Sport news

• Dusan Tadic happy to play provider for Southampton 

  25-02-2017 23:56 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Dusan Tadic regards scoring the winning goal at Old Trafford in 2015 as the highlight of his Saints career so far, but he’ll be just as happy to set up Manolo Gabbiadini to take the glory at Wembley.
  
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• League One: Sheffield United move seven points clear

  25-02-2017 23:54 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Sharp took his goal tally to 23 for the season to give United a commanding advantage over second-placed Scunthorpe and Fleetwood now in third, while the defeat for Bolton leaves them fourth.
  
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• Guingamp 1-2 Monaco: Leaders move three points clear 

  25-02-2017 23:53 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Ligue 1 leaders Monaco returned to winning ways with a 2-1 triumph over Guingamp to restore their three-point lead. Leonardo Jardim's side were held to a draw by Bastia last weekend.
  
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• Juve 10 points clear in Serie A while Napoli suffer defeat

  25-02-2017 23:51 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  With Roma not in action until they head to the San Siro on Sunday evening to tackle Inter Milan, Massimiliano Allegri's men took full advantage as a second-half brace finally overcame the visitors.
  
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• Nick Holmes reflects on Saints' FA Cup win over Man United

  25-02-2017 23:50 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Southampton's 1976 FA Cup win against Manchester United has provided a lifetime of memories for Nick Holmes. He hopes that final will inspire Saints as they play United on Sunday.
  
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• Schmeichel and Vardy deny involvement in Ranieri sacking

  25-02-2017 23:46 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Kasper Schmeichel and Jamie Vardy have angrily denied Leicester’s players influenced the sacking of Claudio Ranieri. Ranieri visited Leicester’s Belvoir Drive training ground for the final time on Saturday.
  
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• Owen Farrell will be 'even better than Jonny Wilkinson'

  25-02-2017 23:41 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Owen Farrell will run out ahead of his team-mates at Twickenham on Sunday. To mark his 50th cap, the 25-year-old England centre will go out to receive the acclaim of a Twickenham crowd.
  
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• Ben Stokes hits quick half-century for England

  25-02-2017 23:37 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Ben Stokes had an eventful time in his first match since landing a £1.7million Indian Premier League deal as England beat a University of West Indies Vice Chancellor's XI by 117 runs.
  
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• Farrell can become a great like Wilkinson, says Woodward

  25-02-2017 23:36 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: It seems like only yesterday that Owen Farrell was making his England debut, against Scotland at Murrayfield in 2012. Here he is winning his 50th cap.
  
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• Simon Mignolet says 'tough shoulders' are needed

  25-02-2017 23:35 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Mignolet started the season out of favour after Jurgen Klopp's purchase of Karius but reclaimed his spot after the German 'keeper came under fire from Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.
  
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• OLIVER HOLT: Cut Rory McIlroy some slack

  25-02-2017 23:32 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  OLIVER HOLT: Rory McIlroy is not here to sate our need for a new sporting icon for the protest movement. That is not his world. His world is gated communities and rigid rulebooks.
  
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• FA to lose £15m a year as 5,000 VIP Wembley seats are axed

  25-02-2017 23:31 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  There are currently 15,000 Club Wembley seats at the home of English football, which give holders VIP seats and hospitality for all England home games and priority booking for other events.
  
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• Tottenham may not be ready to win trophies, says Mauricio Pochettino

  25-02-2017 23:30
  
  • ‘It’s like the stadium: we need to wait, to build the foundations’
  • Pochettino calls for ‘clever’ additions in summer transfer windowMauricio Pochettino says patience must be the watchword in Tottenham Hotspur’s quest to win a trophy – since they might not yet be ready for it. The manager watched his team go out of the Europa League on Thursday night against Gent and he acknowledged the club’s honours drought was something of a millsto
  
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• Simon Mignolet: ‘Jamie Vardy’s story shows in football anything can happen’

  25-02-2017 23:30
  
  Liverpool’s goalkeeper discusses facing Leicester again, a potential Hollywood role and how Jürgen Klopp has reinvented the Reds since the Steven Gerrard daysSimon Mignolet is expecting a call from Hollywood sometime soon. If there is going to be a movie about Jamie Vardy there must be a bit part for the goalkeeper who was beaten by his unstoppable shot from outside the box last season. In fact the stunning strike that summed up in a couple of seconds what Leicester’s drive to t
  
