Anthony Taylor has been appointed as the referee for Manchester City’s Premier League clash with Arsenal this weekend, with Richard Keys taking exception to the decision

Richard Keys has slammed PGMOL’s choice to appoint Anthony Taylor as referee for Manchester City’s clash with Arsenal this weekend. The two Premier League heavyweights go head-to-head in a potentially season-defining encounter on Sunday, April 19.

Currently, the Gunners enjoy a six-point advantage over the Sky Blues, though City possess a crucial game in hand. Billed as the ‘game of the season’ given what’s at stake, PGMOL have entrusted Taylor with overseeing the fixture, owing to his status as one of their most experienced officials.

He will be supported by Gary Beswick and Ian Hussin, while Paul Tierney assumes the role of fourth official. John Brooks and Stuart Burt, meanwhile, will be on VAR duty.

Despite his track record, Keys has specifically objected to Taylor’s involvement in the match due to him originating from Wythenshawe and residing in Altrincham, merely six miles from Old Trafford.

In his latest blog, he wrote: “I do wish the PL had appointed a different ref for the game v City this weekend.

“They’ve named ‘Altrincham’s’ Anthony Taylor. Why do they stubbornly do this sort of thing? I’ll repeat what I always say – not for a minute do I think Taylor will make bad decisions on purpose, but what if…?

“What if he makes a big call and it’s wrong? Why put him under that kind of pressure? It’s Taylor I feel for. If you’re telling me we don’t have another ref good enough to handle the game of the season, then that’s a further indictment on Howard Webb and the PGMOL.”

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Keys’ assessment comes despite Taylor declaring his loyalty to Altrincham, and therefore having no bias towards either Manchester City or Manchester United, nor Arsenal ahead of this weekend’s clash.

On the other hand, Graham Scott has defended the PGMOL’s decision to select Taylor for the match.

He told The Athletic: “Eyebrows are sometimes raised when he is appointed to a match involving either of the Manchester giants, given he lives within a few miles of both grounds.

“But his support for his home-town club Altrincham is genuine, not convenient, and he has no allegiance to either City or United.”

Meanwhile, Grahame Rowley has also previously told the same publication: “Anthony has always been an Altrincham fan. Even now, he gets a season ticket every year, despite the fact he can’t go to all the matches.

“People around here always ask if you’re a Red or a Blue. He’s actually a great advocate for non-League football and should be praised, not criticised.”

Manchester United watch Premier League pair, Bayern Munich want Harry Kane’s England team-mate, plus who is next for the Bournemouth job.

Manchester United are monitoring Bournemouth‘s French forward Junior Kroupi, 19, and Argentine defender Marcos Senesi, 28. (Mail – subscription needed), external

Bayern Munich are interested in signing Newcastle and England winger Anthony Gordon, 25. (Talksport), external

Aston Villa are the latest Premier League club to show an interest in England goalkeeper James Trafford. The 23-year-old was signed by Manchester City last summer but was immediately replaced by Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma, 27, and should be available. (Mail), external

Liverpool want Bazoumana Toure in the summer. The 20-year-old Ivory Coast winger has excelled for Hoffenheim this season and could spark the Anfield club’s attack back into life. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate is close to agreeing a new contract to stay at Anfield. The 26-year-old France international was expected to leave this summer but could now sign a four-year extension. (RMC), external

Borussia Dortmund and Germany centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck, 26, has a release clause of about £43m-£52m which only applies to three clubs – including Liverpool and Real Madrid, but not Bayern Munich. (Bild – in German), external

Napoli want to extend the contract of Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay before this summer’s World Cup. The 29-year-old has become a huge favourite in Naples since joining from Manchester United in 2024. (Il Mattino – In Italian), external

England winger Jadon Sancho, 26, will have to accept a significant drop in wages if he wants to rejoin Borussia Dortmund when his Manchester United contract expires this summer. (Mirror), external

Bournemouth are considering Rayo Vallecano boss Inigo Perez, Coventry City manager Frank Lampard and Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna as they plan for life after Andoni Iraola, who has decided to leave at the end of the season. (i Sport), external

Unattached German manager Marco Rose, whose last job was at RB Leipzig, is thought to be the leading contender to replace Iraola at Bournemouth. (Guardian), external

Argentine defender Cristian Romero, 27, may have played his last game for Tottenham Hotspur, with the club planning a squad overhaul even if they stay up. (Talksport), external

Coventry City are keen to bring Chelsea‘s 18-year-old forward Jesse Derry to the club next season. (Talksport), external

Louis Riddick has worked as an NFL player, executive, analyst — and now he’s a predictor of J.J. McCarthy’s endgame in Minnesota.

