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    Leicester City vs Man Utd LIVE REACTION: Vardy cancels out Bruno’s late strike in Boxing Day cracker – latest updates

    JAMIE VARDY struck a late equaliser as Leicester fought back to draw 2-2 with Manchester United at the King Power Stadium.
    After the thriller, the Foxes remain in second place with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United a point behind in third.

    Follow ALL of the latest reaction below…

    THAT’S ALL FROM THE KING POWER
    No knock-out from either side but what a game to kick off Boxing Day!
    A Rashford header and a Vardy Volley inside 5 minutes set the tone for the game but neither player surprisingly converted their opportunity.
    But Rashford was given a second bite at the apple and this time, he made no mistake when he tucked home his shot which was thread through to him by Bruno Fernandes.
    A Harvey Barnes screamer put the Foxes on level terms before Fernandes popped up again with the goods putting United back in the lead.
    Ole’s men looked set to leave the Midlands with all three points until a deflected Vardy shot levelled up the scoring yet again on the 86th minute.
    Vardy tried to claim it but the officials concluded that it would be classed as a Tuanzebe own goal.
    However, the England international won’t care because it means that his team stay above United in 2nd place.
    Thanks for sticking with me my SunSport family and I hope you all enjoy the rest of your Boxing Day.

    MATCH REPORT
    Want to see more of an insight to today’s game including all the player ratings?
    CLICK HERE FOR THE MATCH REPORT

    ON THEM LIKE A RASH
    Only Rooney and Ronaldo have managed 50 Premier League goals younger than Marcus Rashford.

    23 – Aged 23 years and 56 days, Marcus Rashford is the third-youngest Manchester United player to reach 50 Premier League goals after Wayne Rooney (22 years 157 days) and Cristiano Ronaldo (22 years 341 days). Prestige.
    — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2020

    SOLSKJAER’S ANALYSIS
    Quotes from the United boss on the game, both goals and the disallowed goal from Martial.
    Solskjaer said: “Disappointed that we don’t win tonight sorry this afternoon. Loads of big chances to finish it of but then again they are a very dangerous side.
    “Yeah a good goal, good pass by Edinson, good timing. We just had type of similar chance before, Anthony’s chance. You just don’t know if it’s a goal or offside but well timed and a good finish.
    “Very good goal that he scored and of course he know’s that his first chance is a glorious one and it seems like he’s finished his header before the ball came and hit him on the top of his head.
    It’s just one of those things.”

    UPDATED LEAGUE STANDINGS
    With the points being shared, both teams stay in exactly the same position they were in before the game.

    VARDY’S VIEWS
    Despite the goal eventually being given as an own goal, Jamie Vardy got right to the point on the equaliser.

    Yeah it is all about patience. You can’t obviously score with every single touch, it’s all about being patient.

    FULL TIME POSSESSION STATS
    Detailed statistics from this afternoon’s Boxing Day Event.

    PORTUGUESE POWER
    Let me give Bruno a bit more praise.
    The Manchester United midfielder has now scored 10 premier league goals, the first Portuguese to do that since Cristiano Ronaldo.

    MAN OF THE MATCH
    Bruno Fernandes’ assist and goal earned him man of the match today. Something that journalist Fabrizio Romano agreed with.

    SPOILS SHARED
    Great start to Boxing Day as the game ends even.

    PEEEEEEEEEEEP!
    THE FINAL WHISTLE GOES!
    WHAT A GAME!
    FT: LEICESTER 2-2 MAN UTD

    LEICESTER 2-2 MAN UTD
    90+2. PEREZ WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!
    The freekick was cleared by the head of Pogba but only to the feet of Tielemans.
    The French international then put in a shot/cross which some how found it’s way to Perez at the back post but the Spaniard couldn’t keep his cool and his effort went wide.

    LEICESTER 2-2 MAN UTD
    90+1. Freekick for Leicester in a dangerous area.
    Every outfield player for Man Utd is in the box defending this set piece.

    LEICESTER 2-2 MAN UTD
    90. With four minutes added time to go, the ending to this game has been fantastic.
    Will someone steal all three points?

    VARDY’S HAVIN’ A PARTY
    Leicester’s main man on the score sheet yet again.
    De Ja Vu.

     
    Ayoze Perez fired in a low cross and when you want the ball to fall to anyone, you’d want it to fall to Jamie Vardy.
    In all honesty, his shot was not the best but deflections off his left foot, right foot and Tuanzebe trickled the ball into the United net.
    That’s 14 for the season for Vardy.
    LEICESTER 2-2 MAN UTD

    GOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL
    IT’S THE EQUALISER!
    GUESS WHO?!
    JAMIE VARDYYYYYYY

    FANTASTIC FERNANDES
    Superb finish from Bruno.

     
    Just as I mentioned lucky number 7, it came to reality.
    Cavani didn’t score but it was his assist who put Bruno Fernandes through for a chance he simply couldn’t miss.
    LEICESTER 1-2 MAN UTD

    GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLL!
    FERNANDESSSSSS!
    AND IT’S NOT A PENALTY!

    LEICESTER 1-1 MAN UTD
    75. Could it be the lucky number 7 for United?
    Ole sends on Edinson Cavani for Martial with his last change of the day.

    LINDE-OFF
    Victor Lindelof knew his time was up as soon as he hit the ground.

    LEICESTER 1-1 MAN UTD
    71. Both teams going blow for blow on Boxing Day.
    Albrighton this time with a nice cross after cutting inside on his favourite left foot but the ball was too high for Barnes or Vardy to get any kind of contact on it.

    LEICESTER 1-1 MAN UTD
    69. Maguire leaps above everyone and gets his head onto the floating cross but the ball ends up in row z.
    I don’t think it would of counted if that went in because the replays showed the England international with his hands all over Fofana.

