Preston returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory at struggling Huddersfield.
Skipper Alan Browne and Will Keane gave Ryan Lowe’s side a 2-0 interval lead.
Danny Ward’s first goal of the season hinted at a second-half revival for opponents still hovering just above the drop zone.
But instead, Ben Whiteman’s 66th-minute goal wrapped up a first win in five for the Lancashire outfit and one-time leaders of the division.
It proved a good night too for ex-Terrier Duane Holmes, who claimed two assists on his return to the John Smith’s Stadium to help end Town’s draw-peppered, four-game unbeaten run.
Preston’s recent profligacy in front of goal had contributed to their drop from their lofty early-season position.
But within the opening three minutes Browne fired fractionally wide, had a strong appeal for a penalty rejected and then headed in North End’s first goal in four games – just their second in five.
Holmes crossed from the left and Browne glanced in his third goal of the campaign.
The stunned Terriers almost responded immediately. Delano Burgzorg powered forward but his angled drive could not beat Freddie Woodman at his near post.
A brace of Whiteman blocks protected Woodman from further action while Josh Koroma miscued a right-foot curled effort as the visitors briefly relinquished control.
But normal service was soon restored with North End bossing possession and then six minutes from half-time deservedly doubling their advantage.
Lively Liam Millar collected the ball just inside the home half and raced towards the area before playing a delicious pass with the outside of his right foot into Keane’s path.
The striker took aim immediately and directed a shot beyond ex-Preston and Blackpool keeper Chris Maxwell for his fifth goal of the campaign and his first since September 2.
Huddersfield fans responded with boos and then again at the break. Boss Darren Moore had also lost patience, taking off Tom Lees, Josh Austerfield and Koroma at half-time and replacing them with Yuta Nakayama, Ben Wiles and Jaheim Headley.
The triple substitution did the trick and nine minutes later Town reduced their deficit. Matty Pearson supplied a cross from the Preston left and Ward, three days after his 33rd birthday, rose unchallenged to open his account for the campaign.
Ward, sidelined for a large part of this season with Achilles trouble, had not scored since a winner against Sheffield United last May to keep his club in the second tier.
It was almost the striker’s last contribution as Brahima Diarra replaced him for the final half hour.
But after looking vulnerable, the Lilywhites confirmed the three points. Millar and Holmes combined to tee-up Whiteman to guide a right-foot shot beyond Maxwell for his second goal of the term.
George Oakley and Jack Baird lifted Morton from the foot of the cinch Championship table courtesy of a 2-1 home win over Inverness.
The home side, who won at Arbroath on Saturday, took the lead in the 20th minute when Oakley made the most of a mix-up in the Inverness defence.
They might have increased their advantage two minutes before the break but for goalkeeper Mark Ridgers’ save from Kirk Broadfoot, although opposite number Ryan Mullen had to be equally resilient to deny Billy McKay as time ran down.
However, they did go 2-0 ahead with 10 minutes remaining when Baird blasted into the roof of the net after Lewis Strapp’s throw-in had fallen to him.
Adam Brooks headed in to cut the lead deep into stoppage time but Inverness suffered just a second defeat of Duncan Ferguson’s 10-game reign.
Swansea came from behind to claim a late point in a 1-1 draw at Stoke in the Championship.
Daniel Johnson’s second-half penalty looked to have given Stoke – who sacked Alex Neil over the weekend after the loss to Sheffield Wednesday – their first win in five games.
But Harry Darling, who conceded the earlier spot-kick, headed home as full-time neared to give the Swans a share of the spoils.
With both clubs currently under caretaker charge, the Potters entered the clash sitting 20th and two points from the drop zone, while Swansea sat six places ahead of their opponents with three more points.
Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham half cleared an awkward backpass and was fortunate Swansea’s Jerry Yates was unable to make the most of it in the opening five minutes.
Josh Tymon lashed wide from outside the box after 10 minutes for the Swans and Joshua Key cut inside from the right shortly after to cross for Yates, who almost made contact from close range as the visitors started brightly.
