Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes voiced his frustration at perceived inconsistencies in refereeing decisions as his side were not awarded a penalty in their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.

Referee Stuart Atwell looked at an incident in the second half when Amad Diallo went down under contact by Adrien Truffert in the box, but determined it was not worthy of a penalty.

VAR agreed with the on-field decision but Atwell later gave Bournemouth a penalty for a similar-looking challenge, with Harry Maguire seeing a straight red for pushing Evanilson in the penalty area with the latter through on goal, and conceding a spot-kick, which Eli Junior Kroupi duly converted.

Fernandes said afterwards: “I think we could have gone 2-0 up, and then we ended up conceding a goal, not getting a penalty and then we get a penalty against, where more or less it’s the same situation as Amad.

“One is rewarded as a penalty, the other one not. I know it’s difficult for the referee to give two penalties to the same team in one game but I don’t understand why VAR doesn’t get involved in that situation or with Harry [Maguire] because either one is a penalty and so is the other or none of them are.

“Amad is getting to a point where he’s going to shoot and he gets pushed – you can see that something puts him completely out of balance.

“It’s frustrating for the small players because they always say the small players are soft and when it’s the bigger players they end up giving the fouls. I think the other situation is a penalty, but I also think the one on Amad is a penalty and that could’ve changed the game.”

Fernandes had earlier opened the scoring for United from the spot after Michael Carrick’s side were awarded a penalty for a foul on Matheus Cunha by Alejandro Jimenez.

The Premier League Match Centre explained the decision not to award United another penalty on X, writing: “The referee’s call of no penalty for a challenge by Truffert was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed the contact was not sufficient for a foul.”

Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick agreed with his captain, saying: “We should have had another penalty. Obviously, if you get one, you must get the other.

“It’s pretty much identical for me, two-hand grab. Either way, he’s got one wrong, but to give one and not give the other, I can’t get my head around it, I think it’s crazy. It’s a bit baffling, really.”

Carrick said the decision not to award the Amad penalty was pivotal to the outcome of the game. He added: “Because of that, they score and then it’s chaos after that, really.

“We should have had another penalty and the game would have been totally different.

“That’s what VAR was for: clean it up and consistency. Surely whatever they think, if one’s been given there’s enough people to decide that it’s the same as the first. It’s two different decisions, so a bit baffling really.”

Liverpool FC have strongly condemned racist abuse aimed at Ibrahima Konaté following their convincing win over Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League.

Liverpool secured a 4-0 victory at Anfield, completing a 4-1 aggregate win to book their place in the quarter-finals. However, the result has been overshadowed by online attacks directed at Konaté after the match.

The defender played a key role in the game but was involved in an early incident with Victor Osimhen. Both players collided, and the Nigerian striker suffered a serious arm injury from the impact.

Konaté was also involved in other tense moments during the match, including a situation where he pulled a teammate away during a confrontation involving Noa Lang, and another clash with Mauro Icardi near the goal area.

After the game, some fans took to social media to post racist messages targeting the French defender. The abuse included offensive words and monkey emojis, a trend often seen after emotional matches.

Liverpool reacted quickly by releasing a strong statement to defend their player. The club said it was shocked and angered by the abuse directed at Konaté and made it clear that such behaviour is unacceptable.

They also stated that they are monitoring the situation and have called on social media companies to take firm action against those responsible.

Meanwhile, Osimhen has returned to Nigeria as he continues his recovery from the injury he sustained during the match.

The striker was hurt in the first half after the collision with Konaté. Although he tried to continue, he was later taken off at half-time. Medical tests confirmed that he fractured his right forearm, which has now been placed in a cast.

Reports say Osimhen will wait for the swelling to reduce before deciding if he needs surgery. If an operation is required, he could be out for about six weeks.

This could be a major setback for Galatasaray, with the striker likely to miss important matches, including games against Trabzonspor, Kocaelispor and Gençlerbirliği. He is also in a race to be fit for a key fixture against Fenerbahçe on April 26.

Osimhen has already missed out on international duty, as he was not included in the squad for Nigeria’s upcoming friendly matches.

