Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac (who recently changed his name from Rob McElhenney) have made their ambitions clear ever since their first interview as owners in 2021.
A member of the media asked the actors what their perfect ending would be? Reynolds responded: “We’d be lying if it wasn’t the Premier League.
So far, so good for the north Wales outfit. They’re one promotion away from the top flight and their latest accounts reveal a record turnover of £33.3m in the process. But was it ever really the aim to make it four promotions in a row?
At the start of their first season back in the second tier of English football since 1982, Wrexham chief executive Michael Williamson told the Telegraph, external that his aims for the season were Championship survival, a mid-table finish and to be competitive.
He proposed this to Reynolds and Mac, who immediately responded by asking what it would take to reach the top two.
Williamson went on to say that after discussions between the club’s hierarchy, they landed on: “Let’s be competitive and see where we end up.”
“If we can find ourselves in that position towards the back end of the season, I give us a very good shot of being in the play-offs. And then, ultimately, if we’re in the play-offs, I give us a very good shot of getting promoted just because of who we are and what we are and the DNA, the resilience and what it means to this town and for the squad,” explained Williamson.
The CEO also said that should promotion not be achieved this time, then that was OK too.
Less than a year on from the day Liverpool won the Premier League title, Arne Slot’s side find themselves in a position where their season rests on qualifying for the Champions League.
For Slot, perhaps his future does too. There will be no silverware and the Dutchman has already said failing to have Champions League football next season would mean this would “definitely not be an acceptable season”.
This was Liverpool’s 17th defeat of the campaign but it came after arguably one of their better performances. Until Ousmane Dembele’s 72nd-minute strike for Paris St-Germain, Liverpool battled admirably against the champions of Europe.
“It was an intense match between two teams who played really good football,” said PSG head coach Luis Enrique.
But the worry for Liverpool is they have gone backwards.
When these two sides met in the Champions League last 16 last season, PSG were the better side across the two legs but they needed a penalty shootout to knock Liverpool out.
This time around, they outclassed Slot’s side in Paris and, while there were spells on Tuesday night when Liverpool threatened, the final scoreline of 4-0 across two legs was fair.
“Of course we are very disappointed because I think there were parts of the second half where you could feel ‘if we could just score now, this could become a very special night’,” said Slot.
“But the future looks very bright for this team, for this club. We have showed we can compete with the champions of Europe in our stadium. To be the dominant team, not many teams can be dominant against PSG and create as many chances as we did,” he added.
At Anfield, Liverpool’s xG was 1.94 compared with the 0.18 at the Parc des Princes last week.
So there were positives to take, but there is still plenty to be done before they can be considered serious contenders on the European stage again.
After the match, Mohamed Salah waved goodbye to the Anfield crowd after playing his last game for Liverpool in the Champions League.
Now the question is whether Slot and Liverpool will be back in the Champions League next season.
Rebounding was not a strength of the Lakers over the course of the regular season. Rebounding was a strength of the Houston Rockets during the 2025-26 campaign.
So, on their first day of practice Tuesday for Game 1 of the first round Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers worked diligently on rebounding drills, knowing full well that will be one of the keys against the Rockets.
The Lakers were the fourth-worst rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 41.0 per game. The Rockets were the top rebounding team in the league, getting 48.1 overall and 15.0 on the offensive end.
And one of the Lakers’ better rebounders, Luka Doncic, won’t be available because he’s dealing with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that he went to Spain for treatment. Doncic is second on the Lakers in rebounding at 7.7 per game. His starting backcourt mate, Austin Reaves, also is a good rebounder but he also won’t play because of a Grade 2 left oblique strain. Reaves is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game.
“They’re out indefinitely,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said about Doncic and Reaves.
Redick then gave a simple answer for how the Lakers have to deal with the Rockets in the best-of-seven series.
“Again, taking care of the basketball and boxing out. That’s the series,” Redick said. “Scheme, personnel, obviously important, but if we don’t take care of the ball and we don’t box out, we’re not gonna win the series.
“They were No. 4 in scoring opportunities. We were No. 23, so we don’t have the luxury with Luka and AR out of getting drilled in scoring opportunities every single game. We gotta box out. We’re going to place an emphasis on every drill in practice. We started practice with boxing out today. You gotta put it in their minds. That’s literally the only thing we said about Houston today. Today was about us having a practice, getting sharp with our stuff. Tomorrow, we’ll introduce [Rockets] personnel. Thursday we’ll do our scout, as we would. Friday will be a reinforcement of that scout. Saturday we’ll be good to go. Only thing we did today was box out.”