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• Leicester’s present dangers made Claudio Ranieri’s past glories irrelevant | Paul Wilson

  25-02-2017 23:30
  
  Unpleasant decisions have to be made at this time of year when club owners decide whether a change could ward off relegationThere is no doubt the Premier League lost one of the good guys when Claudio Ranieri was sacked and, as José Mourinho rightly says, the Italian’s towering achievement last season will never be forgotten, though the key element in that sentiment is “last season”.Last season is history, last season counts for nothing in football, the game is all about
  
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• Jose Mourinho hopes EFL Cup win can launch Man Utd dynasty

  25-02-2017 23:30 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  JOE BERNSTEIN: For Jose Mourinho, victory in the EFL Cup final at Wembley would be an important first step in a journey he hopes will banish his reputation as a crash-and-burn manager.
  
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• CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND-UP: Villa pick up first win of 2017

  25-02-2017 23:17 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Aston Villa finally got back to winning ways after a goal from James Chester on 25 minutes proved enough to beat Derby County and end a five-match losing streak despite a late sending off.
  
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• Lewis Hamilton questions F1’s new regulations before first test session

  25-02-2017 23:00
  
  On the eve of tests in Barcelona the three-times world champion believes overtaking will be worse and drivers will face more powerful and turbulent dirty airReading anything into Formula One’s first testing session is a dangerous game – unless a radical interpretation of the rules has bestowed an obvious advantage, such as Jenson Button’s Brawn team enjoyed in 2009 – but there is one thing that may become clear in Barcelona on Monday, and it could be crucial to the succes
  
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• Football’s hostile environments can start at home | Andrew Anthony

  25-02-2017 23:00
  
  Moving to a new stadium can play havoc with a team’s form as West Ham and Tottenham have found out to their cost this seasonWhat’s in a football stadium? Essentially the stands and the pitch. You could add the fans, of course, and inedible burgers, but they are transportable. However, there seems to be some mysterious process by which the fans interact with the stadium to create what is widely known as the “atmosphere”.Hence, although the West Ham fans attending the Londo
  
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• Eddie Jones tells Jonny May he is a starter but must also be a finisher

  25-02-2017 23:00
  
  England coach looks to the wings to improve their poor try-scoring record against Italy in the countries’ last five Six Nations encountersJonny May is a starter Eddie Jones has told to be a finisher at Twickenham on Sunday, as England look to end the barren try-scoring record of their specialist wings against Italy in recent years.While wings from the other four teams in the Six Nations have scored 16 tries in 12 matches against Italy since 2015, England’s have managed one in their p
  
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• David Haye insists he must beat Tony Bellew if he is to continue boxing

  25-02-2017 23:00
  
  Former WBA champion Haye says there can be only one result in his comeback fight at the O2 Arena and predicted: ‘I can guarantee you Bellew is going to be retiring this year’Five years after David Haye said he would quit the fight game at 31, the Londoner is still making noise in the heavyweight division but he has said that this time, if he loses to Tony Bellew on Saturday night, half a mile from where he grew up, he really will walk away.There is no title at stake, but several mill
  
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• Lawrie McMenemy: ‘Southampton didn’t have a cat in hell’s chance’

  25-02-2017 22:59
  
  Former Saints manager remembers the 1976 Wembley showpiece that gave Southampton their first silverware after a shock defeat of Manchester UnitedLawrie McMenemy answered the phone in his room at the team hotel. It was the morning of the 1976 FA Cup final and the voice on the other end carried a distinctive West Country burr. It was Mick Channon, one of the key members of the Southampton team McMenemy would send out to face Manchester United at Wembley later in the day.“Gafuuuur,” McM
  
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• Juan Mata available for Manchester United EFL Cup final

  25-02-2017 22:11 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Juan Mata is available to play for Manchester United in the EFL Cup final on Sunday despite reports in Spain suggesting he would miss the match against Southampton after a family bereavement.
  
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• Jamie Vardy denies involvement in Claudio Ranieri's exit

  25-02-2017 22:08 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  There have been suggestions that Leicester players had an influence over the decision of Leicester's owners to dismiss their Premier League title-winning manager.
  
