LIVERPOOL: Manchester City twice came from behind to prevent Liverpool moving back to the top of the Premier League in a pulsating 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool weathered a City storm in the first-half and hit the English champions with a sucker punch when Sadio Mane opened the scoring just before the hour mark.
Phil Foden levelled before Mohamed Salah looked to have won the game with a moment of individual brilliance as he jinked around four defenders before firing past Ederson.
However, Kevin De Bruyne’s shot that deflected in off Joel Matip nine minutes from time salvaged the point Pep Guardiola’s men at least deserved.
A share of the spoils leaves the title race tantalisingly poised with Liverpool a point behind leaders Chelsea and City two points off the top in third.
It could have been much worse for City as a 0-0 draw at home to Southampton two weeks ago left them three points off the top of the table ahead of two of the most daunting away trips in the Premier League.
However, rather than being cut adrift from the contenders to take their title, they have laid down a marker in schooling Chelsea on their own patch and doing the same to Jurgen Klopp’s men for the majority of a thrilling contest.
Guardiola’s side won 4-1 when the sides met behind closed door last season, but City have still not won in front of a crowd at Anfield since 2003, long before an Abu Dhabi takeover transformed the club’s fortunes.
They should have ended that run by putting the game beyond doubt in a dominant first-half when, not for the first time this season, they just lacked the finishing touch.
Foden had the majority of the chances before the break, but could not find a way past Alisson Becker.
Bernardo Silva’s mazy run beyond five players cut open the Liverpool defense, but Foden’s low shot was repelled by the Brazilian international.
The England international then had strong claims for a penalty or a red card against James Milner for a foul outside the box waived away by referee Paul Tierney.
De Bruyne headed over a glorious chance with Foden this time the creator before Alisson had to sprint off his line to block from Foden once more just before the break.
Liverpool were clinging on for the half-time whistle, but were able to reorganize themselves at the break to turn the game into a far more competitive contest in the second-half.
Mane hit City with the sucker punch as Salah skipped past Joao Cancelo and played in the Senegalese to slot calmly into the far corner.
Anfield was suddenly stirred and Liverpool’s players crashed into challenges in response as they didn’t allow City to get into the rhythm they enjoyed before the break.
However, one slick move from Guardiola’s men finally saw them find the net to level 21 minutes from time.
Gabriel Jesus skipped across the face of the Liverpool box before finding Foden, who this time drilled the ball low into Alisson’s far corner.
Guardiola was then infuriated as Milner avoided a second yellow card after chopping down Silva.
And moments his later his mood soured even more when Salah’s stunning solo goal swung the game in Liverpool’s favor.
The Egyptian danced around Cancelo, Silva and Aymeric Laporte before firing on his weaker right foot high past Ederson.
Guardiola was then booked for taking his protests too far, but five minutes later he was screaming in celebration as De Bruyne’s effort from the edge of the box deflected in off Joel Matip.
Liverpool had the best chance to win the game in a breathless finale, but Rodri blocked Fabinho’s goal-bound effort after Ederson flapped at a free-kick.
Man City hit back to deny Salah-inspired Liverpool
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Man City hit back to deny Salah-inspired Liverpool
- Mohamed Salah looked to have won the game with a moment of individual brilliance
Top racers lined up for Tabuk Toyota Rally 2024 from King Khalid City
- Series leader Yazeed Al-Rajhi from Saudi Arabia heads field in his Toyota Hilux
TABUK: The Tabuk Toyota Rally 2024, round two of the Saudi Toyota Championship, will start from King Khalid City in Tabuk on Thursday afternoon, with most of the leading racers confirmed for the starting lineups.
The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation has laid on a challenging three-day desert route for the entrants, which include cars, motorcycles and quads, with approximately 419 kilometers to be timed against the clock.
Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi has an eight-point overall lead in the drivers’ championship, courtesy of his and Timo Gottshalk’s victory during round one in Hail.
Dark Horse OT3 driver Saleh Al-Saif is his nearest rival with Dania Akeel holding third place after making the switch from the Challenger category to driving an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux alongside Al-Rajhi in the Ultimate P section. Al-Saif’s co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari trails Gottschalk by eight points in the co-drivers’ championship.
With Pal Lonyai and Ahmed Al-Kuwari not competing in Tabuk, the door is open for German driver Annett Quandt to climb the leader board. She currently holds sixth in the overall standings and switches from a Yamaha YXZ to drive a Can-Am Maverick X3 on this occasion. Her closest challengers in the overall drivers’ championship are Hamad Al-Harbi, Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh and Maha Al-Hameli.