    LEICESTER 1-1 MAN UTD
    68. Good chance for United to send the defenders up as Luke Shaw stands over the freekick.
    This could be dangerous.

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    EFL Cup semi-final draw LIVE: Man Utd vs Man City in HUGE derby, Brentford vs Spurs – latest reaction

    EDINSON CAVANI and Anthony Martial fired Manchester United into the EFL Cup semi-final with a dramatic late win at Everton.
    And Utd will now face Man City in a massive Manchester derby in the semi-final in the draw which followed the match. Brentford host Tottenham.
    EFL Cup semi-final draw: Man Utd vs Man City, Brentford vs Tottenham
    Ties will be played week of January 4

    THAT’S ALL FOR TONIGHT!
    Manchester United are through to Carabao Cup semi finals after beating Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park thanks to goals from Cavani and Martial.
    United will face Man City in a Manchester derby in the semi finals of the competition.
    Tottenham will face Brentford in the other semi final.
    Be sure to join us on SunSport soon for more live blogs as the Christmas fixtures are starting to come think and fast!
    Thank you and goodnight!

    MORE FROM SOLSKJAER
    “This was a proper game of football, with fans, tackles, yellow cards and chances, I enjoyed it. We know that when we defend well we have players that can win us the game, the spirit in the camp is really good, winning gives energy and gives you a boost for the next game and we’re in the semi’s just one step away from the final.”

    REACTION FROM SOLSKJAER
    “Very good start, first 20-25 minutes I thought we were excellent should have been 1,20r 3 up but Olsen made a few good saves and kept them in the game and they had a good spell just before half time but I felt second half we dominated.”

    MORE FROM ANCELOTTI
    “They had more control and better quality we know this and so the game was planned to defend well, we had some but not a lot of opportunities on the counter but that was the game we planned. We don’t need to have regrets because the team performed, they sacrificed, they worked hard with good spirit, we lost and we look forward to the next game.”

    REACTION FROM ANCELOTTI
    “No regrets for the performance, we defended well, we had a difficult start but after 20 minutes the game was under control, we didn’t play attacking football but we needed to defend, until the last three minutes we defended well.”

    MORE FROM MAGUIRE
    “We play for Manchester United, we’re expected to win trophies we got to the semi finals last year, this year we’ve reach our first semi final in our first competition, we need to start winning the big games and go on to lift trophies for this club.”

    REACTION FROM MAGUIRE
    He told Sky Sports: ‘ I thought it was an excellent performance, we started the game really well and had 3/4 great chances and needed to be a little bit more clinical but we kept going and digging in and knew the chance would come and Edinson has put a great finish in and we managed to seal the win and go through to the next round.”

    ALL LONDON AFFAIR IN THE SEMIS

    MANCHESTER DERBY IN THE SEMIS

    SEMI FINAL DRAW
    Man United v Man City
    Tottenham v Brentford

    WHO WILL UNITED GET IN THE SEMIS?

    MARTIAL STEPPING UP

    RASHFORD IN FORM

    IMPRESSIVE POGBA

    LUCKY GROUND FOR CAVANI?

    PERSISTENT CAVANI

    MARTIAL SEALED IT

    UNITED IN FORM

    GREAT STRIKE FROM CAVANI

    MAN UNITED THROUGH TO THE SEMIS!

    PEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!
    FULL TIME
    EVERTON 0-2 MAN UTD

    EVERTON 0-2 MAN UTD
    95. Martial scores with the last kick of the game!!!!!!!!!!!

    GOAL!!!!!! MAN UNITED!!!!!!

    EVERTON 0-1 MAN UTD
    92. United in control, Everton showing some fight but it seems too little too late.

    EVERTON 0-1 MAN UTD
    90. Five minutes of added time.

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    Stoke vs Tottenham LIVE: Stream, score, TV channel, kick-off time, team news for TONIGHT’s Carabao Cup quarter-final

    STOKE CITY welcome Tottenham to the bet365 Stadium tonight with a place in the Carabao Cup final-four up for grabs.
    Jose Mourinho’s side last won this trophy back in 2008 and are flying high in the Premier League this season.

    Harry Kane is hoping to lead Spurs to silverware this seasonCredit: EPA

    The Potters meanwhile have made a strong start to their own league campaign and saw off Aston Villa in the last round.
    When is Stoke vs Tottenham?
    Kick-off at the bet365 Stadium is at 5.30pm GMT.
    When the sides last met in 2018, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane scored in a 2-1 victory for Spurs.
    Which TV channel and live stream can I watch it on?
    You can catch this game live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
    Coverage begins at 5pm.
    If you’re not a Sky subscriber, grab a NOW TV pass from £9.99 to stream on a number of devices.

    Listen to all of the action LIVE on talkSPORT 2

    What is the team news?
    Giovani Lo Celso is a doubt for the visitors after going off in the defeat against Leicester at the weekend.
    Erik Lamela and Japhet Tanganga are also sidelined as Mourinho looks set to ring the changes, with Gareth Bale hoping for a start.
    Tyrese Campbell will miss the remainder of the campaign for Stoke, while Lee Gregory and Sam Clucas remain out.

    Match odds
    Stoke to win – 5/1
    Draw – 10/3
    Spurs victory – 1/2
    *All odds from Ladbrokes and correct at time of publication.

    HEAD-TO-HEAD
    Tottenham and Stoke’s first ever encounter took place way back in 1896 during an FA Cup tie that the Potters won comfortably with a score of 5-0.
    Since then, the two sides have faced off 94 times with Spurs winning the lion’s share as they count 48 victories compared to the Championship outfit’s 25.
    Tottenham and Stoke have only met once before in the Carabao Cup in 2011 when the competition was known as the Carling Cup.
    That match went to a dramatic penalty shoot-out which the Potters won 7-6 following a goalless draw at the Britannia Stadium.

