David Moyes accused the VAR of “disrespect” after West Ham were denied a late penalty as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat by Liverpool.

Moyes angrily confronted Chris Kavanagh on the field at full-time after the referee decided not to award a penalty when Thiago’s arm hit the ball as he challenged Danny Ings in the box.

The Hammers boss was convinced VAR Neil Swarbrick should have at least told Kavanagh to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

“I’ve a chance to see it since,” said Moyes. “The difference for me is, and you’ll probably hear them coming out with some rubbish about he needed to break his fall, but if you lunge it’s your own fault for lunging and being out of control in the tackle.

“You can break your fall by sliding and having to put your arm down but when you lunge for the ball, for me, that completely nullifies anything they’re talking about breaking your fall.  I think it’s a penalty kick.

“I think the hardest thing to take is the disrespect from VAR, that VAR wouldn’t have at least said to the referee that this might be worth having a look. That tells me they don’t see that as even close to a decision. I’m surprised.

“Somebody in VAR didn’t have enough football knowledge to understand that this could be close.

“Whoever it was chose not to send the referee. VAR, for me, showed no respect whatsoever to us.

“The handball rule has changed dramatically and I don’t like a lot of it, to be fair. Do I think the boy meant tonight for it to hit his hand? No I didn’t. But he got his hand in the way of a ball going through made by his own actions.

“Look, it’s not about that (an apology). They might need to apologise to the football club because we’re trying to get points to be a Premier League team.”

Joel Matip’s towering header saw Liverpool come from behind pick up a third straight win.

The Hammers led through a wonder strike from Lucas Paqueta but were pegged back by Cody Gakpo’s long-range drive.

And moments after Jarrod Bowen had a goal disallowed for offside, Matip struck from a corner to halt West Ham’s recent revival.

“I heard now about the handball. I thought he just fell on the ball but I can see why Moyesie would think different,” said Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, whose side climbed to sixth.

“I liked the performance a lot. Parts of the first half we were exceptional. We made one mistake and they scored a great goal, what a screamer. But we stayed calm and scored our screamer.

“Second half I liked as well. We had to dig in deep because of the physicality of West Ham. I would have liked the game if it was a draw. We won so that makes it the perfect night for us.”

Erik ten Hag has praised potential summer target Harry Kane’s intelligence, personality and goalscoring instincts ahead of Manchester United’s trip to Tottenham.

Fresh from edging past Brighton in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final on penalties, the Red Devils return to London for a key match in the race for Champions League qualification.

Fourth-placed United boast a six-point cushion and two games in hand on Spurs, who turned to Ryan Mason as caretaker boss following their 6-1 shellacking at Newcastle.

But whatever the disfunction at Spurs, club record goalscorer Kane always seems to find a way to find the net and took his tally to 26 in all competitions at St James’ Park.

The 29-year-old’s deal at his boyhood club expires next year and United have been strongly linked with a summer move for the striker, who was subject of a failed pursuit by Manchester City in 2021.

“It’s quite clear his impact on the game from Spurs,” United boss Ten Hag said of threat posed by Kane on Thursday night.

“We have a plan of course for that. The home game we did very well, so for tomorrow we need a very good plan as well.

“You have to defend him as a team. He’s a clever player, so don’t allow him to come into situations. He can have a big impact on the game.”

Asked what makes Kane such a great striker, Ten Hag said: “First of all, the number of goals.

“And also his key actions (that) come to a goal, final passes as well. He’s just a great player, great personality as well.”

Then pushed on whether he would fit in well at United, Ten Hag said after a slight pause: “I am preparing my team tomorrow for a game against Spurs.

“He is one of the players but we have to face Spurs, so I don’t think about anything else.”

United had already looked light up top before Cristiano Ronaldo’s acrimonious November departure.

Football director John Murtough told a fans’ forum the following month that “it’s no secret that we’re looking for a new centre-forward”.

Wout Weghorst joined on loan from Burnley in January to plug that gap for the remainder of the season, but Murtough said “the main focus remains on the summer window”.

Planning was well under way for that window before the curtain came down on 2022 and Kane is among the elite number nines United have been linked with.

“I think we have to strengthen the team on more positions (than just striker) – for instance the depth in the squad,” Ten Hag said when asked about the need for a striker.

“But don’t think about that in this moment. It’s not about that.

“So far I think we have a great season so keep going, keep improving, keep progressing.

“The team is doing so well and I think it’s enjoyable to be part of this team.

“We have to keep the process going. We have good players, we have a great team, we have a great year but it’s only success if you keep going.”

