Huddersfield took a huge step towards Sky Bet Championship safety with a 2-1 win at Cardiff.

Substitute Joseph Hungbo struck a powerful opener and Jack Simpson’s own goal secured Huddersfield a three-point buffer between themselves and the relegation zone.

Cardiff replied through Isaak Davies’ first goal of the season seven minutes from time and the Terriers held on to the three points when Lee Nicholls saved superbly from Rubin Colwill.

A draw on the final day at home to 22nd-placed Reading will be enough to keep Huddersfield up, although Neil Warnock’s side could guarantee their Championship status by avoiding defeat to promoted Sheffield United on Thursday.

Warnock was back on familiar ground having won a record eighth promotion at Cardiff in 2018 during a three-year stay in south Wales.

The 74-year-old came out of retirement in February with Huddersfield in 23rd place and just one point off the bottom of the table.

Cardiff could relax after their Championship status was confirmed on Saturday by Reading’s failure to beat Wigan.

Sabri Lamouchi has gradually improved the Bluebirds’ fortunes since his January appointment, with Sory Kaba largely responsible for their late-season flourish.

Kaba was rested to the bench after seven goals in 10 games, but the Guinean was introduced as early as the 13th minute in the Welsh capital as Kion Etete limped off.

It was not a welcome sight for the visitors, who had started well in the Cardiff drizzle.

Danny Ward, who played under Warnock during his three years at Cardiff, almost marked his return with a second-minute shot that Jak Alnwick pushed out at his near post.

Huddersfield attacks were also thwarted by brave blocks from Cedric Kipre and Mahlon Romeo as Cardiff struggled to fashion chances.

Romaine Sawyers blazed over from the edge of the box before the Terriers were almost undone after 39 minutes by a one-two between Jaden Philogene and Kaba.

Philogene raced in on advancing Huddersfield goalkeeper Lee Nicholls but lifted the ball into the side-netting.

Openings were just as scarce after the interval until Sawyers lost possession under pressure after 61 minutes.

Hungbo, on loan from Watford, pounced on the loose ball and cut inside Kipre to fire a vicious shot past Alnwick.

Huddersfield doubled their advantage eight minutes later as Jack Rudoni’s free-kick flicked off the head of Ryan Wintle to reach the far post.

Matty Pearson had timed his run perfectly but his header looked as if it was travelling wide before striking the foot of Simpson and giving Alnwick no chance.

The woodwork twice denied Huddersfield another goal as Josh Koroma hit a post before Jaheim Headley planted the rebound against the crossbar from just a few feet out.

Davies gave Cardiff hope with a clever back-heel from Romeo’s cross, but Huddersfield were not to be denied.

A group of Manchester United fans protested against the Glazer family and demanded a full sale ahead of Sunday’s match against Aston Villa.

Friday was the third, and what is expected to be final, deadline for interested parties to make offers to buy the club.

Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe both submitted offers to the Glazers, who have faced fury from United fans since their leveraged takeover in 2005.

Fan group The 1958 has led renewed protests against them for the past year and held another before Sunday’s Premier League home match against Villa.

Leaving from central Manchester, the march continued on to Old Trafford as fans displayed a giant banner reading ‘Full $ale Only’.

The shutters were closed in the Munich Tunnel when protestors arrived at the ground, where chants against the Glazers were relentless.

Smoke from the flares outside rose through the concourses and filled the air inside Old Trafford as the players warmed up.

The 1958 called for an 18-minute boycott of the match – “one minute for each year the Glazers have driven our club into the ground”.

There were some visible empty seats at kick-off but Old Trafford was largely full. There were chants against the owners from the outset.

Sergio Perez followed up his sprint race victory with a superb drive to triumph in Sunday's main event at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which was marred by shambolic organisation on the final lap.

Perez was the quickest in Saturday's sprint and the Mexican held off Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to claim his second race win of the season.

However, the FIA and race organisers will have questions to answer after crew members and photographers were allowed onto the pit lane during the final lap, despite Esteban Ocon having not pitted.

