Everton eased their relegation worries with 2-0 victory over fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest, who once again had reason to feel aggrieved about refereeing decisions going against them.
A rare goal from Idrissa Gueye was followed by a similar long-range strike from Dwight McNeil on his 200th Premier League appearance to secure a second-successive home win – sandwiching Monday’s 6-0 debacle at Chelsea – and lift Sean Dyche’s side five points clear of the bottom three.
But Toffees defender Ashley Young lived a charmed life after appearing somewhat fortunate to escape three penalty claims against him, which the visitors felt were all more than justified.
Both clubs have had cause to rail against the Premier League this season: the hosts had eight points deducted for breaches of profitability and sustainability rules, although they are appealing against the latest docking of two.
Forest, whose appeal against the four they had taken away will be heard next week, have been so incensed by some of the officiating against them they appointed former referee Mark Clattenburg as a consultant analyst.
He is likely to be over-employed again after Young’s tackles on Gio Reyna and Callum Hudson-Odoi, whose shot also hit the defender’s arm, were all waved on by referee Anthony Taylor with VAR offering no reason to reverse any of the decisions to leave them a point above the relegation zone.
Dyche made four alterations from the Stamford Bridge embarrassment but it was not the only change as the manager abandoned his usual matchday uniform of black mackintosh and black suit for training gear.
But if he was hoping to give off the air of a man confident of his game plan – having said on Friday he had told the players he would not allow them to get him the sack – it was not apparent for almost half-an-hour.
Former Liverpool defender Neco Williams had an early shot parried by Jordan Pickford; Everton’s first attempt on target – Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s weak header – did not arrive until the 27th minute.
Their next attempt proved far more valuable, however. Gueye had previously scored one Premier League goal from 99 attempts from outside the area so it was perhaps not surprising Forest’s defence were content to stand off the midfielder when he carried the ball forward previously, working on the assumption Everton had more dangerous players in possession.
But that tactic was misguided on this occasion as Gueye controlled Ola Aina’s poor header and found the gap low down between Matz Sels’ right hand and the far post from just outside the area.
It was only the Senegal international’s fifth goal in 187 league appearances across two spells for the club and his first in the league goal at Goodison since February 2017.
His only other strike this season was a late winner in the 3-2 victory at Crystal Palace in mid-November.
Pickford’s brilliant save from a Chris Wood shot – five minutes before the interval – ensured that lead was maintained, as did VAR’s insistence Young’s arm was in a natural position from Hudson-Odoi’s volley.
Calvert-Lewin squandered the chance to give Everton some breathing space early in the second half when he fired wide from James Tarkowski’s knockdown, before Young tested the officials’ judgement once again when he went into the back of Hudson-Odoi.
Forest were still dictating play when Morgan Gibbs-White guided a shot over Pickford but wide and that miss proved costly when McNeil, like Gueye in the first half, squeezed a low shot in between Sels’ outstretched arm and the post, the ball going in off the inside of the upright.
Striker Beto, on as a replacement for Calvert-Lewin, departed on a stretcher late on after a clash of heads but even 17 minutes of additional time were not enough for a toothless Forest to launch a comeback.
Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric believes his side will win their survival bid and extend their stay in the Premier League.
The Clarets have been in the bottom three all season but have taken 10 points from their last seven games after Saturday’s 4-1 win at relegation rivals Sheffield United.
Muric, who made a string of outstanding saves at Bramall Lane to help secure Vincent Kompany’s side their second league win of the year, said: “I think we as a team you can see after every game the energy’s back.
“We believe in it every day, it’s not just saying it. Everyone looks like we believe in it. We had some good games in the previous games and I think we’ll be good. We’re going to do it I think.”
Burnley climbed to within three points of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest before their game on Sunday at fellow strugglers Everton.
Muric made crucial saves to deny Oli McBurnie and Ben Brereton Diaz before Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lorenz Assignon gave the Clarets a barely-deserved 2-0 half-time lead.
Gus Hamer pulled one back for the Blades but Lyle Foster and Johann Berg Gudmundsson added further goals for the visitors.
Muric also made a brilliant flying save to keep out James McAtee’s curling effort and when asked about his performance, the Kosovo keeper said: “Yes, it’s my job.
“Today it went well and I’m happy that I could save some goals and we could take the win.”
Blades boss Chris Wilder conceded after the game that his side’s season was over as they remain cast adrift at the bottom with five games to go.