Al-Rajhi has had it all his own way so far in the Ultimate P category, while Al-Yaeesh arrives in Tabuk with a six-point cushion over Faris Al-Moshna in the Ultimate class. Khaled and Ahmed Al-Shammeri currently hold third and fourth places.
Al-Saif leads the absent Lonyai by seven points in Challenger, with Quandt, Al-Harbi and Al-Hameli looking to snatch the initiative from the OT3 driver. Hamza Bakhashab and Abdullah Al-Haydan are also registered in the category this weekend.
In the absence of the SSV category-leading Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Moaaz Hariri — who is a single point behind the Qatari — has the opportunity to pull clear of his nearest rivals. The Shegawi Racing duo of Esraa Al-Dkheil and Abdullah Al-Shegawi should provide stiff competition in their Can-Ams, although Waleed Al-Dakheel and Orjwan Ammar are also on hand for the battle.
Muneef Al-Shammeri heads to the start line with a 10-point lead over Sufian Al-Omer in the Stock category for series-production cross-country vehicles. Majed Al-Thunayyan is third, a further four points adrift in the standings.
MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi wheels out his Husqvarna Rally Bike this weekend in a four-motorcycle team alongside his closest title rival Abdullah Al-Shatti, brother Sultan and fellow Emirati Marwan Al-Rahmani. Al-Balooshi holds a 10-point cushion over his Kuwaiti team-mate with Saudi Arabia rider Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera holding third and Hamdan Al-Ali and the absent Abdullah Abu Aisheh rounding off the top five.
Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (25 points) heads an eight-strong quad field and will defend a five-point cushion over Hani Al-Noumesi in the standings. Recent Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura winner Abdulaziz Al-Shayban is third on 16 points, three ahead of Abdulaziz Al-Atawi.
Thursday will see the ceremonial start at King Khalid Sport City precede the opening Prologue stage in Tabuk that will determine the starting order for the first of two desert selective sections on Friday morning.
Soccer or football, the world’s most popular sport has its own day for fans to celebrate — May 25
- The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus with a bang of the gavel by its president, Dennis Francis
- On May 25, the resolution “invites” all nations, UN bodies, international organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector to observe World Football Day
UNITED NATIONS: Soccer fans around the world will now have a day to celebrate the world’s most popular sport every year — May 25.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution Tuesday proclaiming May 25 as World Football Day. The sport is called football outside of the US.
The day marks the 100th anniversary of the first international soccer tournament in history with the representation of all regions which took place on May 25, 1924 during the summer Olympic games held in Paris, according to the resolution.
The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus with a bang of the gavel by its president, Dennis Francis, to applause from diplomats in the assembly chamber. It was co-sponsored by more than 160 countries.
Libya’s UN Ambassador Taher El-Sonni, who introduced the resolution, told the assembly, “Football or soccer as others call it is the number one game played and followed around the globe.”
But he stressed that soccer is more than just a game played by all ages on streets, in villages, schools and courtyards for fun and in competitions.
Because of its “unparalleled position” in the world of sports, El-Sonni said, “football serves as a universal language spoken across the globe, cutting across national, cultural and socio-economic barriers.”
He said the game has become “a pivotal platform” championing gender equality and social inclusion, “a common ground where individuals from varying backgrounds converge, promoting mutual understanding, tolerance, respect and solidarity.”
The resolution acknowledges “the global reach of football and its impact in various spheres, including commerce, peace and diplomacy, and recognizing that football creates a space for cooperation.”
It also recognizes “the fundamental role” of soccer’s international governing body, FIFA, and the important role of regional and national soccer federations, as well as relevant associations, in p romoting the game.
The resolution encourages all countries to support soccer and other sports as a tool to promote peace, development and the empowerment of women and girls. And it also encourages countries to adopt policies and programs to promote football and other sports and physical activities.
On May 25, the resolution “invites” all nations, UN bodies, international organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector to observe World Football Day in line with national priorities “and to disseminate the advantages of football for all, including through educational and public awareness-raising activities.”
Top-seeded Celtics, Thunder win second round playoff series openers
- Boston were in complete control for most of the game, holding a double-digit lead through the second half to close out an emphatic win at the TD Garden
- Oklahoma City, who have an average age of just over 23, are the youngest team to win a second round playoff game
LOS ANGELES: The top-seeded Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder rolled to convincing victories in their opening NBA playoff series on Tuesday.
Eastern Conference top seeds Boston laid down a marker with a 120-95 rout of the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers at the TD Garden.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, were made to work harder by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks before finally pulling clear to seal a 117-95 victory in their Western Conference semifinal series opener.
In Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 32 points while Derrick White added 25, including seven three-pointers, in an emphatic win for the Celtics, who are chasing a record 18th NBA championship.
Boston were in complete control for most of the game, holding a double-digit lead through the second half to close out an emphatic win at the TD Garden.
