Burdett Road could make a brief return to the Flat this autumn after injury denied him a shot at the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

The four-year-old was a Royal Ascot winner when trained on the level by Michael Bell and became a leading Cheltenham Festival contender after making a smooth transition to hurdling.

An impressive victory at Prestbury Park in November saw him installed as Triumph Hurdle favourite and although Sir Gino usurped him in that particular market when lowering Burdett Road’s colours on Festival Trials day, connections were still targeting a run in the juvenile Grade One at the Festival.

However, a setback meant he was ruled out of the showpiece meeting and trainer James Owen is considering options on the Flat before he jumps obstacles again later in the year.

“He’s fine and he will probably start exercising again in the next week or two,” said Owen.

“He won’t jump again this season and I suspect he will have a little break now and then maybe have a look at the Flat.

“He hasn’t had a proper break, so we might just give him a proper break and then pick out a couple of races in the autumn. He will go hurdling again next season, what will we aim him at? I suppose maybe the Greatwood, but we haven’t really thought about it at this stage.

“It was just a small injury to the foot that came at the wrong time. We were gutted about it, but with the ground the way it is, things happen for a reason. He doesn’t know he’s had a problem and he’s absolutely fine now.”

In Burdett Road’s immediate absence, Newmarket-based Owen has Sweet Fantasy to look forward to after the exciting mare took her hurdles record to two from two with a wide-margin romp at Catterick recently.

Owned, like Burdett Road, by the Gredley Family, she skipped 17 lengths clear of Irish raider Lily Du Berlais at the North Yorkshire track and her handler believes she has a big future ahead of her.

“I was going to enter her in the Mares’ Novices’ at Cheltenham but I pulled her out in the end,” continued Owen.

“She went to Catterick to qualify for the (Herring Queen Series) final (at Kelso) and she will probably run in the final. I will put her in at Aintree just in case, but the final is £100,000 and I want to keep her amongst her own sex if I can – she’s nice.

“We will probably run her on the Flat then and she’s probably still got some work to do on the Flat – she’s a nice filly. I’m excited for next year as she’s a big, raw filly.”

Brendon McCullum insisted England will “come back bigger, stronger and more refined” following their 4-1 Test series defeat in India.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five aspects that should be addressed by head coach McCullum and captain Ben Stokes before England’s next Test against the West Indies at Lord’s on July 10.

Who takes the gloves?

Ben Foakes was just about flawless behind the stumps once again but he did not record a single fifty, with his career average dipping below 30, and struggles to assert himself in the fashion England want.

Jonny Bairstow is not as proficient with the gloves and also flattered to deceive in India, but he averages 59 at home under McCullum and Stokes and can marshal the tail in a way Foakes is seemingly unable to.

Knocking on the door away from those pair is Ollie Robinson of Durham and Jamie Smith at Surrey.

Jack, Tom or Shoaib?

Not for over a decade have England had such plentiful spin options.

England took a bit of a punt on Tom Hartley and especially Shoaib Bashir but the duo demonstrated they have the mettle for Test cricket.

Rehan Ahmed showed determination, too, but might be more suited to the white-ball formats for now.

Jack Leach’s fitness issues in the past 12 months mean he is not guaranteed to be inked in for the English summer, with just one spinner usually required.

Hartley may be more suited to Asian conditions but 20-year-old Bashir is someone England should invest in. Leach’s position as premier spinner at Somerset means Bashir could be sent on loan elsewhere in the early county season.

Identify a replacement for James Anderson

The evergreen swing king reached Test wicket 700 in the final Test after several months in the 690s.

Anderson has given no outward indication he is ready to slow down but time waits for no one and England must be prepared when the day comes the 41-year-old decides to hang up his spikes.

Any sign of decline after a poor Ashes showing was quietened a little with solid, if unspectacular, performances in India in unhelpful conditions.

While his longevity is astounding, wickets are his main currency and he has just 15 of them in his last eight Tests at a bloated average of 50.8.

