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ADEMOLA LOOKMAN EARNS HARD-FOUGHT DRAW FOR LEICESTER AS THEY HUNT SPOT IN FINAL

Ademola Lookman kept Leicester dreaming in Europe after a gutsy draw with Roma.

The striker’s ninth goal of the season will send the Foxes to the Stadio Olimpico for their Europa Conference League semi-final second leg next week locked at 1-1.

Brendan Rodgers’ side gave themselves a fighting chance in Italy after a spirited display, despite Lorenzo Pellegrini’s first-half opener.

They bossed Roma for long spells and will feel they can reach next month’s final in Tirana.

However, Leicester will be frustrated with a draw having started well, only to let their guard down once in the first half.

Jamie Vardy’s 19-minute cameo in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa allowed him to stretch his legs and his threat was evident inside the first two minutes.

Chris Smalling slipped under pressure from the striker, forcing Gianluca Mancini to clear behind the first of a flurry of Leicester corners.

From one, a stretching Timothy Castagne headed wide at the far post but Leicester’s bright opening was halted when Roma grabbed the lead after 15 minutes.

Nicolo Zaniolo’s crossfield pass found Nicola Zalewski and he was allowed to run unchallenged and slip in Pellegrini.

The captain had darted behind Wesley Fofana and, with Youri Tielemans failing to track him, fired his fourth goal in eight European matches this season through Kasper Schmeichel’s legs.

The Foxes lost Castagne, replaced by James Justin, to injury soon after and they briefly lost their way as Roma grew into the contest.

Yet the Foxes rediscovered their bite and Lookman twice stretched the visitors. First, Smalling expertly blocked Lookman’s shot before coming to the rescue of Rui Patricio after 34 minutes.

Lookman, this time on the edge of the area, again found space with Patricio parrying his drive and the goalkeeper needed Smalling to quickly clear ahead of a lurking Vardy.

Former Manchester United defender Smalling then clattered Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – again excellent for the Foxes – only for James Maddison’s free kick to hit the wall.

Maddison curled over five minutes before the break and the theme continued in the second half with Lookman completely miscuing a header over from six yards.

But the on-loan RB Leipzig forward had been the Foxes biggest threat and Roma’s resolve finally broke after 67 minutes.

Substitute Harvey Barnes made an instant impact as Roger Ibanez tried to cut out his pass into the area, only to play the ball straight back to the winger.

Barnes took full advantage and crossed for Lookman to bundle in from close range.

Buoyant Leicester looked for a second and Kelechi Iheanacho headed over under pressure while Maddison ramped up his influence.

The Foxes – by far the better side – kept their cool as they searched for openings and Patricio needed to turn Iheanacho’s curling effort wide after Tielemans robbed Bryan Cristante.

Yet they were almost undone with 10 minutes left after brilliant footwork and strength from Tammy Abraham teed up Sergio Oliveira and Schmeichel turned his effort behind.

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FIRST EUROPEAN SEMI-FINAL FOR 46 YEARS ENDS IN DEFEAT FOR WESTHAM

West Ham were unable to rise to the occasion in their first European semi-final for 46 years, as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

David Moyes’ side were left to rue defensive errors which allowed Frankfurt to take the lead inside the opening minute at the London Stadium through Ansgar Knauff’s header.

The Hammers were able to draw level inside the first half, with Michail Antonio bundling the ball over the line for his first goal since March 2.

However it was not enough for the London club on the night and Frankfurt were able to retake the lead in the second half, with Daichi Kamada slotting the ball past Alphonse Areola.

Frankfurt had looked an enticing prospect for the Hammers, currently ninth in the Bundesliga, but they started the game full of confidence having knocked European giants Barcelona out in the quarter-finals.

Inside the first minute, Frankfurt stunned West Ham to take the lead. The ball was played in from the left to Almamy Toure on the edge of the box and his lofted pass found Knauff who headed home.

The home side tried to get back into it with a lofted cross towards Tomas Soucek, but it was just over the towering midfielder.