Stoke’s Ryan Mmaee squandered the chance to take aim on the quarter hour from close range, before Lyndon Gooch burst forward from left-back to test Swansea’s Carl Rushworth.
Mmaee forced Rushworth into action with a big one-on-one chance after 20 minutes and Junior Tchamadeu’s follow-up was blocked as the hosts began to threaten.
Swansea responded through Jay Fulton’s fierce drive which rose over the bar as the half-hour approached.
Luke McNally made a vital headed clearance ahead of the lurking Yates after Key’s excellent work down the right flank 10 minutes from the break.
Tchamadeu blasted wide after drifting infield from the right wing early in the second half, before Johnson forced Rushworth into action and tipped over his fierce strike after the hour.
At the other end, Key got in behind Stoke’s defence and found a free Jamie Paterson who took aim but Ki-Jana Hoever made a vital block before Bonham collected.
The Potters won a penalty when Darling brought down Mmaee in the box and Johnson coolly rolled home to give the hosts the advantage with 20 minutes left.
Tchamadeu sought Stoke’s second soon after but his effort flew off target and Michael Rose’s later header looped over.
Mmaee stabbed just wide after Tchamadeu headed across the face of goal in the closing stages as Stoke looked to have sealed the three points.
But following Swansea substitute Liam Walsh’s deflected free-kick, from the resulting Matt Grimes corner, Darling nodded home at the back post as full-time neared to remedy his earlier error.
Rose nearly netted a late Stoke winner, but his stoppage-time header from Bae Jun-ho’s corner bounced into the ground and over.
Ipswich came from behind to win 2-1 at Watford and claim the Championship summit from Leicester.
Yaser Asprilla’s early Hornets goal lengthened the odds on Kieran McKenna’s visitors getting the victory they required to overtake the Foxes, who host Millwall on Wednesday.
But George Hirst’s equaliser set up an entertaining contest that was settled in the 80th minute by Town captain Sam Morsy.
Mileta Rajovic headed the first chance of the evening over the Ipswich crossbar in the fourth minute. The visitors replied in the 11th with a header from Marcus Harness that was straight at Hornets goalkeeper Ben Hamer.
Ipswich then gifted Watford the lead a minute later. Axel Tuanzebe played the ball back to goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky – who passed straight to Asprilla instead of a team-mate.
Asprilla set up Rajovic in front of goal and Hladky partially redeemed himself by parrying the striker’s shot, which lacked venom. The rebound went directly to Asprilla, however, and this time the Colombia striker smashed the ball high into the net.
Conor Chaplin volleyed a shot that Hamer was behind in the 18th minute as Ipswich attempted to get a grip on the game – and the visitors levelled through Hirst in the 24th minute.
Omari Hutchinson, having been supplied by Harness, cut in from the right to unleash a low drive that took a deflection off Jamal Lewis. Hamer, having to readjust hastily, could only palm the ball out to the striker who made no mistake from close range.
Chelsea loanee Hutchinson went close soon after with a shot that curled beyond the far post. A snapshot from Harness followed, but Hamer dived to save.
Hirst then headed home a Leif Davis free-kick but referee Darren England had already blown for an infringement. The Ipswich striker was booked in added time for sending Ryan Porteous to the turf by using a forearm.
The attacking football continued at both ends after the break but both defences had tightened up, though Hirst thumped Hamer’s near post from close range on the hour mark.
Lewis burst forward for a shot that was deflected wide for a corner that flashed across the Ipswich box. Rajovic only needed a touch to divert the ball over the line, it seemed, and was replaced straight after.
Hamer was almost robbed outside his box by substitute Freddie Ladapo, who snuck up behind him. Edo Kayembe fired over at the other end.
It looked likely that whoever managed to score again would win the contest – and it turned out to be Ipswich thanks to Wesley Hoedt’s error in the 80th minute.
The Dutch defender was guilty of losing possession to Morsy as he tried to bring the ball out from the back, and the Egypt midfielder strode forward to slot past Hamer.
Newport scored three times in the first 25 minutes as they defeated Vanarama National League side Barnet 4-1 to book a clash with Eastleigh in the FA Cup third round.
