LeBron James knows he has "got to be better" after he was "not very good at all" in the Los Angeles Lakers' 116-99 Game 5 playoff defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
The Grizzlies kept the series alive at 3-2 with a comfortable victory at FedExForum, where Desmond Bane scored 33 points and had 10 rebounds.
Ja Morant also had a big night for Memphis, finishing with 31 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers were unable to wrap up the series.
James could only muster 15 points and was taken off by head coach Darvin Ham after spending 37 minutes on court
The legendary 38-year-old turned his attention to ensuring he delivers on Friday after falling short of his usually sky-high standards.
"Just got to be better. It starts with me. Tonight I was not very good at all. My defense was pretty good.
"Offensively, I was not really good. So, we've all got to do a better job helping one another."
James added: "I'll be better in Game 6."
Bane is adamant the Lakers will not finish off the job in Game 6.
"I said it out there, and I’ll say it again," Bane said. "We are going to be back for a Game 7 in front of the best fans in the NBA."
Wembley will celebrate its 100th birthday on Friday, the anniversary of the first FA Cup final it hosted between Bolton and West Ham.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the landmark moments from the old and the new stadiums.
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba scored the winner in the 2007 FA Cup final, the first to be played at the new Wembley (PA Archive)[/caption]
A crestfallen Giannis Antetokounmpo declared "there's no failure in sports" after the Milwaukee Bucks were consigned to a stunning first-round playoff exit by the Miami Heat.
The Heat won Game 5 128-126 in overtime at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday to take the series 4-1.
Inspired by Jimmy Butler, who scored 42 points, Miami became the sixth number eight seed to beat a top seed and the first since the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012.
The Heat were two points down with 2.1 seconds to go, prompting Erik Spoelstra to call a timeout and draw up a play that Butler did not feel was the right approach, so his coach changed his mind.
That paid off when Gabe Vincent threw a pass to Butler, who tied up the game to force overtime and the Heat went on to eliminate the Bucks.
Bucks superstar Antetokounmpo, who scored 38 points and took 20 rebounds, dismissed talk of the team being a failure this season.
"There's no failure in sports," he said. "There's good days, bad days. Some days you're able to be successful. Some days you're not. Some days it's your turn.
"Some days it's not your turn. That's what sports is about. You don't always win.
"It’s not a failure, it's steps to success. There's always steps to it. You work towards a goal. Michael Jordan played 15 years, won six championships. The other nine years was a failure? No."
Spoelstra lavished praise on Butler after he stepped up once again to make a huge impact.
"He’s desperate and urgent and maniacal and sometimes psychotic about the will to try to win," Spoelstra said of Butler.
"He'll make everybody in the building feel it. That's why he is us and we are him. That's the way we operate as well."
The New York Knicks are "hopeful" on All-Star Julius Randle's availability for the Easter Conference Semifinals after re-injuring his left ankle and exiting their Game 5 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Randle left Wednesday's game with 1:17 remaining in the second quarter after landing awkwardly on the same ankle which sidelined hm for the final five games of the regular season.
Knicks head coach Tim Thibodeau revealed after their Game 4 win on Monday that Randle was still dealing with the ankle issue originally sustained on March 29 against the Miami Heat.
Randle was only able to play 16 minutes in Game 5 before exiting when he rolled his ankle, scoring 13 points with four rebounds and six assists.
"It would be premature for me to comment," Thibodeau told reporters after the game. "Obviously, he has to be re-examined tomorrow. We're hopeful that it's not bad."
The Knicks' triumph means they get a longer break prior to the Conference Semifinals commencing on May 31 against Miami, who knocked out the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.
"The turnaround will be quick," Thibodeau said. "That's the next challenge, be ready."
The magnitude of the Knicks' victory was not lost on Thibodeau, marking the franchise's first postseason series win in more than a decade, dating back to 2012.
"The tradition of the Knicks, not only what it means to the city and the league," he said. "We have the best fans in the world, best city in the world, best arena in the world.
"They respond to the way this team plays. They play hard. They play smart and they play together. There's still a lot of work to be done. We have a lot of areas to improve upon. We're looking forward to the next challenge."
Jalen Brunson scored 23 points, while R.J. Barrett added 21, with Mitchell Robinson pulling in 11 offensive rebounds from his 18 for the game.
The Knicks out-rebounded the Cavs throughout the series, including 48-30 in the clincher and Cleveland All-Star Donovan Mitchell cited that physicality as the difference.
"They outplayed us," Mitchell said. "It's as simple as that. They did their job and we didn't.
