Tag: Ancelotti

Michael Smith storms to a third consecutive nightly win with a 6-3 success against Gerwyn Price in Sheffield; P&J Live, Aberdeen will be the 16th of 17 individual venues on Thursday May 11 with the Play-Offs returning to The O2 in London on Thursday May 25

Michael Smith secured a hat-trick of Premier League Darts nightly wins by defeating Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price en route to more stunning success in Sheffield.

Price could have guaranteed top spot with victory in the Night 15 showpiece, but the St Helens star cut the Welshman’s lead at the summit to just three points after claiming the spoils in the Steel City.

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Smith ended Michael van Gerwen’s hopes in Sheffield with this sensational 130 checkout on the bullseye

Smith began his campaign with a 6-4 win over reigning champion Van Gerwen, converting a stunning 130 checkout on the bull to defeat the Dutchman for a second week in succession.

The world No 1 continued his charge to defeat Clayton in a repeat of last week’s decider, averaging almost 108 and sealing the deal with a superb 11-darter.

Smith then capped off a terrific night of action by claiming the £10,000 winner’s bonus, extending his winning Premier League run to nine matches in the process.

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Van Gerwen produced this brilliant 154 checkout against Smith

“Three in a row, it took me 15 weeks to win one night last year and now I’ve won four,” reflected Smith, who has leapfrogged Van Gerwen into second spot after his fourth nightly win overall. “I am still in with a chance of finishing top.

“Me and Gez spoke about it backstage before the match, if it’s me and him in the final next week he finishes top. Hopefully I can be top.

“I know you get nothing out of finishing top but it is the prestige. I have qualified last week and I could have just laid down and let anyone beat me. But I still need to go to The O2 playing well and winning.”

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Smith says he spoke to Gerwyn Price after their match and reminded the Welshman he can still finish in top spot

Price – who was victorious in Sheffield 12 months ago – retained top spot after storming through to his eighth nightly final of 2023 with 6-2 wins over Nathan Aspinall and Chris Dobey.

In the evening’s other quarter-finals, Clayton moved two points clear of Aspinall ahead of their decisive Night 16 showdown, courtesy of a battling 6-4 victory against Dimitri Van den Bergh.

The 2021 champion conjured up a spectacular 170 checkout midway through the tie, and registered his sixth ton-plus average of the campaign to see off the Belgian.

‘The Ferret’ is in a straight shootout with Aspinall for the final spot, with the pair going head-to-head in the quarter-final next week in Aberdeen.

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Jonny Clayton took out this brilliant 170 during his victory against Dimitri Van den Bergh

Victory will assure the Welshman another appearance at The O2 while even if Aspinall wins the quarter-final he also has to win his semi-final.

“It’s massive,” Clayton said. “All the pressure is on Nathan next week. He has to win, the ball is in my court because if I win I am through. I am going to try and relax and play my game.

“I was shaking like hell up there. It’s two points that are going to be massive.”

Meanwhile, Dobey cemented sixth spot in the table with an impressive 6-4 success against Peter Wright, crashing in six 180s and reeling off four straight legs from 4-2 down to advance.

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Peter Wright found this 126 checkout after Chris Dobey just missed out on a spectacular 170 finish

Where are we heading next?

The Premier League roadshow heads to P&J Live, Aberdeen on Thursday May 18 for Night 16 of the league phase.

League leader Price meets Wright in his quarter-final tie, knowing that a run to next Thursday’s final will see him top the table for the first time in his Premier League career.

Clayton and Aspinall meet in a huge encounter with fourth spot on the line.

Clayton would confirm his Play-Off qualification with victory, while Aspinall must progress to the Night 16 final to overhaul his Welsh rival, who will qualify via nights won if the pair finish level on points.

Smith will begin his bid for an unprecedented fourth straight nightly win against Van den Bergh, while Van Gerwen and Dobey also collide for a place in the semi-finals.

We’re back for more Premier League Darts action from the P&J Live, Aberdeen on Thursday May 18 – live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm.

Michael Smith claims his third nightly win of the Premier League season by defeating Jonny Clayton in Manchester The Utilita Arena, Sheffield hosts the 15th of 17 individual venues on Thursday, May 11 with the Play-Offs returning to The O2 in London on Thursday, May 25

Michael Smith wired a nine-dart attempt on his way to sensationally defeating Jonny Clayton in Manchester, cementing his position in the Premier League Darts top four.

