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LIV golfer Joaquin Niemann says the breakaway tour needs to be recognised in the official world rankings because the current system can be "a lie". With LIV events not given ranking points, Chile's Niemann is 91st in the world yet among the favourites to win the Masters at Augusta on Sunday. He won two of LIV's first three events in 2024, continuing his form having won the Australian Open in December. "Right now the game is divided and it is not helping," Niemann said. "It is hard to get a ranking system where everyone is happy." Niemann, 25, has been given a special invitation to play at the Masters, which begins at Augusta National on Thursday and concludes on Sunday. Everything you need to know about the 2024 Masters LIV switch could be golf's tipping point - Rahm Bhatia wins Texas Open play-off to secure Masters spot The Saudi-backed LIV league has been denied accreditation by the Official World Golf Ranking, with LIV commissioner Greg Norman telling its players last month the application to join had been withdrawn. Many of the big names which left the PGA Tour have slipped down the rankings, with Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Brooks Koepka being the only LIV players to feature in the OWGR's top 50. "I feel [a unified system] is something which has to happen and will happen over time," Niemann told BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter at the recent LIV event in Miami. "It could be sooner or later, I don't know. Hopefully it will happen soon. I feel like the world ranking is a lie for a few players." FULL STORY

Mohamed Salah is set to be targeted by Saudi Pro League clubs again this summer with Al-Ittihad prepared to offer £70m for the 31-year-old Liverpool and Egypt forward. (Talksport) Chelsea are trying to get the jump on their rivals and secure a £43m deal for Athletic Bilbao's 21-year-old Spain forward Nico Williams before the transfer window opens. (Football Insider) Manchester City have agreed terms with West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta before a summer move. The Brazil international, 26, was heavily linked with a move to Etihad Stadium last year. (Foot Mercato - in French) Liverpool have offered Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim a three-year contract to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. (Pedro Sepulveda, via GiveMeSport) West Ham have joined Liverpool, Tottenham and AC Milan in the race to sign Fulham's 26-year-old centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, who is out of contract in the summer. (Guardian) Chelsea should try to tempt Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 29, and 26-year-old England forward Marcus Rashford away from Manchester United this summer, according to former Blues defender William Gallas. (Mirror) Chelsea are not interested in signing Athletico Paranaense goalkeeper Bento, 24, but Inter Milan are set to face competition from elsewhere in the Premier League for the Brazil international. (Gazetto dello Sport - in Italian) Borussia Dortmund are interested in signing 20-year-old PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko. The Belgium international is also reported to be a target for Burnley and Brentford. (Voetbal International - in Dutch) Everton attracting interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid. (90min) FULL STORY

Last year's winner Corach Rambler heads the contenders for Saturday's Grand National at Aintree, with the final line-up named on Thursday. The maximum number of runners for the Aintree contest has been cut to 34 from 40 this year for safety reasons. Corach Rambler, trained in Scotland by Lucinda Russell, leads British hopes in a field dominated by Irish runners. Irish trainer Gordon Elliott has nine horses guaranteed a run, while compatriot Willie Mullins has eight. Entries and weights for 2024 Grand National Grand National schedule and BBC coverage After Monday's confirmation stage, 51 entries remain in the race, with the 34 top-rated horses making the final field. Scottish National winner Kitty's Light would bid to be the first Welsh-trained winner since Kirkland in 1905 for trainer Christian Williams, whose young daughter Betsy is being treated for leukaemia. Shakem Up'Arry, a winner at the Cheltenham Festival last month for owner Harry Redknapp, needs several withdrawals to stand a chance of running. With heavy rain in the build-up, owner Ronnie Bartlett has stated his pair Galvin and Stattler will not take part if the ground is too soft. Who are the Grand National favourites? Corach Rambler, bidding to be only the second horse after Tiger Roll to win back-to-back Nationals since Red Rum in the 1970s, is about 5-1 favourite with the bookmakers. Approximate odds: 5-1 Corach Rambler, 7-1 I Am Maximus, 9-1 Vanillier, 10-1 Meetingofthewaters, 12-1 Mr Incredible, Panda Boy, 14-1 Kitty's Light, 16-1 Mahler Mission 20-1 Bar FULL STORY

