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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc denied yesterday he was talking to rivals Mercedes after a nightmare start to the Formula One season, but his ‘not yet’ comment was unlikely to dampen speculation. Leclerc has scored only six points from three races so far, retiring twice. A year ago he won two of the first three and was second in the other before Ferrari’s challenge fell apart due to a lack of reliability, botched strategy and driver errors. “No, there have not been any conversations. Not yet. Not for the moment,” the Monegasque told reporters in Baku when asked about media speculation in Italy that his discussions with former champions Mercedes were an open secret. “For now, I am fully focused on the project I am in today, which is Ferrari and I fully trust and am confident for the future. Then we will see, but I am fully confident for the project of Ferrari. “It has always been a dream for me to be in this team and my main priority is to win a world championship with this team. So it’s not something in my mind. “I’m fully committed to Ferrari and I love Ferrari.” Asked if Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had called him, Leclerc replied: “No. Zero. Zero. Really zero. You all smile because you don’t believe me, but I promise.” Leclerc has a contract to the end of 2024 and Mercedes are in contract extension talks with seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who will be 39 next January and whose current deal runs out at the end of this year. Hamilton, who was second in the previous race in Australia, said the speculation about Leclerc’s future had no impact on him. “I like where I am, I love my team, and I’m grateful for the journey we’ve been on and what we’re working on moving forwards,” he told reporters. Vasseur says Ferrari recruiting massively, Mekies exit is no drama Ferrari are recruiting massively as they reorganise the Formula One team and the announced departure of sporting director Laurent Mekies is no drama, team boss Fred Vasseur said yesterday. Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri said on Wednesday that Franz Tost, 67, will be stepping down as principal at the end of the 2023 season with Mekies arriving to replace him at a date to be confirmed. He was the second senior team member to head for the exit since Mattia Binotto was replaced by Frenchman Vasseur in January.David Sanchez left in March and is due to join McLaren in a senior technical role next January. “I think it’s a mega opportunity for Laurent,” Vasseur told reporters at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. “I won’t block Laurent, for sure. “If you speak about timeline, I think that Toro Rosso (AlphaTauri) was probably a bit aggressive on the press release. We have a long-term contract with Laurent and we’ll have to discuss about details.” Vasseur said he had a good relationship with Mekies and they had open discussions but he would always put Ferrari’s best interests first. “To lose two persons in 1,600, it’s not a drama,” he added. “The power of the team is always more important than the individuals. “The group is there, we are recruiting massively – that we are not communicating but we are recruiting massively – and we will do step by step. “You know perfectly the system of recruitment in F1, it’s quite long and painful but we are working on it.” Vasseur recognised Mekies’ current role was ‘quite large” and said it could ultimately be split in two, as some other teams have done. The Frenchman also said Charles Leclerc remained a central part of the Ferrari project, amid media reports the Monegasque could be looking elsewhere with a contract that expires at the end of 2024.

Every big-hitting player needs one result on a clay court to believe they can translate their hard-court power game to clay. For World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka, that moment came two years ago at the Mutua Madrid Open. A champion at the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open, Sabalenka returned to her happy hunting ground at the Caja Magica with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Sorana Cirstea to advance to the third round in Madrid yesterday. The victory avenged one of her four losses this season, after seeing her Miami Open campaign end at the hands of the Romanian last month. Sabalenka enjoyed a standout clay season in 2021. It began with a run to the final in Stuttgart, where she was upended by Ashleigh Barty. To win Madrid, which remains her biggest and only clay-court title, Sabalenka took her revenge, defeating Barty 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 in the final.“It meant a lot,” Sabalenka said. “I proved to myself and everyone else that I can play on clay court and I actually can do well on this surface. So it was a really important win for me and since then I really had this really strong belief in myself on clay courts.”As luck - or bad luck - would have it, Sabalenka has made two clay-court finals since that Madrid win, each time coming up against the game’s best clay-courter, World No.1 Iga Swiatek. Last week in Stuttgart, in the first battle between No.1 and No.2 this season, Swiatek got the better of Sabalenka once again. Despite her obvious disappointment in falling short in Stuttgart for the third straight year, Sabalenka still saw the positives to the start of her clay season.“Of course I was really disappointed with the final. I lost again,” Sabalenka said. “It definitely gives more confidence and belief. I left Stuttgart with good feelings.”In years past, Sabalenka says she would let losses linger for days, even weeks. Losses in a final would hurt even more. But her success this season, which includes her breakthrough Slam win at the Australian Open, has been based on her ability to keep her cool and just keep plugging. Sabalenka’s support team has been instrumental in keeping her grounded and one of the more joyous off-court elements over the last few weeks has been spending time with her godson away from the courts. “(Godmother) sounds cooler than just a mother,” Sabalenka said, laughing. “I’m good friends with the wife of my hitting partner. They just asked for it and I said of course. It feels really good and the kid really likes me. I feel like a mother. It’s not taking a lot of energy from me. It’s actually helping me recharge and switch off from tennis.” (Agencies)

The 2024 Olympic triathlon courses will start and finish on the Pont Alexandre III bridge in the centre of Paris, Games organisers announced as they unveiled the routes yesterdayDuring the individual triathlon events, athletes will swim 1.5 kilometres in the Seine river from a floating pontoon near the base of the bridge, then climb 32 steps to the transition zone on Pont Alexandre III, a first for the Olympics.As a result, the run and bike segments of the race will take place in the centre of the city. The athletes will pass famous landmarks before finishing the race on the bridge in front of around 1,000 spectators.Organisers said the Para triathlon events will use the same course with some exceptions a month later.“Particular care has been taken to create the triathlon and Para triathlon courses, which will be equally spectacular, in the heart of the city and next to some of the most beautiful Parisian monuments,” said Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet in a statement.“The Paris 2024 edition of the triathlon and Para triathlon will ultimately contribute to leaving a legacy for the region and the people of Paris.”The individual triathlon events will occur July 30-31 at 8am local time, while the mixed relay event will be held on August 5.

