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Agencies

Leicester City’s bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League hit a historic low on Friday, while Brentford set a new club record in a 4-0 win at the King Power Stadium.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side would have moved out of the relegation zone with a victory, but instead they remain two points from safety.
Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard all scored for Brentford – who won a fourth consecutive away match for the first time in the top-flight – in a wretched first half for second-bottom Leicester.
Fabio Carvalho netted in the closing stages and the Foxes were booed off after a 10th defeat in their past 11 league games that added to the pressure on the under-fire Van Nistelrooy.
Underlining the depth of their struggles, Leicester made unwanted history as the first team in the English top-flight to lose six successive home games without scoring in any of them.
And with 59 goals conceded, Leicester now boast the worst defensive record in the league.
“You have to acknowledge it’s a huge step back. There was hope after recent performances, the beginning of the game was hopeful with three chances,” Van Nistelrooy said.
“After the bright start we were never in the game again and at half-time the game was done. Everyone is going home gutted with the loss and disappointed with the levels we showed.”

Parker weighs in, Bakole flies in
Joseph Parker came to Saudi Arabia to try to win the IBF heavyweight title from Daniel Dubois.
Instead, Parker has turned his attention to Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole after Dubois withdrew from Saturday’s fight after falling ill.
A last-minute replacement, Bakole missed Friday’s weigh-in because he was still en route to Riyadh from Kinshasa in Congo. Parker tipped the scales at 267lbs (121kg).
“To Daniel Dubois, I hope he gets better soon,” Parker said. “To Martin Bakole, thank you for taking this fight on short notice. I’m looking forward to being in a ring with him tomorrow and going to work.”
Draper into Qatar final
Jack Draper produced another gutsy display to down Jiri Lehecka in three sets at the Qatar Open and reach the fifth ATP Tour final of his career.
The world No 6 will face Andrey Rublev in the final after the Russian booked his place with a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6, win over Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday.
Fifth seed Rublev has triumphed in all three of his meetings with Draper.
Lehecka had stunned Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals in Doha and looked on course to claim another scalp when he won the first set.
Draper required a tiebreak to get the match back on level terms before he showed his class in the decider to take victory by a 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 score.
Track set back
An act of sabotage has hit the controversial ice track in Cortina d’Ampezzo just a year before the 2026 Winter Olympics there, the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure said on Friday.
Simico, the agency in charge of building the infrastructure for the Games, said in a statement a refrigeration pipe was removed from the venue.
The pipe blocked a road, and “created considerable disruptions on the construction site, ahead of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) visit scheduled on March 4,” the statement added.
Despite opposition from the IOC, which wanted to use an existing bob, skeleton and luge track in Switzerland, Austria or Germany, a new course is being built in Cortina for the Olympics from February 6 to 22.


Chelsea beat Tottenham, Barcelona receive boost, tennis elite’s grand slam appeal

Liverpool win derby, Mourinho the nose pincher, Clasico cup final, Raducanu withdraws

Arsenal win, Man United lose while Real Madrid keep treble hopes alive in epic thriller

England’s routine World Cup qualifying win, Osaka out, Raducanu through in Miami

While you were sleeping

Woeful Leicester hit historic low, Parker weighs in alone, Olympics venue sabotaged

Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss largely sums up the feelings of the club’s fans after his side’s loss. Photo: Reuters

Joseph Parker had to weigh in alone in Riyadh. Photo: Reuters

Champions League last 16 draw: Liverpool v PSG, Real Madrid v Atletico in pick of ties

Former Brazil footballer Giovane Elber draws Liverpool out of the pot. Photo: Reuters

Australia great Steve Waugh queries Champions Trophy relevance, before Ashes rivals clash

Steve Waugh in conversation during the Laureus Sport for Good Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum. Photo: Laureus

Australia’s Adam Zampa is bowled during the second and final ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Photo: AFP

Sport

Football

A 4-0 defeat at home to Brentford piles pressure on relegation-threatened Foxes boss Ruud van Nistelrooy


A 4-0 defeat at home to Brentford piles pressure on relegation-threatened Foxes boss Ruud van Nistelrooy.


English Premier League