football. Diego Costa nears Cristiano Ronaldo in European

The Brazil-born attacker took his tally to 2013-14 for 15, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robert Lewandowski have entered the top 10

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa has moved to within two goals of Cristiano Ronaldo in the European Golden Shoe rankings following his goal in Atleti's 2-0 Liga win over Elche at the weekend.

The Portugal international did not feature in Real Madrid's victory over Valladolid as he continues his recovery from a thigh injury.
Borussia Dortmund attacker Robert Lewandowski netted twice from the spot in the Bundesliga giants' 3-1 away win over Mainz on Saturday to take his tally for the season to 11 - which sees him enter the top 10.
Another fresh face in the top 10 is that of Paris Saint-Germain hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who also converted two penalties in the 4-0 win over Olympique Lyonnais to continue his impressive form this campaign.

Rank	Player	Country	Club	League	Weight	Goals	Points
1	C. Ronaldo	POR	Real Madrid	ESP	2	17	34
2	Diego Costa	ESP	Atletico Madrid	ESP	2	15 (+1)	30
3	Nerijus Valskis *	LTU	Suduva	LTU	1	27	27
4	Frode Johnson *	NOR	Odds	NOR	1.5	16	24
5	Vladimir Voskoboinikov *	EST	Kalju Nomme	EST	1	23	23
6	Abderrazak Hamdallah *	MOR	Aalesund	NOR	1.5	15	22.5
7	Giuseppe Rossi	ITA	Fiorentina	ITA	2	11	22
=	Robert Lewandowski	POL	Borussia Dortmund	GER	2	11 (+2)	22
=	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	SWE	Paris Saint-Germain	FRA	2	11 (+2)	22
=	Rimo Hunt *	EST	Levadia Tallinn	EST	1	22	22

* = league season finished

History & How It Works

Players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Diego Forlan have won the European Golden Shoe in the past few seasons, with the Argentina international as the latest winner of the award following his 46 goals in 2012-13.

Other noteworthy winners include the likes of Francesco Totti, Luca Toni, Ronaldo, Marco van Basten, Eusebio and Gerd Muller.

The weightings are determined by the league's ranking on the Uefa coefficients, which in turn depend on the results of each league's clubs in European competition over the previous five seasons. Goals scored in the top five leagues according to the Uefa coefficients are multiplied by a factor of two, and goals scored in the leagues ranked six to 21 are multiplied by 1.5. Goals in all other leagues are all worth one single point.

This measure has prevented players from so-called weaker leagues from winning the European Golden Shoe, since a goal scored in, for example, Armenia, Estonia or Azerbaijan, carries less weight than a goal scored in Serie A, La Liga, the Bundesliga or the Premier League.

football. Vidal set to sign Juventus extension,

The Bianconeri director has revealed that the midfielder will sign a contract renewal shortly, while has stressed Paul Pogba is going nowhere

Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta has insisted that Arturo Vidal will sign a new deal with the Serie A champions in the upcoming days.

The Scudetto holders have been in talks with the Chile international for a while now and Marotta has revealed that it's only a matter of time before Vidal will extend his current contract, which is due to expire in the summer of 2016.
"We have reached the final stages of the renewal talks with Vidal. We will make things official next week," Marotta told Sportmazta.

The 26-year-old has been in superb form for Juventus so far this season, scoring 10 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions.
Marotta also had his say on the future of Paul Pogba, who has recently been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, and stressed that there's no offers for the France international.

"Pogba has been doing a fine job, but there is no concrete interest in him that needs his attention."

Pogba, 20, has a contract with Juve until June 2016.

Cricket. Monty Panesar announcer denies

The announcer who was stood down by Cricket Australia for mocking Monty Panesar has denied making a racial slur towards the England spinner.

David Nixon rejects the allegation he adopted an Indian accent to introduce Panesar during England's tour match in Alice Springs on Saturday.

"It comes as a complete surprise to me to be at the centre of a controversy about racial slurring," he said.

"I absolutely refute any allegation that I feigned an Indian accent."
Nixon, a producer for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), had been using a sarcastic tone throughout England's match against the CA Chairman's XI and was cautioned during Friday's play for teasing England batsman Joe Root.
Cricket Australia described his introduction of Panesar - who was born in Luton and is of Indian descent - as "inappropriate", but Nixon is adamant he intended no offence.
He insisted he said: "'There's a change of bowler at the Traeger Avenue end... its Montyyy!' That was it.
"I fail to see how anyone could interpret my introduction of Monty Panesar as racial slurring.
"I am certainly responsible for what I say, but not what people hear.
"There are few worse things than to be branded a racist. To have such an accusation levelled at me is not only offensive, but defamatory."

football. What Napoli are missing to challenge Juventus

The Partenopei have had a dreadful time of it since the international break, damaging their hopes both at home and abroad, but they are well set up for future campaigns

Every football coach has a trademark reaction to times of woe. Some slump back in their seat, others throw their hands up in frustration, while one former manager would chew ever so slightly quicker on his stick of gum. When things are going wrong for Rafa Benitez, he begins to grimace and tends to touch his forehead or stroke his beard with quickening regularity. He did a lot of both last week.
Napoli couldn’t have had a more damaging return from the international break. A home defeat to Parma saw them fall six points off the pace in Serie A, while the failure to pick up the point they needed against Borussia Dortmund for Champions League qualification has left them with a mountain to climb against Arsenal next week.
The upshot is that a club which looked ready to challenge on two fronts are now outsiders in both. Only a win by a three-goal margin against the Premier League leaders will keep their Champions League challenge alive, while Juventus’ unrelenting form in Serie A suggests that the Partenopei need to become more ruthless – and fast – if they are to have any hope of sticking with the champions.
While their new dimension in attack since the sale of Edinson Cavani has largely driven Napoli forward, Benitez still has the problem of a somewhat static defensive unit to cope with. On Wednesday in Dortmund they looked like Walter Mazzarri’s version of themselves once more, becoming stretched far too easily and appearing vulnerable to dead balls throughout.