World champion Smith saw off local hero Nathan Aspinall, reigning champion Michael van Gerwen and Welsh star Clayton to complete back-to-back Premier League night wins with a remarkable display.

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A look back at the best of the action from Night 13 of the Premier League in Manchester

After seeing off Aspinall 6-3 in their quarter-final, Smith then landed six doubles from 11 attempts to overcame Van Gerwen 6-4 in a repeat of January’s World Championship final.

He then raced to glory in the final to seal the £10,000 winner’s bonus, saving his best display of the night for the decider as he missed double 12 for a nine-darter and landed five 180s in a stunning performance.

Clayton took out 72 and 121 to establish a 2-1 lead early in the final, but ‘Bully Boy’ turned on the style in a stunning four-leg burst to take command.

He firstly missed double 12 for a nine-dart finish, taking leg four in 10 darts, before landing six perfect darts in the next as a 12-darter moved him ahead, before he took the next two – including a 100 checkout – to lead 5-2.

Clayton punished a missed match dart from Smith to hit back in the eighth leg, but Smith sealed his second successive nightly triumph in the next leg on double 13.

Smith ended the final with a season’s best average of 110.05, and crucially opened up a six-point buffer over Clayton and Aspinall in the league table.

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Smith beat Michael van Gerwen thanks to this 116 checkout

He said: “Beating Michael, I think I’ve beaten every player in the Premier League.

“I’m starting to come good, I won night three in Glasgow, struggled for seven or eight weeks just picking up the odd points.

“Now it’s starting to come good at the right time and the O2 is in three weeks and I’ll hopefully lift that title going into the Matchplay with the perfect run and the triple crown.

The 32-year-old added: “It’s twice now I’ve missed a double (for a nine-darter) in the last few weeks, but if I hit that I might have got involved with the crowd a little bit, not played as well so I’m glad I missed and a bit disappointed I
didn’t hit it, it happens but as long as I got the victory, that’s all that matters.

“It’ll happen again I know it will but for now I keep putting it on the wire, I’m not a million miles away but keep coming close.”

Clayton’s run to the final moved him back into the top four in the race for Play-Off spots, as he defeated Peter Wright and Chris Dobey.

Van Gerwen ended a run of five successive defeats against Gerwyn Price with a superb 6-2 win in a high-quality quarter-final, with both players averaging over 103 and the Dutchman landing six doubles from 10 attempts.

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Dobey hit a the big 170 finish against Clayton. It was his second ‘Big Fish’ of the Premier League Darts season!

Defeats in the quarter-finals for both Wright and Dimitri Van den Bergh saw their feint hopes of being able to qualify for the Play-Offs ended, as both relinquished a 2-0 lead before losing out to Clayton and Dobey respectively.

Despite landing a second 170 finish of the Premier League season Dobey also cannot now reach the Play-Offs in his debut season, sitting 10 points adrift of the top four with two league nights remaining, with Clayton and Aspinall certain to meet on Night 16 in Aberdeen.

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Nathan Aspinall received a brilliant homecoming from the Manchester crowd

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Peter Wright was unhappy with the movement of the camera but still manage to take out this 86 before telling the crowd what he thought!

Where are we heading next?

The Premier League roadshow heads to the Utilita Arena, Sheffield on Thursday, May 11 for Night 15 of the league phase.

Van Gerwen takes on Smith in another repeat of the World Championship final, while Price takes on Aspinall.

Dobey faces Wright and Clayton squares up to Van den Bergh.

We’re back for more Premier League Darts action from the Utilita Arena, Sheffield on Thursday, May 11 – live on Sky Sports Action & Sky Sports Main Event from 7pm.

Sports broadcaster Shebahn Aherne and Jason Burt from the Daily Telegraph both believe that Real Madrid is the best club for Jude Bellingham as the Spanish giants lead the race to sign him.

Speaking on Monday Night Football in 2017, Sam Allardyce discusses what it takes to stay in the Premier League and reveals his blueprint for survival.

Luis Diaz marks his return to Liverpool starting line-up with their second goal in just over five minutes against Tottenham.

Two-time world champion Peter Wright produced a great escape against Krzysztof
Ratajski in the Dutch Darts Championship, fighting back from 5-1 down to win 6-5; Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith also into last 16

Michael van Gerwen eased through to the last 16 on a thrilling day of second round action at the Dutch Darts Championship, as Michael Smith began his title defence in convincing fashion.

Day Two of the year’s sixth European Tour event saw 16 second-round ties played across two sessions on Saturday, with Dutch No 1 Van Gerwen headlining the action at the WTC Expo.

