Pique error blow for Barca

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Barcelona need to rediscover the defensive solidity that has underpinned their charge this season.


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Barcelona – Barcelona need to rediscover the defensive solidity that has underpinned their championship charge alongside their sharp attack after an error by Gerard Pique in the drawn match against Sevilla reduced their lead to two points at the top of La Liga.


Pique has looked assured and led from the back over recent months as the defence has provided the foundations for Barca’s assault on three trophies this season.


The attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez may capture the headlines but Barca’s rearguard have looked more composed and cut out the basic mistakes that led to their struggle earlier in the season and put coach Luis Enrique’s position under threat.


The turnaround has been most noticeable for Pique who was dropped for below-par performances and a lack of professionalism.


He has been looking more like the defensive stalwart that along with Carles Puyol gave the defensive security during Barca’s golden era with Pep Guardiola at the helm.


Amply supported by either Jeremy Mathieu and Javier Mascherano the defence played their part as Barca overtook Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, swept into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and reached the final of the King’s Cup.


However, against Sevilla on Saturday, facing a spirited attack they once again made mistakes and in particular an error by Pique on the halfway line led to a breakaway and the late equaliser for the Andalusians who drew 2-2.


Luis Enrique was angry at the way they surrendered a two-goal lead but refused to single out any players.


“When we concede I don’t like it, however it comes,” Luis Enrique told a news conference.


“If it is due to a mistake then it is the same.”


Midfielder Sergio Busquets also backed Pique.


“It wasn’t his mistake but that of the team. It is not a case of blaming anybody,” he said.


“It is disappointing to draw having been ahead but we are still leaders and on the right path.”


Sevilla coach Unai Emery said before the game that this Barca side was the most similar he had seen to that of Pep Guardiola’s but they are still a long way from controlling the game as well as the team that won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues between 2008 and 2012. – Reuters






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News sport : The Knicks and Magic set an NBA record for fewest combined points in a quarter

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The New York Knicks and Orlando Magic are trying to lose games, as the 2014-15 NBA season limps to an end, in order to better their NBA draft outlook.


It should be noted that the Knicks and the Magic are doing a fabulous job.


An otherwise forgettable New York/Orlando game took a turn for the historic on Saturday when the Knicks and Magic combined for just 15 points in the second quarter – an NBA record for the fewest amount of combined points in a quarter. The contest ended with a 80-79 score in New York’s favor, with the Knicks actually missing out on that needed loss – the Magic topped New York by one point.


As a result, the Knicks will have to watch as Minnesota enters its predicted Saturday thrashing at the hands of the Golden State Warriors with just a half-game deficit between the Timberwolves and New York. In the race for the league’s worst record, the Knicks still have the edge, despite managing just eight second quarter points on Saturday.


Yeah, this was some quarter:



(Courtesy NBA.com via SBNation.com)

From the Associated Press:



The Knicks scored eight points, shooting 3 for 20 from the field with a pair of turnovers. The Magic had seven points and were 3 for 19 from the field, with seven turnovers. Orlando went the better part of 10 minutes in the second quarter with just one field goal and a free throw before getting two late baskets by Victor Oladipo.



The previous NBA record of 18 combined points had been established three times. Neither team came into Saturday night wielding a defensive powerhouse: Orlando is the third-worst defensive team in the NBA, while the Knicks rank sixth to the bottom.


Of course, because of the race to the dregs, the Knicks couldn’t even make their fans happy with the win:




It’s hard to tell who to root for.






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News sport : Final tee time bodes well for Spieth, Rose

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If history serves as any guide at the Masters, Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose should feel very good about their chances to slip on their first green jacket on Sunday evening.


Spieth, who is at 16-under 200 through 54 holes of the Masters, will be paired for the final round with 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, who is four shots behind the 21-year-old Texan. So what's the big deal? In the last 24 Masters, 20 champions have come from the final group on Sunday.


However, until Bubba Watson won his second Masters title last year from the final group -- playing alongside Spieth, who was vying to become youngest-ever Masters winner -- the prior three Masters winner had come from outside the final group.


In 2011, Charl Schwartzel was tied for second place after three rounds, four shots behind Rory McIlroy. However, he wasn't in the final group with Rory McIlroy. The South African was one of nine players to hold at least a share of the lead on Sunday, but Schwartzel birdied the final four holes of the tournament -- a Masters record -- to win by two shots over Aussies Jason Day and Adam Scott.