Benitez | The old European magic has not done the trick so far this season

There is no doubt that they could still do good things this season. A return to the Champions League should be secured with something to spare, but the final hurdle that Benitez was brought in to negotiate by winning a title and becoming a European contender still appears beyond the club with the current squad as it is.
Christian Maggio may be one of the world’s most accomplished wing-backs, but he has proven himself to be an adequate right-back at best for both club and country. Though many in the Napoli squad have benefitted from Benitez’s change of shape, it has done endless damage to Maggio’s form, confidence and reputation.
Elsewhere there are other gaps which need to be filled. Raul Albiol needs a centre-back partner of greater quality than the likes of Federico Fernandez, Miguel Britos and Paolo Cannavaro can offer, while Pablo Armero has a similar problem to Maggio on the other flank. Juan Zuniga has failed to provide the consistent performances of a Scudetto-winning left-back.
In midfield there are adjustments that could and should be made too. Valon Behrami has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years, but for all his endeavour he is not a top quality midfielder. The Azzurri have looked superb on the counter this term, but when they have been forced to take the initiative in games they have not had the creativity from the first midfield line to break down organised defences. If there were a second Andrea Pirlo, Napoli would be well advised to snap him up. An ability to spot and administer quick changes in play would come as an immense boost.
It was always going to be a big ask for Benitez to add the required quality into more than one layer of the Napoli squad in such a short space of time, and their draw in the Champions League’s ‘Group of Death’ dealt him a tough hand too. But the signs remain bright despite a tough last 10 days highlighting several long-standing issues within the squad.
This incarnation of Napoli should follow the team of Diego Maradona, Careca and Bruno Giordano by becoming champions of Italy and a force in Europe once more. It may well not happen this season but, given a little care and attention in the right areas, it won’t be long before Neapolitans are partying in the streets once more.

football. Jonathan frustrated with Inter display

The wing-back has voiced his frustration with this weekend's draw and has insisted that the Nerazzurri must do better

Jonathan has stressed that Inter cannot afford to drop points against the so-called smaller teams if they are to challenge for the Serie A title.

The Nerazzurri were held to a 1-1 draw by Sampdoria on Sunday as Renan's late equaliser cancelled out Fredy Guarin's opener for Inter and Jonathan has admitted that they must do better in order to win silverware.
"We respect sides like Sampdoria but Inter are a big club and if you want to fight for the Scudetto or finish near the top you can't drop points," the Brazilian told Inter Channel.
"Now we need to make the most of the matches we have coming up. These home games are essential. Unfortunately on Sunday, it didn't go well.
"Every match is important for Inter. Everyone watches us, every match is essential and we can't ever think they aren't, because if you don't win, the pressure builds."

Inter sit fourth in the Serie A table at the moment, trailing leaders Juventus by 10 points.

football. 'Stepped up in Ronaldo's absence' Player of the Week.

World Player of the Week

Gareth Bale   AGE 24 POSITION Forward PLAYS FOR Real Madrid WEEK IN NUMBERS APPS (GOALS SCORED) 2(4) TIME ON PITCH 180 PREVIOUS WINS 0

Real Madrid	4-1	Galatasaray
Real Madrid	4-0	Valladolid

Injury has kept Cristiano Ronaldo out of Real Madrid's last two games but in his absence Gareth Bale has stepped up to the plate and adopted the role of talisman.
The world's most expensive player was troubled by injury in the early weeks of the campaign but after returning to full fitness he has helped to close the gap on Barcelona to just three points in La Liga and gone a small way towards justifying his sizeable transfer fee.Goal's Miguel Churrucca says: "Gareth Bale had his first really convincing performances with Real Madrid last Wednesday & Saturday. The Welshman was suposed to lead los Blancos with Cristiano Ronaldo injured and he accomplished his aim in great fashion.

"He opened the scoring in the Champions League win against Galatasaray with a free-kick and then did the same against Valladolid on Saturday with a header to make it 1-0.
"It was his sumptuous cross that set-up Karim Benzema for Madrid's second and then the former Tottenham winger added two more goals - with his left and right foot - to complete a perfect hat-trick and a resounding 4-0 win."

Congratulations to Gareth Bale, Goal's 238th World Player of the Week winner!

The Shortlist

Arjen Robben - Bayern Munich @MO_Bulhan: "Is at the same level as Ribery and should rival him for the Ballon d'Or." Goal's Falko Bloeding: "Made one and scored one in Moscow and then struck twice in the 2-0 win over Eintracht Braunschweig."
Diego Costa - Atletico Madrid  @DreCordero: "Costa's goal doesn't make any sense and Simeone's reaction was perfect." Goal's Craig Turnbull: "Closed the gap on Ronaldo in the race for the European Golden Shoe with a wonder goal."
Katlego Mashego - Sundowns @mxomandla: "He's destroying his former team #mashego #swa #sundowns Goal's Ignat Manjoo: "Scored two goals against his former club Swallows to send his side to the top of the league."
Aaron Ramsey - Arsenal @HenryWinter: Brilliant from Aaron Ramsey and Cardiff fans. Good to see such mutual respect." Goal's Alec Fenn: "He now has 13 goals in all competitions after scoring twice against former club Cardiff City."

