It was with a sense of disbelief that Llori Sharpe stepped onto the podium in Spain at the conclusion of the Liga Autonomica de Féminas in Spain on Saturday.

In what was the first race of her professional career, Sharpe finished in third place in the Elite Category and second place in the Under 23 Category.

Her Rwanda teammate Valentine Nzayisenga finished in fifth place from a line-up of 110 riders. The 79 km, three-lap event included 6 km of gravel.

Sharpe signed a one-year contract with the German cycling team Canyon-SRAM Generation in December 2021, becoming the first Jamaican cyclist to sign with a European ream. On Saturday, the former triathlete began repaying their faith in signing her.

Still, it was a surreal moment for the 21-year-old Sports Science student at the University of the West Indies.

“When it just happened, I honestly couldn't believe it, but it has finally sunk in and I'm really proud of myself and my efforts today (Saturday),” she told Sportsmax.TV while explaining the successful strategy.

“I think I was able to read the race and my competitors well and just had to make my move when I felt the time was right.”

The success she enjoyed on Saturday, has not come without sacrifices. Sharpe has been living in Spain since mid-January, away from her family and those closest to her. She reveals that it has not been easy.

“Some days I feel really good and on others, I really miss my friends and family back home. The weather doesn't make it any easier since it’s not what I'm used to. But, I think to advance in anything in life whether personally, professionally or otherwise, one has to get out of their comfort zone, so although the adjustment has been tough at times, that's how I'll grow and develop not just in cycling, but as an individual,” she reasoned.

Otherwise, she has been pleased with her progress as she takes the first steps into competition in her professional career.

“Preparations have been going well, I'd say, and I'm glad that I'm now in an environment that's conducive to my progression in cycling,” she said.

Rishabh Pant scored a record-breaking half-century and Jasprit Bumrah did more damage as India totally dominated day two of the second Test at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Bumrah (5-24) claimed his first five-wicket Test haul on home soil as India took only 35 balls to reduce the tourists from 86-6 to 109 all out in the opening session in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Rohit Sharma's home side then made 303-9 declared in their second innings of the day-night Test, setting Sri Lanka a highly improbable 447 to draw the series.

Pant (50) bludgeoned a 28-ball half-century - the fastest of all time for India in the longest format - and Shreyas Iyer (67) scored his second fifty of the match, with Rohit striking 46 at the top of the order.

Sri Lanka were 28-1 at stumps after Bumrah removed Lahiru Thirimanne without scoring with the pink ball under the lights as India closed in on a 2-0 whitewash.

Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin (2-30) wasted no time in wrapping up the tourists' first innings at the start of the day, after they resumed in big trouble in reply to India's 252 all out.

Mayank Agarwal (22) then missed out again with the bat for India, but captain Rohit and Hanuma Vihari (35) put on 56 for the second wicket.

It was Pant who produced the fireworks, taking the Sri Lanka attack to all parts, with Virat Kohli (13) falling to Praveen Jayawickrama (4-78) and Ravindra Jadeja bowled by Vishwa Fernando for 22 as India were in a rush to pile on the runs.

Jayawickrama, who was able to return to the field after limping off, had Pant caught and bowled and Iyer ticked along nicely before Lasith Embuldeniya (3-87) trapped him leg before.

Thirimanne fell to Bumrah in the first over of Sri Lanka's second innings after Rohit declared, but Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis prevented further damage from being done.

Home comforts for brilliant Bumrah

Bumrah had struck three times on day one to put Sri Lanka in the mire and the paceman finally claimed a maiden five-wicket Test haul in his homeland on Sunday.

The relentless quick had taken five wickets seven times on tour and added the eighth such harvest of his career by getting Embuldeniya and Niroshan Dickwella caught behind.

Bumrah later struck again by generating sharp swing to see the back of Thirimanne.

Pant cuts loose

The stage was set for wicketkeeper-batsman Pant to cut loose, and he did not disappoint the India fans.

The explosive left-hander struck two sixes and seven fours as he broke a record that was held by the great Kapil Dev, who blasted a 30-ball half-century against Pakistan back in 1982.

Iyer gave another exhibition of his class in the middle order in an 87-ball knock.

Ukrainian winger Andriy Yarmolenko scored a dazzling goal in West Ham's 2-1 Premier League win over Aston Villa, sparking an emotional celebration.

