FRISCO, Texas -- Anton Khudobin was back at practice with the Dallas Stars on Monday, a day after their starting goaltender wasn't in uniform for a game as discipline for being late to a weekend practice.

Khudobin said he was late to practice Saturday after not sleeping well throughout the night, and then waking up late when he didn't hear his alarm. He was held out of the main portion of that practice and wasn't on the bench for Sunday's 2-1 overtime loss at home to the Chicago Blackhawks.

"Unfortunately that happened. That's not really a big deal," Khudobin said Monday. "I talked to the coaches. All fine, all settled, so I'm back to normal."

Khudobin told coach Rick Bowness it would never happen again.

"It's over. We've dealt with it, we move on," Bowness said. "That's yesterday's news."

Rookie Jake Oettinger got his third start Sunday and made 33 saves in his first loss. Landon Bow was called up from the taxi squad as the backup.

The Stars host Chicago again on Tuesday night.

Bowness said Khudobin is "No. 1 without a doubt, he's the guy." The coach also said Oettinger needs to play with the Stars missing Ben Bishop, their other veteran goalie, until at least late March or early April while he rehabs from knee surgery.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Offerpad will serve as the primary sponsor of Denny Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for two NASCAR Cup Series races this season.

The company will also sponsor JGR NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Harrison Burton and the No. 20 Toyota for four events.

A leader in the iBuyer industry, Offerpad has provided easy home selling solutions and custom real estate services to homeowners since 2015.

Offerpad will sponsor Denny Hamlin on the No. 11 Toyota Camry in Phoenix Raceway on March 14 and on the Charlotte ROVAL on Oct. 10. In addition, Offerpad will appear on the No. 20 Toyota Supra with driver Harrison Burton at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (April 24), Texas Motor Speedway (June 12), Atlanta Motor Speedway (July 10) and Daytona Int’l Speedway (Aug. 27).

“Offerpad is excited to partner with Joe Gibbs Racing and drivers Denny Hamlin and Harrison Burton,” said Darrin Shamo, Chief Marketing Officer for Offerpad. “Like the winners on the Joe Gibbs team, Offerpad gets things done.  We all operate with urgency to deliver the best experience possible to our customers and fans, whether it’s winning a race or helping them buy and sell a home.”

Hamlin has 44 career wins in the NASCAR Cup Series and is a three-time Daytona 500 winner.

“It’s always exciting to welcome a new partner into our sport and I’m thrilled to have Offerpad on board with us,” said Hamlin. “Unfortunately winning a race isn’t as easy as buying or selling a home using Offerpad, but hopefully we will have a chance to put them in Victory Lane right from the start.”

Burton is entering his second full season with Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series after earning rookie-of-the-year honors in 2020.

“The goal for our 20 team is to build off the momentum we had last year and having Offerpad come on board is just added incentive,” said Burton. “I can’t wait to get our season started.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – With the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in the rearview mirror for sprint car racers, Donny Schatz has jumped to the top of the standings for the Eastern region of the National Sprint Car Rankings.

Schatz has two victories in seven starts with five top-five finishes. He leads Logan Schuchart, who has two wins in five starts, by 76 points.

Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason and Aaron Reutzel round out the top five.

The Western region opened its season Jan. 22-24 at Arizona Speedway and Carson Macedo leads Buddy Kofoid by two points after three races.

The national rankings will begin once drivers have made 20 starts on the season.

The rankings:

Eastern Region

1. Donny Schatz 350
2. Logan Schuchart 274
3. Tyler Courtney 274
4. Cory Eliason 267
5. Aaron Reutzel 261

Western Region

1. Carson Macedo 148
2. Buddy Kofoid 146
3. Cory Eliason 146
4. Rico Abreu 144
5. Dominic Scelzi 142

Winners

Buddy Kofoid – 2
Donny Schatz — 2
Logan Schuchart — 2
Tony Stewart – 1
Aaron Reutzel — 1
Carson Macedo — 1
Brad Sweet — 1

That didn’t take long.

A week after Patrick Reed knocked Brooks Koepka out of the top six in the U.S. Ryder Cup team rankings, Koepka went out and won the Waste Management Phoenix Open to move back into the automatic picture.

Koepka, whose come-from-behind victory Sunday at TPC Scottsdale was his first win anywhere since the 2019 WGC-FedEx Invitational in Memphis, rose from seventh to third in points on Monday. Koepka is now behind only Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau as he attempts to qualify for his third straight Ryder Cup team.

“It's what I live for,” Koepka said Sunday after his win. “I live for those moments where you got to close, you got to hit some quality shots, quality putts. I don't know, I just like showing off, I guess.”

Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth’s quest to make a fourth straight team received a big boost this week. Spieth tied for fourth to move up nine spots to No. 28.