Champions League quarter-finals: Manchester City face Real Madrid, Arsenal play Bayern Munich The Champions League returns this week with Manchester City once again having to find a way past La Liga leaders Real Madrid. These two sides have met in the knockout stages in three of the past four seasons, including at the semi-final stage in 2022 and 2023. The first leg of their quarter-final takes place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, 9 April before the second at Etihad Stadium on 17 April. City won 4-2 on aggregate in the last 16 in 2020, Real triumphed 6-5 on aggregate after extra time in a thrilling semi-final in 2022, but Pep Guardiola got his revenge last year with a crushing 5-1 aggregate success, including a 4-0 second-leg thrashing, before City beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the final. Can anyone stop City retaining the Champions League this year? For our experts on BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast, the answer is a resounding 'no'. 'Pound for pound the best team in Europe' "It has to be Manchester City," said Guillem Balague. "Now they know what happens when you lose and when you win and they are gaining a lot of experience and it's mostly the same players that have been in both positions. "They have the best squad in Europe and the best manager that's capable to react to whatever happens during the games. They have everything you require to win this competition." James Horncastle added: "These players have shown they can do it and will draw even more strength from that, which is concerning considering they were already pound for pound the best team in Europe." FULL STORY

The uncertainty around how financial rule breaches are handled "makes a mockery of the Premier League", says Luton Town midfielder Andros Townsend. Everton were docked two points for a second violation of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules (PSR) on Monday. They say they will appeal against the decision but the process may not be completed before the season ends. That could leave clubs uncertain of their top-flight status after 19 May. PSR rules permit clubs to lose £105m over three years and Everton were found to have breached that by £16.6m for the three-year period to 2022-23. The points deduction has dropped Everton one place to 16th in the Premier League, two points above the relegation zone. Monday Night Club: Liverpool lose lead and Everton lose points The Toffees also had a 10-point deduction reduced to six on appeal in February for the three-year period to 2021-22 while Nottingham Forest were deducted four points for PSR breaches in March and are awaiting the outcome of an appeal. Luton sit just inside the drop zone - separated from 17th-placed Forest on goal difference - and Townsend says his club still look at the league as though no points have been deducted because of the uncertainty surrounding hearings and appeals processes. "We don't know what's going to happen with appeals," the former Everton player told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "We were probably celebrating when Everton got 10 points taken off them and then they got four given back and we're back in the relegation zone. So we take out the deductions to take away the confusion and we'll see at the end of the season." Townsend said that he does not advocate for teams receiving points deductions and that the way in which they are handed out "doesn't make sense". He added, "I think it makes a mockery of the Premier League. When you announce the charge, you have to be certain of the points deduction." FULL STORY

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We' ve had 43 the last two days and it's my 2 dogs I worry about. They can't escape the heat like we can so I bought them a nice big bath to cool down in when they want and they get to play in the hose pipe everyday.Save a thought for your pets guys. 😀

36 baht in Big C Large tin in Tesco about 70baht

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Indian Premier League Lucknow Super Giants 163-5 (20 overs): Stoinis 58 (43), Rahul 33 (31), Pooran 32 (22); Yadav 2-22, Nalkande 2-21 Gujarat Titans 130 all out (18.5 overs): Sudharsan 31 (23), Tewatia 30 (25); Thakur 5-30, Pandya 3-11 Scorecard Indian seam bowler Yash Thakur took the first five-wicket haul of this year's Indian Premier League as the Lucknow Super Giants beat the Gujarat Titans. Thakur claimed 5-30 as the hosts bowled out Gujarat to claim a 33-run win in the 21st match of the 2024 season. The 25-year-old, who is yet to play an international, took two wickets in the 19th over to seal Lucknow's third win from four games this season. Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis hit 58 to guide Lucknow to 163-5. Earlier on Sunday, Romario Shepherd smashed 32 runs off the 20th over to help the Mumbai Indians to their first win of the season - by 29 runs against the Delhi Capitals. The West Indies all-rounder hit a 10-ball 39 in an unbeaten stand of 53 with Tim David (45) as the hosts reached 234-5, before Gerald Coetzee took 4-34 to help restrict Delhi to 205-8. IPL 2024 table, top run-scorers and wicket-takers FULL STORY