Lakers 7-foot backup center Jaxson Hayes will be counted to get rebounds. He’ll also spend time dealing with Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who averages 20.4 points and 8.9 rebounds (3.0 on offense) per game.
Hayes missed the last four games because of left foot soreness, but he was back at practice Tuesday.
“Feeling a lot better,” Hayes said. “It’s nice getting a few days off. Especially with my job, I jump a lot and I run a lot, so it’s hard for me to rest something like that. Getting those days off was very much needed. Very helpful.”
When asked about the box-out drills the Lakers did at practice, Hayes recalled the last time he did such a thing.
“Definitely college, for sure,” Hayes said. “College days with those Texas bigs. Coaches start off the practice where you got to smack somebody. Obviously, we weren’t trying to murder each other out on the boards, but definitely practicing that stuff. Houston is, I think, one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the past 20 years. So, just making sure we’re ready for that.”
The Rockets are a physical team that also plays smothering defense.
Houston allowed 110.0 points per game during the regular season, the fourth-best defensive mark in the league, and held teams to 46.0% shooting, the sixth-best mark in the league.
For Lakers guard Marcus Smart, there is one way to compete with the Rockets on the backboards.
“Will. Willpower,” Smart said. “We’re competitors. We’ve been doing this for a while. We’re doing that at the highest level, right? And they’re going to try to come in and punk us. And if you will allow that, you will be punked. And I don’t think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team. So, we might not be the most athletic and strongest, but we got to have the most heart.”
Speaking on the Monday Night Club, former Premier League defender Nedum Onouha says new Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi is right to focus on raising morale rather than tactics as he looks to keep the club in the Premier League.
What Atletico manager Simeone sold him was a football project that had the striker at the centre of it. Alvarez wanted to feel wanted.
“He told me I could give the club something huge,” he recalls. “That I’d have the space and the opportunity to be my best version.”
The Argentines already at the club helped too – De Paul, Griezmann’s warmth, the Spanish language, a culture that felt closer to home than Paris or Manchester ever could.
In August 2024, Atletico Madrid confirmed the deal – 95m euros (£81.5m), a club record received by City, and a six-year contract. The club announced it with a Spiderman video and Alvarez loved it.
Ask him about the price tag and he almost looks confused by the question.
“It’s more something that gets talked about in the media,” he said. “In the dressing room I’m just one of the group. I like being treated that way.”
His father worked in a cereal factory in Calchin. His mother was a schoolteacher. He grew up knowing that you have to earn respect, or reputation. He is still the same person. It shows on the pitch too – the World Cup winner who sprints back to win the ball, who presses from the front. Simeone rarely singles out individuals, but with Alvarez, he makes exceptions.
Across two seasons in red and white, he has made 102 appearances and scored 47 goals, numbers that tell only part of the story.
His time at Atletico has not been without frustration. In La Liga this season, the numbers have been modest – eight goals in 29 appearances, and just one in 2026.
His strike against Oviedo at the end of February ended a run of 14 league games without a goal, his previous one coming against Sevilla on 1 November. But the Champions League has been a different story, bringing nine goals in 12 appearances this season.
Leeds went into the fixture having not scored in any of their past four league games. They had not netted with any of their past 64 shots.
But five minutes was all it took for Switzerland winger Okafor to net the opener with a smart first-time finish – Leeds‘ first league goal in 51 days.
He then doubled their lead in the 29th minute when his effort took a deflection off Leny Yoro on its way past Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
“To every player, every staff member that is with us, it’s a big compliment because we were fighting to the end and we deserved the three points,” Okafor told Sky Sports after helping end his club’s six-game winless league run.
Leeds will hope the victory will be the wind in their sails as they look to add to their points tally when hosting bottom side Wolves on Saturday, 18 April (15:00 BST).
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, their top scorer with 10 goals, said as much after the game.
“It’s important we don’t read too much into the external noise and continue to focus on what’s in front of us,” he told Sky Sports.
“It’s easy to come here and make history, but it doesn’t matter come the end of the season when the points tallies are in. That’s all we’re focused on.
“One game after another – making sure that we stay in the Premier League.”
His manager Farke echoed Calvert-Lewin’s sentiments.
