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Manchester, Dec 22 (IANS) AFC Bournemouth produced a remarkable performance to defeat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford, securing their second consecutive 3-0 victory over the Red Devils at the iconic venue.

Goals from Dean Huijsen, Justin Kluivert, and Antoine Semenyo sealed the Cherries' third straight away win, leaving them in fifth place in the Premier League at Christmas, above defending champions Manchester City.

United's Amad Diallo had the first notable opportunity in the sixth minute, but Bournemouth keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was quick to save his low shot. Bournemouth, meanwhile, looked dangerous on the break, with Semenyo testing United's Andre Onana from distance.

After an even opening battle, Bournemouth struck in the 29th minute. A foul by United’s Tyrell Malacia on Adam Smith gave the Cherries a free-kick on the right. Ryan Christie’s delivery found 19-year-old Huijsen, whose header glanced past Onana into the far corner. It was a deserved lead for Bournemouth, who defended resolutely as United ramped up pressure towards the end of the half. Bruno Fernandes came closest to equalizing, with three shots narrowly missing the target or being saved by Arrizabalaga.

The second half saw United make changes in an attempt to turn the game around, but Bournemouth quickly doubled their lead in the 60th minute. Kluivert was fouled in the box by Noussair Mazraoui, and the Dutch winger coolly converted the penalty to make it 2-0. Just three minutes later, it was 3-0. Semenyo intercepted a poor pass and, after a clever assist from Dango Ouattara, finished powerfully from close range.

Despite several late chances for United, including efforts from Rasmus Højlund and Amad, Bournemouth held firm. Arrizabalaga was in superb form, making crucial saves to maintain the clean sheet.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS) Pakistan Cricket Board has chosen the United Arab Emirates as the neutral venue to host India's matches as per the hybrid model for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has chosen the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the neutral venue for the 2025 Champions Trophy,” said PCB spokesperson Amir Mir in a statement to IANS.

"The PCB has formally informed the ICC about the neutral venue decision. Now, India and Pakistan's Champions Trophy matches will be held in the UAE. The decision regarding the neutral venue for the Champions Trophy was to be made by the host, Pakistan. The final decision on the venue was made after a meeting between Mohsin Naqvi and Sheikh Al Nahyan. Sheikh Al Nahyan, currently in Pakistan, is also the Chairman of the UAE Cricket Board," he added.

Previously the executive board of the International Cricket Council confirmed that matches between India and Pakistan in upcoming ICC events till 2027, including next year's Champions Trophy 2025, will be played at neutral venues.

The neutral venue arrangements will apply to the upcoming ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan) as well as the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka). Moreover, it will also be applied to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2028, whose hosting rights have been awarded to Pakistan.

Due to strained political relations, India and Pakistan only compete in international events like the World Cup and Asia Cup. The last bilateral series between the two nations was held in 2012-13, when Pakistan toured India for a five-match white-ball series.

The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played in February and March 2025. Meanwhile, ICC said the schedule for the marquee tournament will be confirmed in the coming days.

--IANS

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Liverpool, Dec 22 (IANS) Everton secured a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Chelsea at Goodison Park, ending the visitors’ eight-match winning streak. In challenging conditions, with swirling wind and rain, both teams battled to find rhythm, but the Toffees’ resilience at the back and Chelsea’s attacking intent resulted in a tense stalemate.

Chelsea, aiming to go top of the Premier League with a win, started brightly. Cole Palmer had an early chance, dragging a shot wide, and Nicolas Jackson’s near-miss was expertly saved by Jordan Pickford. The Toffees, while under pressure, stuck to their defensive shape, frustrating Chelsea’s attacking line. Enzo Fernandez was particularly influential for the Blues, threading a brilliant pass to Jackson, whose close-range header hit the post. Despite this early dominance, Chelsea could not break down Everton’s well-organized defense.

Pickford was the hero for Everton, denying Jackson on several occasions, including a fine save from a tight angle. The Toffees also had their moments, with Jack Harrison testing Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez, but the Spaniard was in top form, making crucial saves, including one from Harrison’s close-range effort in the second half.

Everton’s counter-attacks, spearheaded by the lively Iliman Ndiaye, caused Chelsea problems throughout. Ndiaye’s brilliant footwork led to a chance for Morgan Sanson, but his 20-yard shot was palmed away by Sanchez. Everton’s substitutes, including Jesper Lindstrom and Beto, kept up the pressure, and Ndiaye almost found the net late on, but his effort was blocked by Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo.