Here is a look at the current U.S. Ryder Cup picture:

• 1. Dustin Johnson
• 2. Bryson DeChambeau
• 3. Brooks Koepka
• 4. Xander Schauffele
• 5. Justin Thomas
• 6. Collin Morikawa
• 7. Patrick Reed
• 8. Webb Simpson
• 9. Tony Finau
• 10. Harris English
• 11. Patrick Cantlay
• 12. Daniel Berger
• 13. Matthew Wolff
• 14. Kevin Kisner
• 15. Gary Woodland
• Other notables: 20. Scottie Scheffler, 21. Tiger Woods, 28. Jordan Spieth, 33. Rickie Fowler, 41. Phil Mickelson, 44. Cameron Champ, 46. Will Zalatoris

The top six players after the BMW Championship will make the U.S. team. Six captain’s picks will be made after the Tour Championship.

Here is a look at the current European Ryder Cup picture:

EUROPEAN POINTS

• 1. Tyrrell Hatton
• 2. Tommy Fleetwood
• 3. Jon Rahm
• 4. Rory McIlroy
• 5. Victor Perez
• 6. Bernd Wiesberger
• 7. Matt Fitzpatrick
• 8. Danny Willett
• 9. Lee Westwood
• 10. Bob MacIntyre
• 11. Matthias Schwab
• 12. Rafa Cabrera Bello
• 13. Marcus Kinhult
• 14. Paul Casey
• 15. Benjamin Hebert

WORLD POINTS

• 1. Jon Rahm
• 2. Tyrrell Hatton
• 3. Rory McIlroy
• 4. Tommy Fleetwood
• 5. Victor Perez
• 6. Paul Casey
• 7. Danny Willett
• 8. Matt Fitzpatrick
• 9. Viktor Hovland
• 10. Bernd Wiesberger
• 11. Lee Westwood
• 12. Bob MacIntyre
• 13. Rafa Cabrera Bello
• 14. Justin Rose
• 15. Sergio Garcia

The top four players in European Points and the top five players in World Points not already qualified via European Points after the BMW PGA on Sept. 12 earn automatic spots on the European team. Three captain’s picks will be made on Sept. 13.

Manchester City's first leg Champions League round-of-16 tie against Borussia Monchengladbach has been moved from Germany to Budapest due to COVID-19 protocols, UEFA announced on Monday.

The date of the match will remain the same with Pep Guardiola's side set to meet the Bundesliga club on Feb. 24.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more
- Dawson: Man United's blown lead is unacceptable in title challenge

"UEFA would like to thank Borussia VfL 1900 Monchengladbach and Manchester City FC for their close cooperation and support, as well as the Hungarian Football Federation for their assistance and agreeing to host the match in question," the statement read.

The announcement comes after Liverpool's Champions League tie against RB Leipzig next week was moved on Sunday from Germany to neutral Budapest. German authorities declined to give Liverpool an exemption from restrictions limiting travel from England where an aggressive variant of COVID-19 is spreading.

Meanwhile, sources have told ESPN that Manchester United are still waiting to discover where their Europa League tie with Real Sociedad will be played.

United are due to play the first leg of their last-32 tie in Spain on Feb. 18 but, as things stand, the Spanish government have not yet granted an exemption to allow elite sports teams to travel to the country without having to quarantine on arrival in line with COVID-19 protocols.

Sources have told ESPN that Sociedad are awaiting a response from the Spanish government and are looking at alternative venues to play the match.

Talks between Spanish clubs, the Spanish FA and the Spanish government are ongoing.

Chelsea's Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid is also affected while sources have told ESPN that UEFA preferred stadiums to be used that have a history of hosting European games.

One of the venues being considered for United's game is Juventus' Allianz Arena in Turin. Any move would need approval from UEFA and the Italian FA and quarantine exemptions for both United and Sociedad would need to be granted by the Italian government.

Sources have told ESPN that United expect to be informed of a decision by Tuesday morning.

UEFA also moved a Europa League game to neutral Spain on Monday because travel restrictions in Norway prevent German club Hoffenheim traveling there next week.

Molde are unable to host Hoffenheim in the first leg of the round of 32, which will be played at Villarreal's stadium as a neutral venue on Feb. 18.

Villarreal are still in the competition and will host Salzburg one week later. It is the second game UEFA has moved this month due to international border controls aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19 infections.

Information from ESPN's Rob Dawson and Associated Press was included in this report.

This weekend's action didn't disappoint across Europe as Manchester City rolled to a big win at Liverpool to effectively end the Premier League title race. (The Reds are no strangers to comebacks, but this one would be their most unlikely yet.) Elsewhere, Juventus turn back the clock in beating AS Roma, Man United's draw vs. Everton proves they aren't really challenging for first place, and Lionel Messi and Raphael Varane rescued Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively against tricky opponents.