“We have to stay humble,” he said. “We are not perfect. We are not the finished, end product. We are on a good path, on the way to achieving something really positive this season.”
After the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on 26 April, they will face fellow relegation candidates Burnley, Tottenham and West Ham in their final four games of the season.
Who: Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona What: Champions League quarterfinal, second leg Where: Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain When: Tuesday at 9pm (19:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Spanish football clubs Atletico Madrid and Barcelona will meet for the third time in 10 days but, crucially, with a UEFA Champions League (UCL) semifinal berth on the line.
Atletico may be far behind their Catalan opponents in the La Liga title race, but they go into Tuesday’s fixture as strong favourites, thanks to a first-leg victory against 10-man Barcelona at Camp Nou, and a strong home form in Europe this season.
Barcelona, the reigning La Liga champions, will have it all to do if they are to keep alive their dream of clinching their sixth UCL trophy, and first since the 2014–2015 season.
Here is all to know before the knockout tie:
What happened in the first leg at Camp Nou?
Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth scored in each half as Atletico earned a precious 2-0 lead in a tense first-leg clash.
The La Liga leaders were on top in the first half before Pau Cubarsi was sent off for bringing down Atletico’s Giuliano Simeone, who was through on goal.
Alvarez whipped home the free kick at the stroke of halftime, and Sorloth doubled their advantage in the 70th minute to give Atletico a strong chance of reaching the semifinals.
Julian Alvarez, centre, opened the scoring against Barcelona in Atletico’s first-leg 2-0 win last week [Nacho Doce/Reuters]
How did Barcelona perform in La Liga on the weekend?
Barcelona thrashed crosstown rivals Espanyol 4-1 on Saturday, taking a major step towards retaining their La Liga title as they moved nine points clear of rivals Real Madrid, who are second.
Ferran Torres struck twice, assisted by Lamine Yamal both times, first with a header from a corner in the 10th minute before doubling the lead in the 25th, racing clear from another Yamal pass.
Espanyol pulled one back in the 56th minute when Pol Lozano fired in a rebound from just inside the box. But Yamal restored control in the 87th on a quick counter, with Marcus Rashford adding a fourth from Frenkie de Jong’s cross.
Barca moved to 79 points with seven games left.
How did Atletico perform in La Liga on the weekend?
Coach Diego Simeone rotated heavily for his team’s visit to face Sevilla to keep players fresh, as Atletico fell to a 2-1 defeat.
Akor Adams sent the hosts ahead from the penalty spot, and after 20-year-old Atletico reserve defender Javier Bonar levelled, Nemanja Gudelj struck again for Sevilla before the interval.
Atletico are fourth in the league standings with 57 points, four points behind third-placed Villarreal.
Have Atletico ever won the UEFA Champions League trophy?
Diego Simeone’s side have never won the competition.
They reached the final in 2014 and 2016, but were beaten by city rivals Real on both occasions.
How did Barcelona reach the UCL quarterfinals?
Barcelona stormed into the quarterfinals with an emphatic 8-3 aggregate win over Newcastle United.
Much of the work was done in their second-leg tie, in which Barca thrashed the Premier League side 7-2 at Camp Nou, as five different players scored.
Lamine Yamal, left, scored in both legs against Newcastle United in the UCL quarters [Scott Heppell/Reuters]
How did Atletico Madrid reach the UCL quarterfinals?
Atletico Madrid withstood a rousing Tottenham Hotspur fightback to advance 7-5 on aggregate despite a 3-2 second-leg loss in North London.
Simeone’s side, who scored four times in the opening 22 minutes in the 5-2 first-leg home romp, wobbled under a home onslaught, but goals by Julian Alvarez and David Hancko ultimately gave them breathing space.
Have Atletico and Barcelona played each other in the knockout stages?
The two teams have met twice in the Champions League knockout stages, both times at the quarterfinal stage, with Atletico going through in 2014 and 2016 on their run to the final each season. Atletico played the second leg at home on those occasions, too.
What have the managers said?
Diego Simeone: “We know the opponent we are going to face, and we are aware of how strong they are, but we are also aware of what our objective is – to advance.”
Hansi Flick: “We have the quality. We have the players who can change this. But, of course, we have to fight. We have to focus on the magic.”
After a first-leg defeat at home, the pressure is on Hansi Flick and Barcelona as they travel to face Atletico Madrid [Pablo Morano/Reuters]
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: Head-to-head
The two clubs have faced each other on 251 occasions. Barcelona have won 115 of those games, Atletico have won 79, and 57 ended as draws.
