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Updated: 20:50 EST

Ashes 2017, 3rd Test LIVE: Australia vs England Day 4

A brutal third day in Perth has left England on the brink of a third straight Ashes defeat, with Steve Smith leading the way for Australia. The hosts' captain reached 229 not out on Saturday, giving them a lead of 146 with six first-innings wickets still intact. Australia will resume on 549-4, and look destined to seal victory and reclaim the Ashes with two Tests to spare. You can follow all the fourth-day action with Sportsmail's JAMES DUTTON, with PAUL NEWMAN and RICHARD GIBSON providing updates and session reports from Perth.

Manchester City mock United with 'park the bus' chant

Manchester City stars made a direct jibe at their fierce rivals United in the aftermath of their victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad, chanting about Jose Mourinho's side 'parking the bus.' Pep Guardiola's men continued their unbeaten run by putting Mauricio Pochettino's side to the sword and finishing the game 4-1 victors following a solid display.

Soon after the news first broke that he had failed a drugs test, Chris Froome spoke to the BBC. ‘This is not a positive test,’ he declared. His lectures in the aftermath have been embarrassing.

Manchester City and England winger Raheem Sterling was allegedly attacked and racially abused before the club's 4-1 victory over Tottenham on Saturday.

Lifelong Manchester City fan and Oasis' Noel Gallagher is delighted that his song 'Don't Look Back in Anger' sparked the Manchester derby brawl.

When Spain dominated international football, an outsider came along and threatened to blow the whole thing apart. His name was Jose Mourinho.

MANCHESTER 4-1 TOTTENHAM - ROB DRAPER AT THE ETIHAD: Now they have all tried and now they have all failed, those other five heavyweights of the Premier League.

Jurgen Klopp has admitted being put under pressure to sign Mohamed Salah by his scouting department after he initially feared the winger might be too skinny to succeed.

West Bromwich Albion are making a renewed bid to secure Jonny Evans on a new contract ahead of expected bids in the January window.

Jermain Defoe's bond with Bradley Lowery touched nation

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY OLIVER HOLT: When the shortlist of contenders for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award was announced last month, many were outraged that Jermain Defoe was not on it.  He deserved recognition, those campaigning on his behalf insisted, because of the heartbreakingly touching friendship and compassion he had shown to Bradley Lowery, a brave little boy who was dying of a rare form of cancer. Defoe did not join the chorus of resentment. He was grateful for what people were saying about him but that was as far as it went. 

The parents of the Sunderland fan, who died in July aged six, will be presented with the award on stage at Sunday night's ceremony in Liverpool. Lowery suffered from neuroblastoma.

EXCLUSIVE BY NICK HARRIS AND ROB DRAPER: Russia’s hosting of the 2018 World Cup and FIFA’s uncritical stance on the nation’s state doping scam have come under fresh fire.

With no deal in prospect between Mike Ashley and Amanda Staveley before the New Year, manager Rafa Benitez will be forced to rely on Ashley’s generosity in the January transfer window.

SAMI MOKBEL AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino axed Virgil van Dijk on Saturday — then opened the door for the Dutchman to leave next month.

Manchester City 4-1 Tottenham: SIX THINGS YOU MISSED

Manchester City comfortably beat Tottenham at the Etihad to extend their winning run to 16 games. Ilkay Gundogan, in for the injured David Silva, opened the scoring inside 15 minutes, before a powerful angled effort from Kevin De Bruyne and a double from Raheem Sterling wrapped up the points in the second half, before Christian Eriksen scored a late consolation for the visitors. Guardiola’s side now enjoy a 14 point lead at the top, having won 17 of their 18 games this season, with Tottenham dropping down to seventh, seven points away from a Champions League place.

Graham Poll claims Dele Alli should have been sent off

Former Premier League referee Graham Poll believes Dele Alli should have been sent off for a wild lunge on Kevin De Bruyne during Tottenham's defeat to Manchester City on Saturday. The Premier League leaders comfortably won 4-1 at the Etihad to extend their winning run to 16 games following goals from Ilkay Gundogan, De Bruyne and a Raheem Sterling brace.

Pep Guardiola called a wild tackle by Tottenham’s Dele Alli ‘dangerous’ as Manchester City made it 16 wins in a row with a 4-1 win over Spurs.

JOE BERNSTEIN AT THE ETIHAD STADIUM: Deflated Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says his 'poor' team deserved the 4-1 defeat at Premier League leaders Manchester City.

CHRIS WHEELER AT THE ETIHAD STADIUM: Leaders Manchester City powered to their 16th successive win in the Premier League with a 4-1 thrashing of Tottenham on Saturday.