In two marquee series against England’s biggest rivals, that is a poor return but he is not one to be kept subdued for long.

Settle on a seam attack

Anderson may well be able to keep going until the next Ashes series in 2025-26 but he has lost his long-time opening bowling partner in Stuart Broad.

That did not matter so much in India but on green seamers in England, there will be no shortage of candidates looking to step into Broad’s shoes.

Chris Woakes is likely to come back into contention although he is 35 himself, so it could be the next generation who come through.

Gus Atkinson impressed the backroom staff despite not playing in India and McCullum tipped the quick to make his Test debut in the summer.

Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue are pushing to be involved while Ollie Robinson must get to the bottom of his fitness issues.

Back Ollie Pope

England’s vice-captain had one of the more curious series of modern times.

A breakout 196, which Joe Root called “one of the best knocks that I’ve ever seen”, carried England to a stunning victory in Hyderabad.

But he did not reach 40 after that, made a pair at Ranchi and looked increasingly frenetic.

England have been encouraged by his growing confidence as an authority figure on the field as deputy to Stokes and will hope that can filter through to his batting.

Pope has already been shuffled around a lot in a 43-Test career and his talent is undeniable so he just needs to find a way of taking the edge off when he goes out to bat.

Midfielder Rodri insists Manchester City will embrace the challenge of having to win at least nine of their remaining 10 matches to lift a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League.

The 1-1 draw at Anfield left Pep Guardiola’s side in third place, albeit only a point behind Arsenal who top the table on goal difference from Liverpool.

City face Arsenal next at home at the end of the month, followed by potentially-tricky tests against Aston Villa and Tottenham – also at the Etihad – but as the draw at Anfield was only the second time they have dropped points in the league since mid-December, the Spain international is confident they can put together another winning run.

“We need a break. We have the FA Cup game (against Newcastle) and then go to the international teams so it will be good for us to refresh and give the last push at the end of the season,” he said.

“We know how good we are in the last part of the season, we just need to charge the batteries again and focus on the last 10 games.

“It seems you have to win nine or 10 games to win this Premier League. This is the challenge and we are going to go for it.”

Rodri accepted they were not at their best against Liverpool despite taking the lead through John Stones and having the better of the first half.

Liverpool bounced back after the break and following Alex Mac Allister’s equalising penalty, it was the hosts who looked more likely to win.

“An incredible game. We started really well in terms of chances and dominance and I think it was quite good. The second half was their half,” added the City midfielder.

“Of course with the crowd and the way they played and pressed, we weren’t clinical enough to find the spaces.

“We made a few mistakes but with the high press it is difficult, you are not precise with the ball and that’s what happened in terms of the penalty.

“It was a mistake, but at the end we competed. It wasn’t our best performance, but it wasn’t a bad point here.

“They are fighting for the Premier League like us and we got a point. It means a lot.

“We are there in the fight and this club is about the mentality of the team. Sometimes when we don’t play well, (it’s important) we don’t lose.

“Sometimes it is the opposite and we are the team who has to defend a little bit more. We didn’t create many chances and it is what it is, we have to adapt sometimes.

“We wanted three points, but in the final analysis it is fair.”

What the papers say

Manchester United are set to triple the salary of 18-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in order to keep him at the club until 2030, according to the Sun. Academy graduate Mainoo has played 19 games for the club so far this season, with two goals to his name.

The Mirror says Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will reportedly approve a mega £100million deal for 19-year-old Benfica midfielder Joao Neves.

Liverpool have shortlisted Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann and Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim in their search for Jurgen Klopp’s replacement, according to Football Insider.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Kieran Tierney: Arsenal are reportedly ready to sell the 26-year-old Scottish defender but the club want £20million for his services.

Jakub Kiwior: AC Milan are in talks with Arsenal over the 24-year-old Polish left-back, according to reports in Spain.