United won the Carabao Cup in February and have the FA Cup final against Manchester City to look forward to on June 3.

They are on course for a top-four finish but last week’s embarrassing Europa League quarter-final loss at Sevilla provided a reality check for Ten Hag’s developing team.

“Of course it would be great but in this moment we can’t dream for that,” the United boss said when the prospect of pushing for the title next year rather than the top four was put to him.

“We know where Man United should belong, but the reality is we are not in that place, so, as a club, we have to work very hard to get back in that position.

“So, don’t dream in this moment, be in the reality and make a good plan, strategy, but work very hard and be ready for every game.

“I think we are in a good direction, but we have still a way to go. That’s also the truth.”

Ryan Mason has insisted he now feels ready to be Tottenham manager after experiencing a level of “uncertainty” during his first caretaker spell in charge.

Mason became the youngest ever Premier League boss in 2021 when he replaced Jose Mourinho for the final month of the season and he is back in the role after Cristian Stellini was dismissed following Sunday’s 6-1 thrashing at Newcastle.

The 31-year-old is Spurs’ third manager of the campaign but believes he is better equipped to steer the ship this time having spent the last 18 months as first-team coach at his boyhood club.

“At that time did I know I was ready? There was a lot of uncertainty but looking at it now, I know I’m ready to help the group and deal with the situation in a good way,” Mason reiterated.

“I’m young, yes, but not in terms of a coach. Six years of coaching solid is a long time.

“A normal player retires at 35 and if you fast forward six years then you’re 40, 41 and the perception is probably totally different.

“In terms of my age I may be young but not in terms of my coaching experience.

“Obviously there are ambitions when you start coaching and you chase things, but I’ve always lived in a way which is to deal with what is happening right now and never take your eye off the ball.

“I’m ready for this situation and I feel like the players know I’m ready as well. The focus is on these next six games and then in the summer we will see what the best situation is for the football club.”

A number of Mason’s old team-mates have left Tottenham during the past two years but several do remain at the club and the likes of Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier and Harry Kane form part of the squad’s leadership group.

Yet the former Spurs midfielder is adamant he will have no issue making difficult decisions over the next month.

All focus on Thursday ?

? @getir_UK pic.twitter.com/Ldn1joubc2

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 25, 2023

Mason added: “Honestly, I believe in this group and I believe in these players.

“Last season we finished the season exceptionally well and sometimes in football it is a deeper thing than just having players. It is more about the environment and the mindset or confidence.

“There are so many factors that can affect results.

“Naturally in the last two years since I have been in the first team coaching it is not a friendship, it is a professional working relationship.

“There is respect there – there has always been respect there –  but ultimately they knew two years ago and they know now that I am a decision-maker. That’s my job.

“They are going to have to respect that and understand that and I am going to make decisions which I feel are the best for the team to get a result.”

Previously part of Antonio Conte’s coaching staff, Mason remained respectful of the Italian despite a difficult campaign for the club.

He did highlight the mid-season World Cup and the death of fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone as decisive factors.

But Mason said: “First of all I am not going to get drawn into speaking about Antonio and Cristian because I worked with them for a long time and I am grateful for the opportunity I had with them.

“I learnt a lot from them and their team as well. How they managed things was how they managed things.

“My job and their job is to get results on the football pitch. How you set a culture and environment differs from every single individual but I know what I want to do and I am clear with that.”

Chelsea sunk to yet another dispiriting home defeat as Brentford inflicted a fifth consecutive loss on Frank Lampard with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

The visitors led through Cesar Azpilicueta’s first-half own goal when substitute Bryan Mbeumo ran half the length of the pitch, unchallenged by anybody in blue, to slam home and condemn the hosts to a sixth winless game in a row on this ground.

The numbers are worthy of the crisis in which Chelsea find themselves. The team have scored one goal in their last seven games, and are winless in eight.

West London is ? pic.twitter.com/VEoUKNlGST

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) April 26, 2023

Such have Chelsea’s ambitions receded that a top-half finish in the Premier League from this point would rank as a success, but even that abridged, constricted dream appears vanishingly unlikely after this.

Brentford did not need to be spectacular, merely to wait patiently whilst Chelsea passed the ball about aimlessly in front of them, then take their only two chances of the match when they came.

Chelsea began sluggishly and only got worse. Ben Chilwell drew perhaps the only ripple of anticipation from around Stamford Bridge during the first half with a powerful burst down the left, taking the ball on after a clever first-time pass from Conor Gallagher.

