List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

Miami Heat fans at a wedding thought the team won Game 6, but they failed to realize that it was the Boston Celtics who were victorious.The Miami Heat took the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals over the Boston Celtics with relative ease. The issue is, the Celtics have been fight...

AEW presents Double or Nothing 2023 on Sunday, May 28 in Las Vegas, Nev. Here are the full results and highlights from the show.The big weekend for professional wrestling continues on Sunday, May 28. All Elite Wrestling presents its annual Memorial Day weekend pay-per-view event, Double or Nothi...

Is Publix open on Memorial Day 2023? If you're a shopper who needs last-minute barbeque supplies look no further than this year's Publix Memorial Day hours.Memorial Day is here which means Americans all over will be honoring the sacrifices of US military personnel through the years....

Gary Lineker has congratulated Everton after his former club survived in the Premier League at the expense of his boyhood team Leicester. The two clubs had been in jeopardy heading into the final round of fixtures on Sunday but ultimately Everton’s 1-0 victory over Bournemouth ensured they avoided the drop. At one stage it looked as though it could be the Foxes who stayed up as they took an early lead against West Ham but their eventual 2-1 win was rendered academic by Everton’s result. The Toffees ended the season in 17th place, two points ahead of Leicester, while Leeds were also relegated after a 4-1 loss to Tottenham. Former England striker Lineker, who began his career at Leicester before spending a season at Everton in the mid-1980s, tweeted: “Absolutely gutted, but glad it’s Everton. Have a lot of love for that great football club. Congratulations.” Leicester’s relegation comes seven years after they were crowned Premier League champions and just two years after they won the FA Cup. Lineker added: “A word on Leicester. If eight years ago, you’d have given me the option of winning the Premier League and the FA Cup and then get relegated, I’d have snapped your hand off. Also I’d have told you not to be so utterly ridiculous.” It has been a dismal season for Leicester and TV pundit Roy Keane was not sure how quickly they could recover. The former Manchester United midfielder said on Sky Sports: “They didn’t seem to get any momentum into the season from a bad start. It’s no surprise to see them where they are. “Clubs can bounce back but it isn’t easy. I think it is a rebuilding job at Leicester.” Leeds’ three-year stint in the Premier League ended in a whimper as they were thrashed by Spurs at Elland Road. The club had brought in Sam Allardyce in a last-ditch attempt to escape relegation with four games remaining but the former England boss was unable to engineer a recovery. The team collected just one point from Allardyce’s games and finished in 19th position, five points behind Everton. Keane was scathing of their performances. He said: “They’ve looked weak over the last month or two, even with Sam coming in. “They were fighting for their lives today and conceded four goals at home. That’s nowhere near good enough. “Sam obviously came in too late. Defensively they look so weak. Some of the goals – it’s almost pub team defending. “Not strong enough mentally, that desire – nowhere near good enough.” Chelsea, meanwhile, aimed a parting shot at Leeds on social media. Rivalry between those two clubs dates back to some hard-fought clashes in the 1960s and 70s. In August, Leeds trolled Chelsea on Twitter during their 3-0 victory over the London club. In that game, Chelsea tweeted the Blues were “starting to assert ourselves” just moments before Leeds opened the scoring and quickly followed with a second goal. “Life comes at you fast!” Leeds tweeted in reply. Now, nine months later, Chelsea have got their own back. “It certainly does,” they tweeted. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tom Banton inspires Somerset to third win from three at start of Blast campaign Katarina Johnson-Thompson finishes second on return to heptathlon in Gotzis French Open day 1: British singles contingent down to two after Dan Evans loses

Green Bay Packers rookie wide receivers said that they are already meshing well with quarterback Jordan Love, who is taking over for Aaron Rodgers.The Green Bay Packers are beginning a new era at the quarterback position this upcoming season. After 15 years as the starter, Aaron Rodgers is now a...