The Alpine driver came in for his pit stop, but managed to slow down enough to avoid any incident.

Fortunately, there was no taking away from Perez's triumph, his second in Baku after 2021.

Leclerc held pole but two-time reigning Formula One champion Verstappen took the lead in the third lap, with Perez overtaking the Ferrari soon after.

Verstappen clipping the wall on Turn Four allowed Perez to close ground, and there was more bad news for the Dutchman when he pitted just before a safety car, which was brought out after Nyck De Vries spun off the track.

Perez took advantage by pitting during the safety car, and was back out in first place by the time racing resumed.

An investigation for a possible unsafe release yielded no penalty for Perez, who would not relinquish his lead and eventually won by over two seconds.

Behind him, Verstappen and Fernando Alonso tussled for the fastest lap, though it was George Russell who clinched it at the death after a late pit stop.

Leclerc, meanwhile, had to settle for third on a disappointing day for Ferrari.

Red Bull on the charge

Red Bull are the seventh team in F1 history to have won the first four races of a campaign, with the victories split evenly between Perez and Verstappen.

Indeed, Red Bull have now surpassed Mercedes as the team with the most wins in Baku.

Verstappen overtakes legendary Senna

One day short of the 29th anniversary of Ayrton Senna's death, Verstappen secured his 81st podium finish.

That is one more than the great Senna managed in his career, which was tragically cut short in 1994.

Kolo Toure believes working under Pep Guardiola was the perfect crash course in management for Vincent Kompany.

Former Manchester City captain Kompany has enjoyed a fine season in charge of Burnley, leading the Clarets straight back to the Premier League and the Championship title.

Kompany, 37, left City in 2019 to become player-manager of Anderlecht.

He joined Burnley last year, and his success at Turf Moor has seen him become one of the most highly coveted young managers, with Tottenham reportedly interested in taking him to north London.

Kompany's ex-City team-mate Toure, who endured a difficult, short spell as Wigan Athletic boss earlier in the 2022-23 campaign, always felt the Belgian would go onto big things in management.

"You could feel that [he would be a manager]," Toure told Stats Perform.

"Vincent has everything. He has the manager skill. I could see it already as a player. Even when he wasn't captain you could see he had a great relationship with players.

"A great relationship with the fans, a great relationship with the media, and a great relationship with the owners.

"He's always been somebody who is very intelligent, somebody who can connect with people very easily and speaks both languages really, really well. And he prepared himself very well."

Kompany played under Guardiola for three years of his 11-season stint at City, and Toure believes the Spaniard was the perfect teacher to learn from.

"I think for me what is the best thing that happened to him is to be able to play and be managed by Pep Guardiola because he learned from Pep, and Pep is an unbelievable manager," Toure said.

"What he's been learning under him is incredibly great in that's what he's showing really there. Of course, he has a little bit of detail that is putting on the way he wants this team to play. But when you look at his team, he is taking that from Pep Guardiola, definitely."

Toure's first foray into management was not quite as successful as Toure's endeavours; he lasted just 59 days in charge of Wigan.

He failed to win any of his nine games and left Wigan with the club sat bottom of the Championship. They were relegated on Saturday.

Toure, though, is keen to carry on in coaching.

"I would say that it was a great learning moment for me because, during my career as a player, I never experienced fighting for relegation. When the opportunity came, I took it because, for me, it was a great opportunity to start my managerial career," he explained.

"I wanted to challenge myself because you cannot wait for the perfect moment to get the perfect job. I wanted to do that job. I found players who are top guys, and I was my mission was to change the style of play and keep the team up.

"Unfortunately, it didn't work really because defensively we conceded so many goals, and attacking-wise we were dangerous, and we created chances but we never scored them.

"I learned, and you have to be honest, you try things with the level of players with the pressure that the players had, it wasn't easy for them. Next time I have another opportunity, I make sure to assess the situation even better, and just try to help the team win games by taking some of the pressure out of the players."

"I'm definitely looking for a job now," Toure added. "I'm more hungry than ever. I'm looking forward. I'm looking to get a new job. My passion for the game is there to push players to really win games and be the best that they can be."