"For me, personally, I don't feel like I was the player I needed to be for this group. I just didn’t deliver."
Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said overtime hero Matthew Tkachuk is "just a gamer" after his dramatic goal clinched a 4-3 road win over the Boston Bruins in Game 5.
The Panthers will take the series back to Florida for Game 6, with Tkachuk swooping on an error from Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark to show poise and score six minutes into OT.
Tkachuk has been a central point during the Stanley Cup first-round series, with Ullmark threatening to fight him in Game 4, but Maurice lavished him with praise after his Game 5 heroics.
"That guy is a - and then you put a long string of profanity - gamer," Maurice told reporters. "Is he not a gamer?
"There's 700 guys in the league, 640 of them jam that thing as fast as they can and lose it, and he pulls it across. He's just a gamer."
Tkachuk revelled in sending the series back to Florida, after scoring his first career playoff OT goal in his 32nd playoff game. It was also the Panthers' first OT win in their history when facing elimination (1-4).
"I think my favourite part about this is I guarantee everybody in this building thought the series was over today," he said. "Get it back on a flight down to Florida, that's the most exciting part."
The Bruins set several regular-season records, including most wins (65) and most points (135) in NHL history and were the raging favourites for the series against the Panthers, who were the East's second wild-card team.
"We were supposed to get swept this series, right? Everyone was saying," Tkachuk said. "I don't think anybody really gave us a chance after losing two games in a row at home. Coming here, it just seemed like the series was over before the game even started.
"Now they're coming down to Florida. We know there can't possibly be a Game 7 in their mind right now, and everybody here in Boston's minds. So it's up to us to see you guys back here in a few days."
It may have been different when Brad Marchand skated in alone on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky late in regulation but was denied.
"I knew it wasn’t going in," Maurice said, before he admitted he was lying. "You can't know that it wasn't going in, so I'm full of [it] when I just said that to you.
"But I don’t feel like we’ve had a whole lot of advantage in this series, in the karma of the game. I just felt that we had stored enough karma that that shot wouldn't go in."
The result means the Bruins have lost consecutive home games for the first time this season.
"We tend to make big mistakes right now," Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said. "I don't know why, but the last two games at home we don't manage the ice or manage the puck, it's one of the two."
Jimmy Butler delivered another clutch display with 42 points including a dramatic game-tying shot to send Game 5 to overtime before the Miami Heat eliminated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks 128-126 on Wednesday.
The OT victory at Fiserv Forum meant the Heat completed a shock 4-1 first round series triumph, becoming the sixth eight seed to beat a top seed and the first in more than a decade, dating back to 2012.
The Heat launched another fourth-quarter rally led by Butler, similar to Game 4, fighting back from a 102-86 three-quarter time deficit.
Butler scored 14 fourth-quarter points including a game-tying three-pointer with 2:11 left, along an incredible falling alley oop layup from Gabe Vincent's inbound with time almost expiring to send the game to OT.
Miami went ahead early in OT and did not surrender their lead, although the Bucks spurned the final possession as the clock expired with Grayson Allen unable to get a shot away.
Butler finished with 42 points on 17-of-33 shooting with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Kevin Love made five triples with 12 rebounds, while Gabe Vincent added 22 points and Bam Adebayo had a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points with 20 rebounds and Khris Middleton shot four-of-10 from three-point range in his 33 points.
Road Warriors take lead in series
The Golden State Warriors claimed a rare road win at the right time, as they claimed a 3-2 series lead over the Sacramento Kings with a 123-116 victory.
Stephen Curry scored 31 points on 12-of-25 shooting, making only two-of-10 from beyond the arc, coming up with a patient three-point play to ice the game with 22.4 seconds left.
The Kings had closed within one point at 111-110 with 4:14 left, with Malik Monk getting hot to finish with 21 points after being scoreless midway through the third. De'Aaron Fox scored a team-high 24 points on nine-of-25 shooting with seven rebounds and nine assists but six turnovers.
Klay Thompson went five-of-11 from three-point range in his 25 points, while Draymond Green scored 20-plus points for the first time since Christmas 2019 with 21 points off the bench.
Grizzlies stay alive, Knicks progress
Desmond Bane and Ja Morant starred as the Memphis Grizzlies stayed alive in the playoffs with a 116-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers after a strong first half.
The Grizzlies led by as much as 17 points in the first half and while the Lakers closed the gap, Memphis pulled away again led by Bane's 33 points with four three-pointers, while Morant added 31 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Xavier Tillman did a brilliant defensive job on LeBron James who was kept to 15 points on five-of-17 shooting, going scoreless in the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis had 31 points and 19 rebounds. The Lakers lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 in LA.