We also got another collapse by Borussia Dortmund, further proof of Tottenham's reliance on Harry Kane, and vindication for Chelsea as Thomas Tuchel's side rallied to beat Sheffield United.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more

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

Jump to: Liverpool sunk | Juve win 'old-school' | Varane rescues Real | Man United aren't contenders | Messi lifts tired Barca | Dortmund collapse again | Spurs' Kane dependency | PSG oust rivals Marseille | Zlatan hits 500, 501 | Tuchel, Chelsea win again | Leipzig cruise | Is this Arsenal's best?

Barring an Istanbul-like comeback, Man City knock Liverpool out of the title race

Manchester City's 4-1 win at Anfield on Sunday leaves them 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a game in hand. And that means that, barring some otherworldly event of Istanbul-like proportions, Liverpool will not retain their title.

Jurgen Klopp felt that his team could have snatched a draw, and sure, if you factor out the sort of individual errors (especially from Alisson and both full-backs) for which you can't account, that may have been the case. But it wouldn't change the fact that his team were comprehensively outplayed by a better side and, save for the penalty gifted to them by Ruben Dias and an early Sadio Mane header, they rarely threatened.

So what next?

- Ogden: Man City's emphatic statement win at Liverpool
- Liverpool ratings: Alisson 2/10 after nightmare game
- Liverpool's Klopp: Top four is now our focus

One of the single most difficult tasks when things go wrong is establishing the "why" of it, particularly when there are multiple factors at play. Klopp can cite his team's horrendous injury record -- Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Alisson, Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho, Naby Keita, Jordan Henderson and Diogo Jota have all missed significant playing time this season -- as well as fixture congestion and the lack of a preseason. That's there for everyone to see. But there's also a sharp decline in performance from Andy Robertson and, especially, Trent Alexander-Arnold, as well as a (perhaps less marked) downturn in production from the forwards. There's the possibility that Klopp has gotten things wrong tactically, that perhaps some opponents have figured Liverpool out. And finally, there are our old friends, luck and randomness.

To some degree, all of the above contribute to the fact that Liverpool have 27 fewer points after 23 games than they did at this stage last season. Sifting through all this and establishing what contributed the most to the decline, and how, and figuring out to how fix it has to be the challenge for Klopp and Liverpool's front office. The former is tricky and the latter is difficult, because after committing large sums to Thiago and Jota in the summer and with six starters who will be 29 or older at the start of next season, room to manoeuvre will be limited.

As for City, it's 14 wins on the bounce in all competitions and 10 straight in the Premier League. All with a star center-forward (Sergio Aguero) who hasn't started since October, while their best player (Kevin De Bruyne) has been out for three weeks. What we're seeing is prime Pep Guardiola. Forgoing a center-forward like Gabriel Jesus for a guy like Phil Foden and then, effectively switching to a front two of Foden and Bernardo Silva in midgame. Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko playing fullback with the mentality of central midfielders. Raheem Sterling back to his mazy best.

When Guardiola makes changes and they don't work, he's accused of overthinking, which has negative connotations. Fine. But then when he takes on a battered Liverpool team and seeks to find an edge by tweaking personnel and formation, we've got to give credit, no? It's all part of the same "overthinking," isn't it?

The fact is, maybe we should stop talking about things like "overthinking" and just recognise that this is a guy who thinks. A lot. Sometimes he'll get it wrong, but when he does it's not because he overthinks, but rather because he simply made the wrong choice.

A final point on Alisson and, indeed, all goalkeepers who play out from the back: they don't do it because they like to needlessly have a giggle or show off their tekkers midgame. They do it because their managers believe it gives them an edge in terms of breaking the press or enabling them to play a higher line or whatever, and that edge translates in goals and chances created. I'd love for somebody to actually crunch numbers on this. If the price you have to pay for playing through the press regularly is the occasional blunder, it's worth paying.

'Old-school' Juventus get the job done, but this isn't the way forward

Juventus dialed back the clock against Roma this weekend and won 2-0. It didn't look like Andrea Pirlo's team; instead, it felt like old-school, Max Allegri-type fare. With Giorgio Chiellini and Leo Bonucci starting at the back, they defended deeper, invited pressure, were less compact, weathered a flurry of Roma shots on goal (most of them relatively innocuous) and took the lead via a moment of magic from one of the greatest players in history.

Roma outshot them 14-3 and won the xG battle 0.98-0.23. But the only number that matters here is "three," as in the points Juve got, propelling them up to third place, with a game in hand.

The knee-jerk reaction from some quarters is to lavish praise on Pirlo for finding "balance" and "pragmatic," and bringing back some of the "grit" of the old Juve. I'm not buying this, though, and I'm pretty sure neither are the club.