Cricket. Joe Root may bat at three,

England batting coach Graham Gooch hinted Joe Root will take Jonathan Trott's place at three for the second Test against Australia as Tim Bresnan was declared fit for selection.

Bresnan has been officially added to the touring Ashes squad and may well start ahead of Chris Tremlett as England look to fight back from the 381-run defeat in Brisbane.
Root's move up the order is expected to leave room for Gary Ballance to make his Test debut, although Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow are also in the frame.

"I would move Ian Bell up to number three so there is as much solidity as possible at the top of the order. I always believe you should play your best batsmen in the top four and Bell is very much one of them. Bell has done well at number five but you have to do what is best for the team. Joe Root could stay at five or six and continue his impressive start to his international career."

England have to make changes to their batting line-up after Trott left the Ashes because of a long-standing stress-related condition, and Root appears to be favourite ahead of Ian Bell to bat at three.

Gooch told BBC Sport: "Root is an opener. We didn't obviously foresee this situation with Trott, but players have to adapt.
"Whoever comes into the team, whether it is Ballance, Stokes or Bairstow, I would have thought they would come in down the order. You have got to go out there and stick your chest out for England."
Ballance top-scored with 55 as England drew their tour match against a Chairman's XI in Alice Springs over the weekend, with all-rounder Stokes making 28.
Zimbabwe-born Ballance was believed to be pencilled in to play at six in the first Test, but his poor form in the warm-up games and the contrasting heavy scoring of Michael Carberry brought a rethink.

The selection of Stokes would allow England to pick another bowler, possibly spinner Monty Panesar, on a pitch at the Adelaide Oval that has proved slightly more helpful to spinners than pace bowlers this season.

Gooch said: "Ballance got stuck in well in Alice Springs. I like his temperament and the way he plays.
"Stokes has impressed as well with his attitude and the way he's gone about his cricket. I think we all think he's noticeably improved in the last month."
Australia, meanwhile, are likely to go into the Test with an unchanged side from the one that hammered England at the Gabba.
There had been the slim possibility that coach Darren Lehmann might rest the injury-prone Ryan Harris on a pitch that has been a batsman's paradise in the past month, but Harris insists he will play on.
He said: "I'll be all guns blazing here as well. I'm not going to miss a Test unless I really have to.
"I said that from the start I want to play five matches. All the reports about me resting - I hadn't even had a conversation with Boof [Lehmann], and he hasn't mentioned one word about me resting which is good. I'm ready to go here."
Harris backed his coach's assertion that there would be no mention of Trott during play after the batsman flew home from the tour.
"I'd be disappointed if anyone brings that up," said Harris. "It's not a nice thing that he's going through.

"We want Jonathan Trott back playing cricket, the whole world does. He's obviously made a big decision to go back and I'd love to see him playing soon.

"I had some great battles with him over in England and I was looking forward to doing that again here. Hopefully he gets back playing soon because the England team need him but world cricket needs him. He's a world class player."
But Harris admitted there would be no other quarter given despite the fact that match referee Jeff Crowe will speak to both captains before the Test to ask that they tone down the sledging that dominated the first Test.
Michael Clarke was fined 20% of his match fee at the Gabba after the stump microphone picked him up telling James Anderson to "get ready for a broken arm".
Harris told BBC Sport: "We'll keep that pressure and aggression up. A lot has been said about the sledging, but it's stuff that's been going on for a long time.
"It's the same for both ways. We give it to them and they give it to us. It's Ashes cricket. Everyone wants to win."

football. Pirlo suffers knee ligament damage

The Juve playmaker suffered a clash of knees in the meeting with Udinese and initial reports have suggested that he could miss a month of action

Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo has suffered knee ligament damage, the Serie A club have revealed on Monday.

The Bianconeri have not indicated how long the 34-year-old could be sidelined, but initial speculation suggests it could be up to a month, ruling him out of the rest of 2013.

A statement on the official club website said: "Andrea Pirlo, who picked up a knock not long after kick-off in yesterday’s fixture between Juventus and Udinese, has undergone medical tests this afternoon. "The examinations at Turin’s Fornaca Clinic have revealed second-grade damage to the medial collateral ligament of his right knee."
The playmaker was involved in a clash of knees with Udinese midfielder Andrea Lazzari during Antonio Conte's men's 1-0 victory over the Zebrette on Sunday.

Pirlo suffered the knock after only six minutes and attempted to run off the injury before signalling to the bench that he was unable to continue after 15 minutes.
Juventus' win over Udinese stretched their lead in Italy's top flight to three points courtesy of Fernando Llorente's last-minute winner.
The Bianconeri face Bologna on Friday before a crucial Champions League clash against Galatasaray next Wednesday.

Football; 'complete' midfielder Ramsey

Arsene Wenger heaped praise on Aaron Ramsey after the Welshman's starring role in Arsenal's 3-0 victory at Cardiff City.

The midfielder, returning to the club he left in 2008, headed the visitors ahead in the 29th minute, before smashing home in second-half stoppage time after substitute Mathieu Flamini had doubled the advantage.
And Arsenal boss Wenger believes that Ramsey, who took his tally of league goals to eight, will keep on improving.
"He has developed and matured, not only as a player but as a person as well," the Frenchman told reporters. "A few years ago he came here in a cup game and he had a very, very difficult game and now it shows you how much he has developed as a person.