The New York Knicks advanced into the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals with a 106-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers rounding out a 4-1 series win, their first series triumph since 2013.
Wales appointed Gareth Jenkins as their new head coach, replacing Mike Ruddock who resigned from the post earlier in the year, on this day in 2006.
Ruddock had won the Grand Slam with Wales a year earlier, but was succeeded by Jenkins, who signed a two-year contract to incorporate the 2007 World Cup.
Wales Rugby Union chairman David Pickering was part of a five-man panel that recommended Jenkins for the position.
Pickering said: “What shone through for us was Gareth’s fantastic passion and vision for the game. He is a coach of the highest calibre and he has had success over many years with Llanelli.
“We, as a board, are absolutely delighted. He is the right man at the right time to take Wales forward. We went out to seek the best man for the job – it is what we said from day one – and we know we have got the best person for the job.”
A firm favourite of the Welsh supporters, Jenkins enjoyed success with Llanelli and was assistant Wales coach when they were crowned 1994 Five Nations champions.
Additionally, he helped Ian McGeechan mould an unbeaten midweek team during the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
However, Jenkins’ reign in charge lasted just 20 Tests, winning only six games before his dismissal in September 2007 following a disappointing World Cup campaign.
Wales had beaten Canada and Japan in their group, but lost their decisive match against Fiji, meaning they did not reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
Following Jenkins’ departure, Warren Gatland was then appointed as Wales boss and immediately led the side to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2008.
Aaron Judge overcame injury as he drove in three runs to lead the New York Yankees past the Minnesota Twins 12-6 on Wednesday.
Judge had an injury scare with an awkward slide into third base on a failed steal attempt in the second inning, immediately walking off the field and into the Yankees tunnel.
The Yankees outfielder got himself stuck in the ground on the head-first slide, with his shoulders lurching forward while his body stayed almost still.
Judge, on his 31st birthday, appeared to be favouring his right arm as he left the field and seemed to have some wrist discomfort when he returned to the bench. He would return to play, with a walk, single and strikeout, having hit a three-run double in the second inning before his injury scare.
Gleyber Torres capped a six-run fourth-inning by crushing a 429-foot two-run blast to left field to open up an 11-1 lead.
Jose Miranda homered twice for the Twins, while Joey Gallo drove in Miranda with a sixth-inning blast to make it 11-5, but the Yankees were always in control after racing to an early 5-0 lead.
Anthony Volpe and Anthony Rizzo both had two-run doubles, with the former going two-for-three with three RBIs. Dominic German had eight strikeouts across six innings but allowed five runs.
Rays shut down again
The record-breaking Tampa Bay Rays were shut down for the second straight time as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against the reigning world champion Houston Astros.
Hunter Brown had a career-high eight strikeouts as he combined with two relievers on a two-hitter, with Ryan Pressly working a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.
The Astros scored on a Wander Franco error for misplaying a potential inning-ending double play, with Alex Bregman credited with the RBI, as Jeremy Pena scored.
Houston ended the Rays' 14-game home winning run to start the new season on Tuesday and backed that up.
Maggi's magic moment after long wait
Drew Maggi had a moment to remember, making his MLB debut after 13 seasons and more than 1000 games in the minor leagues, as the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1.
The 33-year-old journeyman came in to pinch hit in the eighth inning and struck out on four pitches, having cranked a foul shot into the stands down the left-field line off his first pitch. It was Maggi's only at-bat and the end result was slightly underwhelming but it stirred up loud applause from the PNC Park crowd.
Jason Delay went three-for-three with three RBIs, while Roansy Contreras took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Contreras finished with five strikeouts and two walks, allowing only two runs.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was cited for two cases of third-degree assault after allegedly hitting two women with a chair immediately after his side's NBA playoffs elimination.
Edwards raced off the court after missing an attempted game-tying three-pointer on the buzzer as the Timberwolves lost 112-109 to the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 at Ball Arena sealing their elimination.
As Edwards exited down the tunnel, he grabbed a folding chair and swung it before throwing it, allegedly striking two women in the process.
The Denver Police Department confirmed on Wednesday that they are investigating the incident, although they noted neither woman was seriously injured. According to reports, the police held up the Timberwolves team bus to cite Edwards after the game.
The Timberwolves said in a statement: "We are aware of the alleged incident regarding Anthony Edwards following Game 5 in Denver and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this moment."