The Sky Bet League Two outfit took a fifth-minute lead when Omar Bogle crossed for Lewis Payne to fire home at the far post, before the two swapped roles eight minutes later when the 30-year old netted.
The tie looked over after 25 minutes when Danny Collinge – whose late goal at Rodney Parade in the first tie forced the replay – headed past goalkeeper Laurie Walker from a Nick Townsend goal-kick and into his own net.
Barnet hit back in the 37th minute when Harry Pritchard hit home from close range – although replays showed he handled the ball.
Idris Kanu hit the bar from 25 yards out in the 66th minute, the hosts’ best chance of the second half.
But Seb Palmer-Houlden made sure of victory 10 minutes later when he ran through on a long ball and finished coolly – ending any thoughts of a Barnet comeback.
Mikel Arteta believes his Arsenal side have shown enough in the group stage to prove they can compete back in the Champions League.
The Gunners drew 1-1 at PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night in the final game of Group B – with both sides already assured of their place in the last 16 before kick-off in the Netherlands.
Arteta made eight changes for the game and Eddie Nketiah’s first Champions League goal put them ahead only for Yorbe Vertessen’s smart finish to seal a share of the spoils.
Arsenal had already secured safe passage as group winners on their return to the elite level of European football following a seven-year absence – and Arteta feels his team have proven they belong at the top table.
“Overall, I think, very positive,” he said in his press conference when asked how Arsenal’s return to the Champions League had gone.
“Having not been in the competition for six or seven years and having a team that hasn’t got that much experience, I think we’ve competed really well.
“I really liked the approach of the team in every single game, the way we’ve tried to play. We had some big results and big experiences, like the one we had in Seville or Lens, or even today looking at how the team can act and how fair it is to give certain players that exposure when you make so many changes.
“Overall finishing first with a game to play we have to be really happy. Now we have to now close that chapter until February and make sure that when that chapter opens up again that we’re in the best place to compete against another top side.”
Arteta had taken three young players to the Netherlands but none of them made it onto the pitch, instead Declan Rice was a second-half substitute into the defensive line.
Normally operating in midfield, Arteta admitted he wanted to see how Rice fared at centre-back, adding: “He has played there before.
“We have to try as if we have an emergency, we have to understand and to be sure that we can fill that gap in the right way. He has a lot of composure on the ball, he wins a lot of duels for a player of his size and he has done it in the past. He is a good option.”
Karim Benzema created Club World Cup history by becoming the first player to score in four editions of the tournament as Al-Ittihad booked their place in the second round.
The former France international netted for the Saudi Pro League outfit as they won their first-round tie with Auckland City 3-0.
Benzema, who has enjoyed success in this competition with Real Madrid, put the finishing touches on victory that sets up a second-round match with Al Ahly.
The game was won with three goals in 11 first-half minutes.
Romarinho opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a deflected effort before former Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante doubled the lead five minutes later.
Benzema completed the scoring frenzy in the 40th minute to set up Friday’s tie with the African champions.
AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has insisted he had no idea Sandro Tonali had a gambling problem before he was sold to Champions League opponents Newcastle.
The 23-year-old Italy international joined the Magpies in a £55million summer switch from Milan and played in a 0-0 draw against his former club in their Champions League Group F opener at San Siro in September.
However, he is now serving a 10-month ban for breaches of betting regulations during his time in Italy, robbing the Tyneside club of a key man for the remainder of this season.
Asked if he knew about Tonali’s problem when he was sold, Pioli said at his press conference at St James’ Park on Tuesday evening: “No, I didn’t know anything about Sandro’s problem.
“He was very polite, respected and respectful to others, he was a very sensible boy.
“Even if I feel I have an open relationship with the players, I only talk to them about football. What they do outside, I don’t know everything about them.”
Asked further if he backed the player to get through his current difficulties, Pioli added: “Absolutely, yes. His football quality and tactical quality, technical, physical quality, there’s no doubt about him. He’s a great player.