Simona Halep has insisted she did not “knowingly” take performance-enhancing drugs, as she waits for a doping hearing seven months since being provisionally suspended.The former world number one tested positive for banned substance roxadustat after she provided a sample at last year’s US Open. Halep has not played since and is yet to have a hearing about the case.“Knowingly, I have not taken any banned substance,” the Romanian star told tennismajors.com in an interview published yesterday.“I am a big supporter of clean sports and have always been against doping.“I had no clue at the beginning about where this substance came from.”Halep, who claims experts found she had accidentally taken a contaminated supplement, said the International Tennis Federation cancelled a planned tribunal in February to do additional testing before postponing another hearing scheduled for last month.“The next step is a hearing at the end of May, the 28th, but it is very fragile because the ITF said that they might cancel it as well,” Halep said.“If they do that, it will be almost eight months since I’ve been provisionally suspended for the first time and I believe that it’s not fair to spend eight months without even being judged by the tribunal.“It’s been seven months since I’ve been originally suspended even though I’ve had all the evidence since December. I’m not asking for special treatment. I just ask to be judged. How much longer is this going to take?”Halep said after her positive test last October that she would “fight until the end” to clear her name. “A player that is provisionally suspended is entitled to get an expedited hearing,” she said yesterday.“Everything takes so long. I asked the ITF to lift my sanction to be able to play but they also refused it.”Halep had climbed back into the world’s top 10 before she was suspended having dropped out of the top 20 in 2020 following injury problems.But the two-time Grand Slam champion is set to tumble further from her current mark of 26th as she waits to find out when she can return.“I really want to play again because I love this sport and I want to play for the big titles again,” Halep said.“I have worked all my life for this. At this age (31), it’s really tough to lose days, weeks, and months. You are scared about the injuries. “When you don’t have official matches, it is more risky. When time passes like this, it is harder to come back.”Roxadustat is a drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells and is used in the treatment of patients with kidney problems.

Aaron Ramsdale insists Arsenal will not surrender in the Premier League title race despite their calamitous 4-1 loss at Manchester City. The Gunners have ceded control of the title race to City after allowing Pep Guardiola’s side to move within two points on Wednesday.With two games in hand, City will lift a fifth title in six seasons if they win six of their last seven games. April has proved a painful month for Arsenal, with three successive draws preceding the chastening defeat at the Etihad Stadium. But Arsenal keeper Ramsdale is not ready to throw in the towel just yet.“We’re going to be disappointed now but we haven’t played nine months of Premier League football, and played the way we wanted to play, to give up with five games to go,” he said. “If anything is going to happen in football, it is this league it is going to happen in. It might not do but stranger things have happened in the Premier League. You see how tight it is at the bottom, you see how tight it is at the top, so we are going to be pushing every game – with five games left we need to win five games – and we will see how that ends at the end of the season. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves.”Arsenal were blown away by Kevin De Bruyne’s brace and goals from John Stones and Erling Haaland, condemning them to a third defeat against City this season. Ramsdale conceded it was frustrating to make such a sloppy start, allowing City to dictate the tempo for the rest of the evening.“Disappointment is the key word,” he said. “When you give arguably one of the best teams in the world at the minute a bit of a leg-up in the game and are 2-0 down at half-time, it is a tough task to overcome. We know we are better than that but also this is where we want to be and the team we want to be like and be competing with.”City won’t rest after crucial win over Arsenal: AkanjiManuel Akanji has warned Manchester City not to rest on their laurels after the Premier League champions thrashed Arsenal to seize control of the title race. Defender Akanji knows there are still twists and turns in store during his team’s final seven league games, starting at Fulham on Sunday.“It was a big game and a massive win for us. It helps us a lot but there’s still so many games to play,” he said. “Seven games – still 21 points to grab so we can’t relax now on this win. We’ve got to go on Sunday and win the next game against Fulham.”City have won 12 of their last 13 games in all competitions, including seven successive league victories. City’s third victory over Arsenal in just over three months underlined the gulf in quality between the teams. Akanji feels City’s experience of success in the latter half of the campaign has come to the fore.The Switzerland international, who signed from Borussia Dortmund in September, said: “The whole team played really good and had a really good team performance over 90 minutes. We were strong in the duels, we were good with the ball and that was different to the game at the Emirates. Then we used our chances and we played well defensively and I think that’s the key to these wins, (as is) the experience that the guys in the locker room have. They won three championships in the last four and the experience that they bring into the team, and for me also as a player to come into the team, helps.”