Despite his injury struggles this season, the former African Footballer of the Year remains one of Galatasaray’s most important players, contributing 26 goals with 19 goals scored and seven assists across all competitions.

Former Major League Baseball player Larry Stahl died at age 84 Tuesday at Caseyville Nursing and Rehab in Caseyville, Illinois.

Stahl, who played 10 seasons with four different teams, was best known for spoiling a perfect game.

On Sept. 2, 1972, Chicago Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas had retired the first 26 batters he had faced and was one out away from etching his name into the history books. 

Stahl, a left-handed hitter, was playing for the San Diego Padres at the time and was sent out to pinch hit against the right-handed pitcher by manager Don Zimmer.

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Zoilo Versalles (2) of the Minnesota Twins attempts to turn a double play as Larry Stahl (24) of the Kansas City Athletics slides into second base during an MLB game at Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis in 1965. (Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)

Stahl worked the count full and, on the payoff pitch, checked his swing and controversially drew a walk, ending Pappas’ perfect game bid. Pappas retired the next batter and ended the game with a no-hitter.

Pappas blamed the home plate umpire for making the incorrect call years later.

“They were strikes or ‘that close’ to being strikes that he should’ve raised his right hand,” Pappas told ESPN in 2007. “I had the opportunity for a perfect game, and, unfortunately, Bruce Froemming did not help me at all.”

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Larry Stahl played 10 seasons in the big leagues. (Aaron Doster/Getty Images)

In 10 seasons, the Belleville, Illinois, native had a .232 batting average with 36 home runs and 163 RBIs.

He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Kansas City Athletics, then two seasons with the New York Mets, four with the Padres and the final season of his career with the Cincinnati Reds.

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Stahl played for four teams in his MLB career. (Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Stahl’s best season came with the Padres in 1971, when he hit .253 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs.

The only time Stahl made the postseason was in 1973, the final year of his career, with the Reds. He played in four games and had two hits in four at-bats.

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The Minnesota Vikings fell into the fortune of signing Kyler Murray for just $1.3 million. The Arizona Cardinals are stuck paying the bag for a quarterback they no longer have interest in. Minnesota also further solidified its quarterback room by bringing back veteran Carson Wentz. That leaves former first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy twisting in the wind.

While this seemed like a logical outcome, it puts McCarthy in a spot where he and the Vikings may have little interest in moving forward. McCarthy looks like a nothingburger sent to the doldrums, and Kevin O’Connell may not have the time to devote to a guy who will be the QB3 on the depth chart.

McCarthy-to-Cardinals Trade Actually Makes Sense

Trade rumors surrounding McCarthy have been prevalent since the Vikings signed Murray. Nobody being honest with themselves sees it as a competition, and it became clearer once Wentz joined the fray. Of course, Minnesota won’t recoup the value needed to land the Michigan product at 10th overall, but maybe they could find something and do right by the player as well.

There’s little reason to believe that McCarthy doesn’t have a future in the NFL. He’s still incredibly raw and could be a very good developmental project. The problem is that his timeline doesn’t align with his current employer’s. Through no fault of his own, and aside from an inability to stay healthy, a parting of ways makes sense.

It’s pretty straightforward to suggest that Minnesota could ask the Indianapolis Colts to swap post-hype first-round prospects. Anthony Richardson is now Daniel Jones’ backup. The Colts gave Jones, who had a brief stop in Minnesota, a sizable payday this offseason. McCarthy would join the same quarterback room as a guy who had no interest in sitting behind him an offseason ago. This time, though, the roles would be reversed.

Beyond that, there aren’t a ton of suitors. Bad teams already have options, or are in a position to grab one. The Titans just took Cam Ward. New York is running it back with Geno Smith. The Raiders will land Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in April.

Arizona, however, where Murray came from, could not look more inept.

Jacob Brissett is a fine retread veteran backup. The same can be said about Gardner Minshew. Neither is going to reinvent the wheel at this point in their careers, and expecting the franchise to build their future around them would be the foolish lunacy that has them in this predicament.

Enter J.J. McCarthy.

