Gordon Macrae

Pakistan v England: There was a period, as the heavy Abu Dhabi sun danced shadows across the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, when the balance of this tightly-contested match looked likely to swing in England's favour. But the loss of three key wickets for just nine runs at the end of the evening session left the outcome of the second Test evenly balanced, with England 50 runs behind and five wickets remaining.

Manchester City defender Micah Richards has derided referee Phil Dowd's decision to award Liverpool a penalty in his side's Carling Cup semi-final loss at Anfield on Wednesday night.

AC Milan are set to make a final decision over their pursuit of Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, according to club vice-president Adriano Galliani.

Steven Gerrard has lauded Craig Bellamy's impact since he joined Liverpool in the summer, after the Welshman fired the club into the Carling Cup final on Wednesday night.

Sao Paulo have rejected a £29m bid for highly-rated Brazilian midfielder Lucas Rodrigues Moura da Silva.

A litany of missed chances marred England's progress in an otherwise impressive display by the tourists on a cool, windswept opening day of the second Test in Abu Dhabi.

Pepe Reina has backed Liverpool to end their 22-wait for a league title but cautioned it could be "two or three more years" before the club is in a position to challenge for major honours.

Gareth Barry has revealed he came close to signing for Liverpool but was ultimately dissuaded after hearing abusive chants from the Anfield crowd.

Gerrard's penalty in the first leg means Liverpool carry a slender advantage into tonight's match-up and the midfielder believes the Reds' experience in two-legged contests in recent years could prove crucial against the Premier League leaders.

Mario Balotelli's agent has lambasted Howard Webb and the Football Association after the Manchester City striker was charged with violent conduct.

Rafael Nadal will play Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Australian Open after the pair came through wildly contrasting matches in the last eight.

Chris Tremlett is expected to miss the second Test against Pakistan which starts in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday after suffering a recurrence of a long-standing back injury.

Robin van Persie has launched a staunch defence of manager Arsene Wenger following Sunday's defeat to Manchester United.

Wojciech Szczesny and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have backed Arsenal to qualify for the Champions League, despite the club's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at the weekend.

AC Milan are set to beat Fulham in the race to sign Catania striker Maxi Lopez but only if they fail to agree terms with Manchester City's Carlos Tevez.

Alastair Cook has backed England to bounce back from their chastening defeat in the first Test against Pakistan with victory at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Andy Murray cruised into the Australian Open quarter-finals for a third consecutive year after his opens, Mikhail Kukushkin, was forced to retire through injury while 6-1 6-1 1-0 down.

Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has praised the impact Paul Scholes has had throughout his career and revealed the Manchester United veteran was the one name that intimidated his 'Invincibles' side.

Inter Milan defender Lucio has urged the Serie A club to sign Sao Paulo midfielder Lucas.

Newcastle United striker Demba Ba has revealed his satisfaction at becoming one of the deadliest strikers in the Premier League.

Former Manchester United star David Beckham has revealed he considered a return to the Premier League after receiving offers from "one or two" clubs, before he committed to LA Galaxy.

Nemanja Vidic is confident Manchester United can retain the Premier League title without him and warned leaders Manchester City that the defending champions do not fear their local rivals.

Arsene Wenger believes the rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United remains as intense as ever, despite the increased amount of title contenders vying for the crown in recent seasons.

Chris Coleman has been unveiled as the new Wales manager replacing the late Gary Speed, who died in November.

Manchester United striker Michael Owen insists he still harbours ambitions of playing for his country again and believes he could yet break England's goal scoring record.

Anders Lindegaard has backed David De Gea to become Manchester United's first-choice goalkeeper but warned the Spaniard he intends to keep the gloves until he retires - in 10 years' time.

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood insists that failure to qualify for the Champions League would have little impact on the club.

West Bromwich Albion manager has played down reports he could sell striker Peter Odemwingie in January.

Manchester United's protracted pursuit of Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder looks to have drawn a blank, after his agent revealed his client is likely to remain in Italy past the end of the current transfer window.