For about 40 minutes, including the half-time break, an era that dated back to the time Winston Churchill was prime minister was ending. As it stood, Everton’s 69-year stay in the top flight was entering its final throes. A first relegation since 1951 beckoned. This threatened to be a historic ignominy. Instead, it produced a place in Goodison Park folklore for Abdoulaye Doucoure; given the concerns about Everton’s finances and the question if the club could continue as a going concern without Premier League revenues, the midfielder might not have just been their savour in a footballing sense. But a rescuer he was. There were fireworks outside Goodison; those inside came from Doucoure’s right boot. A bearpit so often as Everton beat the drop last season, their rickety home was subdued, anxious, expecting the worst as Leicester led. Then it erupted. Because then Adam Smith headed out of the Bournemouth box. The ball sat up obligingly but Doucoure connected beautifully, hammering in a half volley from 20 yards. Mark Travers was motionless. Everton extended his contract this week; Doucoure repaid that, his £20m transfer fee and much more with a swing of his right foot. Marginalised under Frank Lampard, he become strangely, crucially prolific for Sean Dyche. The former Burnley manager was denied signings by the club’s ineptitude at the end of the January transfer window but the recalled Doucoure at least offered an injection of impetus. This was his fifth goal for the new manager. Two of the others came in the astonishing 5-1 triumph at Brighton, the most unlikely and ultimately decisive result in the relegation battle. And in a game high on tension and low on clear-cut opportunities – not least because Everton lacked the creativity to fashion them or a centre-forward of any kind – that sufficed. One-nil, the classic Dyche scoreline, came courtesy of plenty of perspiration and one moment of inspiration. This has been a successful salvage job by Dyche: his brand of grit has been unglamorous but his team of workhorses ground out a victory. Their destiny was in their hands and Everton clutched it. They could savour a wholehearted block from Yerry Mina and a wonderful tackle by Conor Coady on Dominic Solanke; two defenders Dyche had omitted were recalled in recent weeks and responded, excelling in what may prove their last games for the club. They could savour a terrific save by Jordan Pickford, parrying Matias Vina’s volley. They had to withstand 10 minutes of added time, some of it a product of Pickford’s timewasting. Amadou Onana punched the air when he won a throw. Then came the blessed relief of the final whistle: Pickford and Coady charged towards the Gwladys Street End until Everton’s players were swamped by a pitch invasion, the blue smoke from flares clouding the air. And so Goodison Park, which first staged top-flight football in 1892, will do so again in its final fixture in 2024 before Everton move to a new ground at Bramley-Moore Dock. Everton will make it 70 consecutive seasons in either the old Division 1 or the Premier League. But the jubilation had not lasted long before a chorus of “sack the board”. Once again, Everton have stumbled towards crisis, only to somehow spare themselves. The £600m of spending in the transfer market during Farhad Moshiri’s ownership has produced a team that only procured 36 points. Dyche did well to take 21 from his 18 matches in charge. For a game of such importance, he ended up with what was both a logical team selection and an utterly ludicrous one. Dyche picked his best available 11, but none of them are a specialist striker or a full-back. A manager with a marked preference for a regimented 4-4-2 formation ended up with a 3-3-3-1 more associated with Marcelo Bielsa and with three men out of position: James Garner and Dwight McNeil as wing-backs and Demarai Gray as a lone striker. Dyche was forced to improvise: Everton showed urgency, but also incoherency in an enforced experiment. It took Everton half an hour to carve out a chance of note and then, after an incisive pass from Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gueye’s shot was tipped over. Travers also clawed away a lob from Garner and parried a header from Gray that a proper centre-forward would probably have scored. But then came a goal of both great quality and huge importance. For Doucoure, a status alongside Graham Stuart, Gareth Farrelly and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the men who delivered the dramatic goals to spare Everton relegation in 1994, 1998 and 2022. There are times when Everton have needed to be the great escapologists. But even in mediocre seasons, with undistinguished teams, they have found a hero, produced an uplifting end. Everton are the great constants in the top division. Ever-presents since the 1950s, they will return once more next year where Leicester and Leeds will not. Read More Leicester’s unexpected twist provides reminder of football’s new reality Wigan already facing threat of second relegation with double points deduction From Netflix disaster to the Premier League? Sunderland seek to leave chaos behind Coventry aim to come full circle after journey to hell and back I apologise I didn’t do better – Sam Allardyce says sorry after Leeds relegated Mikel Arteta pleased to see Granit Xhaka given appreciation from Arsenal fans

There were some significant changes in Premier League points tallies when the 2021/22 season was compared to the freshly concluded 2022/23 campaign

This outrageous NFL conspiracy theory has Tom Brady suiting up for the Las Vegas Raiders.NFL owners are not going to allow this to ever happen, but who wouldn't want to see Tom Brady Jackie Moon it for the Las Vegas Raiders, baby?!Despite there being pretty good reasons why the Silver a...