Russell Wilson has quickly found a new team following his unceremonious release from the Denver Broncos, as the Super Bowl champion quarterback announced Sunday night he has agreed to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

NFL.com reports that Wilson will sign a one-year contract with the Steelers for $1.2 million, the league minimum for a veteran player with 12 seasons of NFL experience. Wilson is already due nearly $38 million in guaranteed money on the ill-fated five-year, $245 million extension he signed with the Broncos before the start of the 2022 season.

Wilson declared his intentions in a post on social media platform X that read: "Year 13. Grateful. @Steelers,".

The Broncos informed Wilson of his release, which will officially take place when the new league year begins on Wednesday, last week.

Wilson joins a Steelers team that reached the play-offs last season with a 10-7 record despite instability at the quarterback position. Pittsburgh started three players - 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett and veterans Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky - under center, with Pickett the only member of that group still under contract.

Pickett lost his starting job in December to Rudolph, who proceeded to win his three late-season starts to get the Steelers into the post-season, where they were dealt a 31-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the opening round.

Denver acquired Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks in March 2022 in a blockbuster trade, though the nine-time Pro Bowler was never able to bring the same success to the Broncos as he did during a highly successful 10-year run in Seattle. The Broncos went 11-19 in Wilson's 30 starts and unofficially announced their intentions to move on when they benched the 35-year-old for the final two games of 2023 in order to avoid an injury that would guarantee his 2025 salary.

Wilson did put up solid numbers despite Denver's 2023 struggles, as he threw for 3,070 yards with 26 touchdowns and a 98.0 passer rating while being intercepted just eight times in 15 starts.

The charismatic quarterback accomplished far more during his long tenure in Seattle, helping the Seahawks to eight post-season appearances highlighted by a victory over the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII during the 2013 campaign. Wilson compiled a 104-53-1 regular-season record and went 9-7 in the playoffs with the Seahawks while amassing 4,000 passing yards in a season four times.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was handed a seven-match suspension for his headbutt on Hull midfielder David Meyler on this day in 2014.

The Football Association also fined Pardew £60,000 in imposing the toughest managerial punishment in Premier League history.

Pardew was given a three-game stadium ban followed by a four-match touchline suspension after clashing with Meyler during Newcastle’s 4-1 win at Hull on March 1, 2014.

With his side trailing 3-1, Republic of Ireland international Meyler raced over to get the ball to take a throw-in quickly by the Newcastle dugout.

Pardew responded by leaning in to Meyler and moving his head towards him.

After the FA hearing, Pardew said: “As I have made clear, I deeply regret the incident and again wholeheartedly apologise to all parties for my conduct, which I understand was not acceptable.

“I will accept the punishment handed down by the FA.”

Newcastle had issued their own statement after fining Pardew £100,000.

“We have held discussions with Alan, who has offered his sincere apologies,” the club said. “It is clear he deeply regrets his actions.”

Pardew’s four-year spell at Newcastle came to an end in December 2014 when he was given permission to talk to Crystal Palace about their managerial vacancy.

Now 62, Pardew has managed West Brom, ADO Den Haag, CSKA Sofia and Aris Thessaloniki since leaving Palace in 2016.

Anthony Davis filled the stat sheet with a dominant performance that propelled the Los Angeles Lakers to an important 120-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Davis recorded 27 points, 25 rebounds and a career-high seven steals to lead the way as the Lakers defeated a potential title contender for the second time in three days. Los Angeles was coming off a 123-122 triumph over the Eastern Conference power Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. The All-Star forward added five assists and three blocks.

The Lakers also received 29 points, eight rebounds and nine assists from LeBron James in the legendary superstar's return after he missed the Milwaukee game tending to a nagging ankle injury.

Los Angeles still sits in ninth place in the challenging Western Conference, but has gone 12-5 since Feb. 1.

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, lost ground in the race for the West's top spot after being dealt a second straight loss. Minnesota now trails first-place Oklahoma City by 1 1/2 games after the Thunder defeated the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid, starting in place of an injured Rudy Gobert, led Minnesota with 25 points each.

