Erik ten Hag has told Marcus Rashford it is up to him to force his way back into the Manchester United side.
Rashford was dropped for Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Chelsea after being criticised for his performance in last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle, and the England forward has been struggling for form for much of the campaign.
Last season Rashford scored 30 goals to help United finish third and lift the Carabao Cup, but has only scored twice this term – with one of those a penalty in the 3-0 win over Everton last month.
Without Rashford, United produced arguably their best performance of the season on Wednesday night, and the outstanding form of Alejandro Garnacho in his favoured position on the left is another challenge for Rashford to overcome.
“Rashford is an incredible, good player,” Ten Hag said. “You can’t do it with 11 players, he can’t play every game. He’s not in this moment in the form he was last year but I am sure he will get there.
“It is up to him. The team will always line themselves up and the best players who form the best team will play.”
With Rashford struggling in front of goal, United’s top-scorer this term is Scott McTominay, who got both goals in Wednesday’s win to move on to six for the season.
During the summer it had appeared the Scotland midfielder might be on his way out of Old Trafford, and it was a similar story for England defender Harry Maguire, who has instead forced his way back into Ten Hag’s side and was on Friday rewarded with Premier League player of the month honours.
“I think we have a squad and in the squad there is internal competition,” Ten Hag said when asked about the pair. “If you want a successful season you need more than 11 players. Finally, in every season, it will turn and in every season it’s what is the best team.
“They are here, they are great players and have played into the team. That’s what you expect from every player, there has to be dedication to aim for this.”
In the wake of the Newcastle defeat, Ten Hag was facing questions about a club in crisis, but less than a week later he had his own Premier League monthly award to show off, with his side only three points behind neighbours City.
“We know where we are going and we had our setbacks, especially at the start of the season. Things went against us with injuries, decisions, and sometimes you find yourselves in such a place,” he said.
“You see the character of the team, we’re in a better place, better form. The performances are increasing, we are performing as a team and as individuals, you have to be sharp in every game. This league is very competitive and you see it in results this week. Everyone kills everyone.”
United face an in-form Bournemouth side at Old Trafford on Saturday, and Ten Hag has plenty to consider in his team selection with a must-win Champions League match against Bayern Munich to follow on Tuesday before they head to Liverpool next Sunday.
“I think they have very good form, Bournemouth,” Ten Hag added. “It’s a very good side, very well constructed, capable players, again you have to play your best.
“Everyone is killing everyone, you have to be 100 per cent ready as a team for that game. That’s our job to do, to get there.
“As a manager, my coaches, with the rest of the staff, we always consider everything but the next game is always the most important, especially in the Premier League where everyone is killing everyone. You need a strong team.”
Gordon Elliott’s Coko Beach will bid to maintain his recent good form in the Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree on Saturday.
The grey gelding may have been pulled up in the Grand National last season, but he was eighth the year before and has returned to action this term clearly in good heart.
His reappearance came in the Munster National at Limerick over three miles, where he was third when beaten just two and three-quarter lengths.
The eight-year-old then headed to Navan for the Troytown Chase and was the winner there from a field of 20, beating Limerick Lace and a whole host of Elliott stablemates in a tough staying victory.
Naturally, the handicapper has taken note and the gelding will now return to Aintree off a British mark of 162, a career-high that will see him carry top-weight of 12st.
Eddie O’Leary, of owners Gigginstown House Stud, said: “He’s got an awful lot of weight.
“He’s up to 161 now (in Ireland, running off 162 in UK) and that is going to be very tough because he’s far from that.
“He’s going for the Becher because he will enjoy the fences, he’s run in the National the last twice and he just hasn’t quite got home.”
The burden he will carry is eased by the booking of jockey Danny Gilligan, who claims 5lb and has ridden Coko Beach in his two prior starts this season.
“Danny is taking 5lb off his back, which will help,” said O’Leary.
“There is no point in him running in something like the Savills Chase (at Leopardstown), because he’d get lapped.
