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Arsenal 2-1 Brighton, Liverpool 2-1 Wolves, Senegal 1-1 DR Congo, and more – as it happened

An exciting day north and south of the border as title-chasing Arsenal, Manchester City and Celtic all won … but Hearts came a cropper in the Edinburgh derby

In Scotland, Hearts are making a go of things in the derby at Easter Road. Lawrence Shankland pulled one back on 75 minutes. That seemed no more than a consolation, but Cammy Devlin has made it 3-2 on 89 minutes, and there will be six additional minutes. Is an absurd comeback on?

Senegal: Edouard Mendy, Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Jakobs, Idrissa Gueye, Pape Gueye, Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye, Mane, Jackson.
Subs: Diaw, Lamine Camara, Ciss, Dia, Diallo, Diarra, El Hadji Diouf, Yehvann Diouf, Mbaye, Antoine Mendy, Cherif Ndiaye, Sabaly, Pape Sarr, Mamadou Sarr, Seck.

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Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City: Premier League – live

On an afternoon when John Robertson was remembered at the City Ground, City were forced to dig extremely deep in order to make off with all three points

Manchester City: Although nothing has officially been agree between the two clubs, Manchester City are in pole position to sign Antoine Semenyo in January after Chelsea cooled their interest in the Bournemouth winger. Jacob Steinberg reports …

Referee: Rob Jones

Assistants: Neil Davies and Nick Greenhalgh

Fourth official: Gavin Ward

VAR: Andy Madley

Assistant VAR: Dan Robathan

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Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel limps off court, does not play second half after rolling ankle

Kon Knueppel, the Charlotte Hornets' standout rookie, limped off the court just before the end of the first half Friday night against Orlando and did not play in the second half.

While there are no details on the injury or how much time Knueppel may miss, coach Charles Lee said postgame that his X-rays were clean. The injury occurred while leaping to contest a shot by Orlando's Desmond Bane and coming down on Bane's foot.

Knueppel, the No. 4 pick last June out of Duke, has been a revelation for the Hornets, averaging 19.3 points (second on the team) and 5.1 rebounds a game, shooting 42.8% from 3-point range. He has become one of the clear frontrunners for Rookie of the Year.

Even without Knueppel, the Hornets beat the Magic 120-105 behind 22 points and seven rebounds from LaMelo Ball. Miles Bridges had 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Knueppel had 16 points in the first quarter of the win. Orlando reached the semifinals of the NBA Cup but is 2-4 since.

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Vancouver Canucks Gameday Preview #37: New Players Return To Vancouver To Take On The San Jose Sharks

After a five-game road trip and holiday break, the new-look Vancouver Canucks (15–18–3) are back in town to take on the San Jose Sharks (17–17–3). Prior to the break, Vancouver suffered a 5–2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in their first game against former Head Coach Rick Tocchet. San Jose entered the holiday break with a string of losses, with their most recent being against the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 7–2. 

This will be the first time that new players Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, and Liam Öhgren play in front of a home crowd as members of the Canucks. As well, this will be the first time Vancouver fans will watch their team without Quinn Hughes being a member of the organization since he made his debut back in 2019. Off the ice, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of reception the team ends up getting after making their biggest organizational move in a long time. 

Prior to their most recent loss to the Flyers, the Canucks were on an impressive run of four straight wins, a good chunk in part due to a slightly tidier system and great goaltending from both Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen. For fans who want the team to bounce-back and make a push for the post-season, tonight’s game will mark the start of a potential comeback. For those who believe in committing to the rebuild (which feels like most fans), tonight will be about setting that precedent. 

Players To Watch: 

Zeev Buium 

Canucks fans have yet to see Buium play in person as a player on their team, as the defenceman was acquired on the day that Vancouver departed for their five-game road trip. Since making his Canucks debut, he has a goal and two assists in five games while playing on a pairing with Tyler Myers. Touted as the heir apparent of Hughes’ place on the team, Buium is a dynamic offensive-defenceman who can contribute greatly to his team’s production. Fans will want to keep an eye specifically on him as a peek at what the future holds for Vancouver’s blueline. 

Macklin Celebrini

Celebrini has been the biggest story in the Sharks’ season thus far, as he’s consistently remained near the top of the NHL in points since the beginning. He’s currently only trailing Connor McDavid (67) and Nathan MacKinnon (61), all while only being 19 years old. Many will already be paying attention to Celebrini solely due to the fact that he’s from North Vancouver and is noted to have been a Canucks fan before being drafted. Tonight will mark the third time he’ll play in Vancouver at the NHL level. 