The Timberwolves did hold a slim 92-91 lead after three quarters, but went just 5 of 17 from the field as James and Davis took over in the fourth.

Los Angeles' star duo sparked a pivotal 11-0 run that Davis finished with a three-point play that gave the Lakers a 107-94 advantage with under seven minutes to go, and they maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way as the Timberwolves continued to miss shots down the stretch.

 Lillard, Antetokounmpo lead way as Bucks top Clippers

Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo combined for 69 points as the All-Star duo got the Milwaukee Bucks back on track with a 124-117 victory over the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers.

Lillard scored 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and added 11 assists, while Antetokounmpo recorded 10 helpers along with 34 points to help lead Milwaukee to its first win on its current four-game road trip. The Bucks had won six straight before opening the trek with losses at Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Clippers played without two of their stars as both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were rested with the team playing for a second consecutive day. Norman Powell paced Los Angeles with 26 points off the bench and James Harden recorded 11 assists, though the 10-time All-Star finished with just 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting.

Despite those obstacles, the Clippers owned a 98-96 lead with under 8 1/2 minutes left before Milwaukee seized momentum. Antetokounmpo scored on back-to-back possessions and Lillard followed with one of his seven 3-pointers for the game to give the Bucks a five-point edge with seven minutes to go.

The Clippers countered with two Ivica Zubac baskets to cut the lead down to one, but Lillard had nine points during a game-sealing 12-4 run shortly afterward that staked the Bucks to a 119-109 lead with 1:19 remaining.

Los Angeles had won four of five coming in, including a 112-102 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

76ers hold Knicks to 73 points in defensively dominated win

Defence reigned supreme in New York's Madison Square Garden on Sunday, as the Philadelphia 76ers held the home-town Knicks to the lowest points total by any team in an NBA game this season in an ugly 79-73 win.

Both teams shot under 39 per cent in a game in which neither could find any sustained offensive momentum, and no player finished with more than New York's Jalen Brunson's 19 points. Brunson got there on a 6-of-22 shooting performance, while Kelly Oubre Jr. was 6 of 19 while leading Philadelphia with 18 points.

There were plenty of rebounds, however, due to all the clanged shots. Oubre had 10 and Tobias Harris 12 for the 76ers, while the Knicks got 11 boards from Josh Hart and 10 from Isaiah Hartenstein.

Oubre did manage 12 points during a first half in which the 76ers carried a 37-31 lead into the break, with the 68 combined points the lowest at half-time in any NBA game since the Portland Trail Blazers held a 34-31 edge over the Detroit Pistons on March 30, 2019.

New York did battle back to tie the game at 47-47 on Brunson's layup with 5:09 remaining in the third quarter, but Buddy Hield hit a pair of 3-pointers during a 14-5 spurt that put the Sixers up by a 61-52 count with 1:29 left in the period.

That would be enough for Philadelphia to hold on, as the Knicks shot 25 per cent while mustering a mere 16 points in the fourth quarter.

The red-hot New York Islanders scored three first-period goals en route to a 6-1 rout of the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday that extended their season-high winning streak to six games.

Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist in the victory, which moved New York into a tie with the Detroit Red Wings for the Eastern Conference's final wild card spot. Both teams have 72 points with the Islanders holding a game in hand.

New York built a 3-0 lead despite producing only six shots on goal in the first period. Casey Cizikas' one-timer off a SImon Holmstrom feed opened the scoring 5:11 in, and Kyle Palmieri beat Anaheim netminder Lukas Dostal on a breakaway just 2:17 later before Nelson's power-play goal extended the margin with 5:32 left in the period.

Alex Killorn scored just 24 seconds into the second to get the Ducks on the board, but the Islanders struck three more times in the third to put the game out of reach.

Horvat extended his goal streak to three games only 34 seconds into the period before Pierre Engvall and Cal Clutterbuck each found the back of the net later on.