Yarmolenko, who has hit 44 goals to sit second behind Andriy Shevchenko in the Ukraine national team's all-time goalscoring charts, was granted time off by West Ham boss David Moyes last month when Russia's military began to invade his homeland.

The 32-year-old made his first appearance since the war in Ukraine began during Sunday's match against Villa at the London Stadium, coming on as a substitute after 52 minutes to a standing ovation.

Yarmolenko marked the occasion in superb fashion after 70 minutes, turning on Said Benrahma's pass before poking into the bottom corner with the outside of his left boot to open the scoring.

He collapsed to his knees in an emotional celebration, being mobbed by team-mates after netting his first Premier League goal of the season.

Pablo Fornals then doubled the hosts' lead on 82 minutes, and despite Jacob Ramsey's late consolation, Yarmolenko was able to celebrate a perfect return to action.

Former England striker Gary Lineker saluted Yarmolenko's spirit.

Lineker wrote on Twitter: "A win for @WestHam and a goal for Andriy Yarmolenko. How he manages to focus and play, let alone come on and score is beyond me. Ukrainians are incredible."

Kai Havertz was the hero as Chelsea snatched a 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Sunday at the end of a difficult week at Stamford Bridge.

The European champions did not manage a shot on target for 75 minutes in a largely listless performance coming just days after Roman Abramovich was disqualified as owner after being sanctioned by the UK government following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The lack of clarity over the club's future seemed to permeate the performance, with even Chelsea's home shirts creating confusion given they carried the Three logo despite the company suspending sponsorship and asking the banding to be removed.

Havertz eventually tested Martin Dubravka with a header late in the second half but it looked as though Newcastle – whose own Saudi Arabia-backed ownership came under further scrutiny in the build-up to the match – would extend their unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions.

However, Havertz's sublime control and finish from Jorginho's pass in the 89th minute gave Thomas Tuchel's men all three points, the Germany star having earlier been fortunate to escape a red card.

Newcastle largely kept Chelsea comfortably at bay in the first half, though, and Havertz – starting again in place of Romelu Lukaku – was arguably lucky not to see his game end early, a VAR check deciding no more than a yellow card was required after he caught Dan Burn with a raised arm.

Miguel Almiron almost scored a stunning opener seconds before the break, his volley from the edge of the box beaten away by Edouard Mendy.

VAR again left Newcastle fans frustrated when referee David Coote chose not to give a penalty for Trevoh Chalobah's challenge on Jacob Murphy and the decision was allowed to stand.

Havertz at last evaded centre-back Dan Burn to meet Hakim Ziyech's cross, but he could only nod the ball into Dubravka's grateful grasp.

Yet when Havertz at last evaded the attentions of Burn, he took down Jorginho's raking pass superbly before prodding high past Dubravka.

Prospective Chelsea owner Nick Candy has said he does not mind who owns the Blues, so long as the club ends up in "safe hands".

The property magnate reaffirmed his interest in buying Chelsea, of which he is a lifelong fan, in a statement released by a spokesperson on Sunday.

Having confirmed he intended to bid when Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale, the 49-year-old, who attended Chelsea's Premier League clash with Newcastle United, has pledged to install a fans' representative on the board if successful in purchasing the Blues.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the Stamford Bridge outfit's game against the Magpies, Candy said he wanted Chelsea to have a worthy owner.

"I've supported Chelsea since the age of four," Candy said. "My dad was asked to play for Chelsea. I love Chelsea.

"I don't mind where it ends up, even if it's not with me, as long as it's in safe hands."

The British billionaire also reasserted his commitment to involving supporters in the day-to-day running of the club if he is able to complete a deal.

"A hundred per cent, they [the fans] should be involved in the ownership," Candy added. "Both on the board and economically."

Chelsea have won 19 major honours during the 19-year ownership of Abramovich, whose planned sale of the club has come about as a result of the Russian oligarch being hit with British government sanctions.

Chelsea legend Petr Cech concedes the club are living "day-to-day" amid their ongoing ownership crisis, but remains hopeful they will be able to finish the season at home and abroad.

The Blues are embroiled in a slew of sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich in relation to the Ukraine-Russia crisis by the UK government.

Chelsea are now operating under a special sporting licence, barring them from negotiating new contracts or transfers and preventing them from making ticket or merchandise sales, although reports have suggested that the government may yet permit a swift sale of the club.