Riddick’s take revives the Murray-McCarthy debate in Minnesota.

Minnesota just drafted McCarthy two years ago as its possible quarterback of the future, but with the offseason acquisition of Kyler Murray, Riddick fears the worst for McCarthy.

Riddick’s Prediction Puts McCarthy’s Vikings Future in Doubt

Murray’s upside is hard to deny.

Riddick on McCarthy, Murray

The Arizona Cardinals dropped Murray like a bad habit last month, dropping into the Vikings’ lap. Riddick said this week to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson about McCarthy and Murray:

Kyler is not some gadget quarterback…the dude can deal from the pocket. I think Kevin O’Connell has already said ‘He fits our offense better than people give him credit for.’ Then of course, sitting here in the background, is this guy who we traded up to No. 10 for who is now sitting going, ‘Where do I fit into all of this?’

That’s why I’m saying there’s a lot to unpack in Minnesota this year. I like the Kyler Murray acquisition. Unfortunately for J.J., as much as I like him and I’ve been a big supporter, if this goes the way in which I’m sure O’Connell envisions it going, I think this spells the end for J.J. in Minnesota.

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If Riddick is correct, and McCarthy never sees a Vikings huddle again, that would be 10 total starts in two seasons.

Collateral Damage?

The Vikings are probably in no rush to trade McCarthy or anything of the sort — they own his contractual rights for the next three seasons — but if Murray balls out and becomes the team’s unabashed QB1 for 2026 and beyond, all bets are off.

Minnesota has relentlessly pursued a franchise quarterback for decades, landing on Kirk Cousins for six seasons, who performed admirably, followed by the brief Sam Darnold era and the McCarthy draft pick in 2024. In fact, before Cousins, the Vikings didn’t employ a sustainable franchise quarterback since Daunte Culpepper, and we’re talking 25 years ago.

If the journey to Murray as the long-term QB1 requires a backburnered McCarthy, unfortunately, it’s probably worth it.

Why Murray Will Succeed in MIN

Since Brian Flores’ arrival three seasons ago, the Vikings have built a formidable defense. They ranked second in EPA per play in 2024 and third in 2025, giving Minnesota the NFL’s second-best defense overall by that metric over the last three seasons.

Arizona, Murray’s previous team, in stark contrast, ranked 30th during the same period, a difference that would significantly impact any quarterback. Murray goes from third-worst to third-best, defensively speaking.

Beyond the defense, Murray will also inherit a strong supporting cast. He’ll have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Mason, and Aaron Jones at his disposal, with the potential to add even more talent through the draft.

While Arizona has provided him with capable targets in the past, Jefferson’s presence is a game-changer, and Addison further pesters opponents.

In this new environment for Murray, his role would be straightforward: execute quick passing, maintain rhythm, and empower O’Connell’s system. This setup aligns perfectly with his strengths. Murray has consistently delivered strong numbers, typically amassing around 4,000 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 600 rushing yards per 17 starts.

His accuracy is another key asset. Murray’s completion percentage ranks fifth all-time in the NFL. Integrating that skill set into a well-rounded offense with exceptional playmakers and a supportive defense makes the Vikings an ideal destination.

What Would Be Next for McCarthy?

Pretend for a moment that the Vikings keep McCarthy around for all of the 2026 season. Murray explodes, and it just becomes a no-brainer that he’s the Vikings’ quarterback, as the franchise won’t make the Darnold mistake twice.

McCarthy’s trade options might look like this in 2027:

• Arizona Cardinals
• Atlanta Falcons
• Carolina Panthers
• Cleveland Browns
• Indianapolis Colts
• Los Angeles Rams
• New York Jets
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Tennessee Titans

The Viking Age‘s Adam Carlson recently noted on the Cardinals and Jets as landing spots, “McCarthy would no longer have head coach Kevin O’Connell to work with him in Arizona or New York and would be without Carson Wentz and Kyler Murray to help his development.”

“The idea of receiving a draft pick for the young quarterback sounds good until you realize that it means throwing in the towel on a quarterback that the franchise once thought could be a major contributor.”

