Sergio Aguero became the Premier League’s leading foreign goalscorer by hitting a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 6-1 thrashing of Aston Villa on this day in 2020.

The Argentina striker surpassed Frenchman Thierry Henry as the competition’s top overseas marksman at Villa Park after taking his tally to 177 goals in 255 matches.

Aguero also claimed the record of the most hat-tricks in the league’s history, with his 12th treble seeing him move past former Blackburn and Newcastle striker Alan Shearer.

“I’m so happy for the record,” said the then 31-year-old, who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2011.

“But I thank my team-mates because they helped me this year. I’m so happy.

“I want to keep scoring more goals, but it all depends on my team-mates. If they pass to me, then it’s fine.”

Aguero went on to score 184 Premier League goals for City, placing him fifth on the all-time list, before moving to Barcelona in 2021.

He held the record for the most Premier League goals scored for a single club until it was overtaken by former Tottenham captain Harry Kane.

City boss Pep Guardiola said of Aguero: “He will die scoring goals. He is one of the best, no doubt. The best is (Lionel) Messi but the rest? Sergio is absolutely one of them.

“It’s an honour to be here the day he achieved that.

“There are players through the incredible history of English football and he is one of them, he helps to make the Premier League and English football better.”

Katie Boulter is enjoying being part of the “circus” surrounding Australian boyfriend Alex De Minaur.

De Minaur is the newest member of the world’s top 10 and the home country’s great hope for a grand slam champion at Melbourne Park in a fortnight’s time.

His relationship with Boulter has generated a lot of attention, with the pair playing mixed doubles together at Wimbledon last summer, and she is happy to share his moment in the spotlight.

“I am a very private person,” she said. “I like to keep myself to myself, my team close, the things that matter most to me away from everything.

“I think it’s definitely been fun to be a part of because it’s been a little bit of a circus, but a good circus. I think it’s awesome that he’s getting the attention that he really does deserve and he’s put the work in for it.

“He’s playing some of the best tennis of his life and it really does fill me with a lot of pride to actually watch him at this moment.

“I feel like I’m sharing him with everyone, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s definitely a lot. But he’s handled it a lot of his career and he knows how to deal with it and I’m right there next to him.”

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With Nick Kyrgios still sidelined through injury, De Minaur will carry home hopes virtually single-handed, but the 24-year-old sees only positives.

“I’m living my dream,” he said. “I can wake up in the morning and know that I’ve achieved a massive milestone, which was very tough to get to. I didn’t know if I was going to achieve it.

“Now I can look at myself and say that I’ve done it, that I’m a completely different player to what I was last year. It’s exciting because I’ve got bigger and better things to come hopefully.”

Boulter and De Minaur have been together since 2020 but the last 12 months have seen both hit new heights in their career.

Boulter enters the Australian Open ranked 57 and heads into a first-round clash with China’s Yuan Yue full of confidence after a great start to 2024.

At the United Cup in Perth, Boulter claimed the biggest victory of her career over world number five Jessica Pegula and has her sights set on another sizeable leap this year.

“It was huge,” she said of her win over the American. “I’m sure it wasn’t the best match of her career but I felt like I was right there.

“She’s one of the top players in the world and it gives you belief that that can be you and I strongly believe that if I keep working the way that I do that I can do that.”

She continued: “Top 100 has not been my number. I think I did that five years ago and now I really want to keep pushing. Even 50, I’ve ticked that off as well.

“And now it’s time to start getting up to the real business side of tennis and I think the work that we’ve been putting in has given me a great platform this past year to really push on and give these girls a go. Now it just takes a little bit of belief and a lot more hard work.”

Darnell Nurse scored 80 seconds into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers matched a franchise record with their ninth straight victory, 3-2 over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman had the other goals for the Oilers, who also won nine in a row late last season and in 2001. They can break the team mark on Saturday night in Montreal.

McDavid extended his point streak to nine games and notched the 906th of his career, pulling him into a fourth-place tie with Glenn Anderson on the team’s all-time list.

Hyman is also red hot with eight goals and four assists in his last eight games.

Andrew Copp and Olli Maata scored for the Red Wings, who have points in four straight (3-0-1).

Panthers score late in overtime to continue streak

Sam Reinhart scored with less than a second left in overtime as the Florida Panthers rallied to extend their winning streak to nine games, 3-2 over the slumping Los Angeles Kings.

Matthew Tkachuk scored the equaliser with 2:18 remaining in regulation and Sam Bennett also tallied for the Panthers, who have the third-longest winning streak in franchise history.