Last 10 encounters:
April 8: Barcelona 0-2 Atletico (Champions League quarterfinal, first leg)
April 4: Atletico 1-2 Barcelona (La Liga)
March 3: Barcelona 3-0 Atletico (Copa del Rey semifinal)
February 12 : Atletico 4-0 Barcelona (Copa del Rey semifinal)
December 2 : Barcelona 3-1 Atletico (La Liga)
April 2, 2025: Atletico 0-1 Barcelona (Copa del Rey semifinal)
March 16, 2025: Atletico 2-4 Barcelona (La Liga)
February 25, 2025: Barcelona 4-4 Atletico (Copa del Rey semifinal)
December 21, 2024: Barcelona 1-2 Atletico (La Liga)
April 17, 2024: Atletico 0-3 Barcelona (La Liga)
Atletico’s team news
Marc Pubill is suspended after picking up three yellow cards, while Jose Gimenez, Pablo Barrios, and David Hancko are doubtful due to injuries.
Defender Cubarsi is suspended after his red card in the first leg and will be replaced by Ronald Araujo, who featured in the backline against Espanyol at the weekend.
Marc Bernal, Raphinha, and Andreas Christensen are all out injured.
Predicted starting XI:
Joan Garcia (goalkeeper); Kounde, Araujo, Martin, Cancelo; Eric Garcia, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford; Lewandowski
Former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías, whose second suspension expired last July, has not signed with any team since then.
Scott Boras, the agent for Urías, declined to say whether any team had offered Urías a contract this year but said he has not solicited offers from any clubs.
“I have to have the authority from my client even to talk about the subject,” Boras said, “and I don’t have that yet.”
In January, the Mexican baseball site Puro Beisbol posted pictures of Urías throwing with children in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, with the Spanish-language site Diario AS calling it “the first time he had been seen throwing a baseball in public since September 2023,” the month he last pitched for the Dodgers.
Urías sat out the 2024 season during a Major League Baseball investigation. His suspension covered the first half of the 2025 season. When he was reinstated, Boras said Urías had “every intention to continue his career.”
When the suspension of former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer ended before the 2023 season, Bauer signed to play in Japan that year and in Mexico the following year before returning to Japan in 2025. He has signed to play with the independent Long Island Ducks this year.
If Urías, 29, wishes to play this year, Boras said he believes Urías would have little trouble finding a job.
“Teams ask me about him all the time,” Boras said. “With the pitching market in this world, Julio could play in a minute. But I think it’s about him deciding if it’s something he wants to go do right now.”
The suspension resulted from a September 2023 incident outside BMO Stadium, in which witness video obtained by The Times showed Urías pulled aside his wife’s hair and shoved her against a fence. After the two were separated, the video showed Urías swinging at her with his left hand.
Urías was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence, but the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office determined that “neither the victim’s injuries nor the defendant’s criminal history justify a felony filing.” The city attorney’s office subsequently filed five misdemeanor charges against Urías. He pleaded no contest to one, the other four were dropped, and he agreed to enter a yearlong domestic violence treatment program.
He also agreed to complete a similar program in 2019, when he was arrested after an incident in the Beverly Center parking lot. Witnesses said he pushed his fiancee, she said she fell, and no charges were filed.
The league then suspended him for 20 games. Under its policy, the the league can suspend a player even if no charges are filed.
Urías recorded the final out of the Dodgers’ World Series championship in 2020. He led the National League in victories (20) in 2021 and earned-run average (2.16) in 2022.
A Championship rugby league match between Goole Vikings and Whitehaven was delayed by 80 minutes after a replica grenade was found next to the pitch.
Goole released a statement 30 minutes before the intended 15:00 BST kick-off time saying that Sunday’s match had been delayed because of “an incident at the Victoria Pleasure Ground that is currently being handled by the relevant authorities”.
Fans were advised not to arrive at the venue until 16:00 BST.
Humberside Police said: “Officers were called to Victoria Pleasure Ground in Goole on Sunday, 12 April to reports of a possible grenade being found in the area.
“A cordon was in place at the time whilst a specialist team were called to examine the item.
“Upon inspection the suspected grenade was found to be a non-explosive replica and was safely removed from the area.”
The suspected grenade was found near the ground’s athletics track which surrounds the pitch.