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff painted a bleak but realistic picture of the Formula 1 season after the Japanese Grand Prix. "No-one is going to catch Max this year," he said, following Max Verstappen's success at Suzuka. "His driving and the car are just spectacular. You can see it by the way he manages the tyres. This season is [about] best of the rest. That is the fight that is on." It was not exactly news. Verstappen's win on Sunday was exactly what was expected, and exactly what he achieved in two of the three races preceding it. And may well have done in the other had a brake problem not eased a path to victory for Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in Australia two weeks before. Still, for a person with pretensions of being a rival for Red Bull, Wolff's was a pretty bleak assessment after the fourth race, getting on for the quarter-way point of the championship. Most of Verstappen's rivals expected this season to be like this, if perhaps not quite to such an extent. After all, the Dutchman and Red Bull have dominated F1 since about the halfway point of the 2022 season, when a brief challenge from Ferrari at the start of a new regulation set finally expired in a bonfire of strategy errors and reliability failings. How Japanese Grand Prix unfolded Verstappen wins in Japan after crash delay 'Maybe other teams can win at some tracks' Verstappen went into this season on the back of the most dominant year in F1 history. It simply doesn't happen in F1 that one team and driver have such an advantage one year and don't retain at least some form of edge into the following one as well. So predictions of a close season were thin on the ground over the winter. FULL STORY

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) says it is "considering multiple proposals" to host the event in 2026, amid continued uncertainty over its long-term future. Last week, Singapore joined Malaysia in ruling out a bid, after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as the original host in July because of rising costs. However, in its first public statement since the news, the CGF said "significant progress had been made", and it was "excited by the early concepts, which aim to reset and reframe the Games". It claimed it was working with a number of Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) over "further detailed assessments", with an aim to announce a host in May. It did not identify which countries were involved, saying the CGAs had asked to keep the proposals confidential. "The CGF continues to accelerate work to refresh the Games… including exploring innovative new concepts," it said. "Importantly, we have been focusing on how we can transform the Games to a collaborative and truly sustainable model, minimising costs and reducing its environmental footprint, whilst increasing social impact." Uncertainty remains after Birmingham 2022 'mistake' Last month, Malaysia rejected an offer to step in and host the 2026 Games, despite being offered £100m by the CGF as supporting funds, with its sports ministry claiming it would not cover the overall cost of staging the event. FULL STORY

Jurgen Klopp has warned Manchester United they will get beaten by Arsenal next month if they play like they did against his Liverpool side. Klopp urged Liverpool to "stay calm" after losing the Premier League leadership this weekend, drawing 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday. United could yet help Klopp's side, as they host Arsenal - the new leaders - on the season's penultimate weekend. However, Klopp fears United need to up their game if they are to halt Mikel Arteta's side. "Probably," said the Liverpool boss, when asked if he would be cheering for United on 11 May. "If we are still around then that would be great. "But Arsenal are a good football team. If they [United] play like today, Arsenal will win the game, I am 100% sure. I am sorry to say that." 'Erik ten Hag's future in balance - as are Liverpool hopes' Positives for Liverpool but a chance missed - Danny Murphy analysis Sunday's match was Liverpool second visit to Old Trafford in three weeks - and they had a total of 53 shots over those two matches, yet won neither. They were beaten 4-3 in an FA Cup quarter-final on 17 March, and have now dropped what could be two crucial Premier League points in their battle with Arsenal and Manchester City. "It is a fact we should have won both games but didn't," Klopp said. Nevertheless, he added that Liverpool supporters should not lose faith in their club's ability to mark the German's final season at Anfield by winning a record-equalling 20th title. "To the whole Liverpool community, just stay calm," he said. FULL STORY