Granit Xhaka marked his farewell appearance for Arsenal with a brace to help the Premier League runners-up finish their fine campaign with a 5-0 thrashing of Wolves. Xhaka is set to depart the Emirates this summer to join Bayer Leverkusen and signed off a rollercoaster seven years in north London on a high with a first-half double, although he did later miss a great chance for his hat-trick. It failed to spoil the perfect goodbye for the previously much-maligned former Arsenal captain with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Jakub Kiwior also on target to ensure Mikel Arteta’s men regrouped from their title disappointment at Nottingham Forest last weekend to secure a 26th league win of the season. While Xhaka’s impending departure had yet to be confirmed, the huge cheer that greeted his name before kick off played into the narrative this was his final Arsenal outing. It was the latest evidence of his own remarkable turnaround with the Emirates crowd, who he had clashed with so memorable in the winter of 2019 during a match with Crystal Palace – an incident that saw him stripped of the captaincy and on the verge of leaving before Arteta’s intervention. Xhaka immediately set about living up to his lead role with a strong tackle on Matheus Nunes a matter of seconds into the contest. While Nunes saw a fierce effort headed away by Gabriel Jesus during the opening exchanges, it did not take long for Arsenal and their number 34 to open the scoring after 11 minutes. Unorthodox right-back Thomas Partey passed out wide to Jesus and his whipped cross was headed home by Xhaka from close range to begin his farewell in style. After a group celebration with his team-mates, the Swiss international held his hands out in a thank you gesture to the home fans in the Clock End. Three minutes later and Xhaka made it 2-0 to Arsenal. Saka dribbled past Hugo Bueno before Martin Odegaard flicked on his pass, which Wolves captain Max Kilman sliced into the path of Xhaka, who side-footed beyond Jose Sa from six yards. Xhaka celebrated his ninth goal of the season, the best tally of his career, by running over to embrace injured midfielder Mohamed Elneny, the only player still at the club from when he joined in 2016. Arsenal were not ready to take their foot off the gas and Arteta watched his side move into a three-goal lead in the 27th-minute. Odegaard and Leandro Trossard exchanged passes before the latter found Saka, who checked back inside Kilman brilliantly and curled into the corner to mark his new contract with a 15th goal this season. It should have been 4-0 soon after. A one-two between Saka and Odegaard on the right saw the goalscorer scuff an effort across the face of goal, but Xhaka fluffed his lines from 10 yards and sliced wide with a hat-trick at his mercy. Wolves were able to avoid any further damage before half-time and Julen Lopetegui introduced Ruben Neves and Rayan Ait-Nouri but it failed to stem the tide. Partey had the ball in the net for Arsenal in the 52nd minute but his joy was short-lived with the goal ruled out after Ben White had barged into Wolves goalkeeper Sa. The Gunners faithful did not have to wait too much longer for the fourth goal. Arsenal hurt the visitors down the left this time with Trossard able to chip in for Jesus to power home a header at the back post in the 58th minute. All that was left was Xhaka’s farewell with the midfielder substituted to a standing ovation in the 75th minute, which was followed with chants urging him to stay. Kiwior grabbed a fifth with 12 minutes left when he lashed home from a corner that Sa should have saved before Arsenal’s season ended to the backdrop of a partisan atmosphere at a sun-soaked Emirates with the home fans hoping this is just the beginning for Arteta’s young team. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sean Dyche planning major changes at Everton after avoiding relegation Frank Lampard believes Chelsea standards have slipped as cheerless campaign ends Erik ten Hag backs Man Utd to win FA Cup and end neighbours City’s treble charge