Play eventually got under way at 16:20 BST, with supporters told to return to the ground shortly before.
“We would like to thank the players, coaches, staff and supporters of both clubs for their patience and support,” Goole said.
The Vikings fell to a 36-22 defeat which leaves them 18th in the Championship.
Nneka Ogwumike is coming home in a strong endorsement of the Sparks’ vow to succeed during the upcoming season.
Ogwumike, a 10-time WNBA All-Star, spent the first 12 seasons of her career with the Sparks after she was drafted No. 1 overall by the franchise in 2012.
But Ogwumike left two seasons ago as the Sparks were struggling to win and signed with a Seattle Storm team with talent capable of pushing for a championship, a female coach and state-of-the-art facilities.
Ogwumike posted a 45-second video on social media Friday morning that indicated her intention to return to the Sparks. Free agents are free to sign with new teams Saturday, when the Sparks are expected to officially announce her return.
“It was always ‘see you later,’ now I’ll see you soon,” Ogwumike wrote in the post.
She did not post any contract terms, and they have yet to be reported.
Chiney Ogwumike, an ESPN analyst, longtime Spark and Nneka’s sister, broke the news on X, posting: “10x WNBA All-Star and 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike intends to re-sign with the Los Angeles Sparks.
“She previously played 12 seasons in LA and ‘is looking forward to returning home.’”
The Sparks last made the playoffs in 2020, and while they showed some potential last year, going 21-23 but fizzling out in the second half of the season, adding the 35-year-old veteran bolsters their push to take a big step forward into the playoff mix.
Adding the appeal of some of the talent already on their roster and a new $150-million practice facility scheduled to open next year, the Sparks are positioning themselves for a return to their winning ways.
The Sparks are expected to trade 2024 first-round pick Rickea Jackson to Chicago this weekend for guard Ariel Atkins, according to reports. Atkins, who turns 30 in July, is a two-time All-Star and five-time all-defensive player who had an important role in the Washington Mystics’ 2019 championship.
Sparks players cheer as WNBA President Lisa Borders hands the championship trophy to team owner Magic Johnson in 2016. Nneka Ogwumike was on the team that won the Sparks’ most recent title.
(Hannah Foslien / Getty Images)
That leaves the Sparks with just three other players — Plum, who signed a core contract, Cameron Brink and Sania Feagin — under contract. The Sparks extended qualifying offers to Rae Burrell, Julie Vanloo and Alissa Pili this week, essentially retaining their rights.
But Ogwumike is the kind of player whom the Sparks could build a competitive campaign around, especially playing alongside Brink in a potent frontcourt. With Plum and likely Atkins in the fold, the Sparks could use an upgraded ball-handler, unless they go with Plum at point guard and focus on bringing in another forward.
Forward Azura Stevens announced on social media she is not returning. The Sparks also lost starting point guard Julie Allemand to Toronto in the expansion draft last week.
Forward Dearica Hamby remains unsigned. She started 84 games in the last two seasons and was an All-Star in 2024 but likely is behind Ogwumike and Brink on the Sparks’ depth chart and might push for a bigger role with another team.
The Sparks don’t have a first-round draft pick, so they will need to pursue talent on the robust free-agent market or make another trade to bolster their backcourt. If they elect to go with Plum at point guard, they could start Burrell as a small forward after her strong offseason in the Unrivaled three-on-three league, but they still need more depth.
During the next seven days, the Sparks will have a chance to make moves to support a veteran core of Ogwumike and Plum alongside a rising star in Brink as they push to build a team that can make the playoffs.
Last season in Seattle, Ogwumike averaged 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals. Her departure was somewhat expected after Noelle Quinn was fired as coach following the Storm’s first-round playoff exit.
The president of the players association, Ogwumike played an essential role in the historic collective bargaining agreement the league and players agreed to in March, which led to the salary cap being raised to $7 million per team.
Nneka Ogwumike, photographed in downtown Los Angeles in 2019, is returning to the Sparks after two seasons in Seattle.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
On Wednesday, speculation was rampant that Ogwumike might end up in Minnesota after a balloon company shared a video of a balloon sign that read: “Welcome Nneka,” but the forward clarified on Instagram that it was just a greeting welcoming her to a meeting with the Lynx, not an indication she was signing there.
With the majority of the league’s players free agents, teams have an opportunity to reinvent themselves this offseason. It seems likely that Seattle, with Skylar Diggins-Smith and Gabby Williams as free agents, could take a step back.
