patrick gearey, bbc news. 80 minutes so it was tough. not defend the result. oractions. but incredible credit and praise for the way they fought. 14 points behind liverpool, damaging week and do you think it is possible to catch them? we'll have see the next game and we have to win the next games for a long time so it is unrealistic to think about that. former manchester united and sweden striker zlatan ibrahimovic has returned to ac milan on a short—term deal until the end of the season. he was a free agent after leaving la galaxy at the end of the mls season. ibrahimovic spent two seasons at milan from 2010, but the seven—time champions league winners are having a poor season. they are currently 11th in the table after losing their last match 5—0 at atalanta. england midfielder izzy christiansen has returned to the women's super league after announcing that she'sjoined everton. christiansen moves to merseyside from the european champions lyon on an 18—month deal. she scored five goals in 26 games for the french side since making the mo

patrick gearey, bbc news.r away so we have to adjust mentally to the situation. and prepare the next games, you know, for the premier league, and because the game, after 70 minute change—up, changed everything. former manchester united and sweden striker, zlatan ibrahimovic has returned to ac milan on a short—term deal until the end of the season. he was a free agent after leaving la galaxy at the end of the mls season. ibrahimovic spent two seasons at milan from 2010, but the seven—time champions league winners are having a poor season. they are currently 11th in the table after losing their last match 5—0 at atalanta. england midfielder izzy christiansen has returned to the women's super league after announcing that she'sjoined everton. christiansen moves to merseyside from the european champions lyon on an 18—month deal. she scored five goals in 26 games for the french side since making the move from manchester city. christiansen actually began her career at everton before moving to birmingham, 10 years ago

patrick gearey, bbc news.6—1, though 0'suliivan said it took him a while to settle into the match. i wasjust a bit on edge, you know, just trying to feel my way into it, and it's never good because you got to try and impose yourself as much as you can. that's probably a really good match for me because i had to play some safety and be patient. sometimes i'm not taking my match form immediately onto the match table, i'm finding my feet. i know my game's there, it's nice to just get it right from the off, you know? now you might remember, we recently showed you pictures of andy murray's unusual gym routine. well the former world number one, has been at it again, this time with a pretty impressive hula hoop work out. hopefully it'll help him at next month's australian open. i bet that is harder than it looks. he makes it look easy. member last summer when he did a bbc breakfast wimbledon hula hoop routine and he was good at that. the de dea 0k? he was one of the best. maybe it was two summers ago. any dogs watchi

patrick gearey, bbc news. defending champions leinster also boosted their qualification hopes.ers toulouse. england's hockey players will face australia later this morning for the bronze medal at the men's world cup. it's after they were soundly beaten 6—0 by belgium in yesterday's semi—final. the belgians go onto play the netherlands for gold. canelo alvarez can now say he's world champion in three weight divisions. that's after he beat liverpool's rocky fielding at madison square gardens earlier this morning. rocky — great name for a boxer — was knocked down 4 times before the fight was stopped in the third round. the revamped formula e season started in saudi arabia yesterday. this electric car series has promised some of the most spectacular circuits around the world in a year where new battery technology means there is enough power for the drivers to stay in the same carfor the entire race. this first grand prix was won by bmw's antonio felix da costa. britain's men took silver in the madison on the final day of the track cycling world cup in london. in the 30km event, fre

and as patrick gearey reports, it could make for an awkward christmas for one family in particular. ireland. only one could stay in the world cup. mark's england side had the tougher task. they needed to win. it was 1—1 in the third quarter when liam ansell smashed them ahead. it was some twist of fate for him. he'd only been drafted into the squad late on. there were stories everywhere. ten of ireland's squad had to take leave to be at the tournament. and yet, within a minute, shane 0'donoghue steered them level. as it stood, they were going through. it didn't stand for long. another minute later and in a flash, england were back ahead. james gall‘s goal was crucial. now ireland had to chase this. paul gleghorne overstretched, yellow card. the final seconds of his world cup spent watching his brother score for england. international sport at its most personal. patrick gearey, bbc news. interesting conversation there in that family around the christmas table! defending champion ronnie 0'sullivan is two wins away from a record seventh uk championship title. he takes on tom ford in th

patrick gearey, bbc news.oints in belfast in what was only his second fight back after almost three years away from the ring. the wilder fight is likely to be in las vegas at the end of this year. the fight hasn't happened yet, but one thing i do know is i have been to america for, i beat another player in new york and frank sinatra says if you can meet maker that, you can make it anywhere. don't worry about that. top of the bill in belfast was carl frampton, who will have a shot at the ibf world featherweight title after stopping australia's luke jackson in the ninth round. that made safe the interim wbo crown, and he is now mandatory challenger to the full champion oscar valdez, though he'll take onjosh warrington for that ibf title first. she starred at the european championships last week, but dina asher—smith says she just wants to sleep after coming second in the 200 metres at the birmingham grand prix. she won triple gold in berlin but was beaten by shaunae miller—uibo of the bahamas last night. she has

