Jurgen Klopp’s side have 58 points from 20 games - a feat only matched by Manchester City’s 2017-18 title winning side - while Sheffield United sit eighth, seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
* Sweden midfielder Dejan Kulusevski completed his transfer from Atalanta to Juventus in a 35 million euros (US$39.10 million) deal, the Serie A champions said on Thursday. The 19-year-old, who was born in Sweden to Macedonian parents, has signed a 4-1/2 year contract but will return on loan to Parma until the end of the season.
* Rafael Dudamel left his post as coach of the Venezuelan national team on Thursday. The 46-year-old, who coached Venezuela’s under-17 and under-20 teams before taking over as head coach in 2016, leaves the Vinotinto on a high after securing wins over Argentina and the United States.
* Arsenal defender Calum Chambers is expected to be out for six to nine months after he underwent surgery on Thursday for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, the Premier League side said. Chambers suffered the injury to his left knee in the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday. Arsenal said the surgery was successful.
* Abu Dhabi-based consortium East Street Investments has completed the takeover of Charlton Athletic, the second-tier English soccer club announced on Thursday. The new owners had announced in November an agreement to buy the South London side, subject to approval by the Football League.
* Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic will kick off a revamped Australian tennis summer on Friday with the inaugural edition of the ATP Cup team event. The ATP Cup will see 24 nations contesting in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney over 10 days for the first time and will give the top men's players a solid platform to prepare for the Australian Open. To accommodate the US$15 million ATP Cup, which also offers 750 ranking points, the year's first Grand Slam has been pushed back from its usual mid-month start by a week and will kick off at Melbourne Park from Jan. 20.
* The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has appointed 42-year-old Li Tie as the head coach of the country's national team on a permanent basis. CFA officials were said to have been shaken by Marcello Lippi's shock resignation after China lost 2-1 to Syria in a World Cup qualifier last November, and decided to appoint a local coach who knows the team well.