The forecast for expansion clubs Portland and Toronto, meanwhile, won’t take shape until they finish building their rosters.
The Sparks gave up the most points per game last season, 88.2, a flaw they hope to address with Ogwumike, the expected addition of Atkins and a full season of Brink, who has been limited by injuries to 34 games in her first two seasons after being drafted No. 2 in 2024.
The Sparks promised fans they would complete their rebuild and become title contenders again. Ogwumike’s return suggests she believes in the plan.
Whatever the result, this was a poor performance by Arsenal, who looked jaded compared to a fresh Bournemouth side who had not played for three weeks.
This was the 53rd game of the Gunners’ season as they have attempted to win trophies in multiple competitions.
However, defeats in the Carabao Cup final, FA Cup quarter-finals and now against the Cherries means they have lost three of their last four in all competitions.
Arsenal were without Bukayo Saka, captain Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber through injury, while Myles Lewis-Skelly was making just his second start of the season at left-back with Riccardo Calafiori also unavailable.
“I thought the result in Lisbon in midweek would have helped them massively, just to get a little bit of momentum and confidence after the two cup defeats,” added Shearer.
“But there was nothing I saw today that would give me confidence that they’re going to go and win the league.”
There was a nervous atmosphere inside the stadium, with loose passes met by groans from the home supporters as it was clear that the Gunners were not at their best.
Arteta had asked the fans to turn up early to create an intimidating atmosphere – but the Gunners boss does not think that the expectation is getting to his side.
“I don’t think there is pressure,” Arteta told BBC Match of the Day. “We have been coping with a lot of pressure since the beginning of the season.
“Today there were some actions that are very far from the level that we have shown and that shocks the system.
“We ask a lot from our crowd and today we didn’t respond to those standards and we have to apologise, take it on the chin and move on.”
Jonny Clayton came from 5-2 down to beat Michael van Gerwen 6-5 and claim his third nightly win to move top of the Premier League.
Van Gerwen missed four match darts in total as the Welshman reeled off four straight legs to take the win in Brighton.
Victory takes Clayton, who began the evening in third, three points above Luke Littler after the world champion was beaten by Stephen Bunting in the quarter-finals and failed to add to his points tally.
While Van Gerwen had the edge both in terms of average and checkout percentage in the final, Clayton produced when it mattered as he made the seven-time champion pay for failing to wrap up the match at 5-2 and 5-4 and forced a decider.
Clayton then finished it in style, hitting two 180s in the leg before sealing it on double 16.
“I thought the game was over at 5-2 up for Michael,” Clayton told Sky Sports.
“He missed, he gave me a chance. You’ve got to take chances. That last leg was probably my best of the game.
“I’m back on top of the table, Luke Littler can start chasing me again.”
Despite falling just short of a first nightly win since the opening week in Newcastle, Van Gerwen’s run to the final helped him shore up his play-off place and open up a four-point gap to fellow Dutchman Gian van Veen in fifth.
The Dept. of Justice is investigating the NFL’s media deals with streaming companies as more of its games go behind subscription pay walls.
The investigation first reported by the Wall Street Journal centers on the financial impact of live sports streaming on consumers and whether the league’s traditional broadcast partners are getting fair treatment.
The Justice Dept. did not respond to a request for comment. A government official told NBC News the DOJ’s investigation into the NFL is “about affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers.”
Early last month, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah requested the investigation in a letter to the DOJ, and issued a statement Thursday on X saying he was glad to see it move forward.
The Sports Broadcasting Act passed by Congress in 1961 allowed professional football teams to collectively license the TV rights of their games to national broadcast networks without running afoul of anti-trust laws. Lee noted that courts have recognized the act refers to broadcasts “financed through advertising and made available free to the public.”
Lee said sports packages that go behind subscription paywalls “no longer align” with the intention of the act which was passed when the public only had access to three TV networks.
The NFL has not received a letter from the DOJ saying it is under investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment. But the league issued a statement asserting that fans can see every NFL game played by the teams in their markets for free on broadcast TV unlike every other major sport.
“The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry,” the league said. “The NFL has for decades put our fans front and center in how we distribute our content.”
The NFL said 87% its games can be watched on free TV. The other 13% on streaming and cable platforms are made available on the local TV stations of the teams involved in those contests.
