Sports

A VAR decision chalking off what looked to be a late winner for Chelsea at Aston Villa on Saturday has damaged the Premier League, according to Mauricio Pochettino.

Liverpool's slim Premier League title hopes faded further on Saturday when Michail Antonio's late header earned West Ham United a deserved point with a 2-2 draw.

Liverpool and Feyenoord have now agreed a fee for manager Arne Slot, who will make the switch to Anfield this summer as replacement for Jurgen Klopp.

Leicester City earned promotion back to the Premier League on Friday after nearest rivals Leeds United were beaten 4-0 by Queens Park Rangers, ensuring the Championship leaders will finish in the top two in the standings.

Exactly three months before the Paris Olympic Games begin, the Olympic flame has been handed over, transitioning from its Greek origins to the French stage, signifying the next chapter in its journey towards Paris.

Rafael Nadal said he would love to keep playing long enough for his son to remember him on court, though the 22-time Grand Slam champion concedes time is not on his side.

Phil Foden struck twice as Manchester City stepped up their bid for a fourth Premier League crown in a row with a ruthless 4-0 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday.

World football governing body FIFA has signed a partnership with oil and gas conglomerate Saudi Aramco that will run through to the end of 2027, it said in a statement on Thursday.

Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored in a pulsating 2-0 home victory over Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday that could prove to be the death of the visitors' withering Premier League title hopes.

Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez on Wednesday reversed his decision to step down at the end of the season and agreed to stay in charge of the LaLiga giants for the 2024-25 campaign, a club spokesperson said.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes came to his side's rescue with two goals in a 4-2 home victory over the Premier League's bottom club Sheffield United on Wednesday just when more trouble loomed for beleaguered manager Erik ten Hag.

Spain's Rafael Nadal said on Wednesday that he is not sure if he will be able to play at next month's French Open after pushing through the pain barrier in his comeback from injury.

Ruthless Arsenal threw down the gauntlet in the Premier League title race with a 5-0 thrashing of London rivals Chelsea to roar three points clear at the top of the table on Tuesday.

Al-Ain advanced to the Asian Champions League final despite losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in Riyadh on Tuesday, with the side from the UAE completing a 5-4 aggregate victory to progress to next month's decider.

Inter Milan won their 20th Serie A title on Monday after a 2-1 win at AC Milan gave Simone Inzaghi's side an unassailable lead in the standings.

LaLiga leaders Real Madrid's pursuit of a record-extending 36th Spanish title gathered momentum after Jude Bellingham scored a goal in added time to secure a 3-2 comeback win over Barcelona on Sunday.

Virat Kohli was left fuming when a new method applied to the ball tracking technology ruled him out on a full toss delivery that he thought went above his waist in Sunday's loss at Kolkata Knight Riders.

Manchester United survived one of the most astonishing FA Cup semi-final comebacks ever to beat second-tier Coventry City on penalties after a spellbinding clash ended 3-3 after extra time at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Elena Rybakina had little trouble in seeing off Marta Kostyuk 6-2 6-2 to win the Stuttgart Open on Sunday, her third title this year.

Reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir crushed the women's-only world record in winning the 44th London Marathon on Sunday, while Kenyan compatriot Alexander Mutiso Munyao raced to victory in the men's race.

Triple world champion Max Verstappen won Formula One's first Chinese Grand Prix in five years on Sunday with McLaren's Lando Norris finishing a surprise second to deny Red Bull the one-two.

Armand Duplantis put down a marker ahead of this year's Paris Olympics as the Swede broke his own pole vault world record with a 6.24 metres effort in the first Diamond League meeting of the 2024 season.

Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen won the first sprint race of the Formula One season at the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed reports on Saturday that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned drug before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but it accepted the country's findings that this was due to substance contamination.

Atalanta progressed to the Europa League semi-finals despite losing 1-0 to Liverpool on Thursday as they triumphed 3-1 on aggregate to move one step closer to a first ever European final for the Serie A side.

Antonio Ruediger scored the decisive penalty as Real Madrid beat holders Manchester City in an edge-of-your-seat 4-3 shootout victory to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League after the teams were locked at 4-4 on aggregate following extra time on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich powered in a 63rd-minute header to give them a 1-0 victory over a toothless Arsenal on Wednesday and send them through to the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in four years with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Rafael Nadal said it was a challenge to hold himself back on his return to the ATP Tour after three months on the sidelines but the fiercely-competitive Spaniard expects to continue with the controlled approach in Barcelona.

Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe scored twice in the second half to help his side to a 4-1 comeback win at 10-man Barcelona in their Champions League quarter-final, second leg to wrap up a 6-4 aggregate victory on Tuesday.

Rory McIlroy denied a published report Tuesday linking him to an $850 million move to LIV Golf, saying he plans to remain with the PGA Tour "the rest of my career."

The Asian Champions League semi-final first leg between Al Ain and Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal has been postponed due to the weather, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Tuesday.

Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer scored four goals, including a hat-trick in the first 30 minutes, as his side hammered Everton 6-0 on Monday to maintain their push for a European spot and leave the visitors still hovering above the relegation zone.

Former England bowler Derek Underwood has died at the age of 78, his former team Kent County Cricket Club said on Monday.

Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard has no doubts that their fans will be singing Hardik Pandya's praises again despite the team's faltering Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign under the all-rounder.