His low cross was intercepted, and the only sniff of attacking intent from either side inside the first 20 minutes evaporated without threat.

FT: Chelsea 0-2 Brentford

Brentford own West London tonight ?⚪️ pic.twitter.com/pZKA1sebOj

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 26, 2023

Brentford had not won in six games, Chelsea not in seven, and so it was not a surprise to find both teams short on ideas of how to break the other down.

N’Golo Kante, again playing in an advanced midfield role alongside Gallagher, appeared on the right touchline as Chelsea sought a way through, bending over an inviting cross.

Up from the back and free inside the box was Thiago Silva, but his header into the ground lacked power, finding only the gloves of David Raya.

The first genuine test for the Brentford goalkeeper came on the half-hour mark, Kante controlling the ball inside the box from Wesley Fofana’s cut-back and laying it off for Enzo Fernandez. The World Cup-winner, still in search of his first goal since his record-breaking move to Stamford Bridge, shot too close to Raya who tipped it behind.

Azpilicueta had not played since being knocked unconscious during the win here against Leeds at the start of March, and so it was cruel on the Chelsea captain that it was off his shin that Brentford took the lead.

Things keep getting worse for Chelsea ?

César Azpilicueta puts it into his own net right before halftime… pic.twitter.com/pol87WRQuI

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 26, 2023

Mathias Jensen’s corner got a flick from Mathias Jorgensen, and Azpilicueta knew little about it as the ball deflected off him and bounced past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Not for the first time this season, Chelsea were booed off at the break. It will not be the last if performances continue in this vein.

Lampard’s predicament was encapsulated by the sight of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, frozen out under successive managers, emerging from the bench for the second half, and his introduction seemed to inject signs of life into Chelsea’s attack, a goalscorer at last amidst its ranks.

Kante went as close as anybody for the home side when he flashed a shot inches wide from an angle just after the restart, before Aubameyang showed good footwork to make space for a strike that was straight at Raya.

The striker looked desperate to make up for all those months lost sitting on the bench, if he made the squad at all. When Raheem Sterling nodded a far-post cross back across goal, his moment looked to have arrived, but as the goalkeeper flapped, Aubameyang’s header flew into the air and down onto the roof of the net.

Then the killer blow. Mbeumo was barely inside the Chelsea half when he picked up the ball, and hardly challenged as he advanced upfield and into the box. A limp leg dangled in his path by Fofana did little to impede his march, and Mbeumo crashed it left-footed inside the near post to bury Chelsea.

‘West London is ours’ sang the jubilant away support as their home counterparts streamed for the exit. The end of this wretched season cannot come quickly enough.

Sheffield United have been promoted to the Premier League after beating West Brom.

The 2-0 victory at Bramall Lane sees them join Burnley in the automatic promotion spots in the Championship, returning to the top flight after two seasons away.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of their key players.

Even better in slow motion. ?

Goal No.14 for @iliman_ndiaye. ??? pic.twitter.com/s5HSnY31KM

— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) April 17, 2023

The 23-year-old was playing at non-league Boreham Wood when the Blades brought him to the club in 2019 and he has enjoyed his breakthrough season. He is the club’s top scorer with 13 league goals and added eight assists. His ability to beat players and get out of tight situations has made him one of the most entertaining strikers to watch this season and saw Everton try and sign him in the January transfer window.

A post shared by Sheffield United (@sheffieldunited)

Big things are expected of the Manchester City loanee by his parent club and a brilliant spell at Bramall Lane shows he is on the right track. With his twinkle toes and his ability to spot a pass, McAtee has been one of United’s main attacking threats, both from the off and when he has come on from the bench.

? Presenting the #SkyBetChampionship Team of the Season! ?

? Follow live: https://t.co/dmfvaztspZ#EFL | #EFLAwards

— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) April 23, 2023

The Sweden turned Bosnia international signed from Malmo last summer and has been one of the club’s best signings in recent years. The defender, who has played right side of a three-man defence, is physical and strong and has been a threat when asked to bomb forward.

Berge is a Rolls-Royce of a midfielder, never looking like he breaks sweat and so calm and composed in possession. The Norway international’s exceptionally large frame has provided the physical presence in the middle of the park. He is definitely one player who is ready-made for the Premier League.

Clean sheet Wes! ?

A 15th clean sheet of the season for our goalkeeper, @wes_foderingham! ? pic.twitter.com/86PSBJeigk

— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) April 1, 2023

Despite two red cards, Foderingham has been a solid and reassuring presence in goal. Given the Blades’ dominance in the majority of games, he has never been too busy but his handling, commandment of the area and distribution have all been a key factor in their success.