Apr 14, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Drew O'Connor (18) handles the puck against the San Jose Sharks in overtime at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Vancouver Canucks (15–18–3): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 8–14–22

Kiefer Sherwood: 16–4–20

Conor Garland: 7–13–20 

Filip Hronek: 2–18–20

Evander Kane: 6–12–18

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 8–6–0

Kevin Lankinen: 5–10–3

Nikita Tolopilo: 2–1–0

Jiří Patera: 0–1–0

San Jose Sharks (17–17–3): 

Points: 

Macklin Celebrini: 19–36–55

Will Smith: 12–17–29

Tyler Toffoli: 10–15–25

Alexander Wennberg: 7–16–23

William Eklund: 8–14–22

Goaltenders: 

Yaroslav Askarov: 12–10–1

Alex Nedeljkovic: 5–7–2

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: Rogers Arena 

Television: Sportsnet Radio: Sportsnet 650 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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The ascendant San Antonio Spurs are the gift the NBA needed

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs defends Isaiah Hartenstein of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter of Tuesday’s game.Photograph: Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images

I’ve seen enough: Give the San Antonio Spurs the keys to Santa Claus’ workshop. Put Stephon Castle in charge of toy assembly. Let De’Aaron Fox toss presents into chimneys, from whatever range he’d like. Devin Vassell can customize the Christmas cookies. Harrison Barnes has the army of elves covered. And, of course, Santa Claus’s sleigh must immediately be resized for a taller, thinner pilot so that the towering Victor Wembanyama can drive it comfortably. The sensational Spurs have felled the Oklahoma City Thunder three times in two weeks, and in doing so revitalized this NBA season. I now have more faith in the Spurs’ ability to grant joy to the masses than any holiday legends of old.

It looked dire for a while there. The Thunder might have won the Larry O’Brien trophy in June, but began this season in even more ominous form. They reeled off 24 wins in their first 25 games (the lone loss was a fluky 20-point comeback). In most of them, Jalen Williams, their second-best player, was on the sidelines recovering from wrist surgery. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, their best, seldom had to play in fourth quarters. The Thunder beat the Sacramento Kings by 31. The Los Angeles Lakers, who some expected to be a plausible rival, lost by 29; their basketball savant Luka Doncic looked like he was playing against ten men. The Phoenix Suns’ valiant first earned them a close loss, by just four points. When they met again 12 days later, the Thunder won by 49. This game knocked all the remaining leaves off the trees and started winter 10 days ahead of schedule. Oklahoma City looked capable of shredding anything in its path, even the 2016 Golden State Warriors’ legendary regular season record of 73-9.

The Thunder do not play a particularly appealing style of basketball. They skillfully exploit the referees’ dilemma over which fouls to call (a consistent whistle interrupts the flow of the game, an absent one lets players get away with blatant violations), often resulting in Gilgeous-Alexander shooting free throws after whistles that would be better swallowed, while personified mosquito swarm Alex Caruso seems to have free rein to do whatever he likes on defense. Some profess to enjoy, or admire, Gilgeous-Alexander contorting his body to draw slight bumps from defenders; I can only assume those same people also like being kicked hard between the legs. That’s not to mention man-mountain Luguentz Dort flying off his feet and into opponents after plenty of suspiciously light touches. This chicanery enables haters to harbor the fantasy that in a world with ideal officiating, the Thunder would be a mediocre team. True basketball heads know it’s far more exasperating than integral to the Thunder’s success, but the general irritation is sufficient to nudge some fans who might otherwise be neutral into rooting for Oklahoma City’s downfall.

Dominance can be coldly thrilling to watch, but a historically great performance tends to evoke less awe the more times it repeats. How many times does anybody really want to watch one team beat another by 35? Eventually you remember that the drama is the point. The Thunder were draining the season of suspense, running up leads on other teams in the table as well as on the floor.

Through 21 minutes of the first Spurs-Thunder game this season, San Antonio trailed by 16 and looked likely to go the same way as every other team. Instead, they have wrought hell upon the Thunder ever since.