A third-degree assault charge in Colorado carries a punishment of up to 18 months in jail and a fine of up to $1000. The former NBA Draft top overall pick is scheduled for a June 9 court date in Denver.
Aaron Rodgers hinted his stay with the New York Jets could stretch beyond the 2023 season as he targeted glory at his unveiling, saying: "That Super Bowl III trophy is looking a little lonely".
Rodgers ended a near-two-decade stint with the Green Bay Packers earlier this week, with the Jets trading four draft picks to land the four-time NFL MVP.
During the offseason, Rodgers hinted his future could lay outside the league, saying retirement was "100 per cent" an option back in February.
However, speaking at a press conference to mark his arrival in New York, Rodgers suggested he could represent the franchise for more than one season.
"They definitely gave up some picks for me to be here, so this isn't like one and done, in my mind," he said.
Asked if he was simply determined to enjoy the present, rather than look to the future, Rodgers added: "If that rubs some people the wrong way, so be it.
"I want to be all in. I want my 'yes' to be a full 'F yes'."
The Jets' 1969 triumph at Super Bowl III remains the only occasion on which they have won it all, with Rodgers looking to help the team end a miserable 12-year stint without a postseason run.
"I love daydreaming and night dreaming, too – it's fun to take your mind to that spot," he said.
"That's why I'm here. I'm not here to be a stopgap to have a mediocre season. We want to win the whole thing. That Super Bowl III trophy is looking a little lonely."
US Open finalists in 2021, neither Emma Raducanu nor Leylah Fernandez made it beyond the first round at the Madrid Open.
Raducanu, who is set to drop out of the WTA's top 100, withdrew from her first-round meeting with Viktoriya Tomova on Wednesday due to a hand injury.
The 20-year-old Briton has endured a difficult season, with her best performance coming at the Indian Wells Open, where she lost to world number one Iga Swiatek in the last 16.
Fellow youngster Fernandez has also struggled, and she came unstuck against world number 194 Mirra Andreeva, who progressed 6-3 6-4.
The big shock came as Jaqueline Cristian, ranked 525th in the singles rankings, defeated 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
Having taken the first set, Stephens looked set to book her place in round two, only for Romanian Cristian to prevail 5-7 6-4 6-4.
Alize Cornet overcame world number 39 Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-3, while Camila Giorgi was forced to retire from her match with Mayar Sherif before the start of a deciding third set, and Amanda Anisimova was another top-50 casualty.
Rebeka Masarova, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, Marina Bassols Ribera and Irene Burillo Escorihuela carried the flag for Spain into the next round.
Eugenie Bouchard got the better of Dayana Yastremska as her return to top-level tennis continues.
Inter Milan booked their place in the Coppa Italia final as Federico Dimarco’s goal was enough to down Juventus.
With the semi-final level at 1-1 from the first leg, it was Inter who progressed after Dimarco’s first-time finish with just 15 minutes on the clock saw the hosts advance 2-1 on aggregate.
In Spain, Barcelona failed to further extend their lead at the top of LaLiga after slipping to a surprise defeat at Rayo Vallecano.
Nearest challengers Real Madrid had been stunned at Girona on Tuesday night but Barca lost 2-1 as the gap at the summit remained at 11 points.
Alvaro Rivera broke the deadlock for the home side, whose hopes of European qualification was boosted when Fran Garcia doubled their lead and they hung on despite a late Robert Lewandowski effort.
Third-placed Atletico Madrid came from behind to beat Real Mallorca 3-1 and move just two points behind their city rivals.
Matija Nastasic headed Mallorca in front only for Rodrigo De Paul to fire the hosts level in first-half stoppage time.
Comeback ✅ pic.twitter.com/rQLZmuEagR
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) April 26, 2023
Atleti were ahead two minutes after the restart courtesy of a fine Alvaro Morata header and the points were secured when Yannick Carrasco collected a through ball and finished coolly.
Luis Suarez hit a brace as Almeria won 2-1 at fellow relegation candidates Getafe who pulled a goal back through Borja Mayoral having seen Djene Dakonam sent off at the end of the first half.
Bottom club Elche lost 1-0 at Celta Vigo as Joseph Aidoo scored in the last minute.
Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom urged his side to enjoy themselves after clinching promotion to the Premier League with a 2-0 win over West Brom at Bramall Lane.
Second-half goals from Sander Berge and Anel Ahmedhodzic gave the Blades, who lost in the play-offs last term, the victory they needed to seal their return to the top flight.
Heckingbottom said: “I said to the players before the game we got so close to promotion last season. We’ve got to enjoy this, you enjoy every win and when it’s a win as special and significant as this, we are going to have a good time.