Florida won 12 straight games in the 2015-16 season, then had their other two longest streaks in 2021-22 – eight consecutive wins to open that season, then 13 in a row toward the end of that season.

Reinhart has goals in five straight games, tallying 13 in his last 11 contests.

Los Angeles is winless in seven in a row (0-3-4).

Kraken win 8th straight

Joey Daccord stopped 25 shots and the Seattle Kraken defeated the Washington Capitals 4-1 for their franchise record-tying eighth consecutive win.

Tye Kartye, Adam Larsson, Justin Schultz and Alex Wennberg scored for the Kraken, who are 10-0-2 in their last 12 games. They haven’t had a regulation loss since Dec. 10.

Daccord improved to 7-0-0 in his last eight games, with an eye-popping .966 save percentage during that span.

Kartye and Larsson became the 15th and 16th players to score for Seattle during this streak.

Max Pacioretty scored his first goal of the season for Washington, which has lost seven of nine (2-5-2).

Nostalgia and memories of past glories have accompanied Naomi Osaka on her return to the Australian Open but the two-time champion is determined to be patient with herself.

Osaka is playing her first grand slam tournament since the US Open in 2022 after giving birth to daughter Shai last summer.

The winner at Melbourne Park in 2019 and 2021, the 26-year-old is feeling her way back into life on tour having made her comeback at the Brisbane International last week.

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“Just going into the locker room and having the same locker as before, I think little things like that really make me happy,” said Osaka.

“Just being able to hit on Rod Laver, I guess, look up at the sky and kind of realise, I’ve been able to win twice here. I would love to do it again.

“Definitely it is hard because I do think of all the amazing memories that I’ve had. I also think, in my head, who am I to just come back in the second tournament and expect so much from myself, especially against the best players in the world?

“Even hitting today with Ons (Jabeur), I caught myself getting a little disappointed in myself when I would make some mistakes. But I’m hitting against Ons. I think it’s just one of those things where I now think to myself that I have to give myself a lot of time and patience.”

Osaka cuts a notably happier figure than the player who struggled with her mental health during 2022 and contemplated stepping away from the sport completely.

Time and a new perspective as a mother has given Osaka, who is also a two-time winner of the US Open, a different outlook on her career.

“I’ve taken a lot of breaks throughout the years,” she said. “I think this one was the one that finally clicked in my head. I think I realised, being an athlete, that time is really precious. (Before) I was young and I felt like I could kind of roll back into it whenever I needed to.

“I guess after having Shai, going through the struggle of trying to get myself back to where I want to be, it was incredibly tough.

“I have a much more positive mindset and a much more grateful mindset. I think overall I’m just happy to be here because I remember last year I was watching people playing Australian Open, and I couldn’t participate myself.”

Osaka has not travelled to Australia with Shai, who has stayed back home in the USA.

“It’s definitely been really hard,” she said. “She’s learning things while I’m gone. I’m hoping she doesn’t learn how to crawl before I come back. She’s doing her little plank thing and scooting forward and back. I think it might be a little inevitable.

“I’m definitely sad, but I feel like it’s a selfish sad because I want her to be here. But I think, for her health, her whole environment is at home. I don’t want to put her out of that while she’s still so young. I FaceTime her often.”

Osaka, who joins fellow former champions Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber as mothers making their Australian Open returns, has a tricky first-round draw against 16th seed Caroline Garcia.

She is happy how her body has reacted to playing matches again, saying: “There has been stiffness and soreness but honestly not as bad as I was expecting. Even without having gone through post-pregnancy, I’m normally very sore on the first tournament back.

“But it ended up really fine. I think my body’s quite adaptable. I think I’ve been doing pretty well. I’m pretty confident with where I’m at right now.”

Andy Murray is happy to see tennis finally addressing its late night habit – although he is not ruling out more long days at the Australian Open.

The ATP and WTA announced earlier this week a new scheduling policy restricting the number of matches played per day at tournaments and setting a deadline of 11pm for contests to start.

Murray was involved in one of the latest finishes in grand slam history last year when he completed a five-set win over Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the Australian Open at 4.05am.

The Scot strongly criticised the scheduling afterwards, and the tournament’s response has been to move to a 15-day event, spreading the first round over three days.

There will be a minimum of two matches rather than three in the day session on Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena but the night session will still feature two matches starting at 7pm.

“I don’t think the Sunday start will change the late finishes,” said Murray. “I think on centre court they’re having two matches in the day, two matches in the evening.

“I think that will reduce the possibility for late finishes on Rod Laver just because it’s unlikely you’re going to have issues with the day session running into the night, then having that gap where they have to clear out the stadium and get the night session fans in.