The Rams arguably lead the way for McCarthy’s next employer because of Matthew Stafford’s eventual retirement.

McCarthy will turn 24 next January.

Midfielder Fara Williams played a record 172 times for England Women during an 18-year international career that included three World Cups.

She is followed by another midfielder, Jill Scott, on 161.

They are the only two female players to have reached the 150-cap milestone.

Defender Lucy Bronze, 34, is currently the closest active player to Williams’ record, having made a 146th appearance for her country against Spain.

Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood, 32, has played 108 times for England Women.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.

Iran’s Hossein Vafaei qualified for a fifth successive year thanks to a 10-4 win over Gao Yang of China.

“This morning I was not well at all,” said Vafaei. “It wasn’t a great match, my opponent is hungry and young and he is my practice partner – every day I practise with him and he’s such a great talent, but we didn’t play that well.

“I’m fighting as well for my country, for my family and I’m trying my best and will give it my all. The Crucible is a fantastic place for snooker and we love to play in front of snooker lovers, especially at the Crucible.”

Antoni Kowalski, 22, will be the first player from Poland to play at the finals after he beat Wales’ Jamie Jones 10-8.

Kowalski, who would have lost his tour card with defeat, was in tears after the victory.

“I never cry, so that’s the perfect explanation of what it means to me,” he said. “I’m going to realise one of my biggest dreams and play at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

“I’m not based in the UK so it is more special, and my girlfriend and my parents will come to the Crucible. At the end of the first session and beginning of the second I was absolutely gone, then I stopped thinking, turned off my brain and just played.”

Elsewhere, China’s Zhou Yuelong defeated England’s Michael Holt 10-4.

The final eight places will be decided on Wednesday. Belgium’s Luca Brecel, the 2023 champion, plays 2024 runner-up Jak Jones of Wales in the pick of the matches.

Two-time Crucible finalist Ali Carter is also in action, as is Jack Lisowski, who won his first ranking tournament in October with victory at the Northern Ireland Open.

The first round begins on Saturday, with the final starting on Sunday, 3 May and concluding the next day – with full coverage of the tournament live on the BBC.

The draw will feature the top 16 and 16 qualifiers, and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live at 08:45 BST on Thursday.

When he was an NHL goaltender, Brian Boucher recalls that he would look up at the shot counter and keep telling himself how many more pucks he would need to stop to make it a good game.

“It was a way to kind of validate what you were doing and how you felt about yourself and kind of a barometer that you used to gauge your game,” Boucher said.

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He hopes this generation is not doing that, and with good reason. This season is making history and not in a good way for goalies.

The average save percentage is under .900 for the first time in three decades, and .896 is on track to be the lowest since 1994. Shooters from forwards to offensive defensemen are more skilled and selective and hockey has never been faster. The combination of factors is forcing a recalculation of what success looks like at the sport’s most important position.

The average save percentage is under .900 for the first time in three decades, and .896 is on track to be the lowest since 1994. Shooters are more skilled and selective, hockey has never been faster and the combination of factors is forcing a recalculation of what is considered success at the sport’s most important position.

“The players evolve and they get better,” said Washington’s Logan Thompson, whose .912 save percentage ranks second among goalies with 50 or more starts and fourth overall through games earlier this week. “Their sticks get better. Their shots get harder. They kind of know sneaky little spots, or they’re not shooting as many pucks as they did back in the day, as well.”

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Shots are down across the NHL

Indeed, 27.8 shots a game is the lowest total since the so-called dead puck era of the late ’90s and early 2000s when hooking, holding and obstruction led to rule changes coming out of the 2004-05 lockout designed to create more goals. The changes have worked — and then some.

Teams are combining to score over six goals per game and have been at that clip each of the past four seasons. Players are also looking for the extra pass rather than settling for even a B-level scoring chance.

“It’s insane,” said Dallas’ Jake Oettinger, whose .900 save percentage is by far the lowest of his six-year career. “Guys will have it in the slot and they’re passing it, where I feel like 10 years ago it was just pucks on net. I think guys are way more skilled, so when they get Grade-A chances, they’re that much more talented and everyone can shoot.”

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Like Boucher, retired goaltender Martin Biron says the game has changed entirely from when he played. During his prime, the league-average save percentage got as high as .911.