patrick gearey reports.uarter wembley and soul smashed them ahead. some twist of fate for him, he only got drafted into the squad late on. there were stories everywhere, ten ireland‘s what had to ta ke everywhere, ten ireland‘s what had to take leave to be in the tournament and within a minute shane 0 donoghue steered them level. games called‘s goal was crucial. now ireland had to trace this. paul gleghorne overstretched, yellow card. the final seconds of his world cup spent watching his brother score for england. international sport at its most personal. patrick gearey, bbc news. after their dramatic draw last weekend, the re—match between deontay wilder and tyson fury will go ahead after it was sanctioned by the world boxing council. their meeting in los angeles was controversial throughout, but the governing body says the pair produced one of best heavyweight title fights in a long time, and so they‘ve given the sequel the green light. fury would love it to be in the uk. defending champion ronnie 0‘sulliv

patrick gearey, bbc news. away, so we have to adjust mentally to the situation. and prepare the next games, you know, for the premier league, and because the game, after 70 minutes, changed absolutely everything. so guardiola believes the title race is over. he's focusing on second placed leicester city who are just a point ahead of them. dan walker is here. football focus up later. good morning. plenty to talk about today. it is one of those days where you're not quite sure whether it is friday, thursday or saturday. it is saturday, football focus is on. are you struggling with your voice? i have a touch of the barry white. i have a touch of the barry white. i have had a cold over the christmas period. that is annoying. you stop work for a bit... i do not like to talk about it. are you choosing to do it as barry white? it is a little bit lower than it would normally be for me. anyway, perhaps not the full barry white. we have a packed programme, we are run from midday. we will be talking about what happened l

patrick gearey, bbc news.rs away from the ring. and so the build up begins. here‘s fury squaring up with wilder in the ring, two of the biggest characters in boxing right now. and a little kiss. that is nice to see. that fight is likely to be in las vegas at the end of this year. the fight hasn‘t happened yet but one thing i do know is i have been to america before and conquered it. i beat cunningham in new york and frank sinatra said if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. i‘m sure las vegas will be a doddle. don‘t worry about that. top of the bill in belfast last night was hometown hero carl frampton, who will have a shot at the ibf world featherweight title after stopping australia‘s luke jackson in the ninth round. that made safe the interim wbo crown and he‘s now mandatory challenger to the full champion oscar valdez, though he‘ll take onjosh warrington for that ibf belt first. she starred at the european championships last week but dina asher—smith says she just wants to sleep after coming se

patrick gearey, bbc news.rystal palace and swansea are at home to newcastle. aberdeen missed the chance to go top of the scottish premiership, as they were held to a goalless draw by hearts hearts actually had the better of the chances at murrayfield but found the dons goalkeeper joe lewis and crossbar against them. aberdeen move level on points with celtic but behind on goal difference. elsewhere motherwell beat kilmarnock for their third league win in a row. rangers were comfortable winners over dundee. and there were draws between ross county and partick thistle and stjohnstone and hibernian. with serena williams out having just given birth to her first child, american tennis has found a new star after sloane stephens won the us open for her first grand slam title. the world number 83 thrashed fellow american madison keys in straight sets at flushing meadows. the win is all the more impressive give that stephens only recently returned from nearly a year out injured earlier this summer. there was some britis

patrick gearey, bbc news.day. the silver came courtesy of chris o'hare in the 3000 metres. it was a tall order to beat norway's teenager sensation jakob ingebrigtsen but a storming finish was enough to claim second, just ahead of ingebrigtsen's older brother henrik asha philip was defending champion in the 60 metres. the gold was won by poland's eva svoboda with philip — in the centre here just pipping compatriot crystal awuha by one thousandth of a second. exeter stay top of the premiership after a hard—fought win over sale. but the game of the day was at welford road... as leicester managed to cling on to beat wasps. joe ford scored all 19 points for the tigers, including there only try. his fingertipsjust about grounding the ball... enough to give leicester their first win in six. meanwhile... in the pro 14, glasgow thrashed zebre 42—10 in parma to return to the top of group a. captain chris fusaro the man to touch down the final try. fellow—scots edinburgh didn't fare as well in italy though... their playo

patrick gearey, bbc news. one man not involved in the internationals is danny cipriani.saved until last when 0llie thorley ran the length of the pitch to score under the posts to help his side win 36—13. gloucester are now third. a grunt of appreciation from charlie. were you watching that closely, that was an extraordinary try? that is why we played it. i thought it was the noise of appreciation. that's it! how would you describe it, if not a grunt? we can move on, can't we? novak djokovic will play south africa's kevin anderson in the semi final of the atp world tour finals later today. he beat marin cilic in straight sets last night, and is the favourite to win the tournment after easing through the round robin stage with three wins from three matches. it's been a good year for women's basketball. more girls are taking it up than ever before, helped by a silver medal for england at the commonwealth games. later, the first of two crucial games see england take on greece and, if they win both, they'll book a place at their first euros finals since 2013. mike's been alon