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• Joe Schmidt says Ireland have Six Nations title in their own hands

  25-02-2017 22:03
  
  • ‘Johnny Sexton operated really well,’ says coach after 19-9 win over France
  • Try scorer Conor Murray pays tribute to forwards: ‘They won us the game’Ireland remain in contention for their third Six Nations title in four years after coming from behind to defeat France in Dublin. Their final match is at home to England but their coach, Joe Schmidt, is looking no further than their next game in Cardiff a week on Friday against a Wales side whose championship dre
  
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• A team at a crossroads - what now for unhappy Howley and Wales?

  25-02-2017 22:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Richard Williams witnesses the stark contrast between winner Vern Cotter and vanquished Welsh coach Rob Howley after Wales lose to Scotland.
  
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• Antonio Conte says Chelsea deserve to be top of the table – video

  25-02-2017 21:51
  
  Conte says Chelsea deserve to be at the top of the table due to their efforts both on and off the pitch, and also points to his players’ experience in winning trophies, following the 3-1 win over Swansea. Fàbregas and Pedro see off stubborn Swansea as Chelsea stay way out in front Continue reading...
  
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• Watford 1-1 West Ham: Ayew on hand to rescue point

  25-02-2017 21:50 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  KIERAN GILL AT VICARAGE ROAD: Andre Ayew came off the substitutes' bench to score a 74th-minute equaliser as West Ham battled back from behind to rescue a point on Saturday night.
  
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• Premier League: Howe refusing to panic as Bournemouth's struggles continue

  25-02-2017 21:42
  
  Yet another defeat has worsened Bournemouth's relegation worries, but Eddie Howe is adamant his team will improve their situation.
  
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• Brighton go top after Anthony Knockaert seals points against Reading

  25-02-2017 21:29
  
  Brighton issued a further reminder of their promotion credentials with a convincing 3-0 home victory over Reading that returned them to the top of the Championship.Albion’s battle with Newcastle United at the summit continues after the Magpies dropped home points in a 2-2 draw with Bristol City earlier on Saturday. Continue reading...
  
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• Claudio Ranieri: BBC Radio Leicester's open letter after saying goodbye to ex-Foxes boss

  25-02-2017 21:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC Radio Leicester reporters write an open letter after sacked Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri invited them in for coffee.
  
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• Barnsley 1-1 Huddersfield: Terriers stutter in promotion

  25-02-2017 21:13 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  David Wagner's Huddersfield side learned a harsh lesson as their juggernaut towards the top two of the Sky Bet Championship stuttered with a 1-1 draw at Barnsley.
  
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• Premier League: I owe him my eternal gratitude - Vardy's emotional Ranieri tribute

  25-02-2017 21:11
  
  Claudio Ranieri will always have a special place in the memory of Jamie Vardy despite the Italian's sacking as Leicester City manager.
  
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• Ireland 19-9 France: Sexton dominates play on his return

  25-02-2017 21:11 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  WILL KELLEHER AT THE AVIVA STADIUM: Johnny Sexton inspired Ireland to victory over France on his comeback, as they kept their Six Nations Championship hopes alive in Dublin.
  
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• Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester exit a tale of deceit and discourtesy | Daniel Taylor

  25-02-2017 21:05
  
  The Foxes’ title-winning manager deserved better from Leicester’s players and the club’s ungracious ownersIt was the headline in Gazzetta dello Sport that jumped out from the news stands on the morning after the kind of newsflash that made it easy to understand what Gareth Southgate meant when he talked about loving the sport but not necessarily liking it. Claudio Ranieri had become another managerial statistic and it was quickly becoming apparent there were players at Leiceste
  
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• Brighton 3-0 Reading: Match report

  25-02-2017 20:50 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Brighton went top of the Championship after a convincing victory over playoff-hopefuls Reading thanks to goals from Sam Baldock, Jamie Murphy and Anthony Knockaert at the Amex Stadium.
  
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• Troy Deeney plays game with intensity man score to settle

  25-02-2017 20:49 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  ADAM SHERGOLD AT VICARAGE ROAD: Troy Deeney plays each match with the intensity of a man who has a score to settle and against West Ham on Saturday evening, he actually did.
  
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• EFL Cup final: Cantona - Ibrahimovic is like me

  25-02-2017 20:41
  
  Eric Cantona has hailed Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the way he has taken Manchester United's promising youngsters under his wing.
  
