Chelsea made hard work of reaching the Club World Cup final with a 1-0 win against Al Hilal in the last four on Wednesday.

Thomas Tuchel's side – playing without their coach following his positive coronavirus test – were in control from the outset and should never have been in danger of becoming the first European champions to fall short of the final since Manchester United in 2000.

But slack play in the final third, when both shooting and playing the final pass, meant Romelu Lukaku's first-half strike was their only goal and Kepa Arrizabalaga had to step up at the other end. 

Asian champions Al Hilal, who had scored six against Al Jazira in the previous round, remained in the game until the final whistle but could not find the leveller to prevent Chelsea advancing to face Palmeiras in Saturday's decider.

Setting the tone for much of the contest, Lukaku had initially been frustrated in his pursuit of a first goal in more than a month, repeatedly taking up promising positions without finding the finishing touch.

But Chelsea's record signing could not miss on 32 minutes when Kai Havertz's cross bounced kindly off unwitting defender Yasser Al-Shahrani into the six-yard box, allowing the forward to slam into the net right-footed.

Havertz came close to scoring himself at the start of the second half as he followed a brilliant run down the left by beating Abdullah Al-Mayoof from a tight angle, only for the ball to bounce back out off the near post.

With Al Hilal still just one behind, Kepa was twice required to come to Chelsea's rescue, advancing from his line to block from Moussa Marega and then pulling off a sublime stop from Mohamed Kanno.

An extended spell of pressure followed, but Chelsea held on to give themselves a second shot at a first Club World Cup title after 2012's final failure.

What does it mean? Improvement needed to avoid final repeat

Wasteful Chelsea underperformed their expected goals total of 1.60, but that figure also does not take into account the numerous occasions when the final ball was not quite right or Lukaku mistimed his run.

Such profligacy allowed Al Hilal to grow into the game and rack up 12 shots worth a combined 0.95 xG themselves – albeit while similarly failing to convert.

Palmeiras, Chelsea's final opponents, may not be quite so forgiving, and Blues supporters have painful memories of coming up short against Brazilian opponents after Corinthians were crowned world champions 10 years ago.

Keeper Kepa keeps delivering

Edouard Mendy enjoyed a warm welcome as he linked up with the Chelsea squad having won the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal, but the goalkeeper has scarcely been missed – particularly in the past two matches.

Kepa counted an 118th-minute penalty among four saves in a nervy FA Cup win over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday and had to be at his best again against Al Hilal. There were three stops this time, with his save from Kanno the game's standout moment.

Still Luk-ing for best form

Lukaku would have been relieved to get on the scoresheet having not netted since a 5-1 win against Chesterfield on January 8.

Yet there were few signs of a scoring return triggering an improvement in performance levels here. Besides his goal, Lukaku had only one shot – straight at the goalkeeper – while he was caught offside on three occasions.

What's next?

Chelsea play Palmeiras on Saturday for the title after Al Hilal are in action in a third-place play-off against Al Ahly.

Lindsey Jacobellis ended a 16-year wait for Winter Olympics gold as the United States claimed their first top spot on the podium at Beijing 2022.

Jacobellis faltered at the penultimate jump at Turin 2006, but made amends in convincing fashion as she managed gold at the Genting Snow Park in the snowboard cross on Wednesday.

That was the USA's first gold of the 2022 Games as the 36-year-old collected the only title missing from her illustrious trophy cabinet, finishing ahead of France's Chloe Trespeuch who took silver.

Meanwhile, Petra Vlhova laid down an early marker in the women's slalom and, despite a host of world-class skiers coming down after her, claimed Slovakia's first ever Alpine skiing gold.

Vlhova was eighth after the morning session, but produced the run of the day in the afternoon after inspiration from coach Mauro Pini, who revealed the words of encouragement he gave the 26-year-old.

"We were just asking Petra between the two runs to really be courageous," Pini said. "Big heart on the slope, second run. Nothing to lose, just to be in the room tonight and don't regret nothing."

"After the first run I was a bit down, angry and sad," Vlhova added. "I started to not believe in myself. But I'm lucky because I have [the] best team ever and [the] best coach."

Ruud matches Gu feat with big air triumph

Birk Ruud followed in Eileen Gu's footsteps by becoming just the second freestyle skier to win gold at both the Youth Olympic Winter Games and Olympic Winter Games with victory in the men's freeski big air.

The Norwegian, aged 21 years and 313 days, is the youngest to earn an Olympic medal in freestyle skiing for his country, and he did it in some style as well.

The 21-year-old, who skipped last month's X Games to play it safe amid coronavirus, secured top spot before his final run, which he completed draped in a Norwegian flag at Big Air Shougang.

The big air champion credited the victory to his father Oivind, who died of cancer of April 2021.

"I'm just thankful to be in this position and I'm thankful for all the time I had with my dad," Ruud said after his win. "I still have my family, and I have a lot of people that support me, and I'm very thankful for that."