Leeds’ three-season stay in the Premier League is over after a 4-1 home defeat to Tottenham confirmed their relegation. Harry Kane and Pedro Porro scored early in either half to put Spurs 2-0 up and, although Jack Harrison reduced the deficit, Kane struck a game-clinching second in what could be his last game for the London club. Tottenham substitute Lucas Moura rubbed salt into Leeds’ wounds by waltzing through a porous defence in stoppage time to complete their misery. Leeds went into the final day needing not only victory, but for relegation rivals Everton and Leicester to drop points and, since they both won, the Yorkshire club’s 21st league defeat of the season was immaterial. The hosts have not kept a clean sheet since February and their hopes of doing so on Sunday went up in smoke in just the second minute. The ease with which Porro and Son Heung-min combined to carve open the defence typified Leeds’ season, with Kane finding space among headless chickens to hit the first nail into the home side’s coffin. Leeds fans responded to Kane’s 28th league goal of the season with raucous defiance, ‘We’re going down’ being one of their chants. Leeds’ players rallied and did their best to give something back to the Elland Road faithful, but in terms of confidence and quality they have long been running on empty. Robin Koch spurned their best chance, heading wayward from in front of goal from Rodrigo’s brilliant cross before Pascal Struijk’s shot was deflected for a corner. Adam Forshaw’s fierce drive was blocked by Davinson Sanchez and another Koch header curled the wrong side of a post. Leeds boss Sam Allardyce cut a forlorn figure in the dugout and saw his side waste further first-half chances as Rodrigo headed Forshaw’s cross off target and Rasmus Kristensen volleyed over. Tottenham continually threatened on the break without creating any more first-half scoring chances, but they soon remedied that. Just as they had done in the first half, Leeds conceded inside the opening two minutes of the second as Kane brilliantly set up Porro, who arrowed a low shot into the far corner from a narrow angle to put the visitors 2-0 up. Leeds gamely searched for a goal of their own and were rewarded when Harrison made space on the edge of the area to drill a low shot into the far corner. But within two minutes Tottenham restored their two-goal advantage. Sanchez’s simple long clearance caught Leeds’ defence all at sea and Kane curled a neat finish inside the far post. As Leeds fans vented their fury at their club’s plight in the closing stages, Moura – on his last appearance for the north London club – completed the scoring after a mazy run from halfway before chants of ‘Sack the board’ rang out through the home terraces. Read More Everton safe as reality bites for Leeds and Leicester – 5 Premier League things Leicester and Leeds down as Abdoulaye Doucoure stunner is enough to save Everton Gareth Southgate knows Euro 2024 must go ‘very, very well’ to keep England job Ryan Mason believes Daniel Levy has ‘been let down by other people’ at Tottenham Ryan Mason ‘trusts the people making decisions’ at Tottenham ahead of key summer Kane proud of Freedom of the City of London award – Friday’s sporting social

Leicester have been relegated from the Premier League to the Championship after a dramatic final day of the 2022/23 season. Abdoulaye Doucoure’s thunderous strike earned Everton victory over Bournemouth, meaning Leicester’s win over West Ham was in vain. The results left Sean Dyche’s side two points clear of the Foxes, with Dean Smith’s team unable to close the gap facing them entering the final game of the campaign. The 2015/16 champions, who join Leeds and Southampton in next season’s Championship, started positively and a superb Harvey Barnes goal had them moving out of the relegation zone on goal difference after 34 minutes. Leeds, also two points from safety at the start of play, were dealt a blow early by Harry Kane’s opener for Tottenham. And Sam Allardyce’s hopes of pulling off another great escape were all but ended early in the second half when Pedro Porro grabbed a second for Spurs. But with tension elevated around Goodison Park, Doucoure enabled a release with his opener against the Cherries. Wout Faes gave Leicester breathing room with a second goal, but Bournemouth were unable to reply, leaving Everton safe and sending Leicester back to the Championship for the first time in nine years. “It’s relief,” Everton’s Conor Coady said. “We don't want to make it a thing, we need to improve. It's the hardest season of my life, it's a lot of relief. “We had a plan, we worked so hard, it’s important. Loads of pressure, but relief, this giant of a football club going down, you don’t want to be part of that. This club has to rise and get better now. “It's been so hard emotionally, we have to be better. It needs to be better. I’m not imagining that [relegation], we are where we are. We don’t want this to happen again, it has to improve, this club is a giant.” Read More James Ward-Prowse, James Maddison and 16 Premier League transfer targets after relegation ‘It is theatre’: Inside the emotional chaos of a final-day Premier League relegation battle Premier League relegation battle LIVE: Latest scores and updates as Everton and Leicester battle for survival Everton safe as reality bites for Leeds and Leicester – 5 Premier League things Frank Lampard believes Chelsea standards have slipped as cheerless campaign ends Erik ten Hag backs Man Utd to win FA Cup and end neighbours City’s treble charge