Pirlo was brought in to change the approach, to go out and make their advantage in terms of talent count, by dominating the pitch and creating chances. The Juve we saw Saturday scored one goal because Cristiano Ronaldo did his own superhuman routine (trapping the ball with his studs and then conjuring a laser-guided finish, all in 0.52 seconds, according to Sky Italia) and then another on a clumsy own goal by Roger Ibanez. They also managed exactly zero shots on goal after minute 41 of the first half.

That's not a plan. Or, at least, not a sustainable plan. You don't plan on Ronaldo doing something outrageous (because, good as he is, he's 36 and won't be around forever), you don't plan on an opposition own goal and you don't plan on not shooting at all for more than half the game.

You can credit Pirlo for, perhaps, realising that this game needed Bonucci and Chiellini and that, with that partnership, you have to defend deep. Fine. But the two of them are a combined 69 years of age. They're not part of the long-term plan. They can't be.

It worked on Saturday and, to some, that's all that matters. But if we see this version of Juve too many times between now and the end of the season, it won't be a good sign.

Varane bails out Zidane and Real Madrid ... for now

You imagine there was a moment, early in the second half of Real Madrid's game against last-place Huesca, when Zinedine Zidane figured all was lost. His team were a goal down and Huesca had hit the woodwork ... twice. His injury list was so long that, near him on the bench, were just two senior pros (one of them was the "bad luck charm" Marcelo, the other Mariano, he of the five league goals in 2½ seasons), two reserve keepers and two guys from the B-team. And he'd just had news that his captain, Sergio Ramos, would need surgery, which meant six weeks out. All this amid a run that saw Madrid lose three of their last four games and Zidane himself lose his cool in a pregame news conference.

- Real ratings: Varane 9/10 in superb win

Enter Raphael Varane. Two scrappy goals and a Ramos impression eventually gave them a 2-1 lead. For Varane, who was coming off a rough period, it was a "stand up and be counted" moment, and he delivered. So did the usual suspects -- Luka Modric and Karim Benzema -- as well as Marco Asensio, a rare bright spot.

You sense they're still a loss or two away from another full-blown crisis. Alvaro Odriozola is another injury loss and Toni Kroos is suspended for the next game. And, yeah, facing Atalanta in the Champions League last-16 without Ramos means that anything can happen. For now, they live to fight another day and they don't slip down to fourth in the table. That's something -- however fleeting, however fragile -- to hang on to.

For now.

Solskjaer is right: Man United may be second, but they're not 'title chasers'

After Manchester United's 3-3 draw with Everton -- a game marked by Dominic Calvert-Lewin's dramatic injury-time equalizer -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: "We shouldn't even be considered as title chasers ... Going forward we were very good, but we need to stop conceding goals."

The fact of the matter is that United are "title chasers" in the sense that they're second in the table. That's the very definition of the term. The problem is, perhaps, that they don't feel like title-chasers, because the flaws are so evident. It's not just the goals they gifted Everton (who, by the way, gifted them one of their own), it's that if you close your eyes and imagine them as title winners on a par with Manchester City or last season's version of Liverpool, you'd need to probably change half a dozen guys for your fantasy to be plausible.

- Dawson: Blown lead fractures Man United's title hopes

One of the players who would fit, Edinson Cavani, turns 34 on Valentine's Day. Another, Paul Pogba, is out of contract at the end of next season and could leave earlier. That further whittles down the numbers and, perhaps, that's what further fuels the unease.

As for Everton, they're seventh with two games in hand. Win just one of the two -- one of them is against Manchester City, so... -- and they're fourth, level on points with Liverpool. They're ahead of the curve, but the league is so tight behind them that it's a very swift drop into mid-table. But if they can continue to outwork most opponents in midfield, while tapping into James Rodriguez's genius and Calvert-Lewin's goals up front, a place in Europe beckons.

Messi to the rescue for weary Barcelona

High-powered, unpredictable Betis on a hot streak were probably the last opponent Ronald Koeman wanted to face after a sapping (physically and mentally) 120 minutes of football in the Copa del Rey Thursday night -- particularly with a cup semifinal against Sevilla coming up on Wednesday. And so he picked Martin Braithwaite, Riqui Puig and Miralem Pjanic ahead of Lionel Messi, Pedri and Frenkie De Jong (who were all on the bench) and crossed his fingers.

Bad move.

- Barca ratings: Messi 8/10 in win at Betis

Barcelona went behind, just as they have in their past four games, and he had to call on all three, including De Jong after just 11 minutes to replace Ronald Araujo, who got injured. Messi came on and scored straight away before a lucky own goal gave Barca the lead. And still, it was nervy until the end: Victor Ruiz equalized for Betis, before Trincao's late winner.