Arlt and Wendl make luge history

Tobias Arlt and Tobias Wendl created luge history as they became the first ever athletes to win the luge doubles three times – earning their fifth Olympic gold.

That equals the Olympic best in the sport set by their countrywoman Natalie Geisenberger, while no other men have ever claimed more first-place finishes than the pair when representing modern-day Germany at the Games.

Wendl and Arlt also joined speed skaters Lidia Skoblikova and Eric Heiden as the only athletes to claim at least five gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games without ever winning silver or bronze.

The German duo also extended their record as the oldest gold medallists in the event (both 34), as Germany continued their dominance in luge events at Beijing 2022.

Shiffrin slips away from record-medal haul chance

Vlhova may have secured her piece of history with Slovakia's maiden Alpine skiing title, but American pre-Games favourite Mikaela Shiffrin had a day to forget.

Shiffrin, a double Olympic and six-time world champion, fouled on the fifth gate just two days after her surprise early exit from the giant slalom.

The 26-year-old has another chance in Friday's super-G event, but admitted she is starting to doubt herself after consecutive failures.

"It's not the end of the world and it's so stupid to care this much, but I feel I have to question a lot now," Shiffrin said. 

"I will try to reset again. Maybe try to reset better this time but I also don't know how to do better because I just don't. I have never been in this position before and I don't know how to handle it." 

Lindsey Jacobellis earned redemption with Winter Olympics gold in the women's snowboard cross final at Beijing 2022 after missing out on top spot 16 years earlier.

Jacobellis dominated at Turin 2006 ago but fell on the penultimate jump, meaning she had to settle for silver. The gap of 16 years between her first and second Olympic medals is the largest gap between two medals for a snowboarder.

The American made amends on Wednesday as the most decorated snowboard cross athlete of all time added the only title she was missing to her six world championships, two Crystal Globes and 10 X Games triumphs.

But the 36-year-old insisted that she did not use her 16-year wait as motivation for redemption after managing first place at Genting Snow Park.

"I never thought of it that way," she said. "That was not in my mind. I wanted to just come here and compete.

"It would have been a nice, sweet thing, but if I had tried to spend [time on] the thought of redemption, then it's taking away focus on the task at hand, and that's not why I race.

"They can keep talking about it all they want because it really shaped me into the individual that I am, kept me hungry and really helped me keep fighting in the sport."

There were plenty of other stars breaking records in China and Stats Perform has taken a look at some of the numbers behind their stories.

36 years, 174 days – Jacobellis is the oldest snowboard gold medallist and oldest USA female gold medallist at the Olympic Winter Games.

2 – Birk Ruud claimed gold in the men’s freeski big air to become the youngest Norwegian Olympic medallist in freestyle skiing (21y, 313d). He is also just the second freestyle skier to win a gold medal at both the Youth Olympic Winter Games and the Olympic Winter Games.

3 – Hwang Daeheon became the third man to win a gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games and the Youth Olympic Winter Games (1000m at Lillehammer 2016).

1 – Petra Vlhova's gold medal was the first for Slovakia in Olympic Alpine skiing, and only the ninth in any sport, seven of which have been won by Slovakian women.

5 – Tobias Arlt and Tobias Wendl won their third consecutive gold medal in luge doubles, their fifth Olympic medal overall, equalling the Olympic best in the sport set by their countrywoman Natalie Geisenberger.

3 – Vinzenz Geiger made himself the third athlete to win multiple Olympic gold medals in Nordic combined for Germany, who have collected four consecutive golds in the event.

Erling Haaland's future remains in the balance after Borussia Dortmund head coach Marco Rose declared "everything is on the table".

The prolific striker's reported €75million release clause kicks in at the end of this season, putting a host of Europe's leading clubs on high alert.

With the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all credited with interest in the Norway international, Rose knows Dortmund have a battle on their hands to keep hold of their star man.

But the 21-year-old is yet to declare his intentions and Rose has not given up hope of retaining Haaland's services.

"I'm in contact with Erling every day and also have a feeling for this player and this person," he told Bild.

"Everything is on the table internally, everyone is honest with each other. He'll make a decision at some point and the club will prepare well for it.

"We all want him to stay for sure."

Haaland is one of the most sought-after talents in world football after scoring 80 goals in 79 appearances for Dortmund since joining the club in January 2020.

His 80 strikes have come from an expected goals (xG) return of 64, meaning he has scored 16 goals more than expected given the likelihood of the shot going in.

No player from the Bundesliga, Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A or Ligue 1 boasts such a large xG differential.

Bayern Munich have announced that midfielder Jamal Musiala has tested positive for coronavirus.

The 18-year-old was absent from training on Tuesday and it was confirmed by Bayern on Wednesday he has contracted the virus.