A year later, Bubba Watson wasn't in the final group at Augusta National but the penultimate group with Louis Oosthuizen, who wound up meeting Watson in a sudden-death playoff for the green jacket. Watson shot 68, while Oosthuizen shot 69. Then on the second extra hole, Watson's curved wedge from the pine straw led to a Masters-clinching par.


When Adam Scott ended the Aussie Masters curse in 2013, he did it from outside the final pairing as well. Like Watson the year prior, Scott was in the next-to-last group, a shot behind 54-hole co-leaders Angel Cabrera and Brandt Snedeker. Scott's 69 was good enough to tie Cabrera, who shot 70, and head to a playoff that again went two holes. This time, Scott made birdie to beat the 2009 champion and take his first major title.


Of course, like with investments, past results are not indicative of future performance -- especially with the familiar Sunday hole locations at the Masters.



Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.







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News sport : Who will win the 2015 Masters?

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AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 09: The clubhouse is seen before the start of the first round of the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2015 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) AUGUSTA, Ga. - For 50 holes, Justin Speith turned the Masters from a tournament into a coronation. But a late double-bogey put a crack in his previously impenetrable foundation, and suddenly a few challengers are within a handful of strokes of Spieth's lead. It'll be a challenge for them to catch him, but it'll be just as much of a challenge for Spieth to remain within himself and close out a wire-to-wire Masters.


With all due respect to Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and others 10 strokes back or more, it will take both a titanic effort on their part and a total collapse atop the leaderboard for them to have a hope of contending. So we'll wish them well and keep our attention on the four men with the best chance to win on Sunday. In descending order down the leaderboard, they are:


Jordan Spieth (Leader, -16)

The case for: Spieth's chip on 18, a tricky up-and-down just minutes after he'd double-bogeyed, was his most critical shot of the tournament. He gently nestled the ball up near the flag and parred the hole; a bogey could have been disastrous for his confidence. That shot righted the ship and kept Spieth four shots clear of the field. If he keeps playing as well as he has so far, this Masters is his in a walk. Mild jog, at best.


The case against: Spieth is still just 21, and he's never played a bigger round than he will on Sunday. How will he handle adversity, and there will be adversity? He surrendered a Sunday lead last year. Is he able to put that out of his mind?


Justin Rose (-12)

The case for: Rose is a major winner, with the 2013 U.S. Open already his. He won that coming from behind on Sunday, albeit only from two strokes down. He played the back nine in five-under on Saturday, which bodes well as long as he doesn't let Spieth get too far ahead.


The case against: Rose, and all the others behind Spieth, must overcome a substantial deficit, and Rose took a whle to get started on Saturday. If he gives Spieth any room to run on Sunday, the young Texan might be too far away to catch.


Phil Mickelson (-11)

The case for: Phil's the most decorated and veteran golfer of this quartet, and he's been here plenty of times before. (He's fallen short plenty of times from this position before, but let's not focus on that.) Mickelson has the ability to roll in some long beauties, and usually is good for at least one how-the-hell-did-he-do-that shot on major Sundays. He'll need help, but another green jacket isn't out of the question.


The case against: Phil generally plays about 16 good holes every round, but he has no margin for such errors this time around. He'll have to do even better than his 67 to catch Spieth, and he'll have to eliminate any of the wiggly putts that always seem to show up at the worst possible time.


Charley Hoffman (-10)

The case for: Steadiness. Hoffman has lurked within sight of Spieth ever since teeing off in the very first group on Thursday. Plus, he's the subject of the greatest improv rap ever written about the Masters.


The case against: This is only Hoffman's second Masters, so the pressure of the moment could get to him. He tied for 27th in his only other visit to Augusta, in 2011. He wasn't able to capitalize on a decent scoring day, only picking up a single stroke. Plus, he cut his luxurious locks.


Play begins at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday at Augusta, and the Mickelson-Hoffman pairing tees off at 2:40 p.m., with the others to follow 10 minutes later. Not much longer now.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



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News sport : Spieth expands Masters lead as green jacket awaits

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There's doubt now.


Just when it seemed like Sunday would be a celebratory parade for Jordan Spieth, the 21-year-old Texan made double-bogey 6 on the 17th hole in the third round of the Masters.


Instead of carrying a nearly insurmountable lead in the final round, Spieth's 2-under 70 reduced his five-shot overnight edge to four heading into Sunday. Spieth is still on pace to topple Tiger Woods' 72-hole tournament record of 18-under 270, but, at 16 under through three rounds, a win is not a certainty.