Concerns remain over the club's ability to see out the season and speaking ahead of Chelsea's clash with Newcastle on Sunday, former goalkeeper Cech - who now works as a technical advisor at the club - said they remain in the dark on their future.

"We have to admit that we go day-by-day," he told Sky Sports. "We don't have this in our hands. The conversations are going on [about] whether we can operate, whether we can finish the season, because it is a difficult situation.

"I believe that, for us to be able to carry on the season, would help everybody in the Premier League."

With financial restrictions likely to be further imposed, Chelsea look almost certain to be unable to keep players such as Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen – who are both in the final months of their contracts – at the end of the campaign.

Questions are also being asked about the future of boss Thomas Tuchel, who led Chelsea to Champions League glory last season.

Cech kept his cards close to his chest regarding the coach's future, but paid tribute to his success, adding: "Thomas has a contract until 2024. As it stands, we've been told that the club contracts will be valued, and in that way, we hope that we will have him as a coach.

"He's been absolutely brilliant on every level. But that's another thing. Tomorrow, the situation could change, and my answer with it."

Asked on how to pitch the club to prospective new owners, Cech offered further praise for the team's mentality in over a century as a professional team, stating: "Chelsea has 117 years of history and a lot of success.

"That success has come down to hard work and dedication of the people who have been working ever since the club was founded. It has had its own journey, its own success.

"This is not about money - it is about the hard work, the dedication of the players who sweat every day to make the club successful. We've done it all inside the rules, and all the Financial Fair Play [operations] that were in our power, and I believe that shouldn't be forgotten."

Mauricio Pochettino said he was "sad" to hear boos and whistles from Paris Saint-Germain supporters during Sunday's 3-0 win against Bordeaux, but assured them that he and his players "share this disappointment."

The runaway Ligue 1 leaders were made to work for victory against the bottom side, but goals from Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Leandro Paredes were enough to secure the three points.

However, the home crowd made their feelings known after Wednesday's chastening defeat in the Champions League round of 16 to Real Madrid, appearing to reserve their loudest boos and whistles for Neymar and Lionel Messi.

Speaking at a media conference after the game, Pochettino said regarding the fans' jeering: "Nobody likes this background, it made me sad. Everyone who loves PSG after the Madrid disappointment is sad. I am saddened by what I experienced here today.

"We have all been affected. We understand the disappointment and frustration. We all experience this together, as a team. We have a responsibility to take responsibility for what happened. We share this disappointment of the supporters."

The former Tottenham manager also addressed the fact he started Keylor Navas rather than Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal against Bordeaux, with the Italian goalkeeper coming in for criticism for his error that led to Madrid's first goal at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 3-1 defeat.

"It's not a goalkeeper's error but an arbitral error [Donnarumma's mistake in Madrid]. Donnarumma is fine, we chose Keylor today. Gigio and Keylor are both disappointed. It is the results that decide the choice and not an error."

Presnel Kimpembe also sympathised with frustrations from the home fans after Wednesday's capitulation, telling Amazon Prime Video: “Inevitably, we hear [the boos and whistles] anyway, even if we are focused, concentrated in our match. 

"We understand their disappointment, we understand their hatred and their cries. Now we are professional, we must know how to remain so too. It is now that we must raise our heads and be able to move forward in order to be able to win this league."

Luis Suarez sent a message of support to Lionel Messi and Neymar after the Paris Saint-Germain duo were booed by their own fans.

Mauricio Pochettino's team threw away a 2-0 aggregate lead to exit the Champions League at Real Madrid in midweek, prompting fury on their return to domestic action on Sunday.

Messi and Neymar were roundly jeered during PSG's 3-0 Ligue 1 win over Bordeaux, even when Neymar tapped home the team's second goal after a move which included a sublime defence-splitting pass from Messi.

Messi has not enjoyed his finest campaign since arriving in the French capital, scoring just two goals from 60 attempts (18 of them on target) in Ligue 1 this season, although he has hit the woodwork eight times in the league, more than any other player in the top five European divisions.

The treatment of his former Barcelona team-mates prompted Atletico Madrid striker Suarez to show support on his Instagram story, accusing the fans of having "no memory".

"As always, football has no memory," the 35-year-old wrote alongside a picture of the three players.

"[I'm] always with you. I love you."