Musiala will serve a period of self-isolation and is set to sit out Saturday's Bundesliga trip to Bochum, as well as next week's Champions League last-16 first leg with Salzburg.

That is a blow for Julian Nagelsmann as Musiala has played in 27 of Bayern's 30 matches in all competitions this season – only five others have featured more regularly.

The Germany international has been directly involved in 10 goals – six of his own and four assists – which is the sixth-most of any Bayern player in 2021-22.

Musiala's 53 dribbles completed this season, meanwhile, is behind only Leroy Sane (71) and Alphonso Davies (83).

Nagelsmann is well accustomed to dealing with player absentees through COVID-19, however, having had to make do without nine first-teamers at the start of the year.

Russell Westbrook does not feel he has anything to prove as he made light of being booed by his own Los Angeles Lakers fans during Tuesday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The nine-time NBA All-Star was benched in the fourth quarter for the second game running as the Lakers fell to a fifth defeat in seven outings, going down 131-116.

With nine minutes remaining at the Crypto.com Arena and his side down by 24 points, Westbrook was jeered after making two turnovers in the space of 12 seconds.

But Westbrook, who was traded to the Lakers from the Washington Wizards last August, is not letting the negative reaction get to him.

"It's a sign of respect," he said while smiling. "My mindset and how I think about this game and what I've been able to do for this game is not predicated on boos.

"I've a platform that I'm able to use to be able to do other things that God has blessed me to be able to do and I will continue to do those things.

"That's regardless of whether people boo for me, cheer for me, cuss me out, call me names, it doesn't really matter.

"The most important part is that I continue to use my gift to be able to play basketball and use that platform to be able to help other people around the world. That's all I can do."

Westbrook had 10 points off 3-of-11 shooting, 10 assists and four turnovers on another disappointing day for the Lakers' former MVP.

He has 1,006 points for the season, a tally bettered only by LeBron James (1,103) among Lakers players.

But Westbrook's 18.3 average through 55 games is his lowest since 2009-10, and down from the 31.6 managed with Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016-17 when crowned MVP.

However, responding to criticism regarding his loss of form, Westbrook said: "I shouldn't have to prove anything to anyone, to be honest. 

"I've put so much work into my game and I've earned so much respect in the league. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. 

"I've earned the right to be in the closing line-up standing.

"The numbers confirm it. I don't have to go into it any further. But I don't have to decide, that's the decision of the coach. Unfortunately, I just have to see how I deal with it."

Westbrook was on the court for just 26 minutes against the Bucks and suggested after the game he is not happy with Frank Vogel's constantly changing line-ups.

"You never know when you're coming in, you never know when you're coming out," he said. "You never know when you're playing, you never know... a bunch of things. 

"I'm speaking personally, so it's a difficult process to be able to figure out and create some rhythm and some consistency where we can see what we're able to do as a team.

"But those decisions are made by him and his coaching staff, and you've got to live with it and move on."

Giannis Antetokounmpo produced another eye-catching display to help the Milwaukee Bucks to victory over the Los Angeles Lakers and was hailed by team-mate Khris Middleton for "making it look easy".

The two-time NBA MVP scored 44 points on 17-for-20 shooting, while registering eight assists and 14 rebounds as the Bucks earned a 131-116 victory in Tuesday's contest at the Crypto.com Arena.

In doing so, Antetokounmpo joined legendary figures Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as only the third person with 40+ points, 10+ rebounds and five-or-more assists on 85-per-cent-plus shooting in a game.

Indeed, the 27-year-old has now had three games with 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, five-plus assists and no turnovers. Over the past 30 years, only David Robinson and Dirk Nowitzki have achieved that feat, doing so once each.

Middleton, who scored all 21 of his points in the first half, was blown away by the ease in which Antetokounmpo took apart the lacklustre Lakers, who had LeBron James and Anthony Davis in their line-up.

"He made it look easy, honestly," Middleton said. "That just shows the level of how he's playing. 

"He was knocking down his jump shot. He's got guys going for his pump fake. Just the way he let the game come to him and stay patient, it was pretty fun to watch."

The 44 points registered by Antetokounmpo was his second-highest tally of the season, behind only the 47 he managed against the same opponents on November 17.

He is third in terms of points scorers in NBA this season with 1,343, behind DeMar DeRozan (1,360) and Trae Young (1,364), while only Joel Embiid (29.4) averages more points per game than his 29.2.

Reflecting on another good day both personally and for the Bucks, who have now won four in a row to move to 35-21 for the campaign, Antetokounmpo said: "Obviously when you make shots, the game is a lot easier, looks a lot better.

"I know I'm going to try to get my team-mates involved and look for the best way to help the team, but sometimes when you start making shots, you feel better about yourself, you defend better. Today was one of those games."

The victory was perhaps not as straightforward in the end as it might have been for the Bucks, who led by 30 points midway through the third quarter, only to let the Lakers back into the game.

