The Baltimore Ravens currently occupy the top spot in the AFC

A fresh slate of NFL rumors as Shaq Leonard's free agent timeline is revealed, a Packers legend gets a fresh start, and the Steelers deal with more WR drama.

If the Atlanta Braves are looking to boost their rotation, a pair of pitchers reportedly getting attention in Miami may represent a tough deal to pull off.

Texas slugger Adolis García has won the Babe Ruth award as postseason MVP in a vote by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America

Only one to go now. Mohamed Salah is a goal away from becoming the fifth player to score 200 for Liverpool. The Egyptian showed few signs he finds the 190s nervous, driving in a penalty to reach 199 as he captained Liverpool at Anfield for the first time. Jurgen Klopp delayed another kind of celebration, taking off Salah with 35 minutes remaining and the opportunity to bring up his landmark against an outclassed LASK side. It may simply prove a case of postponing the inevitable. Salah has 13 goals for the season, seven of them in his last five outings at Anfield, and Sunday’s match against Fulham could see him join Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Gordon Hodgson and Billy Liddell in a select group. In the list of Salah’s achievements, qualifying from a Europa League pool ranks fairly lowly but victory over LASK ensures there will be European football on Merseyside in 2024. With Toulouse being held by Union Saint-Gilloise, Liverpool won the group to spare themselves a play-off round against a team that drops out of the Champions League. While they head straight for the last 16, the immediate benefit is next month’s game in Brussels becomes meaningless. And, as it is three days before they face Manchester United, Klopp could leave several regulars at home. So defeat in Toulouse did not come at a cost. This result was not in doubt after a quarter of an hour, progress clinched by Salah’s spot kick early in the second half. It all felt predictable, Liverpool taking their return on home soil this season to 10 wins out of 10. But there was a twist on a familiar theme. Many a victory in the Klopp years has seen each of his forward trio on the scoresheet and if this is not the classic Liverpool front three – not with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in the distinctly warmer climes of Saudi Arabia these days – a different group were on the scoresheet together. They dovetailed beautifully, too, for the second goal, Luis Diaz and Salah setting up Cody Gakpo. If Liverpool’s attackers have been sufficiently prolific that none exactly needed a goal, Diaz and Gakpo were outscored by the other three. Diaz got his fifth of the campaign, Gakpo’s brace took him to six and each was a terrific goal. First Diaz plunged to head in Joe Gomez’s volleyed cross. The Colombian had scored in the reverse fixture, too, and as LASK left him unmarked, it felt too easy. Then came a combination of the attacking trident. Diaz fed an overlapping Salah whose cross was so inviting that Gakpo had a tap-in. The Dutchman turned provider in a way for Salah’s strike: his burst into the box was interrupted when he was upended by the goalkeeper Tobias Lawal. Salah struck the penalty with sufficient force that the goalkeeper did not dive. He departed soon after but it was typical of his hunger that he played: if Europa League campaigns can afford chances to rest players more accustomed to Champions League finals, Salah is an ever present, either as a starter or a substitute. With Liverpool’s pace and movement too much for LASK, a fourth goal could have arrived before injury time, when the substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold picked out Gakpo with an incisive pass and he powered a shot in. As he had struck the post earlier, it was almost a first Liverpool hat-trick. Kostas Tsimikas, who rattled the bar with a thunderbolt, was also thwarted by the upright. There were a host of other opportunities. Gakpo skewed a shot wide. Diaz skied one after being released by Gomez, with a ball over the visitors’ defence. Able to venture forward from right-back, Gomez sought a belated first goal of his career and drilled a shot just wide. The overworked Lawal denied Harvey Elliott and the substitute Darwin Nunez. Liverpool were sufficiently open that, with a better final ball and a finer appreciation of the offside law, LASK could have had more chances. As it was, Marin Ljubicic skied a shot and Ibrahim Mustapha was denied by Caoimhin Kelleher. It was one of three fine late saves by the Irishman, starting his spell standing in for the injured Alisson; if Liverpool kept him too occupied, it may help him. LASK’s vocal, scarf-twirling fans did not have a goal to cheer but enjoyed the night, however. Liverpool’s three home games have been a reminder that, for clubs who rarely qualify for the Champions League and who are unaccustomed to visiting Anfield, such matches are special. For Salah, however, the special occasion may come on Sunday if he enters the 200 club. Read More Liverpool, Brighton and West Ham all reach the Europa League knockout stages Mohamed Salah ‘a completely different animal’ for Liverpool before Man City clash Joao Pedro penalty sends Brighton through to Europa League knockout stages