The Messi-Suarez-Neymar 'MSN' trio enjoyed a fruitful relationship in their time with the Catalan giants, hitting a combined 81 LaLiga goals in a stunning 2014-15 season. They led the Blaugrana to the LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles in that campaign.

Neymar's goal against Bordeaux means he has scored eight Ligue 1 goals against them, more league goals than he has managed against any other team since arriving in Europe in 2013. 

The dominant victory at Parc des Princes also means that PSG have won seven of their nine Ligue 1 games immediately following a Champions League exit since their Qatari takeover in 2011.

British billionaire Nick Candy remains interested in buying Chelsea and has pledged to install a fans' representative on the board if he completes a deal for the club.

Candy said he was "actively exploring" a deal after Roman Abramovich announced his intention to sell the club, before reaffirming his interest in purchasing the Blues after the Russian was hit by sanctions from the UK government in response to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Chelsea are now operating under a special sporting licence, barring them from negotiating new contracts or transfers and preventing them from making ticket or merchandise sales, although reports have suggested that the government may yet permit a swift sale of the club.

Despite the uncertainty engulfing the European champions, property magnate Candy announced via a statement that he remained interested in buying the club and would look to involve a fans' representative in the running of the Stamford Bridge club if he is successful.

"We welcome the news that the sale of the club will be conducted quickly," a spokesperson for the 49-year-old said.

"This is a reassuring development for fans after a week of great uncertainty.

"Mr Candy cares hugely about the future of the club and believes that the fans and the community are central to its continued success.

"Should his bid be successful, Mr Candy would advocate for a fan representative to join the board so supporters become part of the decision-making process. 

"If the club requires money to operate in the short term, Mr Candy would be happy to help ensure it has the necessary financial resources, subject to government approval."

Meanwhile, Candy's representatives also confirmed that the lifelong Blues fan was to attend their Premier League match against Newcastle United on Sunday. 

Other bidders to have made their interest in the Stamford Bridge club known include a Swiss-American consortium led by billionaires Hansjorg Wyss and Todd Boehly. The sale of the club is being handled by the US-based Raine Group, which set a deadline of March 15 for prospective bidders, though further bids are still expected to be made.

On the pitch, Chelsea have coped well with the turmoil surrounding the club, defeating Norwich City 3-1 in their last Premier League outing ahead of their home clash with the Magpies.

Meanwhile, former Blues striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who scored 69 Premier League goals for the London club, says he is concerned about what the sanctions could mean for Chelsea's season, but hoped to see an ambitious new owner arrive shortly. 

"It is a big concern [the prospect of Chelsea not being able to finish the season]," the Dutchman told Sky Sports ahead of the Newcastle game. 

"I don't think this is very good for the Premier League. I don't think it will get to that.

"When players hear that, it will be a concern as well. You want to finish the season properly and then you can assess. 

"I do think Chelsea will be okay and will be bought by a new owner and it's an owner with the same vision that it has now."

Alex Carey fell seven runs short of a maiden Test hundred as Australia punished Pakistan on the second day of the second Test at the National Stadium in Karachi.

The tourists reached stumps on day one with a healthy score of 251-3 and inflicted further pain on their opponents by making it to 505-8 by the end of play on Sunday.

Usman Khawaja was responsible for 127 of those runs on day one and looked good value to reach a double hundred after adding another 27 runs unbeaten before lunch.

However, Islamabad-born Khawaja – who has strong family ties to Karachi – was dismissed soon after for 160 from 369 balls by Sajid Khan.

Travis Head was earlier trapped by Sajid for 23 off 48, with a review showing the ball just clipped leg stump, while Nathan Lyon was bowled by Faheem Ashraf for 38.

Australia were 360-6 after losing Khawaja, but Cameron Green (28) and Carey put on 45 before the latter was bowled by Nauman Ali.

Carey looked untroubled alongside Mitchell Starc (28 not out) as he powered towards triple figures, only to be dismissed by Babar Azam on 93 shortly before stumps.

"I guess you want to make those triple figures," Carey said at the end of play. "I think the way the game's going, it was quite an important knock in the end.

"Hopefully tomorrow we see what the skipper does but it's great to have 500 runs on the board."

Decision time for Cummins

After two full days of batting, Australia skipper Pat Cummins must decide whether to declare early on on Monday, as many would expect to be the case.

