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Gavi: Barcelona's Yamal best in world after Messi
Barcelona midfielder Gavi says Lamine Yamal is the best player in the world after Lionel Messi following the teenager's devastating showing in Wednesday's 5-1 Copa del Rey win over Real Betis.
Yamal scored one, created two and had another goal ruled out for offside as Barça eased into Monday's quarterfinal draw.
The 17-year-old has now scored nine times this season and laid on 13 assists for his teammates in 24 appearances.
"Yes, he is," Gavi told reporters when asked if Yamal is already the best player in the game. "Well, after Lionel Messi, he's the best."
Yamal, who led Spain to European Championship success last summer, finished eighth in the Ballon d'Or last year and also claimed the Kopa Trophy and the Golden Boy award, prizes given to the best young player in the world.
He has long since established himself as a regular in Barça's first team, clocking up over 70 appearances already, and was a nuisance for Betis all night on Wednesday.
After Gavi had opened the scoring, Yamal's brilliant lobbed pass set up Jules Koundé for Barça's second. The winger then set up Kounde again, only for the goal to be ruled off for offside after a lengthy VAR check.
Yamal thought he had added Barça's third after the break, only for a VAR review to once again cancel out the effort for offside, before a brilliant solo run from the edge of his own box led to Raphinha scoring.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored Barça's fourth before Yamal finally got his goal, finishing well after being fed by Fermín López. Vitor Roque, on loan at Betis from Barça, scored a late consolation from the penalty spot.
"You know, Gavi's very emotional, so I say yes as well," Barça coach Hansi Flick said in a news conference when asked if he agreed with Gavi's take on Yamal. "You can see it. I think in great matches you see big talent and he's showed it many times. He's on a really good way. But we have to take care about him."
After a disappointing end to 2024, Barça have now started 2025 with four straight wins, including Sunday's 5-2 demolition of Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa final.
Flick wants his players to now take that form into LaLiga, where they have fallen six points behind leaders Atlético Madrid and five behind Real.
"For us, today was very important after the big win against Real Madrid," the German said. "It was very good to see how all the team come back because we travel [back from Saudi Arabia] and we train only yesterday.
"So it's good to see this, how we play today, the performance from the beginning. We controlled the game and this is really great to see how they do.
"The big goal [is to play like this in LaLiga]. We are looking match to match, of course Saturday is the next one against Getafe. We want to play and be ready for that and win."
Durbar Rajshahi promise to pay local players after training boycott
Bangladesh Premier League franchises are supposed to pay 50% of a player's total payment before the start of the tournament, 25% during the tournament and the rest of the 25% after the tournament is over. Rajshahi however didn't pay the local players their first installment even two weeks into the tournament, which began on December 30.
"There's no doubt that they will receive payment on January 16," Jayed said. "We express regret at not being able to make the payments on time. There's no denying the fact. This shouldn't have happened. The management has decided to pay 25% payment in cash. We will pay another 25% in checks.
"Our owner spoke to the BCB president on the phone. I met him in person. We had a cordial conversation. He wanted to understand the situation. We expressed our regret for the payment delay. We promised him that we will make the payments tomorrow."
Jayed said some of the cheques bounced because the bank couldn't clear the payment without confirming with Shafique on the phone.
"You will remember that the day our owner's wife went to the ground, she got hit by a ball, she suffered a fracture. She was taken to Bangkok for treatment. Our owner was with her. We had given the cheque beforehand, so our owner told me to inform the players that the cheques won't be submitted since he was not in the country.
"Otherwise the bank won't get me on the phone. We told this to all the cricketers but one or two of them submitted the check. They forgot about the owner being in Bangkok."
Rajshahi had made the 25% payment to their overseas players and coaching staff. The side will take on Khulna Tigers in their seventh game in Chattogram on January 17.
Sciver-Brunt hopes for 'mindset shift' even as Australia promise to 'scrap and fight'
"No doubt that would have been a hard loss for England, chasing 180," Dan Marsh, Australia's assistant coach, said. "We know what we'll do is we'll scrap and fight, no matter what total we put on the board, if we're batting first. And if we're chasing, the same thing applies, we won't leave anything out there chasing that total."