JOE BERNSTEIN AT THE ETIHAD STADIUM: Kevin De Bruyne scored the goal of the game, won a penalty — which was missed — and tormented a sorry Spurs who had no answers.

JOE BERNSTEIN AT THE ETIHAD STADIUM: His poor form is symptomatic of a Tottenham team lacking form and goals. A third consecutive Premier League title challenge is not happening.

Real Madrid 1-0 Gremio: Cristiano Ronaldo nets free-kick

REAL MADRID 1-0 GREMIO - PETE JENSON: When he won his fifth Ballon d’Or, he said he was the best in history. Some of his critics laughed, but for trophies won and important goals scored Ronaldo continues to make his case. This was his seventh goal in a Club World Cup game equalling Pele’s haul in the competition’s predecessor the Intercontinental Cup. He continues to lead his team to silverware. Real Madrid's record in finals is also very special - last ten finals played, all won.

Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle: Mesut Ozil scores first-half volley

ARSENAL 1-0 NEWCASTLE - OLIVER HOLT AT THE EMIRATES: The beauty of a wonderful goal from Mesut Ozil gave way to the terror of mediocrity and more dropped points in North London on Saturday afternoon as Arsenal and Newcastle fought each other for the prize of who had the most to lose. An exhibition of elegance turned into an exercise in desperation. What once was pretty finished up ugly.

STOKE 0-3 WEST HAM - LAURIE WHITWELL AT THE BET365 STADIUM: An afternoon that began with questions asked about an electrician ended with deeper scrutiny on Stoke’s main sparky.

WATFORD 1-4 HUDDERSFIELD - OLIVER TODD AT VICARAGE ROAD: Huddersfield brought their Premier League away day woes to a thrilling end on Saturday afternoon.

BRIGHTON 0-0 BURNLEY - KIERAN GILL AT THE AMEX: A missed penalty, the post hit and a header cleared off the line – it simply will not go in for Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion as they drew against Burnley.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI AT THE EMIRATES: Around 40 minutes in, there was that same sorry sight, seen so often in these parts. Jack Wilshere was on his back, clutching some part of his left leg.

DANIEL MATTHEWS AT THE AMEX STADIUM: Burnley will have plenty more days like this. For all the wonders Sean Dyche has worked at Turf Moor, he will not be able to stop the occasional off-day.

Chelsea 1-0 Southampton: Alonso scores 4th goal this term

CHELSEA 1-0 SOUTHAMPTON - SAMI MOKBEL AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: Antonio Conte will wonder why this was all so tense. It really shouldn't have been. Marcos Alonso’s free-kick was enough to secure Chelsea a deserved win over Southampton. But this win should have been far more comprehensive. Indeed, had Charlie Austin taken just one of three late chances then Chelsea would have been left facing up to an almighty injustice.

Cookson was at pains to stress in a BBC documentary that he believed Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins should have their reputations 'reinstated' after a UK Anti-Doping investigation.

Manchester City scouts watched Augsburg left-back Philipp Max on Saturday. The 24-year-old has been the form player in the Bundesliga and has already broken the club record for the most assists.

From boxing sensation Anthony Joshua all the way through to European Speed Skating champion Elise Christie, the SPOTY Awards have scoured the nation for Britain's best and brightest.

The 25-year-old is valued at over £20million by the struggling French side and his sale will help alleviate their financial troubles. Soumaoro missed the start of the season with tendinitis.

Ashes 3rd Test Day 3: Smith has sit down, Stokes in crowd

England took just one solitary wicket on Saturday as they saw their hopes of retaining the Ashes take a hammering. Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh made the most of benign batting conditions to make hay and take Australia beyond the tourists' first innings total. Here Sportsmail take a look at some things you may have missed on day three...

Steve Smith double ton has England staring at Ashes defeat

PAUL NEWMAN AT THE WACA: This was brutal. This was torture. It was almost cruel. This was the day, surely, any hopes England possibly had of retaining the Ashes disappeared. By the close of a totally one-sided third day of the third Test they looked completely broken. Not only did England have no answer to the extraordinary figure of Steve Smith but, far more worryingly, they looked flat and bereft of all energy, ideas and imagination.

Who said romance is dead? Such is Steve Smith’s Boycottesque devotion to batting that he gets fiancee Dani Willis to help him with extra practice.

LAWRENCE BOOTH, WISDEN EDITOR: If England’s wheels came off on the third day at the WACA, then it’s tempting to argue that they were never on in the first place.

Steve Smith tormented England all day and then mocked Moeen Ali by talking up part-time bowler Dawid Malan. 'I think David Malan (right) was the pick of their spinners, to be honest,' he said.