But the hosts could only claw back to within 10 points of their opponents and have now lost five of their last seven games, seeing them fall back to three games below .500.

"We played a terrible defensive half," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. "Disposition, competition, the level of competitive spirit we showed for a big game was very disappointing. 

"Two straight games we started with a terrible defensive half. We've got to get that right."

The Lakers will get that opportunity to put it right when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, while the Bucks are next in action on Thursday with a showdown against the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns.

Injuries, playing games on back-to-back nights and COVID protocols are part of the landscape of the NBA all teams are forced to navigate through in today’s world.

The Toronto Raptors were dealt significant blows to their roster over the season’s first two months, but now close to full strength, they’re climbing the Eastern Conference standings and will likely be looking to make a move before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Through the end of November, only four teams used more starting lineups than Toronto’s eight, as Nick Nurse was forced to constantly shuffle his rotation. The low point came Boxing Day, when the Raptors had 10 players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and found out just hours before their scheduled tip-off against the Cleveland Cavaliers they would in fact play. With a patchwork eight-player roster featuring four hardship signees, they were promptly obliterated by 45 points.

Undermanned again two nights later, they suffered another defeat at hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. But as the regulars returned to the Raptors’ roster, the wins have been piling up.

With Monday’s 116-101 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Toronto extended their winning streak to six games and improved to 15-6 since New Year’s Eve – only the 76ers have a better record at 13-5 among East clubs. This surge has vaulted the Raptors into sixth place in the conference after sitting in 11th on December 30.

Much of the recent success is because Nurse can count on writing in Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Gart Trent Jr. and Scottie Barnes into his starting lineup.

The Raptors are 11-4 when starting VanVleet, Siakam, Anunoby, Trent and Barnes, averaging 114.3 points while shooting 45.9 per cent and making an average of 13.9 3-pointers in those games. When those five don’t start together, Toronto is 18-19, averaging 106 points on 43.4 per cent shooting with an average of 11.9 made 3s per game.

It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Toronto’s success is tied to the starting combination of VanVleet, Siakam, Anunoby, Trent and Barnes given how heavily the Raptors rely on their starting five.

Toronto’s starters account for 79.2 per cent of their scoring – the largest percentage in the NBA – with an average of 85.8 points per game – also a league best. The Raptors’ bench, meanwhile, is averaging a mere 22.6 points – the fewest by any group of reserves since the 2012-13 Portland Trail Blazers bench averaged 18.5 points. The difference of 63.2 points between Toronto’s starting five and reserves is the largest by a team in a season since 2004-05, when the Phoenix Suns had a difference of 73.2 points (91.8 starting average, 18.6 bench average).

Over the last few seasons, Nurse regularly asked VanVleet and Siakam to play serious minutes, but with a lack of a bench, Anunoby, Barnes and Trent are also spending more time on the court.

VanVleet averages a league-leading 38.6 minutes, followed by Siakam at 37.9 and Anunoby at 37.2. No team has ever had players finish a season 1-2-3 in minutes played per game since minutes began being tracked in 1951-52.

Barnes then checks in at No. 6 in the NBA with an average of 36.1 minutes. That’s right, four of the top six players in average minutes all play for the Raptors. Trent is no slouch, either, averaging 34.8 minutes – good for 16th in the NBA.

With depth being a considerable issue, Goran Dragic is likely to be shipped out. Acquired as part of the sign-and-trade that sent Kyle Lowry to the Miami Heat, Dragic has appeared in just five games for the Raptors – and none since November 13 – as he’s been away from the team due to a personal issue. A handful of teams have reportedly shown interest in Dragic, and the Raptors would love to move the veteran point guard so they could shed his hefty salary and fill his roster spot with someone who will actually play.

Following the offseason departure of Lowry, the 27-year-old VanVleet has emerged as the team leader, averaging career highs in points (21.6), assists (7.1) rebounds (4.7) and made 3s (3.9). In 19 games since clearing the league’s health and safety protocols, the recently named first-time All-Star leads the NBA with 90 made 3-pointers since New Year’s Eve.

VanVleet, who is slated to participate in the 3-point contest during All-Star weekend, has been putting up eye-popping numbers over his last 21 games, averaging 24.3 points, 8 assists and 4.9 3-pointers. Only two other players have ever averaged 24+ points, 8+ assists and 4.5+ 3-pointers over a 21-game span in a single season and that’s James Harden and Damian Lillard.

During this incredible run, VanVleet has regularly been feeding Siakam, who has found his shooting touch on jumpers close to the basket.

Since December 14, VanVleet’s 46 assists to Siakam are tied for sixth most from one player to a teammate. His assists to Siakam are nearly double those of his next-closest teammate with 28 going to Anunoby, and 26 going to each Barnes and Trent.