“He’s a lovely horse, he’s only eight, he was second in a Fred Winter as a juvenile but unfortunately he’s got no chance competing against those good horses and his mark now is very tough in handicaps.”
Joe Tizzard has a real chance with The Big Breakaway, fifth in the Badger Beer Chase at Wincanton on his first run of the campaign.
The chestnut ran in the Grand National itself in April, but his bid was cut short when he fell at the second obstacle.
Tizzard believes he will have no issue taking to them this time around, however, and his chances are helped by the drop in his handicap mark to 147.
“I’m looking forward to running him over the Aintree fences and he was unlucky in the National, he just got knocked over at the second,” the trainer said.
“This has always been the plan with him, to get a run into him and then have a crack at these fences and make sure that he takes to them as we expect him to. He’s in lovely form at home.
“The handicapper has given him a chance, that is for certain, and for a horse who has only won one chase, we always felt he was a little bit high. That was a serious run at Chepstow (second in the Welsh National) and that sort of warranted his mark, but now he’s been given a bit of a chance.
“He’s a beautiful jumper of a fence at home and when he is on song. I think he will take to the fences well and if he gives us an answer to the question, then we will give him a proper Grand National campaign.”
Harry Cobden will ride instead of stable jockey Brendan Powell, who heads to Sandown instead, with Cobden having already taken the ride on the horse twice in his earlier career.
Tizzard said: “Harry won two Tophams for us and has actually ridden The Big Breakaway at Cheltenham in his novice days and has schooled him plenty of times, so it’s all worked out perfectly for me because I was worried I was going to have a headache and then got the phone call that Harry could ride all ours up there.”
Dan Skelton’s Ashtown Lad is the reigning champion in the race, having won by two and a quarter lengths from Gesskille in the contest last season.
He was pulled up in the Badger Beer when returning to action this season but has been well-fancied in the ante-post markets to return to form and retain his title.
Laura Morgan’s Percussion, second in the Grand Sefton over these unique obstacles, is another leading contender, alongside Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s Celebre D’Allen and Fergal O’Brien’s Highland Hunter.
Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham could be set for another blow with his senior assistant coach Chris Davies yet to make a decision over the vacant Swansea job.
Spurs rejected an approach from the Sky Bet Championship club to speak with Davies earlier this week, but the Welsh outfit have not given up hoping of hiring Postecoglou’s number two as Michael Duff’s replacement.
Ex-Celtic and Leicester coach Davies was on the touchline for Tottenham’s 2-1 home loss to West Ham on Thursday, which made it four defeats in five for the injury-hit hosts.
Top-four rivals Newcastle are up next for Spurs on Sunday and Postecoglou admitted Davies could still leave for Swansea after that fixture.
“I’ve had a brief discussion with Chris and he knows we’ve got a busy week, so we’ll focus on that,” Postecoglou said.
“He’s an outstanding individual; he’s done some great work with us and great work in the past. It’s not surprising to me that Swansea or other clubs would look at him.
“It’s what you want to be honest. You want good people and when you’ve got good people, they’re going to attract attention.
“From my perspective, whatever that transpires to, it’s very much in Chris’ hands.
“It’s his decision in terms of what he wants to do moving forward and obviously the club will deal with it from there.”
Davies leaving would be another unwanted disruption for Spurs, who remain without several key personnel due to injury and have not tasted victory since October 27.
But Postecoglou added: “I’ve always been relaxed.
“I have said in the past, it is part of my role to develop staff and I am really proud of the fact a lot of the guys I’ve worked with, the reason they are not with me as assistants is because they are senior managers in their own right.
“If you are looking for things that will be disruptive, you can use that as a clutch or an excuse for anything.
“We lost Harry Kane the day before the season started so there is a disruption, we lost half the squad after one game so there is a disruption. There will always be this.
“You can’t work in a vacuum where everything is perfect and, for me, I have been relaxed in these kind of situations because I have always believed the environment will cover whatever challenges we have if we get it right.”
