning under Graham Potter and his staff."

Mudryk caught the eye in Shakhtar's Champions League campaign this season, scoring three goals and contributing two assists.

He becomes Chelsea's fifth signing of a busy transfer window, following on from the acquisitions of Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana and Joao Felix, who joined on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season.

Joao Felix initially impressed on his debut against Fulham only to see red for a lunge on Kenny Tete, with Graham Potter's side going on to lose for a seventh time in 10 games.

Potter was also dealt a further blow as Denis Zakaria went down with a quad injury, adding to Chelsea's long list of absentees.

The Blues boss will be hoping Mudryk can hit the ground running as Chelsea aim to arrest their poor form.

Over the last two Ukrainian Premier League seasons, Mudryk has played 23 times for Shakhtar, scoring nine goals and setting up a further 13.

Arsenal, meanwhile, will have to turn their attention to other targets as Mikel Arteta's side aim to keep up their title charge.

Mykhaylo Mudryk has become the latest mega-money acquisition in the Premier League, completing a huge move to Chelsea.

The Blues saw off competition from London rivals Arsenal to complete a move for the Ukraine international, who becomes the most expensive Premier League signing this window.

Chelsea reportedly paid £88.5 million (€100m) to add the 22-year-old to their ranks.

Arriving from his homeland, Mudryk has excelled in the past 18 months for Shakhtar and his performances in the Champions League this season gave his profile a significant boost.

However, with inexperience in a strong domestic league, questions may be asked as to why Mudryk was signed ahead of other targets. 

With the help of Opta data, Stats Perform has assessed why Chelsea have gone all out for Mudryk.

The Antony benchmark

The fee paid for Mudryk's services was driven up by Manchester United's signing of Antony from Ajax last year, with Shakhtar's sporting director Carlo Nicolini telling Calcio Napoli 24 that this was the benchmark for a sale of Mudryk.

"Given that we have no need for transfers, we said in due time that we evaluate the player stronger than some other profiles, such as Antony. This is the benchmark," he said.

United splashed a reported £85m (€95m) to land the Brazil international and, while it can be argued that they overpaid, it is fair for Shakhtar to assess that they see Mudryk as a "stronger" profile than Antony.

Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Mudryk has contributed to a goal (by either scoring or assisting) every 70 minutes in the Ukrainian Premier League.

That compares favourably to Antony, who has recorded a goal contribution every 144 minutes in the Eredivisie and Premier League.

A tally of 22 direct goal contributions (nine goals and 13 assists) comes from just 23 appearances, 11 less than Antony, who has 12 goals and six assists.

Given the pair have featured in different leagues, a comparison in the Champions League is fairer, where Mudryk has three goals and two assists in 12 matches, while Antony has two goals and four assists in the same number of games.

Mudryk has played over 200 minutes less than Antony though, leading to an average of 139 minutes per direct goal contribution which ranks him ahead of the Brazilian, who averages 153 minutes.

Another attacking option, but is it the right move?

In the Premier League this season, Chelsea have scored just 21 goals in 18 matches, which stands as the lowest tally in the top 10 of the division.

The struggles in the final third have come due to a lack of a reliable option in attack, with Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling their joint top-scorers in the league with four goals each – and only three other players have scored more than once. 

This season, Mudryk has seven goals in the Ukrainian Premier League and has a minutes-per-goal or assist average of 65 minutes, showing that he can be the key to spark life into Graham Potter's attacking ranks.

An issue, however, is that Mudryk is not a central striker, an area where Chelsea are crying out for reinforcements, and the signing does beg questions as to what Todd Boehly's plan for the squad is – having spent an audacious amount since completing his takeover at Stamford Bridge next year.

While Mudryk can add goals to Chelsea's game, his contribution from the left may rely heavily on who is in the centre to tuck home the chances he created, though he can create a deadly partnership with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, should the former Arsenal man find his best form.

Chelsea are dealing with a long injury list, yet they have so many players who are forwards but not out-and-out strikers. Where will Mason Mount fit in? What about Havertz, or Sterling? Let's not forget Joao Felix, who only last week joined on loan from Atletico Madrid. He looked sharp on his debut against Fulham, before he then went and got sent off for a rash tackle.

Mudryk fits the profile of a high-quality young player that Chelsea are focusing on following Boehly's takeover, but he is another piece to a complicated puzzle that Potter has to solve at Stamford Bridge.

Emma Raducanu is calling on the advice of England men's football captain Harry Kane as she seeks a deep run at the Australian Open.

Raducanu shot to stardom in 2021 when she became the youngest woman to win the US Open.

However, the 20-year-old heads to Melbourne ranked 77th in the world by the WTA, having only reached one semi-final – at the Korea Open in September – since her triumph at Flushing Meadows.

Raducanu has been nursing an ankle injury prior to the season's first grand slam, but that problem has now cleared up, and she revealed Tottenham star Kane has been offering his advice.

"Harry's obviously such a great role model and very professional and I think to be able to speak to him is really cool," Raducanu told the media. 

"We haven't spoken so much but he's obviously an outstanding player, and it's just pretty cool isn't it?

"For someone of his achievements, it's pretty remarkable how he’s so humble. I respect him a lot.

"It's obviously really cool to speak to some other athletes. I think it's good because we all kind of understand what each other are thinking and going through at times.

"And at the end of the day they're just really cool people as well."