Sergio Perez breathed fresh life into this season’s world championship by beating Max Verstappen to victory in Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Perez took advantage of an early safety car to stop for new tyres and leapfrog Verstappen in the other Red Bull.

The Mexican controlled the remainder of the race to take the chequered flag 2.1 seconds clear of Verstappen.

Charles Leclerc, who started on pole position, finished third for Ferrari with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso fourth. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, two places ahead of Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

Perez’s win moves him to within six points of Verstappen in the drivers’ standings.

Leclerc started from the front but despite executing a perfect getaway to beat Verstappen to the opening corner, his lead lasted just three laps.

With the Drag Reduction System open in the back of Verstappen’s Red Bull, the Dutchman blasted by his Ferrari rival at 215mph on the main straight to take the lead.

Perez, third on the grid, followed his Red Bull team-mate through two laps later with the double world champion leading a one-two for the grid’s all-conquering team.

From there, Verstappen would have expected to claim his third win of the season, but the race fell away from him on lap 10 when Nyck de Vries crashed out at the fourth corner.

Verstappen immediately pulled in for new tyres but just moments later the safety car was deployed with De Vries’ broken AlphaTauri needing to be cleared.

With the field running at a controlled speed, Perez was able to stop for rubber and retain the lead. Verstappen fell from first to third, with Leclerc also benefitting from a free pit-stop.

An earlier change of tyres also cost Hamilton. The British driver dropped from fifth to 10th once the order had shuffled out.

When the safety car came in, Verstappen wasted no time in moving up to second after he dived underneath Leclerc’s Ferrari at Turn 3.

Alonso was also on the move, sneaking past Carlos Sainz, to take fourth with Hamilton making places, too. Tenth swiftly became eighth for the Mercedes man before he fought his way past team-mate Russell at the start of lap 15.

“Well that was a s*** re-start,” said Russell on the radio. “Sorry, guys.”

On lap 20, Hamilton was then up to sixth after Lance Stroll ran wide at the penultimate corner to allow the seven-time world champion a slingshot past.

Up front and Verstappen was failing to make any headway on his team-mate. And despite a brush with the barriers at Turn 15, Perez followed up his sprint triumph on Saturday with his second win of the campaign.

Hamilton pressed Sainz to the flag – at one stage calling on his Mercedes team to provide him with “more power” – but he was unable to find a way past the Ferrari driver.

Stroll finished seventh for Aston Martin while Russell, called a d***head by Verstappen following their first-lap collision in Saturday’s shortened race, came home in eighth and also posted the fastest lap. Lando Norris claimed two points after he crossed the line in ninth place.

Inter's Champions League hopes received a huge boost with a late comeback and a 3-1 win against Lazio in Serie A.

Felipe Anderson had given the visitors a first-half lead at San Siro, robbing Francesco Acerbi of possession and dispatching past Andre Onana.

Numerous chances for an equaliser went begging for the hosts in the second half, which looked set to result in yet another home loss for the Nerazzurri.

However, Martinez smashed home an equaliser after 77 minutes, with Robin Gosens putting his side ahead befre Martinez added further gloss to the scoreline in a rallying finish from Simone Inzaghi's men.

Abby Dow insists England are happy to continue building support on the road despite drawing a record crowd to Twickenham for Saturday’s Grand Slam triumph over France.

The Red Roses clinched a fifth consecutive Tik Tok Six Nations title after toppling their biggest rivals in the Championship 38-33 with 58,498 watching from the stands – the highest total recorded for a woman’s game.

It has raised the possibility of selling out the ground before the Rugby Football Union’s target of attracting a full house for the 2025 World Cup final.

But Dow, who scored the opening try against France, believes there is still great value in playing at club venues such as Kingston Park and Franklin’s Gardens, which were used earlier in the tournament.

“One thing we are really trying to work on as a team is making our own brand and making something that is actually viable,” the 25-year-old Harlequins wing said.

“At the end of the day, professional rugby is about the financial situation as well. Yes we can get 58,000 people coming down to Twickenham, but that’s for Le Crunch.