Spurs will need to check on captain Son Heung-min ahead of Sunday’s match after he took a blow to the back late on in the West Ham defeat.
“He was a bit sore after the game obviously, but the extent of it we’ll need to see how he recovers today,” Postecoglou said of Son.
“There were a couple of others with knocks but I don’t think anything else is significant.
“Obviously we got Pape (Sarr) a few minutes last night and I understand him and Richarlison came through OK but there won’t be anyone else coming back between now and the new year.”
Amy Jones feels England’s players will stay relaxed about the Women’s Premier League auction while they focus on their second T20 international against India.
A total of 165 cricketers are set to go under the gavel in Mumbai on Saturday – including wicketkeeper-batter Jones who has set her base price at the second highest point, around £40,000.
England, meanwhile, will take to the field at the Wankhede Stadium looking to build on an impressive 38-run victory in the opening match of a first tour of India in four years, which also includes a one-off Test match.
Jones accepts the squad was distracted somewhat during the 2023 auction in February, which took place at the same time as a T20 World Cup game against Ireland, which England won by four wickets.
However, the 30-year-old Central Sparks player insists the team will be fully focused on the game on Saturday, rather than who might or might not get bought.
“We had a very similar situation last year in the World Cup, which was completely new for us as a group and was obviously the first ever (Women’s Premier League) auction for women’s cricket,” Jones said.
“I don’t know if it was a challenge last year, it was just something new to consider as a group. I think this year it will be a lot simpler, having done it before our attention will be on the game as much as possible.”
Jones added: “I think there has been big learnings from last year which was a completely new experience for everyone.
“We did sit down and try to address things, like issues that might come of it and it was always probably going to be a little bit of a distraction last year.
“A lot depends on expectation on an individual basis. A lot of us are pretty relaxed about it – that it would be great if it happens, if not, then we are playing so much cricket these days.
“I think that mentality is good. We are really focused on the game that we will have tomorrow, so I think it will be fine.”
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England batter Danni Wyatt was one of those to not have any takers in the last WPL auction.
Wyatt marked her record 150th T20 international appearance with an impressive 75 off just 47 balls in the opening tour win.
Jones is confident the Southern Vipers batter can put any thoughts of what might happen in the auction this time around out of her mind and just focus on producing another positive display.
“Danni was very open about last year, about really wanting to be a part of it and being sad that she missed out,” Jones said.
“As you would, you look after your friends and it doesn’t really stray from that to be honest, but I think this year is different and we are all managing expectations.
“It would be a cool thing to be part of obviously, but I don’t think we will have the emotions attached to it as such.”
England earlier confirmed Emma Lamb had withdrawn from the Test squad due to a back problem. She will see a spinal surgeon when back in the UK to determine the next steps of her recovery.
Southern Vipers batter Maia Bouchier has been called into the Test squad as a replacement, while Kirstie Gordon also links up with the group having remained in Mumbai after playing for England A in their IT20 series victory last week.
England could clinch their own series win on Saturday ahead of the third T20 fixture on Sunday.
Jones said: “Just to get the first win is almost like a bit of a relief and you definitely build your confidence going into the other games.”
The latest round of Premier League fixtures brings the respective battles at both ends of the table into sharp focus.
Leaders Arsenal go head-to-head with surprise package Aston Villa and reigning champions Manchester City attempt to end a rare barren period at the top, while, towards the foot, Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper finds himself in the limelight for the wrong reasons.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points surrounding the weekend’s games.
Familiar face
Mikel Arteta may not be pitch-side at Aston Villa on Saturday as he serves a touchline ban, but another Spaniard who is well known to Arsenal will be. Unai Emery was in charge at the Emirates Stadium between May 2018 and November 2019, when the Gunners dispensed with his services after a disappointing run of results. Emery returned to England in October last year and has since guided Villa into the top three, just four points adrift of his former employers at the top of the table and a genuine threat on home soil.
