Mumbai Indians opener Chris Lynn has urged Cricket Australia (CA) to arrange for a chartered flight to bring Australians home at the conclusion of the ongoing IPL as the country temporarily halts arrivals from India.

Lynn was speaking before the latest update from the Australian government on Tuesday when the Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a ban on direct flights - both commercial and the government's repatriation services - from India until May 15 and the use of connecting flights (for example via Doha or Dubai) into the country.

"I texted back that as Cricket Australia make 10% of every IPL contract, was there a chance we could spend that money this year on a charter flight once the tournament is over?" Lynn told News Corp media.

When asked specifically about the cricketers in India, Morrison said there would not be any preferential treatment if repatriation flights resumed later in May. The group stage of the IPL is due to finish on May 23 with the final on May 30.

"This wasn't part of an Australian tour," he said. "They're under their own resources. And they'll be using those resources to, I'm sure, to see them return to Australia in accordance with their own arrangements."

It is understood that Cricket Australia are assessing the ramifications of today's announcement but that the use of a charter flight is not yet the likely option. Although not directly involved in the players' involvement at the IPL beyond issuing No Objection Certificates, CA and the Australian Cricketers' Association have been in regular contact with them plus the Australian coaching staff, broadcasters and commentators working on the tournament.

While Andrew Tye became the first player from Australia to leave this IPL on Sunday fearing that he may not be able to return home later, his national team-mates Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa also opted out due to "personal reasons". Earlier, England's Liam Livingstone had left the tournament citing "bubble fatigue", before India and Delhi Capitals' offspinner R Ashwin also chose to sit out to be with his family.

Lynn hoped that once the other Australian players - including David Warner, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith - were done with the IPL, "the government will let us get home on a private charter", especially because they would be "getting vaccinated next week".

"I know there are people worse off than us. But we are going from a really tight bubble and are getting vaccinated next week so hopefully the government will let us get home on a private charter," he said.

On Monday, the Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Pat Cummins also spoke about the worsening situation in India, having also donated US $50,000 to the country's PM Cares fund "specifically to purchase oxygen supplies for India's hospitals". Announcing the move on Twitter, he also urged his fellow IPL players to come forward and contribute.

"There has been quite a bit of discussion over here as to whether it is appropriate for the IPL to continue while COVID-19 infection rates remain high," Cummins wrote. "I'm advised that the Indian Government is of the view that playing the IPL while the population is in lockdown provides a few hours of joy and respite each day at an otherwise difficult time for the country."

But David Hussey, the Knight Riders' assistant coach, admitted that his countrymen were a "bit nervous" if they could get back home.

"A couple of players, their fathers have passed away," Hussey told the Sydney Morning Herald. "One person in particular, he's one of the staff members with us and his father passed away last year from COVID, and he was really pragmatic by saying it was his time to go. From a Kolkata point of view, we're desperate for the tournament to keep going, purely because everyone's in lockdown, there's not much else to do."

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is now the Capitals' coach, stated that they are "probably the safest people in the country probably because of the bubbles we are in".

"This IPL, probably more than any other, has become more about what's happening on the outside rather than what's happening here," Ponting said.

India has recorded over a million Covid-19 cases over the last three days, with 352,991 new cases reported on Monday. The country has already been put on the Covid-19 red-list by the UK.

Chants of "Defense!" echoed through Madison Square Garden on Monday when Chris Paul pulled out a crossover, spun and then flung up an 18-foot fadeaway over Julius Randle that silenced the Garden and ultimately snapped the New York Knicks' nine-game winning streak.

The Phoenix Suns' All-Star point guard scored seven points in the final 1:23 to hand the Knicks a 118-110 loss at the Garden.

This was the Knicks' first loss since April 7 and it came at the hands of Paul, who delivered three consecutive daggers in the kind of Garden-silencing manner seen from superstar opponents in the past like Reggie Miller and Michael Jordan.

"Circus shots for sure," Knicks guard Derrick Rose said.

The Knicks (34-28) led by as much as 15 in the first half as they were looking to extend their longest winning streak since winning 13 in a row in 2012-13. In a game that players from both teams said had playoff intensity, Phoenix (43-18) showed why it owns the second-best record in the NBA.

"We wanted this one, we wanted this one bad," said Phoenix's Devin Booker, who scored 33 points. "Obviously we knew about the streak that they had going on and we knew that this was going to be a dogfight."

Mikal Bridges scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half to help erase the Knicks' lead. Paul then sealed the game with his clutch performance. The point guard nailed a 20-foot step-back jumper with 1:23 left to give Phoenix a six-point lead.

Randle (18 points) buried a corner 3 to cut Phoenix's lead to 113-110. Paul then did everything he could to shake Randle and knock down the fadeaway at the shot clock buzzer, quieting the crowd. Even though the Garden can only allow a limited number of fans in, Paul still felt the juice that comes with playing at the Garden.