“We’re close to Sandro. When he was with us, he was a really cheerful, positive young man, close to the team, popular, very important to the team’s rise, applied himself, worked hard, very willing to help the team.
“Unfortunately, he fell into a delicate situation. We’re with him, we’re close to him and we hope this experience will teach him and help him be better in the future.”
Tonali’s suspension came just 12 games into his Newcastle career, but Pioli is confident the Premier League club will reap the rewards of their investment.
He said: “At the moment they signed him, it was a good deal, they signed a very good player. Then what happened afterwards, no-one could have expected it.”
If Tonali’s departure left a significant gap in Milan, another was plugged this week when it was announced that former striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had returned to the club as a “senior adviser”.
Asked for his reaction, Pioli said: “Zlatan is taking the next step of his career. He’s always been a top character, a top player. He’s faced every challenge with determination, with intelligence and this is a new challenge for him and he’ll show the same personality, the same characteristics to do everything to help the club.”
Both sides head into Wednesday night’s game able to finish second, third or fourth in the group, but neither have their fate in their own hands with victory a must if they are to stand any chance of making the last 16.
Pioli said: “We’ve got one objective, we’ve only got one chance – win the match.
“I know the team will do everything they can to win the game. I know what’s awaiting us, I know what kind of team they are, I know what kind of stadium it is, but our team will do everything we can to come through this big, big challenge.”
Erling Haaland will miss Manchester City’s final Champions League group game at Red Star Belgrade but is set to return to training on Thursday, manager Pep Guardiola has said.
The prolific Norwegian missed the Premier League win at Luton on Sunday with a foot problem and has not travelled to Serbia for Wednesday’s European dead rubber.
It remains unclear if the 23-year-old will be fit for the visit of Crystal Palace on Saturday but Guardiola has suggested the player could soon be back in action.
The City boss told reporters at a press conference: “He will be back on Thursday, I think. We will see how he feels.
“I don’t know right now (when he will be back) but the next press conference I could be more precise.”
City are also without Jeremy Doku in Belgrade because of a muscular problem while Kevin De Bruyne, who has been out since August, is not yet ready to rejoin the squad.
Goalkeeper Ederson is also sitting out that game, handing an opportunity to deputy Stefan Ortega.
There is nothing riding on the game at the Rajko Mitic Stadium with holders City having already won Group G and Red Star, who lost 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium in September, condemned to last place.
Consequently, Guardiola intends to make some changes as he looks ahead to the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia next week, although he insists he will continue to demand the highest standards.
“We approach the game like we did the first game in Manchester, the same way,” he said. “The players have to perform. We’ve prepared really well. I hope we can do a good game.
“But of course we are going to rotate some players because after we have three days, travel, semi-final, potential final.
“Tomorrow I’ll be very pleased to see many players who didn’t play lately involved.”
One of those players to feature will be Ortega, who joined Guardiola for pre-match media duties.
The German said: “I’m happy for every game I get here and tomorrow could be the next chance for me to show my best version.”
Arsenal’s much-changed side were lucky to leave the Netherlands with a 1-1 draw in their dead-rubber Champions League tie against PSV Eindhoven.
A goal apiece either side of half-time saw the top two in Group B share the spoils as Eddie Nketiah’s first Champions League goal was cancelled out by Yorbe Vertessen’s smart finish in a draw.
Manager Mikel Arteta said on the eve of the game that, whoever represented Arsenal had a “duty” to win – but his unfamiliar XI were second-best for much of the night.
Arsenal had already secured top spot in Group B, with PSV assured of qualifying alongside them, and the Gunners showed eight changes to the five alterations made by the hosts.
Despite ringing in the changes, Arteta named first-choice centre-back pairing William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes and the duo were on hand to prevent PSV taking an early lead.
A fine ball from Malik Tillman played in Johan Bakayoko, who squared for Ricardo Pepi – only for a combination of Saliba and recalled goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to stop a shot, with Gabriel brilliantly blocking the follow-up effort from Patrick van Aanholt.