Pakistan have plenty of work to do if they are to avoid a first defeat to Australia in nine Tests at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Carey keeps Australia in command

Carey was disappointed to miss out on a century, but he still recorded his biggest Test score in what is his seventh outing, his previous highest being 51.

But Khawaja's mammoth 160 – consisting of 15 fours and one six – will be extremely tough to top, the 35-year-old having now notched 257 runs in this series.

Lionel Messi and Neymar felt the wrath of Paris Saint-Germain fans as the Ligue 1 leaders moved 15 points clear at the top of the table with a 3-0 win over bottom side Bordeaux.

Boos and whistles were aimed at Messi, Neymar and their team-mates before and during the clash at the Parc des Princes, four days after PSG were dumped out of the Champions League by Real Madrid.

Kylian Mbappe was not targeted, despite reportedly being bound for Madrid, and the in-form striker opened the scoring on Sunday with his 26th goal of the season.

Neymar then responded to abuse from his own supporters by scoring in the second half and Leandro Paredes was also on target, with Messi involved in all three goals and also hitting the post as Mauricio Pochettino's side ended a tough week with a resounding win.

 

PSG were almost caught cold when Remi Oudin let fly with a rasping drive that was well saved by Keylor Navas in the first minute and Jean Onana's glancing header from the resulting corner flashed just wide.

Messi and Neymar continued to be targeted by PSG fans when they touched the ball, but the Argentina captain played a big hand in Mbappe's opening goal 24 minutes in.

The former Barcelona playmaker's reverse pass found Georginio Wijnaldum, who slipped Mbappe in with a perfectly-weighted ball and the France forward finished clinically with his right foot from inside the penalty area.

Messi was then given too much time to thread a pass through to Achraf Hakimi, whose cross was coolly dinked over Bordeaux goalkeeper Gaetan Poussin and into the net seven minutes into the second half.

Although PSG were denied a penalty due to offside following a VAR check, Paredes extended their lead just after the hour mark with a sweet left-foot finish after showing great skill and composure to leave two Bordeaux players on the deck.

Messi struck the woodwork with a long-range strike following a surging run late on as the boos continued to sound, with Pochettino looking distinctly unimpressed with the hostility as his side cruised to victory following back-to-back defeats.

Max Verstappen has responded with scepticism to Lewis Hamilton's claims Mercedes will not be competing for victories in the early stages of the 2022 Formula One season.

Verstappen, who beat Hamilton to the 2021 Drivers' Championship in controversial circumstances at last December's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, posted the fastest time on the final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain on Saturday.

Ahead of Bahrain hosting the first Grand Prix of the season next week, Hamilton suggested Mercedes will likely not be competing for early season wins, due to problems with the team's new W13 car.

His rival Verstappen, however, scoffed at those comments, accusing Mercedes, and other Formula One teams, of playing down their potential before the season begins.

"[It's] always like this," the world champion said in quotes reported by Autosport.

"If someone is doing well or a team that everyone expects to do well, then it's 'oh no, we're definitely not the favourite'.

"And then a week later, when things do go well, all of a sudden it's 'oh no, but we turned it around completely within a week. Not normal, unbelievable work. Thanks to all people in the factory!'"

 

Verstappen also noted Mercedes were "very strong during the first race weekend" in 2021, with Hamilton winning the season opener in Bahrain after making similar comments about the team's issues this time last year.

The 24-year-old also spoke of Ferrari as potential rivals for Red Bull during the coming season, noting they had been "consistently fast" throughout pre-season.

"They [Ferrari] clearly have a stable car at the moment," he added.

"It just looks good for them, they have had very few problems as well. We will see next week who is fastest, but so far, they have had a very good test.

"The last two years weren't great for them, so you automatically start looking at this season a bit earlier than some of the other teams. It's more than normal that they started earlier than us on the 2022 car and that's okay as well.

"In the end, with these new cars, the development rate during the season is the most important thing."

Carlo Ancelotti thinks Real Madrid did not need to beat Paris Saint-Germain to prove an attractive prospect for the likes of Kylian Mbappe.

Karim Benzema's hat-trick secured a stunning comeback for Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu this week.

Mbappe gave PSG a 1-0 lead and a 2-0 aggregate advantage, but PSG suffered a collapse in the final half-hour as Benzema's treble sealed a 3-1 second-leg win and a 3-2 triumph in the tie.