New York also received 22 saves from Semyon Varlamov, while Dostal stopped just 13 of 19 shots in the Ducks' second straight loss.

McDavid, Pickard help Oilers extend Penguins' slump

Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists to back a sharp 41-save effort from Calvin Pickard as the Edmonton Oilers extended the Pittsburgh Penguins' struggles by cruising to a 4-0 win.

Darnell Nurse added a pair of third-period goals in support of Pickard's spotless performance, though the goaltender did spend the final 1:16 of the second period on the bench after a collision with the Penguins' Bryan Rust. 

Pickard returned to make 16 saves in the third to help deal Pittsburgh its sixth loss in regulation in its last seven games and end Edmonton's two-game losing streak.

McDavid provided all the offence necessary when he scored off a Pittsburgh giveaway in its own end just 68 seconds after the opening face-off. The reigning NHL MVP then helped set up Mattias Ekholm's goal 8:53 into the first period that extended the margin to 2-0.

Nurse registered his seventh and eighth goals of the season just over five minutes apart, with the last coming with 4:02 left to play.

Tristan Jarry finished with 38 saves for the Penguins, who have been outscored by a 15-1 margin while losing their last three contests.

Wild top Predators in overtime after pulling goaltender

A gutsy call from Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes led to Matt Boldy's goal with 1:10 left in overtime and a 4-3 victory over the still-surging Nashville Predators.

Hynes had goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury skate to the bench for an extra attacker with time winding down in overtime, a move that paid off when Boldy one-timed a pass from Mats Zuccarello past Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros to end the contest.

Boldy had two assists in regulation, while Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist to help move the Wild to 3-0-1 over their last four games.

Nashville had a two-game winning streak snapped, but still managed to pick up at least one point for a 12th consecutive outing when Ryan O'Reilly scored on a power play with 2:02 left in regulation to tie the game at 3-3.

The Predators are 10-0-2 over their point streak and have climbed into the Western Conference's first wild card spot with the run. 

After Minnesota's Jonas Brodin and Nashville's Mark Jankowski traded first-period goals, Luke Evangelista put the Predators ahead 3:36 into the second before Kaprizov tied it with a power-play score late in the period.

The Wild grabbed a 3-2 edge when Ryan Hartman scored on a breakaway following a Nashville turnover with 7:32 left in the third period.

Andy Farrell dismissed suggestions retaining the Guinness Six Nations title could now feel like an anti-climax after Ireland’s hyped quest for back-to-back Grand Slams was crushed.

The reigning champions looked well placed to make history by delivering consecutive tournament clean sweeps before suffering Saturday’s last-gasp loss to title rivals England at Twickenham.

Avoiding defeat to Scotland in the final round will almost certainly ensure Ireland keep hold of their crown, while even a loss would still leave Steve Borthwick’s side requiring a bonus-point win in France to snatch glory.

Head coach Farrell, who feels it would be “unjust” for his team to still be in Grand Slam contention following England’s best display under Borthwick, is keen to put things in perspective moving towards what should be another memorable St Patrick’s weekend in Dublin.

He said: “Anti-climax? How many times have we won the Six Nations?

“Everyone would love to be in our position. We’ve got to make sure we’re loving that challenge as well.

“I’ve absolutely no doubt that they (Ireland supporters) 100 per cent will be on song. Paddy’s weekend again, with the chance of winning a Six Nations.

“It could have been a little bit better but Grand Slams are unbelievably hard to come by. Six Nations are hard enough, as everyone would vouch for.”

No team has won successive Grand Slams in the Six Nations era, with France the last side to achieve the feat in the 1998 Five Nations.

Ireland were seconds away from remaining on course to snap that statistic thanks to two James Lowe tries and four Jack Crowley penalties.

But Marcus Smith’s dramatic added-time drop goal earned England a deserved 23-22 victory to keep alive the title race, raising question marks over Ireland’s game management in the final minutes.