Siakam is averaging 24 points, 11 rebounds and 5.5 assists during Toronto’s winning streak – and no other Raptor has ever averaged those numbers over a six-game span in a single season. He had 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists Monday – the second time he’s reached those numbers in a game in his career. There have been only four other instances a Toronto player reached those numbers in a game in franchise history.

In 23 games since December 14, Siakam is averaging 23.3 points after averaging 18.8 points in his first 16 games, and part of the reason for that scoring boost stems from his 55.6 per cent shooting on jump shots attempted within 8 feet of the rim – fourth-highest rate in the league among those with at least 35 attempts. Prior to this stretch, he was shooting just 38.5 per cent on jump shots up to 8 feet from the hoop.

Trent, meanwhile, is shooting 56.7 per cent from the baseline – eighth in the NBA among those with at least 20 attempts – but it's the perimeter where he's suddenly gotten hot.

Since returning from a six-game absence with an injured left ankle, Trent is shooting 48 per cent from 3-point range – the best mark in the league among the 49 players with at least 50 3-point attempts since January 21. Most impressive about this stretch is he’s also attempted more 3-pointers than anyone else since January 21 with 100. So, in these last 10 contests he’s averaging 14.4 points off 3-pointers after previously averaging 8.1 points off 3-pointers while shooting 36.8 per cent from deep.

While he’s suddenly emerged as a dangerous 3-point threat, Trent has spurred Toronto’s swarming defence, which is forcing a turnover on 14.7 per cent of its opponents’ possessions – the highest rate in the NBA.

Trent's average of 1.84 steals per game is the fourth-highest rate in the league, while Anunoby ranks seventh at 1.68 per game and VanVleet is eighth at 1.66. Since steals first began being tracked in 1973-74, only one team has had at least three players finish in the top 10 in steals per game and that was the 2009-10 Golden State Warriors with Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry and Stephen Jackson.

Barnes has also made an immediate impact on the defensive end. Selected fourth overall in the 2021 draft, Barnes was projected to be a disrupter on defence and he’s excelling, ranking fourth among rookies with 1.8 defensive stops per game.

His average of 2.6 offensive rebounds per game is the best among first-year players and has fuelled Toronto’s offensive attack. The Raptors’ average of 16.2 second-chance points per game trails only the Memphis Grizzlies’ average of 18.0 for the best in the league, and they’re an NBA-best 15-3 when scoring 18 or more second-chance points in a game.

With 15 points and eight rebounds on Monday, Barnes notched his fourth straight game with at least eight boards – the first Toronto rookie to accomplish that since Jonas Valanciunas in 2012-13. No Raptor first-year player has had a longer streak of consecutive games with eight or more rebounds since Jamario Moon had six in a row in 2007-08.

Barnes has been selected to participate in the 2022 Rising Stars event during All-Star weekend, along with second-year teammate Precious Achiuwa, who is averaging 7.8 points on 52.8 per cent shooting and 5.3 rebounds during Toronto’s winning streak.

The Raptors are one victory away from notching their first seven-game winning streak since the 2019-20 season, and have a couple of favourable matchups next on their schedule with games Wednesday and Thursday against a pair of last-place teams in the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. (The schedule over the next three weeks actually looks quite advantageous, as the Raptors’ opponent winning percentage of .417 from Wednesday-March 4 is the third lowest among all teams.)

While playing on consecutive nights would seem to present greater problems for the Raptors, given how many minutes their starters play, it hasn’t been much of an issue for Nurse’s club. Toronto is 7-3 on games on zero days’ rest – tied with the Boston Celtics for the league’s second-best mark.

Toronto, though, may have a different look when it takes the court Thursday, or Wednesday for that matter, if the front office decides to make a move before the trade deadline to bolster the lineup.

There is something about a homegrown player succeeding, especially at the top level.

Liverpool have had their fair share of local lads come through at Anfield in the last 30 years, such as Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard.

It is one thing to force your way into the first team, but another altogether to do so and leave no doubt that you belong there for more than just your childhood postcode.

Since his debut in 2016, Trent Alexander-Arnold has established himself in a Liverpool team that has been enjoying as much success as any other in the last three decades.

It hasn't all been plain sailing though, and as recently as a year ago, he was the subject of fierce wider debate regarding whether he even deserved a place in the England squad.

Although not his first team debut, it was an unlikely start against Manchester United at Old Trafford in January 2017 that was the real beginning of his journey. The skinny teenager managed relatively well in the 1-1 draw under the circumstances.

It was just a taste, but in the following season he forced his way past the dependable Nathaniel Clyne to become the Reds' first choice right-back.

Clyne had many admirers at Anfield, but Jurgen Klopp wanted more from his full-backs and he knew Alexander-Arnold's mouldable talent and potential was worth persevering with.

He has since emerged as one of the finest right-backs of his generation, which is quite an achievement given he played in midfield at youth level, only being moved to his current position in order to find an easier route into the first team.