What did we learn? Koeman is probably right to prioritize the cup competitions, because on current evidence, there's no way they're catching Atletico in La Liga. (Atletico are seven points clear with two games in hand.) Barca without Messi (and without Pedri, along with the long-injured Ansu Fati, Gerard Pique and Sergi Roberto) are a right-hand side of the table team. But they fight and they have character and believe in Koeman enough (or, at least, have enough professional pride) to not throw in the towel. That's not insignificant.

Dortmund crumble again as hopes of next year's Champions League get dimmer

Right now, Borussia Dortmund feel like they're made of papier mache. All is pretty if things go right, but rock the boat a little and they fall to bits.

Against Freiburg, Emre Can rattled the crossbar and Erling Haaland came very close. They could have been 2-0 up; instead, two improbable long-range efforts (the latter with some help from Marvin Hitz in goal) saw them 2-0 down. That's when you would have expected some sort of reaction, but it didn't actually come until 16-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko came on, pulled one back and just missed the late equalizer.

Whatever message Edin Terzic is sending, it's not getting through. He's not helping himself with some of his decisions -- the less we see of Julian Brandt in midfield, the better -- but it's hard to see him sticking around.

The danger now is missing out on the Champions League. They're in sixth place, four points away, but level on points with Borussia Monchengladbach. It's not just the financial hit that would ensue; it would also make it that much harder to recruit the new boss and to hang on to their crop of young stars.

Tottenham are dependent on Kane, and there's no shame in that

Jose Mourinho bristled after Spurs' 2-0 win over West Brom -- a victory that broke a streak of three straight defeats -- when asked about Harry Kane's return and his partnership with Heung-Min Son (not coincidentally, both scored in the game). Mourinho said he didn't want to speak about them, but wanted to focus on his entire team because they all played well.

That's great -- though Jose, it was West Brom, who have won once since November -- but the fact remains that, especially under Mourinho, Tottenham are a different side with and without Kane. The numbers are clear. With Kane, they average 1.8 points per game, which means guaranteed Europa League with a shot at the top four in most seasons. In the 10 games they've been without Kane, the average drops to 1.1 points per game, which means finishing a couple spots above relegation.

In a perfect world, somebody would step up regularly to fill his shoes when he's not around, whether Son (who, to be fair, has done it occasionally), or Tanguy Ndombele (when given remit to roam from central midfield) or Gareth Bale (at least that was the idea when they took him back). But we live in an imperfect world. So Kane it is.

PSG cruise past Marseille, who have bigger issues to address

Given the chaos of the past two weeks with fan invasions of the training ground, Andre Villas-Boas' resignation and rows with city hall over the Stade Velodrome, you could probably forgive Marseille if they were a bit distracted heading into the big clash against Paris Saint-Germain. Compared to last time -- with the melees, social media trolling and accusation of racism -- this was a subdued affair.

- Marseille in crisis: Why fans rioted, why Villas-Boas left

Kylian Mbappe sent PSG on their way early, Mauro Icardi made it 2-0 by scoring, hunchback-style, with one of his upper vertebrae, and that was that. Neymar, initially on the bench due to a stomachache (caused either by sheer bad luck, an intimate birthday party or not wanting to come across his old buddy Alvaro Gonzalez) came on without incident, too.

PSG remain third in Ligue 1 and what Mauricio Pochettino needs most is a bit of tranquillity, particularly with Barcelona coming up next week in the Champions League. That's been in short supply at the Parc des Princes in recent years.

Milan roll on as Zlatan hits 500 (and 501)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged two goals as Milan trounced Crotone 4-0, a victory that keeps them top of the Serie A table, two points ahead of Inter. Given it's Zlatan and given how media works, the fact that they were his 500th and 501st career goals at club level received plenty of attention. Crotone's defending was awful, but Ibrahimovic has been around a long, long time and has been a phenomenally consistent goal scorer throughout. And let's face it: if he hadn't reached 500 last weekend, he would have done it very soon. (The scary thing -- and it says more about them than it says about him -- is that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both reached the 500 goals mark at the age of 32, more than seven years before Ibra.)

More compelling than his record, though, have been his performances, particularly this season. While he's been freakishly prolific -- 14 goals in 11 Serie A appearances (and that's with three missed penalties) -- he's been selfless, not trying to do too much single-handedly, deferring to teammates when appropriate and dishing out assists. In some ways, he's a more complete footballer today than he's ever been.

And while there are occasions when he lets himself down -- witness the confrontation with Romelu Lukaku and subsequent silly red card in the Coppa Italia derby -- he's been an absolute net positive for Milan. They will have a really tough choice to make this summer. Logic and budgets will suggest moving on when Ibra's contract expires, but evidence and emotion will insist otherwise. And maybe that's right. When it comes to Zlatan, logic can be overrated.