    GOOD AFTERNOON FROM STOKE
    Welcome to our live coverage of the Carabao Cup quarter-final clash between Stoke and Tottenham at the Bet365 Stadium.
    Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is still determined to win silverware for the club and hopes tonight’s match will mark the beginning of the end of the north Londoners’ 12-year dry spell.
    The Carabao Cup has a rather special meaning for Tottenham as this is the trophy they won most recently in 2008, then known as the Carling Cup.
    However, Mourinho is still expected to rotate against Stoke ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Wolves at Molineux.
    It seems like Spurs will be without Giovani Lo Celso, who suffered a hamstring injury against Leicester at the weekend.
    Erik Lamela and Japhet Tanganga are both sidelined as they are nursing an achilles and shoulder injury respectively.
    Stoke, on the other hand, have been stricken by a crisis as they are missing four goalkeepers with starting keeper Adam Davies, Angus Gunn and Niki Maenpaa all injured while Joe Bursik is cup-tied.
    Thus, Potters boss Michael O’Neill will have to choose between Blondy Nna Noukeu, who has no first-team experience, and 37-year-old Andy Lonergan for the No1 spot.
    To make matters worse, the hosts will also be missing three of their most experienced players as John Obi Mikel, Joe Allen and Ryan Shawcross are all sidelined.

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    Juventus 0-3 Fiorentina LIVE RESULTS: Vlahovic, Alex Sandro (og) and Caceres secure visitors rout

    JUVENTUS have been hammered 3-0 by Fiorentina on a night where everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong.
    Dusan Vlahovic gave the visitors the lead after three minutes before Juan Cuadrado was sent off, forcing Andrea Pirlo to sacrifice Aaron Ramsey for Danilo.

    The furious Welshman then kicked a bottle as he headed off the pitch.
    And an Alex Sandro own goal and a strike from former star Martin Caceres in the second half ensured the three points will be going to Florence.

    THAT’S ALL FROM TURIN
    Everything that could have gone wrong for Juventus went wrong as their undefeated streak in the Serie A came to an end with a 3-0 loss to Fiorentina.
    The Viola opened the scoring just three minutes after kick-off with a beautiful dink by Dusan Vlahovic, who caught Juve off guard following an incredible pass by Franck Ribery.
    It all went downhill after that as Juan Cuadrado was sent off in the 18th minute with a straight red card following a review from VAR, which showed the former Chelsea man committing a dangerous tackle on Gaetano Castrovilli.
    Juventus had a goal by Cristiano Ronaldo overruled for offside and then saw Alex Sandro scoring an own goal after 76 minutes after he misread Cristiano Biraghi’s cross.
    But it was a former Juve ace who sealed this famous win as Martin Caceres sent the ball to the back of the net after 81 minutes with a cool finish from close range.
    Thank you for following all the action with us, have a great night!

    PIRLO REACTS
    Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo claims his team was “sluggish and unfocused”, thus a loss was inevitable.
    Pirlo added that Juan Cuadrado’s red card was clear but insinuated that there were some other instances that should have gone Juve’s way.
    He said: ““That mustn’t be an alibi. We started with the wrong attitude and if you do that, then you end up going into these bad situations.
    “It can happen in the last game before Christmas to start thinking about the vacation, but we were sluggish and unfocused, so inevitably we then lost.
    “The images seem clear, Cuadrado’s red card was very clear. There could’ve been other incidents in our favour, but I don’t feel the need to comment. After all, everyone can see the footage.”

    MANAGER SPEAKS
    Fiorentina manager Cesare Prandelli dedicated this famous win against Juventus to the fans.
    However, he as well insists this is not a turning point yet as there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.
    Prandelli said: “We dedicate this win to our fans, as they are by our side, they suffer with us and I hope this can give some sense to all the work we’ve been doing.
    “Hard work pays off in the end and we’re still not there yet, as admittedly we got a bit of luck with the early red card.
    “However, the players showed not just the character we had been looking for, but also the brazenness I asked for.”

    CAPTAIN SPEAKS
    Fiorentina captain German Pezzella understands this is a big win for his team but insists there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.
    Pezzella told Sky Sport Italia:
    “This win means a great deal to us and our fans.
    “Unfortunately, we haven’t given the supporters the joy they deserved in recent months, I’ve been here for four years and I know that it means to take on Juve.
    “We mustn’t see this as a turning point, because we still need to improve a great deal.
    “It does give us more confidence to face everything coming our way, because we want to reboot this season.”

    ABOUT TIME
    Fiorentina just defeated Juventus for the first time away from home in the league since 2008.
    It was back then when the Viola picked up a heroic 3-2 win thanks to Massimo Gobbi’s brace and Pablo Osvaldo’s strike, which cancelled out Mohamed Sissoko and Mauro Camoranesi’s goals.
    Since then, they were unable to overcome the Bianconeri away from home in the league but did get a victory in the Coppa Italia in 2015.
    Fiorentina won 2-1 thanks to current Liverpool star Mohamed Salah’s brace.