West Ham had an ideal chance to level the tie in the 13th minute when Jarrod Bowen drove through the Frankfurt defence but his final shot was tipped onto the woodwork by goalkeeper Kevin Trapp.

However the Hammers only had to wait until the 22nd minute to find the equaliser.

Manuel Lanzini stepped up to take a free-kick and lofted it into the area, with Kurt Zouma flicking the ball back across goal for Antonio to bundle it over the line.

In the 39th minute, West Ham found themselves exposed at the back as Knauff was played through with a ball that carved open the home side’s defence. The striker’s touch was poor and he rounded the keeper but ended up firing over the bar.

The second half started in the same fashion as the first half ended, with West Ham having a chance when Antonio picked out Soucek, but the Czech international mistimed his volley, hitting it into the ground then wide of the target.

Frankfurt retook the lead as West Ham yet again left themselves open at the back.

Kamada had the final touch after Craig Dawson stepped out of position to allow a ball from Jesper Lindstrom to get through the West Ham backline.

Areola was equal to Djibril Sow’s attempt, but Kamada was able to tap home from the rebound.

Minutes after coming on Said Benrahma almost levelled the tie with a clever strike from outside the area, but his deflected shot looped narrowly over the goal.

West Ham tried to push for an equaliser but struggled to break through the German side’s defence and it was Frankfurt who almost wrapped it up in the 79th minute when Kamada’s deflected effort hit the woodwork.

In added time, the Hammers had a final chance to level the tie with Bowen’s attempted overhead kick but despite a good connection his effort rebounded off the crossbar.

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ROGER FEDERER SET TO RETURN TO TENNIS AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER FOLLOWING INJURY

Roger Federer looks to have allayed retirement fears as he plots a return to the ATP Tour in the autumn, starting at the Laver Cup in London followed by the Swiss Indoors in Basel.

The 20-time grand-slam champion has been sidelined since losing in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in July last year, announcing the following month he had undergone more knee surgery.

Federer admitted last November he would be “extremely surprised” if he returned to SW19 this year in an attempt to win a record ninth men’s singles crown and it now appears almost certain he will miss out.

He turns 41 in August but the following month he plans to be at the fifth edition of the Laver Cup, a competition starting on September 23 that pits Europe against the rest of the world.

From there is his home tournament of the Swiss Indoors, according to organisers, which starts on October 24. Federer has won the tournament 10 times, collecting his 103rd and most recent title in 2019, the last time the event was held.

A post on the tournament’s Instagram said: “After a two-year break due to the pandemic, the Swiss Indoors Basel will return to the ATP Tour in the fall of 2022.

“Ten-time singles champion and hometown hero Roger Federer has announced his comeback to the stadium at St. Jakobshalle. The Swiss all-time great has confirmed his initial agenda will include the Laver Cup in London followed by the Swiss Indoors in Basel.”

Federer said in an Instagram story: “Looking forward to playing back home.”

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JACOB RAMSEY COMMITS TO ASTON VILLA UNTIL 2027

Jacob Ramsey has signed a new Aston Villa contract, tying him to the Premier League club until 2027.

The England Under-21s midfielder has been a standout star for Steven Gerrard’s side this season and has been rewarded with a fresh deal.

Ramsey has hit six Premier League goals so far this campaign after opening his Villa account in the defeat to Arsenal in October.

“Aston Villa is delighted to announce Jacob Ramsey has signed a new contract with the club,” a statement on avfc.co.uk read.

“The 20-year-old has put pen to paper on a deal until 2027.

“A product of the Aston Villa Academy, the midfielder has been with the club since the age of six and progressed through the ranks, making his senior debut against West Bromwich Albion in 2019.

“After a short loan spell with Doncaster Rovers, Ramsey made his Premier League bow last term at Fulham before making his full debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers.”

The 20-year-old has been capped at England age groups from the under-18s upwards and has been tipped for a senior cap.

