SOCCER
Brighton move into eighth
Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday moved into eighth place in the Premier League with a 4-2 mauling of Tottenham Hotspur to end a superb year under Italian manager Roberto de Zerbi. After his side’s first win in four Premier League games, De Zerbi was at pains to point out the size of the club’s achievements. “I am really lucky to be this coach of this team with these players. I am very pleased with the passion they have, they have everything,” he said. “You can’t forget we are Brighton. Sometimes they forget we are Brighton. We are not Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle or Arsenal, we are still Brighton. The other eight or nine big teams in the Premier League they do not sell their big players.” Joao Pedro scored two penalties as Brighton leaped to a 4-0 before being pegged back. Elsewhere, West Ham United beat Arsenal 2-0, denying the Reds a return to the top of the table.
Photo: AP
CRICKET
Cummins leads Australia
Australia Captain Pat Cummins’ second 10-wicket haul in Test matches yesterday led his side to a 79-run win over Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the fourth day of the second Test. Cummins made all the crucial breakthroughs late in the day as the hosts bowled Pakistan out for 237. Pakistan lost 5-18 during a chaotic finish after Australia were out for 262 in their second innings. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey (53) helped push Australia’s lead to set the visitors 317 to win.
CRICKET
SA coach touts team
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad revealed his frustration on Thursday over his players being under-rated following an innings-and-32-run win over No. 1-ranked India in the first Test at Centurion. With opening batsman Dean Elgar scoring 185 and Marco Jansen making a career-best 84 not out, South Africa took their first-innings score to 408 for a 163-run lead on the third day. Their pacemen then bundled India out for just 131 in 34.1 overs, with only Virat Kohli (76) resisting their surge to victory. “This win was massive for us and what makes it bigger is that it makes sure India have never beaten us in a Test series here,” Conrad told reporters. “We know what a quality side India are, but we also know what we are. We are a brilliant team at home and we have really gelled as a unit. A lot of the time that has been about freeing the guys up, allowing them to be the best versions of themselves,” he said. “People have questioned whether South Africa still produce good players and we have shown that we do.”
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday poured in 35 points as the Thunder grabbed a bounce-back 118-108 victory in Portland to push their NBA-best record to 37-8. The Thunder, surprised by the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, fended off a late surge from the Trail Blazers to snap their four-game winning streak. Jalen Williams scored 24 points and Isaiah Joe added 16 off the bench. Center Isaiah Hartenstein, back after a five-game absence with a calf injury, added 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a big block. The Western Conference leaders were under pressure late as Portland, trailing by 15 heading
The Golden State Warriors on Wednesday withstood Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 52-point outburst to beat the Western Conference leading Thunder 116-109. Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half as Golden State erased a double-digit deficit and pulled away late for the victory. “We just stayed solid,” said Curry, who entered the contest mired in a shooting slump and had just four points on one basket in the first half. “Just all-around effort.” The Thunder, fueled by 31 first-half points from Gilgeous-Alexander, led by as many as 14 in the
Ousmane Dembele on Wednesday scored a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain romped to a 4-1 win at VfB Stuttgart and qualified for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages. PSG were at risk of elimination after a disappointing league stage, with three losses and a draw, but were utterly dominant against an outclassed Stuttgart side as they confirmed their place in the playoffs. With six minutes gone, Bradley Barcola headed PSG in front after Desire Doue stood a cross up at the back post following a corner. Stuttgart probed for an equalizer, but PSG hit on the counterattack, Dembele tapping a Barcola pass into an
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