Sportsday - News & Premier League reaction

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A Crystal Palace fan cut my hair last week and when I suggested Sam Allardyce would steer them to safety he warned me to take a look at their daunting fixture list.

Palace still have to play Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs. So the barber's point, with no disrespect aimed at Southampton, was that three points is a must on the south coast.

However, that was before the Eagles' stunning win at Chelsea. The low-scoring Saints will want to avoid going the same way as the champions-elect and need a performance in front of their home fans.

If Palace win, my barber will be singing while he's trimming next time around.

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Having cut the gap to Chelsea at the top to seven points, Spurs simply must win this one and hope for a favour from Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

It may not be that simple though. For all that they have impressed so thoroughly this season, their win at Turf Moor on Saturday was only their fifth away league win - the same number as Crystal Palace and half as many as enjoyed by Chelsea and Manchester City.

Swansea boss Paul Clement has seen his side take just one point from their last three games, and has spoken of the tension at the Liberty Stadium during Sunday's draw with Middlesbrough. No wonder, sitting just a point above resurgent Hull is not a comfortable place to be.

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Sadio Mane's injury has come at a horrible time for Liverpool. He's been involved in 18 league goals this season - his most productive in England by far.

Jurgen Klopp has admitted he has no direct  "one-for-one" replacement.

The likely return of Daniel Sturridge is timely but with Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson also out, their squad looks thin for the run-in.

It gives Bournemouth a chance. They still need two more wins. They're as likely to get a victory here as they were in the home meeting when Liverpool's attacking brilliance was betrayed by defensive buffoonery.

That was an open thriller. This will be tighter.

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On the 20th anniversary of Tiger Woods memorable evisceration of the Masters field, his former swing coach Sean Foley has written an insightful profile for Players Tribune.

"It’s been 20 years since the kid in the red shirt changed golf forever," he writes,

"Let’s just be happy that we were able to witness one of the greatest of all time for as many years as we did. And we should be grateful for whatever else he is able to give us. How many people truly change an entire sport?

"Not just in a season or over a career, but in only four days in April."

It's the 40th anniversary of Red Rum's historic third Grand National win.

Jockey Tommy Stack, who rode Red Rum that day, reflects on his part in one of racing's greatest stories and the impact the horse made on the Aintree event.

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For the first time in what seems like an eternity, Mercedes are not leading the championship.

Granted, we are only one race into the season, but Ferrari's win in Australia hints at a potentially closer title fight this season.

This week, Formula 1 is in China, leaving behind the street circuit in Melbourne for the more traditional F1 track in Shanghai, where the impact of significant changes in regulations and car designs should become more evident.

Here's our Chinese Grand Prix preview.

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The budget for the 2022 World Cup has been cut by as much as a half by hosts Qatar.

Only eight stadiums - the minimum required by Fifa - will be used to host the tournament, as opposed to the 12 proposed in the original bid if the scaled-down plans are approved.

"We wanted to ensure there is financial responsibility," Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar 202's delivery and legacy, told CNN.

"That's why we had set an initial budget early on and made a commitment towards reducing it as the market became clearer, as the project became clearer, as we define the scope."

The country's economy has suffered with a recent fall in oil and gas prices.

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Time to raid the Emirates petty cash?

The Independent report that Arsenal could be fined £300 for failing to have a designated captain on the pitch in the second half of Sunday's 2-2 draw against Manchester City.

Skipper Laurent Koscielny came off at half-time with an injury and none of his team-mates assumed the armband.

A first breach of the rules on player identification could cost the Gunners £300, although the Independent adds that "the Premier League are expected forego a fine on this occasion and merely remind Arsenal of their duties." 

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Gilles Simon will be replaced by Jeremy Chardy in the French team for this weekend's Davis Cup quarter-final against Great Britain.

World number 68 Chardy joins Lucas Pouille, Nicolas Mahut and Julien Benneteau in Yannick Noah's team.

In the absence of the injured Andy Murray, the GB team is made up of British number two Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund, and doubles specialists Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot.