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MANCHESTER CITY CLAIM SLENDER ADVANTAGE IN SEVEN-GOAL THRILLER WITH REAL MADRID

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 26: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City reacts during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final Leg One match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at Etihad Stadium on April 26, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Manchester City claimed a slender advantage in their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid after a dramatic 4-3 victory at the Etihad Stadium.

The Premier League leaders raced into a 2-0 lead in a pulsating first-leg encounter with goals from the irrepressible Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus in the first 11 minutes.

Real responded through the prolific Karim Benzema before Phil Foden and Vinicius Junior traded goals early in the second half.

Bernardo Silva gave City a two-goal advantage but Benzema scored a cheeky penalty – his 41st goal of the season in as many appearances – to cut the deficit once again.

Both sides spurned numerous other chances in a compelling and breathless clash that set the stage for a fascinating second leg next week.

City may regret not making the most of a number of early opportunities as they stormed out of the blocks. They could almost have put the tie out of sight in the opening half-hour but Real, after fine comebacks against Paris St Germain and Chelsea in the previous two rounds, fought back again.

Real were sluggish and sloppy and continually left spaces for the hosts to exploit. Some of Foden’s touches were exquisite and De Bruyne’s throughballs were a constant danger.

It was De Bruyne who got City off to the dream start, heading their opening goal after just two minutes from a Riyad Mahrez cross.

The atmosphere crackled and City took further inspiration, doubling their lead nine minutes later.

Foden showed great control before laying off to De Bruyne, who drilled a low ball into the box for Jesus. The Brazilian had his back to goal but, buoyed by the four-goal haul against Watford that earned him a place in the side, was too quick for David Alaba. He turned sharply, wrongfooting the defender and blasted a low shot past Thibaut Courtois.

City went close again as Oleksandr Zinchenko fired wide and Mahrez infuriated manager Pep Guardiola by hitting the side-netting rather than squaring for Foden, who later shot wide himself.

Yet as well as City were playing, they did look vulnerable at the back. Guardiola’s gamble in rushing back John Stones from injury to play at right-back in the absence of Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker also backfired.

The England international struggled and was caught out as Benzema crossed and Alaba glanced a header wide.

City failed to heed that warning and Real scored through the same route, this time Ferland Mendy crossing for Benzema to divert in. Stones was replaced by Fernandinho moments later.

City upped the tempo after the break and hit the post through Mahrez. Foden’s follow-up attempt was blocked by Dani Carvajal but he made no mistake in the 53rd minute as he got on the end of a fine cross from makeshift right-back Fernandinho to head City’s third.

Yet again from a position of control, City allowed Real back into the game. Vinicius turned Fernandinho out wide and was too quick for the rest of the defence, racing into the box to slot into the bottom corner.

It could even have been 3-3 soon after as Eder Militao found space but aimed his header at Ederson.

Such was the tension that Guardiola was booked for coming out of his technical area.

City were determined to add to their tally and their fourth came after referee Istvan Kovacs played a good advantage when Toni Kroos felled Zinchenko on the edge of the area. Real stopped expecting the whistle to be blown but Silva played on and smacked a shot into the top corner. They pushed on even after that, with Mahrez inches away from another.

Real were not done and pulled another one back eight minutes from time with a Panenka penalty from the cool Benzema after Aymeric Laporte handled.

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LEEDS EARN A POINT FROM GOALLESS DRAW AT CRYSTAL PALACE

Leeds moved a point further away from the relegation zone after a lacklustre goalless draw at Crystal Palace.

In a game of few chances neither side were able to find the breakthrough.

The best of the chances fell to Jean-Philippe Mateta, but he was unable to find the net or really test Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Leeds remain in 16th position, now five points clear of 18th-placed Everton, and Palace were able to bring an end to their three-match losing streak in all competitions, but remain in 14th.

Patrick Vieira and Leeds boss Jesse Marsch had faced each other nine times while in charge of New York City and New York Red Bulls respectively and the games were often fiery, and the one at Selhurst Park also had its moments of tension just before the break.