patrick gearey, bbc news. defending champions leinster also boosted their qualification hopes.in in dublin. in the same pool, wasps lost to leaders toulouse. canelo alvarez can now say he's world champion in three weight divisions. that's after he beat liverpool's rocky fielding at madison square gardens earlier this morning. rocky — great name for a boxer — was knocked down four times before the fight was stopped in the third round. he never shied away from the challenge, the phone call i got, i said yeah. madison square gardens. it's been a great week, met some great people. i live the dream, but i will come again and i will come back. england's hockey players will face australia later this morning for the bronze medal at the men's world cup. it's after they were soundly beaten 6—0 by belgium in yesterday's semifinal. the belgians go on to play the netherlands for gold. justin rose needed to finish in the top 12 of the indonesian masters to finish the year as the world's number one golfer. but he had a bit of a nightmare final round. he started the day tied in fourth place, b

patrick gearey, bbc news. 0ne one man not involved in those internationals is danny cipriani.ch, the best of the tries was saved until last when 0llie thorley ran the length of the pitch to score under the posts to help his side win 36—13. it looks like he will be closed down and then he just goes over. gloucester are now third. novak djokovic will play south africa's kevin anderson in the semi final of the atp world tour finals later today. he beat marin cilic in straight sets last night, and is the favourite to win the tournment after easing through the round robin stage with three wins from three matches. it's been a good year for women's basketball. more girls are taking it up than ever before, helped by a silver medal for england at the commonwealth games. later, the first of two crucial games see england take on greece. if they win both, they'll book a place at their first euros finals since 2013. mike's been along to training. one way, then the other, watch the ball they said, but i was in the first of the hypnotised by great britain's georgia jones. her dribbling skill

patrick gearey, bbc news.tom side bulgaria at wembley this afternoon. england have won two out of two qualifiers so far. after bulgaria, they play kosovo at st mary's on tuesday. victories in both games would make qualification for next year's tournament a near formality. attendance records for women's super league matches will almost certainly be smashed this weekend with some games being played at their clubs' main grounds for the first time. the new season kicks off with manchester city hosting newly promoted manchester united at the etihad. the two sides, haven't met in the super league before, with united playing theirfirst season in the wsl. —— the two sides haven't met in the super league before, with united playing theirfirst season in the wsl. we're making sure that we're diligent in — in all of our preparation, making sure the players know their roles and responsibilities. are we there yet? no. we've got a long way to go and we're probably still gonna be finding our feet in this league campaign when

patrick gearey reports. for a minute, the engines fell silent.n occupational hazard. commentator: and it's lights out and away we go! at these speeds, anything can happen. many of the crowd had come to watch max verstappen, born in belgium, and yet his race was over within a lap. most importantly, he was unharmed. meanwhile, lewis hamilton was chasing the two ferraris, a test of strategy and velocity. hamilton took longer in the pits than he might have but in his mercedes, he knows he can make up time. he passed a flagging sebastian vettel into second and went after charles leclerc, but man from monaco had extra motivation to win his first grand prix. he'd raced with his friend anthoine hubert for many years. radio: this one is for anthoine. difficult to enjoy on a weekend like this. for leclerc, some achievement but one of the moments of his life had been put in a sober context. some things are more important. patrick gearey, bbc news. are really emotional weekend for all involved. does make a really emotional weekend. —— are really emotional we

patrick gearey was watching. music, hypes, light, this was mr‘s big night.ide of the horizon. it is so difficult to watch them all. one marauding red always escapes. ears was roberto fermina. 0n marauding red always escapes. ears was roberto fermina. on saturday he scored the winner in the world cup clu b scored the winner in the world cup club final. that experience of glory and what it takes to get there is no ingrained investable squad. they knew they needed a second. it was their chance. they want youhandball, penalty. we can watch from james milnerpoint of view, but it is far harder to understand his calm. that kick could have settled the match and perhaps much more. from now on it was about showing off. the amino placed in the third and the fourth was fired home by a born and bred red, trent alexander arnold from western derby, liverpool. part of a tea m western derby, liverpool. part of a team that are european and world clu b team that are european and world club cup champions and have just taken a major step towards ruling england as well. everyone

patrick gearey, bbc news. and although he wasn't able to capitalise immediately, the referee stopped the fight when eubank did it again in the tenth. smith won the first fight between the two back injanuary. i was the underdog. everyone thought i was the underdog. everyone thought i was the underdog. everyone thought i was going to get knocked out. everyone thought i was finished. i see people online saying i am sharp, i'm too old, i don't want it anymore. yeah, i couldn't let that... i couldn't let that be, i couldn't let that slide. england's women had never lost a t20 to sri lanka before yesterday, but the first defeat was a heavy one with the series now tied at 1—1 heading into wednesday's decider. batting first, england slumped to 104 all out in 18 overs. 0nly charlie dean scoring more than 1a. sri lanka had no problem chasing their target, reaching it in the 14th over with eight wickets in hand, and england captain heather knight admitting they'd been served some humble pie. max verstappen will be aiming