While Chelsea enjoyed the majority of possession, it was Everton who had the better chances in the second half. However, neither team could find a breakthrough, and the match ended in a deserved 0-0 draw.

--IANS

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Pune, Dec 22 (IANS) Tamil Thalaivas registered their eighth win of the season with a convincing performance against Bengaluru Bulls, winning by a scoreline of 42-32 at the Badminton Hall in the Balewadi Sports Complex in PKL Season 11, on Sunday. Himanshu completed a Super 10 and was well supported by Moein Shafaghi as they overcame the bottom-placed side, despite Sushil’s 15-point game.

It wasn’t the most action-packed start to the game with raiders of both teams not quite flying off the blocks. Moein Shafaghi opened the scoring, while Parteek got the first tackle of the evening. The defences were on top in the opening exchanges as Amir Hossein Bastami got himself into the action with a tackle of his own.

Sushil registered the first successful raid for Bengaluru Bulls and Parteek started well on the defensive end too. Amir Hossein Bastami responded with a successful tackle on a Do-or-Die Raid, followed by a raid from Moein Shafaghi to level the scores at 4-4. It was a Super Raid from Sushil that gave Bengaluru Bulls a three-point lead before Tamil Thalaivas fought back to take an 8-7 lead after the first timeout.

Moein Shafaghi carried on his good run on the attacking end for Tamil Thalaivas, while Sushil was doing the same for Bengaluru Bulls. A tackle by Nitin Rawal gave them the lead again, as the defensive units continued to stay on top. A Super Tackle from Abhishek Manokaran helped Tamil Thalaivas level things up at 12-12, before they closed out the first half with a slender one-point lead as the scoreline read 14-13.

Himanshu got the first raid of the second half, but Pardeep Narwal quickly levelled things up with a two-point raid of his own. Sai Prasad put Tamil Thalaivas back in front with a couple of raids and got support from Abhishek Manokaran, who got the first successful tackle of the first half. Another successful tackle, this time by Aashish helped Tamil Thalaivas take a four-point lead.

Sushil kept the scoreboard ticking for Bengaluru Bulls with a successful Do-or-Die Raid and got support from Naveen, as he inflicted a Super Tackle to help their side cut the deficit to two-points. However, the duo of Himanshu and Moein Shafaghi ensured that the Tamil Thalaivas regain their four-point lead, with the score at 23-19 going into the final phase of the game.

Amir Hossein Bastami helped his side inflict an All Out on the Bengaluru Bulls to put some daylight between the two sides. Himanshu further extended the lead to 10-points with another Super Raid, reducing Bengaluru Bulls to three players on the mat. Sushil showed some spirit and registered his Super 10 to keep his side in the game.

However, there was no respite for the Bengaluru Bulls as they suffered another All Out to give their opponents a twelve-point lead. Moein Shafaghi amassed 100 raid points for the season, and with close to five minutes to go in the contest, the writing was already on the wall.

Pardeep Narwal got a two-point raid and Sushil kept his foot on the pedal to try and take the game to their opponents. Eventually, it was the Tamil Thalaivas who came out on top in this contest with the scoreline of 42-32 as Himanshu completed his Super 10, finishing with 13 points, to wrap up a complete performance for his side.

--IANS

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Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Dec 22 (IANS) American Learner Tien came up with a fine performance to get the better of compatriot and friend Alex Michelsen in a thrilling five-setter as his hard-fought win making him the third American to reach the summit clash of the Next Gen ATP Finals here on Saturday. Tien, who went 2-1 in Blue Group play, will face the winner of the second semifinal between Brazilian Joao Fonseca and Frenchman Luca Van Assche in the final on Sunday.

It was his win over Michelsen that made it all possible for Tien.

Over the last 10 years, Michelsen and Tien have developed a strong friendship. They train together in California and compete in Fortnite battles and table tennis duels. However, their off-court relationship was put on the sidelines in Saudi Arabia, where they produced an entertaining battle on Saturday. Their semifinal clash was played in front of a lively crowd and former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who was courtside at King Abdullah Sports City. The two Americans did not differ much in the opening three sets as they competed in their first ATP head-to-head meeting.