“My understanding is that on the other show courts that’s not changing, so there still is the possibility for that to happen.”

Murray welcomed the tours’ new rules, saying: “It’s really good. I’ve spoken about it, I’ve heard lots of players and the media, obviously, discussing it for a long time. It just makes sense. It’s a very obvious thing that needs to change.

“I haven’t heard anyone really disagree with that. So it’s positive that there’s going to be some changes made. It will be good for, I think, everyone. It will definitely help with recovery for following day’s matches and things like that.

“I certainly think, for fans and the tournament, it just probably looks a wee bit more professional if you’re not finishing at three or four in the morning.”

Murray is making his 16th appearance in the main draw at Melbourne Park and will take on 30th-seeded Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the first round on Monday.

He cut a very frustrated figure at the end of last season and goes into this tournament short on wins but insisted he is feeling happier about his game.

“I definitely feel like I’m enjoying it better,” he said. “I think part of that is the mental side of it. Tennis is a difficult game in that respect. When you’re struggling, you’re obviously out there on your own, it can be difficult at times.

“Also the way you’re playing. When you know you’re capable of doing more than what you are, if you’re not happy with the way you’re hitting forehands and backhands and serving and those sorts of things, there’s the technical aspect as well.

“Fixing some of those problems has helped me feel better on the court. Definitely some focus on the mental side, as well. Reframing the way you look at things definitely, definitely helps.”

Murray and Etcheverry met twice last year, sharing the spoils in two long matches.

“I made most of my matches quite physical last year,” said Murray with a smile. “I know that last year, when I wasn’t serving well, you end up getting into lots more long rallies and everything. Hopefully that’s not the case in a couple of days.”

Owen Farrell will still be available for the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia led by his father Andy if he joins Racing 92 next season.

Owen is considering a lucrative move to the Top 14 having spent his entire club career at Saracens, making him ineligible for England selection until he returns to the Gallagher Premiership.

The 32-year-old fly-half has already ruled himself out of the Six Nations in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental wellbeing, placing his international future in doubt.

But the Lions insist overseas-based players will be considered if Farrell wants them in his squad, even if the finish date of the Top 14 means they might be unavailable for the early games.

“We don’t have a policy that closes off anyone from being selected,” chief executive Ben Calveley said.

“If you just look at previous Lions tours, we’ve had people come on a tour who haven’t been playing for a national side.

“Will Greenwood is a great example, even though we are going back a way there (1997). In 2021 Finn Russell was based in France, so we don’t have any restrictions on selection.”

Farrell will lead the Lions for the first time as reward for his success with Ireland, who he has led to a Grand Slam, an historic 2-1 series victory in New Zealand and to the top of the world rankings.

And he would be willing to pick Owen if his performances justify a place in the squad as the Lions aim to win their first series win since Australia in 2013.

“We’ll consider everyone in regards to whether they will make a difference too the Lions touring party. That’s all that matters,” Farrell said.

“It’s about form, it’s about watching the game properly. Selection, as far as that’s concerned, is the same as for everyone else. No different.”

Farrell insists he has not spoken to Owen, England’s captain since 2019, about his possible move away from Saracens but backs any decision the three-time Lions tourist makes.

“It’s his choice. He does what he thinks is right for him in that moment in time. You can’t go wrong in that regard, can you?” Andy Farrell said.

“It’s a player’s prerogative. It’s their career and it’s a short career. You’ve got to do things that float your boat, that make you and your family happy.

“A career is all about the memories you’re going to create, not just for yourself but for others as well.

“For some, it’s the thought of devoting yourself to one club is extra, extra special and Owen has done that at Saracens.

“But if things do change, and I don’t know whether they will or they won’t, then it will be for the right reasons for doing the right thing for whatever that person needs to do to be happy.”

Farrell worked as an assistant under Warren Gatland on the 2013 and 2017 tours, experiences that left a lasting impression on the 48-year-old Englishman.

“I love everything above the format. I lover the build up to the games. I love how tough that is for the touring party and all the different dynamics that go with that,” Farrell said.

“When it goes to one-all and the Australians are so relieved like in 2013 – you saw the captain on the floor with tears in his eyes cos you knew what it meant.

“Getting yourself back up that week to put in a performance like we did in the third Test is a memory that will stay with you forever. I’m hoping for another one.”

Arkadiusz Milik scored a hat-trick as Juventus swept aside Frosinone 4-0 to book their place in the Coppa Italia semi-finals.

Massimiliano Allegri celebrated his 400th game as Bianconeri coach and handed a start to Turkish teenager Kenan Yildiz alongside Milik in attack, with Dusan Vlahovic on the bench after battling illness.