The Arsenal defence was struggling to prevent the hosts breaking at their goal, even with Saliba and Gabriel present, and Vertessen rattled a post with a header after 19 minutes.
Bakayoko was the next to have Ramsdale diving at full-stretch but his shot from distance flashed just wide of a post.
Arsenal would hit the woodwork themselves just before the half-hour as Mohamed Elneny let fly with a trademark long-range effort that hit the base of a post before a well-worked PSV counter ended with Saliba blocking Pepi’s shot.
Arteta’s side had begun life back in the Champions League after a seven-year absence by easing to victory over PSV at the Emirates in September and, despite this rotated line-up, they would strike first once more.
Nketiah broke the deadlock three minutes before the break with his first proper sight of goal, angling a low drive through the legs of PSV skipper Andre Ramalho and in off the inside of a post.
Ramsdale turned a Bakayoko shot around a post to send Arsenal in ahead at the interval, even though the hosts had dominated for much of the first half.
Vertessen dragged a shot just wide soon after the restart but moments later he deservedly levelled, Saliba this time leaving himself out of position by diving in for an interception and the Belgian curling past Ramsdale.
Arteta made three alterations just after the hour, one enforced as Elneny came off with what appeared to be a thigh problem, with captain Martin Odegaard on in his place, joining both Declan Rice and Ben White off the bench.
Rice went in at centre-back in place of Saliba but was almost caught out minutes later, Ismael Saibari getting the better of the club-record signing before striking a post with Ramsdale beaten.
Jakub Kiwior headed in an Odegaard free-kick with 10 minutes to go but the goal was ruled out for offside against fellow defender Gabriel, who had also attacked the ball.
Not for the first time, Gabriel completely failed to deal with a simple forward ball, leaving Guus Til to burst through and fire wide late on as the tie finished all-square.
Xavi believes he is on the way to creating a “great Barcelona” side but he wants improvement as they close their Champions League group stage at Royal Antwerp.
Barca are already guaranteed a place in the last 16 and are virtually assured top spot in Group H, barring some unlikely results.
The Spanish club have not been at the top table of European football for a while, having last won the Champions League in 2015, but Xavi, who was a key player in the side that dominated the game a decade ago, can see progress.
“We want to end the group stage having done what we need to do,” he said on Barcelona’s website.
“We have to be much more effective. We create a lot of chances to win games earlier. We have to be better in front of goal, but also improve our defensive robustness.
“We have to show consistency to achieve targets and trophies. We are on the way to creating a great Barca side.
“The team is together and a close-knit group.”
The Belgian side have lost all five of their group games so far, but Xavi still respects the team managed by his former team-mate Mark van Bommel.
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“They are a good team and Van Bommel is doing a very good job, and he wants to leave a mark playing football based on teamwork,” Xavi added.
“We will decide which players will feature after training and prior to the game, but it is a good chance to give opportunities to young players and others who haven’t played that much.
“Logically we will make changes.”
Inaki Pena is almost certain to continue in goal after Marc-Andre ter Stegen had back surgery last week.
“The injury to Ter Stegen is not good news,” the goalkeeper said. “It makes me proud to be playing in this shirt.
“I have trained every day thinking that this day would come because you never know what can happen. At a club like Barca you can’t relax for a single day.
“I have been training for a long time with Ter Stegen and it is a pleasure to be able to learn from one of the best players in the world.
“Picking things up from him has made me a better goalkeeper.”
Rangers midfielder Jose Cifuentes will miss the Viaplay Cup final after losing his appeal against the red card shown to the Ecuadorian during Saturday’s victory over Dundee.
The 24-year-old was initially booked by referee Kevin Clancy after catching Amadou Bakayoko late with his studs after the Dundee forward slid in to win the ball midway through the Gers’ 3-1 win. But he was then sent off following a VAR review.
A fast-track tribunal has upheld Clancy’s final decision and Cifuentes will start a two-match domestic ban when Rangers meet Aberdeen in Sunday’s Hampden clash.
The Ibrox club have also been missing the injured Tom Lawrence, Nico Raskin and Ryan Jack from their midfield in recent games.
Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams conceded a franchise-record losing streak "hurts like you can't believe", although the San Antonio Spurs face a similar plight of their own.
Williams' Pistons were 131-123 losers against the Indiana Pacers on Monday as Detroit fell to their 20th straight loss in NBA.
That marks the worst single-season losing run in Detroit's franchise history and the longest in NBA records since the Houston Rockets fell to 20 straight defeats in 2020-21.
The Pistons have lost 21 in a row before, although that came between the end of the 1979-80 season and the start of the 1980-81 campaign, but Williams was somewhat encouraged with his team's showing against the Pacers.
"As much as this losing hurts us, and it hurts like you can't believe, I see a lot of growth," Williams said.
"I'm encouraged by some of the things we saw tonight. We just need to build on them."
Williams suggested the Pistons' approach towards halftime was their downfall as the Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin added five of his 30-point game in a 9-0 run to close the second quarter.
"I thought the way we closed to half-time was something that kind of took the wind out of our sails a little bit," Williams added.
"We're still learning that everything we do in the meat of the game has an effect on the end."
Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson were rare bright sparks, scoring 23 and 20 points respectively for the Pistons, whose 20-game run equalled the sixth-longest single-season losing streak in NBA history,
San Antonio have endured similar woes, too, setting their own franchise record after a 17th consecutive defeat following a 93-82 at the hands of the Rockets.
Victor Wembanyama led the way with 15 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks but was 1-of-6 on his three-point attempts for the Spurs, whose offense went missing in their time of need.
"They played their ass off. They played a great game," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "You've got to make a shot in the NBA. You can't shoot five for 41 from three.
"They did a hell of a job defensively, in that regard. Really proud of them. But just feel badly that it's hard to know what to do when you're missing that many shots. It just makes it very, very difficult."
Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell combined to go for just 1-of-18 from deep, although the latter believes San Antonio's fortunes will soon change.
"If we could have made a couple more shots, it would've been a totally different game," Vassell said. "I like where we're going.
"We were trending in the right direction. If we would've made some shots, I think it would've been a totally different game."
Johnson echoed his team-mate's sentiment, although with an added sense of frustration after the Spurs' 82 points set a record low for any NBA side in a game this season.
"We know that we put in the work for it. We believe in each other and I wouldn't want to do it any other group than the group we got," Johnson said.
"We are a young team. We had great opportunities tonight and we had great opportunities at other games. We didn't really hit shots so we know we got to kind of hang our hats on the defensive end.
"I'm excited to get back out there Wednesday and put another great performance team-wise and hopefully get [a] win."
The Los Angeles Chargers will play the rest of the NFL season without their franchise quarterback.
Justin Herbert will have surgery on Tuesday to repair a fracture to his right index finger, the team announced.
Herbert met with hand specialists on Monday, a day after he injured the index finger on his throwing hand in the Chargers' 24-7 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 14.
With the team sitting at 5-8 and highly unlikely to make the playoffs, the team decided season-ending surgery was the best option for Herbert to fully recover.
The injury occurred in the second quarter on Sunday, when he was hit by Broncos defensive end Zach Allen after completing an 11-yard pass to Donald Parham. He finished off the series, which lasted four more plays, completing 1-of-3 passes for 14 yards.
He was replaced by Easton Stick, who was 13-of-24 passing for 179 yards in his first meaningful NFL action. He is slated to make his first career start Thursday on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Since the Chargers drafted Herbert sixth overall in the 2020 NFL draft, he had started 62 of the team's 63 games, playing through a broken finger on his non-throwing hand earlier this season and fractured rib cartilage in 2022.
On the first day of training camp this summer, he signed a $252.5million, five-year extension that made him the highest paid quarterback in the league by average salary per year and total money.
Herbert finishes this season with a 93.2 QB rating - the exact same rating he registered in 2022 - but his average passing yards per game dropped from 278.8 - third best in the NFL last season - to 241.1 - 13th in the NFL. He threw 20 touchdown passes, but had just one TD throw in the last three games, as the Chargers totalled 23 points in those contests.
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