Erling Haaland’s record-equalling brace helped Manchester City shut the hole on Premier League leaders Arsenal. Aston Villa and Brighton boosted their possibilities of enjoying European soccer subsequent season with wins over Newcastle United and Chelsea respectively.

Holger Rune mounted an excellent comeback win over Jannik Sinner to arrange a title showdown towards Andre Rublev in Monte Carlo.

The USA, France, Czech Republic, Spain, Kazakhstan, Germany and Italy progressed to the finals of the Billie Jean King Cup on Saturday.

Skipper Babar Azam’s ton and Haris Rauf’s four-wicket haul helped Pakistan notch a snug win within the second T20I towards New Zealand.

Here’s a take a look at the important thing tales from worldwide sporting occasions via the day for 16 April, 2023:

City shut hole on leaders Arsenal

Erling Haaland equalled the Premier League report for objectives in a 38-game season on Saturday as Manchester City closed the hole on leaders Arsenal to simply three factors after a day of drama within the top-four race.

The Norway ahead netted twice within the first half of City’s 3-1 win over relegation-threatened Leicester to succeed in 32 objectives – the identical as Liverpool ahead Mohamed Salah’s tally in 2017/18.

John Stones opened the scoring on the Etihad Stadium earlier than a objective from the penalty spot and a intelligent dinked end from Haaland.

Pep Guardiola substituted the 22-year-old at half-time, denying him the possibility to search out the general single-season report of 34 objectives within the Premier League period – set within the days of 42 video games per facet.

Leicester, with Dean Smith in cost for the primary time, pulled a objective again within the second half via Kelechi Iheanacho however they slumped to a fourth straight defeat and stay second from backside of the desk.

City, chasing a fifth Premier League title in six years, are on 70 factors, three behind Arsenal with eight video games to go – the Gunners play West Ham on Sunday.

The two groups meet on the Etihad on April 26 in a possible title-decider – City’s subsequent league fixture.

Aston Villa put themselves within the combine for a top-four end by beating Newcastle 3-0 for a fifth straight league win as Tottenham additionally misplaced.

Villa are nonetheless six factors off the highest 4, however are in red-hot kind after a seventh win in eight video games.

Ollie Watkins, who has now scored 11 objectives in 12 matches, netted twice after Jacob Ramsey had fired Unai Emery’s males into an early lead.

With Manchester United not in motion till Sunday, at Nottingham Forest, Tottenham had the possibility to maneuver into the highest 4 however blew it as Bournemouth took a probably decisive step in the direction of survival with a 3-2 win.

Son Heung-min fired Spurs into an early lead, however the Cherries hit again with objectives from Matias Vina and Dominic Solanke.

Substitute Arnaut Danjuma seemed to have salvaged a degree for Spurs when he scored towards his previous membership two minutes from time however Dango Ouattara curled house within the ninety fifth minute to raise Bournemouth six factors away from the relegation zone.

Brighton boosted their possibilities of European soccer with a 2-1 win at Chelsea to extend Frank Lampard’s watch for a primary victory since returning to Stamford Bridge as interim supervisor.

Conor Gallagher opened the scoring for Chelsea however Danny Welbeck got here off the bench to equalise simply earlier than half-time and Paraguayan teenager Julio Enciso gained the sport in spectacular fashion.

Crystal Palace and Wolves edged in the direction of security nevertheless it was a horrible day for Everton, who misplaced 3-1 at house to Fulham.

Bottom facet Southampton look more and more prone to be relegated after Eberechi Eze scored twice for Palace in a 2-0 win at St Mary’s to clinch a 3rd consecutive victory for the Eagles since Roy Hodgson returned as supervisor.

Wolves are seven factors away from the drop zone after they beat Brentford 2-0 because of objectives from Diego Costa and Hwang Hee-chan.

Everton stay exterior the relegation zone solely on objective distinction after they have been sunk by objectives from Fulham’s Harrison Reed, Harry Wilson and Dan James.

Rune units up Monte Carlo Masters remaining towards Rublev

Danish teenager Holger Rune edged an exhilarating conflict with fellow rising star Jannik Sinner on Saturday to arrange a Monte Carlo Masters remaining towards Andrey Rublev.

The 19-year-old claimed a 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 win beneath floodlights after a rain-affected day within the principality.

Russian fifth seed Rublev noticed off Taylor Fritz 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 within the first semi-final.

Rune continued his meteoric rise within the sport with one other assertion victory, having climbed into the world’s high 10 this season after a breakthrough 2022 which he capped off with the Paris Masters title, beating Novak Djokovic within the remaining.

Sinner dominated the opening set however was 3-0 down within the second when the gamers have been pressured off by the inclement climate.

Rune misplaced that benefit after the resumption however continued to place strain on the Sinner serve and levelled the match within the twelfth recreation on his fourth set level.