patrick gearey has more.ter losing to southampton. 200 zero sta mford losing to southampton. 200 zero stamford bridge. michael 0bafemi scored a fine solo effort to set the saints on their way to a 2—0 win. chelsea stay in fourth. mikel arteta's took charge of arsenal for the first time. no massive upturn in form though. they're still in the bottom half of the table after drawing at bournemouth. an instant impact for carlo ancelotti at everton, though, as dominic calvert lewin's flying header earned them a 1—0 win over burnley. and anthony martial scored twice as manchester united came from behind to beat newcastle 4—1. they're four points off the champions league spots now. all the premier league results and reaction can be found on the website. 0ne game later today, manchester city facebooks. not quite as one—sided in scotland, although a win in sunday's old firm derby could stretch celtic‘s lead at the top of the premiership. they're five points clear of rivals rangers after beating st mirren 2—1. callum mc

patrick gearey, bbc news.e been under pressure for weeks and weeks and weeks but they haven't won. so to have that mental strength, and do that away from home, it was a long time ago, so extremely proud. it is only six months since liverpool won the champions league, but they are in danger of going out at the group stage of this year's competition. they need a point away at red bull salzburg to be sure of making the last 16. it is a tight group, so a win would take them through as group leaders, but they cannot afford to slip up. we will fight in each challenge, 100%. what salzburg did at anfield. we played really well at the beginning, but then we opened the door for the game. they used it because they are talented, strong. jess is doing an incrediblejob. so it's just a football game, like it always is. chelsea also have work to do. they know a win tonight at home to lille will see them through, though they could get away with a draw if other results go their way. manager frank lampard knows the significance

patrick gearey, bbc news.ght i had it under control and then... it was really risky putting us then... it was really risky putting us out on slicks and then after that, just went to pot. egan bernal has become the youngest rider in 110 years to win the tour de france. with the race leader traditionally not challenged on the final stage, 22—year—old bernal was hand—in—hand with his team—mate and last year's winner geraint thomas, who finished second overall. the traditional sprint finish was won by australian caleb ewan. but it was the colombian rider's day and night on the champs—elysees. adam peaty claimed his third gold of the world aquatics championships as great britain won the men's 4 by 100 metre medley relay. it's peaty‘s fourth medal overall in south korea but duncan scott took the plaudits for his amazing final leg. they were in a team with james guy and luke greenbank and set a new european record. the usa top the medal table. great britain finished in seventh with three golds, all from peaty, and se

patrick gearey reports.it in the booze, as west ham lost their ninth match and 12. by evening, manuel pellegrini's departure was announced. west ham's channon said: this black—and—white fate came courtesy of a man named grey. commentator: it is to marry grey! 2-1 at commentator: it is to marry grey! 2—1 at leicester! commentator: it is to marry grey! 2-1 at leicester! but when i thought leicester left west ham just one point above the bottom three. the prospect of playing second—tier football in the former olympic stadium unthinkable for the owners. they planned so much more when i hired manuel pellegrini, who won the premier league with man city in 2014. he spent big on the likes of felipe anderson and led to the hammers to attend in the table last season. but after a promising start the bubble burst by late autumn. speaking yesterday he acknowledged the fans had reasons not to be cheerful. they deserve a better performance. we are trying to find which is the way to do it. i think that the players want to d

patrick gearey watched the action. so it is all down to monday. the battle of georgia and the dragon, this time the dragon had to win. without the individual brilliance of gareth bale, this was a test of the collective. they did plenty in the first half without a goal. and every passing minute it grew more edgy in tblisi. in the key moments of this qualifying campaign, new welsh heroes have emerged. tom laurence of derby county had never before scored for his country. qualifying is all about timing. and in dublin, not even two minutes were on the clock when stephen ward went hurling. in there with a crucial touch was daryl murphy, a 34—year—old striker in something of a hot streak this season. it took him until his 24th game to score for ireland, but he proved he had the hang of it. effectively all over for moldova. against the team ranked 156 in the world, goals should be on offer. shane has not managed once in february. the definition of a long wait. that did not matter. in cardiff on monday, everything will. so with serbia losing in austria, wa

patrick gearey reports.des didn't need to dwell on this touch. the referee had spotted a foul. penalty. fernandes is sometimes compared with eric cantona. a kick fit for a king. but no team has been more successful than sevilla in this competition and there was a beautiful efficiency about their equaliser scored by suso — once of liverpool. manchester united returned with purpose after the break. they had 20 shots in all, but were thwarted time and again by sevilla's keeper — a hero named bounou. united just couldn't find the edge. and sevilla can be razor sharp. for an absent—minded moment luuk de jong got free. the five—time winners into the final once more. for united, a season that lasted more than a year ends in frustration, recrimination, and ultimately elimination. patrick gearey, bbc news. to scotland, where rangers' perfect start to the season has ended. they were held to a goal—less draw by livingston, mainly thanks to this brilliant save by the livingston keeper max stryjek. he was making his debu