Barcelona wasted a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of La Liga as they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday night thanks to goals in each half from Alvaro Garcia and Fran Garcia.With seven games to play, Barca are top of the league on 76 points, 11 ahead second-placed Real Madrid, who were also stunned 4-2 at lowly Girona on Tuesday. Rayo Vallecano are ninth on 43 points, four adrift of the European qualification spots. Rayo halted Barca’s seven game unbeaten streak in the league with a gutsy performance in front of their fans at a sold-out Estadio de Vallecas. They were the better side for most of the match against a slapdash Barca.Dimarco sends Inter into Coppa Italia final againInter Milan midfielder Federico Dimarco’s first-half goal earned his side a place in the Coppa Italia final for the second year in a row after a 1-0 home win over Juventus in their semi-final second leg on Wednesday secured a 2-1 aggregate victory. It was the first time in six attempts that Inter had got the better of Juve in a Coppa Italia semi-final, ending the visitors’ streak of three consecutive finals.Inter will face either Fiorentina or Cremonese in the final on May 24 at the Stadio Olimpico, with Fiorentina leading 2-0 after their semi-final first leg in Cremona. Barca’s club TV channel set to end after 24 yearsBarcelona are set to end their television channel Barca TV after 24 years, with the club saying they will not renew their contract with provider Telefonica in a statement. Reports in Spanish media say the move is part of cost-cutting measures given the club’s troubled economic state, with a source close to the channel saying around 130 people were set to lose jobs.The channel began in July 1999 during president Josep Lluis Nunez’s reign. Spanish media report the club may use their production company Barca Studios to create online streaming content as a replacement. Barcelona sold two 24.5 percent stakes in Barca Studios to Orpheus Media and Socios.com to raise around 200 million euros ($220 million), which they used to sign players including striker Robert Lewandowski last summer. The club need to significantly reduce expenditure to meet La Liga financial fair play rules this summer, to be able to continue making new signings – including the potential return of Lionel Messi.Struggling Getafe fire coach Sanchez FloresSpanish Liga strugglers Getafe announced they had fired coach Quique Sanchez Flores and his assistants, the day after a loss to Almeria. The club from the Madrid suburbs finished with 10 men on Wednesday evening as they lost 2-1 at home to the team that started the evening immediately below them.Almeria climbed above Getafe who are a point and a place ahead of Valencia in the first relegation spot. Valencia have a game in hand and host Valladolid. It was Getafe’s third loss in five games. The other two were goalless draws.Sanchez Flores, the former Watford, Benfica and Atletico Madrid coach, had two previous spells in charge at Getafe. He rejoined the club in October 2021 and narrowly escaped the drop as Getafe finished a point above the relegations spots. Spanish media immediately linked another former Getafe coach, Jose Bordalas, with the vacant position.Kenya in joint AFCON 2027 bid with Tanzania, UgandaKenya, Tanzania and Uganda have launched a joint bid for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which would bring the continental showpiece to East Africa for the first time. The African Football Confederation (CAF) acknowledged having received a declaration of interest from the three countries along with bids from Algeria, Botswana and Egypt.The Kenyan government in December approved a cabinet proposal to back a bid for the biennial tournament, alongside two of its neighbours. The government said a successful bid would help the national football team, Harambee Stars, achieve their target of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in 2030.Poor stadium infrastructure has been a problem for most East African nations, with national teams forced to play continental matches away from home. Kenya has twice won the rights to stage continental tournament finals, the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 and the African Nations Championships (CHAN) in 2018, but both times was stripped of hosting rights due to the lack of internationally-approved stadiums.Namwamba said Kenya would construct new high-class stadiums or renovate existing ones to meet international standards. CAF will name the winning bid in September, along with the new venue for the 2025 tournament after original hosts Guinea were stripped of the right to hold the event last October.Goalkeeper Horn to leave Cologne after 21 yearsGoalkeeper Timo Horn will leave FC Cologne at the end of the season after 21 years, the Bundesliga club said. The 29-year-old’s contract, which expires at the end of the season, has not been renewed after Horn expressed a desire to be first-choice again, with Cologne having Marvin Schwabe as their main keeper since last season.Horn joined the club as a nine-year-old in 2002 and made his first-team debut ten years later. He has 329 competitive games for the club. Horn will be the second player to leave Cologne, as captain Jonas Hector will retire at the end of the campaign.

Borussia Dortmund have five more steps to take to lift their first Bundesliga title in 11 years, coach Edin Terzic said yesterday, with his team ready for the season’s crunch period. Dortmund lead the standings with five matches left to play and have a one-point advantage over second-placed Bayern Munich, winners of the previous 10 league crowns. They visit VfL Bochum in the mini Ruhr derby tonight while Bayern are in action at home to Hertha Berlin on Sunday. “We go into the game against Bochum with a good portion of self-confidence. We have to take five more steps and the next one is tomorrow,” Terzic told a news conference.Dortmund will be without defender Nico Schlotterbeck who is nursing a muscle injury. Defender Niklas Suele will start in his place, Terzic said. “We cannot influence the Bayern game on Sunday. We play tomorrow against Bochum and we can improve our situation tomorrow only if we bag the three points,” he added. “We go into the final stretch in this position, playing for a title.”Dortmund’s last title win dates back to 2012 under then coach Juergen Klopp. They also won it in 2011. The Ruhr valley club have kept pace with the Bavarians this season and pounced on Bayern’s rocky 2023 to take a slim lead last week going into the final stretch. They also have to play VfL Wolfsburg, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Augsburg and Mainz 05.“There is one common goal and we need everyone. This common goal ... must lead to us being at the very top in the end,” Terzic said. “To have a different champion from the past 10 years. We want to show the performance that will hopefully see us at the very top. We are here, we have to take five successful steps and we are happy that it’s finally crunch time.” In the tightest title race in years, Bayern, chasing a record-extending 11th straight league crown, are in turmoil following their German Cup and Champions League exits in the past few weeks under new coach Thomas Tuchel. He replaced the sacked Julian Nagelsmann in late March but the decision has so far spectacularly backfired with the team potentially missing out on all silverware.Fixtures (all times 1330 GMT unless stated)Today: Bochum v Borussia Dortmund (1830 GMT)Tomorrow: Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen, Cologne v Freiburg, Eintracht Frankfurt v Augsburg, Stuttgart v Borussia Moenchengladbach, RB Leipzig v Hoffenheim, Schalke v Werder Bremen (1630 GMT)Sunday: Bayern Munich v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz (1530 GMT) Reus extends with Borussia DortmundBorussia Dortmund have extended captain Marco Reus’ contract by one year until the summer of 2024, the club announced. The two-time German Footballer of the Year’s deal was set to expire at the end of this season. Reus, 33, has scored 161 for Dortmund, 16 shy of the all-time record set by Adi Preissler between 1946 and 1959. Reus has won two German Cups with Dortmund but has never claimed the league, he joined from Moenchengadbach immediately after the 2012 title. Born in Dortmund, Reus came through the club’s junior ranks before moving to Rot Weiss Ahlen and then Borussia Moenchengladbach, where he made his Bundesliga debut.Reus moved to Dortmund from Gladbach in the summer of 2012 and was named club captain ahead of the 2018-19 season. The forward has played 48 times for Germany, scoring 15 goals but has missed several major tournaments with injury, including the 2014 World Cup triumph.Reus picked up an ankle injury in September and missed several weeks, including Germany’s Qatar World Cup campaign.