"There is no better place to play than here," said Paul, who had 20 points and six assists. "The energy here at the Garden... everybody was messing with the young guys before the game like this ain't just a regular game."

Paul made sure the Knicks didn't make one final comeback, burying a contested 3-point shot with 14.5 seconds left.

"I mean, it's insurance," Booker said of Paul's ability to hit three shots in a row against the Knicks' defense. "He was guarded well on most of those possessions and it is just one of those things, you can't do anything about it. That's Chris Paul and he makes those plays and you just have to bow your head."

The Knicks were already looking forward after the loss and not reflecting back on their longest winning streak in years. They play Chicago at home next before embarking on a difficult six-game road swing that ends with games at Denver, Phoenix, the Clippers and Lakers.

"It's over," Randle said of the winning streak. "Win the next one."

ATLANTA -- The Braves were eager to make up for their embarrassing performance the previous day, so they brought in a little extra help. Call it the power of sage.

Atlanta scored four runs in the first inning, Freddie Freeman added a three-run homer and Atlanta overcame a grand slam by Kris Bryant to beat the Chicago Cubs 8-7 Monday night.

The Braves were coming off two shutout losses to Arizona the previous afternoon -- managing just a single hit over 14 innings. Madison Bumgarner held Atlanta without a hit in his seven-inning victory, though it did not qualify as an official no-hitter.

Looking for any edge in a superstitious sport, Dansby Swanson burned sage throughout the bowels of Truist Park before the game, hoping the herb would spark the team.

It sure seemed to work. The Braves finished with 10 hits.

Heck, Swanson even hit an opposite-field homer.

"Every bit of area I could find in this place, I went into,'' Swanson said. "I might have to bring some tomorrow, too.

Swanson said it wasn't his first time burning sage, noting that he and his girlfriend, U.S. women's national soccer team forward Mallory Pugh, have done so when moving into a new house, or at times when "you feel like you need to cleanse the air a little bit."

"All year, I've been like if it gets to a point, I'm bringing sage in here -- and I think yesterday was finally to that point," Swanson said. "I pretty much walked every bit of area you can find in this place, I went into. It was fun."

Manager Brian Snitker, on the other hand, said Monday marked his first experience with burning sage.

"(Swanson) had to put it right under my nose because I'm so clogged up with the pollen and everything, I couldn't even smell it," Snitker said. "I'll plant some of it. I could put sage in soup."

The Braves pounded Zach Davies for four runs and five hits in the very first inning. Travis d'Arnaud's two-run single was the biggest blow.

"It was nice to get four runs in the first inning, calm everyone down,'' Freeman said.

The Cubs tied it on Bryant's sixth career grand slam, a shot off Charlie Morton that landed in the Chicago bullpen with two outs in the third.

"I really believed we were going to win the game after that,'' Cubs leadoff man Nico Hoerner said.

But Freeman broke a 5-all tie with a mammoth, two-out shot of his own, driving one deep into the right-field seats against Brandon Workman.

Freeman got the Braves' only hit Sunday, a single off Zac Gallen in the opener of the twin bill.

Morton scraped out the win, despite surrendering five runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Willson Contreras hit a two-run homer off Tyler Matzek in the seventh, but three other Braves relievers combined to preserve the win. Will Smith worked around a walk in the ninth for his fifth save.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The last time somebody did what Shohei Ohtani just pulled off -- being a game's starting pitcher while leading the major leagues in home runs -- was June 13, 1921. Babe Ruth had already accumulated 19 homers when he took the mound against the Detroit Tigers that day. Ruth batted third and homered two more times, but he also gave up four fifth-inning runs and exited thereafter. It was the last start Ruth would make until 1930. By then, his two-way prowess was a distant memory.

A century later, Ohtani produced a similar line -- five innings pitched, four runs allowed -- but offered a contrasting trajectory.

His Monday start, on the road against the Texas Rangers, began with a reminder of how difficult it is to pull off what he's doing and ended with affirmation that Ohtani might just be able to do it anyway. In the first inning, he allowed five baserunners, served up a three-run homer and threw only 11 of his 29 pitches for strikes. From the start of the second inning to the end of the fifth, he retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced -- eight on strikeouts, five of which came consecutively.

Ohtani also produced a 52-foot bunt and a 113.8 mph line drive, both of which went for hits. He scored three runs, drove in two others and could have had at least one stolen base had Angels manager Joe Maddon not given him the "hold" sign because it was all just too much.

"If you weren't entertained by watching him tonight," Maddon said after the 9-4 Angels win, "you can't be entertained by watching the game of baseball."

Ohtani clearly has the power and the bat control and the speed to be an elite offensive player. He also possesses the stuff and the feel to succeed as a pitcher, and the discipline and the competitiveness to juggle two roles. The only noticeable impediment -- aside from blisters, another of which surfaced on his middle finger in the later innings Monday -- is command.