On Saturday, Michelsen powered down serves to dominate Tien physically at times. Still, the 19-year-old responded, outmanoeuvring the 20-year-old with an array of stunning angles and aggressive groundstrokes to pull Michelsen from corner to corner.

However, from the start of the fourth set, Tien dominated. The American, who won seven straight games, locked in on the baseline exchanges and rode momentum in the fifth set to advance after one hour and 36 minutes.

"I can't put it into words right now," Tien said following his win after hitting 21 winners. "I am really happy with the win but I hate it was against him, but that is just how it goes. I started smiling when I came out here and saw him on the other side of the net, but I am really happy to get through and think I played really well."

--IANS

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Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Dec 21 (IANS) Vasco Vipers defeated the undefeated Himalayan Tahrs in a nail-biting final of the 11th edition of the Yuva Kabaddi Series and became the first team to qualify for the Grand Finale as Division 3 stage of the event concluded in dramatic fashion at the Karpagam Academy of Higher Education here on Saturday. Vasco Vipers, following their incredible victory in the Division 3 Final, become the first team to qualify for the Grand Finale.

The Yuva Kabaddi Series has established a clear pathway for teams to qualify for the Grand Finale, set to take place in January-February 2025. This marquee event will feature 12 teams.

The qualification structure ensures inclusivity, with at least one team from Division 3, a minimum of two teams from Division 2, and at least three teams from Division 1 earning their spots in the Grand Finale. The remaining spots will be determined in the upcoming Division 2 and Division 1 stages, with teams battling it out for a chance to compete for the coveted title.

The day began with the last league match of Division 3, where the Vasco Vipers delivered a resounding 62-38 win over the Ranchi Rangers. The Vipers, who had already secured a spot in the final, used the game as a warm-up. Laxman Gowda and Bhargav were in scintillating form, both securing Super 10s, while Abhishek came off the bench to contribute 13 raid points and two tackle points.

For the Rangers, substitutes Bittu Kumar, with 15 raid points, and Monu Kumar, with five tackle points, put up a fight, but the rest of the team faltered, leaving them to end their campaign on a disappointing note.

The much-anticipated Division 3 Final between the Himalayan Tahrs and Vasco Vipers lived up to its billing. The Himalayan Tahrs, unbeaten throughout the league stage, came into the final as favourites, but the Vipers had other plans. The match began with both teams trading leads. With 10 minutes left on the clock, the Tahrs appeared poised for victory, leading and on the verge of inflicting another all-out on the Vipers.

However, the Vipers' defense rose to the occasion, pulling off four Super Tackles in the final moments to turn the tide in their favour. Prince starred for the Vipers with a Super 10, while Sachin dominated defensively, registering a High 5. For the Tahrs, Mayank Saini was their standout performer, earning seven raid points and one tackle point, but a lack of support from his teammates ultimately cost them the match. The Vipers' spirited comeback secured them a 34-30 win and the Division 3 title, ending the Tahrs' unbeaten streak most dramatically.

With Division 3 now concluded, the Yuva Kabaddi Series will move on to Division 2, which kicks off on Monday (December 23).

--IANS

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Birmingham, Dec 21 (IANS) Aston Villa moved to fifth position in the Premier League points table with a 2-1 win over Manchester City. Despite the recent struggles faced by the defending champions, head coach Unai Emery lauded his side’s approach to the game and claimed they were the better side.

"We are trying to be positive, in some matches we may not perform as we want, but today we performed. We are feeling strong, here we played the first half very well, in the second half we kept possession more and got in the box to score the second goal, we imposed and dominated more,” said Emery to TNT Sports.

Manchester City are currently sixth in the league table having drawn three and lost six in 17 games played. The side is nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, having played two games more, but Pep Guardiola expressed ‘incredible trust’ in his players to bounce back from the rough patch.

"Aston Villa are a team that are doing well in the Champions League, and Premier League as well. It is a tough place to come. Last season we won the Premier League, but we came here and lost. We have to think positively and I have incredible trust in the guys. Some of them have incredible pride and desire to do it. We have to find a way, step by step, sooner or later to find a way back,” said Pep Guardiola.

After breaking the deadlock in the 16th minute through Jhon Duran, Villa doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Morgan Rogers found space in the box to slot home a left-footed strike after impressive build-up play.