Inter Milan could move for France forward Anthony Martial when the 28-year-old's Manchester United contract expires this summer - if they fail to sign Iceland forward Albert Gudmundsson, 26, from Genoa. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian) Brighton will not look to re-sign Ansu Fati after his loan move from Barcelona but Wolves, Valencia and Sevilla are potential destinations this summer for the Spain forward, 21. (Sport - in Spanish) Luton have raised their interest in Blackburn's 28-year-old Republic of Ireland striker Sammie Szmodics but face competition from Brentford. Amadou Onana is likely to leave Everton this summer, with the Toffees hoping to receive £50-60m for the Belgium midfielder, 22. (Football Insider) Bundesliga sides are interested in making a summer move for Tottenham's 22-year-old Republic of Ireland forward Troy Parrott, who has been on loan with Dutch side Excelsior this season. (Football Insider) English defender Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, insists his focus is on winning games for Everton and that he is blocking out all the speculation about his long-term future, having been linked with Manchester United. (Liverpool Echo) Juventus have reached an agreement in principle with Thiago Motta for the Bologna boss to become their new coach - and Bologna's Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson, 24, could follow him to Turin. (Calciomercato - in Italian) Italy winger Nicolo Zaniolo wants to return to Serie A when his loan from Galatasaray to Aston Villa expires this summer, with Fiorentina and Napoli having already enquired about the 24-year-old. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian) Manchester United have firmed up their interest in Girona's Miguel Gutierrez and are looking to beat Arsenal to the signing of the Spanish left-back, 22, this summer. (Mirror, via TeamTalk) FULL REPORT

They were 2-1 down at Old Trafford with less than 10 minutes to go, so Liverpool have to take some positives from Sunday's draw with Manchester United. After being so dominant - they had more control of that match at half-time than I've seen them have against anyone for a very long time - they could have felt sorry for themselves after falling behind. Instead they showed fight and spirit, to come back and leave with a point. Still, my over-riding feeling was that it should have been more. A draw is certainly not the end of the world for Jurgen Klopp's side in the Premier League title race, but it feels like a big opportunity has been missed. The reality is that Liverpool had enough chances in the first half to win two or three games, and with the quality of the forward players they have got, you just don't expect them to miss that many. An amazing lack of defensive discipline What stood out about Liverpool in the first half was their desire - their running off the ball was incredible, and they showed how badly they wanted the win. It was a really front-foot attitude - sharp, full of energy and everything you want from an away performance when you are trying to win the league. There was no caution and United struggled to cope. In fact, they helped Liverpool because they lacked anything like the same willingness without the ball. Sometimes you lose games because the opposition tactics surprise you or there is a problem you can't solve, but that wasn't the case here. It wasn't down to amazing play from Liverpool either. The two teams set up in a similar 4-3-3 shape and the reality was that a lot of Liverpool's first-half chances simply came off the back of overloads, with their players left free to run off the back of United's. FULL STORY