“I thought in the second half we were much better, we stepped on to them a lot more and we changed the midfield around slightly, we went to a three-man midfield.
“West Brom are very well organised and if we didn’t get through them in the first two or three passes, they had two banks of four and were difficult to break down and were breaking on us. So we had to work hard but we’ve had that in every game.
“I think you have to be motivated by winning; you’ve got to take the risks. You may end up failing or doing things that cost you your job but you’ve got to go for it.
“I don’t think it will sink in for a while but I’m just determined to enjoy tonight and make sure everyone else enjoys tonight. It’s a shame we’ve got three more games left!”
West Brom manager Carlos Corberan said his team, two points off the play-off places, are going to fight to win their remaining two games.
Corberan said: “For me, we played with personality, even if we didn’t achieve the result we wanted to. I think the team was competing well enough until the first goal.
Premier League Bound Blades. ? pic.twitter.com/EUn4fxPZDo
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) April 26, 2023
“We had a big chance early on but unfortunately we couldn’t score. The players have put a lot of effort in and I have to give them credit because they were trying to be brave.
“It was an even game and then we conceded the goal which unbalanced the game and emotionally it was difficult to change the result.
“The way to change games like these is to attack but in the last third of the pitch we didn’t find the solutions to connect and create something else.
“They were better than us in the attacking half and we couldn’t find a way to unbalance the game like they did.
“Until the end we are going to fight to win football games. We have six points left to play for and we have to be determined to give our best and be focused on what we have to do.”
Frank Lampard said Chelsea supporters have every right to be worried after they slipped to a fifth straight defeat under his management against Brentford at Stamford Bridge.
Cesar Azpilicueta’s own-goal and a late breakaway effort from Bryan Mbeumo sealed a 2-0 win for the visitors and condemned Lampard’s team to a sixth game in their last seven in which they have failed to score as their faint hopes of finishing in the Premier League’s top half became increasingly distant.
The numbers surrounding Chelsea’s fall are alarming. They have not won in any competition or on any ground since beating Leicester at the King Power Stadium on March 11 when Graham Potter was still the manager.
"Everything is going against us"
"We would love a magic wand or a magic moment" ?
Frank Lampard reflects on Chelsea's current tough time… pic.twitter.com/U9fo4rsze8
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 26, 2023
Since then, Bruno Saltor and Lampard have between them overseen a winless run that now stands at eight games.
Only one player has scored for this side since Potter’s penultimate game in charge on March 18, Conor Gallagher’s heavily deflected strike in the home defeat by Brighton.
That run is compounded by the fact that six of those eight winless matches have come at Stamford Bridge.
Afterwards Lampard defended the right of supporters to boo the team, as those who stayed did en masse at the final whistle, but he said it is confidence and not a lack of application that has set the players on their downward spiral.
“Absolutely the fans are going to be worried,” said Lampard. “If you’re a Chelsea fan, you’ve been used to 20 years of success, you’re used to it and you want it more.
West London is ? pic.twitter.com/VEoUKNlGST
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) April 26, 2023
“I’ve got no problem with fans booing. I’m not sitting here to go against the fans and say don’t boo the players. I’ll defend the players because they’re young lads who want to do well. Is there an issue with confidence? Yes. Is there an issue with the balance of the squad? Maybe yes.
“I’m not patronising everybody, I expect them to have an idea what’s going on behind the scenes, but when you work with it in this Premier League, if you think Brentford are going to come and turn you around and have corners and throw-ins against you and you’re going to walk that game, that’s not the case any time.
“When you’re in this moment with a lack of confidence, then it can be difficult to win a game. I’m not exonerating the players, far from it. I’m just supporting them. They’re in there disappointed because they wanted to win that game. They performed in my opinion like they wanted to win it.
“Is there a confidence issue? Yes. Are we dynamic enough in the final third? No. Have we been for a long time before I came here? No. Those things are not things that are going to turn overnight. We have to keep working.
“I understand the fans booing. I don’t think anybody is saying they can’t believe that’s the case today.”
Chelsea were sluggish from the start and rarely looked like breaking down Brentford, who played their way to a second straight win on this ground by patiently holding the hosts at arm’s length and waiting for their moment to strike.
Azpilicueta on his return to the team was unlucky to deflect the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga from a Brentford corner, but Chelsea had only themselves to blame for the ease with which Mbeumo swept through them to seal the win 12 minutes from time.