“We knew it was going to be difficult. They have not had results, but we knew they were going to come firing. We knew we needed a reaction in the same way as they did. To a man, I thought we were outstanding and I think we deserved the win. I try to thrive in big games and I want to show what I am about - it is nice to perform in the big games,” said Morgan Rogers.

--IANS

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Abu Dhabi, Dec 21 (IANS) TSL Hawks emerged victorious in a closely-contested last league stage encounter, as they defeated Kites 20-17 in the World Tennis League Season 3 at the iconic Etihad Arena on Saturday and stormed into the final. With this win, TSL Hawks secured second place in the standings with 67 points and will face the table toppers Game Changers Falcons, who finished the league stage with 68 points. Game Changers Falcons advanced to the final despite a loss earlier in the day, thanks to their consistent performance throughout the campaign.

Meanwhile, Kites finished third with 63 points, while HonorFX Eagles, who registered their first win earlier on Saturday, ended the season in fourth place with 54 points. Interestingly, Game Changers Falcons and TSL Hawks also faced each other in the first match of this season.

In the match on Saturday, TSL Hawks' Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva extended their impressive form with a commanding start in the women’s doubles, racing to a 4-0 lead. While the Kites' duo of Simona Halep and Jasmine Paolini managed to break serve and pull a game back, Sabalenka and Andreeva quickly regained control and sealed the set 6-1 in dominant fashion for TSL Hawks.

Teenager Andreeva then built on the momentum with a remarkable performance against Paolini in the women’s singles. Andreeva broke Paolini's third serve to take a 3-2 lead and held her next serve to create a two-game cushion before comfortably closing out the set 6-4. In the men's doubles, Nick Kyrgios and Casper Ruud broke Sumit Nagal and Jordan Thompson to love, taking an early 2-1 lead. Nagal and Thompson did equalise immediately with a break, but their opponents regained the advantage and went on to close the set 6-4, narrowing the overall deficit to 11-16.

In the men's singles, Casper Ruud broke Nagal's second serve to gain an advantage, leading the set 4-1. While the Indian star showed resilience, he trailed throughout as Ruud closed the set 6-3, taking the game to Over Time with an overall score of 17-19 for the Kites.

In Over Time, Nagal held his serve to help his team not only secure a 20-17 win over Kites but also a place in the Finals of the competition.

Speaking after the game, Nagal said, "Any final is good, doesn’t matter what type of format you are playing. I think everyone’s playing well, everyone’s happy with the way we have been performing. Tomorrow, it will be just another day, another set.”

His teammate, Thompson added, “We are here to win. We have got a great team, it’s been an incredible campaign so far, and we would like to continue the momentum.”

--IANS

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Dubai (UAE), Dec 21 (IANS) With 8,947 runs in Test cricket, 13,906 in ODIs and 4,188 runs in T20Is, Virat Kohli is the greatest batsman of his generation. But in recent times, many people have drawn comparisons between him and Babar Azam of Pakistan, Steve Smith of Australia, and Joe Root of England. With the former India captain struggling for runs in the last couple of years, many experts have jumped the gun and even proclaimed their favourites as better than Kohli.

But Pakistan's recently retired pacer Mohammad Amir is unequivocal in his verdict that Kohli is the greatest batter of this generation. "Virat Kohli is the greatest batsman of this generation and comparisons with Babar, Smith or Root make me laugh," Amir passed his judgment in a recent podcast.

Speaking about Virat Kohli on the Cricket Predicta Show, Amir said, "Virat Kohli is the greatest player of this generation. I laugh when comparisons are made between him and Babar Azam, Steve Smith, or Joe Root. We cannot compare Virat Kohli to anyone because he has won so many matches- for India, which seems impossible for any one player. Not just in one format, but in all three formats, Virat is the greatest batsman of this generation."

"Virat Kohli’s work ethic sets him apart from all players. After his bad phase in England in 2014, the way he made a comeback and then consistently performed brilliantly for the next 10 years was no ordinary feat. His wicket in the 2017 Champions Trophy final was very important for us, which helped us win the final. If Virat had not been dismissed, we would have lost the final because we all know how exceptional Virat’s record is while chasing runs," said Amir.

Amir has a positive head-to-head matchup with Kohli, having dismissed the Indian batting stalwart on two occasions, in ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and ICC ODI World Cup 2019.

Amir shared interesting stories about dismissing Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli and about his life in the Cricket Predicta Show with its founder Sunil Yash Kalra.

