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By Abhishek Purohit Apart from silverware, the grit and consistency shown by Chennaiyin FC over the past two editions of the Indian Super League (ISL) again makes it heavy favourites in the cash-rich football tournament this year. While in the first year they reached the semi-finals, they staged a remarkable comeback last year after being at the bottom of the points table. At one stage it seemed they would fail to even qualify for the semi-finals but coach Marco Materazzi, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, masterminded the team’s fairytale come back with a 3-2 victory over FC Goa in the final....

The visiting team’s starting backcourt will look vastly different, with Coby White and Zach LaVine both out with injuries. It’s a development that doesn’t bode well for their playoff hopes considering their 10th-place position in the standings at 19-27. With newly acquired center Nikola Vucevic in tow, the Bulls are hoping to avoid falling further down the standings while White and LaVine recover. The Utah Jazz, who defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 111-107 on the road on Wednesday, are likely relieved to be back in the safe confines of their homes....

Although the Fire were swiftly bounced from the playoffs in a 4-0 knockout-round defeat to the New York Red Bulls, there were plenty of positives to be taken from 2017. Newcomer Nemanja Nikolic scored 24 times to clinch the MLS Golden Boot, Dax McCarty provided a stabilizing veteran presence in the midfield and Bastian Schweinsteiger, when healthy, provided star power and added plenty of class on the ball. The challenge for the Fire in 2018 will be to build on their momentum from last season and avoid taking a step backwards....

At 346 pounds, Poe became the heaviest player in NFL history to score a rushing touchdown. MORE: Week 11 photos | Week 11 scoreboard | Longest losing streaks | Football squirrel In pounding it in from the goal line, Poe broke the record set by William “The Refrigerator” Perry, who at 335 pounds, scored not one, but two rushing touchdowns during his rookie season in 1985. If Perry was “The Fridge,” then Poe is “The Meat Locker....

Coach Andy Reid told reporters that his plan is to have Mahomes play the entire first quarter, followed by back-up quarterbacks Chad Henne, rookie Kyle Shurmur and Chase Litton. The move is a bit unusual, given coaches generally prefer to sit their starting quarterback for pre-season games to avoid risking injury. Reid, however, has been known to play his starting quarterbacks. He started Donovan McNabb for a series or two when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles and only took McNabb out only if the offense scored a touchdown on the first series....

Most of the time the culprit is caught soon enough and the host can hang up the phone. Other times the caller gets creative. Take a man who called in under the name Gonzo from Lebanon, Mo. The topic was drone strikes, but Gonzo had another plan during his call. MORE: J.J. Watt gets fan out of work | Shane Ray cited for marijuana | 2015 NFL mock draft...

Caballero was in goal for the 2-0 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday, with Kepa dropped following his refusal to be substituted during Sunday’s EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester City. Sarri said before kick-off he was sending a “message” to his players with his selection that Chelsea are a team and not a collection of individuals. Far from splitting the squad, as had been reported, Caballero has revealed that the mood around the club is positive and the incident could even prove to be a significant turning point in the Blues’ season....

Costa was ruled out of his side’s 3-0 win with a back injury - but Goal understands that the 28-year-old had a falling out with manager Antonio Conte over contract negotiations - after the Blues striker was offered a £30 million-per-year deal from a Chinese football club. Veron returns to football at 41 Courtois didn’t go into his team-mate’s contract situation but he admitted that he was impressed with Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro who performed well in the forward line as Costa remained in London....

Despite trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel called on his players to write a new chapter of history in Madrid, and his stars responded. Goals either side of the break from Mason Mount and Antonio Rudiger leveled the series on aggregate, but they were followed by one of the turning points as the visitors sought to take control of the series in the Spanish capital....

The Blues were beaten by Tottenham Hotspur in the new year after a 13-game winning streak, but they recovered in the league against Hull City at Stamford Bridge. The two teams had mixed experiences in the FA Cup recently, with Liverpool falling victim to a shock home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers as Chelsea hammered Brentford 4-0. Fabregas aims dig at Liverpool Antonio Conte’s men could strike a fatal blow to Liverpool’s title hopes on Tuesday, but they will be mindful of the fact that they lost 2-1 when the two sides met at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season....

The Blues offered the perfect response to a disappointing derby defeat at West Ham when they eased past Huddersfield in midweek, with Antonio Conte back in bullish mood after that encounter having previously ruled his side out of the 2017-18 title race. A meeting with Southampton should hold little fear for the defending Premier League champions, with the Saints having collected just one win from their last eight – with that run including reversals away at Liverpool and Manchester City....

Also read: Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool: Combined XI | Premier League 2019-20 Spurs have also been linked with signing Lemar in January According to The Standard, Los Rojiblancos are open to doing business with potential suitors over a possible loan deal for Lemar. It is believed that the 24-year-old would command a loan fee of £5 million, with the Spanish giants also open to permanent deals in the region of £50 million....

Inter Milan have been linked with the Chelsea duo before This is not the first time Inter Milan have been linked with the Chelsea duo. Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte is the man who bought the two players during his time at Chelsea. Both of them have been linked with the Italian giants since Conte’s appointment as manager. Inter are said to be willing to pay up to €30 million for the two Blues players....

The fee agreed between the clubs is £40 million and the player is set to have a medical this week itself. The deal was slightly delayed because Bakayoko had undergone a surgery for a knee injury towards the end of last season but the move is definitely on now. The 22-year-old was at the heart of Monaco’s midfield in their UEFA Champions League semi-final run and Ligue 1 triumph last season and now it looks as though he will be a Chelsea player shortly....

Harry Kane’s first-half penalty at Wembley was enough for Spurs to take a narrow advantage halfway through the tie. As Pochettino eyes his first trophy at the helm, he felt the first-leg win was a good step for his team. “I think we were very competitive. I am so pleased. We played against one of the best teams in England, of course and in Europe, a team that have been building to win titles,” he told a news conference....

The result saw the visiting side increase its tally to eight points while Chennayin moved to five points from nine matches. Also, CFC moved to eighth spot on the points table ahead of FC Pune City on the basis of goal difference. It was a match of missed opportunities as both the teams couldn’t make the most of the opportunities they had. Like in the first half, Chennaiyin applied pressure on the Kerala backline but without any luck....

A battle with Russian troops began earlier Thursday at the site of the world’s most devastating nuclear disaster, according to the Mirror. An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in the report that Russian troops have also taken Chernobyl staff hostage. Experts say this location, only about 60 miles from Kyiv, is well positioned for troops to march to the capital city, adding to the invasion that started Thursday morning....

Dozens of U.S. cities are set to record their highest-ever yearly homicide rates as Midwest metropolitan areas including Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville have seen murders increase by at least 40 percent. As of last week, Louisville has seen a 78 percent surge in homicides versus the same period in 2019. Kentucky’s largest city is on track to make 2020 its deadliest year in recent history, as is Indianapolis. Data compiled by University of Missouri-St....

Roberts intervened after a testy back-and-forth between Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY), a House manager and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and the president’s counsels Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow. Nadler scolded the GOP-majority Senate for voting against hearing new key witnesses at the outset of the trial, in particular testimony from Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton, calling it “treacherous.” Cipollone told Nadler he owed an apology and hit out at the congressman’s “false allegations,” while Sekulow accused the Democrat of shredding the constitution....