Defending champions Al Sadd will take on Al Rayyan in the return leg of ‘Qatar Clasico’ in the QNB Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium today. With only three rounds remaining in the league, the competition has entered climactic phase and teams are pushing hard for maximum points. The Wolves are currently third are currently third in the standings with 38 points – behind Al Arabi (43 points) and leaders Al Duhail (45). Al Rayyan are in ninth place with 17 points. If Sadd are to win all their remaining three games, they would finish on 47 points. Al Sadd are to play both Duhail and Arabi respectively in their last two fixtures. They would, however, also hope for both Arabi and Duhail to lose their remaining matches if Sadd are to be in contention for the title. The equation is tough and provides for exciting scenario. Addressing the media ahead of the Rayyan clash, Sadd coach Juan Manuel Lillio Juanma said his team was determined. “We always want to win every match. Although only two days have passed since our last match against Al Shahaniya, our focus is still on achieving victory and the way the players recover for the next match against Rayyan. It will be a difficult match, but we are determined to try to win this game as always,” he said. Sadd’s attacking Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla said their first aim is to get closer to the second spot in the rankings. “We are going through a good phase. We achieved victory in the last matches in the league championship and the Amir Cup. Our goal is to win and collect the three points to move closer to second place in the standings. We played a good match against Al Shahaniya and I hope that we will do the best in the upcoming matches,” he said. For Sadd, a victory over Rayyan is paramount if they are to keep their big hopes alive. As for Rayyan, a positive result would prop up their ranking and ensure that they stay away from the relegation zone. Traditionally, the Sadd vs Rayyan contests have been fiercely contested. This season, the first meeting between these two teams in Qatar Clasico had ended in Al Sadd’s favour 2-1. Sadd have hit top form having recently qualified for the Amir Cup final with a 5-1 win over Al Shahania in the semi-final. Sadd are also waiting to find out the extent of the possibility of their Korean professional Jung Woo-Young’s participation in the match since he has been recovering from an injury suffered while playing for his national team in the last international break in March. Meanwhile, Rayyan’s Chilean coach Nicholas Cordova knows very well that the opponents are strong, but he will take into account the importance of this crucial clash and push his players to produce their best. “Facing Al Sadd is difficult, especially after the opponents’ outstanding performance in recent matches. For us, we will fight in this match to win points and get out of the team's current situation,” he said. “Qatar Clasico matches always have special features, regardless of the preparations of the two teams, as they are of a great enthusiasm, but the team must be 100 per cent ready, and we look forward to appearing at a good level,” he added. Gharafa meet Qatar SC In another match of the day, Al Gharafa will face Qatar at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium at 9pm. While Gharafa are looking to enhance their placing in the top four, Qatar SC will be aiming to dislodge their opponents and improve their own chances of being in the top bracket. Gharafa are presently fourth in the standings with 32 points to their credit, while Qatar SC are in sixth place with 29 points. Three points separate the two and as such the two teams will battle hard to outdo each other. Al Wakrah, who are fifth with 30 points, are also pushing for a place in the top four and as such the contest is vital for all teams concerned. Qatar SC are coming off from a 1-0 win over Rayyan in the postponed Week 18 match between them, while Al Gharafa have a huge morale boost having defeated league title contenders Al Duhail 2-0 in their Week 19 match. Shamal face Markhiya In the third match of the day, Al Shamal will play Al Markhiya at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium at 6:30pm. Shamal are currently ranked 10th with 17 points and on goal difference from Rayyan (ninth), while Markhiya are seventh with 21 points on goal difference from Ahli (eighth). The two teams had met recently at the Qatar SC Stadium on April 19 in the postponed match between them from Week 9 and Al Markhiya had emerged as 2-1 winners, thanks to an injury time goal from Moroccan Ayoub Assal.

Police defeated Qatar SC 3-0 (25-3, 25-19, 26-24) in the final to win their maiden Qatar Cup volleyball title. The victorious team received a cash prize of QR250,000 as prize-money, while the second-place Qatar SC team received QR150,000. First vice-president of the Qatar Olympic Committee Mohamed Yousef al-Mana crowned the winners.

Qatar’s high jumper Mutaz Barshim opened his season by winning gold medal in the West Asia Athletics Championship at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday.On the opening day of the championship, reigning Olympic champion Barshim comfortably clinched the gold with a jump of 2.20m. Oman’s Fatiq Abdul Ghafoor (2.05m) secured silver while Iraq’s Hussain Falah claimed bronze medal. Qatar’s three-time world champion will now start his Diamond League season at the same venue on May 5. Qatar’s bagged four gold medals on the opening day. Earlier, Bashayer Obaid brought first gold of the day for the hosts after leaping 11.62m in the women’s triple jump. Top Al Annabi sprinter Femi Ogunode claimed the men’s 100m, clocking 10.13s for a dominant win in the event. Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Abubakar (10.23s) won silver while Femi’s brother Tosin Ogunode (10.31s) took the bronze for Qatar. The hosts also dominated the men’s 3000m steeplechase with Yasen Salem (8:33.63) and Musab Adam (8:34.25) confirming a one-two for the home side. Iraq’s Mohamed Abdullah (8:35.85) finished on third spot. In 10,000m race walk, Qatar’s Mabrook Saleh (49:09.64 secs) won silver finishing behind UAE’s Al Shuali al-Naimi, who picked claimed gold with a time of 48:30.49 secs. Palestine’s Aboud Joda (50:54.86) won bronze medal in the event. In 110m hurdles, Qatar’s Omar Daudi secured bronze with a time of 14:27. As many as 12 countries including hosts Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen and Syria are taking part in the event that will conclude on April 29.