“I thought we could have kicked longer and out,” said Farrell.

“There’s one we kicked long and not out; the other one was out and a little bit short. But those are small bits that matter in the end.

“At the end of the day, I might sound stupid saying this but I thought it would have been unjust for England not to win the game. I thought they played really well.”

Jurgen Klopp was adamant Liverpool should have been awarded a stoppage-time penalty in a dramatic end to his title-chasing side’s 1-1 draw with champions Manchester City.

An absorbing top-of-the-table Premier League contest at Anfield was halted for a late VAR check after City’s Jeremy Doku caught Alexis Mac Allister in the chest with his boot but nothing was given.

The Reds had already been given one penalty early in the second half, with Mac Allister converting to cancel out John Stones’ 23rd-minute opener.

Liverpool manager Klopp told Sky Sports: “This situation, on all positions on the pitch, is 100 per cent a foul and it’s a yellow card.

“He hit the ball but he can only hit the ball because his foot was right there. If the ball is not there, he kills him.

“It’s as easy as that. It’s a penalty for all football people on the planet. If you don’t think it is one then maybe you’re not a football person.”

Klopp was nevertheless happy with his side’s performance against a strong City team.

Whilst City twice hit the woodwork in the second half Liverpool, who have been hampered by a lengthy injury list in recent weeks, had spells of dominance and several chances to win the game themselves.

The result left Arsenal leading the table on goal difference only from Liverpool, with City just a point further back with 10 games remaining.

Klopp said: “We would have loved to use one of the massive chances we created.

“Yes, we are lucky when (Jeremy) Doku hit the post but we played an exceptional football game.

“For us, besides the result, the most important information is that we are right there. We go the distance.

“For us it is probably a little bit like, how did we get through all that and that we are still there? It is crazy with all these games and the squad situation we have.

“Today I saw the best 53 minutes we had against Manchester City. It was exceptional how we played.”

City boss Pep Guardiola admitted his side had survived an onslaught in the second period.

He said: “We spoke at half-time that in this stadium, if you have to defend something, you have to play and play and play.

“We gave away the penalty and, sooner or later, with this stadium, you have 15 or 20 minutes and it looks like a tsunami coming for everybody who has the ball.

“It is not easy but we never stopped trying to play. They had their chances, we had our chances and at the end of the game it (draw) is what happened.”

Guardiola, whose side are chasing a fourth successive Premier League crown and a sixth in seven years, is pleased to be involved in the thick of another title race.

He said: “Still there are 10 games to go, 30 points to play for, one point difference.

“The important thing is still we are there, after where we came from in previous seasons still we are there.

“Except one year when Liverpool won it with a lot of points, we were always there.”

Bayer Leverkusen regained their 10-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga by beating 10-man Wolfsburg 2-0 at BayArena.

Nathan Tella headed Xabi Alonso’s side into a first-half lead, nine minutes after Wolfsburg defender Moritz Jenz had been sent off for his second yellow card, and Florian Wirtz ensured maximum points with a late second.

Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga this season to 25 matches and notched their sixth straight league win to stay well in front of Bayern Munich, who thrashed Mainz 8-1 on Saturday.

Eintracht Frankfurt consolidated in sixth place after hitting back to win 3-1 at home against nine-man Hoffenheim.

United States defender John Brooks headed Hoffenheim into an early lead, but was shown a straight red card for his challenge on Omar Marmoush before Frankfurt equalised through on-loan Leeds centre-back Robin Koch.

Second-half goals from Dina Ebimbe and Mario Gotze put Frankfurt in control and Hoffenheim were then reduced to nine men when Ozan Kabak received his second yellow card.

Freiburg followed up their midweek Europa League win against West Ham with their first Bundesliga victory in seven matches, triumphing 2-1 at Bochum.

Real Madrid opened up a seven-point gap at the top of LaLiga after beating Celta Vigo 4-0 at the Bernabeu Stadium.

