AFP

Barcelona winger Anthony Gordon insisted Monday his team are not below the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, despite recent defeats by both sides.Hansi Flick's side were unbeaten until facing European champions PSG on October 20, but lost 4-2 in Paris before a 2-1 Clasico defeat at home on October 25 by Madrid.

As Paris Saint-Germain head to Spain to face Villarreal on Tuesday, the French club's quest to win a third consecutive Champions League title is under threat as injuries to key players raise doubts about the strength of their squad for another tilt at European glory.PSG made it nine straight wins in that game, despite having only two starters from last season's Champions League final in their line-up.

Philippines tennis trailblazer Alex Eala remembers the moment it struck her just how wildly popular she had become, telling AFP: "It was shocking."Back in the Philippines, which has never had a world-class woman tennis player before, Eala was already on the way to becoming a superstar.

Reigning African Footballer of the Year and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi claimed a first career hat-trick at the weekend in a 5-1 Ligue 1 rout of bottom club Le Havre.AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues: FRANCE ACHRAF HAKIMI (Paris Saint-Germain) Morocco captain Hakimi was involved in all five goals as defending European champions and Ligue 1 leaders PSG inflicted a seventh defeat in nine matches on Le Havre.

Hosting Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday, Slavia Prague are facing the mammoth task of ending a drawn-out winless streak in the competition as an unwelcome record looms.- 'Unlucky' - Slavia have faced Arsenal three times in the Champions League, recording a draw and two losses including a humiliating 7-0 drubbing in London in 2007.

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg poured in 37 points as the Golden State Warriors shrugged off the absence of Stephen Curry to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 124-112 on Sunday.His 37 points were the most by a Warriors rookie in a game since Curry had 42 in 2010.

Lionel Messi's late strike catapulted Inter Miami above New England and into second place with a tense 2-1 comeback victory over their MLS Eastern Conference rivals Sunday.Sam Sturridge's stoppage-time strike sealed a comeback victory from 2-0 down for Nashville, who have tied the record for the most points in MLS history, on 74, with a game still to play.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not broadcast a Real Madrid La Liga match on Sunday after star forward Kylian Mbappe caused a furore in China with remarks he made about former leader Mao Zedong.China Media Group (CMG), which oversees CCTV, had said it had moved on Monday to suspend La Liga broadcasts, adding that apologies from La Liga, Mbappe and Real Madrid were "an absolute prerequisite" for moving past the furore.

Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell was carted off the field and taken to a nearby hospital for overnight evaluation of a neck injury in Sunday's 19-15 NFL victory over previously unbeaten Minnesota."Jack Campbell is resting and will remain in a local hospital tonight, for continued evaluation and monitoring," the Lions said.

Japanese teenage sensation Mao Shimada won the Skate Canada women's title on her senior Grand Prix debut Sunday, living up to sky-high expectations by comfortably topping the free skate.Named after Japanese skating great Mao Asada, Mao Shimada was only denied a place in Japan's last Olympic team because she was too young to be eligible.

Andrew Novak cruised to victory at the Mexico Open on Sunday, firing a two-under-par 69 to win by five strokes and claim his first individual title on the PGA Tour.Novak, whose only previous tour victory came at last year's Zurich Classic pairs event alongside Ben Griffin, finished on a tournament record 25-under-par 259.

Minnesota became the last NFL club to tumble from the unbeaten ranks while Josh Allen made history on Sunday in sparking Buffalo over injury-hit Baltimore.Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player who had missed the past three games with an ankle injury, suffered a right thumb injury on Baltimore's first play from scrimmage when, on a pass, his hand struck the hand of Buffalo linebacker Greg Rousseau.

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola said it is a "shame" there is no reward for honesty after his side were controversially denied a penalty in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday."I loved the reaction from my players after going 1-0 down...

Lyon and Paris FC both won to close in on defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 on Sunday, with the capital team defeating Monaco 3-1 despite a first goal of the season for United States star Folarin Balogun.Paris FC, who have big ambitions under the ownership of the mega-rich Arnault family, are fourth in the Ligue 1 table, behind Lyon on goal difference, after getting the better of Monaco at the Stade Jean-Bouin.

Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League with their first win away to Liverpool in 14 years as Kai Havertz's early strike secured a 1-0 victory for the Gunners.That intervention counted for little as Arsenal rode out the closing stages to register another clean sheet and an eighth win in nine league games.

Kylian Mbappe moved on from a tumultuous week by scoring a penalty to help Real Madrid win 3-0 at Racing Santander on Sunday.Earlier Sevilla, sixth, suffered a 3-1 loss at Getafe, who moved into mid-table.

Gennaro Gattuso's Lazio consolidated their position at the top of Serie A on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over Cagliari, nudging ahead of Inter Milan after the two clubs had started the weekend level on points.With 28 points from 10 games, Lazio moved three clear of Inter after they lost the Milan derby.

Yamaha said on Sunday it will not participate in next weekend's Qatar MotoGP, citing "the situation in the Middle East".Yamaha issued a statement after Sunday's Malaysian MotoGP saying they would not be taking the risk of going to Qatar.

Tyrese Maxey scored 38 points to spark the Philadelphia 76ers in a fightback 109-104 NBA victory at Charlotte on Saturday while LeBron James and Joel Embiid were rested with injuries.James and Embiid rested after a victory over New York on Friday.

Gabby Williams scored 30 points and the Golden State Valkyries captured their first Women's NBA title on Saturday, defeating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a winner-take-all championship showdown.Williams scored a WNBA Finals one-half record 28 points in the second half as the second-year expansion Valkyries won the series four games to three, the longest title matchup in league history.