Alexander-Arnold was starting a Champions League final at the age of 19, before lifting Europe's greatest prize a year later, and winning the Premier League a year after that.

His corner taken quickly to Divock Origi in the 4-0 win against Barcelona in the Champions League and his goals against Chelsea and Leicester City in Liverpool's march to the title the following year showed he was far from an also-ran in arguably Europe's best team.

At the age of 21, the Merseyside maestro had a medal haul that would make most retired players jealous.

His ability to be a prominent part of Liverpool's attack under Klopp from right-back has mostly been unquestioned, with his delivery from dead balls and in open play often compared to former England captain David Beckham.

However, it was Alexander-Arnold's international career, or lack thereof, that began the debate about his true level.

England are blessed with a solid selection of right-backs, with Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker often preferred by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate, and Reece James and Tariq Lamptey threatening to be further future competition.

While the 23-year-old is not always the most resolute of defenders, it does sometimes feel as though his mistakes are viewed with more scrutiny given how strong Liverpool's defence was between 2018 and 2020, particularly following the arrivals of Alisson and Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds conceded 38 goals in the league in 2017-18, followed by just 22 in 2018-19. They let in 33 the season after, though it must be noted 12 of those came after they had won the league and appeared to be in cruise control.

They were back up to 42 conceded in the league last season and their form had dropped off a cliff by the time Alexander-Arnold's performances were in the spotlight.

It was no ordinary campaign for Liverpool, though, who actually topped the league at Christmas only for injuries to centre-backs to catch up with them.

Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip had all been sidelined for the remainder of the season, which meant midfield duo Fabinho and Jordan Henderson having to fill in. This was of course not only a step down for the defence, but also significantly weakened the midfield.

Temporary solutions were sought but results did not turn around until Klopp abandoned his usual tactics and resorted to putting two very inexperienced but large figures back there in Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams.

The knock-on effect for Alexander-Arnold as well as the rest of the team was that the usually well-oiled unit were thrown completely off course. The full-backs could not enjoy their usual freedom because the stand-in centre-backs either needed more support or were sat so deep that it would have ruined the shape to play as high as usual.

Liverpool were able to claw their way into the top four by the season's end, but Alexander-Arnold's output had been affected.

In 2018-19 in all competitions, he registered 15 assists and created 70 chances in 40 games, before getting the same number of assists and creating 109 chances in 49 games the next year.

However, in 2020-21, Alexander-Arnold managed just nine assists and 96 chances created in 45 games.

Was this just a dip as a result of the rest of the team going through a tricky patch, or a sign of his previous numbers simply being too high to maintain?

Alexander-Arnold has shown so far this season that it was indeed just a blip, as he has thrived again in a more stable Reds team, already achieving 15 assists in all competitions in just 26 games, as well as creating 71 chances and 15 big chances (whereby a team-mate would be expected to score), just four shy of the amount he created in the whole of last season.

He leads the Premier League for assists (10), while he has also created the second most chances (58) behind Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes (64) having played two games fewer, and has also played the most successful long balls of any outfield player (128).

Will he ever work as well for England? He has more than enough talent to do so but given his best performances at club level involve being creative from deep and roaming into midfield, which is not exactly possible in Southgate's compact 3-4-3 set-up with two holding midfielders, it seems unlikely for now.

As a normal lad from Liverpool whose dreams have come true, it seems unlikely that Alexander-Arnold will look beyond achieving more success for his boyhood club.

With the Reds still in four competitions this season, and a Champions League last-16 with Inter on the horizon, the Kop will only care about seeing even more world-class performances arrive from the man they cheerfully remind us all is the Scouser in their team.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 44 points as the Milwaukee Bucks beat a lacklustre Los Angeles Lakers 131-116 to close in on Eastern Conference leaders the Miami Heat.

The defending NBA champions were 24 points ahead in the first half at the Crypto.com Arena and extended that lead to 30 points midway through the third quarter.

A strong rally from the Lakers, who had LeBron James and Anthony Davis in their line-up, made things interesting but the Bucks stood firm to win for a fourth straight game.

Antetokounmpo's game-high tally came from 17-for-20 shooting, while adding 14 rebounds and eight assists to inflict a fifth defeat in seven on LA, who fall back to three games below .500.

With his latest standout display, Antetokounmpo joins Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as only the third person with 40+ points, 10+ rebounds and five-or-more assists on 85-per-cent-plus shooting in a game.

Suns continue to shine

The NBA-leading Phoenix Suns rallied from 14 points down to overcome the Philadelphia 76ers 114-109 and record their 14th win in 15 games.

Devin Booker scored 35 points and Chris Paul added 16 points and 12 assists as the Suns improved to 44-10 for the season.

Joel Embiid led the way for the Sixers with 34 points and 12 rebounds – his fifth straight 25-point, 10-rebound game, which is the longest streak in the competition over the past two seasons.