Against the Spurs, the Thunder look mortal. Each member of their core deserves immense credit for that, but this is Victor Wembanyama’s team, and the Thunder know it. “There’s this guy on their team that’s seven-foot-five and takes up a lot of space on the court,” Jalen Williams said, with some exasperation, when asked what made the Spurs such a tough out. The Thunder’s professional beanpole, 7ft 1in Chet Holmgren, is the tallest player on the floor in most games, free to grab rebounds and swat down opposing shots. Next to Wemby, he’s short, crude, and even timid. Wembanyama’s contempt for Holmgren is evident in how he celebrates each time Chet misses a free throw, as though he’s won the lottery; the way he fouls him with a bit of extra venom; the way he told reporters he doesn’t consider Holmgren a rival. (There is indeed no debate over which player is better.) At this rate Holmgren must expect Wemby to burst out of the cupboard, talking smack, when he reaches up for a snack.

Wembanyama and the Spurs made their most definitive statement yet on Christmas, thumping the Thunder by 15 on their home floor. San Antonio took the inevitable early punch well yet again, recovering to pile 41 points on the league’s best defense in the first quarter. Fox effortlessly found the miniscule holes in that defense to the tune of 29 points. The Spurs even held Gilgeous-Alexander to a season-low 22. He tried to make up for it by zipping passes to open teammates behind the arc, but they let him down by bricking almost every single attempt.

A Thunder optimist would say that enough of those threes will go in next time to produce a win or a tighter loss, but I found the misses symptomatic of a flaw. Off the strength of his silky-smooth stepback jumper, Gilgeous-Alexander is the steadiest scoring engine in the league. He is difficult to guard and impossible to stop. (LeBron James recently offered some advice on how to slow him down: “you gotta keep him off the free throw line. Which is hard.”) But even he can’t carry an offense entirely on his own. The Spurs put Gilgeous-Alexander under enough pressure that he had to delegate more than usual, and his supporting parts broke down under the heavier burden. Caruso and Dort are good for the occasional three-pointer, but relying on them to hit the long shot is the last place the Thunder want to be.

The Spurs’ surge couldn’t have come at a better time. Not only have they emphatically established themselves as title contenders – some say they’re too young, and inexperience has indeed undone plenty of fabulous teams in the playoffs, but the 23-7 Spurs aren’t contenders, hardly anyone is – but they’ve allowed fans to see the Thunder in higher definition other teams couldn’t come close to revealing. Oklahoma City, potentially the best team in history two weeks ago, is merely exceptional. If you take Gilgeous-Alexander’s word for it, the Spurs are better right now. 74-8 is off the table. With the Spurs just two and a half games behind, OKC has its hands full just holding onto its lead in the Western Conference. Even if only against one team, the Thunder have assumed the unfamiliar role of chaser, trying to solve a squad who torments them the way they torment so many others. In their newfound vulnerability, the Thunder are a little easier to enjoy and a little harder to hate. And any future wins against the Spurs will be a lot more meaningful.

They’ll get a few, maybe (or probably, but it’s thanks to the Spurs that choosing a word is difficult) as soon as this season. The Thunder are too good to stay down for long. When they rise the Spurs will eventually have to make their own adjustments. How’s this for terrifying: Wemby’s probably still a few years out from his peak. Christmases and NBA seasons can blend together, with only the most meaningful sticking out in the memory years later. Whatever happens next, the Spurs have given me enough reason to look back on these ones and smile.

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Canadiens: Fowler’s Fantastic Form

This morning, at 9:30 AM, the Montreal Canadiens will board a charter flight to Florida to begin their traditional holiday trip in the sunbelt. Their first of five will be a tilt with the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 28. With 45 points, the Habs are second in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference, behind the Carolina Hurricanes, who have just 47 points. In fact, only five points separate the Conference leaders and the last wild-card spot, held by the Florida Panthers. In other words, every point is crucial at this stage, and Martin St-Louis is aware of that fact.

While it’s a good position to be in, the Canadiens still have to decide on what they are going to do with their goaltenders. The plan may have been for the Habs to give Jacob Fowler a few games this season to see where he is, but because of the goaltending issues that have plagued the first half of the season, that plan came very early.

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Canadiens: It Can’t Just Be About The Wins

Before the Christmas break, former number one goaltender Samuel Montembeault was sent down to the Laval Rocket in the AHL to work on his game and play a couple of games. He won neither of them, although he couldn’t be blamed for the losses, but he did spend a lot of time with Rocket goalie coach Marco Marciano, going back to the basics.

In fact, the Canadiens were meant to call him up on December 21, but since he had played the night before and the Habs weren’t set to hold any practice in Pittsburgh or in Boston, they elected not to do so. He stayed behind with Marciano and worked hard in Brossard.

Now, the Habs will have to call him up, since the rules for a conditioning stint in the AHL allow it to last up to 14 days and require the player's consent. It’s doubtful that Montembeault will want to extend his stay, which means that unless the Habs send down a goaltender, they’ll be travelling with a trio of masked men.