Van Gerwen was one of four Dutch stars to progress on home soil, with last year’s runner-up Danny Noppert, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Berry van Peer also winning through to Finals Day in Leeuwarden.

Three-time World Champion Van Gerwen began his bid for a record-extending 36th European Tour title with a 6-2 success against Gabriel Clemens, converting six of his nine attempts at double to advance.

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Speaking on Love The Darts, Michael van Gerwen says Gerwyn Price’s current form is at the wrong time of the year and that he is still the best player in the world

“This means a lot,” reflected an emotional Van Gerwen, who celebrated his victory on stage with his daughter Zoe. “I didn’t play well in Rotterdam, but I am pushing to perform better all the time.

“This is only the second time on the European Tour that my daughter is with me. She has had a good weekend and I won my game, and I’m glad I did. I love being back in Holland. I would love to be playing at my best, but I’m not done here, and I’d like to thank all the fans for their support.”

Local favourite Noppert delighted the partisan home crowd with a 6-1 demolition of Latvia’s Madars Razma, while Van Duijvenbode came through a remarkable deciding-leg clash against Dylan Slevin.

Van Duijvenbode took an almighty tumble on his walk-on and was in visible discomfort throughout the tie, only to conjure up a majestic 129 checkout in the decider to keep his title tilt alive.

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Speaking on Love The Darts, Mark Webster and Stuart Pyke discuss the strength of the sport in the Netherlands and believe Dirk van Duijvenbode is ready-made for the Premier League

Van Peer, meanwhile, dumped out last weekend’s Austrian Darts Open champion Jonny Clayton in a dramatic last-leg shoot-out, despite trailing 4-1 and 5-3 at one stage.

Elsewhere, Smith began his defence of the title by coming through a tough test against Jim Williams, crashing in six maximums and producing a trio of 12-darters to triumph with a three-figure average.

The World Champion will now take on Peter Wright in round three, after the Scot fought back from 5-1 down to stun Krzysztof Ratajski and create a showdown between the world’s top two.

Michael Smith is also through to the last 16

Top seed Luke Humphries averaged over 101 to close out a 6-3 success against European Champion Ross Smith, and his reward is a last 16 meeting with UK Open champion Andrew Gilding.

Gilding averaged over 108 to defeat 2018 champion Ian White in a 10-leg thriller, kicking off the contest with 149, 103 and 121 finishes, before fending off an inspired fightback from the Stoke-on-Trent star.

However, Ryan Searle produced the performance of the day in Leeuwarden, averaging 109 in his 6-1 demolition of Premier League star Dimitri Van den Bergh, who averaged over 105 in defeat.

Keane Barry awaits Searle in Sunday’s last 16, after the Irishman recorded a second straight win over Rob Cross, converting 125 and 140 checkouts in defying a 104 average from the sixth seed.

Austrian Darts Open runner-up Josh Rock was the first player to win through to Sunday’s last 16, dismissing a brace of 116 finishes from Graham Hall to wrap up a routine 6-2 victory.

Rock’s reward is a third-round date against second seed Dave Chisnall, who posted a ton-topping average and fired in four 180s to overcome a spirited Martin Lukeman.

Earlier in the day, Stephen Bunting edged out Joe Cullen in a topsy-turvy decider, surviving three match darts in the penultimate leg, having earlier surrendered a 4-1 advantage.

Nathan Aspinall, Damon Heta and Martin Schindler also booked their spots at Finals Day, running out 6-4 winners against Daryl Gurney, Steve Beaton and Roman Benecky respectively.

Watch Night 14 of the Premier League in Manchester, live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm on Thursday, May 4.

Sky Sports’ Paul Merson tells Soccer Saturday that, given the squad they have, Chelsea’s current run of form is the worst in the history of football.

Raymond van Barneveld is beaten by Dimitri Van den Bergh, while Gary Anderson suffers an upset loss to Roman Benecky; elsewhere, Steve Beaton defeats Kim Huybrechts and Daryl Gurney advances with win over Ricardo Pietreczko

Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson suffered defeats on the opening day of the Dutch Darts Championship in Leeuwarden on Friday.

Competing on home soil, Van Barneveld went down 6-3 to Premier League star Dimitri Van den Bergh, while Gary Anderson suffered a shock 6-2 loss to Czech youngster Roman Benecky on his first European Tour appearance in almost seven years.

Dutch legend Van Barneveld was unable to delight the partisan crowd at WTC Leeuwarden, as Van den Bergh posted a sublime 105.62 average to advance to round two.