Timing is everything
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When Luton secured their promotion to the Premier League via last season’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final, their fans were able to dream of the days when English football’s aristocrats would head for Kenilworth Road. They could be forgiven for watching through their fingers when Manchester City make the trip on Sunday. City, for the first time in seven years, have not won in four league games, but the Hatters have managed only two top-flight victories all season. Few will give the hosts much chance of improving on that statistic this weekend.
Away the lads
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Newcastle travel to Tottenham on Sunday desperately searching for form away from St James’ Park. The Magpies, who won eight times on the road last season as they surged to a fourth-place finish, have collected three points away from Tyneside only once in seven attempts so far this season, courtesy of an 8-0 drubbing of Sheffield United. Spurs have lost their last three games on their own pitch to Chelsea, Aston Villa and West Ham. Something seemingly has to give.
Everton back in business
Everton’s response to the 10-point penalty which has left them fighting for their top-flight lives has been hugely impressive. Thursday night’s 3-0 victory over Newcastle – their fourth in six league outings – lifted them out of the bottom three and proved the perfect preparation for Chelsea’s visit to Goodison Park on Sunday. The Blues currently lie in 10th place with 19 points, one fewer than the total the Toffees would have had but for their punishment.
Cooper over a barrel?
Spare a thought for Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper. He has bullishly played down suggestions he could be out of a job if Forest lose a fifth successive league game when they head for Wolves on Saturday. The Welshman guided the club back into the Premier League at the end of the 2021-22 campaign and kept them there last season with four points to spare, the same margin they currently enjoy over the bottom three.
There will be a 7.30am inspection at Sandown on Saturday morning ahead of day two of the Betfair Tingle Creek Festival.
The going on the opening day of the meeting was described as soft, with good to soft places on the chase course and heavy, soft in places on the hurdles track, but there is significant rain forecast through the night and into the morning on Saturday.
Tomorrow’s card includes the Tingle Creek itself, along with the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase and the relocated Fighting Fifth Hurdle – all Grade One events.
Andrew Cooper, clerk of the course, said: “We have just been waiting for the latest weather outlook for tomorrow which does confirm that it looks like we are going to have a spell of potentially heavy rain from 4am until 9am.
“Most forecasts are giving around 10 millimetres in that time period, with some forecasts suggesting we could get either side of that.
“We have changed the hurdles course before the first race today to heavy, soft in places, while the chase course has been left as soft, good to soft in places.
“We are racing today on extremely soft ground and with the potential of a good volume of rain in the early hours, I think it is sensible to take stock and see what happens tomorrow morning.
“It can be hard to be too dogmatic as to what the tipping point is, as sometimes you are surprised how much rain the course will take and sometimes you are disappointed how little the course will take.
“My gut feeling is that we will be okay. It is a marvellous day of racing and we will do everything we can to race.”
Anticipated heavy rain has also prompted Chepstow to call a 7.30am precautionary check ahead of Saturday’s card, which features the Coral Welsh Grand National Trial.
The meeting at Wetherby has already been abandoned due to a waterlogged course.
Huntingdon passed a second inspection on Friday morning ahead of Sunday’s Peterborough Chase card.
Officials initially inspected on Thursday afternoon after the track was waterlogged earlier in the week, but conditions had improved with another check called ahead of declarations.
The track was found to be raceable, with the going reported as soft, heavy in places with further rain possible ahead of the fixture.
Kelso is due to stage Sunday’s other jumps action, with the Scottish Borders National the highlight, but the course will have to pass a 4.30pm precautionary inspection on Saturday due to forecast rain.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he is an “active legal exchange with the FIA” after the governing body launched an investigation into claims of an alleged conflict of interest with his wife, Susie.
The FIA has since dropped the controversial probe, which arose after a report in Business F1 magazine claimed that other team principals were concerned Wolff was benefiting from information shared by his wife, who is the managing director of the F1 Academy.
A day after the FIA announced its compliance inquiry, the sport’s other nine teams said they had not complained about the relationship between the Wolffs and, on Thursday night, the FIA said there is “no ongoing investigation”.