patrick gearey, bbc news.inner. 2—1 the final score. well, england have of course already qualified for euro 2020, but they face kosovo in pristina this afternoon in their final group game. kosovo manager bernard challandes is calling england "the best side in europe right now" and gareth southgate says that's all because of an abundance of attacking options. we have got a lot of good attacking players. that is the beauty of this team, that we can... it is difficult for defences to focus on one person to try and stop them because three, four other players can step forward, score goals, create goals. the movements are good and the individual ability is good, so i think we are quite difficult at the moment for the opposition to plan for. well, southgate's side won 5—3 when the two sides met last month in southampton, and kosovo's manager is expecting his defence to be in for another busy night this evening. nobody has called so much. the incredible offensive of this team. 7-0, 6-0, 5-0, 5-0, 5—0 — incredible! no

patrick gearey, bbc news.t katie gornall is at the stade de france where the athletics continues today. what are the metal prospects we have installed? irate what are the metal prospects we have installed? ~ ., ., ., ., installed? we have a real treat in store today _ installed? we have a real treat in store today at — installed? we have a real treat in store today at the _ installed? we have a real treat in store today at the stade - installed? we have a real treat in store today at the stade de - installed? we have a real treat in l store today at the stade de france. it is the 100m finals day for the women. we will see she garry richardson from the america, one of the favourites. the jamaican at 37, competing in herfinal 0lympics. for britain, then asher—smith will be hoping to challenge them. she qualified and trained in texas now but want to do well in her third 0lympics. masters of the british printers in that event the heat was daryll neita, who looks really strong. —— dina asher—smith. she is competing

patrick gearey reports.that keeps surprising. it finished 4—2 and arsenal sit at the top of the leg at the start of 2023. once more they will begin the new year 7—point scale. so what of the chases? manchester city, the mid— had been a cheerful, a reunion forjack relish with a young fan who was the inspiration for this celebration and jack greer leash would end up most inevitably scoring his 21st goal of the season. celebrated without choreography. everton held out and then almost from nothing... commentator: what a goal. the murray gre a commentator: what a goal. the murray grey a spectacular— commentator: what a goal. the murray grey a spectacular change _ commentator: what a goal. the murray grey a spectacular change of— commentator: what a goal. the murray grey a spectacular change of course. - grey a spectacular change of course. newcastle, they could not find a way past leeds but finished 2022 nz. manchester united were hoping to go forth. 0versleeping and turning up late for a meeting, a player on the

patrick gearey looks ahead to a nervy day for them.nervous afternoons when they step off the trapdoors at the last moment. well what they have this time is controlled. if they beat by most they stay up as a victory would keep that bleak possibility of relegation at bay. theyjust need to win. we at bay. they 'ust need to win. we worked at bay. theyjust need to win. 2 worked hard to get in this position. it is this stage of the season. as long as we capitalise on it. it has been a consistent message to the team, we go to every game to win a game. team, we go to every game to win a name. .. .. , , team, we go to every game to win a name. .. ., ,, , game. lower down, even less blood. blessed are — game. lower down, even less blood. blessed are able _ game. lower down, even less blood. blessed are able to _ game. lower down, even less blood. blessed are able to go _ game. lower down, even less blood. blessed are able to go from - game. lower down, even less blood. blessed are able to go from a - blessed are able to go from a different mayda

patrick gearey, bbc news.league season. here's a bit of choreography from the training ground, and it worked, as defender craig cathcart knew what was happening to power in a header after 11 minutes, enough to win the game. some fans will be allowed back into a scottish premiership match today, for the first time since march. ross county against celtic, and aberdeen‘s match with kilmarnock, will act as test events, with 300 fans allowed to watch both matches. fans are being advised to wear a face mask at all times, and no chanting will be allowed. the american superstar alex morgan is the latest to be tempted by the women's super league. she's won back to back world cups with the united states, she's won back to back world cups with the united states, and is set to join tottenham, as she returns to the game, after giving birth to a daughter in may. she'll be the fifth member of last summer's, winning american team, to move across the atlantic. england have been beaten by australia in the first of three one—day

patrick gearey, bbc news.ne under overall. mcilroy�*s first major triumph was also at the us open, in maryland back in 2011. it felt like i played really smart goals, hit a lot of fairways and greens. sort of felt somewhat stressfree out there, if you can ever call golf at us open stressfree but overall pretty pleased with how today went and feel like i am in a good spot heading into tomorrow. max verstappen will start tonight's canadian grand prix from pole after coming out on top in a rain affected qualifying session in montreal. the world champion timed his run to perfection in the final session, clocking the quickest time just before oscar piastri crashed his mclaren, suspending qualifying. the rain worsened before the re—start, which meant none of the drivers could improve their times and that saw a big surprise with nico hulkenberg getting his haas car onto the front row. britain's lewis hamilton starts from fourth. for the first time since 1977, there will be an all—british final at an event on the wta