Boston star Jayson Tatum added 18 points but had an off-night shooting-wise, making just 7-of-19 from the field.
Donovan Mitchell led the scoring for Cleveland with 33 points, with Evan Mobley adding 17 and Darius Garland 14.
Brown said the Celtics’ defense had laid the foundation for the win.
“It starts with defense, we wanted to set the tone on defense and we kept them under 100 (points),” Brown told TNT television.
“But we feel like we’ve got an answer for everything so we just play the game the right way, and see what they want to take away and then we play after that.”
Boston got off to a flying start, jumping out to an early 12-2 first quarter lead before a Cleveland rally saw them edge into a 23-21 lead after Mitchell’s running three-pointer.
But Boston responded swiftly, reclaiming the lead immediately and never allowing Cleveland to get their noses in front thereafter.
After taking a 10-point lead into halftime, Boston kept the pressure up in the second half, stretching out to a 26-point lead in the fourth quarter as they romped to a comfortable win. Game 2 in the series takes place in Boston on Thursday.
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder and the Mavericks fought a nip-and-tuck duel before the No.1 seeds pulled away decisively in the fourth quarter.
Trailing by nine points at halftime, Dallas rallied in the third quarter to get within one point at 66-65.
But the youthful Thunder lineup began to find their range, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander adding 10 points in the third quarter to help OKC build a 10-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City’s barrage of scoring continued in the fourth with Jalen Williams adding 10 points as the Thunder outscored their visitors 28-16 to seal victory by a 22-point margin.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the OKC scoring, finishing with 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists while Chet Holmgren added 19 points and Williams 18.
Kyrie Irving led Dallas with 20 points while Luka Doncic, struggling with a sore knee, finished with 19 after shooting six-of-19 from the field.
Oklahoma City, who have an average age of just over 23, are the youngest team to win a second round playoff game and were the youngest team to win a postseason series after sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round.
“We don’t worry about all the statistics and the stats, and how young we are,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the win. “We just want to win basketball games at a high level and that’s what we focus on.
“We try to get that done every night and tonight we did so.”
Doncic said the Mavericks would need to improve dramatically for game two taking place in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
The Slovenian star brushed off questions about his own shooting performance.
“Who cares? We lost. We’ve just got to move onto the next one. I’ve got to be better, we’ve got to be better,” Doncic said.
“They’re a great defensive team and a great offensive team, so it’s not going to be easy at all. We’re going to have to play very good basketball, focused basketball, for 48 minutes.”
PGA Championship invites 7 LIV players to get top 100 in the world
- The group of LIV players includes Patrick Reed, whose tie for 12th in the Masters moved him inside the top 100
- The field has 21 club professionals — 20 from the PGA Professional Championship last week, and Michael Block, who qualified by finishing among the top 15 last year at Oak Hill
NEW YORK: The PGA Championship officially has Tiger Woods in a field released Tuesday that includes invitations to seven players from Saudi-funded LIV Golf, giving the major the entire top 100 in the world ranking at Valhalla next week.
The PGA of America strives to have the top 100 in the world to maintain its reputation for having the strongest field of the four majors, although it is not part of the criteria.
Instead, the PGA uses a catch-all category of “special invitations.” The group of LIV players includes Patrick Reed, whose tie for 12th in the Masters moved him inside the top 100. He is at No. 92, and the invitation keeps alive his streak of playing every major since the 2014 Masters.
The PGA Championship returns to Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky, for the fourth time on May 16-19. Rory McIlroy won at Valhalla the last time it was there in 2014. The course is best known for Woods winning a playoff over Bob May in 2000 for his third straight major.
Joaquin Niemann, who won the Australian Open in December and has two LIV Golf wins this year, already received an invitation. The surprise was Talor Gooch announcing in an X post on Monday that he had received an invitation.
It was a sign the PGA of America’s selection committee was looking at LIV results on their own, as Gooch doesn’t play much outside the Saudi league. He won three times on LIV in 2023 and won the season points list.
Other invitations went to Dean Burmester, Lucas Herbert, Adrian Meronk, all of them inside the top 100 in the world. The seventh invitation went to David Puig, the 22-year-old from Spain who is No. 106 in the world ranking. Puig has finished in the top 10 in six of his last seven tournaments on the Asian Tour, including two wins.
LIV will be represented by 16 players, down from 18 a year ago.
There might have been one more, except British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen turned down his invitation. Oosthuizen, who is No. 125 in the world, won twice late last year in South Africa in tournaments co-sanctioned by the European tour.
His manager, Carlos Rodriguez, said in a text message that Oosthuizen already had some personal commitments.