But on Friday the saga took another twist, when Wolff, who has overseen six of Lewis Hamilton’s record-equalling seven world championships, said Mercedes are considering legal action.
“We understand that there is significant media interest in the events of this week,” said the Austrian, 51.
“We are currently in active legal exchange with the FIA. We await full transparency about what took place and why, and have expressly reserved all legal rights.
“Therefore we ask you for your understanding that we will not be commenting officially for now, but we will certainly address the matter in due course.”
Forty-eight hours after the FIA said its compliance department was “looking into” the allegations, the federation said on Thursday that it “can confirm that there is no ongoing investigation in terms of ethical or disciplinary inquiries involving any individual”.
But Susie – who had already vehemently denied the allegations – calling them “intimidatory and misogynistic” – took another swipe at the FIA shortly before her husband’s statement.
Susie, who, in her role as boss of the all-female series, reports to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, said: “When I saw the statement issued by the FIA yesterday evening, my first reaction was: ‘Is that it?’
“For two days, insinuations have been made about my integrity in public and through background briefings, but nobody from the FIA has spoken to me directly.
“I might have been collateral damage in an unsuccessful attack on somebody else, or the target of a failed attempt to discredit me personally, but I have worked too hard to have my reputation called into question by an unfounded press release.
“We have come a long way as a sport. I was extremely thankful for the unified support of the Formula 1 teams. I have worked with so many passionate women and men at F1 and the FIA, who have the very best interests of our sport at heart.
“However, this episode has so far taken place without transparency or accountability. I have received online abuse about my work and my family. I will not allow myself to be intimidated and intend to follow up until I have found out who has instigated this campaign and misled the media.
“What happened this week is simply not good enough. As a sport, we must demand, and we deserve, better.”
Mercedes driver Hamilton is due to face the media later on Friday at the FIA’s prize-giving gala in Baku.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not planning to buy a centre-back to cover Joel Matip’s expected absence for the rest of the season but admits the nature of the Premier League means all clubs are “only two injuries away from a real problem”.
Matip’s anterior cruciate ligament injury means Klopp now has five senior players unavailable – Diogo Jota, Andy Robertson, Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic – with midfielder Alexis Mac Allister doubtful for the weekend trip to Crystal Palace after sustaining a problem in the midweek win over Sheffield United.
In central defence he has Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate – who has had two spells on the sidelines already this season – Joe Gomez and 20-year-old Jarell Quansah and he believes that will be enough to sustain them providing there are no further setbacks.
Klopp said rival clubs would not be leaving a top-class centre-back “under the Christmas tree for us” so he would likely manage with what he has.
“Everyone talks about us needing another player but they all cost money and they must be the right player,” said Klopp.
“You tell me a club who wants to sell a top centre-half. Not a centre-half but a top centre-half.
“For four or five days we’ve known Joel will be out for a long time and that’s really bad for us but we still have four centre-halves and that’s absolutely alright.
“If we had a fifth centre-half in beforehand it is a completely different team dynamic: when one is not involved, we don’t see steps with him, so it was like it was and it was perfect.
“Is it now perfect? I would say it is as long as we can go with those four, yes. If not then it would be a bit more tricky with the amount of games coming up.
“But it was never wonderland where you bring in a world-class centre-half until the other one is fit again.
“As long as other clubs don’t put them under the Christmas tree for us and say ‘Take it as long as you need it’ I don’t think so (it is likely to buy a player) to be honest.”
No timescale has been put on Matip’s return but with his contract due to expire in the summer, Klopp expects the club to look after the 32-year-old and offer a new deal.
“I would say so but it’s not my decision in the end,” he added.
“I am pretty sure the club will show their class and am pretty sure the club told Joel already that whatever happens as long as he is injured everything is fine.”
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s return to training ahead of schedule after a hamstring injury – he was not expected back until the visit of Manchester United next weekend – gives him a chance of playing at Selhurst Park and would be timely for a defence now missing 50 percent of its first-choice players with Robertson’s dislocated shoulder sidelining him since October.
