Latest - Manchester City took a major step towards retaining their Premier League title with a 1-0 win over second-placed Chelsea, opening up a 13-point lead at the top of the table for Pep Guardiola's side.
Kevin de Bruyne Photo: Photosport
Kevin De Bruyne's 70th-minute strike means that City have 56 points from 22 matches with Chelsea on 43 points. Third-placed Liverpool, who have two games in hand, including tomorrow's match at home to Brentford, are on 42 points.
It was a fine solo goal from De Bruyne which settled the outcome, the Belgian riding a challenge from N'golo Kante before beating Kepa Arrizabalaga with a curling shot into the far corner.
Chelsea beat City in last season's Champions League final, but City have completed the double over the London side in the Premier League this season, having won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in September.
All Whites striker Chris Wood started for his new club Newcastle as they drew 1-1 with Watford.
Newcastle are now second bottom after Norwich beat Everton 2-1 to move off the bottom of the table.
Manchester United and Aston Villa drew 2-2 and Wolves beat Southampton 3-1.
Meanwhile Arsenal's north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow has been postponed because their squad has been depleted by COVID-19 infections, injuries and players away at the Africa Cup of Nations.
-Reuters
Kohli steps down as test captain
Virat Kohli has stepped down as captain of India men's Test cricket team.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 33-year-old, who stopped leading India's limited-overs sides last year, had led the Test side since 2015.
He captained India in a record-breaking 68 Tests, winning 40 matches - the fourth best record of any Test captain in history.
"It's been seven years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance everyday to take the team in the right direction. I've done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there," Kohli said on social media.
"Everything has come to a halt at some stage and for me as test captain of India, it's now. There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey, but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief."
The feisty top order batsman has had a difficult relationship with the Indian cricket board (BCCI) since stepping down as the Twenty20 captain after last year's World Cup.
He has played in 99 Tests in total, averaging 50.39 in the longer format. In 2021 Kohli led the side to the the final of the inaugural World Test Championship, losing to New Zealand in Southampton.
-BBC
Murray beaten in Sydney final
Former world number one Andy Murray's quest for a first ATP title in over two years ended in defeat at the hands of top seed Aslan Karatsev at the Sydney Tennis Classic, with the Russian easing his way to a 6-3 6-3 win.
Andy Murray of Great Britain playing the Sydney Classic in January, 2022. Photo: Photosport
Murray, playing in his first final since the European Open in Antwerp in October 2019, started tentatively and was broken in the first game of the match as Karatsev raced into an early lead after a couple of solid holds.
Three-times major winner Murray struggled on serve throughout the opening set, landing just 48% of his first serves and committing four double faults.
The second set began much like the first as the 28-year-old Karatsev broke early to seize the advantage, consistently hurting Murray with a barrage of powerful winners from the back of the court.
Earlier, Spanish world number nine Paula Badosa held off French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 4-6 7-6(4) to clinch the women's title.
Meanwhile Madison Keys brushed aside fellow American Alison Riske 6-1 6-2 with a dominant display of serving to win the Adelaide International title, in a timely boost for her preparations for next week's Australian Open.
The former U.S. Open finalist made light work of her compatriot to win her first title since the 2019 Cincinnati Masters, when Riske put her return into the net to end the match in just over an hour.
The title was the sixth of the 26-year-old's career and set her up well for her clash against another American, 11th seed Sofia Kenin, in the first round at Melbourne Park.
-Reuters
Top five finish for snowboarder
The Queenstown snowboarder Cool Wakushima has finished fifth at the Slopestyle World Cup event in Switzerland, a career best result for the 19-year-old.
After qualifying through to the finals in third place yesterday against some of the best riders in the world, Cool knew she had to bring her A Game today.
She put down a solid first run with a lip slide on the down rail, a 50/50 wildcat out of the pyramid rail and a 540 over the roller. In the jump section Cool stomped a cab double under-flip and a frontside 720, finishing off with a backside air with a melon grab on the quarter pipe. She was rewarded with a 71.15 and finished run one in 5th position.
Coming into the second and final run Cool knew she needed to step up her first run, and that she did. Upgrading the second jump to an epic frontside double 1080 bumped her score up to a 75.95. This was also the first time she has landed this highly technical trick in competition.
Although Cool stepped up her run, so did the other women on course today, meaning even with an increase in score she remained in 5th place once all the athletes had completed their second run.
This was the final FIS Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup event before the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
Fiji pull out of sevens round because of Covid
Fiji has pulled out of next weekend's round of the World Rugby Sevens series in Malaga in southern Spain after players and members of management tested positive for COVID-19.
The personnel who tested positive are "well and asymptomatic", FRU chief executive John O'Connor said, adding that the men's and women's teams were still hoping to compete in the following round in Seville from Jan. 28-30.
"Taking in consideration that the entire team are primary contacts ... teams have moved into the mandatory seven days isolation," O'Connor said.
Fiji's men's side, who defeated New Zealand to retain their Olympic Rugby Sevens gold in Tokyo last year, are sixth in the standings, while the women's team are second, four points behind leaders Australia.
New Zealand is not competing in either of the Spanish events.
-Reuters