“We need to get that consistently for every single Six Nations game. When we get that, that’s when we can actually bring it to Twickenham.

“But what we are doing now by going across the country is inspiring people throughout the country, which is something we don’t quite get to see as much with the men’s team. We are more than happy to continue doing that as well.

“Women’s rugby – you’ve heard it for the last five years that we are on the up and no-one ever quite believed it, but now people are really starting to believe.

“Now we are breaking those targets and if we can do it (sell out Twickenham) before the World Cup then that would be incredible.”

Simon Middleton celebrated a triumphant finale in his final match as head coach – a role he has held since 2015.

“We’ve had some great successes and we’ve had some failures and that’s sport. This game typified everything,” Middleton said.

“When you looked around the stadium and saw 58,498 people, the energy in he ground, I couldn’t have been prouder. This is a good place to step out.”

Pablo Larrazabal battled his way to the top of a congested leaderboard on Sunday afternoon to claim his eighth DP World Tour title at the Korea Championship.

The Spaniard secured a two-shot victory over Dane Marcus Helligkilde after carding six birdies and a single bogey in a closing 67 to reach 12 under par.

Larrazabal went into the final round one shot off the lead having bogeyed the 17th when he returned to complete his weather-disrupted third round in the morning.

He then found himself in a five-way tie at the top on nine under at the turn following two front-nine birdies.

Larrazabal slipped from the summit after dropping his first shot of the round on the 10th hole but roared back, making four birdies in the next five holes to open up a three-shot lead.

He then safely parred his way home to clinch a first visit to the winner’s circle since the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain last April.

The 39-year-old said: “I love to compete, I love to fly out here, to see all these young guys hitting it miles and try to beat them.

“And that’s what makes me the happiest guy in the world.”

Scotland’s Scott Jamieson finished in a four-way tie for third on nine under alongside home favourite Park Sanghyun, Spain’s Jorge Campillo, Dutchman Joost Luiten, with fellow Scot Robert MacIntyre another shot further back.

Everton manager Sean Dyche hopes captain Seamus Coleman’s return will help bring some much-needed leadership to his relegation-threatened side.

The Republic of Ireland international has missed the last three matches with a hamstring problem and during that time the Toffees have picked up just one point, conceded seven times and even in the goalless draw at Crystal Palace looked over-exposed at right-back.

Coleman is expected to be fit to regain his place in the team and bolster a flank on which has seen stand-ins Mason Holgate, who was sent off for two yellow cards at Selhurst Park, and Ben Godfrey look out of their depth.

The 34-year-old is also the most progressive option of the three when it comes to being confident enough to overlap in attack but it is his experience which may be most needed as they head into a must-win game against fellow strugglers Leicester.

“He’s a very important player with his history and understanding of the club,” said Dyche.

“He has been a loss for us so we do look forward to him being back. Until the second goal (in Thursday’s 4-1 home defeat by Newcastle) it was a very good performance but after the second goal that’s the big challenge for me.

“Where did the mentality go? How quickly did that change? Who re-grips it? Who in our team goes ‘right, OK, let’s re-grip what we’re doing here’ because we weren’t a million miles away? You can’t wait for it to happen.”

The Newcastle defeat was hugely-damaging, not only because it left them with just two more home matches – one of which is against Manchester City – to extend their 69-year top-flight stay, but because of the effect it had on morale.

Players looked shot at the final whistle, at which time Goodison Park was half-empty as the supporters who had lined the streets to greet the team coach with their pyrotechnics and flags had headed for the exits after Newcastle’s third went in.

Asked whether he thought the team had lost the fans, Dyche added: “I don’t think so. I think they will be backing the club to the end.”

Roberto De Zerbi admits he “made some mistakes” by not affording more first-team opportunities to Billy Gilmour and Deniz Undav before their starring roles in Brighton’s stunning 6-0 win over Wolves.

The peripheral pair were handed just their third Premier League starts for the Seagulls during Saturday’s club-record top-flight victory and seized their chances with standout performances.