Ohtani's command was noticeably off six days ago when he returned from a 16-day pitching hiatus to start against the Rangers, as he issued six walks and hit a batter but somehow did not give up any runs through four innings. It was off again Monday in the initial portion of the rematch from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, when he fell behind each of the first five hitters he faced.

On a 0-to-100 scale, Ohtani gave his command "a zero" in his first meeting against the Rangers.

After his second, he bumped it to "a five."

He believes it'll get significantly better.

"I felt like my command from the second inning on was pretty good," Ohtani said through his interpreter, "so I just need to continue to build off that."

Maddon began his second year as the Angels' manager intent on lifting the fabricated restrictions that confined Ohtani and granting him the freedom to play without limits. Through that, he began to see more of Ohtani's quirky humor and steely competitiveness spill out. Hitting on the day he pitches, Maddon believes, benefits Ohtani because it doesn't grant him the bandwidth to dwell on either aspect.

It played out that way on Monday.

After Ohtani's four-run bottom of the first on the mound, he stepped into the batter's box in the top of the second, lined a two-run double to right field, then came around to score on Mike Trout's single, tying the game. When Ohtani returned to the mound again, he approached it like a "fresh start."

"I treated it like it was a brand new ballgame," Ohtani said. "Everything went smoothly from there."

Ohtani relied heavily on his fastball to get ahead of hitters, then utilized his splitter to put them away, using the latter pitch to record seven of his nine strikeouts. At times, he also flashed a firmer slider with less depth that resembled a cutter. Maddon noticed a cleaner delivery and sharper command because of it, the type of drastic adjustment he has seen Ohtani make previously. It earned him his first win since May 20, 2018.

"He never panicked," Maddon noted. "When things were going poorly, his demeanor didn't change, his resolve didn't change out of his face. He knew he had to make an adjustment, so it wasn't any emotional riff that led to him becoming better over the course of that game. He doesn't start speeding up, and that's why he's able to make those adjustments."

Ohtani, who wants to return to the Angels' lineup on Tuesday, is batting .300/.341/.675 with 14 extra-base hits -- seven of them homers -- in 85 plate appearances. On the mound, he sports a 3.29 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 13 walks in 13⅔ innings. As a hitter, he ranks within the top 2% in barrel rate. As a pitcher, he features a splitter that has resulted in one hit and 18 strikeouts.

The inconsistent command, Maddon said, could simply be the result of someone who compiled only 79⅔ innings from 2017 to 2020 and is still getting comfortable on a major league mound. Even when it wavers, Maddon added, Ohtani remains exceedingly difficult to hit -- a sign that eventually, as happened Monday, the dominance might follow.

"When he goes through those moments," Maddon said, "you just have to fasten your seatbelt and watch."

Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Rudy Gobert blamed himself for the Utah Jazz's 105-104 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, saying his botched execution that led to D'Angelo Russell's game-winning layup made him "feel dumb."

"If I don't f--- up the last play defensively, we end up with a win," Gobert said after the NBA-leading, 44-17 Jazz's second loss to the 18-44 Timberwolves in three nights.

Utah, which had another poor shooting performance without injured All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, rallied from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to take the lead on a Mike Conley 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds remaining.

After a timeout, Gobert was defending Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns at the free throw line as the Timberwolves started their inbounds play. Towns screened for Anthony Edwards, and as Russell screened Gobert, popped out to the perimeter well above the 3-point arc.

Conley and Gobert initially switched, putting Conley and Towns and Gobert on Russell. However, after a moment, Gobert inexplicably left Russell alone at the free throw line, scampering out toward Towns. Ricky Rubio passed to Russell, who took one step before laying the ball in with no Utah defender near him.

"It's totally on me," Gobert said. "(Conley) was already out there. We switched, and I should have recognized that. He did what he was supposed to do, and I didn't, so 200% on me. ... Mike did exactly what he had to do, and I didn't. It's one of those plays, when you watch a replay, you just feel dumb. It's one of those. It doesn't happen a lot, but 100% on me, for sure."

Russell, who finished with 27 points and 12 assists, made the layup with 4.2 seconds remaining. But the Jazz failed to get a shot up on their last possession, as Conley committed a turnover.

"Just a tough two plays down the stretch for us," Conley said. "We've got to be better in that situation."

Towns, who had 21 points and 11 assists, was gleeful that he commanded so much attention that it created such an easy opportunity for Russell at a critical juncture.

"I can't stress how good it felt," Towns said. "All game, I had so much attention on me. They did a good job of doing their defensive game plan, but I told D-Lo, 'How good does that feel? That you're on a team with someone who draws as much attention as you, or even more, where the last play of the game can be a game-winning layup by yourself because both people went to me at halfcourt.'"