it's fair to say australia had the best of day one, of the fourth ashes test — and our reporter patrick geareyhe start england would've wanted, is it? i think right from the off, this was a lwa ys i think right from the off, this was always going to be a lot of hard—working, from always going to be a lot of ha rd—working, from the always going to be a lot of hard—working, from the moment england were put into the field on a warm day after losing the toss, it looked from omen like david warner would score any amount of runs for his side. they had a hundred before lunch. england came in after the interval and got rid of cameron bancroft, and they thought they had got rid of warner on 99, but it was ano got rid of warner on 99, but it was a no ball, he was reinstated and the very next delivery he got his 100, and the mcg roared his approval, a great celebration from warner who was obviously so relieved not to be out on 99, which would be frustrating for him. he didn't last that much longer, caught behind off james anderson. then the paa joe went for 400 deliveries, and he nearly got shaun marsh o

patrick gearey, bbc news. what is going to happen? a big day for the future of english rugby union. the bosses of all of the leading clubs are meeting to discuss whether to get rid of promotion and relegation from the top division, the premiership. currently, one team a year drops out of the league to be replaced by a club from the second tier championship. supporters say that makes english club rugby competitive, exciting to watch, but some want to shake things up. have a three—year window, take relegation out of it and promotion out of the equation, and after that three—year window, a club should play off with the bottom team in the premiership to get in there. closing the league for a few years, it allows us to develop english players, more english players, and that's got to be good for the game. there's been a lot of talk about the england cricket team in the past few days. after losing the second test to west indies inside three days, some are worried about their progress, with the ashes against australia coming up this summer. m

patrick gearey, bbc news.s and has appeared in two world cups for england, captaining his country to the semifinals in the most recent tournament last autumn. the catalans dragons full—back said a persistent issue with his left knee played a part in his decision. meanwhile, on the pitch, what's happening to the multiple champions st helens? beaten again, this time in a huge shock, at leigh. they had been 12—0 up at half time, but lost 20—12. elsewhere, huddersfield giants are up to third after thrashing castleford 36—6 — running in six tries — chris mcqueen with two of them. warrington are top after beating hull kr, while leeds beat wakefield in the night's other match. in tennis, cameron norrie cruised to a second—round victory at indian wells. the british number one defeated taiwan's wu tung—lin in straights sets, 6—2, 6—4. norrie won the tournament in 2021 and will face taro daniel ofjapan in his second—round tie. and it was another day to forget for rory mcilroy at golf�*s players championship. he was 2—ov

patrick gearey reports. the champions cup demands much.s it's precise angles that count. glasgow warriors picked one here for tommy seymour to score. the warriors are scotland's only representative in this competition and are in some form but eventually buckled on the overbearing exeter chiefs pressure. sam simmons settled it. the chiefs have conquered england. what price now europe? this was the first that anyone had seen of la rochelle in the champions cup. few will forget them, lease of all harlequins. the men from the atlantic coast attacked in waves, scoring four tries and 34 points. quins played their part in a remarkable match. and a bonus point as some consolation. points were a little scarcer at the rec. bath has spent much of the time keeping benetton treviso out. but when they got the chance to express themselves, it all flowed. zach mercer with the first of their two tries. 22—nil, not the whole story but the part that matters. earlier, leicester had to face the unseasonable parisian heat and an unstoppable fijian lock. the gia

patrick gearey reports. as they thunder away to a perfect start...ous ones. now, 50 years afterjim clark won the grand prix here for the first time, a new hd hero is hoping to do the same. lewis hamilton matched clark's records 8 pole positions yesterday. his last lap was half a second better than anybody else's. in f1, that is an age. fans have seen hamilton at his best but how much longer will they be able to watch formula 1 here? the circuit has activated a break clause in their contract and the speculation that the race may move to another circuit or even the streets of london after 2019. but for drivers, whether active or retired, silverstone is special. silverstone is like wimbledon. you need to keep the legendary venues. silverstone is so legendary and historic. there were racing there in the ‘50s. so we'll do need to stay there. silverstone 2017 is expected to be the best attended race on the calendar. 0rganisers insist silverstone 2117 could be as well. we love putting on formula 1 races here. the british racing drivers club is potty about f

patrick gearey, bbc news.have a look at this model which was on show at the labour party conference yesterday were gary neville and andy burnham made the case to either redevelop 0ld burnham made the case to either redevelop old trafford, united's home since 1910, or spend £2 billion on a brand—new 100,000 home since 1910, or spend £2 billion on a brand—new100,000 seater stadium. what i could say to manchester united supporters is that we want to help your club in, if they're going for a new build, to do it as close to their spiritual home, if you like, of old trafford. so you can drink in the same pubs, you can go the same chippy, you have your same routine, this is still your home. it'sjust, you know, you're rebuilding the house on the site of your home, and that's what one of the options is. so, i think it's for the club to make that decision. i think they'll make that decision later this year. myjob is just to give them all of their options so that they consider everything. across town at manchester city i