MARTIN SAMUEL IN PERTH: On any unsuccessful Ashes tour there is always a day when it can be said the wheels came off for England.

Paul Farbrace refused to criticise England's bowlers despite seeing Steve Smith and Mitch Marsh pile on the runs for Australia on the third day of the third Test at the WACA.

Wasps fly-half Cipriani dismisses his party-boy reputation

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY NIK SIMON: The playboy image is shattered the moment Danny Cipriani opens his front door. There are no personalised pool tables, no mirrors on the ceiling and no other sure signs of a party boy prince. In fact, his two-bedroom flat, on a quiet residential street in Leamington Spa, feels more like student digs complete with mismatched furniture, anonymous beige carpet and inherited chandeliers. ‘People have their perceptions but how much do they actually know?’ says the 30-year-old.

Conor McGregor Christmas shopping in New York City

Most of us leave our Christmas shopping until the last minute, dashing out amid a frenzy of fellow latecomers to pick out a selection of gifts. When you're Conor McGregor however, you do things a little differently. It's not a case of popping out to the local high street for 'the Notorious'... instead it's a flight over to New York City.

Brighton will force themselves to the front of the queue in the race for Moussa Dembele this week with the promise of regular English top-flight football.

Can's contract will expire next summer, and with negotiations over a new deal having stalled last month, he is free to negotiate a deal to move abroad at the conclusion of his time in Merseyside.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane challenged his side to achieve even more this season after retaining their FIFA Club World Cup title with a 1-0 win over Brazilian side Gremio.

Alan Green issued an on-air apology amid accusations of sexism after a joke he made about Jamie Vardy's wife, Rebekah, during Leicester's Premier League match with Crystal Palace.

ADAM CRAFTON AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: Willian would appear to be a manager's dream. He is technically sharp and fiercely diligent, the real-life incarnation of the Duracell bunny.

Peter Wright's warpaint gives him strength and confidence

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY KIERAN GILL: Peter Wright switches on some daytime TV inside his hotel room, sits at the desk and surveys the suitcase full of cosmetics scattered in front of him. The warrior is ready for his warpaint. This time, his wife, Jo, is treating him to a Christmas theme ahead of the World Championship in London, with a bauble, a mistletoe and a pair of lips on one side of Peter's head.

Sunderland 1-0 Fulham: Maja strike avoids record

CRAIG HOPE AT THE STADIUM OF LIGHT: One day shy of a full year without victory at the Stadium of Light, it took a teenage debutant to break Sunderland's unwanted British record. Josh Maja has spent the past 12 months playing for the club's Under 23 side as his senior colleagues toiled on home soil.

JANINE SELF AT PRIDE PARK: There are give-away goals and then there is the gift-wrapped, ribbon and bow present delivered to Derby striker Andreas Weimann on Saturday.

Bristol City maintained their place at the top end of the Championship with a tight victory over Nottingham Forest. Two first-half goals were enough to hold off a comeback by the visitors.

Cardiff kept the pressure on Championship leaders Wolves with a 1-0 victory over Hull. Sol Bamba scored the only goal for Neil Warnock's high-flying side.

Inconsistent Middlesbrough were beaten 2-1 at Millwall to raise more questions about the performances of Garry Monk's side. Leeds also saw off Norwich 1-0 at Elland Road.

LEAGUE ONE ROUND-UP: Wigan consolidated their place at the top of Sky Bet League One with a 4-0 win at struggling AFC Wimbledon, who finished with 10 men.

Luton Town extended their lead at the top of League Two with a 2-0 win against struggling Forest Green while Notts County slipped up at Grimsby.

Stuttgart 0-1 Bayern Munich: Muller scores late winner

Sven Ulreich saved Chadrac Akolo's 95th-minute penalty as Bayern Munich ground out a hard-fought 1-0 win at Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Ulreich got down to hold Akolo's weak spot-kick, awarded by the Video Assistant Referee for Niklas Sule's foul on Santiago Ascacibar. It proved the final act of the match. Second-half substitute Thomas Muller got Bayern's winner against stubborn opponents, firing a snapshot inside the near post in the 79th minute after being picked out by Kingsley Coman.

Anderson beats qualifier Smith at World Darts Championship

Gary Anderson eased into the second round of the William Hill World Darts Championship after beating qualifier Jeff Smith 3-0 at Alexandra Palace. The Flying Scotsman, who was a losing finalist to most recent winner and this year's favourite Michael van Gerwen, raced to victory in the first set before taking the second with a stunning 131.93 average. The third set went with the throw until Anderson claimed a break in the third game to throw for the match before surviving a huge let-off to win with double three.