He said dismissing Sachin Tendulkar for the first time was a memorable moment of his career. "Dismissing Sachin Tendulkar was the most special moment for me. I bowled to him only once in my life during the 2009 Champions Trophy, which was held in South Africa, and dismissed him while playing against India. I had seen him play cricket on TV and always used to think about how brilliant a batsman Sachin was," said Amir who retired from all formats of cricket recently.

Tendulkar was at the peak of his batting prowess when Amir made an entry into international cricket and was the most cherished wicket for every bowler. So, bowling to the batting maestro in the 2009 Champions Trophy was a big thing for Amir.

"Bowling to Sachin Tendulkar was a big thing for me. For three days after his dismissal, I was not in my senses; I could not believe I had taken Sachin Paaji’s wicket. I was new to cricket and he (Sachin Tendulkar) was the kind of player who had a deep understanding of every aspect of the game. When the captain handed me the ball, my heart was pounding. I took a deep breath and bowled to him. My condition was exactly like when I met Wasim Akram for the first time," Amir said recalling those moments.

Notably, it was the sixth clash of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 in South Africa, in which Pakistan defeated the arch-rivals India by 54 runs. Mohammad Amir bagged two crucial scalps of Sachin Tendulkar and power-hitter Yusuf Pathan, ending up with figures of 2/46 in eight overs.

--IANS

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Madrid (Spain), Dec 20 (IANS) FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will end 2024 with a vital showcase match, while Real Madrid could finish the year top of the table in the top-flight of Spanish football this weekend.

Here are four things to look out for in 2024's last round of matches in La Liga:

1. Massive game for Flick and Barcelona

Barcelona entertain Atletico Madrid with the two teams level on points at the top of the table, but with Barcelona struggling for form and results in recent weeks. Although they have maintained a high level in Europe, Barca have suffered three league defeats in their last six games in La Liga, with last weekend's 1-0 loss at home to Leganes arguably the biggest surprise of the season.

The game also saw Flick lose Lamine Yamal with an ankle injury, although Flick will be grateful for a rare midweek without a game to try to allow tired players to recover. Will Barca react and turn in a winning display? Or will a continuation of their bad recent league form make for an unhappy holiday period with lots of questions to be answered in and around the club?

2. Which Simeone will we see?

One of the main reasons for Atletico Madrid's excellent recent form is that forwards Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann have developed an on-field understanding that has turned Atletico into a potent attacking force.

Their run of seven consecutive league wins has come with Atletico playing some entertaining attacking football, with Rodrigo de Paul taking a step forward and Marcos Llorente given the freedom to make rampaging runs forward. Looking ahead to Saturday's game against Barcelona, there is one clear question. Atletico's recent form has come thanks to their courage in attack, but will coach Diego Simeone be tempted to fall back on his old defensive habits when his team faces a powerful rival?

3. Can Real Madrid be the big winner this weekend?

Real Madrid will end 2024 at home to Sevilla after winning the Intercontinental Cup away in Doha on Wednesday night with a 3-0 win against Mexican side Pachuca. Coach Carlo Ancelotti now has to help his players recover for their last game of 2024, which could see them end the year on the top of the table if they win, while Barca and Atletico draw.

Apart from the opening minutes in Doha, Madrid were rarely tested by a side that would struggle to make the mid-table in Spain, but on Sunday, Ancelotti's men will have to cut out the defensive errors that were so expensive against Rayo Vallecano last weekend. Sevilla are a powerful side and will give Madrid problems from set pieces, while in attack, Isaac Romero and Dodi Lukebakio are both quick and mobile, with Lukebakio excellent at beating his marker.

4. Vital derby in Pamplona

Osasuna entertain Athletic Bilbao in what looks to be an evenly-matched derby at the El Sadar Stadium on Saturday evening. Athletic travel fourth in the table and need a win to keep themselves in with an outside chance in the title race after being held to a 1-1 draw away to Alaves last weekend.

That draw ended a six-game winning run for Athletic and could give them an idea of what to expect in Pamplona, as Alaves adapted their game in the second half to hit long passes to avoid Athletic's ferocious pressure simply by passing their midfield. With striker Ante Budimir again a potent threat and midfielder Aimar Oroz showing why Athletic wanted to sign him this summer, Osasuna are big, powerful, and have enough creativity to make this a tight game and a real test for Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde.

--IANS

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