If a team actually wants to watch McCarthy compete for a starting job, then the Cardinals should be it. Maybe he’s not ready to come in and beat out Brissett and Minshew immediately. That would be disappointing for him, but further indicative of the status Minnesota currently sees. What he should be, though, is a future option.

This will be McCarthy’s third year in the NFL. At some point this season, if and when the Cardinals are again bad, they can turn over the offense to the Wolverine championship winner. He then has a runway to stake a claim for the job and would give Arizona indications of whether they’d want to pick up his fifth-year option when prompted next year.

McCarthy sees little benefit in stashing an inactive for Minnesota, and there’s probably no team that should be willing to pony up draft capital for a young quarterback swing like Arizona. The fit is there. Make the call.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

The “Thank You, NYPD” campaign in New York City is an ongoing effort to show appreciation for those in blue.

The campaign has encouraged residents to upload videos expressing appreciation for the department. St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino was among those who responded, thanking those he said have helped maintain a safe city environment.

“I want to give a sincere thanks to the NYPD officers who do such an incredible job to keep our city safe,” Pitino said Friday in a video posted to Madison Square Garden’s Instagram account. “Thank you so much.”

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FOX Sports broadcaster Gus Johnson interviews St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino after the Red Storm defeated the Connecticut Huskies in the Big East Conference Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City March 14, 2026. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Pitino’s show of gratitude came just hours before the Red Storm’s first-round game in the men’s NCAA Tournament. Fifth-seeded St. John’s faced No. 12 Northern Iowa Friday evening in San Diego.

Later this month, as part of the campaign, Madison Square Garden will host an exclusive concert featuring a star-studded lineup, including Cyndi Lauper, John Fogerty, rapper and New York Knicks fan Fat Joe and others. St. John’s plays most of its home games at Madison Square Garden.

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“Today, we announced ‘Thank You, NYPD,’ a campaign encouraging all New Yorkers to thank the New York City Police Department for its service to our great city!” Madison Square Garden said Wednesday in a post on X.

Newly commissioned New York City police officers greet family members after their police cadet graduation ceremony March 9, 2026, outside Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Uniformed police officers and civilian staff members, along with their loved ones, will be invited to the private event, scheduled for March 28. “The Garden” also urged New York residents to submit individual “thank you” videos.

Comedians Chris Distefano and Sam Morril are also among the confirmed performers for the event.

MSG Entertainment said it will donate the venue and cover all event costs. MSG Entertainment and MSG Sports CEO and Executive Chairman Jim Dolan said the event was not political but a “sincere” show of gratitude for the city’s police department.

Madison Square Garden Sports executive Jim Dolan attends a game between the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden Jan. 17, 2024, in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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“There are times in our culture today when the dissenter’s voice is louder than that of the majority. Such is the case with law enforcement, and, in particular, the NYPD,” Dolan said in a statement.

“Cries of ‘defund the police’ and other negative statements do not reflect the true feelings of New Yorkers. If that is what our cops are hearing and no one steps up to say otherwise, that can be disheartening. This concert to say, ‘Thank You, NYPD’ is designed to let our police know that we New Yorkers need, respect and appreciate their effort and service.”

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Mohamed Salah is facing a race to be fit for Liverpool’s FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City after a muscle injury ruled him out until after the international break.

In a second blow for head coach Arne Slot the Press Association understands goalkeeper Alisson Becker did not travel with the squad to Brighton.

The Brazil Football Confederation announced on Friday afternoon injury had forced his withdrawal from their squad for friendlies against France and Croatia in the United States.

Alisson missed last week’s Champions League first leg against Galatasaray after an injury scare but played against Tottenham last weekend and in Wednesday’s second-leg victory.

Salah’s absence is a setback as the Egypt international, who scored in three of his last four starts, had put in one of his best performances of the season in midweek.

However, when the 33-year-old gestured to the bench to be taken off after scoring the omens were not good.

“Indeed, unusual and as a result of that you can expect the outcome: he’s not available for tomorrow,” said Slot ahead of the trip to Brighton.