RORY KEANE AT THE REC: Bath seized control of Pool 5 with a hard-fought victory over French giants Toulon thanks to a stunning first-half brace from Anthony Watson.

Leinster were given a helping hand by French referee Pascal Gauzere as they came from behind to overcome Exeter and move a step closer to the European Champions Cup quarter-finals.

Leicester No 10 George Ford believes the return of ‘world class’ Manu Tuilagi can reverse the club’s European fortunes.

Jamie George insists Saracens hold no fear of the Stade Marcel Michelin as they look to end a run of six defeats against Clermont.

PSG players deal with Ninja Turtles pitch invaders

A pair of PSG fans dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles staged a pitch invasion to join forces with Kylian Mbappe - who team-mates jokingly insists is a look-a-like of the superheroes.  The Ligue 1 fixture between Paris Saint-Germain and Rennes was evenly balanced at 2-1 before forward Edinson Cavani scored to give PSG a 3-1 lead.  The goal prompted two supporters wearing the garb of the fictional teenage anthropomorphic turtles who were named after Renaissance Italian artists to run onto the pitch at Roazhon Park. 

Rennes 1-4 PSG: Neymar, Mbappe and Cavani all score

RENNES 1-4 PSG: The world's two most expensive footballers both scored as Paris Saint-Germain restored their nine-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 with a 4-1 win at Rennes on Saturday. Brazil forward Neymar scored twice and turned provider for Kylian Mbappe and striker Edinson Cavani, while Mbappe set up both of Neymar's goals. Neymar put PSG ahead in the fourth minute, turning in Mbappe's cross from the right. Roles were reversed when teenage star Mbappe then netted from Neymar's cross in the 17th.

Everton striker and England under-20s World Cup hero Dominic Calvert-Lewin has revealed how a loan spell at non-league Stalybridge Celtic helped toughen him up for the big time.

West Ham will be free to bring Reece Oxford back from Borussia Monchengladbach in January because the teenager has not played enough in Germany.

Adam Peaty claimed his first major short-course title with gold in the 100 metres breaststroke at the European Championships in Copenhagen.

Real Madrid 1-0 Gremio: SIX THINGS YOU MISSED 

Real Madrid eased to their third Club World Cup victory with a slender 1-0 victory against Gremio in the final. A second half free-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo was enough to give Zinedine Zidane’s side their fifth trophy of 2017, adding to triumphs in La Liga, Champions League, Spanish Super Cup and the European Super Cup. Here, Sportsmail brings you a roundup of all the things you may have missed from the clash at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

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Leicester 0-3 Crystal Palace:

MIKE KEEGAN AT THE KING POWER STADIUM: When Christian Benteke hit the back of the net in a pre-match shooting drill, the cheers from the Palace fans were ironic. When he repeated the trick on 19 minutes, powerfully heading Andros Townsend’s cross past a wrong-footed Kasper Schmiechel, they were not. Scoreless Benteke, who last weekend made matters worse when he defied orders to take and miss a last-minute penalty that would have given Roy Hodgson’s Eagles three points instead of one, had done it for real. 

Leicester 0-3 Crystal Palace: SIX THINGS YOU MISSED

Roy Hodgson's side have now won three of their last six games and are unbeaten in their last eight. Leicester, meanwhile, saw their impressive start to life under Claude Puel hit a snag after an impressive 4-1 victory away to Southampton in midweek, with only Man City (21) and Burnley (18) having taken more points than the Foxes (17) prior to kick off since the Frenchman was appointed. Here, Sportsmail brings you a round-up of all the things you may have missed from the King Power stadium.

Rangers' rejuvenation under caretaker boss Graeme Murty came to an abrupt halt with a 3-1 defeat by St Johnstone at Ibrox. They went into the game on the back of four successive league wins.

Napoli took full advantage of Inter Milan's first defeat of the Serie A season to take over at the top. Udinese called time on Inter's 16-match unbeaten run with an unexpected win at the San Siro.

When first assessing the merits of a prospective signing target, Brendan Rodgers is much like anyone else. His eye is attracted to the skill, speed and strength of a footballer.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho also declared himself ready to grasp the chance to make important signings in the January transfer window.

Mark Hughes admitted some Stoke fans' unrest at their latest defeat was 'understandable' as the pressure mounted on him following a 3-0 loss to West Ham. The heat has been cranked up on him.

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson believes Christian Benteke gave the perfect response to last weekend's penalty blunder in Saturday's Premier League victory at Leicester.