"We've been really happy with our bowling performances," Sciver-Brunt said. "[We need a] little switch with the bat. Obviously, the other day we were disappointed for a number of reasons. We can't really dwell too much on what's already happened. We can't really change that. So the only thing we can change is what's in front of us.
"The skills required for it are already within us. It's just a little bit of a mindset shift in terms of sticking to our strengths and being willing to use those in any moment. From that perspective, being a bit more proactive not necessarily being reckless but being smart with that and using our strengths to take pressure off ourselves."
"We didn't bat our best in the last game, there's no doubt about that, but these girls, they're quick learners and they're very, very skillful, so I expect to see a bit of batting performance tomorrow"
Dan Marsh, Australia's assistant coach
"I think when the wicket's a little bit drier, it tends to hold up and spin a little bit, so I think she [Wareham] would definitely come into the mix," Marsh said.
Describing Wareham as more "skiddy" to face than King, Sciver-Brunt continued to stress the importance of being proactive with the bat. "For me, that looks like being quick on my feet, playing off the back foot quite a lot," she said. "Being smart with my options, but not necessarily going into my shell too much."
"It's hard to see someone put themselves out there so much and for it to not get over the line," Sciver-Brunt said. "Having been in fairly similar situations myself, I know that it's a tough one to take. She's all right. She will have done a lot of reflecting and we've obviously chatted about it."
Australia, for their part, also know they have been below their best with the bat, particularly during the collapse of 8 for 49 in Melbourne. However, even if faced with another tricky surface, there won't be any thought given to tempering their ambitions, with Marsh specifically referencing wanting to put more pressure on Bell with the new ball.
"We feel like we've got the batting line-up and the depth to push the boundaries," Marsh said. "We didn't bat our best in the last game, there's no doubt about that, but these girls, they're quick learners and they're very, very skillful, so I expect to see a bit of batting performance tomorrow."
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
Charlie Dean replaces the injured Sophie Molineux at RCB for WPL 2025
The issue flared up again during Australia's ODI series against India at home, which immediately followed the WBBL. Molineux played in the second and third games of the series, and picked up one wicket across the 11 overs she bowled.
She also missed the trip to New Zealand, which featured another three ODIs, and now faces a further spell out of action. Australia's physiotherapist Kate Beerworth had said in December that "further updates on an anticipated return date" for Molineux would be provided only after the surgery, which is supposed to take place this month.
Molineux was retained by RCB ahead of the 2025 edition of the WPL. She had represented them in their title-winning run in 2024, when she had bagged 12 wickets in ten games at an average of 23.16.
Dean, meanwhile, is yet to feature in the WPL. But she has played 36 T20Is for England, and taken 46 wickets at a brilliant average of 18.19. She is currently in action for her country in Australia, where she has struck only once in the first two ODIs of the Women's Ashes.
Dean has also represented London Spirit in the women's Hundred, and has played 30 games for the franchise across four seasons from 2021.
LeBron acknowledges fires have taken mental toll
LOS ANGELES -- Speaking for the first time since the Southern California wildfires forced him and his family to evacuate their home last week, LeBron James acknowledged Wednesday that the fires -- which have burned through 60 square miles and killed at least 25 people -- have taken a mental toll.
"I have a couple of dear friends that have lost their homes in the Palisades," James said after the Los Angeles Lakers' 117-108 win over the Miami Heat. "Obviously, my heart goes out to all of the families, all across not only the Palisades, but all across L.A. County and all the surrounding areas because of the fire. ... It's been a lot of emotions. Kind of been off. Personally, I've been off.
"I've just been completely off for obvious reasons, but hopefully things are contained or continue to be contained. And hopefully, at some point, we can start to push forward and move forward and put it behind us and rebuild our city, rebuild this beautiful city."
His team has also not looked like the group that was seemingly building momentum just a couple of weeks ago, winning eight out of 11 games and fortifying its roster by trading for a coveted 3-and-D wing in Dorian Finney-Smith.
L.A. had lost three games in a row and was trailing the Heat by 12 at halftime when James checked his phone in the locker room during the break.