“The good thing for Liverpool is we go to an international break, and the bad thing for Egypt is that he can’t go there.

“We’re hoping with what Mo has shown in the past that he can recover faster than other players in similar situation because he takes such good care of his body.

“History has shown he can be back earlier than some others, but it’s only two weeks until we go again, so let’s hope in that period of time he can be back.”

Salah has proved to be incredibly resilient during his Liverpool career, missing just 10 Premier League matches through injury since joining in 2017, and this is his first since a hamstring problem in January 2024.

It is another hurdle for Slot to overcome as it places additional pressure on the right side of his team.

Jeremie Frimpong played at full-back in midweek and could be the stand-in for Salah further forward but that would then mean Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s best player this season, would again have to drop into defence despite a starring midfield role against Galatasaray, as Joe Gomez is not fit to cover.

It has happened so regularly that Slot is tired of talking about it.

“I don’t know how many times I have to say this: Dominik is a midfielder. Should I say this five or six times?” he said.

“So the moment I play him in a different position doesn’t mean I am trying to be a tactical genius, it means I don’t have options.

“So if I have a full-back on the bench, ask yourself if he is fit to play? Every time I make a line-up, there must be a reason why he is playing right full-back because Dominik is a very good midfielder for us.

“If everybody is available the team is stronger when he is playing in midfield, but if we miss five, six, seven players then maybe we disagree the team is strongest playing him at full-back.”

US national champion Jordan Anthony ran a world-leading 6.41s to claim a first world indoor title in the men’s 60m, announcing the arrival of a new sprinting star on the global scene.

Britain’s Jeremiah Azu made a brilliant start but faded in the closing few metres to miss out on the chance to defend his title from Nanjing, China.

There was a lengthy wait for the result to be confirmed as there were several athletes within fractions of a second each other behind the American star, who was well clear at the front.

Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, the Olympic and world 100m silver medallist, took silver with a personal best of 6.45s, with American Trayvon Bromell taking bronze on the same time.

A close final was guaranteed as all the big names qualified within 0.05s of each other: Bromell set a then-world-leading time of 6.42s as he won the second semi-final, with Anthony equalling his personal best of 6.43s and Azu setting a new PB as they finished first and second respectively in the last semi.

Azu’s 6.45s brought him within 0.03 seconds of Dwain Chambers’ British record and he was again not far off with a time of 6.46s in the final.

Anthony was the favourite going into the event having run the fastest time in the world this year, 6.43s – three-hundredths quicker than Thompson and another hundredth quicker than Bromell, Azu and Levell.

The 21-year-old, a two-time former NCAA champion, won the US title in 6.45s earlier this month, beating Olympic 100m champion and training partner Noah Lyles.

He competed in Poland with his arm heavily taped up after suffering a blood clot in a bungled drug test, telling media in Torun: “Yesterday I had drug testing, they took blood, but he didn’t stick my vein, he stuck outside. I got a clot the size of a football. Luckily, I’m still running.

“That’s why my arm is taped up. I can’t really do this with it. It is what it is, that’s not going to stop me.”

Earlier on Friday Yaroslava Mahuchikh claimed the first gold medal of the championships, winning the women’s high jump final for the first time since 2022.

The Ukrainian, the world record holder and reigning Olympic champion, took gold with a jump of 2.01m, while in an unusual sight three women took joint silver.

All three of Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers, Serbia’s Angelina Topic and Ukrainian Yuliia Levchenko all jumped 1.99m with no previous failures and shared second spot on the podium.

In the women’s 800m Keely Hodgkinson cruised to victory in her heat with a time of 2:00.32, having successfully retrieved her kit and spikes after they were initially misplaced by the airline on her way to Torun.

“It came last night, thank God,” said Hodgkinson. “I was starting to get annoyed. A very nice Polish girl let me borrow her spikes, and they gave me a blister. I just didn’t have any kit or my supplements. But it’s all good now.”

The 24-year-old has won a medal at every major championships bar these, having missed out multiple times with injury, and looks in world-beating shape having broken the world indoor record last month.