Instead of having a tee time with journeyman Charley Hoffman as he did Saturday, Spieth now has to play with 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose. Rose birdied five of his last six holes to shoot 67 and get to 12 under par.


Three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson, who also shot a Saturday 67, is a shot behind Rose.






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News sport : Tiger's back, and the gallery is loving him for it

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Tiger Woods watches his shot on the second fairway during the third round of the Masters golf tournament Saturday, April 11, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) AUGUSTA, Ga. - It wasn't a particularly tough putt, as these things go, a little six-footer on the 8th hole. But when Tiger Woods drained it for a birdie, the YEAHHH that erupted from the crowd hit with physical force.


Whatever woes ailed Woods earlier this year, he's proven he's still got quality golf left to play, and his gallery proved on Saturday that they're ready to cheer if given the slightest opportunity. Saurday's four-under round, which left him at -6 for the tournament. He's double-digits behind Jordan Spieth and won't come close to winning, but this weekend, that's not the point.


For so many majors of late, following Woods has been like seeing the Rolling Stones in concert: you know exactly what you're going to get, and the rush comes from nostalgia rather than appreciation. But here in 2015, against all expectations and assumptions, Woods has returned to ... well, not to championship form, but to a level of golf that's put him on the leaderboard. Saturday marked Woods' first sub-70 round in a major on the weekend since the final round of the 2011 Masters. For a guy who didn't appear to know which end of the club to hold in stumbling out of tournaments earlier this year, this renaissance qualifies as a minor miracle.


Woods still commands a large gallery, but there was something special about Saturday's. It grew and swelled, tidelike, as the round went on. Woods began his day with birdies in three of the first four holes, and that was enough to attract the patrons to his pairing. The gallery grew and grew, to the point that it was 15 people deep at places, and the only way to figure out whether he made a putt, even standing 20 feet away, was to listen for the roar.


Augusta has always been a powerful draw for Woods, a place where he's felt at home and at ease. The challenge now will be for him to translate his success here to other venues. But it's clear from Saturday at Augusta that many thousands of his fans are still around.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



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News sport : Ohio State held Student Appreciation Day on Saturday (Video)

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Ohio State students got a chance to have some fun at spring practice on Saturday.


The practice was the Buckeyes' annual Student Appreciation Day and gave students the chance to be on the field for parts of practice and participate in some games.


The Buckeyes held a field goal-kicking contest and one student made a 30-yarder.



There was also a pushup contest and the preliminaries for the fastest student competition (the finals are at the spring game).


We recommend you don't take any pointers from the form of many students in the pushup contest. You don't want your lower back to sag like that when doing pushups.


Students also got the chance to take photos with the College Football Playoff trophy.



For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : James Hahn called1-stroke penalty of himself at Masters, missed cut by a shot

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James Hahn missed the cut in his Masters debut by a shot. He could have saved himself the shot he needed to play the weekend, and no one probably would have noticed.


That's because Hahn called a penalty on himself on the first green on Friday when his ball moved.



Hahn made a bogey on No. 1 en route to a 2-over 74 that put him at 3 over through two rounds and a shot off the cut line.



The 33-year-old new dad may not have made the cut at Augusta National, but earned a ton of respect for showing his integrity.



Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.







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News sport : TCU's new uniforms are designed to resemble frog skin (Photos)

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TCU will be channeling its mascot with two of its new jerseys for the 2015 season.


Nike unveiled the Peach Bowl champs' new duds on Friday.



From Nike's announcement:



The horned frog’s scaly body armor inspires the new sublimated pattern — a digital evolution of the program's existing lizard skin pattern. Covering the entire jersey, and extending through the pant, the motif embodies the fearless attitude that defines both the mascot and the team.



While the pattern may be sublimated, it's definitely not sublime. If we're being honest, the gray and purple uniforms are downright ugly. Here's what TCU wore at home in 2014. While we understand the reasoning for a unique redesign after a great season, they're a step down from the previous purple jerseys.




The white ones look great. The frog skin pattern on the trim is no big deal and doesn't really stand out. But when it's incorporated all over the jersey it simply doesn't work for us. Hopefully these look better on the field, but as of now we think the Horned Frogs are the early leader for worst new jersey of the year.


