Sports

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — A first-half own goal has handed Aston Villa a 1-0 victory and kept Crystal Palace winless in 2023 in the English Premier League. Center back Joachim Andersen redirected a Matty Cash cross into his own net in the 27th minute in a clash of mid-table clubs at Villa Park. Wilfried Zaha

SIENA, Italy (AP) — Tom Pidcock has soloed to a dominant victory to become the first British rider to win the Strade Bianche. Pidcock’s lead was whittled away on the last of the 11 sections of white gravel roads. Then the Olympic mountain bike champion used astonishing descending skills to extend it again in the

LONDON (AP) — Big-spending Chelsea pulled out a big win to ease some of the pressure on manager Graham Potter by beating Leeds 1-0 in the English Premier League thanks to a rare goal by one of the club’s most expensive signings. Wesley Fofana headed in from a corner in the 53rd minute for the

By CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer Marius Bülter has scored late for Schalke to win at Bochum 2-0 and leave the bottom of the Bundesliga. Bülter sealed the visitors’ win in the 79th minute following an own goal from Bochum goalkeeper Manuel Riemann in the 45th. It’s Schalke’s second consecutive win in a six-game unbeaten run.

By NICOLAS GARRIGA and BARBARA SURK Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Organizers of next year’s Paris Olympics promised relatively modest prices and egalitarian access to events, thanks to an online system meant to revolutionize ticket sales and bring the masses to stadiums and arenas for as little as $26. As the month-long opening round of

The Associated Press MLS Leaders Through Monday, February 27

SAKHIR World champion Max Verstappen has taken pole position ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Perez beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to place second. Perez was .138 seconds behind Verstappen under the floodlights at the desert track in Sakhir. Leclerc starts on the second row alongside Ferrari teammate Carlos

By FAZAL TAWAB Associated Press QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani national soccer team player who died in a migrant shipwreck off of Italy’s southern coast embarked on the voyage to find medical treatment for her disabled 3-year-old son, her sister and a friend said Saturday. Hospitals had told her that help overseas could be

By MARK THIESSEN Associated Press ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Iditarod, the world’s most famous sled dog race, starts Saturday with a fan-friendly ceremonial run through the streets of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. The real race starts Sunday in Willow, about 70 miles north of Anchorage. Brent Sass is the defending champion and the odds-on

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer The 100-minute matches that became routine at the World Cup in Qatar are set to become routine in club soccer. FIFA’s rule-making panel known as IFAB met Saturday. It stresses the need for accurate calculation of time added on for stoppages in play because of injuries, substitutions, time-wasting and

The Associated Press (All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Sunday, March 5 AUTO RACING 9:55 a.m. ESPN — Formula 1: The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain 11 a.m. FS1 — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas (Taped) 12:30 p.m. NBC — NTT IndyCar

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Left-handed reliever Will Smith agreed to a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the Texas Rangers and will report to spring training. The 33-year-old was 0-3 with a 3.97 ERA and five saves in 65 relief appearances last year for Atlanta and Houston, which acquired him on Aug. 2 for current Ranger

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City passed a huge test of its Premier League title credentials by beating Newcastle 2-0 as a couple of big calls by Pep Guardiola paid off in a match between the wealthiest teams in English soccer. Phil Foden was handed a start over Riyad Mahrez on the right wing and

PARIS (AP) — In a story published March 3, 2023, about a rape investigation involving Paris Saint-German player Achraf Hakimi, The Associated Press referred to Hakimi being indicted. A more accurate explanation of the action he faced under French law is that he was given preliminary charges. In the French legal system, this step means

KVITFJELL, Norway (AP) — American skier Mikaela Shiffrin finished tied for fifth in a World Cup downhill and had her quest for a record-tying 86th career victory extended by at least another day. The race was won by home favorite Kajsa Vickhoff Lie. The result was enough for Shiffrin to lock up her fifth overall