While both Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler are waiver-exempt and could conceivably be sent down, I don’t think it would be wise to send Dobes down. Still, Fowler has made it very hard for the Canadiens to demote him, even though he’s in the first year of his professional career.

So far in five games, he has a 3-1-1 record, with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. Furthermore, as pointed out by TVA Sports’ Anthony Martineau, among all NHL goaltenders who have played at least five games this season, the youngster ranks first in expected goals saved per 60 minutes and second in save percentage on high-danger shots. In his last two games, he has shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins and backstopped the Canadiens to a big win against the Boston Bruins, on enemy territory. Even though the Bruins came out strong in the first frame, he weathered the storm as the hosts peppered his net with 17 shots in the first frame and allowed the Tricolore to come back in the game and get the two points.

How can the Canadiens justify sending him back down with the form he’s in? With the playoff race as tight as it is right now, Montreal cannot attempt to make a mistake. Sending the youngster down when he’s doing too well would send the wrong message. I can understand the organization wanting to give Montembeault a chance to bounce back, but it cannot afford to waste points. If the Becancour native falters, he needs to make way. Until he’s proven he’s got his game back, the Canadiens shouldn’t send down Fowler, even if his age, experience and contract situation make him the perfect candidate to go to Laval.

Professional sports is a results business; the Canadiens are no longer at the start of a rebuild. They need points, and they need them both now and, in the future, if they want to make the spring dance, and there is no doubt that they do. Whichever way you look at it, Fowler has made a fantastic case for himself to be kept around, and he has earned it, at least the way I see it. Despite money and contractual implications, it’s merit that should dictate the way forward; that’s how you build a winning team and culture.

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‘Bad for business’: Cricket Australia facing $10m loss after two-day Test at MCG

  • Packed MCG finished with three full days to spare

  • Ground curator Matthew Page at centre of the storm

England’s two-day win in the Boxing Day Test is set to deliver a huge financial hit to Australian cricket that could reach a reported $10m (£5m). That is the expected loss in revenue after the match on an excessively bowler-friendly surface at a packed MCG finished with three full days to spare.

A sell-out crowd of more than 90,000 was due for day three, including a travelling English contingent of up to 20,000, and the lack of play on Sunday will lead to an avalanche of refunds as well as lost sales in merchandise, food and drinks.

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Keegan Murray diagnosed with mild calf strain, to miss more time for Kings

Keegan Murray diagnosed with mild calf strain, to miss more time for Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After missing the first 15 games of the season with a UCL injury, Keegan Murray again will be sidelined for the Kings.

The young forward underwent MRI imaging on his right calf after exiting Tuesday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons early, and imaging revealed Murray has a mild calf strain.

He will be listed as out and re-evaluated in one week.

The one-week timeframe will put Murray out for at least the Kings’ games against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday and likely the Boston Celtics next Thursday.

Murray, while maintaining his defensive dominance, has struggled to find a consistent rhythm offensively since returning from his thumb injury.

In 15 games this season, he’s averaging 14.9 points on 43.8-percent shooting from the field and 26.3 percent from 3-point range, with 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 37.1 minutes.

The Kings (7-23) now must rely on the next man to step up in Murray’s absence.

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JJ Bleday, Reds reportedly agree to free-agent contract, ending Athletics tenure

JJ Bleday, Reds reportedly agree to free-agent contract, ending Athletics tenure originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

JJ Bleday‘s days in the Green and Gold are over.

The 28-year-old outfielder reportedly has agreed on a free-agent contract with the Cincinnati Reds, FanSided’s Robert Murray first reported Saturday morning, citing sources.

As Murray notes, Bleday was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. He spent the past three seasons with the Athletics.

Over his Athletics tenure, Bleday hit 44 home runs with a .723 OPS from the 2023 to 2025 seasons. He struggled a bit last season after a promising 2024 campaign, slashing .212/.294/.404 for a .698 OPS with 14 homers.

The Athletics DFA’d Bleday in November, the first indication that his time with the Athletics was nearing an end.

Now he’ll get a fresh start in Cincinnati.

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New Battle of the Sexes is cynical bid for attention and own goal for Sabalenka

World No 1’s clash with Nick Kyrgios is on track to being one of the most inane tennis events ever conceived

2025 was the year of Aryna Sabalenka for so many reasons. She reached three of the four grand slam finals, winning her fourth major title at the US Open and further positioning herself as a generational great. From her humble origins as a volatile, one-note ball-basher, the 27-year-old has admirably evolved into an increasingly complete player. Sabalenka is the best player in the world for a second year in succession.