Joel and Avram Glazer could remain stakeholders at Manchester United under a deal being proposed by prospective new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, according to reports.

British businessman Ratcliffe, founder and chairman of the INEOS Group, is among those to have expressed an interest in buying the Premier League club.

It has been reported that one of the options on the table for the American owners would see Ratcliffe take a controlling stake of more than 50 per cent, with the two Glazers retaining a combined 20 per cent.

Such a deal would not be welcomed by large sections of United’s support who have campaigned for the Glazers – whose leveraged buyout in 2005 plunged the club into huge debt – to quit Old Trafford.

American bank the Raine Group are facilitating the sale of the club, with Friday being the deadline for third bids to be submitted.

The Glazer family are considering either selling the club or bringing in external investment after announcing last November they were seeking “strategic alternatives”.

As well as Ratcliffe, a Qatari consortium – led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani – and Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus have gone public in their ambition to complete a full takeover.

One other group known to be involved is American hedge fund Elliott Investment, which has made an offer for a minority stake, but it is unknown how many parties have entered the process.

It has been reported the Glazers value the club at £6billion.

Emma Hayes insists her Chelsea side are as ready as they can be to spring a Women’s Champions League surprise over Barcelona.

The Catalan club are enjoying a perfect Liga F campaign, winning all 25 of their games, and hold a narrow 1-0 lead in their semi-final tie with Chelsea after victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Regarded as one of the best women’s teams in Europe, Barcelona will be favourites to finish the job in front of a crowd of over 65,000 at the Nou Camp, with either Arsenal or Wolfsburg to come in the final.

Hayes, though, has backed her side to give their all against an opponent who beat Chelsea 4-0 in the Champions League final two years ago.

“Nobody denies they are a fabulous team with an amazing history, particularly here,” the Chelsea boss told reporters in Spain on the eve of the clash.

“We have to accept that we will suffer more against Barcelona than anyone else. But we showed in the previous game we can defend.

“We will have to do that at an even higher level and the execution from us with the football has to be better. It’s a football match. The game is 1-0. We have a fair and equal chance.

“This is a strength of our team. We are built to cope with the challenges. We like to suffer. We’re as prepared as we possibly can be.

“I have said it time and time again, we have a dressing room of players that want to be in this position. We will give it everything we have got.

“We’re looking forward to playing at this magnificent stadium. At 1-0 there is no doubt, with their history here, we have to be at our very best.”

England forward Fran Kirby has travelled with the squad despite being out with a knee injury that could yet see her miss the World Cup.

“Fran wanted to come with the team,” added Hayes.

“She’s part of the team. (It is) great to have her with us. At this moment in time I don’t have any more updates.

“She has been on the grass a little bit but we are having to manage day by day what that looks like and I don’t have a timeline for her return.”

UEFA staging the Champions League final in the United States has echoes of the Premier League’s doomed ‘Game 39′ plan about it, according to the Football Supporters’ Association.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin told American media outlet Men In Blazers it was “possible” a future final could be played in the US in future.

“This year (the final) is in Istanbul, (20)24 is London and ’25 is Munich and after that, let’s see. It’s possible,” he said.

However, fans’ group the FSA has taken a dim view of the suggestion.

“Matchgoing supporters would not welcome the idea of playing the Champions League final in the US or any other continent away from Europe,” the organisation said.

“There are echoes of ‘Game 39’ which would have taken Premier League fixtures around the planet – and the FSA rejected that concept too.”

‘Game 39’ was a proposal from the Premier League in 2008 to play an extra round of domestic top-flight matches outside England, which ultimately came to nothing.

Ceferin spoke favourably in the interview about the appeal of top-level European football in the US, where UEFA has done a six-year deal for its club tournaments worth a reported 1.5 billion US dollars (£1.2bn).

Many sports events have been played outside of their ‘home’ location in recent years, with the NFL commonly staging regular-season matches in London.

The PA news agency understands discussions around a summer ‘opening tournament’ to replace the existing UEFA Super Cup are still ongoing, but calendar issues are one of the major difficulties.

The introduction of a Club World Cup every fourth summer from 2025 adds further complication to that. The possibility of a summer ‘opening tournament’ – albeit not a commitment to stage one – has even featured in television rights sale documents for the 2024 to 2027 cycle.

Moving a Champions League final outside Europe would have less of a calendar impact than a summer tournament, but appears to be a tougher sell to fans.