Nets claim unwanted record

Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart helped themselves to 22 points each as the Boston Celtics made light work of the Brooklyn Nets in a 126-91 victory.

The Nets become the only side in the last 30 years to have every starter score six points or fewer with none of them getting to the line.

Elsewhere in Tuesday's action, the Los Angeles Clippers had forward Marcus Morris Sr. ejected in their 135-109 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers for a flagrant foul 2 on Ja Morant.

Morant was able to continue and ended the game with 30 points on 12 of 19 shooting from the field, making it the ninth time in 10 games the All-Star guard has reached 30 points.

Domantas Sabonis is reportedly being sent to the Sacramento Kings by the Indiana Pacers, who will acquire Tyrese Haliburton as part of a six-player trade. 

According to ESPN, the Pacers will also receive guard Buddy Hield and center Tristan Thompson in exchange for two-time All-Star Sabonis. Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick will head to the Kings.

It is expected that Indiana's decision to part with Sabonis reduces the chances of Myles Turner departing before Thursday's trade deadline, given he can now play a bigger role at center.

Sabonis is averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 2021-22. Only Rudy Gobert (15.1), Nikola Jokic (13.7) and Clint Capela (12.2) average more rebounds per game than Sabonis, whose 34 double-doubles this season ranks him third in the league.

The Kings had to give up Haliburton to get the deal done, with the 12th overall pick from the 2020 draft having been expected to be a key player for the franchise for years to come.

Haliburton's 1.69 steals per game this season is the sixth best in the league, while he sits 11th for assists per game with 7.4. He is also averaging 14.3 points and 3.9 rebounds.

They have also given up Hield, who has made 3.3 three-pointers per game this season. Only Stephen Curry (4.8) and Fred VanVleet (3.9) average more.

Ralf Rangnick criticised his Manchester United stars for playing "tiki-taka" football and lacking urgency at crucial times in the draw at Burnley.

The 1-1 outcome at Turf Moor allowed West Ham to jump above United into fourth place in the Premier League, with Arsenal and Tottenham in pursuit of both.

Burnley sit bottom of the league and rode their luck as United had two first-half goals disallowed, leading only by a Paul Pogba strike as the interval arrived.

But the Clarets started the first half positively and were level inside two minutes as Jay Rodriguez fired past David de Gea.

Interim manager Rangnick said he warned his players to be on guard for a fired-up Burnley at the start of the second half; therefore, to concede so early was an annoyance to the German boss.

He told BBC Sport: "We knew they would come out of the locker room in a more aggressive way. This is the only thing I can blame the team for; in the first 20 minutes of the second half we were not as aggressive as in the first half.

"The way that we conceded the goal was completely unnecessary. We had our own counter-attack 30 seconds before and in that moment we were two or three players more in our own half, took wrong decisions in the defensive behaviour and in a way gave the goal away to them.

"If you look into the whole game we dominated most of the game, 70 minutes, and winning only one point is just not enough: a very frustrating night again."

Rangnick added: "In the first two minutes [of the second half] we won the ball three times and gave it away too easily because we were playing tiki-taka football in our own half, and we were not direct enough and stringent enough in the way we try to play forward.

"Then we had the counter-attack with Jadon [Sancho] and with Marcus [Rashford] and again gave the ball away too easily in their box. The first 20 minutes of the second half we were not as aggressive and not as controlled as we were in the first half, and that's why we gave them the chance to score."

United have home games coming up against Southampton and Brighton, on Saturday and Tuesday.

Rangnick told MUTV the Burnley result made it "even more important to get six points out of those two games".

Inter forward Alexis Sanchez served up a reminder of his talent before expressing frustration at a lack of opportunities under Simone Inzaghi this season.

Sanchez produced an inspired performance as the Nerazzurri responded to their derby defeat by Milan with a 2-0 win over Roma, advancing to the Coppa Italia semi-finals.

After Edin Dzeko opened the scoring at San Siro, Chile international Sanchez sealed victory with a ferocious 25-yard effort midway through the second half.

The former Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal forward also registered game-high tallies of 13 crosses and five key passes.

Sanchez was making his 23rd appearance of the season in all competitions, but only his sixth start.

While acknowledging the team must come first, he spoke of his frustration at mainly having to settle for cameos.

He said: "I always want to play. The more I play, the better I feel. I want to do the best for the team, it's difficult to play five or 10 minutes and do well."

Looking at Inter's current circumstances, Sanchez told Sport Mediaset: “We know that we played better than Milan in the derby, but we shouldn't have made those mistakes.

"We're staying calm as we're still top [of Serie A] and we want to continue down our path."

Meanwhile, Inzaghi expressed delight at his players' response to their disappointing weekend defeat at the hands of Milan.

The Inter head coach said: "The boys were very good, it was not an easy match. Roma are a quality team, with an excellent squad. We controlled the pitch very well and deserved [to reach] this semi-final.