    GETTY IMAGES – GETTY

    END OF THE ROAD
    Fiorentina became the team to end Juventus’ undefeated streak in the Serie A.
    But Juve have nothing to be ashamed of as their track record ever since last season suggests.
    This is the Bianconeri’s first defeat in the league since August 1 when they lost 3-1 to Roma at the Juventus Stadium.
    That means the Viola just ended a 12-match undefeated streak, not bad at all…

    GETTY IMAGES – GETTY

    FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
    It’s official, Juventus’ loss tonight is historic…
    It seems like no other club has ever managed to beat Juve at the Juventus Stadium with such a heavy score before Fiorentina.
    Much to ponder on there…

    MARTY IRONY
    Juventus’ undefeated streak in the Serie A is over and it was sealed by a former Bianconeri.
    Martin Caceres, who amassed a total of 119 appearances across three stints at Juve, made it 3-0 for Fiorentina after 81 minutes.
    Caceres drove the ball to the back of Wojciech Szczesny’s net with a cool finish following a cross by Cristiano Biraghi

    FT: JUVENTUS 0-3 FIORENTINA
    What an unbelievable night we’ve just experienced in Turin.
    Struggling Fiorentina have ended reigning Italian champions Juventus’ undefeated run in the Serie A.
    La Viola got the lead just three minutes after kick-off when Franck Ribery’s beautiful pass found Dusan Vlahovic who dinked the ball past Wojciech Szczesny.
    Things quickly got worse for Juve after 18 minutes as Juan Cuadrado was sent off following a review from VAR for a heavy challenge on Gaetano Castrovilli on his 200th appearance for the club.
    The Bianconeri struggled to find solutions in the second half and so Fiorentina doubled their lead after 76 minutes thanks to an own goal by Alex Sandro, who accidentally drove Cristiano Biraghi’s cross to the back of his own net.
    But that wasn’t all as former Juventus ace Martin Caceres was the one to hit the final nail in the coffin with a smooth finish from close range just nine minutes before full-time

    GETTY IMAGES – GETTY

    PEEEEEEEEEEEPPP
    NO STOPPAGE TIME IN TURIN AND IT’S FULL-TIME!!!!!!!

    JUVENTUS 0-3 FIORENTINA
    89 Alex Sandro’s expression after the own-goal says it all.
    That was when Fiorentina sealed a famous win in Turin

    GETY IMAGES – GETTY

    JUVENTUS 0-3 FIORENTINA
    88 SUBSTITUTION
    Gianluca Frabotta replaces Matthijs de Ligt who appears to have picked up a knock.
    Could Juventus’ night get any worse…?

    JUVENTUS 0-3 FIORENTINA
    87 A reminder that Fiorentina made a double switch.
    Lorenzo Venuti replaced Cristiano Biraghi and Giacomo Bonaventura took Franck Ribery’s place

    JUVENTUS 0-3 FIORENTINA
    85 Fiorentina are close to a famous win against Juventus thanks to the way they exploited all the open spaces left in the hosts’ backline.
    Reminding that La Viola haven’t beaten Juve away in the league 2008.
    And they are the ones that will end their undefeated streak in the Serie A

    JUVENTUS 0-3 FIORENTINA
    81 And this is it… Juventus’ undefeated streak is coming to an end.
    Fiorentina run riot in Juve’s defence with Biraghi getting the ball on the left flank and passing it to former Bianconeri Caceres.
    The full-back has no problem sending the ball to the back of the net with a calm finish from close range

    GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL
    FIORENTINA MAKE IT THREE!!!!!!

    JUVENTUS 0-2 FIORENTINA
    78 Juventus make another penalty appeal!
    Dragowski loses the ball from his hands and Bernardeschi tries to gain possession.
    The Fiorentina goalkeeper then appears to have brought the Juventus ace down with his left elbow.
    Referee and VAR claim there’s nothing there…

    JUVENTUS 0-2 FIORENTINA
    76 Unbelievable scenes in Turin as Juventus’ undefeated run is slowly coming to an end.
    Fiorentina get to Juve’s box as Ribery passes the ball to Biraghi on the left flank.
    He then crosses it towards Kouame who is well marked by Bonucci and Sandro.
    However, Sandro miscalculates the cross and sends the ball to the back of his own net.

    GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!
    JUVENTUS SCORE AN OWN GOAL!!!!!!

    JUVENTUS 0-1 FIORENTINA
    75 SUBSTITUTION
    Fiorentina make their second change as Kouame comes in for scorer Vlahovic

    JUVENTUS 0-1 FIORENTINA
    73 CHANCE
    Danilo fires another powerful shot but misses the mark by a lot once more.
    Juventus will have to do better than that to extend their undefeated run

    JUVENTUS 0-1 FIORENTINA
    73 SUBSTITUTION
    Juventus manager Pirlo brings Kulusevski in for McKennie as the hosts are pushing for an equaliser

    JUVENTUS 0-1 FIORENTINA
    71 CHANCE
    Chiesa fires a powerful shot from the flank forcing Dragowski to make a difficult save

    JUVENTUS 0-1 FIORENTINA
    70 It seems like Fiorentina are indeed more interested in getting a result against Juventus away.
    When they get the ball they look to just hold on to possession and keep Juve at bay.

    JUVENTUS 0-1 FIORENTINA
    68 Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo looks set to bring Paulo Dybala into the fold.
    Dybala recently recovered from a muscle injury

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    Brentford vs Newcastle LIVE: Stream, TV channel, team news for TONIGHT’S Carabao Cup quarter-final – latest updates

    BRENTFORD are up against Premier League side Newcastle in their Carabao Cup quarter-final this evening. A place in the semis is up for grabs for both sides, who will be vying for a place in the competition’s showpiece final at Wembley. Start time: 5.30pm GMT TV/Live stream: Sky Sports Football/Main Event Brentford: To follow Newcastle: […] More

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    Canelo vs Smith LIVE REACTION: Smith bicep ‘detaches’ as Mexican rips Brit apart with a brutal 12-round win