However, one senior executive in European football said a trip to New York for an English fan was arguably no more onerous than going to Baku or another eastern European city.

For a Champions League final to be played in the US, it would require approval from the national federation, US Soccer, as well as the continental confederation CONCACAF and world governing body FIFA.

Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon revealed two other players broke cross-border travel restrictions at the same time as Boli Bolingoli as he stressed the huge impact the pandemic had on his final season at Parkhead.

The Hoops had two matches postponed on the orders of the Scottish Government in August 2020 after it emerged that Belgian defender Bolingoli had flown to Spain and back without telling anyone before playing against Kilmarnock several days later.

The furore set the tone for a difficult season which saw Celtic fall short of their quest for a record 10th consecutive title and miss out on any silverware, although they clinched the treble with victory over Hearts in the previous season’s delayed Scottish Cup final.

Lennon told PLZ Soccer: “We followed the protocols to an nth degree: five different dressing rooms at the training ground then the players had to go home and stay in.

“You had the Bolingoli incident at the start of the season. We said ‘don’t leave Glasgow’ and he gets on a flight to Spain for a day. And then he comes back and says ‘I didn’t go to Spain, I went to Belgium’. He said ‘I went to Andorra and then I drove over the border to Belgium to see my family’.

“And then two hours later he rings me and says ‘actually, I went to Marbella for the day’.

“And then I had a meeting with the players. ‘Did anyone else leave Glasgow?’ No. And then later on I get two phone calls from players, I’m not going to say who. ‘Gaffer, I was in Amsterdam’. ‘I was in Manchester’. I was like ‘guys, come on’.

“When you look back on it, it was really difficult for them. They missed their families, there were no restaurants, there was no social interaction. They broke the rules and I get it now.”

Celtic also came under criticism for embarking on a mid-season trip to Dubai which resulted in Lennon and 15 players being told to self-isolate.

He resigned in February 2021 but remarked that Celtic’s form returned when crowds came back.

“It was just such a difficult, surreal experience going through the pandemic,” he said. “It was totally different.

“If you look at the main leagues: PSG didn’t win the title; Madrid or Barcelona didn’t win the title; Liverpool, who had won the title the year before by 30-odd points, scraped into fourth place during Covid; Juventus, who were going for nine or 10 in a row, didn’t win the title.

“We weren’t exclusive to this, it affected a lot of the major clubs.

“For me the big thing was no supporters and the players’ way of life was totally different from what they were used to and there was a lot of Covid anxiety among them, a lot of them were worried about their families at home.

“I know Rangers went through the season unbeaten and they had seemingly no problems but it was nothing to do with football. It was more psychological and a totally abnormal sense of living.

“There was also a lot of unhappiness because the plan was for some of those players to go, and they couldn’t go because nobody had any money because there were no crowds.

“We got a few offers from clubs that were half the price of the players. I think they were disappointed and frustrated that they couldn’t go so some of their actions were not of the standards they were before.”

England coach Shaun Wane is convinced he has the full backing of Super League bosses despite a series of high-profile withdrawals from his squad ahead of Saturday’s mid-season international against France at Warrington.

Star names including St Helens pair Jonny Lomax and Lewis Dodd and Leeds Rhinos centre Harry Newman were surprise omissions from Wane’s final squad of 19 when it was reduced from its initial number of 40 last week.

Jack Welsby is the only one of eight Saints players to survive the cut but Wane, who is preparing to take charge for the first time since England’s agonising World Cup semi-final defeat to Samoa in November, says the withdrawals were due to a variety of factors.

? We're back… ?

??????? #EnglandRL pic.twitter.com/I9XCva6dit

— England Rugby League (@England_RL) April 26, 2023

“The start we’ve had in Super League has been really tough and the way teams have being ripping in, there are going to injuries, but that means there will be opportunities for a number of other young players,” said Wane.

“It’s down to a bit of everything, including fatigue. (Saints head coach) Paul Wellens is an England man, he’s worked with me and they’ve had a tough start with the travel. I know they’ve got a number of injuries.

“I’ve had meetings with all the Super League coaches and CEOs and they have my trust. I know they all want England to do well.”

Wane is determined to use the game against the French, whom England swept aside 42-18 in their World Cup second round match in Bolton, to begin building a squad capable of challenging at the next World Cup in France in 2025.

To that end Welsby, Wigan’s Kai Pearce-Paul and his new captain, Warrington half-back George Williams, are the only three players in the 19 to have featured in the tournament last year.