The loss allowed the Phoenix Suns to close within one game of the Jazz's for the league's best record and the top seed in the Western Conference. Yet the Jazz shrugged off concern about their situation, emphasizing that their primary goals are to be healthy and playing well when the playoffs begin.

"We're still very confident," Conley said. "We're learning, and they're great lessons for us going into the playoffs. Hopefully, we're getting them out now before we get to the time that we're playing better competition."

The weekend didn't disappoint when it came to soccer across Europe. Manchester City won another Carabao Cup, this time against Tottenham Hotspur, while Inter Milan inched even closer to winning the Serie A title. In La Liga, Barcelona got a boost from Antoine Griezmann in their title race as Real Madrid (draw) and Atletico Madrid (defeat) ceded ground, and Bayern Munich turned in an awful display against Mainz to delay their celebrations of yet another Bundesliga title.

It's Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of football from the past weekend of internationals in Europe.

Jump to: Guardiola keep innovating | Griezmann stars for Barca | Juve top-four spot under threat | Real Madrid take it easy | Inter close to Serie A crown | Solskjaer, Man United cruising | Mbappe on fire for PSG | Liverpool's bad week gets worse | Bayern crack | Atletico slip again | Werner scores for Chelsea | Haaland, Dortmund surging up | Atalanta's renaissance

Guardiola keeps busting conventional wisdom

There was a part of me that wondered whether Pep Guardiola would give some regular first-team players a breather against Tottenham. Sure, it was a cup final, but it was the League Cup against Ryan Mason's Spurs. (One day that may mean a lot, but not now, not when Mason is 29 and has been in charge for less than a week.)

Plus, he already had three League Cups sitting at home in his trophy cabinet and, on Wednesday, Manchester City have a Champions League first-leg semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain. And while it's true that he also has a couple Champions League trophies at home, City have never won it and he hasn't won one in a decade. (And, as his eagle-eyed critics like to point out, has never won one without Lionel Messi.)

Instead, there were three changes from what can plausibly be considered his Best XI. One was enforced (John Stones was suspended, so in came Aymeric Laporte), one was calculated (Zack Steffen has always played ahead of Ederson in this competition) and one was perhaps a bit sentimental (Fernandinho turns 36 in May, so he got the nod ahead of Rodri). But the set-up, with no center-forward and, really, not even a "false nine" -- Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden took turns playing centrally, but from a deeper position -- is now his go-to set-up.

We can debate the benefits; what's not in question is that it explodes one of the age-old conventional wisdom myths, that of the "proven goal scorer, the 30-goal a season man leading the line." Or, when you don't have a prolific center-forward, the importance of having a "reference point" up front, a theory that pre-Guardiola, was especially popular in Spain and Italy. Ilkay Gundogan is City's top goal scorer this season in all competitions with 16, and he's a midfielder. Guardiola's strikers, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero, have scored 13 and three goals respectively.

Guardiola is not the first manager in history to dispense with a front man altogether, but you can add it to his list of achievements. And by the way, we're not talking "false nine" here -- that is, a center-forward who drops deep in hopes of dragging a defender with him or opening space for others. We're talking about, essentially, a line of four -- on Sunday, it was Riyad Mahrez, De Bruyne, Foden and Raheem Sterling -- playing high up the pitch in the opposition half, stopping them from getting out.

When it works, it's breathtaking, both in and out of possession. And it worked a charm against Tottenham who, especially in the first half, struggled to cross the halfway line. It wasn't just a case of them defending too deep; it was a case of getting thwarted at every turn. (There's no sense pointing fingers at Mason, though you wonder if maybe a guy like Tanguy Ndombele might have helped.) City had to wait for a set piece from Laporte (by the way, City's central defenders have scored nine goals this season) towards the end, but they created plenty before that.

For Spurs, it's a missed opportunity and again, you wonder about the wisdom of dispatching Jose Mourinho before such a crucial game. Getting to the last few minutes of the game at 0-0, with the Special One prowling the sideline, would have left most neutrals with a sense that anything might yet happen. With Mason -- who only had a few training sessions under his belt -- not so much. You can only conclude that things must have gotten really bad internally for them to make the move when they did, which, by the way, was also very expensive, with a reported $25 million-plus payoff going Mourinho's way as a result.

Griezmann hits stride at the right time for Barcelona

Antoine Griezmann turned 30 last month and there is every chance his Barcelona move will be remembered as a stark warning against spending nine figures (his buy-out clause was €120m or around $145m) on players in their late 20s, no matter how gifted. (Before Barca fans get agitated over this, yes, Real Madrid's move for Eden Hazard fits the same category.)