    ✍️ Respect 🥊@Canelo signs @CallumSmith23’s fight gloves after their 12 round battle.Saul and his team have been classy all week in the build-up 👌#CaneloSmith pic.twitter.com/zocLa5cJZR— Scott Hammerton (@scotthammerton) December 20, 2020nn”,”width”:550,”height”:550,”provider”:”twitter”,”href”:”https://twitter.com/scotthammerton/status/1340586008627306497?s=20″,”attribs”:{“data-tweetid”:”1340586008627306497″},”brightcovePlayerId”:”default”,”children”:null},”_owner”:null,”_store”:{}},”n”]}},{“id”:13530926,”post_id”:13494506,”type”:”new”,”css_classes”:”post-13530926 live_blog_entry type-live_blog_entry status-publish hentry”,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    BEST OF THREE nnnn
    Eddie Hearn believes Gennady Golovkin wants another crack at Canelo Alvarez, in an epic trilogy fight between the two. nnnn
    Many feel Golovkin was unlucky not to beat Canelo previously, with a draw and a defeat in their first two fights. nnnn
    And now promoter Hearn has said: “I think he wants to fight Canelo Alvarez for the third time.nnnn
    “We saw two tremendous fights first time up, he believes he should have won those fights.nnnn
    “And I think he wants another crack at Canelo Alvarez.””,”raw”:”n
    BEST OF THREE nnnn
    Eddie Hearn believes Gennady Golovkin wants another crack at Canelo Alvarez, in an epic trilogy fight between the two. nnnn
    Many feel Golovkin was unlucky not to beat Canelo previously, with a draw and a defeat in their first two fights. nnnn
    And now promoter Hearn has said: “I think he wants to fight Canelo Alvarez for the third time.nnnn
    “We saw two tremendous fights first time up, he believes he should have won those fights.nnnn
    “And I think he wants another crack at Canelo Alvarez.”n”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1608477823,”date_formatted”:”20th December 2020″,”time_formatted”:”15:23″},”author”:”Giacomo Pisa”,”avatar”:{“height”:96,”width”:96,”url”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9b53542929c56545a640f18eff09e151?s=96&d=mm&r=g”},”cssBundle”:[{“src”:”articleSocial.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”brightcoveDesktop.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”adsDesktop.css”,”lazy”:false}],”tree”:{“rendered”:”

    How it started How it’s going pic.twitter.com/Pbz2NJsZh3— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 20, 2020″,”raw”:”n
    SPOT SAUL nnnn
    Can you spot a younger Canelo Alvarez before he became one of the best pound for pound boxers in the world?nnnnhttps://twitter.com/DAZNBoxing/status/1340673561992806406?s=20n”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1608477058,”date_formatted”:”20th December 2020″,”time_formatted”:”15:10″},”author”:”Giacomo Pisa”,”avatar”:{“height”:96,”width”:96,”url”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9b53542929c56545a640f18eff09e151?s=96&d=mm&r=g”},”cssBundle”:[{“src”:”articleSocial.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”brightcoveDesktop.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”adsDesktop.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”oembed.css”,”lazy”:false}],”tree”:{“rendered”:”

    How it started How it’s going pic.twitter.com/Pbz2NJsZh3— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 20, 2020n
    nn”,”raw”:[{“type”:”p”,”key”:”0″,”ref”:null,”props”:{“className”:”article__content article__content–intro”,”children”:”SPOT SAUL “},”_owner”:null,”_store”:{}},”n”,{“type”:”p”,”key”:”2″,”ref”:null,”props”:{“children”:”Can you spot a younger Canelo Alvarez before he became one of the best pound for pound boxers in the world?”},”_owner”:null,”_store”:{}},”n”,{“key”:”4″,”ref”:null,”props”:{“html”:”

    How it started How it’s going pic.twitter.com/Pbz2NJsZh3— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 20, 2020nn”,”width”:550,”height”:550,”provider”:”twitter”,”href”:”https://twitter.com/DAZNBoxing/status/1340673561992806406?s=20″,”attribs”:{“data-tweetid”:”1340673561992806406″},”brightcovePlayerId”:”default”,”children”:null},”_owner”:null,”_store”:{}},”n”]}},{“id”:13530831,”post_id”:13494506,”type”:”new”,”css_classes”:”post-13530831 live_blog_entry type-live_blog_entry status-publish hentry”,”content”:{“rendered”:”
    WOW nnnn
    Watch the amazing moment Canelo Alvarez threw a dummy jab to set up the uppercut. nnnn
    Callum Smith didn’t know what was coming, but how could he?nnnn
    That’s why so many people have Canelo as the best pound for pound boxer in the world. nnnn
    WOW n
    Watch the amazing moment Canelo Alvarez threw a dummy jab to set up the uppercut. n
    Callum Smith didn’t know what was coming, but how could he?n
    That’s why so many people have Canelo as the best pound for pound boxer in the world. n
    “,”raw”:”n
    NEXT UP nnnn
    So where does Canelo go from here? nnnn
    Gennady Golovkin and Billy Joe Saunders are the two favourites to face the Mexican next, but Errol Spence, Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo are all possible opponents. nnnn[caption id="attachment_undefined" align="alignnone" width=""]Credit: Getty [/caption]n”},”date”:{“timestamp”:1608476546,”date_formatted”:”20th December 2020″,”time_formatted”:”15:02″},”author”:”Giacomo Pisa”,”avatar”:{“height”:96,”width”:96,”url”:”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9b53542929c56545a640f18eff09e151?s=96&d=mm&r=g”},”cssBundle”:[{“src”:”articleSocial.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”brightcoveDesktop.css”,”lazy”:false},{“src”:”adsDesktop.css”,”lazy”:false}],”tree”:{“rendered”:”