A family friend sent him a clip of a young girl sitting courtside in a replica James No. 23 jersey who was overcome with emotion when the Lakers star acknowledged her in the first quarter.
"Thank goodness that I actually looked at my phone at halftime, or I wouldn't have even seen the reaction when I waved to her in the first half," James said after the game. "I waved to her, and then I got back to play. So, to have that type of connection with someone, where they can have that type of reaction, I think that's what it's all about. And I've always tried to be a role model and someone that kids can look up to. ... Try to make them proud and want to come see me play or if they're not able to see me play, hopefully some of the things that I do off the floor continue to inspire them."
Perhaps it was the connection James needed to switch back on.
He scored 15 of his 22 points after halftime -- including seven straight in the fourth quarter to stretch L.A.'s lead from two with 3:51 remaining to nine with 1:52 to go -- and the Lakers held on to beat Miami.
"His comfort level closing the basketball game is obviously very high," said Lakers coach JJ Redick -- one of James' friends who lost their homes in the Pacific Palisades.
On Monday, the first game the Lakers played following a six-day layoff because of the fires, L.A. lost 126-102 and was outscored by 33 points in the second half by the San Antonio Spurs. At shootaround in preparation for the Heat game, Redick said, he challenged his entire team to provide better leadership in their own way. L.A. responded with a team effort, with James one of six players to score 14 points or more in the win.
James said the Lakers' performance against Miami, and more games like it in the future, is something he wants Los Angeles to be able to draw some positivity from.
"I hope that by us going out on the floor and us playing the way we played tonight -- not the way we played against San Antonio -- but the way we played tonight and hopefully the next few months or whatever it is, years, until the city is back up, that we as a Lakers franchise and the players that are playing for the Lakers give a sense of hope and pride and excitement," James said. "Sports has always given people an opportunity to kind of just like temporarily forget about whatever they may have been going through. And us being such a big part of the L.A. community -- along with a lot of other sports teams, but we know how important the Lakers is to the community -- hopefully we can provide that to a lot of families."
After the final buzzer, James beelined over to the girl sitting courtside before she and her family exited the arena. He took off one of his I Promise wristbands and placed it on the girl's wrist and crouched down on one knee so his 6-foot-9 body would fit in the frame next to her while they posed for a photograph.
"I think it will be something that hopefully she will never forget," James said. "I'm happy to be a part of her life now and that small little moment, but such a bigger moment. And hopefully she brags about it in school."
Clips trounce Nets by franchise-record 59 points
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points, James Harden added 21 and the LA Clippers had the largest margin of victory in franchise history, routing the Brooklyn Nets 126-67 on Wednesday night.
The Clippers broke the team margin mark of 50 against Oklahoma City on April 10, 2022. It also was the worst loss in Nets' history, eclipsing a 52-point defeat to Houston on Oct. 18, 1978.
The Nets were without Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson, D'Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons, among others.
"They were missing a few of their starters," Leonard said, "so when guys come in and you're [not] really knowing [the] offense or defense, it could get like that. ... So it's understandable."
LA's largest lead was 64 points midway through the fourth quarter, despite coach Tyronn Lue emptying his bench late in the third quarter.
"When you see a loss like this, a lot of things went wrong," Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said. "Obviously, the energy and competitive spirit was not there, plain and simple. But right now, the only thing I can do is support my guys."
Leonard logged a season-high 24 minutes as he took part in his fourth game since coming back from a knee injury.
"It felt good, but like I said before, I'm taking my time and just because [I'm] making shots [doesn't] mean anything -- to me, at least," he said. "It's about how I'm moving and feeling and, like I said before, I was feeling well in the first few games and still going to be a moving progress for me."
Jalen Wilson led the Nets with 16 points and Day'Ron Sharpe had 12. Brooklyn has dropped five of six.
"It's definitely frustrating. I feel like we've been getting beat by a lot lately, if I'm being honest. We're getting some guys back. We've just got to keep fighting," Nets center Nic Claxton said.
"You feel like you're not doing your job, honestly. We've all got a lot of pride. We've all got to be better. You can't lose like this, though. That can't happen."