patrick gearey, bbc news.nerable of late. they're away to psv eindhoven, who are guaranteed second place, so we could well see some changes. arsenal taking three academy players with them to the netherlands. everton say they'll continue to display foodbank charity adverts on the scoreboards at their ground, in response to the so—called "poverty chanting" of opposing supporters. the move was praised on social media, and the message of "fans supporting foodbanks" will be shown whenever the chanting is heard. chants like "sign on" are specifically aimed at everton and liverpool mocking fans about unemployment. the ads were displayed just 3a seconds into everton's win over chelsea on sunday, and twice more. you may remember the row when england fans couldn't buy a mary earps goalkeeper replica shirt during the women's world cup this summer, after the kit supplier nike failed to produce any. earps won the golden glove for best keeper at the world cup and eventually, after a backlash, her replica shirt was released

patrick gearey, bbc news. to beat red bull's sergio perez by more than a quarter of a second. championship leader verstappen will start from third in the other red bull. george russell is the best placed briton in fifth, two places ahead of his mercedes team mate lewis hamilton. this one i probably did not expect because i thought red bull was strong, especially in q1 and q2. we were faster but then in the last lap everything came together and managed to do a good lap so extremely happy. in the women's triathlon event in leeds, britain's double olympic medallist georgia taylor—brown finished second. fellow brit sophie coldwell was third. they both narrowly lost out to cassandre beaugrand of france, who won gold despite picking up a 10 second penalty along the way. in the men's race, the hopes of british pair jonathan brownlee and alex yee were ended after a crash on the bike leg that wasn't caught on camera. it was hayden wilde of new zealand who took first place. and what a fightback from saracens — they came

but as patrick gearey reports sarries showed once again just why they are champions.ar, back to defend their title. this was the billed as the day they could achieve greatness. alex goode spotted chris ashton. down the runway, prepare for take—off. that made him the top try scorer in the european cup, this his signature in the record book. sarries were rampant, another try was coming, george kruis finished forcefully rather than photogenically. deja vu for those in blue, clermont have lost 13 major finals but remy lamerat gave them hope. saracens edged further ahead but clermont need something. nick abendanon, once of england, sent cheers echoing to the middle of france. 72 minutes, one point in it, just when saracens thrive. again alex goode saw a chance, the man who created the first try scored the decisive one. 0wen farrell's mastery of geometry improved the arithmetic. saracens had done it again. somebody asked earlier on, they said that to win back—to—back cups must be pleasing but for me it was the manner in the way we played today that was pleasing. it was huge

patrick gearey rounds up yesterday's premier league action. seasons change fast.t that asks around attacking, there are still groans at the back. and looked so simple for manchester city to roll in the opening goal. turning point of the game was also the talking point. this challenge on the goalkeeper was seen as an this challenge on the goalkeeper was seen as an acceptably reckless by the referee. he was sent off, the other stretchered off. he was patched up at liverpool were not. scoreline for city a resounding statement. there had been inside the promised to manchester united as well. it seemed to be going the master plan when they were to up against stoke. not much longer later and for the second time in the match they forgot about this player. the perfect start a sober. in another match was won here yesterday with his new team. tottenham ‘s harry kane is an autumn bloom, he has not scored in august against it timbre they fly in by accident. he later added goal number 101 in everton. 3— nil to arsenal as well against bournemouth. this is more than the cherries

patrick gearey reports.eauty and cruelty, where nothing is guaranteed. ask lee westwood, whose opening—day charge wandered of course. even those at the top of the leaderboard could be lured offshore. in went rickie fowler's ball, and with it a shot. he retrieved it on the next hole. resilience is key, not something you can always say about sergio garcia. a talent, but never a major winner. now with a share in the lead, is he getting closer? experience matters. this player has plenty of that, as he won in 1992. he knows how to stay out of trouble. that was the goal of many. justin rose went neither forward or back. but he stayed in touch to be as did rory mcilroy. he knows the wind is due to drop and played will get easier. a perfect setting for the masters. patrick geary, bbc news. i enjoy when the courses play tough and the masters is difficult, because it means the high—quality shots will be rewarded and you have to hit the ball the right way. usually if i am in good form, i can do that. former england rug

lords thanks to a first test century from chris woakes, but the weather continues to disrupt, as patrick gearey up. looks. under sunny skies england's bassman wandered into forecast storms. england price tag four wickets before lunch. there had been more rain than runs in this u nsettled more rain than runs in this unsettled test, sojonny bairstow‘s 50 was worth a fortune. chris woakes flew past him as india started to fly. with old father time looming over this match england had to get a move on. this brought chris woakes his first test century, scored on his first test century, scored on his return to the team to replace ben stokes. england cannot have asked for more. now for best‘s moment. he was denied his century by the athletic magic of dennis carter, is spectacular, but anti—climactic end. england probably had enough ru ns end. england probably had enough runs by the time bad light stopped play. the condition keep curtailing the cricket, but chris woakes will never have enjoyed a more satisfying stroke. never have enjoyed a more satisfying stroke. next to the the pga championship in miss