“We need to improve and start developing some of the players who are coming through,” added Wane. “Everything we do now in terms of training and recovery is going to help dictate how close we get to winning that final in 2025.”

England’s game against France will be preceded by a women’s international between the same two sides, with Warrington-born Jodie Cunningham preparing to captain her country for the first time.

The 31-year-old St Helens star believes the recent moves by Hollie-Mae Dodd and Georgia Roche to sign professional deals in Australia’s NRLW heralds an exciting opportunity to improve the game in Britain.

“I can’t wait to see them rip it out there and become stand-out NRLW players, and it shows just how far the women’s game has come when we were sitting here talking about full-time professional contracts.

“If we are going to continue improving the women’s game we need more competitive fixtures on a more regular basis. I think we shocked a lot of people with the way we performed in the World Cup, and it will not take a lot to bridge that gap.”

Seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan said he “didn’t put up any resistance” after crashing out of the World Championship with a 13-10 defeat to Luca Brecel.

O’Sullivan, resuming 10-6 ahead in his quarter-final, lost seven successive frames as Brecel reached the last four in extraordinary circumstances.

Defending champion O’Sullivan failed to make a single break over 30 as his Belgian opponent set up a semi-final date with either Anthony McGill or Si Jiahui.

Woooooow.#CazooWorldChampionship | @CazooUK

— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) April 26, 2023

“I didn’t put up any resistance but you’ve still got to pot the balls,” O’Sullivan told the BBC.

“I wasn’t playing well enough to have any impact on the game.

“If it was a boxing match they would have stopped it very early on. I was just pinching frames and hanging on.

“There’s only so much hanging on you can do at the Crucible. It catches up with you at some point, and someone will eventually put you away.”

Brecel, winner of two major rankings tournaments – the 2021 Scottish Open and 2022 Championship League – immediately imposed himself on O’Sullivan after both players had opportunities to win a scrappy initial frame.

O’Sullivan then inexplicably missed a black off its spot and Brecel split the pack of reds to take advantage with a 112 clearance.

The next frame followed the same pattern as O’Sullivan, stretching over a long red, let in Brecel again.

Brecel capitalised with a 64 break and, although he missed a red that would have left O’Sullivan requiring a snooker, he eventually reduced arrears to 10-9.

The scores were level when O’Sullivan lost position again and Brecel got among the balls for a 72 break.

O’Sullivan was in desperate need of the interval, but contributions of 61, 78 and 63 ended the contest in quick fashion and put the 47-year-old out of his misery.

“He played unbelievable,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s such a good player, I love watching him play.

“His cue action, he gets through the ball so well. It’s incredible. The whip he gets on the white, the top spin, the thud he hits the ball with.

“He’s such a dynamic player, probably the most talented snooker player I’ve ever seen.

“I’d love to see him go and win it because that’s how snooker should be played. He’s a phenomenal talent and player.”

Mark Allen reached the semi-finals for just the second time in his career with a hard-fought win over qualifier Jak Jones.

Allen was far from his fluent best and made just one break over 70, but took advantage of a nervy display in the final session from debutant Jones to secure a 13-10 victory.

????? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ?

Mark Allen has beaten Jak Jones 13-10 to reach the Crucible semi finals for the second time!

The Pistol will face Mark Selby or John Higgins. #CazooWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/PuxNYKoEmB

— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) April 26, 2023

“It was never in doubt was it?” a relieved Allen joked after reaching the last four at the Crucible for the first time since 2009.

“It was a complete slog to be honest. The first session was really good but I was awful after that and it was just a matter of digging deep, trying to stay as positive as possible and trying to get 13 frames. That’s what I did.

“I felt like as the match went on he was getting more edgy but I wasn’t playing well enough to capitalise, so it was just a matter of staying patient and taking my chances when they came.

“It wasn’t pretty, I’m sure it wasn’t pretty to watch but I couldn’t care less. I’m in the semis.

“I don’t mean this to sound bad to Jak, but that was like a three or four out of 10 performance. That really wasn’t good. But mentally I was like a 12 out of 10 and ready for anything.”

Former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has questioned whether Rangers are fit enough to go toe to toe with the Hoops at Hampden.

The Glasgow rivals meet in the Scottish Cup semi-final on Sunday and Rangers need a win to save their season and prevent Celtic moving a major step closer to a fifth treble in eight seasons.

The Gers have not beaten Celtic in four meetings this season with Ange Postecoglou’s side coming out on top three times.