The sports rights landscape has shifted dramatically in the last 10 years as deep pocketed tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Netflix have provided the NFL with significant leverage in its negotiations with its longtime TV partners NBC, CBS, Fox and ESPN.
While streaming companies initially eschewed live sports because of the high cost of rights fees, they have found them to be an effective way to bring a massive number of viewers to their platforms.
Amazon Prime Video is paying $1.5 billion a year for the rights to “Thursday Night Football,” a package that was a money loser when carried by the broadcast networks. Netflix has picked up the rights to games on Christmas Day, while Google’s YouTube became the home of the Sunday Ticket package that gives subscribers access to out-of-market games.
The pressure from the newer competitors comes at a time when companies with traditional TV networks depend on the NFL more than ever as it provides the highest rated programming by a wide margin. The NFL packages also give TV station groups with leverage in negotiating carriage deal fees with cable and satellite companies.
Tensions over the rising rights fees are growing as the NFL has the right to open up the deal with Paramount, because the company underwent an ownership change last year when acquired by Skydance Media. The league is reportedly looking for another $1 billion annually from Paramount which is already paying $2.1 billion a year for its package of games on CBS.
The league has also made it clear it plans to exercise its option in 2029 to open the current 10-year media rights contract that runs through the 2032-33 season.
Fox Corporation — home of the Trump-friendly Fox News Channel — heavily depends on the NFL for programming on its TV stations — has already raised concerns about the renegotiation.
Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch has said he believes the $2.5 billion a year Fox pays the NFL is “fair market value.” But he has also told Wall Street analysts the company may have to re-examine its other sports deals in preparation to pay more to the NFL going forward.
Last week, Fox and station group owner Sinclair Broadcasting filed a statement with the FCC asserting that the NFL’s antitrust exemption does not apply to streaming platforms that require paid subscriptions.
“Congress provided a valuable exemption from the antitrust laws for leagues that bargain collectively for sports broadcasting,” wrote Joseph Di Scipio, Fox Corp.’s senior VP, legal and FCC compliance. “But on its face, the statute does not exempt negotiations that the leagues may have with streaming services.”
Match of the Day pundits Nedum Onuoha, Stephen Warnock, and Rory Smith look at the impact Harry Kane and Trent Alexander-Arnold had on the Champions League quarter-final first leg between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Liverpool went into their Champions League last-16 tie against PSG last season with a 74.4% win rate under Slot after 43 games.
Since being knocked out on penalties, the Reds have won just 49.2% of their past 59 games, while their loss percentage has more than trebled.
Slot has retained the support of Liverpool‘s owners and has credit in the bank after last season’s Premier League triumph – but that is likely to change if they do not qualify for the Champions League.
The Reds either have to win this season’s competition – which seems unlikely after Wednesday’s performance – or qualify through finishing in the top five in the Premier League.
They are currently fifth – one point ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea.
“Slot is not going to get sacked for losing 2-0 at PSG,” said Warnock.
“They are one of the best teams in Europe. But the defeats are stacking up, and there’s the danger there could be more damage next week.
“It is going to suit PSG next week because Liverpool have to go at them.
“They can’t play like this and sit in at Anfield, when they need goals.
“But what does Slot do? Liverpool‘s system tonight screams ‘you are better than us’. If he opens up, they leave themselves vulnerable and they could get battered.”
Captain Virgil van Dijk accused the team of “giving up” against City last weekend, when Liverpool conceded four times in the space of 20 minutes either side of half-time.
After losing to PSG, he insisted the team would not give up on their Champions League ambitions.
“We shouldn’t forget we play against the European champions of last season and you see the quality they have in the games that they played already this season,” he said.
“We have to be absolutely spot on with everything we do.
“Hopefully our fans can play a big part in that as well. I’ve been through many special evenings at Anfield, I’m very lucky and privileged, and our fans, that’s the backbone of the club and hopefully they can be there for us again.”
UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain claim 2-0 first-leg lead over English Premier League champions Liverpool.
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League defence remains on course after a dominant 2-0 victory against Liverpool in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie.
The home side took the lead thanks to a deflected effort in the 11th minute on Wednesday, after Desire Doue’s effort from outside the box looped over the helpless Giorgi Mamardashvili.
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The Reds are long out of their own title defence in the English Premier League this season and left only with the Champions League as a faint hope of silverware, but Arne Slot’s side rallied in response to the Parisians’ fortune until the half-time whistle.