- Barcelona ratings: Griezmann leads the way in title push

But there's the long view, and there's the here and now, and that's where Griezmann is coming in handy. Against an awkward opponent like Villarreal, Griezmann scored the two goals that propelled Barca to a 2-1 win, which, provided they win their game in hand against Granada (not a given), will launch them to the top of La Liga. He now has six goals in his last seven games, taking some pressure off Lionel Messi (who had, by his standards, a quiet afternoon) and providing a major attacking boost in the stretch run.

Together with Frenkie De Jong (who, despite fluffing a massive chance, has already emerged as a natural leader on this team), he made all the difference for a Barca side who were far from perfect -- they suffered more than they should have playing against 10 men in the final half-hour -- but were good enough to take home the three points.

That's the thing about talent: even if you massively overpay for it, it doesn't actually go away. And it can pop up to surprise you at any moment.

Juve's Champions League hopes hanging by a thread

Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo said it straight up after his team's 1-1 draw with Fiorentina.

"I haven't done the job I wanted to do and the job others wanted me to do," he said. "You try to improve every match, but I'm not happy with the progress and, I think, neither are the club." The result leaves them third, but with Napoli, Lazio and Milan all playing on Monday night, Juventus could find themselves in a three-way dogfight for the last two Champions League places behind Inter and Atalanta, with Lazio two points behind and a game in hand.

Without Federico Chiesa's spark, Juve were plodding in a horrendous first half. They improved, slightly, after the break, when Alvaro Morata came on for Paulo Dybala and scored, at least offering a threat in behind the defenders. There was no Cristiano Ronaldo get-out-of-jail-free card, either. He had a rough day and, uncharacteristically, missed an open chance on a header when he totally mistimed his jump. When it rains, it pours.

Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici was asked about the top four finish and Pirlo's future after the match. "We're not contemplating the possibility of missing out on the Champions League. We have total faith in him. Yes, if we make it, Pirlo will definitely be back."

Way to relieve the pressure, there, Fabio. (Though, to be fair, he also said that "Andrea Agnelli has been transparent throughout when it comes to the Super League," so take what he says with a grain of salt.)

Pirlo's future should not hinge on results, though Paratici's words suggest it will. Instead, it should hinge solely on performances and whether Juve thinks they're going in the right direction.

Real Madrid held to scoreless draw with an eye on Chelsea

Zinedine Zidane's smoke-and-mirrors show continued against Betis on Saturday. He did welcome back Dani Carvajal, but Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy and Vinicius were all missing from his starting XI against an unpredictable side (who, to be fair, were also without arguably their most talented player). With Chelsea and the Champions League semifinal coming up on Tuesday, he took no chances -- Nacho played left-back -- and after a rain-soaked first half, even switched to a back three.

- Real Madrid ratings: Varane superb, but attack lacks spark

It was all to no avail. Karim Benzema was quiet, Luka Modric only has so many Superman acts up his sleeve and even the reappearance of Eden Hazard, while good news, didn't move the needle. The Champions League is more important right now, so be it. There's only so much you can squeeze out of this team right now even if it means potentially ceding the Liga title. Zidane -- and Real Madrid -- will be judged on the Big Cup anyway.

Conte finally admits the obvious: Inter will likely win Serie A

Even after going 11 points clear with five games to go, Antonio Conte would only go so far as to say his team had a "95%" chance of winning Serie A. Hey, Antonio, whatever floats your boat. If you want to be superstitious, go for it, but the rest of the league knows you'll win the Scudetto, especially now that this laser-focused, "grind-it-out" version of Inter is on the pitch.

It was far from straightforward against a tough opponent like Verona, and it took until 15 minutes from time for Achraf Hakimi (arguably Inter's most important player not named Romelu Lukaku in the latter part of the season) to set up Matteo Darmian for the only goal of the game.

And yeah, as I saw it, Davide Faraoni's goal should have stood -- the old playground maxim whereby "you can't touch the keeper in the six-yard box" simply isn't a thing -- but heck, it wouldn't have made a difference.

After 11 years, the boys in black and blue are back.

Man United are playing out the season ... and that's OK

Following the drab scoreless draw against Leeds on Sunday, Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pointed out how they did create a few chances and were disappointed because they wanted to win and "put pressure on Manchester City."

I don't blame Solskjaer for saying this, but if you looked closely, you might have noticed that his nose got that little bit longer as he spoke. City are 10 points clear with five games to go.

- Dawson: Man United need attacking upgrade to contend for title

Of course, he can't say what he was really thinking, so I'll take a stab at it: "That Marcelo Bielsa is sneaky because he defended deep against us, which meant my plan to play Daniel James with Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood didn't work because they had no space to run into. That messed us because Bruno Fernandes was quiet and Paul Pogba was on the bench and because nobody else on this team can create, it was always going to be tough. But guess what? I don't care. We're second in the table, we are closer to a dominant City side than we are to Liverpool and we have a Europa League semifinal against Roma coming up. That's more important right now. I want some silverware."