Chelsea's change to Tuchel vindicated thus far, and best is yet to come

The manner of Chelsea's dismissal of Frank Lampard last month upset more than a few people and felt premature given the stakes involved (at least to me). But there's no arguing with numbers. Sunday's 2-1 win over Sheffield United makes it three wins in a row under Thomas Tuchel and they're now up to fifth, one point outside the Champions League zone. Put differently, Tuchel has won as many points in 11 days as Lampard's Chelsea managed in the previous 6½ weeks.

The thing is, this still feels like an experimental side in which Tuchel conducts weekly auditions for his starting lineup. We haven't seen a proper "Tuchel Team" and we probably won't for a while. One interesting note, though, is that Jorginho has played every minute of every game under Tuchel. Not bad for a guy who had been written off by the commentariat as "too slow", "too weak" and "only capable of passing backwards and sideways." (Oh, and he's also converted his last two penalties, worth noting because commentators feel compelled to express surprise every time he steps up to take them given that he's had a few high-profile misses in the past.)

Leipzig keep pace with Bayern in Bundesliga

Leipzig's trip away to Bundesliga cellar-dweller Schalke pretty much went as you might expect. Julian Nagelsmann's crew dominated possession and took tons of shots, while Schalke hung on and looked for the break. For a while, it worked and it took a set-piece in first-half injury time for Nordi Mukiele to put Leipzig ahead, before they added two more goals in the second half.

The win keeps Leipzig within seven points of Bayern, with 14 games to go. This is when many scoff and declare the Bundesliga race over, but I don't think we're at that point just yet. There's still the head-to-head and Bayern still have a bunch of games where they could drop points (Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht, Gladbach, Bayer Leverkusen). The problem is, of course, so could Leipzig...

Is this Arsenal's level, at least for this season?

Arsenal's stop-start campaign continues and Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa means it's one point from a possible nine in the past three games. Mikel Arteta can cite misfortune -- giving up a silly early goal, Kieran Tierney absent, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the bench, Bernd Leno and David Luiz suspended -- but, in fact, it's not like Arsenal were terrible. It's more like they looked like a team that is at its ceiling, and it doesn't feel as if they can flick a switch and suddenly get a lot better.

Sure, there were bright spots -- Bukayo Saka may be the side's best player, Nicolas Pepe offered glimpses that justified his huge fee, they didn't give up (but shouldn't that last one be a given?) -- but equally, you can point to the fact that Jack Grealish was having his way with Hector Bellerin, that Thomas Partey wasn't moving the needle in midfield and that Alexandre Lacazette looked like what he is: a guy forced to start four games in 11 days.

Fourth place is nine points away, and Europe isn't much closer. They're out of the domestic cups and Benfica, a tough out, awaits in the Europa League next month. It's uphill from here.

West Indies coach Phil Simmons says he wants his side to keep up the intensity after a win so that it doesn't become a solitary highlight in the Test series against Bangladesh. West Indies took a 1-0 lead after their historic three-wicket victory in Chattogram, with the second and final Test to be played in Dhaka from Thursday.

"I am tired of these one wins and then struggling for the next three or four games," Simmons said. "We need to improve on some things and continue the intensity in our preparation. We have to make sure we don't go backwards again. We are trying hard to put things in place so that we don't go in that direction."

West Indies have won just 12 Tests in the last five years, which includes just two Test series wins: 2-0 against Bangladesh in 2018 and 2-1 against England in 2019 - both at home. In as many as six series, they ended up winning only a solitary Test against teams like Pakistan, England, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. The most recent such occurrence came in England in 2020, where despite taking a 1-0 lead in Southampton, they lost the series 2-1.

Simmons, who is in his second spell as West Indies coach, said he was looking forward to seeing a better opening partnership and more consistency from the spinners. "I think one of the areas [of concern] is we haven't had an opening partnership of note. It would be nice to get a big opening partnership to set up how things go with the other batsmen," he added.

"I don't think our spinners were as consistent as they can be. They bowled well but there's room for improvement in our bowling. I think we 90% nailed down how our field placing will be for different batters but we have to be consistent. More than likely, Dhaka is going to spin more than Chattogram."

Simmons said West Indies' improved self-belief came to the fore during the two critical partnerships in the game. During the first innings, Jermaine Blackwood and Joshua Da Silva put on 99 runs for the sixth wicket that took them past the follow-on mark. The second innings then featured a 216-run stand between debutants Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner, the pair taking West Indies to the doorstep of an unlikely victory while chasing 395.

"The main thing is trusting our ability," Simmons stressed. "I will highlight the partnerships in the first innings between Blackwood and Da Silva. A lot of pressure was put on us in that partnership, and they trusted themselves to come out of it.

"In the second innings, there was a lot of pressure on Mayers and Bonner. They also trusted their ability and believed in themselves. It is the biggest takeaway from this [game]. In the time of challenges during the innings, they trusted their ability and fought through it."