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Five years ago this week  City were eight points behind  Premier League leaders Manchester United with only six games remaining. You know what happened then.

If they manage to follow  Crystal Palace's lead  and win at Stamford Bridge, they'll be eight behind Chelsea with eight games to play.

Precedent shows possibility, although, like most, I don't envisage a Chelsea collapse that could allow a turnaround this time.

This is City's last chance to stay involved, though, and they'll have to play like it, having failed to go for the Arsenal jugular on Sunday.

Ditto Chelsea, to avoid a blip becoming a wobble becoming a crisis.

With all that and  December's fiery clash  between the teams in mind - there's an exhilarating night in store."

Twenty-five-year-old Tyrrell Hatton is heading into his first Masters.

Here's a brilliant article from way back in 1997, when a six-year-old Hatton was dubbed the new Tiger Woods.

Can Hatton win the green jacket 20 years on from Tiger's first win at Augusta?

The market for Masters memorabilia is big.

This four-day pass from 1997 is still much sought after at auction.

Why?

This.

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When Marco Silva became Hull head coach in January, the Tigers were six points behind Middlesbrough. His team are now four points ahead of them in the table and will go into this encounter in a more optimistic mood than their out-of-form opponents.

Boro didn't appear to be in trouble for most of the season, but their lack of goals and creativity has caught up with them in a big way.

They've now gone 12 games without a win and travel to face a team with renewed hope of survival, who have won four of their five Premier League home games since Silva's arrival.

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Super League clubs have backed a new structure to raise the salary cap from £1.825m to £2.1m by 2020.

The 12 teams will be able to spend £1.9m next year, £2m in 2019 and then £2.1m in 2020.

There has also been an agreement reached that clubs can have two marquee players - up from one - with exemptions for new or returning players as well as some under the age of 21.

The Rugby Football League board will vote on the proposals on Thursday.

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If ever there was a match where both managers were in the spotlight, then this is it.

While the footballing world waits for confirmation from Arsene Wenger on his future, Slaven Bilic has received  a public vote of confidence  from West Ham's owners on his.

Wenger has rightly alluded to the challenge he faces to maintain his record of always delivering a top-four finish for Arsenal.

The fact that they came from behind and  didn't lose to Manchester City  was important, but it remains to be seen if they have the mental strength in the remaining games.

They will hope to exploit West Ham's low confidence levels, as the Hammers look to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat.

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Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin says that he will defy the National Hockey League's block on players going to the Olympics.

 "I don't care, I just go," he said.

"Because it's my country," Ovechkin added. "I think everybody wants to play there. It's the biggest opportunity in your life to play in the Olympic Games." 

The owners of the NHL's 30 clubs are unhappy at having to halt the season for three weeks for the Games.  

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Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick says they will not give up on a top-four finish despite slipping off the Champions League qualification pace with successive draws against West Brom and Everton.

 "You can't give up on anything and results can go funny ways sometimes," he told MUTV. 

"We're obviously giving ourselves the tougher task, but we're not giving up." 

United can also qualify for next season's Champions League by winning this season's Europa League. They are in the last eight.

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Kyle Edmund believes his clay-court form is good enough to cause some upsets in Great Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final against France in Rouen.

The 22-year-old won both his singles rubbers against Serbia at the same stage in in last season's competition which was the last time he played on the surface. 

"I definitely played some good tennis there so there are lots of good memories," said the world number 47. 

Great Britain - who are without world number one Andy Murray - are underdogs against a French team that includes Jeremy Chardy and Lucas Pouille.

The first singles rubber is on Friday afternoon.

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Brian Musau: For me it has to be Jurgen Klopp, if he were to get a barca, real or united he would be flying. LFC will still win with him

Nadir Rouabhi: Eddie how has been impressive, completely changed Bournemouth! 

Adam Harris: Has to be simeone, has changed the whole dynamic of La Liga. Now a three horse race and they nearly won two Champions Leagues