Everton moved into second spot with a late winner in a 1-0 defeat of bottom club Sheffield United while Manchester City moved fifth thanks to a 2-0 win over Newcastle United. Aston Villa made light of playing half the match with 10 men to thrash Crystal Palace 3-0. Southampton were left frustrated by a 0-0 draw at Fulham.
* Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits Bruno Fernandes frustrates him at times by trying a difficult pass when an easy option is available but says the midfielder must be allowed to take risks if he is going to influence the game.
* Australian golfing great Greg Norman returned home on Saturday after being admitted to hospital in Florida on Christmas Day with COVID-19 symptoms. The 65-year-old said he had tested negative for the novel coronavirus after playing in the exhibition PNC Championship in Orlando but began to experience fever, joint and muscle aches later in the week before being admitted to hospital.
* Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti was not getting carried away after his side's 1-0 win at Sheffield United put them second in the Premier League on Saturday, the Italian maintaining that grabbing a place in Europe is the height of their ambition.
* Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes will miss their next three games because he is self-isolating after coming into close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, the Premier League club said on Saturday. Gabriel, who joined Arsenal this season, was not named in Saturday's squad for their game at home against London rivals Chelsea.
* Andy Murray will begin his 2021 season at the Delray Beach Open next month after accepting a wildcard for the ATP 250 tournament, the men's tour said on Saturday. The former world number one, who has slipped to 122nd in the rankings, will join defending champion Reilly Opelka, top-ranked American John Isner and Canada's Milos Raonic in the Florida field.
* Leicester City's hopes of a top-four spot evaporated late last season as several players lacked the experience of challenging at the top end of the table but manager Brendan Rodgers said they are better equipped to handle the pressure this time around.
* Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp sees no reason why Mohamed Salah would want to leave the Premier League champions but says he would not keep the Egyptian forward at the club against his will. Salah told Spanish newspaper AS in an interview this month that he admired Real Madrid and Barcelona, fuelling talk in the British media that he was looking to move on.
* League One (third-tier) side Rochdale said Saturday's game at Blackpool has been postponed following a positive COVID-19 test within their camp. Rochdale said in a statement they had informed the English Football League they would be unable to fulfil the fixture following a recent positive COVID-19 test due to the requirement for players and staff to self-isolate.
* Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus and defender Kyle Walker have tested positive for COVID-19, the Premier League club said on Friday. Two other City staff members have also tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and all four are self-isolating.