For more TCU news, visit PurpleMenace.com.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Cinderella Senators beat Flyers, send playoff RSVP

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Midway through the second period of Saturday’s final regular season game, it looked and felt like the clock was finally going to strike midnight on the Ottawa Senators. The score was tied at one against the Philadelpia Flyers; however, the Sens were being out-shot 21-7. If it weren’t for Andrew Hammond, as has been the case during Ottawa’s incredible run, the Sens would’ve been out of it.


During the television timeout, Ottawa coach Dave Cameron took his opportunity to rip into his team. Cameron, who looks like he has stamp collection, was very demonstrative as he conveyed his message.


Whatever he said, it worked.


A little over five minutes after Cameron’s tirade, Marc Methot went coast-to coast on the Flyers and sent the puck towards Steve Mason. Curtis Lazar tapped at the puck before the rebound bounced out to Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who put the Sens up 2-1 with 3:42 remaining in the second.





Rookie Mark Stone scored the first goal for Ottawa in the game on the power play. He put the stamp on the playoff RSVP midway through the second on an unassisted goal. With Stone’s two goals, he’s tied with Johnny Gaudreau for the rookie scoring lead. Gaudreau will NOT be playing tonight. What’s a Calder voter to do?





As the boos rained down in Philadelphia (shocking, right?), the Senators gathered at their goal to celebrate their guaranteed playoff appearance. They deserve the celebration considering what they’ve accomplished.


From Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun:



Fourteen points out of a playoff spot on Feb. 10, the Senators went a remarkable 23-4-4 in their last 31 games … Not since the 1993-94 New York Islanders came from 12 points back has a team closed a larger gap to make the post-season.



This is a team that also had a coaching change, a GM that is battling cancer, various injuries, and multiple goaltenders before landing on an unexpected breakout star in the one they call ‘The Hamburgular’.


No matter what your particular fan affiliation is, it’s difficult to not root for the Senators. Well, unless you’re a Tampa Bay or Montreal fan, who could face the team next week.


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Jen Neale is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter!










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News sport : Tickets for the Notre Dame-Boston College game at Fenway aren't cheap

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If you're wanting to attend Notre Dame's game against Boston College at Fenway Park, you're going to pay an amount close to what a lot of people pay for a monthly car payment.


According to Boston College's website, tickets to the game on November 21 through the school are $400 each. Yes, there are two zeros in the total. It's a higher price than what was predicted in a Boston Globe article a year ago.


The game is considered a home game for Notre Dame, so Boston College has just a 5,000 seat allotment to sell. To get tickets through the school, you have to either give over $5,000 a year, have given $100,000 in your lifetime or currently have season tickets. The current season ticket-holders will be placed into a lottery.


At 37,400, Fenway Park's capacity is less than half of what Notre Dame Stadium's 80,795. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick mentioned the aspect when teasing ticket prices last May saying via the Globe that "To make the game work economically with that many seats, it will be a premium ticket price."


Those who want four tickets to the game have to give over $25,000 to the school. So not only will the tickets at face value cost a car payment on each, they require have a donation that could buy you a decent car. Of course, when you have enough money to be in that donor classification, what's $400 a ticket, right?


If you're still on the fence, an unspecified part of the ticket price is considered a gift to the school so you can write off a portion as tax deductible.


In case you were wondering, season tickets to Boston College's home games start at $176. The season ticket packages includes a game against Florida State, so you and a friend can see the Seminoles and six other home games for less than it would cost for one ticket to see Notre Dame.


We'll be looking forward to seeing what tickets go for on the secondary market as the game gets closer.


For more Boston College news, visit EagleAction.com.


For more Notre Dame news, visit BlueandGoldIllustrated.com.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Darius Rucker catches TD pass in SC spring game (Video)

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Not long after he got a surprise call from South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier on the Dan Patrick Show, Darius Rucker was a part of South Carolina's spring game.


The country singer caught a 22-yard touchdown pass at the beginning of the Gamecocks' spring game on Saturday.



Anyone else wishing that he was wearing full pads and had a defensive back at least somewhere within five yards? Or are we asking too much?


Rucker admitted after the catch he was nervous. Given how open he was, dropping the pass would have been a bit of an embarrassment.



Last week, Rucker was unprepared for Spurrier's call on the DP Show. He was chatting with Dan when "Stephen from South Carolina" called. The plans weren't hatched on the show, and if they were in place before the phone call, Rucker and Spurrier did a nice job of hiding what was to happen.


For more South Carolina news, visit GamecockCentral.com.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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Sherwood returns to haunt Spurs

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Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood enjoyed a winning return to Tottenham Hotspur thanks to a goal from Christian Benteke.