Manchester City took control of the Premier League title race as Kevin De Bruyne scored twice in a dominant 4-1 win over leaders Arsenal to close in on retaining their crown as English champions yesterday.Arsenal hold a two-point lead at the top of the table but City have two games in hand, meaning Pep Guardiola’s men can afford to lose one of their remaining seven matches and still claim a fifth title in six seasons.The Gunners’ challenge to win the league for the first time in 19 years had already come off the rails prior to their trip to the Etihad as Mikel Arteta’s men have now failed to win in their last four games. But for the first time this season they were truly outclassed as City flexed their muscles.The arrival of Erling Haaland has brought a new dimension to a side that was already the dominant force of the English game.Haaland set a new record of 33 Premier League goals in a 38-game season deep into stoppage time to take his tally in all competitions for the campaign to 49.But the Norwegian showed there is more to his game than goals with a sublime touch that set De Bruyne away to curl the opening goal beyond Aaron Ramsdale after just seven minutes. Arsenal never recovered from that nightmare start and were fortunate not to be blown away before half-time.Ben White’s last-ditch block denied De Bruyne an almost carbon copy of his first goal after being set free in behind by Haaland. Ramsdale then single-handedly kept Arsenal in the game and Haaland at bay with a hat-trick of saves from the towering 22-year-old. But there was no reprieve when John Stones headed in De Bruyne’s free-kick in first-half stoppage time and a VAR review adjudged the England defender was onside.Ramsdale continued to win his battle with Haaland after the break when the City striker galloped clean through from Ederson’s long ball. But Arsenal lost the war as Haaland teed up De Bruyne once more to find the bottom corner via a nutmeg on Rob Holding on 54 minutes. Holding has been the scapegoat for Arsenal’s defensive woes in recent weeks as he has struggled to replace the injured William Saliba. Arteta’s men have now conceded 10 times in their last four games and face a huge challenge to raise themselves in the final weeks of the campaign to keep any sort of pressure on City. Arsenal did at least get on the scoresheet four minutes from time through the unlikely figure of Holding when the centre-back smashed home.But even if there is an Arsenal response, City look imperious as they close in on not only a third consecutive Premier League title, but a treble. A meeting with Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals appears the biggest hurdle next month with a FA Cup final against local rivals Manchester United to follow on June 3. Haaland provided the final flourish with virtually the last kick of the game when he finally got the better of Ramsdale to move past Mohamed Salah’s previous record of 32 Premier League goals in the 2017/18 season.Earlier, A bullet header from Joel Matip gave Liverpool a 2-1 win over West Ham United that moved them above Tottenham Hotspur and back into the European places after a frenetic end-to-end game.The Reds are in sixth spot in the table on 53 points, ahead of Spurs thanks to their far superior goal difference and one point behind Aston Villa with a game in hand as they seek to salvage a disappointing season. Chelsea crashed to a fifth successive defeat under Frank Lampard as their west London neighbours Brentford won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.Nottingham Forest climbed out of the relegation zone as they beat Brighton 3-1 at the City Ground to win for the first time in 12 games.

Ryan Mason said he had no doubt over his ability to take charge of Tottenham Hotspur as he promised a positive reaction to their embarrassing defeat by Newcastle.Caretaker boss Mason has become Spurs’ third manager of a rollercoaster season after Cristian Stellini was sacked on Monday following last weekend’s 6-1 humiliation at St James’ Park.Although only 31, this is Mason’s second stint as caretaker manager after he was thrust into the same role at the end of the 2020/21 season when Jose Mourinho was sacked.Now the former Tottenham midfielder, whose playing career was ended when he suffered a fractured skull following an accidental clash of heads while representing Hull in 2017, is set to have six more games in charge of Spurs.He has a tough start with Manchester United, who are six points clear of Spurs and also have two games in hand, visiting north London today before an away trip to Liverpool on Sunday.“I feel comfortable, it’s just part of being involved in football,” Mason told a pre-match news conference yesterday.“You have to be ready and I am ready. I don’t doubt that. It’s just business.”He added: “(My first time as caretaker was) just confirmation that I’m absolutely ready for this sort of situation. We handled it well two years ago. A lot has happened in the last two years, but I feel fine and ready in this situation.”Asked if he wanted the job on a full-time basis, Mason replied: “Yeah, I’m ready and if that situation happens it obviously means I have done a good job.“But that is obviously in the future of four, five, six weeks’ time and, like I said, the immediate thought is the game on Thursday and the game on Sunday.”Tottenham players have vowed to reimburse fans who travelled to Newcastle, where Spurs were 5-0 behind after just 21 minutes.Fans have chanted for chairman Daniel Levy to leave the club during recent home games and the ill-feeling could surface once more if Spurs suffer a poor start against United. Mason, however, was confident his players would respond in the right way. “(I expect) a reaction, absolutely a reaction,” he said.“Obviously Sunday was disappointing for us and I would hope and expect there’s a reaction from not only the players, but everyone in the building and everyone involved in the club as well.“I’m pleased (about the reimbursement) because our fans are important for us. We value them and need them. I understand that relationship has wavered recently, but there’s no doubt we need them and want them on board.”Mason could be without captain Hugo Lloris, after the goalkeeper was forced off with a hip injury at Newcastle. He also hinted at a return to the 3-4-3 formation Antonio Conte used throughout most of his time as Tottenham manager.“When you have two to three training sessions before two games, it’s hard to change a great deal, but I would hope and expect towards the end of the season that everyone, not only inside but outside, will see my stamp and our stamp on the group,” Mason said.Meanwhile the Spurs squad have offered to reimburse the match tickets of travelling fans to St. James’ Park after a performance that chairman Daniel Levy branded “wholly unacceptable”.But it is Levy who is now receiving the bulk of the backlash from supporters for years of poor decision-making in the four years since the club reached its first Champions League final. Levy can point to successes off the field in the club’s state-of-the-art new stadium and training ground. But he has overseen a 15-year trophy drought and every game at the glistening 63,000 capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is now greeted with chants of “Daniel Levy, get out of our club!”But the most painful blow of all could be to come should Harry Kane, who turns 30 in July, decide he cannot afford to waste his few remaining prime years at his boyhood club. Even surrounded by mediocrity, the England captain has scored 26 goals this season. Kane previously tried to force an exit to Manchester City two years ago. Levy stood in his way back then, but the striker has more bargaining power now with only one year left on his contract amid interest from Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