"I congratulated the boys because to play a match with such strong personality two and a half days after the setback in the derby wasn't easy."

The only sour note for the hosts was an ankle injury sustained by defender Alessandro Bastoni during the first half.

Inzaghi hopes that any spell on the sidelines for the Italy international will be minimal.

"I hope it is nothing serious," Inzaghi said. "The doctors will do the necessary checks, we hope not to lose him for too long because he is really too important to us."

Ralf Rangnick was frustrated by a "very, very soft" decision leading to Manchester United having a goal ruled out in their 1-1 draw against Burnley on Tuesday. 

United appeared to have gone 2-0 up when Josh Brownhill turned Marcus Rashford's cross into his own net, but a foul was belatedly given for Paul Pogba's challenge on Erik Pieters in the build-up. 

Pogba had given the Red Devils the lead in the 18th minute with his first Premier League goal in 384 days after Raphael Varane had one disallowed for an offside against Harry Maguire. 

Nick Pope kept Burnley in it for the rest of the first half and following Jay Rodriguez's equaliser two minutes after the restart, United were unable to test the hosts' keeper again. 

Rangnick felt the game ought to have been over by half-time and that his team were hindered significantly by the own goal being chalked off. 

"I think we played a fantastic first half, couldn't have played any better. We scored three goals, the second that was disallowed I cannot understand," Rangnick told the BBC. 

"It was a very, very soft decision by the linesman. He flagged the foul five or six seconds after it took place. 

"It really surprised me he flagged when the ball was in the net. Had he really seen the foul? The first I can understand why it was disallowed, it was a hard one, but the second I cannot understand. 

"If you look into the whole game, we dominated for most of it. Winning one point is not enough and another frustrating game." 

Only Premier League leaders Manchester City (11) are on a longer unbeaten away run in the top flight than United, who have avoided defeat in each of their past six outings. However, Rangnick's side have won just two of those matches. 

Rodriguez's goal came with Burnley's first shot on target of the game and that frustrated United captain Harry Maguire, who allowed Wout Weghorst to turn and slide his strike partner in with an excellent assist. 

 "I think you saw the first half. We had control. We have got to win the game with the amount of chances we created. We had to get that second goal. It's two points dropped," Maguire told BT Sport. 

"We wanted to dominate the game but when you come to Burnley away you are not going to dominate for 90 minutes. We had to see it out better. We conceded like against Middlesbrough [in the FA Cup on Friday] when they had that spell of pressure. We have got to be that bit more clinical. 

"It was a disappointing goal on our behalf to concede. We came out in the second half a bit sloppy. We had long enough in the game to come back from that and try and find the winner. 

"We demand of ourselves to win the football match, so it is disappointing."  

Antonio Conte is pleasantly surprised to see Christian Eriksen back in the Premier League, and the Tottenham boss admits he would love to work with the midfielder again.

Eriksen has not played since suffering a cardiac arrest during Denmark's match against Finland at Euro 2020 in June, but he has signed a short-term deal with Brentford.

Due to the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) device surgically implanted within his chest in the wake of the incident, Eriksen was ineligible for professional football in Italy, meaning he had to leave Inter, who he had played for since joining from Tottenham in January 2020.

Indeed, Eriksen played under Conte at Inter, helping the Nerazzurri end their long wait for a Serie A title last season.

He is now set to make his comeback. After training with his former club Ajax, Eriksen joined up with Brentford at the end of the January transfer window.

Though Conte said Spurs had not discussed the possibility of bringing Eriksen back to north London, the Italian did not rule out a possible reunion in the future, explaining he met the midfielder by chance in a hotel on Sunday.

"No, honestly we didn't talk about [re-signing him]. I am surprised about this situation," Conte told a news conference ahead of Wednesday's clash with Southampton.

"I thought he needed more time to come back, to play in England. For Tottenham, he is part of the story and to come back here could be a good opportunity for me and him and the club.

"But now he's signed for Brentford only for six months, we will see what happens. I met him on Sunday, it was good to speak with him and see him with his family, and I will be the first person to be very happy to see him on the pitch again.

"We spent a good time at Inter, we won the league and spent important seasons together. Wish him the best in the future. You don't know what will happen. It would be good to have him again and work together."

Eriksen signed for Spurs in 2013, shortly before Gareth Bale's departure to Real Madrid.

He went on to make 226 Premier League appearances, creating 571 goalscoring opportunities – far more than any other Spurs player from September 14, 2013, when Eriksen made his debut, to January 28, 2020, when he left for Inter. Dele Alli, who has now left for Everton, ranked second with 218.

Of those opportunities, 73 were classed as big chances (a chance from which Opta would expect the average player to score), another team-high, as was his tally of 62 assists.

Indeed, only Harry Kane (136) boasted more league goals for Spurs in the same timeframe than Eriksen's 51, eight of which came directly from free-kicks.