Sport news in brief
Rangers complete unbeaten season
Steven Gerrard’s Invincibles smashed through the 100-point barrier for the first time in Rangers’ history as the champions kicked off their trophy-day celebrations in style. A 4-0 win over Aberdeen – earned thanks to a Kemar Roofe double in between Joe Lewis’s early own goal and Jermain Defoe’s late fourth – ensured an undefeated campaign. But the match was merely a distraction ahead of the main event. Thousands of fans locked outside Ibrox were really waiting for the moment when skipper James Tavernier finally lifted the trophy the club have waited a decade to recapture. It was met by a barrage of fireworks as the Light Blues faithful lit Glasgow up in red, white and blue.
It has been a momentous, record-breaking season for Gerrard and his team, who have finished a monstrous 25 points clear of Celtic. Victory over the Dons not only wrapped up a perfect 100 per cent home record in the league, but also saw them write a number of new entries in the history books. They have now set a new Scottish clean-sheet record with their 26th shut out, and the 13 league goals they have conceded this term is
also a record low – beating the previous benchmark of 15 set by Jose Mourinho’s 2005 Chelsea side.
West Ham’s top-four hopes fade at Brighton
West Ham’s faint hopes of scraping Champions League qualification were left hanging by a thread after they were reliant on late strike from Said Benrahma to rescue a 1-1 draw at Brighton. Substitute Benrahma rifled home his first goal for the club with just three minutes to go, leaving the Hammers five points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea with just two fixtures remaining. The sixth-placed visitors looked set for a damaging defeat at the Amex Stadium after Danny Welbeck’s 50th Premier League goal broke the deadlock only three minutes earlier. David Moyes’ men have games against West Brom and Southampton to ensure the minimum of a Europa League place does not slip through their grasp, with Tottenham and Everton each just three points behind and in hot pursuit.
Leeds turn on style to thrash Burnley
Leeds turned on the style in the second half as they swept to a 4-0 win over Burnley to strengthen their grip on a top-half place in the Premier League. After Mateusz Klich gave Marcelo Bielsa’s side the lead on the stroke of half-time, Leeds punished Burnley after the break as Jack Harrison added a second before claiming the two assists when Rodrigo came off the bench to score a brace. It was the sort of stuff which illustrated why Leeds’ return to the top flight this season has been so welcomed, and gave them a four-point cushion over 11th-placed Aston Villa before Dean Smith’s side head to Crystal Palace today.
Tella inspires Southampton to victory against Fulham
Nathan Tella scored his first goal for Southampton in the 3-1 win over already-relegated Fulham in the Premier League. The 21-year-old came off the bench to net Saints’ second while Fulham’s consolation came from 18-year-old Fabio Carvalho, his maiden goal for the Cottagers. Southampton took the lead in the first half when Che Adams scored from a James Ward-Prowse free-kick. Tella then slotted home a second moments after coming onto the field on the hour mark. Just as Southampton looked to be cruising towards all three points Carvalho pulled one back for Fulham with a well-struck shot off the underside of the bar. Less than 10 minutes later, however, substitute Theo Walcott restored Saints’ two-goal advantage with a clinical finish.
Lafay claims stage eight as Ewan abandons race
Victor Lafay of Cofidis claimed his first stage victory as a professional when he won stage eight of the Giro d’Italia yesterday while Caleb Ewan, who won two stages this week, was forced to abandon the race due to pain in his knee. Frenchman Lafay, 25, was among a group of nine in the breakaway on the final climb of the 170km stage and held off a late surge from Eolo-Kometa’s Francesco Gavazzi who finished second with Team DSM’s Nikias Arndt third.
“I spent a lot of energy already in the first part of the stage to get into the breakaway,” Lafay said. “There were several attempts but the peloton didn’t leave much space. Then finally the breakaway went clear. Once the gap started to increase I was able to recover some energy. In the finale of the stage, there were several attacks. I attacked in the last few kilometres and saw that no one was following me.”
Murray to skip French Open
Andy Murray will not play in the French Open after deciding to focus on the grass-court season instead. The former world number one made his return from a groin injury with a training week and two doubles matches in Rome and had been expected to play singles next week. It’s understood he is still feeling some discomfort and has headed back home for more rehab and to begin training on his favourite surface, with full fitness for Wimbledon now the clear goal. Murray had been planning to take a wild card into one of the ATP tournaments in Geneva or Lyon next week but it emerged yesterday that he had turned one down for the Swiss event, raising serious questions about his prospects of playing at Roland Garros.
Swiatek wins twice in a day to reach Italian Open final
French Open champion Iga Swiatek won her Italian Open quarter-final and semi-final matches in straight sets yesterday to set up a title clash with ninth seed Karolina Pliskova. Former world number one Pliskova, who won the 2019 edition and finished runner-up to Simona Halep last year after retiring in the final with an injury, reached the final for the third straight year after beating Petra Martic 6-1 3-6 6-2. Swiatek’s quarter-final match against two-times champion Elina Svitolina was postponed due to rain on Friday but the 19-year-old made short work of her more experienced opponent with a 6-2 7-5 win to set up a semi-final clash with Coco Gauff. Swiatek then moved into her first WTA 1000 final with a 7-6(3) 6-3 victory over the American 17-year-old. Gauff fired seven aces but also served five double faults and she struggled on her second serve as Swiatek converted three of four break points to advance.