Off the bench and onto the scoresheet ⚽️
Bryan Mbeumo doubles the lead as the Bees buzz around Stamford Bridge ? pic.twitter.com/J4b7glrSrj
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 26, 2023
The hosts’ staring XI had scored only 10 goals between them all season, and yet again their lack of firepower up front was evident.
“There is a balance in the squad to address, I think everybody sees that,” said Lampard. “What can you do? This has been a problem that predates me coming recently into this. When there are not so many goals you also have to have players who can do a tactical job and work for the team.
“We have to keep working and fighting to try and create opportunities to score goals. Maybe there aren’t goals so much in the team, and we’re low on confidence. There’s a clear issue in the squad, not scoring enough goals for a team like Chelsea.”
Brentford boss Thomas Frank reflected that Chelsea possibly showed his side too much respect in picking a team with so little obvious attacking threat.
“So nice to win,” he said. “This was a well-deserved win. We were aggressive in the high press especially in the first half. Second half it was a little bit more difficult for us to do.
“I was pleased Chelsea showed us so much respect.
“I respect every team. We don’t fear any team, but we need to be very respectful. We spoke about the team when we saw the line-up, it’s still top players where one moment can decide the game.”
David Moyes accused the VAR of “disrespect” after West Ham were denied a late penalty as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat by Liverpool.
Moyes angrily confronted Chris Kavanagh on the field at full-time after the referee decided not to award a penalty when Thiago’s arm hit the ball as he challenged Danny Ings in the box.
The Hammers boss was convinced VAR Neil Swarbrick should have at least told Kavanagh to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
“I’ve a chance to see it since,” said Moyes. “The difference for me is, and you’ll probably hear them coming out with some rubbish about he needed to break his fall, but if you lunge it’s your own fault for lunging and being out of control in the tackle.
“You can break your fall by sliding and having to put your arm down but when you lunge for the ball, for me, that completely nullifies anything they’re talking about breaking your fall. I think it’s a penalty kick.
“I think the hardest thing to take is the disrespect from VAR, that VAR wouldn’t have at least said to the referee that this might be worth having a look. That tells me they don’t see that as even close to a decision. I’m surprised.
“Somebody in VAR didn’t have enough football knowledge to understand that this could be close.
“Whoever it was chose not to send the referee. VAR, for me, showed no respect whatsoever to us.
“The handball rule has changed dramatically and I don’t like a lot of it, to be fair. Do I think the boy meant tonight for it to hit his hand? No I didn’t. But he got his hand in the way of a ball going through made by his own actions.
“Look, it’s not about that (an apology). They might need to apologise to the football club because we’re trying to get points to be a Premier League team.”
Joel Matip’s towering header saw Liverpool come from behind pick up a third straight win.
The Hammers led through a wonder strike from Lucas Paqueta but were pegged back by Cody Gakpo’s long-range drive.
And moments after Jarrod Bowen had a goal disallowed for offside, Matip struck from a corner to halt West Ham’s recent revival.
“I heard now about the handball. I thought he just fell on the ball but I can see why Moyesie would think different,” said Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, whose side climbed to sixth.
“I liked the performance a lot. Parts of the first half we were exceptional. We made one mistake and they scored a great goal, what a screamer. But we stayed calm and scored our screamer.
“Second half I liked as well. We had to dig in deep because of the physicality of West Ham. I would have liked the game if it was a draw. We won so that makes it the perfect night for us.”
David Moyes accused the VAR of “disrespect” after West Ham were denied a late penalty as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat by Liverpool.
Moyes angrily confronted Chris Kavanagh on the field at full-time after the referee decided not to award a penalty when Thiago’s arm hit the ball as he challenged Danny Ings in the box.
The Hammers boss was convinced VAR Neil Swarbrick should have at least told Kavanagh to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
“I’ve a chance to see it since,” said Moyes. “The difference for me is, and you’ll probably hear them coming out with some rubbish about he needed to break his fall, but if you lunge it’s your own fault for lunging and being out of control in the tackle.
“You can break your fall by sliding and having to put your arm down but when you lunge for the ball, for me, that completely nullifies anything they’re talking about breaking your fall. I think it’s a penalty kick.
“I think the hardest thing to take is the disrespect from VAR, that VAR wouldn’t have at least said to the referee that this might be worth having a look. That tells me they don’t see that as even close to a decision. I’m surprised.
“Somebody in VAR didn’t have enough football knowledge to understand that this could be close.
“Whoever it was chose not to send the referee. VAR, for me, showed no respect whatsoever to us.