Girona striker Taty Castellanos hit an incredible four goals as his side thrashed champions Real Madrid 4-2 in La Liga on Tuesday, helping leaders Barcelona edge closer to the trophy.Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid are 11 points behind Barcelona having played one extra match, with this defeat virtually killing any hope they had remaining of defending the title.Fourth-place Real Sociedad earned a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Real Betis to frustrate the Andalusians, fifth, ensuring a six-point gap remains between them.Girona’s Castellanos was left in tears after missing a big chance against Barcelona earlier in April in a goalless draw, but made amends in spectacular fashion at Montilivi against Madrid.The Argentine striker, on loan at Girona from New York City FC – owned by the City group – exposed gaps in Madrid’s defence ahead of their Champions League semi-final tie against Manchester City in May.Castellanos shut down his social media accounts after his bad night in front of goal at Camp Nou, but thanked those close to him for their support.“It was a dream night, we had a great game against one of the best teams in the world, it was a dream night,” Castellanos said.“I never imagined this, (I’m) enjoying it with our fans, with the people who have sent me support – my family, people in Argentina, they are always supporting me and that’s fundamental.”In April 2022 Castellanos hit four goals for New York City against Real Salt Lake and repeated the trick a little over a year later.“Obviously they are different days, it was a dream to score against Madrid and to score four – you can’t even imagine it,” he added.“I’m very happy for everything, for the fans, for the lads.”Castellanos now has 11 goals in La Liga this season in 29 appearances.Ancelotti had said his team needed to stay in a positive winning dynamic in the league to stay at the top of their game in Europe, but badly took their eye off the ball in Girona.“A tough night, yes, when you lose a game like that it’s a tough night,” said the Italian.“On a defensive level it was a bad game, and that was the key to the match... the individual level was lower than normal too.“Everybody’s was, not just some people. The level was very low, because the defensive aspect, which was very good in recent games, today, we have forgotten.”Ancelotti was hampered by striker Karim Benzema taking a knock in the win over Celta Vigo at the weekend, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois did not travel because of a stomach problem among other absentees.Former Madrid defender Miguel Gutierrez set up the opening goal with a cross for Castellanos, which he headed home from six yards out after 12 minutes.Castellanos doubled Girona’s lead after 24 minutes when he got in behind Eder Militao and blasted through Andriy Lunin’s legs.Vinicius Junior pulled one back for Real Madrid with a header from Marco Asensio’s fine inswinging cross, giving them hope of a second half comeback.However Castellanos netted his third just 36 seconds after the interval after a fine run and cross from Yan Couto.The striker pounced again after 62 minutes, again capitalising on a Militao mistake to net his and Girona’s fourth.Lucas Vazquez pulled another back for Madrid late on after more good work by Vinicius, but it was too little, too late.Real Sociedad dug deep to clinch a goalless draw with Real Betis, to tighten their grip on Champions League qualification for next season.It was a game of few clear chances, but Sergio Canales could have fired Betis in front after 74 minutes, firing inches over after good work by Juan Miranda.Rui Silva saved well from Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino’s drive deep into stoppage time at the other end.Betis had the better of the second half but could not find the winner their fans craved and next travel to champions-in-waiting Barcelona on Saturday.Osasuna beat Cadiz 1-0 thanks to Ruben Garcia’s long-range goal, although they had winger Ez Abde sent off late on, minutes after coming off the bench.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe will have no qualms over fielding Anthony Gordon at former club Everton today as the Magpies continue their quest for Champions League qualification.Gordon, 22, left Goodison Park for Newcastle in the January transfer window, for a fee that could rise to £45 million ($56 million), with his move from his native city of Liverpool sparking an angry response among some Everton fans. The winger has had to wait for his chances at St James’ Park and was clearly frustrated when substituted at Brentford earlier this month, having started just two games for his new club.Howe, asked at a pre-match news conference yesterday if he was concerned about a hostile reception Gordon could receive at Goodison, replied: “You don’t want to have or do anything that impacts the team, which is the most important thing.“This is something surrounding the game, but is not influencing the game in terms of tactical preparation.”“There is nothing I can do to change that. It’s something we need to be mindful of, but I’m not too sure – other than concentrating on how we play – what we can do.”When the Toffees announced Gordon’s exit, Everton said the player, confronted by angry fans as he left Goodison following a 2-1 defeat by Southampton in January, had submitted a formal transfer request.He has since said the situation regarding his departure from the club was “misconstrued”, but Howe said Gordon had to play the game rather than the occasion.“It’s staying very present and not thinking too much, just play the game – which is easier said than done in that environment where probably all eyes will be, he’ll feel, focused on him,” explained Howe. “I don’t want it to become a big talking point in the game.“For me, it’s not important. It’s important for Anthony and it’s important that he comes through the game in a good way, but what’s important is that the team functions and we show our best selves.”Of Gordon’s nine Newcastle appearances to date, seven have come off the bench, including Sunday’s 6-1 Premier League rout of top-four rivals Tottenham.“We have seen glimpses of potential, glimpses of what he can do,” said Howe of Gordon. “Putting it all together for 90 minutes, we have not seen that yet.“I am really pleased with him and I know he will be a high-quality player for us in the future and I know he is going to be the right signing for us because of the way he has reacted to the move.”Howe added it was vital complacency did not set in among his side following their thrashing of Spurs.“It’s hugely important that we don’t settle, that after a victory like we had on Sunday, we don’t sit back and relax with that,” he explained.“That is the wrong emotion. We have to use the confidence we have from the game, the way we played, the manner of the performance and use it to fuel us even more to try and recreate those moments again.”

Al Arabi handed a resounding 7-1 defeat to Al Sailiya in the semi-final of the 51st HH The Amir Cup at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium yesterday to set up a summit clash with 18-time winners Al Sadd.The eight-time title winners Al Arabi ran roughshod over their hapless rivals in front of hundreds of fans as Youssef Msakni scored a hat-trick (12th, 45th and 90+1 minutes), Omar al-Somah registered a brace (72nd and 82nd minutes) while Rafinha converted a penalty (31st minute) and Ahmed Suhail al- Hamawende scored a goal in 70th minute. Substitute Carlos Strandberg finally fetched a consolation goal for Al Sailiya in the 85th minute of the match.A delighted Al Arabi coach Younes Ali applauded his team for making the final of the prestigious tournament. “I am very happy with this victory. All the players and team management worked tirelessly to reach the final of Amir Cup. It will be a great honour to shake hands with His Highness the Amir and we are looking forward to it,” he said.“The players made the match easy for themselves by availing their chances well. The final (against Al Sadd) is going to be difficult but it is too early to talk about it as we will now focus on our matches in the QSL (QNB Stars League),” the coach added.The Dream Team – Al Arabi – who are also excelling in the QNB Stars League, displayed excellent form and intentions right from the word go with a Msakni header, off a corner kick, flying over the crossbar in the very 6th minute.Initially, Al Sailiya held on to a tight defence but they soon began to fall apart against rampaging Al Arabi forward line. With Helal Mohamed running down the left and providing a fine lob, Msakni produced a fine header to open the scoring.Helal himself could have added another goal five minutes later but his angular shot, after he controlled a long ball well inside the box, went wide off the target. Msakni continued to make forays and in the 24th minute he set up Omar al-Somah but the Syrian striker missed to connect for a header despite a diving effort.Al Sailiya made matters worse for themselves with their midfielder Mohamed Diame being penalised for a foul against Ahmed Fathi Abdoulla as he fell on to Al Arabi captain trying to clear a ball inside the danger area. Rafinha stepped up to take the penalty successfully.In the 42nd minute, Rafinha broke through the rival defence to make a stellar kick but this time Al Sailiya goalkeeper Abdraman Mahamat Aziz courageously punched the ball away to avert damage.But minutes later, Al Sailiya’s mistake of leaving a lurking Msakni unmarked proved fatal as he made another fine header off an Ibrahem Nasser Kalla corner kick. Al Arabi went into the break leading 3-0.Al Sailiya returned to fight bravely and held on. Kalla did manage to seize an opportunity to beat the custodian but he was clearly offside.Al Arabi’s goal-scoring resumed and in fine fashion with Al Hamawende converting a set piece with a delightful kick into the left corner of the net which left the goalkeeper unmoved, and The Dream Team fans thrilled.With their hopes in disarray, Al Sailiya found it tough to stop the barrage of attacks. Minutes after the fourth goal, Al Somah dashed in and was provided with an assist by Rafinha to rattle the opposition once again.Syrian striker Somah burst in again to notch his team’s sixth goal as he picked up a measured pass from Abdulla Nasser al-Muraisi and beat the goalkeeper.Al Sailiya’s consolation goal came off a counter with their Swedish striker sprinting in to produce a superb left-footer past a charging goalkeeper Jassim Adel al-Hail.Msakni then provided icing to Al Arabi’s victory cake with his hat-trick goal as he headed home in his customary style in added time.Al Arabi’s celebrations at the stadium went on for long as they thanked the supporters.The Dream Team will now play Al Sadd in the final on May 12 to be played at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