Speculation has since emerged that Mbappe has already agreed a contract with Madrid to join on a free transfer from PSG at the end of the season.

With Madrid also tipped to battle for the signing of Erling Haaland in the next transfer window, Ancelotti was asked ahead of Monday's LaLiga game with Real Mallorca whether the result against PSG made his side more appealing to the world's top players.

He replied: "It's true that the game on Wednesday gave a really good picture of Real Madrid, but Real Madrid doesn't need that. It already has that picture in the world."

When asked whether he met with Mbappe, Ancelotti said: "No, I greeted [Marco] Verratti because he was my player when I coached PSG, and [sporting director] Leonardo, and the people I worked with back then in Paris.

"When you lose, you feel really bad, physically and mentally. All the PSG players were really disappointed. It's happened to everyone."

Ancelotti also denied that Madrid's progress to the quarter-finals has helped him to feel he has the backing of the fans and the club's hierarchy, his side having gone through a run of just one win in five games in all competitions in late January and February.

"Going through shows that everyone together brought Madrid to the quarter-finals," he said. "I don't need backing. The excitement to coach this team is so great that if they criticise you, it doesn't matter at all.

"It meant a lot [to go through], especially in terms of atmosphere. We saw the emotion the team gave to the fans, and what they gave to the team. It was very beautiful and very important.

"We know that, at the Bernabeu, the atmosphere is going to help us. And I'm very happy for the Madrid fans.

"In January, we went through a moment that wasn't so good, but we keep going, and hopefully we can win something this season."

Madrid's attention now turns to a trip to Mallorca knowing that, should Sevilla lose to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, the leaders will have the chance to open up an 11-point gap at the top.

"We have good feelings," Ancelotti said. "I have all players available and all the ingredients to play a good game.

"Mallorca will give their utmost. Games in LaLiga tell you there's a lot of balance. There's a long way to go and everyone will give everything."

Cristiano Ronaldo was the only reason Manchester United defeated Tottenham according to Alan Shearer, who stated "God only knows" where the Red Devils would be without the Portugal superstar.

Ronaldo struck the 49th hat-trick of his sensational club career to help see off Antonio Conte's side 3-2 at Old Trafford, moving United into the Premier League's top four ahead of Arsenal's clash with Leicester City on Sunday.

With Harry Kane's penalty and a Harry Maguire own goal twice pegging United back in an absorbing contest, Ronaldo also became the first player to give United the lead three times within a single Premier League clash.

Writing for BBC Sport, Shearer – the Premier League's all-time leading goalscorer – was effusive in his praise for the 37-year-old, labelling his performance "staggering".

"There are some people who think Cristiano Ronaldo is a problem for Manchester United," wrote the Newcastle United great. "But God knows where they would be without him.

"I said a few weeks ago that, if it wasn't for Ronaldo, United would be far worse off than they are, and Saturday's game against Tottenham summed up why in a nutshell.

"He was quite simply the only reason they beat Spurs. His hat-trick was phenomenal and his overall performance was so good, it was staggering.

"This was some response to his critics and all three of his goals were special in their own way. His third goal was my favourite, though. Ronaldo had to get every part of it right, and he did.

"From the way he reads the flight of the cross to the way he attacks it and times his jump, then meets the ball with accuracy and power, it was all absolutely perfect. A textbook header."

Shearer was not, however, impressed with United's overall performance, claiming Ronaldo "got them over the line" after a "terrible" defensive display, and cannot be blamed for their below-par season.

"United have still got a heck of a lot of work to do to get a top-four finish from here, but if they do miss out then there is no way on earth you can pin the blame on Ronaldo," he added.

"They would not be in a position to challenge for the Champions League places if it wasn't for him, so I don't buy that as the reason their results have not always been good enough.

"Their big problem is defensively - they are terrible at times, and we saw that again against Tottenham despite the end result this time.

"Yes, United deserve some credit for the way they responded to what happened to them in the derby last weekend [a 4-1 loss at Manchester City] and this was a huge result for them, but they had no control of the game whatsoever and it was Ronaldo's brilliance that got them over the line."

Ronaldo, who has 12 Premier League goals this term, has now scored in each of his last seven appearances against Tottenham in all competitions, and has netted more career goals against Spurs than he has against any other English side (14).

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