“The handball rule has changed dramatically and I don’t like a lot of it, to be fair. Do I think the boy meant tonight for it to hit his hand? No I didn’t. But he got his hand in the way of a ball going through made by his own actions.
“Look, it’s not about that (an apology). They might need to apologise to the football club because we’re trying to get points to be a Premier League team.”
Joel Matip’s towering header saw Liverpool come from behind pick up a third straight win.
The Hammers led through a wonder strike from Lucas Paqueta but were pegged back by Cody Gakpo’s long-range drive.
And moments after Jarrod Bowen had a goal disallowed for offside, Matip struck from a corner to halt West Ham’s recent revival.
“I heard now about the handball. I thought he just fell on the ball but I can see why Moyesie would think different,” said Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, whose side climbed to sixth.
“I liked the performance a lot. Parts of the first half we were exceptional. We made one mistake and they scored a great goal, what a screamer. But we stayed calm and scored our screamer.
“Second half I liked as well. We had to dig in deep because of the physicality of West Ham. I would have liked the game if it was a draw. We won so that makes it the perfect night for us.”
Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper says his side still have work to do after they moved out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 3-1 win over Brighton.
Forest were on a seemingly irreversible slide back to the Championship after a horror run of 11 games without a victory going back to February, but they stopped the rot at the City Ground.
Another defeat had been on the cards after the Seagulls went ahead through Facundo Buonanotte’s goal on his first Premier League start after Brennan Johnson had missed an early penalty for Forest.
But an own goal by Pascal Gross on the stroke of half-time followed by second-half efforts from Danilo and Morgan Gibbs-White gave them a vital win.
The relegation battle looks like going to the wire, with six clubs realistically in the fight, and Cooper knows this victory does not count for anything if they cannot back it up.
“Delighted, the result is always the most important thing but definitely at this moment in time,” Cooper said.
“There were loads of positives, but it is a good win, you have to enjoy them until we leave the dressing room and drive out because we have got another game on Saturday and we have to be really ready for it. We have to be ready for Brentford.
“We have to look after ourselves, if you get the results you need things will take care of themselves with league position. We managed to get the win tonight. Let’s try and improve it again on Saturday and that has to be the only thing we are thinking about.
“I’m over the moon, I’m so pleased for the players and the supporters, but we haven’t won for months and I don’t think we can win a game and celebrate too much.
“I was walking off the pitch thinking about getting ready for Brentford. We have got a lot of work to do and I want everybody in tomorrow working even harder than they did today. That has to be the mentality.”
Cooper confirmed that Neco Williams had been taken to hospital after a sickening clash with team-mate Johnson in the second half.
He said: “I had a look when he came off and I saw blood so fingers crossed it is not too bad, his health comes first regardless of results.”
Brighton were looking to bounce back from the heart-breaking FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United, but this loss hurt their European ambitions as they dropped to eighth, although they do have games in hand on the teams above them.
Boss Roberto De Zerbi said his threadbare squad ran out of energy after a bright opening.
“We deserved to lose the game, we played well for the first 35 minutes in the first half and then we lost energy,” the Italian said.
“We didn’t change too many players from Wembley, we knew it was a very tough game, we could have scored more goals in that 35 minutes and then we lost the spirit and energy.
“It’s a difficult period for us because we are not used to playing three games in a week but we have to use it because we will play eight games and we have to fight to reach our target.
“For sure I am honest and I don’t want to speak in this way when we lose the game. I am proud for my players today when we lost the game.”
Erik ten Hag has praised potential summer target Harry Kane’s intelligence, personality and goalscoring instincts ahead of Manchester United’s trip to Tottenham.
Fresh from edging past Brighton in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final on penalties, the Red Devils return to London for a key match in the race for Champions League qualification.
Fourth-placed United boast a six-point cushion and two games in hand on Spurs, who turned to Ryan Mason as caretaker boss following their 6-1 shellacking at Newcastle.
But whatever the disfunction at Spurs, club record goalscorer Kane always seems to find a way to find the net and took his tally to 26 in all competitions at St James’ Park.
The 29-year-old’s deal at his boyhood club expires next year and United have been strongly linked with a summer move for the striker, who was subject of a failed pursuit by Manchester City in 2021.
“It’s quite clear his impact on the game from Spurs,” United boss Ten Hag said of threat posed by Kane on Thursday night.
“We have a plan of course for that. The home game we did very well, so for tomorrow we need a very good plan as well.
“You have to defend him as a team. He’s a clever player, so don’t allow him to come into situations. He can have a big impact on the game.”
Asked what makes Kane such a great striker, Ten Hag said: “First of all, the number of goals.