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MOVED to Banking

Bentley EV expected 2027 Bentley has pushed back its first EV by two years to 2027, with a reveal set for 2026. The British marque's CEO said the delay was due to software issues and other concerns over the platform, with the EV due to ride on a version of the Volkswagen Group's PPE architecture. Bentley is targeting a range of at least 373 miles and advanced driver assistance technology. While a series of EVs were set to be launched each year from 2025 to 2030, the plan to go fully EV is now set for roughly 2033. —Caleb Miller BMW I5M (expected 2026) Fender flares, a more aggressive stance, and 1136 horsepower will combine to produce the upcoming BMW i5 M, which won't arrive before than 2026. The new high-performance four-motor drivetrain will incorporate wheel-by-wheel torque vectoring and brake-by-motor energy regeneration, and will be capable of piloted drifting and tank turns where the vehicle can use its prodigious torque output to spin in place. While the more subdued i5 has already debuted—with its own set of high-performance batteries, active steering, and suspension fit for the Nurburgring—we can't help but keep our focus on the angrier i5 M with a drive control unit that's being referred to internally as the "Hand of God." Take the wheel, Jesus. —Austin Irwin BMW 3-series EV (Expected: 2026) The unique-looking Neue Klasse concept revealed in 2023 is expected to preview a future electric iteration of the iconic, long-running BMW 3-Series. The concept debuted a new design language that should spread across the lineup, with a funky evolution of the classic kidney grille. The concept uses experimental e-Ink technology—similar to what you'd find on a eReader tablet—on the window trim that lights up as you approach the car. The simplistic cabin has a full-width screen spanning the dashboard. The car will be built on BMW's next-generation EV platform that promises range improvements of up to 30 percent versus current models. The production version will likely arrive by 2026. —Caleb Miller Ford Compact Crossover (Expected: Late 2026) Ford is reportedly delaying its three-row electric SUV, which was expected to bring the iconic Explorer nameplate into the EV era. Ford is instead prioritizing an affordable compact crossover that will start around $25,000 and will ride on a new platform that may also spawn a pickup truck. Ford already sells a small electric crossover in Europe, pictured here, that shares its platform with the Volkswagen ID.4 and confusingly is also called the Explorer. The low-cost U.S.-market EV should be substantially different when it arrives in late 2026. —Caleb Miller Ford Explorer EV (Expected: 2024) The Ford Explorer is among the most popular SUVs sold in the U.S., so giving it the fully electric treatment is an obvious move. Ford announced in May 2021 that its three-row SUV would be joining the Mustang Mach-E and the E-Transit electric van in Ford's growing electric lineup. Though the current Explorer offers a 318-hp hybrid V-6 powertrain, we suspect that, like with the Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, there are rear- and all-wheel-drive Explorer EV models planned. —Austin Irwin FULL ARTICLE

Investec Champions Cup last 16 Harlequins: (21) 28 Tries: Esterhuizen, Smith, Murley, Riley Cons: Smith 4 Glasgow Warriors: (7) 24 Tries: Cummings, Matthews, Horne Pens: Horne Cons: Horne 3 Hooker Sam Riley scored a late try as Harlequins defeated Glasgow Warriors in a thriller to book their spot in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals. The Warriors started fast as Scott Cummings went over, before Quins responded with three tries. Andre Esterhuizen, Marcus Smith and Cadan Murley crossed for a 21-7 lead. Glasgow hooker Johnny Matthews and George Horne sparked the game back into life, but Riley responded to hand Harlequins a historic victory. This was Quins' first knockout win in Europe's top-tier competition in their history, with the prize a quarter-final against Bordeaux Begles or Saracens next weekend. An away win for Saracens on Saturday, who suffered a club record European defeat by Bordeaux during the pool stages, would mean a home tie for Harlequins in their first quarter-final in 11 years. Smith stars as Quins hold on Franco Smith's starting XV contained 11 Scotland internationals and it did not take them long to show their class, with lock Cummings powering his way over to reward Glasgow's fast start in attack. FULL STORY

Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka Dates: 5-7 April Coverage: Live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra (BBC Radio 5 Live for Sunday's race) & BBC Sounds, BBC Sport website & app Lewis Hamilton said Mercedes had their "best session of the year" in Friday's practice at the Japanese Grand Prix. The seven-time champion was fifth quickest, with team-mate George Russell fourth, both just under 0.5 seconds behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull. The times were set in the first session, while the second was rendered irrelevant by wet conditions. Hamilton said: "It was a really good session, the best the car has felt this year." Mercedes expected to struggle at Suzuka because its demanding, high-speed layout layout should expose the car's limitations in high-speed corners. Mercedes have been struggling to understand why the car produces less downforce on track than their simulations suggest it should. Hamilton said: "It felt really positive. I was excited, because this is a circuit every driver loves to drive and the last couple of years we've had a really difficult car and balance to drive here. "And given the difficult last few races we've had, great work has been done and we seem to have hit the ground in a sweeter spot so I haven't really made any changes." Comeback in my thoughts but not priority - Vettel Japanese Grand Prix practice, qualifying and race times How Japanese GP practice unfolded Russell, who was 0.013secs quicker than Hamilton, said the car's performance was "a pleasant surprise". Mercedes' difficulties so far this season prompted team principal Toto Wolff to abandon plans to miss the race, he will instead attend for the first time in three seasons. FULL STORY