Sports round-up
EFL Cup Final
On Sunday, we have the 2022 Carabao League Cup final at Wembley involving Chelsea and Liverpool. This is a repeat of the 2005 showdown which Chelsea won 3-2 after extra-time.
Between them this season’s two finalists have so far won the trophy 13 times (Chelsea 5, Liverpool 8). In fact, the Merseysiders won four finals in a row: 1981-85 inclusive.
Chelsea’s victories were achieved in 1965, 1998, 2005, 2007 and 2015 while Liverpool’s other four triumphs came in 1995, 2001, 2003 and 2012.
This will be Liverpool’s 12th appearance in the ‘League’ Cup final while for Chelsea it will be their ninth. And between them the two clubs have also appeared in a total of 33 semi-finals, with Liverpool in front by three: 18-15
FA Cup football
There are seven fifth round FA Cup-ties coming up next week.
On Tuesday, March 1, we have Crystal Palace v Stoke City, Middlesbrough v Tottenham and Peterborough United v Manchester City. Twenty-four hours later it’s Liverpool v Norwich City, Luton Town v Chelsea and Southampton v West Ham, followed on Thursday by Everton v the minnows of Boreham Wood. The eighth and final tie between Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield Town takes place on Monday, March 7
Six Nations Rugby
The third round of this season’s Six Nations Rugby Union Championship matches take place this weekend.
On Saturday Scotland play the leaders and unbeaten France at Murrayfield, while England take on Wales at Twickenham. These games are on BBC and ITV respectively
Then, on Sunday, we have Ireland versus Italy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which will also be covered by ITV
City slip up
Last Saturday Tottenham Hotspur inflicted upon Manchester City their first Premiership defeat for almost five months, with an exciting and last gasp 3-2 win at the Eithad Stadium. City’s last defeat in fact was at the hands of Crystal Palace in October. Harry Kane was certainly ‘able’ by scoring twice for Spurs, including a dramatic 95th minute winner after Riyad Mahrez had equalised for City just a few minutes earlier. Guardiola gambled by continuing to play with a high line against a manager (Antonio Conte) who is known for orchestrating quick breakaways and, this time, Pep lost
Club rugby
Leicester Tigers lead the Gallagher English Premiership table, ahead of Saracens with Harlequins lying third and Gloucester fourth.
And in the Betfred Super League championship, the top four in the race for honours are St Helens, Huddersfield Giants, Salford Red Devils and Wigan Warriors
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics ended last Sunday in Beijing and, in truth, it was not a great one for Team GB or indeed for Spain. GB competitors gained just two medals – both in curling – as the women collected gold while their male counterparts had to settle for silver. Spain’s won only one
medal - silver in the women’s halfpipe snowboarding event courtesy of Queralt Castellet.
Norway with 37 (16 gold), won most medals in China. The ROC (Russia) gained 32 (six gold), Germany captured 27 (12 gold), followed by Canada with 26 (4 gold) and the USA with 25 (8 gold)
Golf
Hannah Green has become the first woman to win a mixed gender golf tournament with victory in the TPS Murray River event in Australia
Boxing
Last Saturday evening a crowd of 22,000 at the Manchester Arena saw Kell Brook beat Amir Khan in the sixth round of their light welterweight fight. The referee stopped the contest, to settle one of the most bitter and longrunning feuds in boxing
Snooker
The Welsh Open snooker championship starts on Monday and runs through until March 6, when the final takes place in Newport
Record breaker
Last Saturday the Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku set a new Premiership record by touching the ball just seven times in the London derby win at Crystal Palace. This is the lowest-ever number of touches made by an outfield player in the top flight, and one of them was from the kick off !