"I was a midfielder, and I would have loved to have had what he has. He can defend, he can attack, he can score goals. What do you want more?

"And he's young - another quality that I have lost.

"When you look at his improvement in the last two years, why should he stop now? I think there is a lot more to come and, if he continues to play like that, you have a good future with Wales."

Ramsey, who delighted home fans by performing Cardiff's trademark 'Ayatollah' gesture before kick-off, enjoyed a standing ovation from all four sides of the stadium following the final whistle, and Wenger was quick to show his appreciation.
"Fantastic, we'd like to see that much more," he added. "I have a big respect for that. They are proud to be Welsh here, you know."

The victory sends Arsenal seven points clear at the top of the Premier League with the rest of the top six not playing until Sunday, and Wenger admits that he did not see his side's strong showing so far this campaign coming.
"I wouldn't believe it [if it had been suggested before the season]," he said. "You'll remember that we lost the first game at home against Aston Villa and then nobody could imagine the situation today.

"I'm happy to have done the job here and watch the other games tomorrow."

Boxing; Carl Froch wants bout with Andre Ward

Carl Froch wants to round off his career by fighting in Las Vegas, with Andre Ward or Julio Cesar Chavez Jr his preferred opponents.

The WBA and IBF super-middleweight world champion stopped fellow Briton George Groves to retain his titles at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night.
Groves wants a re-match, but 36-year-old Froch told BBC East Midlands Today: "Las Vegas is the fight capital.
Carl Froch WBA and IBF super-middleweight world champion

He continued: "I've boxed in America numerous times, but it would be an honour to fight somewhere like Las Vegas because I've never done that under the big lights with all the glitz and the glamour on the main stage."

Froch was on the floor in the opening round of his fight with Groves, but recovered to win in the ninth - although his younger opponent insisted the referee had been too quick to call a halt.
"As much as the fans want to see it reach a natural conclusion against George Groves, with me knocking him out again, I feel personally I gave him his chance and he blew it - he can't cut it at world level," said the champion.
"I've done my job and it's time to move on, but we'll see what happens. I'm not motivated by money, I'm motivated by securing a legacy and the love for my sport that I have."
Froch has won 32 of his 34 professional contests.
His two defeats came at the hands of Denmark's Mikkel Kessler and American Ward in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
The Nottingham fighter beat Kessler in a re-match in London in May and is now keen to avenge the only other blot on his record.
The only other fighter Froch sees as a viable alternative is Chavez Jr, son of four-time world champion Julio Cesar Chavez.
The 27-year-old Mexican has a 47-1-1 record, with his only defeat coming to Argentina's Sergio Martínez last September.
Froch said: "I've had quite a long career and there's only one name on my record that I've not beaten - and that's Andre Ward.

Ward defeated Froch by a unanimous points decision in Atlantic City in December 2011

"In terms of goals and what I want to achieve before I retire, Andre Ward is on my hit list.
"There's also a guy in America called Julio Cesar Chavez, who's a great fighter. I have to speak to my promoter and speak to my trainer and see whatever makes the most sense."
Looking back on the end of the Groves fight, Froch said the referee had only had a split second to make his decision and had to be mindful of his duty to protect the health of boxers at all times.
"Because it's potentially such a dangerous sport, the referee has to make a split-second decision, which is not always what the crowd want to see," said the 2001 World Amateur Championships bronze medallist.
"At the end of the fight, when I was putting in my final combinations, the ref saw what I saw, that George Groves's eyes were rolling in the back of his head and his arms and head were slumped."
He added: "If you're not in a position to defend yourself, then the referee makes an experienced, educated and informed decision.
"Blows to the head are not healthy and it's the referee's job to make sure both fighters live to fight another day."

Boxing; David Haye wants Vitali Klitschko

David Haye challenged WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko after a stunning fifth-round knockout of Dereck Chisora at Upton Park.

The 31-year-old is desperate to fight the Ukrainian, but believes his demolition of Chisora may give Klitschko second thoughts.
"It was a scary message," he said. "I'd be surprised if he wants to fight now."
But Klitschko's manager Bernd Boente later said a fight between the pair was unlikely, citing other commitments.

"As expected, Haye was too quick and too slick for the ponderous Chisora, although the manner of the victory will have surprised some. Chisora has sturdy whiskers and it took a magnificent barrage from Haye to put him away. Vitali, were you watching? But perhaps more important were the hugs and smiles after the dust had settled - this wasn't, as some had predicted, the end of boxing as we know it but just an entertaining fight."

Nonetheless Haye says he will continue to pursue a fight against the 40-year-old.

"He (Vitali) will no doubt fight some chump and then retire to be a politician. If he wants to fight me then I'm ready," added Haye.
But Boente mocked the suggestion Vitali, who faces Manuel Charr in Moscow on 8 September, is running scared saying Haye was the one continuing to turn down a showdown between the pair.
And while Boente insisted Klitschko's priorities lie elsewhere, he refused to close the door on a showdown with Haye completely.
"After fighting Manuel Charr, Vitali goes on the campaign trail for parliamentary election in the Ukraine. He's the leader for the opposition, UDAR," said Boente.
"Should he be elected on 28 October then he will probably stop boxing. For him politics is the future - he wants to fight for democracy.
"But even if he's elected, maybe he will want to have a farewell fight. At the moment David Haye means nothing to us and Vitali is definitely not afraid of fighting him."
Haye controlled the fight against Chisora, as he dominated the ring with some fast footwork and caught his opponent with some stinging shots.
He floored his rival with a brutal left-hook, right-hand combination in the fifth and, as Chisora stumbled to his feet, he unloaded three more right hooks and two lefts to finish the fight in style.
The manner of the knockout was explosive and delighted Haye - who was quick to pay tribute to Chisora.
"Chisora has one of the best chins I've hit," Haye said. "I was hitting him with shots that would normally put people away - but he kept coming.
"I didn't give him much respect before the fight but that is the way boxing is.
"He gave me a lot harder night than I anticipated. I thought the fight would be over in a couple of rounds.
"I had to dig deep in there and I had to do what good fighters do to win."