Raducanu will face Tamara Korpatsch in her first match in Melbourne on Monday.

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw insists no one at the club is thinking about a Premier League title charge this season.

United continued their fine recent form on Saturday as goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford saw them come from behind to beat Manchester City 2-1 at the Old Trafford.

The result maintained a superb record since August 22, when victory over Liverpool gave them their first win of the season. They have amassed 38 points since, with no other team in the top flight having picked up more in that spell.

They are now just six points adrift of leaders Arsenal, who have a game in hand, but Shaw is adamant no one at Old Trafford is getting carried away.

"It's too early to think about that [winning the league]," Shaw said. "Right now as a team we have to make sure we have the right consistency in performances and results.

"It's always about winning. If you play well or not you need to be winning, and recently we've been doing that. We've not been playing our best but we've still been winning games.

"We're still in four competitions. We're Manchester United, we have to aim high, and of course we want to win all four but whether that happens or not is down to us, it's down to the way we act, the way we rest and get ready for the next game.

"Now we have to forget about this game, forget about this win. We have a massive game on Wednesday against Crystal Palace."

City were furious about United's equaliser as Fernandes curled home past Ederson after Rashford, who was in an offside position, ran onto the pass but did not touch the ball, with the initial offside decision being overruled by VAR. 

Shaw, who again played in central defence alongside Raphael Varane, can see why City players were unhappy, but believes it was the right decision to give the goal.

He added: "Of course, you can understand where they are coming from – if I'm on the other team we're all doing the same – but I think Rashy was clever to know that Bruno was there and leave the ball. For me it was a goal."

Jon Jones will return to the octagon for the first time since February 2020 when he takes on Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285.

The fight for the March 4 event in Las Vegas was announced on Saturday by UFC President Dana White, who also confirmed that heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou – who many expected to be Jones' opponent – is leaving the organisation.

Ngannou has a 17-3-0 record, but White confirmed the Cameroonian wanted to seek other opportunities and the UFC has agreed to release him from his contract.

"We did everything we could to try and make this fight happen and try to give him a fight, but he has got it in his head that there are bigger opportunities outside of UFC with lesser opponents," White said, also confirming he had offered to make Ngannou the best-paid fighter in the history of the company.

"We're going to let him do that. We're going to release him from his contract. We're going to give up our right to match and he can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants."

Jones will now instead face Gane, whose only loss in an 11-1-0 career came by unanimous decision against Ngannou in a heavyweight title bout at UFC 270 last January.

It will be the 35-year-old Jones' debut at heavyweight, having gone 26-1-0 (1 no contest) at light-heavyweight, before he gave up his title at that weight following a dispute over pay.

Vasek Pospisil has backed Novak Djokovic to win the Australian Open a year after the Serbian was unable to compete.

Djokovic was denied a place in last year's tournament when his refusal to have a COVID-19 vaccine led to him being detained in a Melbourne immigration centre and later deported.

With vaccination status no longer a condition of entry to the country, the nine-time Australian Open champion is back for this year's tournament, which begins on Monday.

Djokovic played doubles with Pospisil in his first match back in Australia earlier this month at the Adelaide International 1, and speaking to Stats Perform, the Canadian tipped his close friend to go all the way in Melbourne.

"I hope he wins it. I would consider him the favourite, absolutely," Pospisil said. "If you have to pick a favourite, it's hard to pick someone else.

"Having said that, obviously there are so many great players and incredible talents put together for one week, anything can happen, right? That's sport, but I would definitely put him as the favourite and if I had a choice if someone's winning other than myself, obviously, I would put him as the hopeful for the title.

"Also, given he had a tough, tough year obviously with what happened in the past."

Pospisil denied that the frustration of missing out last year would be a factor in Djokovic's motivation to do well this time, though.

"I think he's so motivated already with his ambitions in the sport and just in life in general," he added. "He's obviously a very driven individual, which is not something you need to hear from me to know, you can see that. I don't think it will necessarily be extra motivation.

"I feel like every time he's playing a grand slam, he's maximumly motivated. I do think he's going to have a great year and I don't think that anything that happened recently will affect him in a negative way.

"I think he showed that with how he played at Wimbledon last year [beating Nick Kyrgios in the final] just speaks volumes of his character and how strong he is an as an individual. It's very, very impressive that he was able to bounce back like that."

Pospisil, ranked 94th in the world, is also confident about his own prospects at the Australian Open, saying: "I'm actually feeling good. I had a really strong finish last year.

"The last couple of months, I took a bit [of time] coming back from an injury, so it took a bit to kind of get rolling, but I'm entering with confidence, getting my ranking back up slowly and had a really good preparation. [I am] training really hard, eating well and I feel like I'm ready to go."

The 32-year-old has been drawn against countryman Felix Auger Aliassime in the first round and appreciates the task at hand against the number six seed, who won three of his four ATP titles in 2022 in October before winning the Davis Cup alongside Pospisil in November.

"I would say arguably he was the most in-form player at the end of last year," Pospisil said. "Four or five tournaments in a row and beat the top players in the world. So obviously, extremely talented young player, very physical.

"I know his game quite well. I mean, I've known him for many years. He's a fellow Canadian and Davis Cup team-mate.

"I have a lot of confidence in my abilities, so I feel like if I'm playing well, then I can beat anybody on any given day. It's going to be a tough ask just because he's playing so well these days."