Frank Lampard returns to old stomping ground for kickabout

As temperatures dipped in and around the zero mark on a bitter Friday afternoon, Frank Lampard was seen donning some shorts and a pair of football boots at his old stomping ground in East London. The Chelsea legend returned to the set of training pitches he used to play on before turning professional, as he was seen having a kickabout with a friend who was given the perilous task stopping 'Super Frank' from scoring. The 39-year-old was filmed taking shots at the bearded keeper, who managed to deny Lampard on more than one occasion, to the disbelief of the former Manchester City midfielder.

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos launches personalised boot

Ramos, who will wear pair No 4 of the special edition 4,000 released this weekend, joins the likes of Ronaldinho, Francesco Totti and Andrea Pirlo in receiving his own player-edition Tiempo boots. Dubbed 'Corazon y Sangre,' which translates as heart and blood, the boots pay homage to the Spanish footballer's values and roots.

Portugal Under-20 international Domingos Quina is viewed as one of the most exciting young prospects in the Premier League but he will find it difficult to enjoy regular football this season.

Arsenal are gearing up for one of the biggest squad overhauls in Arsene Wenger’s 21-year reign. The Gunners have already started planning what will almost certainly be a busy summer.

Ronaldo's commercial pull means Perez will not let his star leave on the cheap but Perez would demand the player buy his way out of his contract should he want to force an exit.

Frankie Bunn, who had been at Huddersfield in 2012, was told the news on Wednesday, with first team-manager David Wagner becoming an increasingly influential figure.

Michael Emenalo quit his role as sporting director at Stamford Bridge back in November, citing family reasons for his sudden resignation before he joined Ligue 1 outfit Monaco.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho - who holds an interest in Arsenal's Mesut Ozil and Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann - revealed he will do business if the right deal becomes available.

Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome's spat goes back a way

MATT LAWTON - CHIEF SPORTS REPORTER: Unless Disney are planning yet another remake of The Jungle Book, with Chris Froome cast as the villainous Kaa, the prospective new owners of Team Sky are unlikely to welcome the latest spat between their two most successful riders. Froome and Sir Bradley Wiggins have long been the best of enemies, with their often public disputes normally involving their wives and a trading of blows on social media. But nothing has come close to the vitriol expressed in one particular Facebook post this week, when Mrs Wiggins referred to Froome as a ‘slithering reptile’.

Jonnie Peacock: I am still an athlete, not a celebrity

EXCLUSIVE BY RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: It was on a train to London in October that Jonnie Peacock realised he was getting a little more attention than usual. He had just started out on Strictly Come Dancing and was heading for another eight-hour practice session when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye.

Happily, this is not another tale of high jinks from England's touring party Down Under, but the scene that followed the England women's side winning the World Cup this summer.

Ulster stayed in the race for European Champions Cup qualification by delivering a six-try thumping of Harlequins.

Konta was one of the last players to face Williams before her sabbatical to have her first child – and it serves as a reminder that the great American cannot be written off for next month’s Australian Open.

Former Great Britain cyclist Sharon Laws has died aged 43 following a battle with cancer. Laws was a professional racer for almost a decade, helping Nicole Cooke to Olympic gold in 2008.

Bath have launched a bid to sign Wales captain Alun-Wyn Jones at the end of the season. The Lions lock, 32, will be a free agent when his National Dual Contract expires in the summer.

Former UCI president Pat McQuaid has called Chris Froome's adverse drugs test "a disaster" for cycling and claimed Team Sky could lose all credibility as a result.

Tragedy marred Cheltenham's final meeting of the year when David Pipe-trained Starchitect suffered a fatal injury when seemingly bound for victory in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.

Sam Twiston-Davies will make an unexpected return to partner The New One in his attempt to win the £130,000 Unibet International Hurdle at Cheltenham for an unprecedented fourth time.

Slaven Bilic 'I'm not a broken man. I'm ready to go again'

It’s 11am on Thursday and a familiar face enters the Four Seasons hotel near his home in Tower Hill, London. Clean-shaven and carefree, scarf neatly tucked over a dark top, Slaven Bilic picks a table by the grand piano in the lounge, orders a cappuccino and beds in for a long chat. His next appointment isn’t until 4pm, when he has to collect his daughter Sofi from nursery. ‘It is good and necessary to rest,’ he says, almost six weeks after being sacked by West Ham.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: The broadcasters had replayed the footage more than a dozen times and, still, nobody was sure. They had even checked, Hot Spot and Snicko.

On Wednesday night against West Ham, there was a rather rare sight – Arsenal were chasing a win they desperately needed and so Alexis Sanchez was hooked. For some, it was overdue.

It's Hot or Not time again as Sportsmail's RIATH AL-SAMARRAI reveals what's been making him feel warm and what's been leaving him cold in the world of sport this week...