Haye has 'new-found respect' for Chisora

The build-up to the fight was controversial following the pair's much-publicised brawl after a news conference in Munich in February 2012.
The British Boxing Board of Control refused to sanction the contest, meaning the Luxembourg Boxing Federation staged it instead.
And Haye believes the bout should be remembered for the right reasons, with both fighters staying out of trouble and embracing at the end.
"This was one of the best British boxing matches in recent years," Haye added.
"There was a lot of beef beforehand, we put our lives on the line in there but credit to Dereck Chisora. I believe he will go on to great things."
Chisora agreed it was a good contest - and vowed to bounce back from the disappointment of defeat.
He said: "That was a great fight. I got caught, I don't know what with, but it was a great shot. This is boxing - there has to be one winner. I will come

Boxing. David Haye knocks out Dereck Chisora

David Haye defeated Dereck Chisora with a fifth-round knockout in an enthralling contest at Upton Park.

Haye floored Chisora with a brutal left-hook, right-hand combination in the fifth.
Chisora just managed to climb to his feet but after three right hooks and two lefts from Haye the fight was over.
Earlier, Chisora had controversially rocked British rival Haye with a punch after the bell had sounded in the third round.

"As expected, Haye was too quick and too slick for the ponderous Chisora, although the manner of the victory will have surprised some. Chisora has sturdy whiskers and it took a magnificent barrage from Haye to put him away. Vitali, were you watching? But perhaps more important were the hugs and smiles after the dust had settled - this wasn't, as some had predicted, the end of boxing as we know it but just an entertaining fight."

The victory will now open up the possibility of a fight against WBC world heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko - who Haye has been calling out for over two years.

On a possible fight with Klitschko, Haye said: "I've sent out a very scary message. I'll be surprised if Vitali Klitschko wants to fight me after that. He will no doubt try to fight some chump nobody has ever heard of and then retire to be a politician."
For Haye this was redemption following his comprehensive points defeat to Wladimir Klitschko last year. Haye retired following that defeat but was tempted to make a return to the ring after he was involved in an ugly brawl with Chisora at a news conference in Munich in February 2012.
That set up a widely-hyped grudge match and in front of 30,000 fans at a rain-soaked Upton Park this fight lived up to its billing.
Chisora, 28. entered the ring hooded and masked to the theme music from Gladiator as the rain pelted down while Haye as ever looked relaxed and focussed.
And it was Chisora who landed the first clean punch of the fight - a solid left hook that rattled the chin of Haye. But Haye, wearing trainers, was in the mood to fight and he shaded the opening three action-packed rounds before the first moment of controversy.
As the bell sounded Haye was caught with two cheap shots from Chisora, the second - a huge left - rocked Haye as he stumbled back to his stool.

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Haye has 'new-found respect' for Chisora

It served only as motivation for Haye, and after the pair stood toe-to-toe trading some fierce shots in a thrilling fourth round, the 31-year-old finally floored his man in explosive fashion.
After stalking his man throughout the round, a huge left-right combination from Haye in the final minute of the fifth floored Chisora who bravely climbed to his feet.
It took five more brutal punches for Haye to finish the fight - all of which Chisora took flush, including a sickening final left hook - with the end coming just in time for the bell. Again Chisora climbed to his feet, but he was in no condition to box on and the contest was ended by referee Luis Pabon.
Despite starting the contest as bitter rivals, the pair embraced at the conclusion of the fight, shaking hands and bringing an end to their feud

Boxing; Dereck Chisora stops Czech fighter

Briton Dereck Chisora beat Ondrej Pala with a third-round stoppage at the Copper Box in London.

The referee stepped in after Chisora forced his Czech opponent to turn his back with a succession of fierce blows.
The victory, Chisora's fourth stoppage of the year, ensured he defended his WBO International title and took the vacant WBA International belt.
"Fair play to the guy - he hit me with some good shots, but he didn't hurt me," said Chisora.
"I want a big opponent, someone who can test me, and that's what we're pushing for now.
"It's all about getting into the right position to fight for those titles. I've just got to keep fighting and keep winning."
Pala, 29, was not expected to cause his 29-year-old opponent many problems, but rocked Chisora with a heavy left hand in the second round.
The Briton took a moment to recover, but responded well in the third to land some heavy shots to head and body which took their toll on Pala, who could not respond.

Boxing; Tony Bellew beaten by Adonis Stevenson

Britain's Tony Bellew was stopped in the sixth round by Canada's Adonis Stevenson in their WBC light-heavyweight title fight in Quebec City.

After Bellew, 31, was dropped by a heavy left to the jaw, the referee ended it as the Liverpudlian challenger came under a barrage of blows.
There had been an ill-tempered build-up to the fight but 36-year-old Stevenson had too much power for his rival.

"The fans who travelled, I'll be forever in your debt. I'm truly shocked. Like I said the better man won, no excuses. Thanks again for the support."