Speaking about Michael Beale’s team, Strachan said in an interview with www.casinosite.nl: “There’s plenty of talented players but do they have the fitness level and the attitude that the team comes first if they don’t play for 90 minutes?

“That’s the criteria to play for Celtic, so that might be a problem for some (Rangers) players.

“I watched the League Cup final myself and it was very close like most people thought.

“But what happened after about 38 minutes was Rangers’ fitness levels went, which allowed Celtic to dominate the last 10 minutes of the half. That shows how important fitness is.

“That’s the test for anyone that plays against Celtic. If you’re not super fit you’ll run out of energy and if you do close them down and win the ball back, do you have the energy to play again?

“That’s what the Celtic players can do. That’s what the top teams like Manchester City do.”

There have been plenty of goals in the past three derbies since Beale took charge but Celtic have the edge having scored 11 against their rivals this season.

Strachan feels Rangers might have to do something different to turn the tables, such as dropping striker Alfredo Morelos.

Strachan said: “What you’ve seen a couple of times is Rangers say, ‘all right, we’ll go up against them’, especially in the last couple of games.

“But they now might be thinking, ‘why don’t we just sit back a bit and conserve our energy, let them come at us and then try and hit them on the break?’

“To do that you need to have speed up front. So there might come a time where Rangers utilise the goalscoring ability of Alfredo Morelos and Antonio Colak. They might just say, ‘why don’t we just play everybody with frightening pace?’

“So this game might be a wee bit different. With big games like this Celtic won’t change their style but sometimes, if you’re not the best team on the pitch, you have to try something different to win a game of football.”

Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil admits his side can take a huge step towards Premier League survival with victory at bottom side Southampton.

The Cherries have won four of their last seven matches to boost their hopes of staying up and another win on Thursday would move them on to 36 points with five games left.

O’Neil told a press conference: “The closer to the end you get when there’s a couple or a few games left, it becomes clear what may be needed and what may not.

“At this point there are so many permutations still that we focus purely on trying to win our next game still.

“I’m not sure I can imagine a team being relegated with 36 (points) this season. I think it’s possible, so we definitely will not be setting 36 as our goal, not that we will set a points tally.

“Thirty-six would not be something that I’m aiming for in my mind.

“Aiming to leave St Mary’s with 36 hopefully and then we’ll address the next game after that and see where we are and that’s the mentality we’ve taken from the start.”

Southampton go into the game on the back of a 3-3 draw with leaders Arsenal, having surrendered a two-goal lead in the dying minutes at the Emirates Stadium.

Ruben Selles’ side are without a win in seven games heading into the crunch clash, but O’Neil feels there is plenty of fight left in them.

He said: “They’ve made big improvements since the new head coach took over and they’re not really in relegation form since he’s taken the job.

“It’s not like we’re going to a team that are losing every week and have been rooted to the bottom of the table because they’re in terrible form.

“They’re putting in some really good performances and picking up some good results. If anyone is in any doubt, then I can assure them it’ll be a really tough game for us.”

The meeting at St Mary’s comes four days after a 4-0 home defeat to West Ham and three before the visit of another relegation rival in Leeds.

O’Neil said: “Obviously it’s a three-game week for us, so we may have to freshen things up here and there and move a few things around.

“We’ve got two big games in quick succession, so we’ll need to utilise this big squad for it.”

O’Neil is hopeful midfielder Joe Rothwell will return on Thursday after he was substituted with a mild hamstring problem at half-time against the Hammers.

Midfielder Hamed Traore and on-loan defender Jack Stephens are both injured.

Southampton boss Ruben Selles insists he has seen enough from his side not to give up hope on their Premier League survival battle despite the fact time is fast running out.

The Saints remain bottom and five points adrift of safety after leaders Arsenal fought back from 3-1 down to draw at the Emirates Stadium last Friday night.

While it was a welcome point from a match Southampton were widely expected to lose, failure to hold on for what would have been a much-needed victory leaves the outlook bleak with just six games left.

Selles, though, has no intention of throwing in the towel just yet as they prepare to host south-coast rivals Bournemouth on Thursday night.

“We showed (against Arsenal) where we are and we showed where we want to be,” said Saints boss Selles, who succeeded Nathan Jones in February.

“We had some good bits of football there and against a great opponent.

“Again, we dropped two points, but it was a spirit that I have been highlighting, that the boys are fighting and are working well during the week to get the result.

“We didn’t get the three (points), but we got the sensation that we can compete against anybody and we have been doing that for the last two months.”

Selles told a press conference: “We just need to take this energy and the way that we played (against Arsenal).

