SPORTS

Liverpool and Arsenal will battle for the Christmas number one spot when they meet on Saturday, each with a golden chance to open up a significant lead over absent champions Manchester City.

Australia's Usman Khawaja said Friday that a black armband he wore in the first Test against Pakistan was for a "personal bereavement" and not politically motivated, after the star batter was reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Europe's top court dealt football governing body UEFA a scything legal tackle on Thursday, but an attempt by rival Super League promoters to kick off a new competition met a solid defensive wall of clubs and fans.

Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz's free-flowing style that he has labelled the antithesis to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola's football faces the ultimate test when the two men face off in Friday's Club World Cup final.

Kylian Mbappe marked his 25th birthday with a brace as Paris Saint-Germain beat Metz 3-1 in Ligue 1 on Wednesday to reach the halfway stage of the season five points clear at the top of the table.

A violent fight involving flying kicks marred Turkish football's return from a week-long suspension caused by a club president punching a referee.

Chelsea came back from the brink to reach the League Cup semi-finals with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory against Newcastle after Mykhailo Mudryk's last-gasp equaliser on Tuesday.

Paris hoteliers were up in arms on Tuesday over a government plan to triple the tax paid by visitors on nights at hotels next year when the capital hosts the Olympics.

Algerian international footballer Youcef Atal went on trial in France Monday accused of inciting hatred after posting a video in which a Palestinian preacher purportedly threatens Israel with a "black day".

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Monday that the tickets for the Paris Olympics are "expensive" and pleaded for the families of athletes to be given priority by organisers.

Tiger Woods says he has been encouraged by his performance in two December events, the first competitive golf for the 15-time major winner since April ankle surgery.

Manchester United ended Liverpool's perfect record at Anfield on Sunday, holding the Premier League title chasers to a 0-0 draw after wins for Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Manchester United travel to the home of bitter rivals Liverpool this weekend desperate to avoid another humiliation but with all the signs pointing to a tough afternoon at Anfield.

LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman says that Jon Rahm's move to the Saudi-backed circuit will "create a domino effect" of more high-profile players making the lucrative jump.

Paris Saint-Germain and Porto qualified for the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday as Newcastle bowed out of Europe after losing 2-1 at home to AC Milan.

Pep Guardiola is hoping to complete his trophy haul as Manchester City manager at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia as the Gulf Kingdom shows off its wares in hosting a major international football tournament for the first time.

Manchester United crashed out of Europe as a 1-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday rounded off a miserable Champions League campaign for the Red Devils.

One in five players at this year's Women's World Cup were targeted by online abuse, according to a study released Monday by FIFA and the FIFPRO global players body.

The Turkish SuperLig has been suspended indefinitely after a referee was punched by Ankaragucu's president following a 1-1 draw with Rizespor, the country's football federation (TFF) announced on Monday.

Bronny James, the 19-year-old son of NBA superstar LeBron James, made his collegiate basketball debut Sunday less than five months after suffering cardiac arrest during practice.

Manchester City survived a scare at Luton to end their four-match winless run in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory, while Chelsea's problems mounted with a 2-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday.

Arsenal's grip on the Premier League's top spot will be under threat from their old boss Unai Emery when the leaders travel to surging Aston Villa on Saturday.

Reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm confirmed Thursday he is joining LIV Golf in a deal reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars, sealing a stunning coup for the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit.

The Premier League announced on Monday it had agreed a record GBP6.7 billion ($8.45 billion) domestic television rights deal for a four-year period starting from the 2025/26 season.

Tottenham's Dejan Kulusevski headed a dramatic late equaliser in a six-goal thriller at Manchester City on Sunday after Liverpool staged a sensational comeback on a breathless afternoon in the Premier League.

Reigning champions Italy were placed in the same group as Spain in Saturday's draw for Euro 2024, while France will come up against the Netherlands and England avoided any of the toughest opponents.

Cody Gakpo's double fired Liverpool into the Europa League last 16 as they routed LASK 4-0, while Brighton advanced to the knockout round with a 1-0 win at AEK Athens on Thursday.

Australia's women's football team won the country's highest sporting honour on Friday for causing a "seismic shift" in the national game with their World Cup exploits.

Arsenal are back on top of the Premier League with ambitions to stay there as they host Wolves this weekend while champions Manchester City play faltering Tottenham.