“And also his key actions (that) come to a goal, final passes as well. He’s just a great player, great personality as well.”
Then pushed on whether he would fit in well at United, Ten Hag said after a slight pause: “I am preparing my team tomorrow for a game against Spurs.
“He is one of the players but we have to face Spurs, so I don’t think about anything else.”
United had already looked light up top before Cristiano Ronaldo’s acrimonious November departure.
Football director John Murtough told a fans’ forum the following month that “it’s no secret that we’re looking for a new centre-forward”.
Wout Weghorst joined on loan from Burnley in January to plug that gap for the remainder of the season, but Murtough said “the main focus remains on the summer window”.
Planning was well under way for that window before the curtain came down on 2022 and Kane is among the elite number nines United have been linked with.
“I think we have to strengthen the team on more positions (than just striker) – for instance the depth in the squad,” Ten Hag said when asked about the need for a striker.
“But don’t think about that in this moment. It’s not about that.
“So far I think we have a great season so keep going, keep improving, keep progressing.
“The team is doing so well and I think it’s enjoyable to be part of this team.
“We have to keep the process going. We have good players, we have a great team, we have a great year but it’s only success if you keep going.”
United won the Carabao Cup in February and have the FA Cup final against Manchester City to look forward to on June 3.
They are on course for a top-four finish but last week’s embarrassing Europa League quarter-final loss at Sevilla provided a reality check for Ten Hag’s developing team.
“Of course it would be great but in this moment we can’t dream for that,” the United boss said when the prospect of pushing for the title next year rather than the top four was put to him.
“We know where Man United should belong, but the reality is we are not in that place, so, as a club, we have to work very hard to get back in that position.
“So, don’t dream in this moment, be in the reality and make a good plan, strategy, but work very hard and be ready for every game.
“I think we are in a good direction, but we have still a way to go. That’s also the truth.”
Ryan Mason has insisted he now feels ready to be Tottenham manager after experiencing a level of “uncertainty” during his first caretaker spell in charge.
Mason became the youngest ever Premier League boss in 2021 when he replaced Jose Mourinho for the final month of the season and he is back in the role after Cristian Stellini was dismissed following Sunday’s 6-1 thrashing at Newcastle.
The 31-year-old is Spurs’ third manager of the campaign but believes he is better equipped to steer the ship this time having spent the last 18 months as first-team coach at his boyhood club.
“At that time did I know I was ready? There was a lot of uncertainty but looking at it now, I know I’m ready to help the group and deal with the situation in a good way,” Mason reiterated.
“I’m young, yes, but not in terms of a coach. Six years of coaching solid is a long time.
“A normal player retires at 35 and if you fast forward six years then you’re 40, 41 and the perception is probably totally different.
“In terms of my age I may be young but not in terms of my coaching experience.
“Obviously there are ambitions when you start coaching and you chase things, but I’ve always lived in a way which is to deal with what is happening right now and never take your eye off the ball.
“I’m ready for this situation and I feel like the players know I’m ready as well. The focus is on these next six games and then in the summer we will see what the best situation is for the football club.”
A number of Mason’s old team-mates have left Tottenham during the past two years but several do remain at the club and the likes of Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier and Harry Kane form part of the squad’s leadership group.
Yet the former Spurs midfielder is adamant he will have no issue making difficult decisions over the next month.
All focus on Thursday ?
? @getir_UK pic.twitter.com/Ldn1joubc2
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 25, 2023
Mason added: “Honestly, I believe in this group and I believe in these players.
“Last season we finished the season exceptionally well and sometimes in football it is a deeper thing than just having players. It is more about the environment and the mindset or confidence.
“There are so many factors that can affect results.
“Naturally in the last two years since I have been in the first team coaching it is not a friendship, it is a professional working relationship.
“There is respect there – there has always been respect there – but ultimately they knew two years ago and they know now that I am a decision-maker. That’s my job.
“They are going to have to respect that and understand that and I am going to make decisions which I feel are the best for the team to get a result.”
Previously part of Antonio Conte’s coaching staff, Mason remained respectful of the Italian despite a difficult campaign for the club.
He did highlight the mid-season World Cup and the death of fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone as decisive factors.
But Mason said: “First of all I am not going to get drawn into speaking about Antonio and Cristian because I worked with them for a long time and I am grateful for the opportunity I had with them.
“I learnt a lot from them and their team as well. How they managed things was how they managed things.
“My job and their job is to get results on the football pitch. How you set a culture and environment differs from every single individual but I know what I want to do and I am clear with that.”
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