Vinicius Junior’s close-range finish gave Real a half-time lead and own goals from goalkeeper Vicente Guaita and Carlos Dominguez put Carlo Ancelotti’s side, without the suspended Jude Bellingham, in full control.

Turkey midfielder Arda Guler stepped off the bench to score his first goal for the club in stoppage time as Los Blancos extended their unbeaten league run to 22 matches.

Athletic Bilbao closed the gap on fourth-placed Atletico Madrid to two points after Gorka Guruzeta and Saul Coco’s own goal secured them a 2-0 win at Las Palmas.

Real Betis lost 3-2 at home to Villarreal with both sides ending the game with 10 men after Chimy Avila and Alberto Moreno were shown their second yellow cards after clashing in the second half.

Alexander Sorloth fired the winner for Villarreal three minutes before Avila and Moreno were sent off in the 70th minute.

Guido Rodriguez and Willian Jose twice put Betis ahead, with Alex Baena and a Sokratis Papastathopoulos
own goal levelling in each half.

Andoni Gorosabel’s first goal for Alaves clinched them a 1-0 home win against Rayo Vallecano and lifted them 10 points clear of the drop zone.

AC Milan leapfrogged Juventus into second place in Serie A as Christian Pulisic’s solitary first-half goal sealed a  1-0 home win against Empoli.

Milan moved one point above Juve, who were held 2-2 at home by Atalanta.

Goals after the break from Juve pair Andrea Cambiaso and Arkadiusz Milik cancelled out Teun Koopmeiners’ opener for Atalanta, but the Netherlands midfielder struck again to earn the visitors a point.

Diego Llorente fired in a stoppage-time equaliser for Roma in a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina to lift Daniele De Rossi’s side up to fifth in the table.

Michael Folorunsho’s deflected shot sealed Verona a 1-0 win at Lecce and lifted his side out of the bottom three up to 13th in a congested bottom half of the table.

Verona striker Thomas Henry was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for violent conduct after clashing with Lecce defender Marin Pongracic.

In Ligue 1, Paris St Germain were held to a third successive domestic draw, 2-2 at home against Reims, as Kylian Mbappe started on the bench.

Mbappe, who is rumoured to have agreed to a deal to join Real Madrid in the summer and was withdrawn at half-time in last week’s 0-0 draw at Monaco, was a 73rd-minute substitute, but had few chances.

Marshall Munetsi gave Reims a shock early lead and, after Yunis Abdelhamid’s own goal and Goncalo Ramos had put PSG ahead, Oumar Diakite levelled for the visitors before the interval.

Monaco sit third, 11 points behind PSG, after Eliesse Ben Seghir’s second-half goal secured them a 1-0 win at Strasbourg.

Canada forward Jonathan David scored two late goals to earn Lille a 2-2 draw at Rennes and lift his side into the top four.

Lille trailed 2-0 at the interval through goals from Ludovic Blas and Arnaud Kalimuendo, but David struck in the 84th minute and then in stoppage time to salvage them a point.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit goals in either half as Marseille won 2-0 at home against Nantes.

Le Havre edged two points clear of the drop zone with a 1-0 home win against Toulouse and Metz boosted their survival hopes by beating fellow strugglers Clermont by the same score.

Mauricio Pochettino has insisted he will never quit Chelsea and hit out at “completely unfair” criticism of his young team.

The 52-year-old Argentinian has seen his side unfavourably compared to Blues teams of the past since taking over in July, with the London club having won five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues during the last two decades.

Pochettino’s team are 11th in the table ahead of Monday’s meeting at home to Newcastle, however, with a second consecutive season without European competition appearing almost certain.

Supporters have turned on the head coach and his players in recent weeks, including last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Brentford when the team surrendered a first-half lead and dodged defeat only with a late equaliser.

Monday’s game will be their first in the league in front of their own fans since being booed off at the end of a 4-2 defeat to Wolves early in February, and there was also criticism after they failed to beat a depleted Liverpool team in the Carabao Cup final two weeks ago.