After the early exchanges in the midfield, Palace had the first opportunity of the match with a long, direct ball over the top to Mateta, who chipped the ball over Meslier, but Diego Llorente was able to get back and clear.

Palace had another chance in the 11th minute when Nathaniel Clyne crossed the ball towards Wilfried Zaha, who was well-positioned, but his header lacked sufficient power and Meslier was able to gather.

Leeds had to scramble the ball away in the 15th minute when Conor Gallagher cleverly picked out Jordan Ayew who passed towards the back post, but Mateta was not able to get there and slot home.

Leeds had to wait until the 27th minute for their first corner of the game, which fell to Liam Cooper but his effort was straight at Vicente Guaita.

Just before half-time, there were tensions from both sides and the players squared up on a couple of occasions but it was calmed down.

Leeds had an opportunity at the start of the second half, after a lacklustre opening 45, when Stuart Dallas picked out Raphinha on the wing, and he cut in but took too long trying to take his shot which deflected wide.

With both sides unable to showcase their quality in the final third, Dallas resorted to trying his luck from distance, but it was wide of Guaita’s goal.

Shortly afterwards Zaha had another chance to play in Mateta through the centre but his pass lacked pace and Leeds were able to clear. In the 66th minute, Zaha did pick out Mateta but his attempt blazed over the bar.

Palace looked to be edging closer to breaking the deadlock when Meslier had to make an important save to deny Zaha’s curled effort.

Gallagher had a chance with less than five minutes remaining, but his effort from the centre of the box was also straight at the goalkeeper.

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DILLIAN WHYTE ACCUSES TYSON FURY OF DIRTY TACTICS IN WEMBLEY WIN

Dillian Whyte has accused Tyson Fury of engaging “dirty” tactics and says he should have had extra recovery time after being floored during their world heavyweight fight.

Fury retained his WBC heavyweight title with a sixth-round stoppage of British rival Whyte at a sold-out Wembley Stadium, ending Saturday’s bout with a brutal upper cut.

Whyte was sent crashing to the deck, but the Londoner believes the referee should have penalised Fury for shoving him before his head thumped against the canvas.

“I was buzzed but obviously I was trying to regather my senses and he proper pushed me and I fell over and hit my head on the canvas, which is illegal,” Whyte told Sky Sports.

“This isn’t wrestling, this is boxing. I should have been allowed extra time to recover and then carried on fighting.

“I got caught, no doubt about it. I got caught by a good shot.

“I was hurt, I was trying to get my senses together and he full on, two-handed pushed me. It wasn’t like a one-armed thing.

“I should have had time to recover, time to go back to my corner, but Tyson Fury gets away with a lot of things.”

Whyte claimed Fury headbutted him after he sustained a nasty gash over his right eye, the first time he has sustained a cut in 31 professional fights.

He said: “He kept on leaning down to the side and putting the head in and stuff like that.

“He leans down and he put the head in, he clashed with me and I got the cut and obviously the ref started telling me off.

“I was like, ‘what the hell is going on here? I got headbutted?’

“The fight spiralled a bit, until he started punching me in the back of the head. I started doing it to him and then his corner started throwing water and stuff like that, which was a bit crazy.

“I kept on getting all the blame. He was the one that was holding, he was the one that was headbutting and being dirty in the fight.”

While unbeaten Fury has vowed to bring his professional career to an end, 34-year-old Whyte is determined to force his way back into world title contention.

He said: “I’m still young enough, I’ve still got a lot left in me. I’ve fought the best in the world and I wasn’t outclassed or outboxed.

“It’s not a long, hard road back, because I’ve showed the level I am. I’m still there, I’m still good enough. One fight and I’m back.”

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BURNLEY CLINCH ANOTHER HOME WIN TO PILE PRESSURE ON EVERTON IN RELEGATION ZONE

Matej Vydra’s strike took battling Burnley out of the Premier League relegation zone as caretaker boss Mike Jackson celebrated a crucial victory against European hopefuls Wolves.