“A lot of it was straight on: a guy coming down the wing, taking a shot,” Biron said. “All I had to worry about was the shooter, my angles and it was a lot easier.”

Sports gambling could also be a factor

It is now more common for a shot total from a game to change after the game or even the following day, which of course changes how many saves a goalie made. Oettinger and Stars backup Casey DeSmith dislike the change.

“They just take shots away that are shots on goal,” Oettinger said. “There are probably three a game. If you multiple that by 50 games, that’s like having five more shutouts that they’re taking away.”

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Statistical adjustments are under the microscope since sports gambling became legal in the U.S. and Canada. Because wagers are offered for shots on goal, they are looked at and reviewed meticulously.

“All of that auditing that the league is doing with shots, and honestly it stems from gambling,” Biron said. “People don’t want to lose their bets if there was a shot that was missing the net or whatnot.”

The NHL sees it as a result of puck and player tracking and other technological advancements, which provide more precise data for the league as well as gambling operators. Reviewing the data can lead to changes after the in-game decisions by the official scorekeeper.

Is slimmer equipment taking a toll?

One of the ways the NHL tried to increase offense is by shrinking goaltender equipment over the years. The intent was to reduce the size of shoulder pads and chest protectors and slim down the pants to give skaters more places to aim at while not taking away from netminders’ safety.

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Thompson likes his gear smaller and tighter because of how much he moves around. He has noticed a difference when it comes to shots that used to hit a pant leg but now go in.

“Sometimes, there might be a shot that it looks weak but it goes kind of through your knees and there’s really nothing else you can do: There’s just a little hole there and sometimes the puck goes in,” Thompson said. “That’s out of your control.”

Thompson, who is his second season with the Capitals and played a game for Canada at the Olympics as Jordan Binnington’s backup, thinks hockey is transitioning away from big, blocking goaltenders who were prioritized for their size to those with more agility in the crease.

“I don’t think you can be a blocking-style goalie,” Thompson said. “With how good and skilled all these players are in this league, you’ve got to be able to react and use your hands. … You’ve got to be able to react because the shooters, they make too good of shots and too good of plays now.”

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Goalies have some work to do, too

Players and teams in recent years have employed skill coaches to beef up scoring. But goalie-specific coaches have been around for years, too, and may have some adjusting to do.

“Shooters are getting good, and it’s time for goalies to adjust a little bit,” Biron said. “It’s not the north-south game anymore. It’s an east-west game, so goalies have to adjust to that. They have to become much more conscious of the puck moving laterally, and the better goalies are the ones that can move laterally so much better.”

Biron points to Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Boston’s Jeremy Swayman and the New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin as some of the best at moving laterally, and the numbers show it. Vasilevskiy at .912 and Luukkonen at .910 rank third and eighth in the NHL, while Swayman and Sorokin are each at .906.

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Where shots are coming from also has to do with coaches being willing to sacrifice some defense to get quality scoring opportunities.

“Now teams are more OK with giving up what they give up,” Oettinger said. “That’s kind of just the style now. It’s less defensive-minded and more try to score as much as you can.”

With all the changes, Boucher said he wonders if the benchmark standard will return to .900 — stopping nine of 10 shots — like he focused on long ago. Thompson was watching a recent Stars game against New Jersey in which Oettinger was pulled after allowing four goals on eight shots. The teams combined for 10 on 51 total shots, an .803 save percentage that night.

“You can say, ‘Oh the goaltending wasn’t good,’” Thompson said. “But at the same time, I don’t really know many goalies who are going to be making those stops.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Italian Tennis and Padel Federation is set to introduce a new ATP 250 grass-court tournament from 2028, adding a Wimbledon warm-up event to its growing tennis calendar.

The tournament, acquired from Brussels, will be moved to June, though its final location is still undecided.

“There’s still time to decide where to play it,” federation president Angelo Binaghi said.

“For climate reasons, it will probably be held in northern Italy.”

There have also been discussions about staging the event in San Siro Stadium, but the idea has not been confirmed yet.

“For once, we wouldn’t be the first to do it,” Binaghi added, referencing similar innovations elsewhere.

The move reflects Italy’s growing influence in tennis, with major events already hosted in the country and momentum building around their top players like Jannik Sinner.

“We’ve got to try and win the men’s singles.The time is right,” Binaghi said, pointing to the current strength of Italian players on the tour.

The new tournament is another step in Italy’s push to expand its role in the global game.