Home goalkeeper Ivo Grbic turned in another unconvincing display as he was beaten too easily by Burnley’s first two scruffy goals and Wilder said he was considering taking him out of the firing line.
The Croatia international was drafted in during the January transfer window after a series of mistakes from previous number one Wes Foderingham earlier in the season.
Wilder said: “Obviously we made a decision and it was an opportunity to bring (Grbic) in. There was a reason we brought him in, we weren’t comfortable in that position.
“Let’s get it right, I don’t think anyone was comfortable in that position. So everyone was clamouring and we thought it was the right thing to do, but obviously it’s not been a great start for the big man.
“Goals are going in too easily, I don’t think there’s much protection in front of him from a defensive point of view.”
Asked if Grbic could be dropped for Wednesday’s game at Manchester Unmited, Wilder added: “Well, we’ll make a decision over the weekend. It’s something we talk non-stop about, positions and how we want to set up.”
There was no surprise that the name O’Brien dominated the opening two races at the Curragh but it was Joseph who unleashed two hugely promising juveniles, beating two trained by his father Aidan in the process.
Midnight Strike made a brilliant start to his career when taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race.
The Starspangledbanner colt was a 15-2 chance under Dylan Browne McMonagle but oozed class throughout.
In a field of six Midnight Strike was always travelling strongly and had gained a clear lead by the final furlong marker, going on to cross the line two lengths ahead of Treasure Isle (5-4 favourite), the first two-year-old runner this season for Aidan O’Brien.
“I thought he was a nice colt but didn’t expect him to win like that,” the winning trainer said.
“He looks an Ascot-type horse and he’s another nice Starspangledbanner for the owners.
“We thought he’d stay six but was certainly quick enough to start at five. He looks very smart.”
The younger O’Brien then struck again in the Keadeen Hotel Irish EBF Maiden with Cowardofthecounty, a 17-2 chance under Browne McMonagle.
Again the market was dominated by a Ballydoyle horse as Whistlejacket, a full brother to former champion two-year-old Little Big Bear, went off the evens favourite.
Whistlejacket took up an early lead and looked the winner at one stage, but Cowardofthecounty loomed up beside him to prevail by two and a half lengths.
“This fella looked like he could be a bit special at home but you’re never really sure with a two-year-old until they go to the races,” O’Brien said.
“He’s a particularly laid back horse and couldn’t have been more impressive. He’s a big horse, well over 500 kilos which for a two-year-old at this stage is a lot.
“He could go straight for the Coventry now. He’s such a big horse I don’t know does he need to run again but we’ll have to see.
“We knew when the horse ran well in the first that there was a good chance this lad would run well too.
“A lot of people pitch in two-year-olds with an older horse to give them a guide, but we don’t and keep the two-year-olds together.
“They are the first two colts that we have run and it looks like we have a couple of nice ones!
“They have both been away once and today is just the second time they have been on grass. We don’t drill our two-year-olds and like them to progress. It bodes well on what they have done today.”
Sheffield Wednesday climbed out of the Championship relegation zone with a vital 3-1 win at Blackburn.
Roared on by a 7,321-strong away following, Danny Rohl’s men responded with a deserved victory on an edgy afternoon against fellow strugglers Rovers.
Josh Windass’ spectacular early lob was cancelled out in the ninth minute by Sammie Szmodics’ well-taken finish – his 31st of the campaign.
Wednesday took control with two goals in six second-half minutes as Marvin Johnson slotted in to finish a lightning break, before Aynsley Pears endured a moment to forget when he somehow sliced a clearance into his own net.
The win moves the Owls a point and a place clear of the bottom three after making it four unbeaten.
Blackburn were brought back down to earth after the win at Leeds and, aside from a second-half chance for Szmodics, barely threatened. They are just three clear of trouble.
Wednesday’s vociferous away support were rewarded with a sixth-minute opener as Pears was stranded after racing out of his box to head a ball clear but Rovers lost possession and when it fell to Windass, he brilliantly lifted the ball in off the crossbar from 35 yards.
The prolific Szmodics equalised within three minutes as he latched onto Callum Brittain’s pass and though his first touch was heavy, he confidently lifted the ball over James Beadle from eight yards into the bottom left corner.
Both sides were disjointed and untidy in possession, but Wednesday should have scored in the 37th minute when Windass turned Anthony Musaba’s low cross wide.