With the changes which have taken place in the backline, the return to form of captain Van Dijk is even more important.
“It always was and always will be. Virg is the best defender in the world. Did he have lesser good spells? Yes. If you showed me one who never had I’d be really happy to meet him,” said Klopp.
“When we look in the back in the past (we think) Rio Ferdinand, Jaap Stam, Sami Hyypia were good all the time and always perfect. No-one was and no-one will be. Virg in this shape is super-important.”
LeBron James quipped he was not too old to put his body on the line for the $500,000 per player cash prize that goes to the NBA's in-season tournament winners.
James' comment came after he played a starring role in the Los Angeles Lakers' 133-89 demolition of the New Orleans Pelicans in Thursday's semi-final.
Just over three weeks away from his 39th birthday, James finished with 30 points, eight assists and five rebounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
He also got in the way of a Zion Williamson charge in the first quarter. Asked if he was too old to be risking a serious injury, James smiled: "Listen man, not for that 500, I ain't."
Each player on the winning side of the inaugural final, in which the Lakers will take on the Indiana Pacers, will receive a $500,000 bonus.
James was weighing up retirement after last season, but is thrilled to still be on the court.
"If you decide to retire, or whatever the case may be, you're not a part of it anymore, so it wouldn't be me leaving it on the table because I would have never had the table set," James told ESPN.
"But I'm happy that I'm here; this is a pretty cool moment, and let's see if we can capitalise on it. It's been good. It's been dope.
"We've got to finish our breakfast on Saturday. That's the most important thing."
Lakers coach Darvin Ham, meanwhile, believes the NBA's in-season tournament has injected fresh life into the early stages of the season.
"This time of the year you tend to, you don't want to admit it, but teams tend to sleepwalk through some of these games," Ham said.
"So for the league to infuse this tournament at this point and time of the year, I thought it was brilliant.
"Now being here in Vegas, it's definitely a really thick electricity that's happening that's reverberating all the way through the arena, through the teams. Everybody is excited to try to give it their best shot.
"We are just trying to build a rhythm and be the best team we can be and put our best foot forward on a daily basis. The tournament just happens to align with what we got going on in general."
It was another tough game for Pelicans talisman Williamson, who finished with only 13 points.
"I got to be better," Williamson said. "I got to be more aggressive in finding my shot. I got to do more things to get my team going. I think I was too laid back tonight."
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has undergone successful surgery on his back, the LaLiga champions have announced.
The 31-year-old had the operation after sitting out Germany’s matches against Turkey and Austria last month and three subsequent Barca fixtures.
A statement on the club’s official website read: “First team player Marc ter Stegen has successfully undergone surgery for his lower back issues.
“The procedure was performed by Dr Amelie Leglise under the supervision of the club’s medical services, at Sports Clinic Bordeux Merignac. He is out and his recovery will determine his availability.”
Barcelona had revealed on Tuesday that Ter Stegen was set for surgery, at which point the former Borussia Monchengladbach player said in a post on social media: “After intensive conversations with the medical team of the club and various supporting experts, we decided to undergo a surgical procedure.
“The break obviously annoys me. It is the right and safe decision in order to come back in the best conditions for my club and national team.”
In an intriguing draw held on Thursday night, Jamaica's national football team, the Reggae Boyz, discovered their fate in the upcoming 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America. Placed in Group B, they are poised to face formidable opponents such as Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela in the tournament set to begin in June 2024.
This marks Jamaica's third venture into the prestigious Copa America, following their spirited appearances in 2015 and 2016. In the Group Stage of 2015, the Reggae Boyz shared the field with Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, while in 2016, they navigated a challenging path against Venezuela, Mexico, and Uruguay.
Expressing his contentment with the draw, head coach Heimir Halgrimsson acknowledged the tough opponents but remained optimistic about his team's chances. "It is a fairly good draw. All teams are higher than us on the FIFA ranking, but still, it’s teams that we have a good chance of winning, so I am not so unhappy with the draw," stated the coach. He emphasized the difficulty of the upcoming matches while also highlighting the challenge posed by the match venues, situated in Las Vegas, Houston, and Boston, where the summer heat may prove disadvantageous for training.