Reigning world 200m champion Shericka Jackson (JAM) will open her Wanda Diamond League campaign over 100m at the Seashore Group Doha Meeting on May 5, in an exciting line-up that includes former world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith (GBR).Jackson is the first athlete in history to win a full set of World Championships medals across three sprint disciplines (100m, 200m, and 400m), and she is the first Jamaican to have run under 11 seconds for 100m, under 22 seconds for 200m and under 50 seconds for 400m. She is a five-times Olympic medallist, most recently winning 4x100m relay gold and 100m and 4x400m bronze in Tokyo. At the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, in addition to winning 200m gold in a Jamaican record (21.45) - the second-quickest of all time - she took silver in the 100m and 4x100m. Her 100m best is 10.71 from the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco in August 2022.Asher-Smith, who won world bronze over 200m in Eugene 2022, is the British 100m record holder with a best of 10.83 set at the World Athletics Championships in Doha 2019, where she finished second. She also holds the British 200m record (21.88). Twice an Olympic 4x100m relay bronze medallist, she won the Wanda Diamond League 100m crown in 2019. Jackson - who ran a world-leading 10.82 (-0.1m/s) in her first 100m race of the year at the MVP Velocity Fest 13, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger event in Kingston on 22 April - has won four of the five previous meetings between the two over 100m.The quality of the field extends beyond the highly decorated duo and also includes three of the USA’s World Championships winning 4 x 100m relay team, Melissa Jefferson (10.82 PB), Abby Steiner (10.90 PB) and Twanisha Terry (10.82 PB). Former NCAA champion Sha’Carri Richardson (USA), who ran an exceptionally quick 10.57 (+4.1m/s) at the Miramar Invitational in Florida on 8 April, will also run. Her legal best is 10.72.Teahna Daniels, Olympic 4x100m silver medallist in Tokyo with a best of 10.83, and Zoe Hobbs, Oceania champion and New Zealand national record holder with a best of 10.97, complete the impressive line-up.“After starting my season with a few 400m races, I’m excited to drop down in distance to race over 100m in Doha,” said Jackson, the 2022 Wanda Diamond League 200m champion.“I know I’m in good shape after running my quickest 400m since 2019 this year, but now it’s time to sharpen up and run really fast.”The 2023 Wanda Diamond League comprises 14 meetings in total, starting with Doha at the Qatar Sports Club on May 5.

A batting assault by David Miller and Abhinav Manohar powered defending champions Gujarat Titans to a 55-run demolition of Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League yesterday.The left-handed Miller (46 off 22 balls) and rising Indian talent Manohar (21-ball 42) put together 71 runs to steer Gujarat to a mammoth 207-6 in their home Ahmedabad.The Miller-Manohar show, which included seven sixes, and an unbeaten five-ball 20 by Rahul Tewatia helped Gujarat get 94 runs from the final six overs of mayhem.With their task cut out, Gujarat bowlers kept down five-time champions Mumbai to 152-9 as Afghanistan wrist spinners Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad shared five wickets between them. Gujarat, who had a fairytale debut season last year when they won the IPL, moved second in the table behind toppers and four-time winners Chennai Super Kings at the midway stage of the T20 tournament.But the evening belonged ot the Gujarat batters after opener Shubman Gill set the tone for his team’s domination with his 56 off 34 balls at the world’s biggest cricket stadium.Gill departed after his third fifty of the season and Miller and Manohar soon took over to tear into the opposition attack with a flurry of fours and sixes.Both the batsmen were denied fifties but it was raining sixes by the end of the innings and the left-handed Tewatia joined in the charge in his team’s highest IPL total.Mumbai were never in the chase after skipper Rohit Sharma fell caught and bowled to his opposite number Hardik Pandya and wickets kept tumbling.Rashid struck twice with his leg spin in one over and was soon joined in by fellow Afghan Noor, an 18-year-old who returned figures of 3-37. Mumbai’s expensive Australian import Cameron Green made 33 before falling to Noor’s left-arm wrist spin that soon got Tim David for a duck.BRIEF SCORESGujarat Titans 207 for 6 (Gill 56, Miller 46, Manohar 42, Chawla 2-34) beat Mumbai Indians 152 for 9 (Wadhera 40, Green 33, Noor 3-37, Rashid 2-27) by 55 runs