They went close again when Johnson set up Liam Palmer, who blazed over, while a simple long ball set Szmodics clear in first-half injury time but Bambo Diaby got back to thwart him.
Wednesday did regain the lead in the 58th minute after winning the ball on the right and Musaba raced down the wing before sending in an inch perfect cross for the onrushing Johnson at the back post who emphatically found the bottom corner from six yards.
The visitors registered a third six minutes later, but it was all Blackburn’s doing and a horror moment for Pears who, under no pressure at all, completely mis-hit his clearance from Dominic Hyam’s pass and it spun behind him and into his own net.
Rohl’s men were in control at this point but they were let off when Szmodics fired over from 12 yards, though Musaba went close to capping a superb performance with a goal but Pears somewhat redeemed himself with a terrific reaction save to palm away.
Will Vaulks’ powerful free-kick forced Pears to parry away in injury time but Wednesday had done enough to register a crucial victory.
Four-time champion Mark Selby is on the brink of crashing out of the World Championship at the first hurdle after losing the first session of his first round match 7-3 to debutant Joe O’Connor.
Selby, who questioned his future in the sport after losing to Gary Wilson in the Tour Championship earlier this month, was second best against his Leicester rival, who reeled off five frames in a row to leave himself in a commanding position ahead of Monday’s resumption.
The 40-year-old Selby has endured a dismal season by his standards, reaching one ranking tournament final and two semi-finals, but has traditionally reserved his best form of the season for the Crucible.
Despite sharing the opening two frames, Selby looked distinctly out of sorts and two centuries in three frames sent O’Connor three frames clear, before two further half-centuries sealed a sensational debut performance from the 28-year-old.
O’Connor, who has previously tried and failed seven times to reach the Crucible, is the only debutant in this year’s field, and requires just one more century on Monday to equal the record for a first-time performer at the venue.
Eleventh seed Zhang Anda followed defending champion Luca Brecel out of the tournament as he was hammered 10-4 by last year’s surprise quarter-finalist Jak Jones.
Resuming 5-2 in front after their abridged opening session on Saturday, Jones chiselled his way over the line with a top break of 60, while Zhang’s 95 in the 13th frame proved much too little, too late.
Jones, who beat Neil Robertson last year en route to the last eight, will face either fellow Welshman Mark Williams or last year’s surprise semi-finalist Si Jiahui in round two.
Clive Cox has been buoyed by a racecourse gallop ahead of Ghostwriter’s Qipco 2000 Guineas bid, confident his smart Newmarket form can prove a positive in the opening Classic of the season.
The son of Invincible Spirit was unbeaten throughout his two-year-old season and finished 2023 with a statement victory on the Rowley Mile in the Royal Lodge Stakes.
With that experience under the colt’s belt, Cox was happy to forego an early-season trial in favour of a pipe-opener at Kempton, with Ghostwriter – a general 14-1 shot to claim the scalp of Aidan O’Brien’s odds-on favourite City Of Troy on May 4 – reported to have thrived over the winter.
“I’m very happy with Ghostwriter and he has his Newmarket course form,” explained Cox.
“I’m very pleased he has done exceptionally well over the winter and we will be going there with a racecourse gallop under his belt. He’s done very well and that is why he hasn’t run in a trial.
“He’s been to Kempton and he’s a very athletic, clean-winded horse who has done well over the winter and we think that will have benefitted him far more than racing on testing ground, with his previous experience at Newmarket hopefully holding him in good stead.”
Another star juvenile for the Beechdown Stables team last season was the Kennet Valley-owned Dragon Leader, who suffered defeat just the once in five starts in 2023 as he proved a real money-spinner for connections.
Big victories at York and Redcar sandwiched a near miss in a valuable Doncaster event and Cox is eyeing stepping the son of El Kabeir up in trip this term when ground conditions allow him to return to action.
“He was a very productive runner last year earning over £300,000 in prize-money,” continued Cox.
“I’m pleased to say he’s wintered well, but he’s definitely better with a dry surface and we wouldn’t be making any concrete plans at the minute. When the ground gets a little bit quicker you will see him.
“Last year he was looking like seven furlongs would help him and I would be very hopeful he will get a mile. We kept him at six last year simply because he was so well qualified for those races. Six and a half was no problem for him at Doncaster though in the Weatherbys race.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is confident Lewis Hamilton’s morale will not plummet despite his continued worst start to a Formula One season.