Jamaica will open their campaign against Mexico on June 22, Ecuador on June 26 before completing their Group Stage matches against Venezuela on June 30.
In other group pairings, the United States finds itself in Group C alongside Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia. Group D is set to witness a showdown between Costa Rica or Honduras against heavyweights Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay. Group A promises a tough challenge for Trinidad and Tobago or Canada, who will face off against World Cup champions Argentina, Peru, and Chile.
Giannis Antetokounmpo insists the players must shoulder the blame after the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers in the in-season tournament semi-finals.
The Pacers won 128-119 in Las Vegas to take their place in the final of the inaugural competition. Indiana will face the Los Angeles Lakers in that show-piece game.
Milwaukee were the favourites heading into Thursday's matchup, but Antetokounmpo criticised the team's lack of organisation.
However, he was adamant the players, not the coaches, must take responsibility.
"The talent level we have is incredible," said Antetokounmpo, who finished with a double-double of 37 points and 10 rebounds. "But we have to be more organised.
"I feel like sometimes we're not organised at all. We don't know what we try to get from our offense, or sometimes defensively we're not sprinting back.
"We don't shoot a lot of early 3s. At the end of the day, you have to protect the ball. You have to know where the ball is. We had a lot of situations today that they got a lot of dunks, open 3s, early 3s. We have to be better.
"Nobody is going to give you anything. Like sometimes I feel like we expect just because we have great players out there, that Tyrese Haliburton or Myles Turner or Aaron Nesmith, somebody is not just going to give us the game.
"We have to be better. We have to go out there and take it. You know at the end of the day, I think we are great players, but if we don't go out there and compete, they are not going to respect us. They played their best against us.
"The players play the game. We play the game, you know? Coaches can say whatever they want to say and put us in the position to be successful, and you hope that they do that for you. But you've got to make the plays.
"It's not the coaches' fault you don't sprint back. If you're not able to execute down the stretch and you turn the ball over and you throw it to your opponent's hands, it's not the coaches' fault. You just have to take that."
Bucks coach Adrian Griffin, though, said the onus is on him.
"I've got to do a better job of getting them into some certain sets down," he said. "But we put ourselves in a position [to win].
"The first half was rocky. We made some good adjustments, but we've got to close out in the fourth quarter, which we've done very well. We just couldn't pull it off tonight."
Saudi Arabia’s sports minister insists everyone will be welcome at the 2034 World Cup despite the country’s criminalisation of same-sex activity.
The Middle East kingdom is all-but certain to host the finals in 11 years’ time after emerging as the sole bidder.
Concerns have been raised at what conditions will be like in Saudi Arabia for individuals from the LGBTQ+ community, but sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal has told the BBC: “Everyone’s welcome in the kingdom.
“Like any other nation we have rules and regulations that everyone should abide by and respect.
“When we come to the UK we respect the rules and regulations, whether we believe in them or not. Through the 85 events that we have had so far, we haven’t had any issues.”
The same issue was prevalent before and during the 2022 finals in Qatar. At that tournament, spectators had rainbow-coloured items confiscated by stadium security guards.
Seven countries’ captains were also threatened with sporting sanctions starting at a yellow card by FIFA if they wore rainbow-coloured ‘OneLove’ armbands at the tournament.
That competition was played in winter due to the oppressive summer heat in the Middle East, causing disruption to many leagues in Europe, but Prince Adbulaziz said it was not certain that would need to be repeated in Saudi Arabia.
“Why not see what the possibilities are to do it in the summer?” he added.
“Whether it is summer or winter it doesn’t matter for us, as long as we make sure that we (deliver) the right atmosphere to host such an event.”
He also said concerns over the treatment of migrant workers involved in building World Cup infrastructure, which dogged Qatar’s hosting for more than a decade in the run-up to the finals, would not be repeated.