Her major rival, Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, ran slightly quicker to win her heat in 1:59.91, while Hodgkinson’s compatriot and new British indoor champion Isabelle Boffey qualified as a fastest loser.

Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell won her 1500m heat to qualify for the final and remains the favourite for the title, but compatriot Jemma Reekie narrowly missed out after finishing fourth in her her heat.

Michael Carrick is a strong contender for the permanent Manchester United job after taking over from Ruben Amorim

Former Manchester United defender Gary Pallister believes it will be hard for the club to ignore giving Michael Carrick the job on a permanent basis if he delivers a Champions League finish. The former Middlesbrough manager is enjoying an impressive run at the helm, having lost only once while securing seven victories.

Sitting third in the Premier League standings, United are in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League which Pallister believes would be sufficient for Carrick to be given the job permanently. Speaking to Boyle Sports, who offer the latest football odds, Pallister said: “Carrick for the permanent job? I think if we qualify well for the Champions League then, yeah.

“It’s not as if he’s coming without any experience. He’s had the experience of two years with Middlesbrough, he’s had the experience of working with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] at the club and actually being in sole charge for a few games as well.

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“So he’s got experience. I know it’s a big debate between a lot of lads that have played at Manchester United. But listen, if he qualifies well for the Champions League then why not?

“We’ve tried other options over the last few years and, you know, if he’s having positive results and a positive impact on the team and the fans feel like they’ve got their own Manchester United back then I’m behind Michael to get the job.”

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After collecting 22 points from a possible 27 and lifting United up to third in the Premier League, Carrick has become the odds‑on favourite to turn his interim spell into a permanent appointment.

The 44‑year‑old arrived in January on a deal running only until the end of the season, with the club committed to what insiders describe as a ‘thorough process’ to identify a long‑term head coach in the summer.

His outstanding run has pushed him to the top of that shortlist, though the former midfielder insists it’s not something occupying his thoughts.

“I love being here. I love doing what I’m doing,” he previously said. “I’ve said it from the start, I’m not making any decisions for short-term or quick fixes.

“I think it’s the responsibility, however long I’m here, to make decisions that are the best for the football club in the long term. Winning games helps and the boys are doing great with that.

“We’ll just have to see where it ends up.”

Carrick left Middlesbrough in the summer after three years in charge, having taken the club from 21st to the play‑offs in his first season.

He was unable to launch a sustained promotion push in the campaigns that followed, prompting his departure.

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Tyson Fury has had his say after his father John claimed that ‘The Gypsy King’ was ‘finished.’

Fury is set to end his retirement and return to the ring on April 11 when he faces Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Ahead of that bout, it came as a shock earlier this week when John Fury revealed that his relationship with his son has been destroyed, with the 60-year-old stating that Tyson has been ‘gone since the Deontay Wilder fights.’

John also claimed that he told Tyson not to face Oleksandr Usyk, and believes ‘The Gypsy King’ wouldn’t be able to beat the Ukrainian were they to meet for a third time.

Tyson has now had his say, telling ESPN that he sees no issues with his ability, and that he was ‘over the moon’ with his performances in the two defeats against Usyk.

“I’m the same fighter [compared to five years ago], I’m the same fighter as I’ve always been, same OG. In the next five years I will still be the same, always.

“I believe I performed absolutely awesome in both those fights against Usyk. If you like slick counter punching and boxing the head off a boxer people can’t touch, then you like the first one. Then if you like someone on the front foot bombing down the middle then you like the second one. They were brilliant performances.

“I’m over the moon with those performances. I can’t do anything about the fact that I didn’t get the decisions. But in my mind I performed excellent in those fights. I don’t feel as though I’ve gone backwards or I’m too old or whatever. I feel like they were prestige performances and if I would have got the decision nobody would have said s**t, would they?

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“We are always evolving as fighters and people, we are always changing and learning things. Even at this old age of 37 you can always learn on the daily. I’ve always been a genius in the boxing ring, I’ve always been a dolphin in that boxing ring.”

Boxing fans are hopeful of seeing a fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua this year, but first ‘The Gypsy King’ must prove he does still indeed have it when he faces Makhmudov next month.