Hamilton fought back from his lowly 18th grid slot to finish ninth in Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.
But the British driver, in his final season with Mercedes before his blockbuster transfer to Ferrari, leaves Shanghai only ninth in the standings after failing to finish inside the top six at either of the opening five rounds.
Indeed, Sunday’s result marked the third time he has crossed the line in ninth this year. Hamilton also trails team-mate George Russell 5-0 in qualifying.
But Wolff said: “Lewis is a pro and he has behaved that way, trying to keep his morale up and the morale of the team up, even if the results have not come his way. I have no doubt this will last.”
Hamilton has now gone 50 races and 868 long days without a victory and he was exposed to yet another sobering afternoon in his uncompetitive Mercedes.
Following his worst qualifying result in seven years, Hamilton started on the quickest, but less-durable soft rubber, but just two laps into this 56-lap affair, his complaints began.
“I am making no ground on this tyre,” he said after dropping from 18th to 19th.
Hamilton made the first of his two pit-stops on lap nine and rejoined back in 19th, 53 seconds off Max Verstappen’s leading pace.
“That was the worst tyre, man,” said the despondent 39-year-old.
Hamilton was soon back on the intercom. “I can’t even catch him (Alpine’s Esteban Ocon), man,” he said. “This car is so slow.”
Hamilton’s fortunes improved on lap 21 when he stopped for a second time, with the virtual safety car (VSC) deployed after Valtteri Bottas broke down.
And as the marshals struggled to shift Bottas’ stricken Stake, the VSC was upgraded to a full safety car, promoting Hamilton up the order.
He would be 12th at the restart, but he was still bemused by his unruly machine.
“The car is just sliding around everywhere,” he said. “It just feels like something is broken. It is really bad.”
Daniel Ricciardo suffered floor damage after Lance Stroll thumped into the back of his RB, elevating Hamilton into 10th before he swatted Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg aside.
Hamilton was then up to eighth as Fernando Alonso made a maverick third stop for tyres. But the 42-year-old took advantage of his fresh rubber to blast back through the field, relegating Hamilton back a place with seven laps remaining.
The seven-time champion took the chequered flag nearly one minute behind Verstappen.
“This is the worst season so far, as I mentioned at the last race,” said Hamilton. “It definitely wasn’t better than expected because we expected to finish there today.
“I have never had so much understeer in my life. I thought I damaged my car because there was debris on the track at one point, but it was just the way I set the car up.
“We finished second in the sprint race yesterday and, with better decisions on setup today, we would have been where George finished. We have to keep fighting.”
Emile Cairess dedicated his stunning run at the London Marathon to his cousin, who was left in a coma after a car crash earlier this year.
Cairess finished third in the second fastest time by a British man in two hours, six minutes and 46 seconds.
The run should rubber-stamp his place Great Britain team for this summer’s Olympics.
But Cairess’ immediate thoughts were with his 22-year-old cousin, Oliver Burton, who is still in hospital but out of intensive care.
“He’s my little cousin, like a little brother to me, and a couple of months ago he was in a bad accident,” said Cairess, 26.
“He was in a coma for about a month and just came out of ICU a few days ago,
“It was so stressful, it was touch and go at some points but he’s made a fantastic recovery in the last couple of weeks.
“This morning I was really emotional. Hopefully I’ve made him proud today.”
Cairess did not even know he was third, behind winner Alexander Munyao of Kenya and 41-year-old Kenenisa Bekele, until about 200m from the finish line.
“I heard it over the tannoy,” he added. ” I passed about four people in the space of a minute around the 39km mark and I thought I’d already passed a few from the front group.
“I was like ‘there can’t be many more left so I must be in a decent position’ but I didn’t know, I could have been sixth or seventh. When I heard I was third it was a great feeling.”
Another Briton, Mahamed Mahamed, finished fourth, making it the first time two home runners have finished in the top four since Kevin Forster and Hugh Jones in 1988.
Mahamed was catching Cairess in the closing stages and although he could not quite overhaul his team-mate, he was still inside the Olympic qualifying time.
“Me and Mahamed have been racing since we were 13, so we’ve always been neck and neck,” said Cairess.
“We’ve always progressed together so it’s fantastic to see him doing so well. A lot of people drop out of the sport but we kept going and it’s paid off for us.”