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London - Aston Villa took another step towards Premier League safety after Christian Benteke's goal secured a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur as manager Tim Sherwood enjoyed a winning return to his former club.


The Belgian striker's eighth goal in his last six games helped Villa move up to 15th on 32 points, six clear of the relegation zone.


Villa, who face Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final next week, are a place above Sunderland, whose own battle to avoid the drop suffered in a stinging 4-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace at the Stadium of Light where Yannick Bolasie completed an 11-minute hat-trick for the visitors.


Bottom club Leicester City continued their improbable escape act after a 90th-minute goal from Jamie Vardy completed a rousing fightback to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2, a second successive victory that moved them to within three points of 17th-placed Hull City.


Steve Bruce's Hull missed the chance to put clear water between themselves and danger following a 2-0 defeat by Southampton, who are doggedly clinging on to hopes of European qualification.


Ronald Koeman's side moved up to fifth on 56 points, above Liverpool and five behind fourth-placed Manchester City who take on local rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.


Stoke City's Marko Arnautovic scored in the 90th minute to snatch a 1-1 draw with West Ham United who had taken the lead through a seventh-minute free kick from Aaron Cresswell.


Swansea City equalled their highest ever points tally in a Premier League season following a 1-1 draw with Everton in the early game at the Liberty Stadium.


Swansea stayed eighth in the table on 47 points, matching their biggest haul with six matches still to play. Everton are 12th on 38.


In-form Arsenal could cut Chelsea's lead at the top of the table to four points when they travel to Burnley later on Saturday, before Jose Mourinho's side visit Queens Park Rangers on Sunday. – Reuters






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Ramsey secures points for Arsenal

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Aaron Ramsey scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal gave Premier League leaders Chelsea food for thought with a scrappy 1-0 win at second-bottom Burnley.


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Aaron Ramsey scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal gave Premier League leaders Chelsea food for thought with a scrappy 1-0 win at second-bottom Burnley.


The Welsh midfielder struck in the 12th minute at Turf Moor, slicing the ball into the roof of the net from close range after team-mates Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil had seen efforts repelled.


The result lifted Arsene Wenger's side to within four points of Chelsea, who visit struggling west London rivals Queens Park Rangers on Sunday, and kept Sean Dyche's Burnley two points from safety.


The Loftus Road trip is the first of two games in hand for Chelsea, but with matches against Manchester United and Arsenal also on the horizon for Jose Mourinho's side, Wenger's men may yet have a word to say in the title race.


They failed to convince against Burnley, but have now won eight league games in succession for the first time since the 2003-04 'Invincibles' season and seem assured of a Champions League place at the very least.


Earlier, Tim Sherwood returned to haunt former club Tottenham Hotspur as Aston Villa improved their chances of avoiding relegation with a 1-0 victory in north London.


Christian Benteke decided the game, nodding in an inviting right-wing cross from Leandro Bacuna in the 35th minute to register his eighth goal in six matches.


On his return to White Hart Lane following his sacking by Spurs at the end of last season, Sherwood saw his Villa side open up a six-point cushion over the relegation zone.


But victory came at a price, with centre-back Ciaran Clark and striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, who hit the post, forced off by injury and Carlos Sanchez sent off in stoppage time after receiving two yellow cards.


“It's a fantastic result,” said Sherwood. “We carried on from the good performance in the 3-3 draw against QPR. We thought we could have a good go, and we did. I thought we deserved to win.”


Spurs' defeat saw them lose ground in the battle for European places, with Southampton moving two points above them - and leapfrogging Liverpool - by winning 2-0 at home to Hull City.


James Ward-Prowse broke the deadlock with a 56th-minute penalty after former Hull striker Shane Long had been tripped by Alex Bruce. Graziano Pelle then ended a 14-league-game scoring drought with a late strike.


Hull remain in trouble, two points above the bottom three in 17th place, and Sunderland are just a point better off following a humbling 4-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.


Democratic Republic of Congo winger Yannick Bolasie became the first Palace player to score a Premier League hat-trick and also set up a goal for Glenn Murray as Alan Pardew's team claimed a fourth successive win.


Connor Wickham scored a late consolation for Sunderland, who were brought down to earth with a bump after beating derby rivals Newcastle United 1-0 on their previous outing.