Bellew drew blood from Stevenson's nose early in the third round but had to take some punishing blows from the champion's big left hand.
Stevenson went down after an exchange in the fourth but referee Michael Griffin ruled that it was a slip.
The Canadian then caught Bellew with a right to the ribs to set up the left-hand blow which sent his rival to the canvas before the fight was stopped.
It was Bellew's second defeat in a 23-fight career, following his 2011 loss to Wales' Nathan Cleverly. He has now lost both of his world title shots.
For Haitian-born Stevenson, 36, it was his fourth knockout victory of 2013, after wins over Darnell Boone; a one-punch, first-round knockout of Chad Dawson to win the title; Tavoris Cloud; and Bellew.
"He said I'm a dwarf, and the dwarf knocked him out," Stevenson said.
"I told him, when he's going to feel my power, I'm going to drop him out."
On the same card in Quebec City, Russian Sergey Kovalev inflicted a second-round knockout on Ukrainian Ismayl Sillakh in their light-heavyweight contest.
Kovalev beat Cleverly in August to win the WBO title and twice floored his opponent in the second to remain unbeaten in 23 fights, 21 by knockout, with one draw.

Basketball. US beat France to win gold medal

The United States cruised to the women's basketball Olympic gold medal as they swept France aside 86-50 in the final at the North Greenwich Arena.

The US women remain unbeaten at the Games since 1992 and were never threatened as they outclassed

"This USA team are good to watch, they are good for basketball. This entire tournament has been good for women's basketball."

US forward Candace Parker top scored with 21 points and the US men will be aiming to replicate the women's success when they play Spain on Sunday.

Australia's women had earlier won the bronze after beating Russia 83-74.
Kristi Harrower was in possession at the final whistle for Australia and the 37-year-old was mobbed by team-mates in her last international appearance.
She scored 21 points and starred in the victory along with Lauren Jackson, who was the top scorer in the game with a 25-point contribution.
Australia had been beaten by the US in the semi-finals but overcame Russia to continue a run of winning a medal in the women's basketball in the last five Olympics.

Basketball. Kevin Durant stars in Manchester

Kevin Durant starred as Oklahoma City Thunder edged out the Philadelphia 76ers 103-99 in an NBA pre-season game played at the Manchester Arena.

The American Olympic gold medal winner collected 21 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds in the Thunder victory.
Durant, 25, said he hoped it would not be long before he returned to the UK.
"I just love basketball and any time I have the chance to compete I go for it. It was pretty fun to play in front of that crowd," Durant said.

Rio Ferdinand was among the spectators at the Manchester Arena.

"The fans were unbelievable and they deserve to have some more basketball, and regular-season basketball too, over here and I'm sure you'll see them expand that in the future.
"Hopefully we'll be one of those teams that comes over because I've enjoyed it."
A number of Manchester's football players were among the in front of 13,472 crowd including Rio Ferdinand, David De Gea, Adnan Januzaj, Jack Rodwell and Patrick Vieira.
Durant was slow to get going, but he made his mark with a big dunk late in the second quarter.
Until that point the Thunder had been relying on Spain star Serge Ibaka to keep ahead of the three-point shooting of the 76ers.
Philadelphia briefly edged in front at half-time, but the Thunder came back strongly in the third quarter and then did enough to hang on for victory.

Basketball. Guernsey coach Adam Farish pleased

Guernsey coach Adam Farish says he has been pleased with his side's form in their debut season in the Founders Cup.

Farish's players have won three of their four matches in the competition so far, with their sole defeat coming in Saturday's 84-68 loss by Brighton.
But, the following day, Guernsey bounced back with a 75-49 win over Sutton Storm Rockets in south London.
"We learned our lessons and played much more honest defence and stuck to our game on offence," he told BBC Guernsey.
"Our two junior players - Felix Rice and Jason Hull - were both involved in steals and scoring.
"We worked hard and it was a really good team response and performance."

Basketball. Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd fined

Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd was fined $50,000 (£30,000) by the NBA for spilling drink on the court to delay the latter stages of a recent game.

Kidd's team were trailing the LA Lakers by five points with 8.3 seconds left when Kidd appeared to tell Nets reserve Tyshawn Taylor to bump into him.
The Nets had no timeouts left, but despite a brief delay they could not alter the 99-94 score to the Lakers.
"The cup slipped out of my hand while I was getting Ty," Kidd said.
Television footage appeared to show Kidd instructing Taylor to "hit me" as the player approached him, with ice and liquid spilling onto the floor from the coach's cup after the pair collided.
Kidd denied suggestions he had deliberately spilled the drink.
"Sweaty palms. I was never good with the ball," he said. "In the heat of the battle, you're trying to get guys in and out of the game, and the cup fell out of my hand."
The Nets have won four and lost 11 games  in the Atlantic Division of the NBA's Eastern Conference this season.

Basketball. Kobe Bryant drops £3.71m

Kobe Bryant has signed a new two-year deal to remain at the Los Angeles Lakers for a record 20th season.