“This win means a lot to me against one of the best players in the world,” said Van den Bergh, who will take on Ryan Searle in Saturday’s second round.

“He is the man who brought darts to life in the Netherlands, I have so much respect for him and I watched him play since I was a kid.

“To play him here isn’t easy; the ‘Barney Army’ were fantastic as always but I had a job to do tonight and I’m glad I did it.”

Roman Benecky celebrates his win over Gary Anderson (Jonas Hunold/PDC Europe)

Meanwhile, a disappointing display from Anderson saw him average just 87.66 as Benecky took full advantage to set up a second-round meeting with Martin Schindler.

The opening day of the year’s sixth European Tour event saw 16 first-round ties played across two sessions, with the winners progressing to face one of the 16 seeded players in Saturday’s second round.

A ruthless display from European Champion Ross Smith saw him post a ton-plus average in whitewashing Jermaine Wattimena on home soil.

Berry van Peer was the sole Dutch winner on the opening day, as he overcame Alan Soutar 6-2 in an impressive display.

Steve Beaton came through a high-quality affair with Kim Huybrechts, closing out a 6-4 victory to set up a clash against fourth seed Damon Heta.

Last weekend’s European Tour semi-finalist Daryl Gurney continued his resurgence as he averaged 101 and landed three ton-plus finishes in dispatching Ricardo Pietreczko 6-2.

A clinical display from Gabriel Clemens saw the German No 1 edge out Gian van Veen in a last-leg decider to set up a clash with Michael van Gerwen in round two.

Recent Players Championship event winner Krzysztof Ratajski defeated Andy Boulton 6-4 to set up a meeting with Peter Wright, while Irish youngster Dylan Slevin whitewashed Marcel Hausotter 6-0 to record his first European Tour win.

2018 Dutch Darts Championship winner Ian White ran out a 6-2 winner against Arron Monk, while Stephen Bunting whitewashed Adam Smith-Neale to move through to a second-round clash against Joe Cullen.

Madars Razma averaged 103 to defeat John O’Shea and claim his first European Tour win of 2023, while Graham Hall enjoyed a dream debut in Leeuwarden, whitewashing UK Open semi-finalist Adam Gawlas.

Elsewhere, Jim Williams averaged over 104 to complete a 6-1 success against George Killington, while Keane Barry and Martin Lukeman dumped out Marko Kantele and Martijn Dragt respectively.

Paul Merson reacts to Kevin De Bruyne’s ‘phenomenal’ goal to give Manchester City the lead against Arsenal.

Sir Mo Farah finishes ninth in his final London Marathon and reveals Great North Run in September will be last race of his career: “I want to give time to my wife and kids now, as well as getting involved in grassroots sport and giving back to this sport”

Sir Mo Farah will finish his athletics career with the Great North Run in September.

Four-time Olympic champion Farah revealed the news after finishing ninth in his final London Marathon on Sunday.

The 40-year-old plans to compete in the Great Manchester 10K in May before bowing out on September 10 at half-marathon distance.

Speaking to the BBC, Farah said: “The Great North Run is going to be my last-ever run and that will be my goodbye.

“Part of me was wanting to cry [after the London Marathon]. I will miss that feeling, I am emotional today. I want to pass that on.”

Farah won the 10,000 metres and 5,000 metres at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics

Farah won gold in the 10,000 metres and 5,000 metres at London 2012 before repeating the feat at the 2016 Oympics in Rio de Janeiro.

He added: “My career has been amazing, my wife and kids have been with me throughout this journey. I want to give time to them now, as well as getting involved in grassroots sport and giving back to this sport.”

On his London Marathon run of two hours, 10 minutes and 28 seconds – which was over five minutes off his personal best – Farah said: “Training went well and I was confident.

“I thought I could do between 2:05 and 2:07 but you never know with the marathon. I gave it my all but my body just wasn’t responding and that’s when you know when it’s time to call it a day.

“London has been so great to me over the years and I wanted to be here to say thank you to the crowd and the support was just amazing.

“I started here at the mini marathon and to finish here is just incredible. If somebody had said to that kid running the mini marathon that I’ll be Olympic champion, he would never have believed it.

“The sport needs this, we need to give back to the young athletes and teach them what is possible with hard work.”

Sky Sports News’ Gary Cotterill and Nick Wright give their full-time analysis of Chelsea’s 4-0 aggregate defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final, and ask: can anyone make these players gel together?