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    HAPPY HEARN n
    Eddie Hearn takes to Instagram to thank the 12,000 strong crowd who were there to watch Canelo and Smith slug it out in Texas. n

    View this post on Instagram

    ANNOUNCEMENT n
    Here’s a look at the moment the judges scorecards were announced. n
    It was a surprise to nobody that Canelo was a clear winner, with two of the judges scoring the fight at 119-109, and the other 117-111, all in favour of Canelo. n More

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    Man Utd 6 Leeds 2 LIVE REACTION: Red Devils put Marcelo Bielsa’s side to the sword with scoring clinic – latest updates

    MANCHESTER UNITED thrashed Leeds 6-2 at Old Trafford thanks to goals from Scott McTominay (2), Bruno Fernandes (2), Victor Lindelof and Daniel James.
    Leeds men Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas scored consolations but were ultimately outclassed in a pulsating contest in Manchester.
    RESULT: Man Utd 6-2 Leeds
    Man Utd XI: De Gea, Shaw, Lindelof, Maguire, Wan-Bissaka, Fred, McTominay, Fernandes, Rashford, James, Martial
    Leeds XI: Meslier, Alioski, Ayling, Cooper, Dallas, Phillips, Klich, Raphina, Rodrigo, Harrison, Bamford

    Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…

    GOODNIGHT FROM OLD TRAFFORD
    That’s the end of another scintillating day of Premier League action at Old Trafford.
    Six goals and three points for Manchester United has the Red Devils on the rise, and maybe, just maybe, in a title race.
    Many thanks for being with us, and goodbye.

    FUN POINTS THREE
    An evening enjoyed by Harry Maguire.

    EUPHORIC OLE
    A delighted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been speaking post-match about his team’s performance, and has heaped particular praise on Scott McTominay and Dan James.

    THE ACTION AREAS
    The visitors dominated possession, but – as Roy Keane as astutely pointed out – it’s the scoreline that’s most important.

    LEEDS SO INVITING
    Leeds United have made for great viewing this season, but – once again – showed that against the best counter-attacking teams, perhaps a more pragmatic approach is best.
    But the Premier League has waited so long for Bielsa-ball, that we wouldn’t want it any other way.

    Leeds are really fun to watch, but they’re even more fun to play against.
    — Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 20, 2020

    SHOTS HAPPEN
    At least, they do in Leeds games.

    📊 43 shots is the most in a PL game at Old Trafford since October 2016, when there were 45 attempts in Man Utd’s 0-0 draw against Burnley (38-7) pic.twitter.com/fsrM6GO7G1
    — Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 20, 2020

    MAGIC McTOMINAY
    It’s been a sensational day for Scott McTominay. A first double of his career, the quickest brace in the history of the Premier League and a lovely assist for Daniel James.
    The only black mark was the groin injury that forced him to limp off with seconds remaining.

    I’ve been saying in the dressing room that we have to score more goals at home and make teams scared of us. We have to make Old Trafford a fortress again.
    Scott McTominay

    Scott McTominay celebrates opening the scoring.

    END-TO-END ACTION LEAVES US FLAT OUT
    Ezgjan Alioski is how we, watching at home, all felt at full-time.

    UNITED UP TO THIRD
    Manchester united stretch their unbeaten run in the league to seven games, and move up to third place in the process.
    The Red Devils are just five points behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand on the champions. Leicester sit second after their win at Tottenham earlier today.
    Meanwhile, Leeds remain 14th and seven points clear of the dropzone.

    FT: MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    A brilliant, ridiculous game ends in an emphatic victory for Manchester United but that only tells half the story. Leeds could have had six themselves – although United could have easily had 12. An early double from Scott McTominay, two from Bruno Fernandes, one a penalty, and goals from Daniel James and Victor Lindelof did the damage. Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas netted for the visitors in a game that saw 43 attempts at goal.

    PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!AND BREATHE!

    MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    90+3. The game’s early hero, Scott McTominay, will not see this one out to the end.
    The midfielder has limped off, holding his groin – and that could be a blow with the packed Christmas schedule on the way.

    MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    90+2. In to three minutes of stoppage time, and both teams are still attacking.
    Stop it. Just stop it.

    MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    90. Harrison misses a sitter!
    Raphina’s cross from the right is missed by everyone and falls to the Man City loanee at the far post.
    He looks certain to score, only to somehow thump wide.
    This game has been crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like it.

    MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    86. Ridiculous! Meslier has made three saves in a 60-second period.
    First, Alex Telles was denied at the near post. From a subsequent corner, Maguire headed straight at the goalkeeper.
    Then, seconds later, the Leeds defence lost out to Fred, whose shot was deflected wide by Meslier with two United players open in the middle.

    MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    84. Double chance for United!
    Edinson Cavani breezes beyond Alioski to find himself in on goal. His initial shot is saved, and so is the follow up from James that is fired straight at Meslier.

    MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    82. Raphinha’s cross! Ayling’s header! Over!

    MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    80. A big chance for Harrison!
    The Manchester City loanee finds himself at the back stick with ample time, but is unable to get the ball under control.
    By the time he does manage to, Maguire recovers to block.

    MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    79. Leeds are still pushing.
    Even when they are clearly beaten, they don’t seem to realise it.

    MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    77. Leeds have two men down in the area, and they want a penalty for at least one.
    Struijk was bundled over by the challenge of Lindelof before Bamford collapsed when Fred took a shot off his toes.
    Anthony Taylor isn’t interested, and neither are the VAR officials.

    MAN UTD 6-2 LEEDS
    73. Stuart Dallas has another goal back for Leeds with a wonderful curling effort from 22 yards.
    The United defence stood off, and that enabled the right-back to plant his effort into the top corner, beyond David de Gea’s outstretched arm.

    GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLL!!STUART DALLAS WITH A BRILLIANT EFFORT!!

    MAN UTD 6-1 LEEDS
    72. United make two more changes with the game won. Donny van de Beek and Edinson Cavani are on for Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.
    Meanwhile, Meslier denies Martial from making it seven.

    MAN UTD 6-1 LEEDS
    60. A hop, skip, and a jump – and Bruno Fernandes makes it six!
    The Portuguese midfielder makes no mistakes after a stuttered run-up, sending his side-footed shot into the bottom right corner, leaving Illan Meslier rooted to the spot.
    The penalty was awarded after Pascal Struijk had brought down Anthony Martial, almost in slow motion, under the nose of Anthony Taylor.

    GOOOOOAAAAAALLL!!BRUNO FERNANDES MAKES IT SIX FROM THE SPOT!!

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    Canelo vs Smith LIVE REACTION: Smith bicep ‘detaches’ as Alvarez tears Brit apart with brutal 12-round win

    CANELO ALVAREZ has beaten Callum Smith after a 12-round demolition of the Brit saw him win on a unanimous decision.
    Canelo Alvarez BEATS Callum Smith (UD)
    Marc Castro BEATS Luis Valdez (Rd 3 TKO)
    Frank Sanchez BEATS Julian Fernandez (Rd 7 KO)
    Raymond Ford BEATS Joan Antonio Lopez (Rd 8 TKO)
    Austin Williams BEATS Isiah Jones (Rd 1 TKO)
    Stay up to date with all the action via our live blog…

    UNBELIEVABLE
    Canelo Alvarez’s list of achievements is frightening, what an incredible talent he is.

    POUND FOR POUND BEST?
    There are certainly strong claims for Canelo Alvarez being the best pound for pound boxer in the world.
    Last night’s clinical performance goes a long way to prove that.

    ‘I’M BACK’
    After 13 months away from the ring, Canelo carried one exactly where he left off.
    He was brilliant throughout against Smith and deservedly bagged the super-middleweights crowns.

    ‘DEVASTATED’
    Callum Smith offered a candid assessment of his defeat to Canelo.
    He said: “I’m devastated. I came here to win. No excuses, he was very good.
    “It could have been a better version of me tonight. He is smart and he is clever.
    “He closes ground, sets traps and before you know it he’s closed the ground up. I maybe let him close the ground up too easily.”

    CANELO PRESSER
    The full press conference from last night’s victor is now available to watch.
    And his assessment of how he won the fight is pretty clear: “Because I’m better.”
    [embedded content]

    MONEY SHOT
    Canelo Alvarez’s win over Callum Smith moved him to 54-1 in his career.
    The only person ever to have beaten him was the great Floyd Mayweather in 2013.

    ‘ONE OF THE BEST NIGHTS I’VE HAD’
    Here’s what Canelo Alvarez said after a brutal demolition of Callum Smith.
    “This is one of the best nights I have had. I will go for more.
    “I want all the belts, it doesn’t matter who has them. I don’t run from anybody.
    “I have fought against the best. I have shown the world I fight the best.”

    ABS-OLUTELY RIPPED
    Fans were stunned by Canelo’s latest body transformation as he cut the bulk and appeared more shredded.
    One said: “Canelo abs still ripped after rehydration.”
    Another added: “Canelo is just solid, physique, power, skills and chin is solid. On his grave stone will read.. Solid.”
    One added: “Canelo looks SHREDDED!!!”

    Credit: USA TODAY Sports

    GOING FOR GOL
    Gennady Golovkin wants another crack at Canelo Alvarez in a trilogy bout, Eddie Hearn believes.
    The promoter said: “I think he wants to fight Canelo Alvarez for the third time.
    “We saw two tremendous fights first time up, he believes he should have won those fights.
    “And I think he wants another crack at Canelo Alvarez.
    “I think there’s some tremendous fights out there for him at 160lb. Demetrius Andrade, who’s here tonight, it’s a great unification matchup.
    “Jaime Munguia would be a great fight for DAZN as well. But that’s the fight he’s chasing, he wants those legacy fights.”
    Golovkin was controversially judged to have only drawn his first fight with Canelo despite the vast majority of viewers believing he had won.
    However the Kazakh lost the second bout on points.

    LUKE-ING AHEAD
    Callum Smith’s defeat to Canelo brings the curtain down on British boxing in 2020.
    However fans won’t have long to wait for action in 2021 as Luke Campbell is back in action on January 2 against Ryan Garcia in an eagerly awaited WBA Interim Lightweight title fight.
    Campbell has been out of action since 2019 when he battled bravely but succumbed to a points defeat to Vasyl Lomachenko.

    CAN YOU BELIEVE IT
    The comparison between Canelo and Smith at the end told the story of the fight.
    Despite going 12 rounds with the previously undefeated Merseysider, the Mexican looked super fresh afterwards with barely a scratch on his body.
    But for Smith, he was battered, cut and bruised after the 36-minute onslaught in Texas.

    ‘IT PROBABLY DIDN’T MATTER’
    Speaking after the fight DAZN hosts said Eddie Hearn had stated that Callum Smith had likely suffered a detached bicep during the fight with Canelo.
    But Hearn added that it probably didn’t matter as far as the outcome was concerned.

    PUNCH DRUNK
    Here are the astonishing punch stats from Canelo vs Smith.
    The Mexican landed an incredible 43 per cent of his shots while Smith responded with just 18 per cent successful blows.
    Though Alvarez threw only 484 punches compared to Smith’s 536, he managed to land more 209 compared to 97 – more than double that of his opponent.

    TER UP
    After a brutal display from Canelo Alvarez, Twitter is rife with debate over whether he, or Terence Crawford is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
    Here are some of the responses.