Liverpool blew a two-goal lead before battling back from 4-2 down to end an underwhelming Premier League season with a remarkable 4-4 draw at relegated Southampton. Quick-fire finishes from Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota salvaged a point for Jurgen Klopp’s side on a chaotic afternoon at St Mary’s. Saints had looked set to end a miserable campaign in style after Kamaldeen Sulemana’s brace and strikes from James Ward-Prowse and Adam Armstrong overturned early goals from Jota and Roberto Firmino. But Southampton’s final match under manager Ruben Selles, who is expected to be replaced by Swansea boss Russell Martin in the coming days, ended all square after Gakpo and Jota struck in the space of a minute. Fifth-placed Liverpool went close to leaving the south coast with maximum points as Mohamed Salah inadvertently struck a post and was denied by a fine stop from Alex McCarthy late on. But the Merseyside club had to be content with extending their unbeaten top-flight run to 11 games, having begun the day knowing they would miss out on a top-four finish for the first time since 2015-16. James Milner and Firmino started on their farewell appearances for the Europa League-bound Reds as manager Klopp made seven changes, including selecting Caoimhin Kelleher in goal. With Southampton seeking to restore a modicum of pride after their fate was sealed a fortnight ago, Liverpool initially looked like they would canter to victory. Dreadful defending gifted the visitors the 10th-minute opener as Jota fired into an unguarded net from close range after being teed up by a woeful pass from Romeo Lavia as Saints attempted to play out from the back. Firmino swiftly doubled the Reds’ advantage, collecting a pass from Fabinho on the edge of the hosts’ 18-yard box before dummying his way beyond Lyanco and Jan Bednarek and driving through the legs of Saints goalkeeper McCarthy. There was a strong sense of deja vu for long-suffering home fans who have witnessed just two home league wins all season but Southampton responded by showing the fight they have so often lacked. Long-serving midfielder Ward-Prowse – who was potentially making his final Saints appearance ahead of a mooted summer move – halved the deficit in the 19th minute by coolly slotting into the bottom-right corner after being picked out by Carlos Alcaraz. And Selles’ side were level just nine minutes later. Firmino sloppily conceded possession to Lavia close to the halfway line as Liverpool attempted to break, allowing Theo Walcott to slide in Sulemana, who fired his first goal in English football under Kelleher. Sulemana stylishly completed Southampton’s stunning comeback just two minutes into the second period. The Ghana international collected the ball midway inside his own half, eased past Fabinho and then accelerated unchallenged to the edge of the box before bending into the bottom-right corner and celebrating with a backflip. And the Reds were soon facing a major uphill battle to salvage something as substitute Armstrong made an immediate impact. A minute after replacing Lavia, the striker intercepted Jordan Henderson’s careless pass and raced forward before his low-angled finish into the bottom-right corner seemed to catch Kelleher out of position. Liverpool were stunned by the extraordinary turnaround but intent to protect an unbeaten run dating back to April 1. Gakpo – a one-time Southampton target – halved Saints’ lead by tapping in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s volleyed cross in the 72nd minute before Jota found space to lash home his second from Salah’s pass moments later. Salah almost snatched victory for the Reds 11 minutes from time but his attempted control from a long pass struck the left post after looping over the head of McCarthy and the spoils were shared. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sean Dyche planning major changes at Everton after avoiding relegation Frank Lampard believes Chelsea standards have slipped as cheerless campaign ends Erik ten Hag backs Man Utd to win FA Cup and end neighbours City’s treble charge