Simmons hailed Mayers for his double-century, but also reminded him that come the Dhaka Test, he would have to make a fresh start. "I think the last time [a West Indies batsman made a double-century on debut] was Lawrence Rowe. It is an amazing feat," he said. "It is all right to do it in the first innings, but to have the temperament in taking us to winning the game made it extra special.

"It is in the history books. You don't start from 210, you start from zero," Simmons cautioned. "I know people will forget his double-hundred by the time the next Test is finished. You have to start from zero and do everything you did two days before the game. Most cricketers will know to start over. Sometimes we get into this hype when we have done well. Over the next few days, we have to get back down to earth and know that the game starts from zero again."

Simmons also said that Bonner's 86 was crucial to setting up the West Indies win, but he would have liked to see him get the extra 14 runs. "I think he played a special innings too. I am disappointed he didn't get a hundred," Simmons said. "The way he batted, he deserved one. I am sure that will come if he continues to play this way. The partnership is what matters.

"Kyle may have scored a double-hundred but Bonner's partnership with him is what set things up. The fact that we didn't lose a wicket in the first two sessions gave us that push. We were the only team that could win the game."

CSA has written to the ICC asking it to consider means of redress for less wealthy nations to make up for financial losses when tours do not take place as scheduled. The communication came as a response to Cricket Australia's decision to indefinitely postpone a three-Test series that was due to be played in South Africa in March citing an "unacceptable" level of risk because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The letter, seen by ESPNcricinfo, called Australia's unilateral decision to pull out of the series "against the spirit of sportsmanship", with implications for the credibility of the World Test Championship (WTC), and raises concerns it will have a "serious impact on the financial well-being of less-wealthy" ICC members.

"There's got to be some understanding of how we manage the impact to less-wealthy nations," Stavros Nicolaou, the chairman of CSA's interim board told ESPNcricinfo. "Unilateral decisions of this nature are punitive to less-wealthy cricket-playing nations and there has to be some discussion around redress."

ESPNcricinfo understands that in order for the ICC to take action, it would first need to establish there was a dispute between CSA and CA and if that could be brought before its dispute resolutions committee. However, CSA has not lodged a formal complaint and sent its letter as a means of opening the door to communication about how best to manage the international cricket schedule during the pandemic, especially in the light of the WTC.

CSA believes that as the Australia series was part of the competition it falls under WTC terms, and that if members "can unilaterally decide whether to fulfil their obligations or not" it will put the integrity of the WTC into question. Australia have all but ruled themselves out of competing in the WTC final by not touring South Africa, with the winner of the India-England series set to play New Zealand in the final.

CSA was left extremely disappointed by CA deciding not to send its men's team to South Africa after CSA went to every length to create a strict biosecure environment (BSE) for the series. That included obtaining government permission for Australia to receive VVIP treatment at the airport, which would not require them to even step into the terminal but proceed as diplomats would on to a bus, and additional assurances from the country's health minister. Private hospitals also indicated they would make beds available to the Australian touring party if required.

Despite that, and evidence that South Africa has passed the second-wave of the pandemic, the variant of the virus prevalent in the country saw CA receive medical advice against traveling. It communicated this to CSA last Tuesday, a little over three weeks before the touring party was meant to arrive in South Africa, and a day after the restrictions in the country were eased.

"The reasons Australia cited seemed out of kilter with where the pandemic is," Nicalaou said. "If we had got this communication from them in December it might be justified. The downward trajectory, even with the so-called South African strain, has shown a 75% reduction from the peak. Our preference would have been to ask for a consultation and we would have got the necessary experts on the call and explained the downward trajectory and we could have given assurances about the biosecure base. The decision should have been consultative and we would have seen what other measures we could have taken."

CSA has also written to CA, detailing its concerns and saying it will "lose much needed revenue but will also result in wasted costs which CSA can ill afford", and that it "cannot over-emphasise the loss of revenue caused by your unfortunate decision as well as the reputational damage that is certain to follow." It is expected that CSA's costs and losses will run into the millions of Rands.

South Africa are further concerned that Australia's decision creates the impression that it is unable to maintain a BSE, despite doing so successfully on three occasions. South Africa hosted Sri Lanka for festive Tests on the Highveld (at the same venue where Australia were due to stay), the Pakistan women's team for three ODIs and three T20s in Durban, and have held the domestic one-day cup in a bubble in Potchefstroom.

Their first attempt at creating a BSE, hosting England in Cape Town, did not go well after three South African players, two hotel staff and two members of the England touring party tested positive for Covid-19 (though the England tests were later confirmed negative); England pulled out of the tour before playing any of the three scheduled ODIs. However, that BSE was more lenient than any of the others, on the request of the ECB, and made allowances for players to leave the hotel to play golf at various different courses.