Mbappe, PSG peaking at the right time

Paris Saint-Germain looked like a team intent on pacing themselves away to FC Metz. Despite being in a full-fledged title race, Mauricio Pochettino rested Angel Di Maria, Mauro Icardi, Danilo and Idrissa Gueye. Even Kylian Mbappe appeared to do just enough. He opened the scoring early and, after the Metz equalizer, bagged a second, before a Mauro Icardi "Panenka" made it 3-1.

Mbappe's first saw him burst through midfield and outrun everybody, while he surprised Metz keeper Alexandre Oukidja with a first-time strike from the edge of the box. Mbappe's confidence is sky-high right now and, as the returning Marco Verratti said after the game, "We're in the best possible shape to face Manchester City."

With Mbappe in form like this, you tend to believe him.

A bad week gets worse for Liverpool

Let's face it, not all Super League rebels are created equal. The ill-fated project was driven, primarily, by four clubs: Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United and Liverpool. A large plurality (if not a majority) of supporters of the first two actually back the idea. United's majority owners, the Glazer family, are about as popular as Man City among their supporters, but, as we know all too well, they don't care about being liked.

But Liverpool are a different story. John W. Henry and Mike Gordon were praised for "getting" the club and their fans, almost as much as they were applauded for bringing in Jurgen Klopp and, subsequently, the Champions League and Premier League. It felt like a betrayal, hence -- unlike the other three -- Henry's grovelling apology. That anger, however, is still there, as are calls from fans for Fenway Sports Group to sell the club and leave.

- Liverpool ratings: Salah, Alisson impress in frustrating draw
- Klopp: Liverpool didn't deserve Champions League today

Did those frayed nerves lead to them dropping two points against, of all opponents, Newcastle United? I don't think so. Liverpool created plenty of chances and should have been up by several goals even before Joe Willock's late, late, late equalizer. (Oh, and for the record, regarding Callum Wilson's disallowed goal, I don't have a problem with it: if it doesn't hit his arm, it doesn't sit up for him and he doesn't score. That said, I'd still like to see referees given discretion rather than the black-and-white changes we're getting next year, whereby such situations only see goals stand if a teammate scores, rather than the guy who handled the ball.)

More simply, Liverpool, despite the chances created, aren't what they were last year. Not up front, where the finishing is wayward, not in midfield, where Thiago Alcantara hasn't papered over all the cracks, and not at the back, where absences and lack of quality weigh heavy.

It only hurts more because of the week they had.

Bayern Munich have an awful weekend, but it only delays their Bundesliga coronation

If you're going to have a stinker, this is the time to do it.

Bayern were horrid in the opening half against Mainz. It was the classic game between a hugely motivated side that was firing on all cylinders in their rise out of the relegation zone, and one for whom the end of the season feels like a procession.

Bayern were a mess at the back, particularly in the first half (even Manuel Neuer was less than stellar on the first goal, though without his saves later, the damage would have been worst) and the returning starters -- Robert Lewandowski, Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry -- showed plenty of ring rust.

It doesn't change much -- barring a cataclysm, they'll win their ninth consecutive Bundesliga title in the next week or two -- but it's a reminder that even a side like Bayern can't coast.

Did the Hansi Flick controversy -- he announced his departure, much to the annoyance of the club -- have an impact? I doubt it and, in fact, the club's statement where they upbraided him felt like needlessly making a mountain out of a molehill. If anything, there's clarity and they can veer towards their top choice, whether it's the heavily linked Julian Nagelsmann or somebody else.

A cruel irony for Atletico Madrid

We got so used to seeing Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid get outplayed by opponents and still win that it's a bit disconcerting to see the opposite happen. Against Athletic Bilbao, desperately needing a victory, Simeone's side dominated long stretches of the game, but eventually capitulated 2-1 to a late, headed goal (something that seemed unthinkable in the Diego Godin days).

The loss leaves them two points clear of Real Madrid and Barcelona, but the latter, of course, have a game in hand. It's tough to know what to say. Athletic had been in free-fall; they were there for the taking. If Atletico fail to bring home the title, considering the lead they had, it would be a remarkable collapse. But Simeone has to drive home the simple truth: they still control their destiny. Win all their games, and the title is theirs.

Werner back to scoring as Chelsea win 'six-pointer'

OK, so the pedants will point out that they're not really worth six points, but getting three points when your direct opponent fails to secure three points? Well, that's where it comes from, and that's what Chelsea won on Saturday against West Ham. The 1-0 win sees them move three points clear of fifth place and offers just enough momentum heading into the Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

- Ogden: Chelsea win shows Premier League drama beats Super League inertia

West Ham defended deep and defended well, but couldn't stop Chelsea's incisive passing that led to Timo Werner's goal. It's his first goal in more than two months, and only his third in five-and-a-half months. Needless to say, you expect more from a forward, whether leading the line or starting out wide.