Rafael Nadal could return to action this week in Barcelona and play just his second event of an injury-hit season and while the Spaniard lacks match practice Stefanos Tsitsipas said it would be no surprise to see him battling for the title in the final.

Arsenal's Premier League title push was hit by late goals from Aston Villa's Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins as they suffered a surprise 2-0 home defeat on Sunday to hand the initiative to leaders and defending champions Manchester City.

American Scottie Scheffler claimed a second Masters title in three years on Sunday, the world number one holding steady while his biggest challengers self-destructed making their way through the infamous Amen Corner.

Liverpool's quest for a Premier League title in manager Juergen Klopp's final season with the team suffered a huge blow with a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday that left them third in the table.

Stefanos Tsitsipas made short work of Norwegian eighth seed Casper Ruud as he seized a third Monte Carlo Masters title in four years with a 6-1 6-4 victory on Sunday.

Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Barcelona Open due to a right arm injury that also forced the Spanish world number three to miss this week's Monte Carlo Masters, the ATP 500 tournament organisers said on Sunday.

Alex Pereira needed just 3 minutes 14 seconds to knock out Jamahal Hill and retain his light heavyweight title on Saturday night at UFC 300 in Las Vegas.

Delhi Capitals all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has returned home after suffering a hamstring niggle in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in a major headache for Australia ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.

A dominant Newcastle United struck twice within 95 seconds as Alexander Isak's brace helped them secure a 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, a vital result in their bid to qualify for European competition.

Bryson DeChambeau, Max Homa and Scottie Scheffler weathered a wild windy day seldom seen at Augusta National to share the Masters second round lead while Tiger Woods targeted a sixth Green Jacket after claiming another major record.

UFC 308 will take place on Saturday 26 October in Abu Dhabi at Etihad Arena, the Department of Culture and Tourism has confirmed as part of Abu Dhabi Showdown Week.

Italy's world number two Jannik Sinner beat Holger Rune 6-4 6-7(6) 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday after his Danish opponent saved two match points.

Spain's football establishment suffered another blow on Friday after a Spanish judge declared the main candidate to take over from disgraced former football federation boss Luis Rubiales is also under investigation in a corruption probe.

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix will be the Formula One season-opener for the first time in six years instead of the Gulf region after the governing body (FIA) released next year's calendar on Friday.

Mumbai Indians batter Suryakumar Yadav blew away the cobwebs with a rapid fifty in Thursday's Indian Premier League (IPL) match to ease India's concerns over his return to action ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.

LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau used a sizzling burst of late birdies to muscle into a one-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler on Thursday as Spaniard Jon Rahm's Masters title defence got off to a shaky start.

Liverpool slumped to a shock 3-0 home defeat by Atalanta on Thursday as Gianluca Scamacca struck twice for the Italian side in their Europa League quarter-final first leg.

Brazilian forward Malcom scored twice to help Al-Hilal ease to a 4-1 victory over Al-Ittihad and claim the Saudi Super Cup title in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

The Premier League will introduce semi-automated offside technology next season to speed up decision-making after the clubs unanimously agreed on the move at a shareholders' meeting on Thursday.

Former world number one Daniil Medvedev was once again drawn into a heated exchange with an umpire before crashing out of the Monte Carlo Masters following a 6-3 7-5 defeat by fellow Russian Karen Khachanov in the last 16 on Thursday.

Brazil forward Raphinha scored twice to help Barcelona secure a 3-2 win at Paris St Germain in a lively Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, earning the Spanish side their first win in the knockout stage in four years.

Defending champion Andrey Rublev was knocked out of the Monte Carlo Masters in a 6-4 6-4 second-round loss to Australian Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday as world number two Jannik Sinner eased through his first test.

Athletics has become the first sport to offer prize money to Olympic champions, announcing on Wednesday that the 48 gold medallists in Paris this year will earn $50,000 each to end a 128-year tradition.

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane returned to north London to score his customary goal against Arsenal as the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie ended 2-2 on Tuesday.

World number one Novak Djokovic made an emphatic start at the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6-1 6-2 win over Russia's Roman Safiullin to ease into the third round at a rain-delayed day three on Tuesday.

France and Spain will step up security ahead of the Champions League quarter-finals being held in Madrid and in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, top government officials said, citing threats from IS.

Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Monte Carlo Masters due to a forearm injury, the Spanish number three seed said on Tuesday, with his place in the second round going to Lorenzo Sonego.

Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja became the first player with at least 100 catches, 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during their seven-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday.

Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off late in the game as his side lost 2-1 to Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semifinal in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Everton have received a two-point deduction, their second points cut this season, after the club's appeal against a Premier League charge for a breach of Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) was unsuccessful, the league said on Monday.

The 10th edition of the Saudi Super Cup semi finals kick off on Monday.

Sheffield United striker Ollie McBurnie snatched a stoppage-team equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw at home to Chelsea in his side's battle for Premier League survival on Sunday.

Mohamed Salah scored a late equaliser from a penalty kick as Liverpool escaped Old Trafford with a single point in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United to climb to even on points with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Abu Dhabi has created sporting history by attracting the sailing regatta Cowes Week to its shores in January 2023, consolidating its position as the Middle East's sports capital.

Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit has outlined exactly why football is failing to properly address racism within the game in an exclusive interview with Off Script on Dubai Eye 103.8.