as patrick gearey reports. scotland shake up the six nations for the second time.s set off on the open road. liam williams — the fast lane. too quick to be stopped by any of scotland's barriers. so they tried to catch them another way. finn russell kicked scotland closer, but leigh halfpenny can kick to the horizon. consider russell trumped. four now. scotland flew out after the break. tommy seymour for the line. in the city of trainspotting, try—spotting. was it? it was, just. scotland ahead. they moved six points clear, then wales responded. this time rhys webb asked the question, but, before he reached the try line he reached touch. the answer was no try. under the pump scotland have cracked in the past, now the pressure powered them. a fizzer to tim visser, delirium vern cotter style. a first scottish victory over wales in ten years. 29—13 and all of this shows scotland's rugby resurgence and proves that they are very real contenders for this year's title. which of ireland and france could join them? that was always predicted to be tight. a game for spotting th

patrick gearey reports.2. by evening, manuel pellegrini‘s departure was announced. the chairman said... this black and white fate came courtesy of a man named gray. this black and white fate came courtesy of a man named graym this black and white fate came courtesy of a man named gray. it is demarai gray. that left west ham just a point above the bottom three. relegation unthinkable for the owners. they thought they would get so much more when they hired manuel pellegrini won the premiership with manchester city. he spent big on the likes of felipe anderson and let the hammers to tenth last season but the bubble burst by late autumn. speaking yesterday, he acknowledged the fans had reasons not to be cheerful. they deserve a better performance. you‘re trying to find ways to do it. i think the players wa nt to ways to do it. i think the players want to do it but they feel the pressure on lack of confidence, lack of results is difficult. is the time of results is difficult. is the time of year for of results is

patrick gearey can talk you through it. before the rivalry and frenzy, a moment of unity. up appreciated. van wembley redivided. up stepped willian. a polarising goal. tottenham came back. christian ericsson, the maker, harry kane, the taker. the folk hero. and this started what couldn't be stopped. a penalty. the ghost of willian haunting them again. in the frenzied fog, some can see things others cannot. dele alli. 2—2. the spurs dominated for a bit with a threat. then into the net from eden. this was eclipsed by chelsea's individual brilliance. big players and really and occasions. this semi had everything. chelsea could well be going for the double. bbc news, wembley. —— brilliant. it is great to fight for the title. it is great to fight for the title. it is great to fight for the title. it is great to reach for the final fa cup. a great competition. but, yeah, i fa cup. a great competition. but, yeah, lam pleased fa cup. a great competition. but, yeah, i am pleased for my players andl yeah, i am pleased for my players and i also love our fans. we dominated the game co

patrick gearey, bbc news.oints clear of second placed leeds with 2 games remaining, and 5 clear of ipswich who have a game in hand. ronnie 0'sullivan does not believe he is the best snooker player ever. the world number one is up againstjackson page. another former champion john higgins gets his tournament underway against jamie jones. three—time champion mark williams is out of the tournament though. it went all the way to a deciding frame in his match against china's sijiahui, who made a winning break of 77. williams says he's got no plans to retire but says he doesn't know if he'll be back at the crucible. i'll be 50 years of age next year. so, you know, you've got to make the most of all you can. i've loved every minute of it. i wish i could have won. but, you know, i'vejust got to take my hat off to him. what a break that was! i mean, there's not many players that could make that break at that pressure - at 9-9. so, you know, i think he's definitely going to be a future world champion. he has been there a

patrick gearey reports. charlie was going to help you. versus cardiff is 134 yea rs gloucester versus cardiff is 134 years and a few seconds of timeless beauty. the burns to hendy —— henry trindall. cardiff blues were chasing this, 14 points down at the break, desperate for a change of direction, here it was, the ball bouncing but thomas williams, reckon share rugby. smith put them in the lead. gloucester had a problem, time but pragmatism in power. james hansen over an ahead. into the final minutes, cardiff were desperate now. one more past mau mau sprint, blade sculley, but gareth hanscom conversion to level the scores. the first kick missed in the match and the last possible —— the worst possible time. cardiff penalty very last minute. a moment of blue steel had stolen the silver. c can look again now. you can look again now, c. rory mcilroy has missed the cut, at the players championship in florida — the tournament dubbed the fifth major. the course at sawgrass is built on the site of an old swamp, and there's water all around, at the

completed their first clean sweep of november internationals, as they beat south africa in cardiff as patrick gearey three. and what a start against south africa. atjust the right moment, up popped a prop — tomas francis over, wales away. they didn't let up. overlapping then overwhelming. liam william's try — 14—0, 16 minutes in. that was the easy part. wales knew they would have to deal with the springboks in wilderbeast mode. their pressure creating space forjesse kriel to score. south africa got back to within 3 points but, as the pressure grew, the welsh got bigger. dan biggar‘s two penalties carried them clear, all the way to an autumnal clean—sweep and nine wins in a row going into a world cup year. speaking of world cups... commentator: this is the one that's coming back forjonny wilkinson! he drops for world cup glory! it's over, he has done it. ian robertson's most famous bbc radio commentary and, for his final match on the mic after 47 years, england was sson beating australia once more. jonny may the finisher of his side's perfect start. england were in control, 10 points ahead but israel