Latest - Arsenal beat London rivals Chelsea 3-1 for their first English Premier League win in nearly two months as goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka lifted the pressure on coach Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette celebrates after scoring. Photo: Photosport
Arsenal had failed to win any of their previous seven league games - losing five of them - and the win lifted them to 14th place in the table. Chelsea are sixth after their third consecutive away defeat.
Everton moved up to second with a 1-0 win at bottom club Sheffield United.
Jamie Vardy struck the equaliser as Leicester City came back twice to end Manchester United's away winning streak in the Premier League with a 2-2 draw at the King Power stadium.
United, who had won their last ten away games in the Premier League, sre fouth on 27 points, a point behind third-placed Leicester.
Liverpool, who host West Bromwich Albion tomorrow, are top of the standings on 31 points.
Manchester City breezed to a 2-0 home win over Newcastle United, a result that lifted them to fifth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Aston Villa made light of playing half the match with 10 men to thrash Crystal Palace 3-0.
Eighth placed Southampton drew 0-0 with Fulham.
Bumrah leads India at MCG
India proved there is life without captain Virat Kohli as they bowled Australia out for 195 then weathered a fierce pace assault in the late afternoon to dominate the opening day of the second cricket test in Melbourne.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
India were 36 for one at stumps, with debutant Shubman Gill 28 not out and Cheteshwar Pujara on seven after the loss of opener Mayank Argarwal for a duck.
With soon-to-be-dad Kohli having returned home after the calamitous defeat in Adelaide, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane called on his bowlers to respond and they duly delivered on a glorious day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
After Australia won the toss and elected to bat, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah grabbed four wickets and seamer Mohammed Siraj took two on an emotional test debut little more than a month after the death of his father.
With the wounds still raw from India's humiliating dismissal for 36 at Adelaide Oval, their lowest innings total in tests, the focus shifted quickly to their batsmen and how they would fare against Australia's fired-up pace attack.
The pressure proved too much for Argarwal, who was out lbw on the sixth ball of the innings after a withering opening salvo from paceman Mitchell Starc.
Australia were unchanged from Adelaide, but India made four changes, with Pant replacing wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, and Jadeja recalled as another slow bowling option.
-Reuters
Good start for Sri Lankans
Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva scored half-centuries as Sri Lanka took advantage of some lacklustre South Africa bowling to post 340 for six at the close of day one of the first test at Centurion Park.
Dasun Shanaka (25 not out) and Kasun Rajitha (seven not out) will resume on the second day having come through a difficult spell late in the evening session against the new ball, though South Africa aided them by not attacking the stumps enough.
The tourists won the toss and elected to bat, recovering from a poor start that was largely self-inflicted to seize the initiative on a wicket with plenty of bounce that is likely to become uneven as they test goes on.
Dinesh Chandimal top scored with 85 while Dhananjaya de Silva retired hurt on 79.
De Silva was in complete control at the crease but suffered a hip injury as he jogged through for a comfortable single, dropping to the floor at the end of the run in obvious discomfort. He was to have a scan to assess the damage.
-Reuters
The Shark is in hospital
Hall of Fame golfer Greg Norman spent part of his Christmas Day in a hospital battling Covid-19.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 65-year-old Australian, known as "The Shark" during a career that included two major wins at The Open Championship (1986, 1993), revealed his diagnosis in an Instagram post.
"This sums it all up. My Christmas Day. On behalf of millions, (expletive) CoVid," wrote Norman, who was photographed in a hospital bed.
Norman, who resides in Florida, competed with his son Greg Norman Jr. in last weekend's PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Grande Lakes in Orlando.
Norman Jr. said he and his wife have also tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Normans did not wear masks during the event, where they finished in ninth place.
Norman recorded 88 professional wins, including 20 on the PGA Tour. He finished second eight times in majors and spent 331 weeks as the world No. 1.
-Reuters
Promotion for Kiwi cyclist
The Nelson cyclist Niamh Fisher-Black will be competing in the top races in Europe next year after her Dutch team was awarded a Women's World Tour licence for the next three years.
20 year old Fisher Black joined the SD Worx team in October after her previous team Equipe Paule Ka folded.
Another New Zealander from that team Mikayla Harvey has also found a new team after signing a two-year deal with Canyon-Sram Racing.
The 22 year old from Wanaka had an outstanding 2020, including finishing fifth in the Giro Rosa.
She will join fellow New Zealander Ella Harris at the German team.
Murray to return in Jnauary
Andy Murray will begin his 2021 season at the Delray Beach Open next month after accepting a wildcard for the ATP 250 tournament, the men's tennis tour said.
The former world number one, whose has slipped to 122nd in the rankings, will join defending champion Reilly Opelka, top-ranked American John Isner and Canada's Milos Raonic in the Florida field.
The tournament takes place from Jan. 7-13, after being moved from its traditional February slot, and will serve as part of the preparations for the Australian Open Grand Slam, which will begin three weeks later than scheduled on Feb. 8 due to COVID-19 health and safety measures.
Murray, a three-times Grand Slam champion, underwent hip resurfacing surgery in January last year but returned to win the Antwerp title seven months later -- his first since 2017.
The 33-year-old Briton missed most of the 2020 season due to complications with his hip and struggled for form on his return after the COVID-19 hiatus, suffering a second-round defeat in the U.S. Open before falling in the opening round at Roland Garros.
-Reuters