Munyao managed to shake off veteran Ethopian Bekele, who was bidding for a first London Marathon win some 20 years after he took Olympic 10,000m gold, with around three miles to go.
“At 40km I thought I could win the race,” he said. “It’s the biggest win in my career because it is my first major marathon.
“There was a little fear because I know Bekele is a threat but I was confident over the last few kilometres.”
Before the start of the men’s race and the mass race, tributes were paid to last year’s winner Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a car accident in February.
Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir smashed the women’s-only world record to win a thrilling women’s race.
The Kenyan kicked for home as she turned on to The Mall and won in 2:16.16.
Four runners were in with a shout down the final straight and Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa came in second, ahead of Joyciline Jepkosgel in third with Megertu Alemu fourth.
The previous world record for a women-only race was 2:17.01 by Mary Jepkosgei Keitany in London in 2017.
“I’m so happy for today’s victory,” said Jepchirchir. “I wasn’t expecting to run a world record. I thought there might be one – but I didn’t think it would be me.”
Marcel Hug won a record fourth-consecutive men’s wheelchair race, the Swiss ‘Silver Bullet’, 38, clocking 1:28.33.
Daniel Romanchuk of the United States was second with Britain’s David Weir third in his 25th consecutive London Marathon.
Weir, 44, said: “Keeping up with Marcel for 20 miles, it was one of the best races I’ve done on this course.
“Some of these guys are 10 or 20 years younger than me. But I promised myself I’d come back and get on the podium.”
The women’s wheelchair race was won by a distance by another Swiss, Catherine Debrunner.
Tennis greats Boris Becker and Martina Navratilova have called for Olympic medallists across all sports to receive prize money.
World Athletics announced earlier this month that it would be the first sport to offer Olympic prize money in Games history at Paris 2024, with winners in the 48 disciplines to receive 50,000 US dollars (£39,400).
Lord Coe, the federation’s president, said he was confident the International Olympic Committee would “share in the principle” of track and field gold medal winners earning prize money in Paris – but admitted his organisation had not discussed the historic move with the International Olympic Committee.
“I think it’s fantastic,” said Navratilova, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid.
“The Olympics have always been the biggest sports event and the athletes were the only ones not making money.
“Everybody was making money but the athletes. So I’m glad that’s changing because for some countries that’s a massive amount of money.
“For some of them it’s a drop in the bucket, but for some of them it’s a step in the right direction.
“Why shouldn’t they make money? Being a top athlete now is a full-time job. The days of amateurs have gone, thank you.”
Becker won singles gold at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, four years after the sport had returned to the Games following a 64-year absence.
He said: “When I listened to Sebastian Coe about prize money I said: ‘Finally someone is coming with the times’.
“Sport today is a full-time job, whether you’re a track and field athlete. a swimmer or in all the other sports represented at the Olympics.
“Everybody makes money off their back, so the athletes should not come last.”
Navratilova, like Becker a Laureus Academy member, also reiterated her objection to Saudi Arabia hosting the next three editions of the WTA finals.
The 2024 season-ending finals will take place in Riyadh in November, featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams, and the event will also be played in Saudi in 2025 and 2026.
“We’re going to Saudi Arabia which is about as big a change as you can make, except for maybe going to North Korea,” said Navratilova, who says she has no plan to work at the tournament as a pundit.
“Chris Evert and I have made our views clear on that, but the players have made their choices. We’ll see how things work out.
“I heard a players say they ‘don’t want to be political’. Going to Saudi is about as political you can get.
“Welcome to sport. Sports is political and has been at the forefront of social change. I don’t see how anything happens there without the blessing of MBS (Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi ruler).
“He decides what goes and what doesn’t. We’re a bit egotistical to think we can make a difference, but who knows?
“The players have to honour that, they’re the ones competing. We’re not affected by it. We’re not going there to play.”
::The 25th Laureus World Sports Awards take place on Monday evening in Madrid. To find out more, and follow the ceremony, visit www.laureus.com
Kikkuli will take a step up in grade in Sandown’s Chasemore Farm Stud Staff Heron Stakes next month after shedding his maiden tag at Newmarket’s Craven meeting.
A half-brother to the mighty Frankel and by Juddmonte’s Classic-winning sire Kingman, the Harry Charlton-trained colt made an encouraging debut on the Rowley Mile behind subsequent Listed winner Zoum Zoum last autumn.