The 35-year-old will become the longest serving player for any NBA franchise if he sees out the contract.
Bryant has reportedly taken a £3.71m pay cut but he is still the highest paid NBA player earning £15m a year.
"Our priority was to have Kobe finish his career as a Laker and this should ensure that happens," said general manager Mitch Kupchak.
Bryant is a five-times NBA winner but has not played this season due to a ruptured left Achilles tendon, although he is now back in training.
The shooting guard is the Lakers' all-time leading scorer and fourth on the NBA's career scoring list.

football. Red-hot Enyeama continues shut out

The Lille man has now gone 945 minutes without conceding a goal as his club won against Valenciennes on Saturday

Vincent Enyeama stayed in top form to help 10-man Lille win 1-0 away at Valenciennes on Saturday after Franck Beria was sent off.
The Nigerian has now gone 945 minutes without conceding a goal as Lille have not lost in 10 matches. He is closing in on the Ligue 1 record of 1,176 minutes held by Gaetan Huard during the 1992-93 season with Bordeaux.

He was voted the best player in the French top flight for the month of October.
Substitute Ronny Rodelin scored the only goal for Lille in the 47^th minute.
"It wasn't easy, I think we went through every type of emotion," Lille coach Rene Girard told media.
"Ten matches in a row without conceding a goal, that's a first in my career," added Girard.
"It shows the character of this team."
Lille are in the top three behind Monaco and PSG who have a game on Sunday.

football. 'disappointed' with Sakho Ballon d'Or snub

The Bayern Munich star admitted his frustration that his compatriot publicly stated he would vote for Cristiano Ronaldo to win the prestigious award

Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery revealed he was "disappointed" by Mamadou Sakho's declaration that he would back Cristiano Ronaldo to be crowned Ballon d'Or winner.

Ribery was instrumental in die Roten's unprecedented treble last season and recently helped France to the 2014 World Cup by impressing in a 3-2 aggregate play-off win against Ukraine.
However, Ronaldo remains one of the firm favourites after an incredible performance record during 2013, with Liverpool defender Sakho citing that as the decisive reason behind his vote.

"I would vote for Cristiano Ronaldo," the France international told beIN Sport on Monday. "He is a high-level player and athlete and the statistics of the Portuguese are really impressive.

"It is obvious my heart would vote for Ribery, but the numbers don't lie."

However, Ribery made clear he was not impressed with his international colleague's remarks, telling sportmazta: "Sakho disappointed me.
"He disappointed me about what he said recently. Anyway, that's how it is in football. He gave his opinion. This is life. It's not a serious issue."

Ribery and Ronaldo are now considered front-runners for the prestigious individual award given Barcelona man Lionel Messi has been ruled out for the rest of the year with injury.

Fifa had extended the voting deadline till Thursday in order to allow more votes to be cast due to an initial low number of replies from the nominated coaches and players.

football. Wenger hits out at Ballon d'Or obsession

The Arsenal boss believes the prize goes against the essence of the sport and tempts players into playing for themselves rather than the team

Arsene Wenger has hit out at football's obsession with the Ballon d'Or and says he does not want anyone to win the game's most prestigious individual prize.

Debate continues to rage over which player will be handed the award in January, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribery the favourites to wrestle the crown from four-time winner and current holder Lionel Messi.
But Arsenal boss Wenger has revealed he is completely against the idea of individual prizes in a team sport and says he will fight bring to an end the trophy's existence.

The 64-year-old told sportmazta: "Who do I want to win this year? I do not want anyone at all. I am against individual awards. This is an endorsement of an individual which goes against the essence of our sport.

"I fight like a mad man against the award, which hurts football. Unconsciously, the player is prompted to favour individual performance over that of the team."

Fifa recently extended the voting deadline for the prize from November 15 to November 29, with the winner of the 2013 Ballon d'Or set to be announced at a ceremony in Zurich on January 13.

football. Ibrahimovic: Cavani makes life easy for me

The Sweden international has hailed the former Napoli man's contribution and believes PSG can defeat any team

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Edinson Cavani gives Paris Saint-Germain an extra dimension they were missing last season.

Cavani has netted 10 goals in 14 Ligue 1 appearances since joining PSG from Napoli in the summer transfer window and Ibrahimovic revealed that the arrival of the 26-year-old has lifted the goalscoring burden on his shoulders.
"The presence of Cavani makes things easier for me. We help each other out. If I don't score, he does. This is something we were missing last season," Ibrahimovic told sportmzzta.

"He does a lot of work defensively as well and is a good addition to the team. We really need someone like him and are a stronger team than last year. If Cavani's used in the right way, he adds a lot to the team."
Ibrahimovic then went on to stress that Paris Saint-Germain can beat any team if they play their own game, although he stressed that they are not on the same level as some of his former teams just yet.

"There is a bit more pressure than last season because we are the reigning champions, but we know that we can beat any opponent if we play our own game.
"This PSG are a great team, but the Barcelona team I played in was something else. AC Milan were fantastic as well and so were Juventus. But PSG are a great project."

Les Parisiens currently sit atop of Ligue 1 with 37 points from 15 games.

football. Chelsea adapted to break down

In his regular BBC Sport column on football tactics, Robbie Savage looks at Chelsea's fightback to beat Southampton.

Saints came to Stamford Bridge with the best defensive record in the Premier League, having conceded only seven goals in their first 12 games.
They were gifted the lead after 13 seconds by Michael Essien's mistake, but Jay Rodriguez's goal was their only shot on target in the 90 minutes and the game became a test of Southampton's defensive solidity.
Mauricio Pochettino's side dealt well with Chelsea in the first half, but Blues boss Jose Mourinho changed from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 formation at half-time, opting for a more direct style, and it worked.

Saints go for another shut-out

When they defended their lead in the first half, we saw why Southampton have got such a fantastic defensive record this season.