Juve took an early lead in the 11th minute through a penalty from Milik.

Fabio Miretti weaved into the Frosinone area and was sandwiched between two defenders, with Pol Lirola tripping him as he slid in from behind.

Following a VAR review, the spot-kick stood and Milik coolly sent goalkeeper Michele Cerofolini the wrong way.

Miretti continued to be a threat down the left and saw his cutback blocked before Filip Kostic’s effort from the rebound was hacked clear.

Juve went 2-0 up in the 38th minute through a swift counter-attack, which was started and finished by Milik.

The Poland striker played a deep diagonal ball out to the left to Weston McKennie from just inside his own half before then sprinting on down the right.

The American held up possession before clipping an angled pass back through the penalty box, where Milik arrived at the far post to sweep the ball past Cerofolini.

The Frosinone keeper saved from Timothy Weah’s drive towards the end of the half as Juve looked to put the tie to bed ahead of the break.

Milik completed his hat-trick three minutes into the second half when Frosinone were caught playing out from the back and Manuel Locatelli squared for the Poland striker to tap in.

Milik, who went into the game having not scored since early October, thought he had a fourth just before the hour when he flicked in a low cross after a corner had not been cleared, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

It was soon 4-0, though, as 18-year-old Yildiz acrobatically volleyed in another brilliant deep cross from McKennie out on the right.

Frosinone, who had pulled off a 4-0 win over Napoli in the last round, eventually caused some concern in the Juve penalty area when substitute Enzo Barrenechea glanced a header from a corner straight at keeper Mattia Perin.

Juve substitute Hans Nicolussi Caviglia sent a long-range effort over the crossbar before Cerofolini saved from Andrea Cambiaso after a surging run.

Yildiz was given a breather for the closing stages, with Belgian teenager Joseph Nonge Boende coming on, as Allegri’s side marched through to a two-legged semi-final against Lazio.

Bill Belichick has left his role as New England Patriots head coach following 24 years and six Super Bowl titles with the franchise.

Belichick, who had one year remaining on his contract, paid an emotional farewell at a press conference on Thursday afternoon alongside owner Robert Kraft.

The Patriots ended the 2023 season with a 4-13 record, the worst of Belichick’s coaching career, and there had been widespread speculation over his future.

Belichick was named as Patriots coach in 2000 and oversaw an unprecedented run of success, including three Super Bowl titles in the space of four seasons, as well as 17 AFC East division titles and 18 play-off appearances.

The 71-year-old had been in talks with Kraft since the end of the season and confirmed the pair had reached a mutual decision to move on after the most decorated partnership in NFL history.

“Robert and I, after a series of discussions, have mutually agreed to part ways. And for me this is a day of gratitude and celebration,” Belichick said.

“I have so much thanks for the opportunity to be a coach here for 24 years. It is an amazing opportunity, I have received tremendous support.

“We had a vision of building a winner, building a championship football team here.

“That’s exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations, the amount of success that we were able to achieve together through a lot of hard work and contributions of so many people.

“So I am very proud of that. I will always have those great memories which I will carry for the rest of my life.”

Colin Graves is close to completing a controversial return to Yorkshire as chair after the club’s board recommended that members accept the terms of a loan agreement.

Here the PA news agency looks more closely at the details.

What has happened?

Graves, who helped rescue the club from financial oblivion in 2002 and served as chair between 2012 and 2015, has reached an agreement which secures Yorkshire’s immediate financial future. He has personally agreed to loan £1million immediately with a further £4m of funding to come over a five-month period, on the condition that he returns as chair and three other individuals – Phillip Hodson, Sanjay Patel and Sanjeev Gandhi – join the board. Sources close to the club have previously told PA that Yorkshire faced the very real threat of entering administration without an immediate cash injection.

Why is his return controversial?

Graves was a senior figure at Yorkshire across the bulk of a 17-year period between 2004 and 2021 where the club have admitted to an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) charge of failing to address the systemic use of racist and discriminatory language. In an interview with Sky Sports last June Graves said no allegation of racism was ever raised to him but admitted there was “a lot of banter”, comments which were widely criticised at the time, including by Yorkshire and the ECB.

Why is he coming back then?

Yorkshire chair Harry Chathli wrote to members on Thursday to say the board had “exhausted all other options” before agreeing to recommend the Graves offer. The club requires working capital in the short term and has to address longer-term debt, with a major chunk of that – almost £15m – owed to the Graves family trust.

What has Graves said?