Bottom club Leicester City gave their hopes of avoiding relegation a huge boost by twice coming from behind to win 3-2 at West Bromwich Albion, which lifted Nigel Pearson's side to within three points of safety.


David Nugent and Robert Huth successively cancelled out efforts by Darren Fletcher and Craig Gardner before Jamie Vardy charged to the edge of the West Brom box and drilled home an injury-minute winner for the Foxes.


“It was an exceptional goal (from Vardy), but we can't get carried away,” said Leicester manager Pearson.


“It's great to get back-to-back wins, but we still have an awful lot to do.”


Jonjo Shelvey's penalty earned Swansea City a 1-1 draw with Everton, while Marko Arnautovic rescued a 1-1 draw for Stoke City at West Ham United, who had gone in front through a fine 25-yard free-kick from Aaron Cresswell. – AFP






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News sport : Greg Cosell's NFL draft preview: Todd Gurley may be best prospect in class

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Georgia’s Todd Gurley is clearly the best running back in this class, but I think he might be even more than that.


I think you can make the argument that Gurley is the best prospect, at any position, in the draft.


That doesn’t mean he’ll be drafted first, of course. But I think he’s a great prospect. There are no negatives about Todd Gurley on the field.


I say “on the field” because there’s the matter of his knee injury. He tore his ACL late last season. Based on history, with how guys get treated for this, it doesn’t seem like it will be a big issue. You have to assume he’ll be fine. I don’t know the answer because I’m not a doctor, but that injury doesn’t derail careers anymore. All I can do is analyze his game film, which is fantastic.


If he’s healthy there’s no reason to think that he can’t be a foundation back for a team that wants the running game to be the starting point of its offense. There’s a lot to like about Gurley, but let’s start with how refined and advanced he is in the subtleties of running, like pressing the hole or using his downhill path to impact the defense.


Here on this 40-yard run against South Carolina, Gurley (No. 3) does a great job using his downhill path to impact the second-level defenders and set up his blocks (the run comes at 2:25 of the video after the screen shots):



(YouTube.com screen shot h/t Gurley 4 Heisman)


(YouTube.com screen shot h/t Gurley 4 Heisman)


(YouTube.com screen shot h/t Gurley 4 Heisman)


(YouTube.com screen shot h/t Gurley 4 Heisman)


(YouTube.com h/t Gurley 4 Heisman)


(YouTube.com screen shot h/t Gurley 4 Heisman)


On that run – and many others – there are a lot of his skills on display. And he has many skills.


At Georgia he did practically all of the runs he will be asked to do in the NFL: inside zone, zone lead, toss and power (gap schemes). The Georgia offense featured a lot of two-back straight “I” formation.


Gurley is a big back at 225 pounds and he shows solid traits of a power back with good size and natural toughness, but he also moves like man much smaller than 225 pounds.


He has great downhill power, possessing a strong lower body with the power and strength to shed and break tackles. He showed the ability to defeat quick penetration with his strong thighs and legs. He consistently ran with power inside, and delivered a blow on contact which jarred second-level defenders.


He also showed the burst and acceleration to get to the perimeter. He has a fluid change of direction and reacts easily to backfield penetration. Gurley has a short area burst through the hole with the speed to take it to the house.


To compare him to another top back in this draft, Gurley is a naturally more powerful runner than Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon, as he is stronger through his thighs and legs. For an NFL comparison, he is a much smoother runner than Eddie Lacy but not quite as physical; Gurley is a more fluid mover with naturally looser hips and more make-you-miss ability in the open field.


I talk often about being a sustaining back, one that can consistently keep drives moving. He has all the traits of a sustaining NFL back: big frame, patience, vision, contact balance, physical toughness, downhill conviction and determination. He has elements of Stephen Jackson and Marshawn Lynch in his running style. As I said at the beginning, there are no clear negatives to his game.


The question then becomes where Gurley will be drafted. No running back has gone in the first round either of the past two drafts. In my opinion you shouldn’t pass a running back to draft a player ranked significantly lower on your draft board because of this notion that you don’t draft running backs high. If you have Gurley ranked, say, eighth on your draft board and he’s still available (and is the top player left on your board) when you pick in the 20s, you draft Gurley. It’s that simple.


Whoever does draft Gurley will be getting a big-time prospect. He’s a terrific back, a great player and arguably the best prospect in this draft.



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NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell watches as much NFL game film as anyone. Throughout the season, Cosell will join Shutdown Corner to share his observations on the teams, schemes and personnel from around the league.






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