The second period was a far different matter, and all too familiar to Liverpool fans this season. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia deservedly doubled the advantage in the 65th minute when the Georgian international dribbled into the box before rounding the keeper.
A total of 18 shots were registered by the home side, with six on target. Liverpool managed just three efforts on goal with none on target in reply.
It was far from the most fluent display by Luis Enrique’s side in the French capital, despite relentless passing and a 74 percent share of the possession, but their second-half showing was a vast improvement from the first.
Achraf Hakimi’s 82nd-minute drive was one of the biggest moments to settle the tie, but drew a fine save from Mamardashvili, low to his left, which keeps his side in with a chance as the teams head to Anfield for the second leg next Tuesday.
There was little the Reds’ keeper could do other than hope, as Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele produced a moment of brilliance with two minutes to play when he exchanged a one-two with substitute Lee Kang-In in the box only to see his fierce strike rebound off the post.
It was Liverpool’s fourth consecutive defeat away from home, a first for the Merseyside club since April 2012
The winner will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the next round, with the latter holding a 2-1 advantage following the first leg of their quarterfinal in the Spanish capital on Tuesday.
The multi-discipline event scheduled for May 8 will now be held on June 19 should conditions allow, organisers say.
Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026
World Athletics has postponed its season-opening event in Qatar’s capital, Doha, due to concerns for “player and spectator safety” as the US-Israel war on Iran continues to affect the Middle East.
The Doha Diamond League has been rescheduled from May 8 to June 19, conditional on the safety and security situation in the region, World Athletics said in a statement on Wednesday.
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“In the interests of athlete and spectator safety, a decision has been taken to postpone the meeting,” the global governing body for athletics said, adding that the event will go ahead on the new date “should conditions allow”.
The Diamond League said it had been “monitoring the situation in Doha” in recent weeks and was “working in close coordination with meeting organisers, Qatari authorities and other stakeholders”.
While Iran and the United States accepted a two-week ceasefire deal – mediated by Pakistan – Gulf states continued to intercept missile and drone attacks on their territories.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that it intercepted a missile attack in the hours leading up to the ceasefire announcement, and the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain reported strikes after news of the ceasefire was confirmed.
The organisers said they would continue to monitor developments in the Middle East in the coming weeks to deliver “the highest level of safe and secure competition for athletes, media and spectators”.
The Doha meeting was originally scheduled to take place at the Qatar Sports Club as the opening event of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League season, but will now be held at the Khalifa International Stadium, a temperature-regulated venue with air cooling vents.
The stadium hosted the World Athletics Championships in 2019 and was one of the FIFA World Cup 2022 venues in Qatar.
Olympic gold medallist from Botswana, Letsile Tebogo, headlined the 2025 event, winning the 200m race, while Jamaica’s Tia Clayton won the women’s 100m event.
Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra was the crowd favourite for the field event but finished behind Julian Weber of Germany.
Chopra, Olympic gold medallist in 2021 and silver winner in 2024, has finished on the Doha Diamond League podium on five occasions.
The new date of the Doha Diamond League will fall between the Bislett Games in Oslo on June 10 and the Meeting de Paris on June 28, making it the eighth leg of the 2026 season.
The series will begin in Shanghai on May 16 and end at the Diamond League final in Brussels on September 5.
The Diamond League’s season-opening event in Doha has been postponed until June amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The meeting, the first of 15 stops on the Diamond League circuit this season, was set to be held at the Qatar Sports Club on 8 May but will instead take place at the Khalifa International Stadium on 19 June “should conditions allow”.
It comes after conflict was sparked across the Middle East when the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran in February.
This year’s Diamond League series will now begin on 16 May in Keqiao, China.
The decision to also change the venue of the Doha meeting was taken because of Qatar’s scorching summer temperatures, which can exceed 40C in June.
The Khalifa International Stadium, which hosted the World Athletics Championships in 2019, is temperature regulated to allow for safe competition.
The new date of the Doha event will fall between the Oslo (10 June) and Paris (28 June) Diamond League meetings, making it the eighth leg of this year’s series.
Diamond League organisers said they would “continue to monitor developments in the Middle East in the coming weeks”.
“The series and meeting organisers remain committed to delivering the highest level of safe and secure competition for athletes, media and spectators,” they added in a statement on Wednesday.
Several high-profile sporting events have been affected by the crisis in the Middle East, including the cancellation of Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April.