Norman Powell added 18 points for the Clippers, who led 58-35 at halftime before opening the third quarter with by scoring the first 13 points en route to a 29-3 run. At the end of the quarter, LA had a 102-51 advantage.
ESPN's Baxter Holmes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mavs say non-call on apparent goaltend cost them
NEW ORLEANS -- The Pelicans outlasted the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks 119-116 on Wednesday night after Trey Murphy III had a disputed block of Spencer Dinwiddie's layup for the lead with four seconds left.
Murphy had 24 points and 10 rebounds, capped by game-sealing free throws with two seconds left, but video replays made his block look more like a goaltend that wasn't called.
"The league wants to get it right," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "The referees have a tough job. They clearly did not get that right, and it cost us maybe the game."
With 15 seconds remaining and Dallas trailing 117-116, P.J. Washington got a steal near midcourt and the Mavs pushed the ball in transition. Dinwiddie received a pass as he moved toward the basket and went up for a potential go-ahead layup as Murphy trailed. The ball appeared to hit the glass before Murphy touched it, but the Mavs were out of timeouts and could not challenge.
Dinwiddie disagreed with the non-call, saying he deliberately put the ball off the backboard so the shot couldn't be blocked.
"If people follow my career, and I beat the big or whatever, and I hold it out here, I put it directly on the glass for two reasons," said Dinwiddie, who finished with 20 points. "One, I'm tall and long. I'm extending, so they have to jump over and block it.
"If you do happen to block it, it's already on the glass and I'm scoring. I've literally made a whole bunch of money doing that exact move."
Daniel Gafford scored a career-high 27 points on 12-of-13 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds for Dallas, which played without top two scorers Luka Doncic (left calf) and Kyrie Irving (back), as well as usual starting center Dereck Lively (right ankle). The Mavs have lost three straight and eight of 10.
Dejounte Murray scored a game-high 30 points, and Javonte Green added 13 points to help New Orleans (10-32) take its third victory in four games after winning just five of its first 33.
The Pelicans played without Zion Williamson (left hamstring), who was rested after playing Tuesday night in Chicago.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SONOMA, Calif. NHRA officials announced Wednesday that Denso will continue as the title sponsor of the annual NHRA national event at scenic Sonoma Raceway.
The Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals will take place July 25-27 in Sonoma, and is part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. This years race marks the 10 year anniversary of Denso serving as title sponsor for an NHRA national event.
The annual trek to wine country in Sonoma and picturesque Sonoma Raceway is one of the highlights on the NHRA circuit. For nearly four decades, fans have been treated to a scenic racing facility that is also one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA tour, showcasing incredible performances year after year.
The title sponsorship in Sonoma continues Densos long relationship with NHRA, and Denso also partners with a number of top NHRA competitors, including Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Matt and Angie Smith, Jianna Evaristo and John Hall, as well as 2024 U.S. Nationals Top Fuel winner Clay Millican and his 11,000-horsepower dragster.
Denso is proud to continue its sponsorship of the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, said Denso Marketing and Communications Manager Daniel Muramoto. This event has been a cornerstone of our longstanding commitment to the NHRA and its passionate fans. This partnership reflects our dedication to innovation and performance both on and off the track, and were excited to once again be part of the action at Sonoma Raceway in 2025 and for years to come.
The 2025 Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals will again feature the GETTRX NHRA All- Star Pro Stock Motorcycle Callout as well. Riders will compete in the Callout style specialty event, picking their first-round opponent in a bonus event that features big money and bragging rights. Matt Smith won the GETTRX NHRA All- Star Pro Stock Motorcycle Callout a year ago, finishing off a stellar weekend with a Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals victory.
Joining him in the winners circle last year was Top Fuels Antron Brown, who went on to win his fourth Top Fuel championship, Funny Car standout Bob Tasca III and Pro Stock rising star Aaron Stanfield.
Watkins spoils Moyes return as Everton lose again
The second coming of David Moyes failed to inspire Everton on Wednesday as they lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa after another toothless Premier League performance.
Villa had lost their last five away games in the league but were by far the better team at Goodison Park and took the points via Ollie Watkins' 51st-minute goal.