The fleeting tennis off-season is usually an opportunity for players and spectators alike to reflect on such great feats before the new season is upon them. This year, however, the December discourse has been derailed by the fast-approaching train wreck Sabalenka stands at the heart of.

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Blackhawks: Recap Day One Of 2025-26 World Junior Championships

On Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks had three prospects participate in the World Junior Championships, which kicked off on Friday in Minnesota. There were also a handful of prospects playing that the Chicago Blackhawks may have their eyes on at the 2026 NHL Draft. 

Let's start with the ones already drafted by Chicago:

Anton Frondell

Anton Frondell scored the first goal of the entire event to put Sweden up 1-0. He also set up the next goal, a power play goal scored by Victor Eklund. 

In addition to the two points, Frondell had some other incredible chances that were saved by either the goaltender or the post. His defensive game is also impactful, as it was difficult for Slovakia to do anything of note when he was on the ice. 

Blackhawks Prospect Anton Frondell Dominates In Sweden’s WJC Win Over SlovakiaBlackhawks Prospect Anton Frondell Dominates In Sweden’s WJC Win Over SlovakiaThe Chicago Blackhawks have a high-end prospect in Anton Frondell. He showed the goods in the first game of the World Junior Championships.

Frondell is Sweden's key to winning their first Medal in 14 years and third ever. There is a lot of high-end prospect talent on this team, and Frondell is right there at the top.

AJ Spellacy

AJ Spellacy is never going to be the guy leading the highlights like Anton Frondell, James Hagens, or Michael Misa, amongst others, but he does make life easier on star players. 

In Team USA's 6-3 win over Team Germany, Spellacy was noticeable. His line was playing the right way for the majority of the game. Spellacy, in particular, had two assists.

He also created chaos in front of the net, laid some big hits, stood in front of the net, tipped pucks, and did a good job gaining the offensive zone whenever that was asked of him. 

If Team USA is going to win its third Gold Medal in a row, Spellacy must continue playing his role at a high level. If he keeps bringing some offense in addition to the other things he does well, this team will be deeper than originally thought. 

Vaclav Nestrasil 

Team Czechia is looking to medal for the fourth year in a row. They have upset Canada a lot in recent years, but were unable to do so in the opener on Friday. The Canadians pulled out a 7-5 victory, but it was far from easy. 

One of Czechia's best and most productive players is Chicago Blackhawks prospect Vaclav Nestrasil. As the other two players mentioned, he had two points as well. Nestrasil's two points came in the form of assists, proving that his playmaking abilities are off the charts. 

When the Blackhawks drafted Nestrasil 25th overall in 2025, there was a lot of unknown. However, whether it's his production at UMass or here playing for Czechia, he has shown that to be a great decision by Kyle Davidson. 

2026 NHL Draft

The Chicago Blackhawks will come out of the holiday break with the worst record in the National Hockey League. With Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar out for a couple of weeks, it is hard to see the Hawks climbing out of their current slump any time soon. 

That could mean that another top-three pick is on the horizon. Right now, that means looking at Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff, and Ivar Stenberg. 

Canada made the curious decision to healthy scratch Verhoeff, but that won't impact his status as a top-three pick in the draft. The North Dakota defenseman has been having an incredible year playing defense, but he is one of the younger players on Team Canada, trying to find his way. 

Gavin McKenna, on the other hand, is Canada's go-to offensive player right now. He is projected to be the number one overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and has been for some time. The Penn State forward has taken some time to adjust to the NCAA game after dominating his whole major junior career, but you see his true abilities come out at a tournament like this. 

McKenna had two assists in the win. His playmaking has a certain level that other players his age can't reach. There is a lot more where that came from for McKenna, and the Blackhawks are going to be scouting him hard. A player like that joining Connor Bedard, his relative through marriage, would do wonders for the future of the franchise. 

Ivar Stenberg, who also has the pedigree to be the first overall pick, had a big day as well. The only goal that Sweden scored that wasn't scored or assisted by Anton Frondell was the game-winner put in by Stenberg.

His game-breaking talent will make an NHL team very happy as soon as next year. If the Blackhawks were able to add him and Frondell in the same year, it would be franchise-altering for them. 

NHL teams, especially ones like the Blackhawks who are going to be picking high, had to be happy with what they saw from McKenna and Stenberg on Friday. 

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