The LIV group includes defending champion Brooks Koepka, who goes for a fourth PGA Championship title. He is the only active LIV player to win a major.
Kerry Haigh, the championship director for the PGA of America, has said he would consider deserving players from tours around the world. Invitations were given to Tim Widing of Sweden, who has won consecutive tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Another invitation went to Kazuma Kobori, a 22-year-old born in Japan who now plays under the New Zealand flag. He has won three times this year in the Webex Players Series on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
The field has 21 club professionals — 20 from the PGA Professional Championship last week, and Michael Block, who qualified by finishing among the top 15 last year at Oak Hill.
The PGA is keeping two spots open in case the winners of the Wells Fargo Championship and the Myrtle Beach Classic are not already eligible. Only four players in the 69-man field at the Wells Fargo Championship have not qualified. The first alternate is Doug Ghim.
Hummels stuns Mbappe and PSG to take Dortmund to Champions League final
- Hummels struck five minutes into the second half at the Parc des Princes and PSG were unable to muster a response
- PSG have still never won the trophy despite all the money invested by their Qatari owners since the 2011 takeover, and there will be no dream send-off for Mbappe
PARIS: Mats Hummels headed in the only goal as Borussia Dortmund stunned Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semifinal second leg on Tuesday, winning 1-0 on the night and advancing 2-0 on aggregate to next month’s final at Wembley.
Hummels struck five minutes into the second half at the Parc des Princes and PSG were unable to muster a response, the home side all out of luck as they hit the woodwork four times in total.
Dortmund, who sit fifth in the German Bundesliga, were never expected to go so far and will be underdogs in the June 1 showpiece regardless of whether they face their old rivals Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, who meet on Wednesday.
It will be their first final since 2013 when, remarkably, the match was also played at Wembley and Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund lost to Bayern.
Hummels played in that final and here, 11 years later, he was the hero as Dortmund built on the advantage given to them by Niclas Fuellkrug’s goal in the first leg.
“It’ll take us a bit of time to realize that, but we’re looking forward to it extremely,” Dortmund coach Edin Terzic told broadcaster Amazon Prime of getting to the final.
“We did it somehow, making it to London.”
The story of this semifinal, however, is as much about PSG’s failure in another crunch knockout tie in the competition.
They have still never won the trophy despite all the money invested by their Qatari owners since the 2011 takeover, and there will be no dream send-off for Mbappe.
He will leave when his contract expires after this season and had been hoping to play his last game for the club in the June 1 final.
Instead PSG will be left to reflect on how they failed to get their hands on the biggest trophy of all during Mbappe’s seven years at his hometown team.
“We were not clinical enough. They scored two goals, one from a corner and one from a long ball. We created lots more chances, many more than them, but we didn’t take them,” PSG captain Marquinhos told Canal Plus.
“We got so close and we wanted to get to the final. But we had to win tonight and be more clinical, and we were not.”
PSG’s last two semifinal appearances both came during the pandemic, meaning this was the first time they had hosted a match at this stage of a European competition with fans in 29 years, since losing to AC Milan in 1995.
Luis Enrique’s team had won 2-0 at home against Dortmund in the group stage and were safe in the knowledge that a repeat of that performance would be enough.
The PSG coach made one major selection decision, dropping Bradley Barcola and bringing in Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos. That meant moving Mbappe from the middle onto the left wing.
Dortmund would have been bracing themselves for an onslaught from kick-off, but that did not transpire.
Mbappe took only seven minutes to produce his first attempt, yet his volley was easily saved by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
The hosts had most of the possession but struggled to get Mbappe into the game, the France captain often looking isolated on the wing.
In fact it was Dortmund who had the best chance of the first half, when Karim Adeyemi led a counterattack before seeing his shot saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
It felt as though the hosts needed to change something or risk going out with a whimper.
They should have been ahead two minutes after the restart, when Ramos touched on a ball driven into the box by Mbappe, but Warren Zaire-Emery contrived to hit the post from close range.
That was to prove crucial as Dortmund struck moments later.
PSG cheaply conceded a corner, and Julian Brandt’s delivery from the Dortmund right was headed in by Hummels.
Ramos swept a shot over on the hour mark before Nuno Mendes became the second PSG player to strike the right-hand post, this time with a powerful shot from distance.
It was starting to look as if it would not be PSG’s night, and Luis Enrique realized he had to act as he sent on Barcola and Marco Asensio for Ramos and Fabian Ruiz, moving Mbappe through the middle.
Dortmund sent on an extra defender in the hulking Niklas Suele and they withstood everything PSG threw at them while also being helped by the frame of the goal.
Kobel turned Mbappe’s shot onto the bar on 86 minutes and Vitinha also rattled the woodwork but Dortmund hung on to book their date in London.