Moyes, back at the club he left in 2013 after the sacking of Sean Dyche last week, got a close-up view of the massive challenge he faces as Everton struggled for accuracy and ideas all night to make it one win in 12 league games, during which time they have failed to score in nine of them.
That drought never looked like lifting on Wednesday and they remain two places and one point above the relegation zone, while Villa move up to seventh, level on points with Manchester City.
Moyes is Everton's ninth permanent manager since he left the club after 11 relatively successful years to join Manchester United but, if anyone was expecting an immediate transformation in approach after the dour fare served up under Dyche, they were soon disappointed.
It was a curiously subdued atmosphere at the ground and Everton quickly slipped into their default mode this season -- cautious, careful and lacking any notable attacking intent.
Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
It was Villa who took the initiative as Jordan Pickford saved well from Morgan Rogers, James Tarkowski made a desperate block to deny Youri Tielemans and Watkins shot wide after seizing on a poor Ashley Young backpass.
Everton managed their first attempt on goal after half an hour when Dominic Calvert-Lewin shot wide and he then had an off-balance effort cleared off the line by Boubacar Kamara.
Watkins put Villa ahead six minutes after the restart when he was left in too much space to run on to a Rogers through ball and slot low past Pickford.
The goal shook the home fans into life but Everton's players remained disjointed and inaccurate and their night was summed up in stoppage time when Calvert-Lewin, desperately short of confidence after scoring two goals all season, side-footed a bobbling ball over the bar.
"I'm under no illusions about the job I've got to do -- we couldn't score a goal tonight," Moyes said.
"We tried hard but a little bit of a mistake, a bit out of position, has cost us the game really."
The only solace Moyes could take from the night was defeats for relegation rivals Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he knows he will not be able to rely on that for the rest of the season if Everton are to avoid relegation for the first time in 71 years.
"The position we are in isn't as good as we'd like it. We had some really good results and good draws and were hard to play against under Sean, but we have to show more quality on the ball," he said. "That's the part I was disappointed with tonight."
It was a different mood of course in the Villa camp.
"It was a tricky match, they made it difficult and the atmosphere was top but we ground it out," Watkins said.
"We could have been a bit more clinical in the first half and it's a deserved three points. I had a chance in the first half but you have to keep going. You have to keep your mind in the game."
Villa boss Unai Emery was also a happy man. "We competed very well, we had some clear chances and conceded only one really," he said.
"We didn't have quite the same control in the second half but the clean sheet was important and it was important we ended this run [of away defeats]."
Ange rails at Spurs' 'unacceptable' derby showing
Ange Postecoglou said he hopes his Tottenham players are hurting after their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday and labelled the performance "unacceptable."
Spurs took the lead against Arsenal in the 23rd minute thanks to a goal from Son Heung-Min.
But they went into the break 2-1 down, after Gabriel's header off a corner deflected in off Dominic Solanke for an own-goal, and Leandro Trossard scored what proved to be the winner in the 44th minute.
Postecoglou made two changes at the break, taking off Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma for James Maddison and Brennan Johnson, but it wasn't enough to get Spurs back into the match.
The defeat leaves Tottenham 13th in the Premier League and post-match, Postecoglou did not hold back in his criticism of the performance.
"It was not good enough -- especially the first half," Postecoglou said. "[We were] Way too passive, we let Arsenal take control of the game. Really disappointed with the way we were without the ball, we allowed them to dictate the tempo and we paid the price.
"We just didn't play anywhere near our identity. We are aggressive with and without the ball, but tonight in that first 45 we were too passive. That's unacceptable."
Postecoglou would not be drawn on a moment of controversy in the first half where Arsenal equalised off a corner that should've been given as a Tottenham goal kick.
"I don't want to talk about referees, It's how things are going at the moment," he said. "We were nowhere near where we want to be."
Despite Postecoglou seeing both his 18-year-old players Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall playing the full 90 minutes, the Australian coach didn't want their performances to bring any silver lining to the defeat.
"I want them disappointed -- this can't be accepted by anybody in the club," he said. "We are asking big jobs [of them] but I hope they're hurting as much as anybody else in terms of us not being able to deliver."
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