Ireland posted their highest-ever Test score of 492 yesterday as Paul Stirling and Curtis Campher became only the third and fourth Irishmen to hit centuries in cricket’s longest format.Sri Lanka were 81 without loss in reply before rain stopped play on day two in Galle, 411 runs behind with Nishan Madushka unbeaten on 41 and Dimuth Karunaratne 39 not out.But the day belonged to Ireland, with Stirling scoring 103 and Campher 111 after captain Andy Balbirnie made 95 on day one.Lorcan Tucker scored a useful 80 while Prabath Jayasuriya, the home hero of the first Test, took five wickets for 174. Asitha Fernando and Vishwa Fernando took two wickets each.“Scoring a Test hundred is probably something I didn’t believe I could achieve,” Stirling admitted. “Scoring a hundred in the sub-continent is very special,” he told reporters. “So, I am very delighted. It will mean a hell of a lot more if we can get a positive result here.”Ireland only gained Test status in 2017 and have lost all five of their matches so far. Their previous highest score was 339 against Pakistan in their inaugural Test in 2018.In punishingly hot and humid conditions, Stirling had retired hurt with cramps on Monday after reaching 74, but came back to the crease on Tuesday after Tucker fell. He reached his maiden Test hundred in style, upper-cutting Asitha Fernando for six over deep point, and now has centuries in all three formats of the game. Soon afterwards, the same bowler dismissed him for 103 as the batsman hooked a short delivery into the hands of Dhananjaya de Silva on the fine-leg boundary.Campher was well caught by a diving De Silva at first slip to give Jayasuriya his third wicket in the innings.Sri Lanka’s openers negotiated the final session without much trouble, although Ireland’s quicks found the outside edge of Madushka’s bat with the new ball. “Tomorrow is going to be a big day,” said Jayasuriya. “We need to score big and take a considerable first innings lead and should be looking to bat only once.”Ireland lost the first Test by an innings and 280 runs.

The PGA Tour Latinoamerica and PGA Tour Canada will merge into a single circuit that will begin play in early 2024, the PGA Tour said yesterday as it offers a new pathway for golfers to move up the ranks. The newly-branded PGA Tour Americas will stage 16 events across Latin America, Canada and the United States from February through September with 15 cards up for grabs on the developmental Korn Ferry Tour. “We are thrilled about PGA Tour Americas and the role this tour will play in preparing players for the next step in their golf journey,” Alex Baldwin, who oversees PGA Tour Americas, the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Q-School and PGA Tour University, said in a statement released yesterday. “PGA Tour Americas will be an extremely competitive tour aimed at identifying, developing and transitioning top-performing players to the next level as they ascend through the ranks and strive to reach the highest level of professional golf, the PGA Tour.” The first half of the season will be the Latin America Swing and include the top 60 finishers from both the 2022-2023 PGA Tour Latinoamerica points list and the 2023 PGA Tour Canada points list. The top 60 players from the Latin America Swing move on to compete in the North America Swing from June through September with the top 10 on the season-long points list earning Korn Ferry Tour membership. Five conditional Korn Ferry Tour cards are available to the top two finishers in the Latin America Swing and top three from the North America Swing in the case that they do not finish in the top 10 on the final PGA Tour Americas points list. The schedule for the inaugural season will be announced in September with details regarding purses and points distribution to be released closer to the start of play in February. Zurich winners Nick Hardy, Davis Riley WD from Mexico Open Nick Hardy and Davis Riley withdrew from this week’s PGA Tour stop, the Mexico Open at Vidanta, yesterday after winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday. No reason was given for the withdrawals. It marks the first time since last November that a PGA Tour winner withdrew from an event he was scheduled to play the following week, Golfweek reported. The only team-based tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, the Zurich Classic uses a four-ball (best-ball) format in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds. Hardy and Riley made seven birdies and no bogeys in a final-round 65 to earn the victory, setting a tournament record of 30-under 258 for the week. It marked both Hardy’s and Riley’s first career PGA Tour wins. Each earned a two-year exemption - and qualifies for the PGA Championship next month at Oak Hill - for winning the PGA Tour’s only team event. Hardy and Riley, sounded optimistic about parlaying their confidence-building triumph into future victories. “I felt like it was a matter of time before my time was coming,” Riley told reporters. “And to do it with one of my best friends here, who’s also an amazing player, I feel like the sky’s the limit for both of us.” The Mexico Open is entering its second season on the PGA Tour schedule. World No. 1 and reigning Masters winner Jon Rahm of Spain is the defending champ.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has urged his Premier League leaders to make the most of an “incredible opportunity” when they travel to nearest challengers Manchester City today.The Gunners are five points clear of second-placed City but have played two games more than the reigning champions.Anything other than a first away win against City since 2015 would leave the destiny of the title in Pep Guardiola’s side’s hands. Arsenal have drawn their last three league games, raising doubts over whether a youthful side can deliver the north London club’s first Premier League crown in 19 years.But Arteta, having seen Arsenal record several notable away wins this season, told a pre-match news conference yesterday: “It is going to be a tough night and challenge, yes, but the opportunity is incredible for us.“We knew from the beginning - you want to win a Premier League, you have to go to Spurs and you have to beat them, you have to go to Chelsea and you have to beat them.“This is what we have been doing, that is why we are here and now we have to go to City and we have to beat them -- you want to be champion, you have to win these matches, it is as simple as that.”Arsenal will again be without William Saliba as the France defender has shown “no improvement” in recovering from a back injury, while Arteta also revealed Granit Xhaka is doubtful for the match at the Etihad.The Switzerland captain missed Friday’s frantic 3-3 draw with strugglers Southampton through illness and has yet to return to training. Arteta, who won two league titles as an assistant to Guardiola at City, played down suggestions he would need a radical rethink in tactics.The former Gunners midfielder said it was important the team was able to adapt to changing situations within a match.“That’s what we do every game in certain areas,” he said. “Are you talking in ball possession, out of possession, in transition, at restarts, on set pieces, emotional state?“You have to shift it all the time. Every opponent demands and questions different things of you and gives you different opportunities.“There’s no difference with that team (City), it’s just obviously the quality of the opponent is as good as it gets anywhere in the world.”Arteta added he had little time for the idea that today’s match was a ‘winner-takes-all’ contest in the title race. “If we win tomorrow night we haven’t won, for sure,” the 41-year-old Spaniard said.“It would shift the percentage a little bit but five games in this league with the games we still have to play, it’s very tricky.“We knew from the beginning that City was the team to beat with Liverpool because of what those teams have done in the past few years.“We wanted to close that gap as much as we could and we’re toe-to-toe with them. We know it is going to be a massive game. Is it going to define the season? The answer is no.”