Chelsea have the youngest squad in the league since co-owner Todd Boehly embarked on a mission to clear out the club’s more established players in favour of expensive but less experienced recruits, and Pochettino feels some of the analysis has been out of order.

“I feel young,” he said. “I don’t feel 52. It’s true that (the players) are young, but we like to help them. We like to talk, to train, to support. We are supporting them.

“The fans don’t know. The players are so young, playing at Wembley in a final. Maybe they didn’t sleep the night before. Sometimes, to analyse with different parameters and the way that you assess is completely unfair.

“Today it is a different Chelsea. If you are going to judge us, comparing the past of Chelsea, for sure no-one is going to win. No-one is going to succeed. No-one is going to be nice with you.

“The fans are not going to love any more another coach at Chelsea. If you compare with the past, when you are in a different project, people need to understand. I’ve tried to explain. I talk, I move my mouth, but you don’t hear.

“I knew it was going to be tough. I knew we were going to need time and belief. The project is about young players, building a new team.”

Asked if he would consider walking away, he replied: “No. Why? Never.”

The situation is in marked contrast to Pochettino’s previous role as head coach at Paris St Germain, where he worked with an established squad assembled by owners who prioritised signing experienced players ready to compete for the biggest honours.

“We love challenge,” Pochettino said. “We came from a different project at Paris St Germain.

“Here the challenge is massive. We accepted to come here knowing that it’s never easy. The pressure and the feeling that you are Chelsea and you need to win.

“But we are so excited to be here and support this project.”

Kieran Trippier has backed young pretender Tino Livramento to establish himself as England’s right-back as he attempts to fend off his advances for both club and country.

Livramento, a £32million summer signing from Southampton, is likely to replace Trippier in Newcastle’s starting line-up for Monday night’s Premier League trip to Chelsea as the 33-year-old faces a spell on the sidelines with a minor calf injury.

However Trippier, who has been the standard-bearer for much of what the Magpies have achieved in the last two years, knows the 21-year-old is gunning for his places in both the Newcastle team and the England squad.

He said: “Tino, for such a young guy, is unbelievable. I’ve had loads of talks with Tino, firstly to try to help him. I know he’s my position, but I don’t want to be selfish.

“He’ll be unbelievable for Newcastle in the future and an England right-back as well. That’s how highly I rate him.”

That is a view shared by Magpies head coach Eddie Howe, who has been hugely impressed by Livramento’s performances to date at left-back, right-back and in midfield, a process which continued last weekend when he scored a superb solo goal in a 3-0 victory over Wolves after replacing the injured Trippier.

Asked if the youngster’s challenge had to be to oust the former Burnley, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid man on both the domestic and international stages, Howe said: “Of course. If you ask Tino, that will be his aim and if you ask me, I’d want every player to feel the same way.

“If you’re not in the team, your aim and ambition should be to try to get into the team, to try to prove you’re better than the team-mate that you’re competing against.

“If you have that in your squad, I think you’ve got a healthy squad, you’ve got a good balance between being a good team-mate and fighting for your place.

“Tino has shown all those qualities this year. He has been learning and developing behind the scenes, he’s been no doubt picking things up off Kieran and I’ve enjoyed seeing them both battle against each other.”

Trippier will miss the trip to Chelsea and the FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City which follows it, as well as England’s friendly double-header against Brazil and Belgium as a result of the injury which has robbed him of the opportunity to atone for the error which cost his side a place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Asked what had been going through his head as he uncharacteristically allowed Mykhailo Mudryk to score a late equaliser 12 days after he had gifted Everton two goals, he said: “Do you know what? I don’t actually know.

“It was a strange one, really. I was just making a mistake and then making another mistake. I haven’t got any excuses, really.

“It’s just you make a mistake and you want to try even better and then because you’re trying so hard, you make another mistake, and it’s not me.”