It's a bit ironic that one of the media tropes being thrown around to explain Thomas Tuchel's arrival was his ability to get the best out of Werner and Kai Havertz. Well, the former has done worse than under Frank Lampard, while the latter remains a long-term project (and, despite playing up front more often, has also been scoring less). That doesn't matter much, though, because Chelsea's march under Tuchel continues: 16 clean sheets in 21 games and nobody, bar Manchester City, has won more points since his arrival. There are still some big questions out there, but the future looks bright.

Haaland scores twice as Dortmund surge back up the table

It was only three weeks ago that Borussia Dortmund lost their head-to-head clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, dropping to seventh in the table, seven points from the Champions League places. Since then, they've won four straight league games -- including Saturday's 2-0 win over Wolfsburg -- and while they lost home and away to Manchester City, they more than held their own on the pitch.

Erling Haaland scored twice, bringing his seasonal total to 37 and, most encouragingly, Dortmund looked tougher in the face of adversity, like when Jude Bellingham got sent off around the hour mark. It was a huge win against the third-place side in the table and an important one, as Wolfsburg are now wobbling too. They've lost three of their last four games, while Eintracht have lost two in three. It's a momentum shift, and at least some credit has to go to Edin Terzic. He may be a lame duck with Marco Rose's arrival, but he knows he can win his own personal title in delivering a top-four finish.

Atalanta flying high ... regardless of whether or not you believe Gasperini

Atalanta are no longer a fairy tale, but are in fact a well-run reality. We praised their style of play over the past few years and the way this team was assembled. But the way they transitioned from being a team dependent on Alejandro "Papu" Gomez and Josip Ilicic, to one where you feel anyone can step up and exact damage is remarkable, and a credit to the club. And they're finishing the season on an absolute high -- witness the 5-0 demolition of Bologna Sunday night -- with the only regret being the two legs against Real Madrid who, they felt, were there for the taking.

So was Gian Piero Gasperini getting a little carried away when he, like most, had his pop at the Super League, saying "I hate the idea of being invited to a competition, I want to get there on merit ... in fact, if I was invited, I'd turn them down?"

Probably, but that's OK. He's earned it. Like he earned Atalanta's place in the Champions League.

The Atlanta Falcons are open to hearing trade offers for wide receiver Julio Jones, general manager Terry Fontenot told Fox 5 in Atlanta on Monday night.

Fontenot answered the question about possibly moving Jones broadly, but the question asked was a direct one about the team's star receiver for a decade.

"That's one of those things when you're doing things the right way in an organization, you have to listen if people call, on any player," Fontenot told Fox 5. "Especially, we are in a difficult cap situation, that's just the circumstance and it's not a surprise for us. We knew the circumstance we were in. Our administration has done an excellent job up to this point getting us in a position to be able to manage the cap, and yet we still have more work to do.

"So when teams call about any players then we have to listen and we have to weigh it and we have to determine what's best for the organization and we have to handle everything with class."

Jones is Atlanta's all-time leader in catches (848) and yards (12,896), and his 60 touchdowns are second behind Roddy White. Jones has played his entire career in Atlanta since being the No. 6 overall pick in the 2011 draft -- when the Falcons used five picks to trade up from No. 27 to take him.

He became an immediate difference-maker with 959 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. His next year, in 2012, he made the first of his seven Pro Bowls and had his first 1,000-yard season along with a career-high 10 touchdowns.

The 32-year-old Jones led the NFL in receiving yards in 2015 (1,871) and 2018 (1,677).

"Obviously that particular player, we hold him in high regard. He's special in what he's done and what he continues to do here," Fontenot said of Jones. "But we have to consider any players if it's right for the team because we have to do what's best for this organization."

Jones' salary-cap number and cap mismanagement by Atlanta's former general manager, Thomas Dimitroff, are why the team would listen to offers for the star wideout. The cap situation forced Atlanta to restructure the contracts of multiple Falcons players this offseason, including those of quarterback Matt Ryan, linebacker Deion Jones and left tackle Jake Matthews.

The team did not restructure Jones' deal, though, with a $23.05 million cap hit and his base salary of $15.3 million fully guaranteed. If the Falcons were to trade Jones after June 1, it would be able to spread out the financial hit over two seasons instead of all in one.

The Falcons also hold the No. 4 pick in this week's NFL draft and could go a multitude of directions with the selection, from quarterback to pass-catcher to a trade down.

Will Gordon and Brice Garnett have withdrawn from this week's PGA Tour event, the Valspar Championship, after testing positive for COVID-19.

Gordon and Garnett have been replaced in the field by J.J. Spaun and Tim Wilkinson, respectively.

The players will self-isolate under CDC guidelines with the full support of the Tour. Gordon is currently 148th on the FedExCup standings, while Garnett is 113th.

Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, England and a nation from the Caribbean have all qualified for the women's event 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham,

Women's cricket will feature at the Games for the first time, and cricket for the second time, after a men's ODI competition, which was staged in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, was won by South Africa.

Alongside the hosts England, the other nations to qualify were determined based on the T20I rankings on April 1, 2021.

Athletes from the Caribbean represent their individual countries at the Games and a qualifying tournament for those nations will decide which team takes West Indies' spot.

The final place in the tournament will be allocated to the winners of a qualifying event to be held by January 31, 2022.

"Cricket is a sport that is synonymous with the Commonwealth and we are so excited to have it back in the Games for the first time since the men's competition at Kuala Lumpur," Commonwealth Games Federation President Dame Louise Martin said.

"The debut of women's T20 cricket will be a historic moment for Commonwealth Sport and a wonderful showcase for women's sport across the world."

The 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will attract 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories, is scheduled to run from July 28 to August 8 next year

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Just because the Green Bay Packers haven't restructured or extended Aaron Rodgers' contract does not mean they won't in the coming days either before this week's draft or in the coming months before the season starts.

That's where general manager Brian Gutekunst left things on Monday.

Gutekunst and salary-cap guru Russ Ball have spent the winter and spring reworking deals in order to create salary-cap space to re-sign running back Aaron Jones, who would have been one of the marquee free agents, and keep much of the team together that played in the NFC Championship Game for the second straight season.

But they have not touched Rodgers' contract -- yet.

"That's kind of something we're working through," Gutekunst said. "You know, it's something that we've talked about quite a bit as we've worked through this salary-cap situation, which is really kind of a two-year situation. We've looked at a lot of different things and that's one of them."

Rodgers has no more guaranteed money left on the $134 million extension he signed in 2018 that runs through the 2023 season.

"Aaron's our guy; he's going to be our quarterback for the foreseeable future," Gutekunst added. "We're excited about the kind of the things we're going to try to accomplish here over the next couple years. So we certainly think with the contract that you're kind of talking about is something we'll work through. We're going to have to do probably a few things with different contracts as we head toward the season and then through the season to make sure that our salary cap situation, not only this year, but in 2022 is square. So we're not done yet. We've done a lot to get here. We've kind of been doing things as we go and we will continue to do that as we go."

Rodgers has questioned his future with the organization at various points in the past year, ever since the Packers drafted quarterback Jordan Love at No. 26 overall. Late in what would become his third career MVP season, he called his future a "beautiful mystery," and after the season included himself in comments about players with uncertain futures with the team.

Earlier this month on the "Pat McAfee Show," Rodgers said nothing has changed in that regard.

"I think we're exactly where we were last year when I made comments after the draft and throughout the season," Rodgers told McAfee. "I don't feel like any of that has changed. Even my comments directly after the last game -- and we talked about it on this show -- some thought or made assumptions based on what I said, but nothing's really changed. My future is, really, a lot of it is out of my control. That's why I've used the phrase like 'beautiful mystery,' because it is quite uncertain which direction things are going to go."

As recently as last month, Packers president Mark Murphy would not comment on where things stood between the organization and Rodgers. When asked about the relationship between the two parties, Gutekunst said: "I think I understand your question. I'm not really sure exactly where you're coming from, but what I will say is we're really excited about Aaron Rodgers and his future with the Green Bay Packers. We think he's going to be our quarterback for the foreseeable future."

The Packers restructured six veteran contracts this offseason just to get under the cap when the new league year opened in March.

"We're going to be in kind of the same situation next year as we are this year with trying to continue to push more money out to field our team," Gutekunst said. "I think we had to do a lot of things to bring guys back this year and we'll have to do that again. So we're not done by any means yet and we are working through that with a number of our players, including Aaron."

Still, the Packers could move on from Rodgers, 37, after this season and save up to $25 million on their salary cap. At this point, their top eight players under contract for next season count for $161.14 million on their 2022 cap. Even if the salary cap jumps from $182.5 million this season to $200 million next season, it still would mean the Packers have more than 80% of their cap tied up in those eight players. And that doesn't include receiver Davante Adams, who is entering his final season, or cornerback Jaire Alexander (who Gutekunst said Monday will have his fifth-year option exercised).

"I think that obviously every year there's different things you go through to kind of get to the season, and I think we're going through those right now whether it be contractually or whether it be working with our players on other things, and that's where we are," Gutekunst said. "Again, he's such a unique, different player than anyone that I've ever been around. He affects our organization in so many different ways that you just can't value him because he's so important to what we do. We're excited moving forward and we'll kind of see where things go.

"It's very important for us to work through the next two years to get this salary-cap thing right. We will have to address many contracts over the next four or five months to kind of get under the cap for the season and [Rodgers' contract] is certainly one we will probably address as well."