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• André Ayew pounces to earn West Ham hard-fought draw against Watford

  25-02-2017 20:41
  
  Bravery matched caution on a gusty night as Watford and West Ham United shared the spoils in a match that was controlled by the visitors but could easily have ended in a home victory.Two late opportunities after West Ham had been reduced to 10 men might have given Walter Mazzarri’s side three points, but they were lucky to take one after choosing to sit on the early lead given to them by Troy Deeney’s third-minute penalty. Continue reading...
  
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• Watford 1 West Ham 1: Ayew halts injury-hit hosts

  25-02-2017 20:39
  
  Despite leading for a long period, Watford were held by West Ham, as Andre Ayew fired a second-half equaliser at Vicarage Road.
  
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• Premier League: Watford 1 West Ham 1 - Ayew halts injury-hit hosts

  25-02-2017 20:39
  
  Despite leading for a long period, Watford were held by West Ham, as Andre Ayew fired a second-half equaliser at Vicarage Road.
  
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• Antonio Conte says trophy-winning experience fuels Chelsea’s title charge

  25-02-2017 20:37
  
  • ‘I’m lucky to have a lot of players who, in the past, won a lot of trophies’
  • ‘I think we deserve to stay there,’ says Conte after 3-1 defeat of SwanseaAntonio Conte believes the trophy-winning experience in his Chelsea ranks could prove key to the leaders’ pursuit of a second Premier League title in three years after watching his team open up an 11-point lead at the top with victory over Swansea City. Related: Fàbregas and Pedro see off st
  
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• ‘We can beat anyone,’ says John Barclay as Scotland eye England scalp

  25-02-2017 20:36
  
  • ‘It’s been a while,’ says Vern Cotter after 29-13 win over Wales
  • Barclay: ‘We’ve beaten Ireland and Wales – we can mix it with anyone’The 10-year wait is over and the relief was fairly oozing from Vern Cotter’s every pore. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it,” he said after Scotland’s sparkling 29-13 win over Wales at Murrayfield, their first since 2007. Related: Tim Visser’s heroics help Scotland end Six
  
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• Six Nations 2017: Ireland 19-9 Wales highlights

  25-02-2017 20:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Johnny Sexton made an impressive return from injury as Ireland came from behind to beat France 19-9 at the Aviva Stadium and go top of the Six Nations standings.
  
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• UFC: Who Should Georges St-Pierre Face On His Return?

  25-02-2017 20:21
  
  With Georges St-Pierre’s return to the UFC now confirmed, speculation has turned to who the former welterweight champion will face in his first bout since stepping away from the sport in November 2013.Three men have held the welterweight belt since St-Pierre relinquished the title, and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson came within a whisker of adding to that number when he fought current champion Tyron Woodley to a draw at UFC 205 in November last year.
  
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• Ronaldo Koeman: Everton ace Romelu Lukaku can get better

  25-02-2017 20:19 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Lukaku equalled Duncan Ferguson’s Premier League record for Everton, but manager Koeman is still looking for improvement from the Belgian striker.
  
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• Johnny Sexton kicks Ireland to top of Six Nations with victory over France

  25-02-2017 20:10
  
  • Ireland 19-9 France
  • Fly-half Sexton returns to action to fire Ireland winThe Ireland head coach, Joe Schmidt, finally indulged in mind games this week. He did not emulate Eddie Jones and Warren Gatland by trying to get inside the head of his opponents but rather on one of his own players, and the most celebrated, Jonathan Sexton. The outside-half, who had missed the opening two rounds through injury, was told before the team announcement he could not consider himself to be an autom
  
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• Newcastle 2-2 Bristol City: Late Clark strike earns draw

  25-02-2017 20:03 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Sky Bet Championship leaders Newcastle recovered from being two goals down at home to draw 2-2 with struggling Bristol City.
  
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• Australia end wait for win in India as Steve Smith backs his words with action | Adam Collins

  25-02-2017 20:00
  
  The Australia captain and his coach Darren Lehmann have talked of resilience and adaptation after recent disasters, and those qualities were at the fore to end a 13-year wait for a Test win in India4,502. It’s a number Steve Smith wants everyone to know: the days since Australia last won a Test in India. Way back then, it was the only time the national side had triumphed in a series in this country since The Beatles stopped writing songs. Then, it was a team resembling the Harlem Globetrot
  
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• Championship review: Newcastle drop points, Leeds clip Owls' wings

  25-02-2017 19:58
  
  Brighton and Hove Albion were gifted the perfect chance to move top of the Championship after Newcastle United drew 2-2 with Bristol City.
  
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