Southampton left-back Luke Shaw tussles for the ball with Chelsea striker Fernando Torres

Their back four and the two defensive midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama work hard and are well drilled and, when they have time to get back into their shape, they are very difficult to break down.
Chelsea were getting crowded out in midfield and there was little space for their three flair players - Oscar, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata - to operate in.
The Blues only really threatened when they attacked down the wings but Saints looked pretty comfortable and probably could have done more damage themselves when they counter-attacked.

Chelsea change things round

Mourinho clearly worked out that he needed to put more pressure on the Southampton defence, and fast - before they could regroup after losing possession.
How he did that was to bring on Demba Ba for Michael Essien at half-time and switch to a 4-4-2.
Mourinho gave up trying to pass round Southampton's well-organised banks of players and decided to go over them instead. Having two men up front meant that, straight away, Saints centre-backs were far busier.

Chelsea players' average positions against Southampton
First half (playing 4-2-3-1)	Second half (playing 4-4-2)

Key
9: Fernando Torres	8: Frank Lampard
10: Juan Mata	17: Eden Hazard
11: Oscar	19: Demba Ba

Chelsea played a much more direct style in the second half, to get the ball up to Ba and Fernando Torres quicker.
That meant they played far fewer passes than normal, and they were less precise - they managed only 163 in the second half compared to 204 before the break and their total of 367 was their lowest of the season at Stamford Bridge, as was their passing accuracy of 73%, compared with their average before kick-off of 84%.
They also had far less possession (50.96%) than in previous home games (an average of 60.4% this season) but Mourinho realised that keeping the ball against Southampton does not really help - if you pass it around in midfield, it just gives them time to regroup at the back.
Putting Ba on also helped when Chelsea lost possession, which happened a lot.
Saints like to build from the back but the Blues had another striker closing down their defenders and denying them time on the ball.

Chelsea's passing and possession in the Premier League this season
Opposition	Result	Possession %	Passes	Passing accuracy %
Source: Opta
Hull (h)	W 2-0	51.39%	551	85.66%
Aston Villa (h)	W 2-1	69.18%	677	87.74%
Man Utd (a)	D 0-0	44.79%	448	81.92%
Everton (a)	L 1-0	56.45%	491	83.30%
Fulham (h)	W 2-0	64.39%	604	87.75%
Tottenham (a)	D 1-1	46.49%	343	74.64%
Norwich (a)	W 3-1	55.21%	506	86.36%
Cardiff (h)	W 4-1	64.91%	554	87.36%
Man City (h)	W 2-1	45.47%	396	83.84%
Newcastle (a)	L 2-0	60.95%	535	82.80%
West Brom (h)	D 2-2	67.83%	630	87.46%
West Ham (a)	W 3-0	55.06%	490	82.65%
Southampton (h)	W 3-1	50.96%	367	73.02%

The change in tactics unsettled Southampton and it was that switch that got Mourinho's men three goals, and three points.
What was surprising was that Chelsea's first two goals were from set-pieces.
In their previous 14 games in all competitions this season, Southampton had only conceded two goals in that manner. Both were against Sunderland - one in the league and one in the Capital One Cup.

Title contenders?

If you are winning games, it does not matter who scores your goals.
But it just looks odd when your strikers are not scoring. Ba did well when he came on and caused Saints lots of problems but his late goal was his first of the season in the league.
It was down to Chelsea's defenders to get their team out of trouble with the first two goals and, as I said on Football Focus on Saturday, it looks strange that their forwards are struggling for goals when Romelu Lukaku is doing so well on loan at Everton.

Chelsea's strikers - and Romelu Lukaku - in the Premier League 2013-14
	Lukaku	Ba	Torres	Eto'o
Source: Opta
Games	9	5	9	8
Mins on pitch	721	220	495	443
Goals	8	1	1	2
Mins per goal	90	220	495	222
Shots on target	17	4	6	9
Shots off target	4	4	5	7
Shooting accuracy	81%	50%	55%	56%
Chance conversion	38%	13%	9%	13%

What can Mourinho do about it? Well, playing with Torres and Ba together up front was effective against Southampton but you would never say that Chelsea should do that on a regular basis.
Their usual system with three creative players behind a striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation works and suits the flair players they have got. What Mourinho doesn't have is one striker like Lukaku who is scoring goals for him.
Still, he has the depth in his squad to change things round when things are not going to plan, and his players battle for him too - they have picked up eight points from losing positions this season, more than any other top-flight team.
I would not say Chelsea are exciting to watch but they keep going and keep working hard.
The best teams with the best players have all got that work ethic and under Mourinho they will always have it even when they are not playing well.

Mourinho was rewarded for changing his formation and tactics against Southampton

Southampton are hard-working too - they have to be to make their high-tempo pressing game work - but I am not sure they have got the ability to adapt in the way Chelsea did against them on Sunday.
The best teams with the biggest squads can change things round during games.
Saints' system clearly works but even if the opposition work them out, as Mourinho did, then they have to stick with it because they do not have a back-up plan.
Southampton have lost twice in a week now, to Arsenal and now Chelsea, and those two away games have shown they are not quite up there with the really top teams in the table.
They got good results at Anfield and Old Trafford earlier in the season but they have to be playing at full-tilt for that to happen.
Southampton also do not score enough goals. They have only managed 18 in their last 18 league games going back to April, and only Sunderland have managed fewer than that. It is not good enough for the top four.
For me, Chelsea will finish in the top three with Arsenal and Manchester City, although that could be in any order.
Everybody else is fighting for fourth, including Manchester United, Liverpool Tottenham and Everton. Making the top eight would be fantastic for Southampton, and I cannot see them finishing any higher.