World quantity 9 Rune noticed 5 break factors come and go within the third set because it stayed on serve for 11 video games.

But he made the decisive transfer and secured a spot in his second Masters remaining on his first match level as Sinner dumped a forehand into the web.

Earlier, Rublev additionally battled again from a set right down to beat big-serving American Fritz and attain his second Monte Carlo remaining.

The 25-year-old is bidding to go one higher than in 2021 when he misplaced the ultimate to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Fritz continues to be ready to succeed in his first ATP remaining on clay regardless of a superb week.

Both gamers struggled on serve in an extended opening set, however eighth seed Fritz grabbed the lead with a break within the twelfth recreation.

Rublev raced via the second set to power a decider, which was halted by an extended rain delay with the world quantity six 3-2 forward on serve.

Rublev additional upped his stage following the restart with a right away break.

He noticed three match factors move him by within the eighth recreation however wrapped it up with a maintain to like.

Rublev will probably be enjoying in his second remaining of the season, after shedding to Daniil Medvedev in Rotterdam in March.

Results from the ATP Monte Carlo Masters on Saturday (x denotes seeding; gamers representing Russia and Belarus are banned from competing beneath the identify or flag of their nations):

Semi-finals

Holger Rune (DEN x6) bt Jannik Sinner (ITA x7) 1-6, 7-5, 7-5

Andrey Rublev (x5) bt Taylor Fritz (USA x8) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

USA, France via to BJK Cup Finals

Jessica Pegula sealed victory for the United States over Austria on Saturday because the report 18-time champions secured their place within the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

World quantity three Pegula made fast work of Julia Grabher, profitable 6-1, 6-3, to offer the closely favoured Americans an unassailable 3-0 lead over Austria of their tie in Delray Beach, Florida.

The Czech Republic noticed off Ukraine 3-1, with Marketa Vondrousova incomes the profitable level towards Katarina Zavatska 6-3, 6-4, after former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova misplaced 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to Thirty eighth-ranked Marta Kostyuk.

World quantity 5 Caroline Garcia despatched France via with a 6-1, 6-7 (10/12), 6-1 win over Britain’s Harriet Dart in Coventry.

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina beat Poland’s Magda Linette to wrap up victory for Kazakhstan.

Nuria Parrizas Diaz secured Spain’s win over Mexico on clay in Marbella, breezing previous 196th-ranked Marcela Zacarias 6-3, 6-0.

In Stuttgart, Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam made up for shedding the hosts’ opening rubber by clinching the profitable level with a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of Brazil’s Laura Pigossi.

Italy acquired the higher of Slovakia 3-2 as Martina Trevisan and Elisabetta Cocciaretto beat Viktoria Hruncakova and Tereza Mihalikova 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 within the deciding doubles.

Bad climate interrupted Slovenia’s comeback bid towards Romania with the groups stage at 3-3 within the first set of the decisive doubles rubber.

Slovenia trailed 2-0 at house in Koper after Friday’s motion however fought again as Tamara Zidansek and Kaja Juvan each gained their matches.

Defending champions Switzerland and 2022 runners-up Australia acquired automated qualification to the November 7-12 finals, which is able to function 4 teams of three.

Azam, Rauf lead Pakistan to win

Skipper Babar Azam smashed a powerful century whereas tempo bowler Haris Rauf took 4 wickets as Pakistan beat New Zealand by 38 runs within the second T20 worldwide in Lahore on Saturday.

Azam, who fell for simply 9 in his one hundredth T20I on Friday, compensated with a brisk 58-ball 101 not out to raise Pakistan to a strong 192-4 of their 20 overs.

Rauf, who took a profession finest 4-18 in Pakistan’s 88-run win within the sequence opener, completed with 4-27 to limit New Zealand to 154-7.

Pakistan now lead the five-match sequence 2-0 with the final three matches in Lahore (April 17) and Rawalpindi (April 20 and 24).

“I am very happy to perform in this match,” mentioned Azam, who’s now the joint most profitable T20I captain with 42 wins, alongside England’s Eoin Morgan and Afghanistan’s Asghar Afghan.

“I had two good partnerships and then our bowling was once again excellent. We have got experienced and exciting young bowlers who gave us back-to-back wins.”

Mark Chapman scored a battling 65 not out for New Zealand that includes 4 fours and as many sixes, however misplaced companions at common intervals after the vacationers made an honest begin.

Chad Bowes (26) and skipper Tom Latham (19) placed on 44 for the primary wicket in 6.2 overs, however because the asking price soared New Zealand’s chase misplaced steam.

“We have been there or thereabouts but weren’t able to finish the innings off, both with the ball and bat,” mentioned Latham.

“When Babar plays like that, you tip your hat off.”

Only Chris Gayle of the West Indies has hit extra a whole bunch within the format with 22, whereas India’s Rohit Sharma leads the T20I chart with 4 tons.

With textual content inputs from AFP

Updated via the day