“We will adjust some behaviours because the opponent in front is a different opponent that we had last Friday, but the essence is that our identity should be the same.

“We are still alive (in the survival battle) and we are still there in the fight.

“We will be there until the very last second, that’s for sure, and that is what everybody needs to expect from us.”

Saints have not won in seven league games, but Selles is confident results will come.

“We have made some good performances and more than enough to get at least one win from the last four or five matches, but we didn’t,” he said.

“The performance is there and we need to try to transform that performance into the three points.

“It is a fact that we are there, we are fighting and are competitive against any opponent.

“We just need to make this final bit to get the three points and once we get it, hopefully tomorrow, then is going to be a very different scenario.”

Southampton will have striker Che Adams available again following four matches out with a calf problem suffered while on international duty with Scotland.

Defender Jan Bednarek continues to be assessed as he recovers from a head injury picked up during the first half at Arsenal.

On-loan Gunners full-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles was ineligible to face his former club, so should be involved again.

Jack Stephens has impressed in his loan spell with Bournemouth, having been allowed a temporary move for the rest of the season in September.

Selles hopes the 29-year-old, who will not able to play in Thursday’s game, will return to the club to help make an impact for the next campaign.

“I think Jack had the ability and personality to be a Premier League player,” Selles said.

“I was not involved in the decision (for a loan move) and it is not for me to evaluate that decision, all I can say is I would like to have Jack here.

“He is one of the players that when they come back from loan can be important because one of the things that we need is people that can identify themselves with Southampton.”

Ryan Mason has insisted he is ready to step into the top job at Tottenham and promised a reaction after Sunday’s humiliating defeat at Newcastle.

Mason is Spurs’ third head coach of a chaotic campaign after Cristian Stellini was dismissed on Monday following the 6-1 loss at St James’ Park.

This is Mason’s second stint as caretaker after he performed the same role at the end of the 2020-21 season when Jose Mourinho was sacked.

All focus on Thursday ?

? @getir_UK pic.twitter.com/Ldn1joubc2

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 25, 2023

He became the youngest ever Premier League manager at the time and, despite being only 31, the ex-Tottenham midfielder is up for the challenge over the next six matches, having developed his coaching skills during the five years since his premature retirement in 2018.

“I feel comfortable, it’s just part of being involved in football. You have to be ready and I am ready. I don’t doubt that. It’s just business,” Mason said ahead of fixtures with Manchester United and Liverpool this week.

“We’ve got a really, really big game Thursday and another one on Sunday. The focus on my behalf and the group is just to prepare for that.

“(My first time as caretaker was) just confirmation that I’m absolutely ready for this sort of situation. We handled it well two years ago. A lot has happened in the last two years, but I feel fine and ready in this situation.”

Asked if he wanted the job on a full-time basis, Mason replied: “Yeah, I’m ready and if that situation happens it obviously means I have done a good job.

“But that is obviously in the future of four, five, six weeks’ time and, like I said, the immediate thought is the game on Thursday and the game on Sunday.

“We have some big weeks before anyone in here can start to think of that situation.”

Mason’s previous time in charge of Tottenham occurred during the behind-closed-doors era, although a small crowd was permitted for his final fixture at home to Aston Villa in 2021.

When he walks out in front of more than 60,000 supporters on Thursday, the vast majority will still be stewing following Sunday’s debacle, which saw Spurs 5-0 down after 21 minutes at Newcastle.

At recent home matches supporters have chanted for chairman Daniel Levy to leave and the ill-feeling could increase if the team starts poorly against Manchester United, even with the squad promising to reimburse the away support at St James’ Park.

But Mason said: “(I expect) a reaction, absolutely a reaction.

“Obviously Sunday was disappointing for us and I would hope and expect there’s a reaction from not only the players, but everyone in the building and everyone involved in the club as well.

“I’m pleased (about the reimbursement) because our fans are important for us. We value them and need them.

“I understand that relationship has wavered recently, but there’s no doubt we need them and want them on board, and hopefully Thursday they can feel us.

“We want to get them on board and we want to get them with us. The only way to do that is to put in performances that warrant that.”

Mason could be without captain Hugo Lloris, who was forced off with a hip injury at Newcastle, and hinted at a return to the 3-4-3 formation that Antonio Conte used virtually throughout his tenure.

“When you have two to three training sessions before two games, it’s hard to change a great deal, but I would hope and expect towards the end of the season that everyone, not only inside but outside, will see my stamp and our stamp on the group,” Mason added.