    I’m sorry for ever saying Crawford or anyone else in this world is even close to @Canelo man this dude is a monster.. domination! Not even close Canelo is #p4p 👑 Nobody in the world can beat him right now.
    — Tim Tzeo (@TimTzeo) December 20, 2020

    My eyes tell me Crawford is better, the accomplishments say that Canelo (with Loma losing to Teo) is the number one p4p fighter in the world now. This was a real win, Smith is an in prime champ. #boxing
    — iiReal (@_iiReal) December 20, 2020

    Canelo is so cold. Crawford and Spence look better stylistically and are in the conversation for best p4p fighters but Canelo got so much power and technique.
    — ev (@5whiteboy10) December 20, 2020

    DETACHED BICEP?
    Callum Smith was left with a gruesome swollen bicep following his pummelling by Canelo Alvarez.
    As he left the fight, one Twitter user even joked: “Smiths left arm tried to give birth so he had 3 hands to try and land a shot.”
    In his post-bout interview the Scouser hinted that he had suffered a left arm injury in the fourth-round of their Texas clash.
    And promoter Eddie Hearn also told DAZN minutes after the match-up that Smith had suffered a suspected detached bicep.
    If true, he would almost-certainly be forced into having surgery ahead of the upcoming Christmas break.
    It is understood the pair even smiled and joked about how swollen his arm was in the middle of their fight.

    ‘SHOWED TREMENDOUS HEART’
    Eddie Hearn has taken to Twitter to have his say on the fight.

    DOWN BUT NOT OUT
    Despite taking a beating from Canelo, there was praise for Callum Smith who kept going right to the end.
    Boxing fans took to Twitter after the fight to suggest his corner could have considered throwing the towel in.

    Callum Smith a brave fighter. Never stopped trying. Crazy that Canelo made him go four corners defense down the stretch. Full credit to him. #boxingv
    — Gabriel Montoya™ (@Gabriel_Montoya) December 20, 2020

    Respect to Callum Smith for going out on his sword. Because his corner would’ve been justified if they stopped this two rounds ago. #Canelo
    — Flee Van Cleef ✡✝☯☪ (@BuchDa7od) December 20, 2020

    STANDING TALL
    Canelo Alvarez was so comfortable during his win over Callum Smith that he was seen standing up between rounds.
    Fans were in disbelief as the P4P King didn’t even take the opportunity to sit down in his corner during the breaks.

    This man Canelo really standing up when he goes to his corner 😭😭😭
    — Kodak Ron (@iPrinceHaynes) December 20, 2020

    Canelo doesn’t look like he’s in a fight. Barely broken a sweat. All standing up in his corner. #CaneloSmith
    — Kingfdot (@kingfdot) December 20, 2020

    LONG LIVE THE KING
    It’s been a long wait, but Canelo looked like he’d never been away as he took a commanding points victory over Callum Smith.

    AP-PAUL-ING
    Canelo has told Jake and Logan Paul he respects them for stepping in the ring, but he warns them to respect the sport of boxing.
    Canelo told TMZ: “Ya know, it’s all about the money.
    “I don’t think we would agree that people that are basketball players, that are YouTubers get licenses.
    “Ya know, I don’t criticise [the Paul brothers]. This is a very risky sport, and if you go up there, it’s very risky.
    “I truly believe that it’s a lack of respect. It’s all based on money. It’s all for money. I’m focused right now on other projects.
    “I have other stuff going on, and I would invite him for a sparring session so that he truly knows what it’s all about.”

    P4P CHAMP
    Canelo Alvarez looked abs-olutely unstoppable against Callum Smith as he conquered yet another division.
    Canelo cemented his place atop of the mythical pound-for-pound rankings and emerged as a fully fledged four-division champion.
    He walked away with Smith’s WBA super-middleweight title and handed the brave and resilient Brit his first career defeat.
    The Mexican superstar had won the WBA’s secondary ‘Regular’ belt against Rocky Fielding in 2018.
    But he needed Smith’s full version to lay claim as a champ in four different weights.

    ALL HAIL KATE
    There has been plenty of well-deserving praise for the anchoring of Kate Abdo on DAZN’s boxing coverage tonight.
    The stunning former Sky Sports News presenter made Brit fans remember what they’re missing out on.
    Abdo has been working with Fox in the US, but has also been doing work for DAZN.
    And she did a top job of keeping lively pundit Demetrius Andrade in line during the broadcast.

    MORE ON SMITH’S ARM
    It doesn’t look good for the Brit after that bicep problem.
    Even he looks concerned…

    LET’S DO IT A-GENN
    Gennady Golovkin ‘wants another crack at Canelo Alvarez’ in his next fight, promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed.
    Canelo’s 2018 win against GGG is the only blemish on the Kazakh’s 43-bout career, which came a year after their contentious draw.
    Having been unfortunate not to emerge the victor in both thrillers, according to several, Golovkin is keen on one more shot at revenge.
    But if he is unable to lure his great rival into a trilogy bout, WBO champion Demetrius Andrade, 32, and Jaime Munguia, 24, are alternatives.
    Hearn said: “I think he wants to fight Canelo Alvarez for the third time.
    “We saw two tremendous fights first time up, he believes he should have won those fights.
    “And I think he wants another crack at Canelo Alvarez.
    “I think there’s some tremendous fights out there for him at 160lb. Demetrius Andrade, who’s here tonight, it’s a great unification matchup.
    “Jaime Munguia would be a great fight for DAZN as well. But that’s the fight he’s chasing, he wants those legacy fights.”

    DETACHED BICEP?
    How grim is this image? Let’s hope Smith heals up quickly and completely.

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