Former Chelsea midfielder Gilmour was hailed as the best player on the pitch by his manager, while German forward Undav bagged a brace to claim his first league goals in English football.

De Zerbi’s decision to begin with key trio Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Kaoru Mitoma on the bench raised some eyebrows but was quickly forgotten as his reshuffled starting XI delivered in devastating style.

“We are enduring a very tough period, we are playing so many games in a row and we are not used to playing so many games,” the Brighton boss said of his decision to rotate.

“I thought it was good and right to give Mac Allister, Mitoma and Caicedo one game to recover and for Billy Gilmour and Undav and the players who are playing less the possibility to show their quality.

“But the level of Mac Allister, Mitoma and Caicedo is high and to make competition is difficult for Gilmour.

“Gilmour, I think, was the best player on the pitch and I must admit possibly in the past I made some mistakes with him and with Undav because I didn’t give them many possibilities to play.

“But for me it’s difficult. To play without Mac Allister, Mitoma, Solly March, Moises Caicedo, it’s difficult.”

Brighton’s thumping success was the perfect response to a difficult week as Undav, Pascal Gross and Danny Welbeck claimed two goals apiece.

Albion suffered penalty shoot-out heartache at the hands of Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final last Sunday and then had their European push dented by a 3-1 midweek loss at relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.

De Zerbi now has a positive selection headache going into Thursday’s rematch with Erik ten Hag’s United in the league but could be without Joel Veltman after he was substituted in visible distress.

The Italian coach conceded he should have withdrawn Dutch defender Veltman earlier, particularly as fellow right-back Tariq Lamptey is sidelined.

“I hope it will be a small problem,” De Zerbi said of Veltman, who has recently been troubled by a hamstring issue.

“It’s important for us, especially in this moment, because we are playing without Lamptey.

“With or without Joel changes a lot of things because only Pascal Gross can play as a right-back.”

Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui urged his players to quickly move on from the Amex Stadium humiliation.

The former Real Madrid manager also feels it is important to put the current situation into perspective given his club were bottom of the table when he took over following the World Cup.

Wplves host local rivals Aston Villa next weekend, with work still to do to eradicate relegation concerns.

“All together we have to be ready for the next fight because we are in the middle of the battle,” said the Spaniard.

“We lost one battle but not the war, so we have to continue to achieve our aim in the end of the season.

“We are aware that we have not done anything yet and we need to get more points.

“We have to recover our energy and our confidence because we have to remember four months ago we were in the bottom.

“It’s a good thing to remember where we were. Now at least we have the possibility to be out of the relegation and that is a very big aim for us.”

Former Castleford full-back Zak Hardaker was banned for 14 months by UK Anti-Doping on April 30, 2018 following a failed drugs test.

The punishment was backdated to September 2017, when he tested positive for cocaine.

Hardaker’s representatives Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors said in a statement: “We believe the correct verdict has been returned and we would like to thank the tribunal for their professionalism. This was a truly exceptional case, where the drug use was never linked to performance enhancement.

“In this regard Zak would never take any substance to achieve an unfair advantage and we are pleased that the decision of the tribunal has recognised this fact.

“The last two years have been an extremely difficult period for Zak who, away
from the public eye, has bravely battled a number of personal traumas.”

Castleford announced in February 2018 that Hardaker had been sacked with four years left on his contract after initially dropping him for the Super League Grand Final against his former club Leeds and then suspending him.

The failed drugs test was revealed after a Super 8s game against the Rhinos the previous September, with Hardaker also missing the 2017 World Cup.

It was the latest dark chapter in Hardaker’s career. In 2014, while at Leeds, he was banned for five games after being found guilty of homophobic abuse in a match and a year later he agreed to take an anger management course after admitting assaulting a student.

Hardaker signed for Wigan while still suspended, joining them in November 2018, but the controversies continued.

Before his comeback, he was arrested for drink driving, and Hardaker was released by Wigan in 2022 following more disciplinary issues.

He subsequently rejoined Leeds before moving on again to his current club, newly-promoted Leigh Leopards.