The Australia bubble was due to be strictest yet, and would have included all staff staying at the hotel for a three-week quarantine period before Australia arrived. Australia's demands exceeded globally accepted norms, which ask for a quarantine period of two weeks in most cases, but CSA was willing to accommodate it in a bid to make the series happen.

Ultimately, CSA is also concerned that this postponed series will further entrench cricketing inequalities that see wealth and fixtures shared between India, England and Australia and which leaves the other nine Full Members behind. As an example, India have just returned from a tour to Australia and are hosting England. They will then travel to England in the northern hemisphere summer before England head to Australia for the Ashes. While these three teams will play several more Tests in 2021, South Africa do not have a single fixture confirmed.

"The cancellation of our tour sends a hurtful message to the less-wealthy cricket-playing nations of the world," CSA's letter to CA said. "Our considered view is that it will have a deleterious impact on the stability of global cricket, its growth and its future."

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas dropped out of The Associated Press men's college basketball poll for the first time in 12 years on Monday, ending the Jayhawks' record streak of 231 consecutive weeks ranked in the Top 25.

Gonzaga and Baylor held down the top two spots, just as they have all season, with the Bulldogs getting 55 of 63 first-place votes and the Bears getting the other eight. Michigan took advantage of Villanova's loss at St. John's to jump into the top three, rival Ohio State climbed three spots to No. 4 and the Wildcats rounded out the top five.

Illinois gave the Big Ten three teams in the top six after beating Indiana in overtime and pounding No. 21 Wisconsin over the weekend. The Illini were followed by Texas Tech, Houston, Virginia and Missouri, which beat Kentucky and No. 11 Alabama to reach the top 10 for the first time since Dec. 24, 2012.

The real drama came not at the top of the poll, though, but at the bottom of it.

The Jayhawks began their Top 25 streak on Feb. 2, 2009, when freshman guard Bryce Thompson was 6 years old. Their decade-plus of dominance, which began the season after winning the national championship, included 10 consecutive Big 12 regular-season titles, five conference tournament titles, two more Final Four trips and a runner-up finish in 2012.

Their game against No. 23 Oklahoma State on Monday night was to be the Jayhawks' first unranked in 434 games.

"It's basketball and we have another game to focus on," Jayhawks guard Jalen Wilson said after a 91-79 loss at No. 14 West Virginia on Saturday, their sixth in the past 10 games. "In basketball you sometimes have to focus on what's in front of you and not think about the past and what you couldn't done. Another day, another game we just have to focus on."

The Jayhawks started 8-1 and climbed to No. 3 by Dec. 28, with their lone loss to Gonzaga and victories over then-ranked teams Kentucky, West Virginia, Creighton and Texas Tech on the road. But they have scuffled since the start of Big 12 play, losing Thompson to an injury and failing to get enough production from an otherwise veteran team.

"We have plenty of games to go win and I know this team can do it," Kansas guard Christian Braun said. "Everyone's head is in a good spot, but we just have to do it on the court. We have to stop talking about it and actually be about it."

Kind of like the Bulldogs and Bears have been this season.

Gonzaga trailed Pacific at halftime last week before a 25-8 finishing run to win the game easily, then had its game against Santa Clara canceled over the weekend. The Bulldogs had a tough test against BYU on Monday night.

"It's really hard when everybody around them nationally and everything just thinks you're going to breeze through stuff," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said after their latest win, "but it's not reality."

Baylor beat then-No. 6 Texas on the road last week in the first matchup involving top-10 teams from the state of Texas, only to announce another pause for COVID-19 on Thursday. That led to postponements against TCU and No. 11 Oklahoma, so the Bears won't be on the court again -- at the soonest -- until facing Texas Tech on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide and Sooners were followed at No. 13 by the Longhorns, who fell seven spots after their losses to Baylor and Oklahoma State last week. The Mountaineers were next, with Iowa falling seven spots to No. 15, followed by Tennessee, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Creighton and Southern California.

Rounding out the Top 25 were Wisconsin, Loyola of Chicago, Oklahoma State, Purdue and Rutgers.

IN AND OUT

Loyola entered the poll for the first time since the final poll of the 1984-85 season. That may surprise those who recall the Ramblers' dramatic run to the Final Four in 2018, but they never cracked the Top 25 that season.

The Trojans' win over then-No. 21 UCLA on Saturday night propelled them to their first ranking since December 2017, while Oklahoma State and Rutgers also joined the Top 25. The Cowboys are ranked for the first time since February 2015.

The Bruins dropped out, along with Kansas, Florida and Drake, whose 18-0 start was spoiled in a 74-57 loss to Valparaiso.

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

Colorado, San Diego State and Xavier were the first three to reside outside the Top 25, while Belmont continued to pick up votes after the Bruins improved to 20-1 with romps over Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.