Brighton secured a place in the knockout stages of the Europa League after Joao Pedro’s second-half penalty earned an unconvincing 1-0 victory away to 10-man AEK Athens. In-form forward Pedro converted his fifth goal of the competition in the 55th minute to guarantee the Seagulls a top-two finish in Group B. Albion were second best before the VAR-awarded spot-kick and fortunate not to fall behind in the closing stages of the first half when AEK forward Steven Zuber struck a post. The lively hosts were forced to play the final 25 minutes a man down following Mijat Gacinovic’s dismissal for a second yellow card. Roberto De Zerbi’s men will vie for first place in the pool – and automatic qualification for the last 16 – when Marseille visit the Amex Stadium in the final round of fixtures in two weeks’ time. Brighton’s maiden European campaign was launched with an underwhelming 3-2 defeat to the Greek champions in September. Yet the Premier League club arrived at the AEK Arena in control of their own destiny thanks to a battling comeback draw in Marseille and back-to-back wins over Ajax. Head coach De Zerbi made four changes from Saturday’s 3-2 success at Nottingham Forest, including recalling match-winner Pedro, and saw his injury-hit side start in the ascendancy. Evan Ferguson was twice blocked as he threatened inside two minutes, while AEK defender Domagoj Vida came close to a calamitous own goal with a firm back pass which had goalkeeper Cican Stankovic scampering across his line. But the disjointed Seagulls faded from the encouraging start and were in regular danger of falling behind. AEK forward Zuber forced Albion keeper Bart Verbruggen to turn over a powerful drive before heading narrowly wide from the resultant corner. Brighton were then lucky not to concede just before the break amid relentless home pressure. Switzerland international Zuber worked space inside the 18-yard box with quick feet before seeing his angled drive deflect off Lewis Dunk and rattle the left post, with Gacinovic unable to head home the rebound. Verbruggen was forced to save from Gacinovic after the restart before Brighton snatched the lead against the run of play during a pivotal spell in the contest. Swiss referee Sandro Scharer initially waved play on when Pedro went to ground under pressure from AEK captain Damian Szymanski before pointing to the spot after viewing a replay of the incident on the pitch-side monitor. Brazilian forward Pedro duly dispatched his sixth penalty of the season – and third against AEK – by sending Stankovic the wrong way from 12 yards to back up his weekend brace at Forest as a substitute. Brighton had barely threatened before the opener and their cause was further strengthened just 10 minutes later when Serbia midfielder Gacinovic over-ran the ball and raked his studs into Joel Veltman to receive a second booking. Seagulls striker Ferguson threatened to double the lead before being repelled as he tried to round Stankovic having been sent clear. AEK midfielder Orbelin Pineda then flashed wide as the home side pushed for a leveller but Brighton, despite an uninspiring display, held on relatively comfortably to ensure their European adventure continues. Read More Liverpool, Brighton and West Ham all reach the Europa League knockout stages Kevin Sinfield vows to keep raising funds to combat MND ahead of new challenge Andre Onana – Do the numbers back up the criticism? Is AEK Athens vs Brighton on TV? Kick off time and how to watch Europa League fixture Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink wants aspiring black managers to get ‘a fair chance’ Forest investigating allegations of homophobic abuse by fans at Brighton game

Unai Emery urged Aston Villa to finish the job after they booked their spot in the Europa Conference League knockout stages. The manager wants to seal top spot in Group E following Thursday’s 2-1 win over Legia Warsaw. Alex Moreno’s winner – on his first appearance since May following a hamstring injury – earned victory after Moussa Diaby’s opener was cancelled out by Ernest Muci in the first half. Victory came after Legia fans clashed with police before the game – injuring three officers – which saw the supporters barred from Villa Park. Villa moved above Legia at the top of the group and need a point in Mostar, the final group game, next month to guarantee their last 16 spot. Emery said: “I’m really happy because we started this competition losing in Warsaw. We wanted to show how we have improved after that match and we played well. “We were professional, feeling good, feeling strong and we want to finish first. It’s not complete yet but we are close to it. “This competition is very important, it’s a trophy and trying to get minutes for some players. Alex Moreno has come back, Jacob Ramsey, Jhon Duran got 90 minutes and as a team we had to get performances with every player.” Diaby struck after four minutes when he was sent scampering down the right by Youri Tielemans before cutting inside and finding the corner. Jhon Duran went close to adding a second before Legia cashed in on a terrible error by Boubacar Kamara after 20 minutes. The midfielder received the ball from Robin Olsen on the edge of the box but passed straight to Muci, who found the top corner. Encouraged, Legia settled and went close three minutes into the second half when Gil Dias’ header hit the bar. But it sparked Villa back into life and, after Kacper Tobiasz denied Diaby, Moreno netted a 59th-minute winner when he volleyed in Douglas Luiz’s free kick. Legia, who beat Villa 3-2 in the opening game in September, are three points behind and are now facing a last 32 tie against a side dropping down from the Europa League in February. Boss Kosta Runjaic said: “It’s the expected result but we faced it in a pretty good way. Villa have a lot of power at home and are unbeaten since February. “The first half was equal, we tried to play with courage and scored a fantastic goal. Villa played a good game but we could have defended their free-kick better and in the end it was a deserved win for Villa. “Now we have one game left, we will be well-prepared.” Read More You’ve got to dream big: Lewis Dunk eyes Europa League glory with Brighton David Moyes urges West Ham to finish the job and top Group A Five bad weeks do not define a team – England’s Ben Duckett Daniel Levy ‘proud’ as report reveals Tottenham’s investment in local community Wales call on Chris Coleman in bid to boost Women’s Nations League hopes The key talking points ahead of England’s Women’s Nations League double-header

Shohei Ohtani was voted the majors’ best designated hitter and joined David Ortiz as the only players to win the award three years in a row

The New York Yankees are embarrassingly refusing to part with a pitching prospect, holding up the Juan Soto trade talks.

The Miami Dolphins are 8-3 for a second consecutive season

Former Team USA CEO and skipper Jimmy Spithill will take the wheel of Team Australia’s “Flying Roo” foiling catamaran in SailGP’s Dubai regatta on Dec. 9-10 while countryman Tom Slingsby is on paternity leave

Tiger Woods made a solid return to golf until he limped home in the Bahamas