On his seasonal return at HQ, the last foal out of Frankel’s dam Kind advertised his star potential when outbattling Charlie Appleby’s Creative Story in the hands of Ryan Moore.
He will now make the move up to Listed level as connections seek further evidence of his limit, where a positive performance will put the talented prospect in line for further big-race assignments at Royal Ascot.
“It was brilliant to see what he did and he had a big run at Newmarket last year (on debut) when he was about 75-80 per cent. That was a big run and the form of the race was franked,” said Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s European racing manager.
“Tuesday was good and I thought in the last furlong if he wanted to give it up he could have, and he didn’t. He stuck his head out and went on and Ryan was complimentary of him.
“He came out of the race well and we will now look forward to the Heron (Stakes) with him. It looks to be the next logical step and if he is ready for another step up after that it brings you nicely into Royal Ascot and a whole host of races.
“We’ll concentrate on the Heron next and see where we go from there, we look forward to it.”
Michael Malone believes the Denver Nuggets face "a hell of a series" against the Los Angeles Lakers, with LeBron James pledging to improve after his team were beaten in Game 1 on Saturday.
The Nuggets and the Lakers faced off in the Western Conference finals last season, and they were reunited for Game 1 of this year's first-round series at Ball Arena on Saturday.
It's advantage Denver after Nikola Jokic had 32 points and 12 rebounds in a 114-103 win over Los Angeles, their ninth victory in the teams' last nine head-to-head meetings.
The reigning NBA champions were made to work for their success, though, having gone into halftime down 60-57, with James scoring 19 first-half points.
However, the NBA's all-time leading scorer was limited to just eight second-half points and didn't attempt a shot in the fourth quarter until the final 80 seconds.
Though the Lakers ultimately ran out of steam, Denver coach Malone expects another tough test when the teams reconvene for Game 2 on Monday.
"We're not going anywhere," Malone said. "This is the playoffs. No team in the playoffs, if you get down 12 early, you're not going to just take your ball and go home.
"We still have plenty of fight left in us and we know that we are better than what we were playing early.
"That's a good team over there. They came into the playoffs playing extremely well, and they showed it.
"LeBron was on course, I thought he was about to have 50 points tonight, the way he was playing and shooting the ball.
"We've got to watch the film to see what we can do better. This is going to be a hell of a series."
James' 27 points came in support of Anthony Davis, who had 32, while the Nuggets had two other players match Jokic's double-double, with Jamal Murray tallying 22 points and 10 assists and Aaron Gordon adding 12 points and 11 rebounds.
James, who is appearing in the playoffs for the 17th time in 21 seasons, says the team won't get too low with plenty of time remaining to rescue the series.
"I thought we played some good ball tonight, just could have been better," he said. "You don't have much room for error versus Denver, especially on their home floor.
"They're just a team that's been through everything. Obviously, they're the defending champions, so you've got to execute, you've got to make shots, you've got to defend.
"I don't ever get into the 'here we go again' mindset. It's one game, they protected their home court. We have another opportunity on Monday to come back and be better."
Bernardo Silva admitted he had been through a range of emotions after bouncing back from his European penalty heartache with an FA Cup semi-final winner.
The Portugal midfielder scored Manchester City’s late clincher as the holders ground out a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday to book a return to the final.
It came less than three days after he had badly fluffed his lines with a poor spot-kick as City were agonisingly knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in a draining encounter on Wednesday.
Silva released a lot of emotion in a vigorous celebration after his 84th-minute strike and he revealed that was culmination of a lot of factors.
He said: “After a very frustrating week for all of us it’s good to get back on the winning side and qualify for another final and another chance to win a trophy. We’re happy.
“Wednesday was a frustrating night for me. It was tough. First night, I didn’t sleep much. Second night, you sleep a bit better, the third night you sleep almost the whole night.
“It is what it is. It’s football, it’s our profession and we have to deal with those emotions.
“The way this team reacts is always really good. Once again we showed character and that no matter what happens, we stick together and go for it.”
Silva – one of two City players to miss in the shootout loss along with Mateo Kovacic – was embarrassed as he chipped tamely into the hands of Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin from the spot.
He said that he had seen Lunin move early for the previous penalty, taken by Julian Alvarez, and felt striking down the middle would be a good idea.
Silva said: “I was waiting, I wanted to be the second or the third penalty to see the reaction from the keeper in the first or the first two penalties.