“We have 10 years to work on that, we already started in a lot of the venues, so we have a long time to do it in the right time, in the right process,” he said.
“We’re already developing infrastructure… so we are not required to build a lot more to host such an event.”
There has been criticism of the process FIFA followed that left Saudi Arabia as the single bidder in the race for 2034.
FIFA announced in October that its Council had agreed the Portugal, Spain and Morocco bid as the sole candidate to host the 2030 finals and that the first three matches of the tournament should be played in South America to mark the event’s centenary.
On its continental rotation, that meant only bids from countries in the Asian and Oceania confederations would be considered for 2034.
When Australia announced on October 31 that it would not bid, Saudi Arabia was left as the sole candidate.
Prince Abdulaziz said it was “just a theory” that FIFA had engineered the process in Saudi Arabia’s favour and added: “Everyone was clear on the regulations, nobody objected to them during (the process) so I don’t think there was any lack of transparency from FIFA. It was only that we were ready to do it and maybe others weren’t. That’s not our fault.
“As you can see from the announcement of more than 125 federations in support of the Saudi bid… the world also wants us to host 2034.”
The bids for 2030 and 2034 still need to be fully evaluated and then ratified by all member associations at a FIFA Congress.
Mikel Arteta insists he will continue to show emotion on the touchline despite landing himself with a ban for Arsenal’s trip to Aston Villa.
The Spaniard will not be in the dugout at Villa Park as Arsenal aim to strengthen their grip at the top of the Premier League after he received a third yellow card of the season in Tuesday’s last-gasp victory at Luton.
The Gunners came from behind to win 4-3 as Declan Rice headed in the decider deep into stoppage time, with Arteta cautioned by referee Samuel Barrott, who deemed he had excessively celebrated the goal.
However, Arteta – who could face a further touchline ban following a Football Association charge for his post-match comments after the controversial loss at Newcastle – does not want to rein in his demeanour.
“I don’t know how to stop it,” he said.
“It was a really emotional moment with everybody bouncing around and you lose sense of where you are and the space you have to be in.
“It was unfortunate as now I cannot be next to my team on the touchline but it is a decision that they make looking strictly at the rules.
“After that I straight away sat on my seat and stayed there for 30 seconds but that was after the emotion. In the moment I think it is very difficult to demand that.”
Asked if he would actually want to stop showing his emotion, Arteta replied: “If I was given the opportunity, no.
“I would like to be with my players because we work closely every single day to achieve what we want, which is to win the games and when you get those moments in sport you should be able to do that.
“I understand as well that there are certain boundaries and you have to respect that you are at an away ground but if I was given the chance I would be there jumping.”
Arteta did suggest that not all managers have been punished for similar reactions, adding: “Maybe we have to extend (the technical area). We just need a very strong rope, or we don’t move. But it means we don’t move – all of us.
“The ‘we’ is different in the context and it is important to look at the ‘we’ in that context.”
Arteta will be in the directors’ box at Villa Park but will be allowed to take the pre-match team-talk and join his players in the dressing room at half-time and full-time before completing his media obligations.
Arsenal will be trying to become the first team to win at Villa since they themselves scored twice in stoppage time to seal a 4-2 victory in February.
Since then Unai Emery has overseen 14 successive home Premier League wins and will be keen to put one over his former club, with Villa sitting third in the table heading into the weekend.
Emery was chosen to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in 2018 but was sacked just 18 months later to be replaced by Arteta.
The pair both hail from the Basque Country – where fellow coaches Julen Lopetegui, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola also grew up.
Arteta admits Emery was a manager he looked up to as he started out on his own coaching career, saying: “He’s the most experienced and the most successful one, by quite a long distance with everything he’s achieved in the game and everything he’s won. He’s someone I admire.
“I followed him since he was in Almeria and for every team he has always been remarkable. He always improves the players, the team and the club.
“He’s Basque like I am and he is a manager that I really admire for what he has done in the game.
“He has done it in various countries at different levels and always been successful. I am really happy for him.”
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