He released a statement on Thursday morning apologising to anyone who had experienced racism at Yorkshire, and “profound regret” about the ‘banter’ comment in last year’s Sky interview. He also accepted the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) findings last year. Its panel found racism was “entrenched” within cricket and that women routinely faced sexism and misogyny.

What has the reaction to Graves’ return been?

Azeem Rafiq – who was found to have been the victim of racism at Yorkshire in a Cricket Discipline Commission case which concluded last year – has refused to accept Graves’ apology.

“We’ve seen a lot of grand apologies and I’ve believed them – not any more,” he told PA.

“This is a clear message to me, to other people that have been abused, to south Asians, to people of colour, that cricket is not a place for you. Actions speak louder than words and at the first point of challenge the game has shown exactly what it is, which is institutionally, systemically, racist.”

The Culture, Media and Sport committee, which heard harrowing testimony from Rafiq in November 2021, has invited Graves to appear before it, warning it will be “watching closely” over the next few months.

The ECB welcomed Graves’ commitment to continuing efforts that have been made since 2021 to make Yorkshire a more inclusive club, but warned of its “significant powers” to hold the club and Graves to account if progress stalls.

What happens next?

Members will be asked to vote on a special resolution allowing Graves, Hodson, Patel and Gandhi to immediately join the board at an extraordinary general meeting at Headingley on February 2.

Six individuals – including current chair Chathli – will leave the board on that date, but Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is understood to be one of two independent non-executive directors who will stay on.

Track And Trace played a starring role in a Catterick treble for trainer Jonjo O’Neill and jockey Richie McLernon with victory in the Vickers.Bet North Yorkshire Grand National.

While the Jackdaws Castle handler recalled booting home plenty of winners at Catterick during his illustrious riding career, he is a rare visitor these days, so punters should perhaps have taken note of his presence at the North Yorkshire track’s flagship jumps meeting of the year.

“I can’t remember the last time I was here, to be honest, it will be a while ago,” he said.

“It was a lucky track for me as a jockey, I rode plenty of winners around here, and it’s been a lucky track all round really. It’s a nice little track really and the facilities are really nice now.”

Having struck gold in the previous two races with Time For A Pint and Hasthing respectively, Track And Trace was a 7-2 favourite to provide his trainer and jockey with a third win in little over an hour in the near £21,000 feature and ultimately got the job done in fine style.

After travelling well for much of the three-mile-five-furlong contest, the lightly-raced seven-year-old took over the running with three fences to jump and stuck to his guns on the run-in to beat Crixus’s Escape by two and a quarter lengths, with Court At Slip just a neck further behind in third.

“He jumps well and I was gambling on him staying, but I thought he would and it just went the right way,” said O’Neill.

“He made a couple of little errors, but he hopped away grand. It’s a long trip and he was probably getting a bit tired at the end.

“Hopefully he can move up the ladder a little bit. We’re looking forward to him going forward.”

Time For A Pint justified 3-1 favouritism in the Download Raceday Ready Today Novices’ Handicap Chase, before Hasthing knuckled down to make it two from two over obstacles as a 10-11 shot in the Friends Of Kiplin Hall/EBF ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle.

The latter finished third in the Grade Two Aintree bumper last spring and is now likely to have his sights raised.

O’Neill added: “He’s a big old boy isn’t he – he has a leg in every county!

“He jumped much better today to be fair, it’s more experience and he’s learning all the time. Hopefully he can keep going forward.

“He’s qualified now (for the EBF Final), so we’ll see how he comes out of it, have a chat with Frank (Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus) and see where we go from there.”

Brucio (11-4 favourite) barely broke sweat when opening her account in the opening Watch Racing TV Now Mares’ Maiden Hurdle.

Carrying the colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the Irish raider was a solitary ride on the card for leading jockey Daryl Jacob, who was securing only his second ever Catterick winner.

He said of the Stuart Crawford-trained winner: “She felt good there today and she’s relished the ground. It was a very weak mares’ maiden, the ground was right and everything fell into place for her.

“The more I’ve ridden her the more she’s starting to get the hang of things. She’s a slow burner and hopefully with a summer’s break we might see her improve a little bit more.”

The Sue Smith-trained It’s Maisy (7-2) followed up last month’s Market Rasen victory in the Racingtv.com Mares’ Handicap Hurdle under Nick Schofield, profiting from the final-flight exit of likely winner Minniemum.

Tristan Davidson and Harry Reed combined to land the Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap Hurdle with 15-2 chance Shantou Moon, while the concluding Racing Again 24th January Handicap Hurdle went to Freddy Robinson (100-30), trained by Brian Ellison and ridden by 7lb claimer William Maggs.