Jon Rahm shot a course record 61 as his bid for a fifth win of the year moved up a gear in the third round of the Mexico Open.

The Masters champion went out in 29 to move within two of leader Tony Finau.

Akshay Bhatia, playing in just his sixth PGA Tour event, will join the tournament’s big two names in the final group after equalling the previous Vidanta Vallarta course record of 63 to sit alongside Rahm on 17 under.

Rahm, who hit 17 greens in regulation, had the chance of a rare 59 but missed birdie putts on 15 and 16 before seeing his drive at the 18th plug in a fairway bunker as he had to settle for a par.

He said following his round: “It was a great round. The swings didn’t feel that different today to the first two days. The first two rounds, a couple of the not-so-good swings cost me a little bit too much

“Today, everything just seemed perfect. Made a lot of great swings and the ones that weren’t great, still gave myself a good result.”

The world number one needed just 25 putts as he equalled his career-low round.

“I think that’s the difference usually in a course like this,” he said. “To get to 10 under you’re going to have to make a few lengthy ones, and combined with really good ball-striking, great round. Really happy with what I did and just glad I gave myself a chance.”

Rahm, who is looking to defend a PGA title for the first time, could become the first player with five wins on the tour before May since Johnny Miller in 1974.

Finau, the only other member of the world’s top 20 in the field, birdied five of his last seven holes as he carded a 65 to maintain his lead heading into the final round.

Rahm, who beat him to the title 12 months ago, briefly edged ahead before the American’s strong finish.

Bhatia, 21, leapfrogged into the final group with an eagle on the last having played a practice round with Rahm and Finau earlier in the week.

Brandon Wu, who was second alongside Finau last year, is a shot further back and the only other person within five strokes of the lead.

Ben Taylor edged into the top 10 with a 66, two better than fellow Englishman Harry Hall.

Four-time champion Mark Selby came through a late-night battle with Mark Allen to set up a World Snooker Championship final with Crucible history maker Luca Brecel.

The 39-year-old was embroiled in a tense thriller with the Northern Irishman, eventually getting over the line with a 17-15 victory at 12.48am on Sunday morning – just 12 hours before the final is due to start.

Selby, who last won the tournament in 2021, probably thought he would have been done and dusted much earlier as five successive frames at the start of Saturday’s evening session put him one away from victory shortly before 10pm.

Yet, he had to wait the best part of three hours before potting the final ball as Allen hit back with five successive frames of his own and threatened to take it even deeper into the night.

Selby said: “I was just happy to get over the line, I felt I played well from 11-10 to 16-10 and then missed a couple of chances.

“At 16-15 he probably goes favourite because he had the momentum. It means everything to be back, I want to try and win it now I’m in the final.

“I don’t feel too bad right now, but I haven’t been sleeping too well while I’ve been here. If I don’t sleep well tonight there is something wrong.

“Luca will be fresh, he has had a night off, but if it means I only get 10 hours and playing in the World Championship final, I’d rather have that than have 24 hours off and be driving home.”

While Selby will have a quick turnaround before Sunday’s final, Brecel will have been tucked up and relaxed after he created history earlier in the day in his semi-final win over Si Jiahui.

The Belgian, who conquered Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-final, produced the largest comeback at the famous Sheffield venue, winning 11 frames on the spin to turn a 14-5 deficit into a 17-14 victory.

He became the first player in Crucible history to overturn a nine-frame deficit and booked his first World Championship final, having never previously got past the first round.

Brecel said of his miraculous recovery against the 20-year-old Chinese debutant: “At 14-12, 14-13 I knew I had a chance, but I think 14-14 I was really believing it because I could see he was struggling and I was playing great stuff.

“But I knew I could have lost as well. To win is absolutely unbelievable, it is the biggest game of my life. I was in disbelief, I was shaking.

“The whole game I was expecting to lose, even with a session to spare, so to even have a chance to win was the craziest feeling ever in my body and I can’t believe I did it.

“I have never won a game here and now I am in the final, it is some story. It is going to take a while to sink in.”