Having drawn at West Ham and then beaten Southampton on Thursday, Sean Dyche’s temporary successor oversaw another huge result in the Clarets’ bid to beat the drop.

Burnley may not have been at their best for chunks of Sunday’s encounter but Vydra’s second-half strike proved enough to secure a key 1-0 win against Wolves at a rocking Turf Moor.

The victory takes the Lancashire outfit out of the bottom three, albeit potentially only for a few hours should Everton secure a shock win at title-chasing rivals Liverpool.

It was another impressive result for under-23s boss Jackson, whose side struggled to get going in a first half edged by Bruno Lage’s visitors.

But Burnley kept compact defensively and took their chance in the 62nd minute when lively Dwight McNeil played through Wout Weghorst, whose cross was turned in by Vydra.

The Clarets dug deep to secure a third straight home league win that heaps the pressure on embattled Everton.

Wolves made four changes for their first match in 16 days and started brightly in Lancashire, where Raul Jimenez should have done better with an early shot after Connor Roberts was dispossessed.

McNeil blazed over after a mazy run and Vydra – in for the injured Maxwel Cornet – saw a 20-yard strike comfortably saved when Burnley looked for the opener.

But Lage’s men were finding space and unsettling the nervous hosts, who would have been punished in the 20th minute had Nick Pope not pushed behind a curling right-footed effort by impressive wing-back Jonny.

Wolves continued to create openings but lacked a cutting edge, with Fabio Silva proving a nuisance but moments for them to break the deadlock were wasted.

As for the hosts, Jay Rodriguez teed himself up and volleyed wide before McNeil again cut inside to hit a driven effort from the edge of the box that Jose Sa made a meal of tipping over.

The Turf Moor crowd were celebrating three minutes into the second half as the ball rippled the back of the net.

Vydra was put behind by a quickly-taken free-kick and Sa’s save hit Conor Coady and ricocheted off the Wolves captain into his own goal, only for the offside flag to rightly rule it out.

That chance was swiftly followed by a great save by Pope, who reacted brilliantly to stop Nelson Semedo rifling home from an acute angle.

Play became edgy as the sides looked to unlock one another without throwing everything at it, with Burnley managing to do just that in the 62nd minute.

McNeil’s smart reverse pass put Weghorst behind the napping Wolves backline and the January acquisition crossed for Vydra to slot past Sa and send Turf Moor wild.

Burnley looked invigorated by the goal and were up for the fight, with Hwang Hee-Chan halted by a fine tackle by Roberts and Nathan Collins receiving a standing ovation having thwarted Jimenez.

Substitute Aaron Lennon was proving a handful and Weghorst attempted to add his name to the scoresheet as Wolves toiled.

Substitute Ashley Barnes saw a goal ruled out after kicking the ball out of Sa’s grasp and Pope denied a stoppage-time volley by Hwang as the hosts ran down the clock.

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JAMIE VARDY RETURNS BUT LEICESTER FORCED TO DRAW BY ASTON VILLA

Jamie Vardy’s return failed to inspire Leicester to victory as they were held to a drab goalless draw by Aston Villa.

The striker made just his second appearance since December after hamstring and knee injuries in a 0-0 stalemate at the King Power Stadium.

Yet Vardy’s comeback as a second-half substitute still offers a huge boost ahead of the Foxes’ Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against Roma on Thursday.

That they emerged unscathed and earned a point from a bruising but forgettable encounter will be a comfort, with Jose Mourinho’s side arriving next week.

Battling Villa, 15th in the table, at least ended a run of four straight defeats and had the best chances, Leon Bailey firing over and Tyrone Mings getting a header all wrong, but they were no better than the Foxes in a tight game.

Steven Gerrard’s side squandered the game’s biggest opening early on when Wesley Fofana’s poor header let in Ollie Watkins and he centred for Bailey to blaze over.

Watkins also shot straight at Kasper Schmeichel from distance but, despite Villa’s two chances, Leicester – who sit 10th in the Premier League – were the aggressors.

They tried to pin Villa back at times but the visitors, on the back of their poor run, were more determined than in their recent losses.