“And he moved early, that’s why I thought the middle was good because in moments of pressure the keepers, 99 per cent of the time, they move. But he chose not to move and fair play to him, well done.”
Silva denied a theory that the delay to his penalty, caused by the ball needing to be retrieved from the crowd, had affected him mentally.
He said: “For me, no. My decision was made. I was going shoot the penalty in the middle.”
City showed the resolve of champions to hang in and edge out Chelsea, who dominated the tie at Wembley.
The Londoners were left to rue wasting a host of chances, with misfiring striker Nicolas Jackson the prime culprit. They were also frustrated not to be awarded a penalty after a Cole Palmer free-kick struck the arm of Jack Grealish.
Veteran defender Thiago Silva said: “I think it’s laughable. I don’t like to talk about the referees, especially after a defeat as it looks like an excuse, but I believe VAR could have sent the ref to the monitor.
“If he goes to the monitor and decides not to give a pen, I’m fine with it, but go and see it.”
Silva, 39, is out of contract at the end of the season and promised to reveal his future plans soon.
The Brazilian said: “You are going to know in the coming days. I don’t want to say anything now after a defeat, I’m sad about the result, but sooner or later the news will come out.
“I do have a decision made in my mind, but it’s not the moment to share it.”
England have been tapping into the knowledge of veteran attack guru Brian Ashton to achieve their aim of filling Twickenham.
The Red Roses ran in 14 tries in an 88-10 victory over Ireland that places them on the brink of claiming a sixth consecutive Guinness Women’s Six Nations title when they face France on Saturday.
A thrilling attacking performance before a 48,778 crowd was born out of the belief that in order to play in front of a full house of Twickenham at next year’s home World Cup, they must play appealing rugby.
And helping them achieve that aim is Ashton, a former England men’s head coach regarded as a visionary in the game whose expertise has been enlisted by Red Roses boss John Mitchell.
“Brian makes us ask questions. ‘If this is the picture, what is the easiest way that you can take the wins?’” said Dow, who ran in a hat-trick against Ireland.
“I do think it is about asking those questions and having Brian Ashton available throughout the week…I absolutely adore the man.
“The way he phrases things almost makes you re-think the philosophy of rugby. I think in the English brand the philosophy is ‘let’s kick to the corner, let’s take the territory’. But is that the philosophy of all rugby? Can we expand that?
“At the end of the day, professional rugby is a business in its own way. We need to be proving to the whole of England that we can play an exciting brand of rugby.”
While England march on by overwhelming the opposition in front of them, Ireland’s blowout highlights the gulf in class in the women’s game and affects the credibility of the Six Nations.
The Red Roses have accumulated 228 points after four rounds and France are the only European team capable of taking the wind out of their sails when the rivals clash in Bordeaux.
“I 100 per cent think teams will catch up and as much as we may be on top now, it is on us to try and work to keep that place and demand more from ourselves,” Dow said.
“Because as much as we’d love the game to grow, we want to keep the gap ourselves and continue to prove that we can be the best.”
Ruth Jefferson’s Sounds Russian is pencilled in for Perth on Wednesday after his satisfactory comeback in the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock.
The Sholokhov gelding has always shown plenty of ability and won a good prize at Kelso in October 2022, going on to finish fourth in the Many Clouds and then coming home runner-up in both the Rowland Meyrick and the Cotswold Chase.
He was a contender for the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup off the back of those performances but unfortunately his race ended at the 17th fence when Ahoy Senor fell and brought him down, with the incident inflicting a knee injury that later required an operation to remove 12 chips of bone.
That kept him off for 11 months but he returned to action at Haydock in February, finishing fifth, and he is now set for the Listed Gold Castle Novices’ Hurdle.
“He came out his race at Haydock really well, there wasn’t much else to run him in without going to a big festival,” said Jefferson.
“He was always going to come on for the run so I’ve put him in at Perth, we may as well learn if he goes right-handed.
“If he does it will open up opportunities next year, if he doesn’t then I’ll know for sure.
“He’s always lugged a little bit left-handed so I’ve never run him right-handed, but we may as well have a go and find out now he’s nine.
“He’d been out for a long time and when you’re coming back on tacky ground it’s not like the start of the season.
“I knew in the back of my head I’d done as much as I could and he hadn’t been for a gallop, it was a perfectly acceptable run and we were happy enough.”
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