Both sides were loose with possession, Patson Daka failing to capitalise after being gifted the ball by John McGinn, which contributed to a stilted half which never really got going.

James Maddison’s free-kick briefly had Emi Martinez concerned but despite edging the first half, Leicester never tested the goalkeeper.

Villa emerged for the second with renewed purpose and Mings’ miscued header from five yards saw them blow an early chance.

Watkins’ angled drive was then shovelled behind by Schmeichel but, after that, there was little to suggest anyone would break the deadlock.

It was a battle, Villa championed by McGinn and Leicester spurred on by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and little to separate the sides.

Vardy was finally summoned from the bench with 20 minutes to go after six weeks out with a knee injury.

His presence immediately lifted the hosts and Villa replaced the ineffective Philippe Coutinho with Emi Buendia but could not find any extra edge.

Maddison’s free-kick brought a good save from Martinez but a winner never came.

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GABRIEL JESUS SCORES FOUR AS MANCHESTER CITY RUN RIOT AGAINST WATFORD

Gabriel Jesus struck four times as Manchester City crushed Watford 5-1 to chalk off another win in their battle with Liverpool for the Premier League title.

The Brazilian also provided the assist for City’s other goal, a stunning strike by Rodri, as the champions increased their lead at the top of the table to four points.

Hassane Kamara did get on the scoresheet for the visitors but Roy Hodgson’s relegation-threatened side were no match for City, who were relentless and efficient in attack.

Seven points off safety and having played more games than the sides immediately above them, the Hornets are running out of time.

Such was City’s dominance they could ease off in the closing stages knowing the onus was now on Liverpool to respond against Everton on Sunday. It also gave them chance to conserve some energy ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.

Meanwhile Jesus could savour his fine riposte to speculation about his future in the light of strong reports linking City with Erling Haaland.

Pep Guardiola’s side have dished out plenty of punishment to Watford in recent years, not least in thrashing them 6-0 in the 2019 FA Cup final and then 8-0 and 4-0 the following season.

Watford had lost their previous 14 matches against City and not beaten them since 1989, and it soon became apparent that dismal record was only going to get worse.

City needed just four minutes to force their way ahead. Joao Cancelo sent a deep cross to the left and Oleksandr Zinchenko pulled back across the six-yard line for Jesus, one of six changes made to the side by Guardiola, to pounce.

The Hornets spurned a glorious chance to equalise soon after when Cancelo lost possession. Emmanuel Dennis burst clean through and should have tested Ederson but dithered too long and Zinchenko raced back to tackle.

Cancelo almost made instant amends for that error as he got into a shooting position from a Jesus lay-off but Ben Foster pushed away his powerful strike.

City’s second came in the 23rd minute as Kevin De Bruyne yet again showed his mastery by curling in a brilliant cross from the right. It was so accurate that Jesus’ task of nodding in was relatively simple.

Despite their dominance, City were still prone to the occasional defensive lapse and another slip allowed Watford to pull one back against the run of play.

Dennis flicked a fine pass into the path of Kamara and the Ivorian lashed a low left-footed shot through the arms of a diving Ederson.

Yet it was only a brief stemming of the tide as Rodri soon made it 3-1 with a great goal.

There were groans as the influential De Bruyne landed awkwardly attempting a through-ball but play continued with the Belgian on the ground.

Jesus won the ball on the right and clipped back inside for Rodri, who chested down and then thumped a half-volley into the top corner. With De Bruyne back on his feet before the game resumed, City looked in fine shape.

Raheem Sterling should have added another when he blazed over moments later but Jesus made no mistake to complete his treble from the penalty spot after being felled by Foster in the opening moments of the second half.

Jesus then claimed his fourth after 53 minutes by sweeping a low shot past Foster after playing a one-two with De Bruyne.

Foster was in action again when he needed to scramble back to prevent the ball rebounding into the net off Christian Kabasele.

With the job impressively done by City, the final half-hour was played at a much slower tempo with thoughts on bigger tests to come.