The NBA on Sunday named finalists for its 2025-26 regular-season awards, headlined by a three-way race for Most Valuable Player featuring reigning winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City), three-time winner Nikola Jokic (Denver) and first-time nominee Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio). Wembanyama is also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year alongside Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson. Rookie of the Year candidates are Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and VJ Edgecombe. Other notable finalist groups include Coach of the Year (J.B. Bickerstaff, Mitch Johnson, Joe Mazzulla), Sixth Man (Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaime Jaquez Jr., Keldon Johnson), Clutch Player (Anthony Edwards, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray) and Most Improved Player (Deni Avdija, Jalen Duren, Nickeil Alexander-Walker). The league revealed the lists during NBC’s broadcast of a first-round playoff game, and will begin announcing winners during playoff telecasts starting Monday with Defensive Player of the Year, followed by Clutch Player, Sixth Man and Most Improved later in the week. The ballots reflected recent eligibility decisions, including appeals that allowed Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham to be considered despite falling short of the usual 65-game threshold.

Manchester City closed to within three points of Premier League leaders Arsenal after a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium on April 19, 2026, with Rayan Cherki opening and Erling Haaland scoring the decisive 65th-minute strike after Kai Havertz had equalised. The fixture was overshadowed by a late confrontation between City striker Haaland and Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhães, during which Gabriel appeared to lean his head towards Haaland. Referee Anthony Taylor booked both players and Video Assistant Referee review confirmed the on-field decision, with the Premier League stating Gabriel’s action was not “excessively aggressive or violent.” Pundits and former referees said Gabriel was fortunate to avoid a red card, while outlets noted Haaland said he would not feign injury and suggested a theatrical reaction might have produced a dismissal. Sky Sports apologised after Haaland used explicit language in a post-match interview praising teammate Bernardo Silva. The result leaves City with a game in hand and momentum in the title race ahead of a midweek trip to Burnley.

MANCHESTER, April 19 (Reuters) - Erling Haaland ended a Premier League scoring drought to fire Manchester City to a 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, cutting the gap to three points with a game in hand. Rayan Cherki opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a solo strike, but City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s hesitation minutes later allowed Kai Havertz to pounce and level. Haaland restored City’s lead in the 65th minute with his 23rd league goal of the season after Nico O’Reilly’s cross, a decisive finish that kept City’s title bid alive. The win moved City to 67 points from 32 matches; Arsenal remain on 70 from 33 and must juggle domestic fixtures with a Champions League semi-final. The weekend also saw Liverpool and Aston Villa win late to bolster their European hopes, while Morgan Gibbs‑White’s hat‑trick boosted Nottingham Forest’s survival bid and left Burnley perilously close to relegation. City can overtake Arsenal by beating Burnley in their midweek fixture, making the run‑in increasingly tense for both clubs.

On April 19, 2026, in the first Merseyside derby at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool edged Everton 2-1 when captain Virgil van Dijk headed a dramatic winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the 29th minute — his ninth Merseyside derby goal, drawing level with Steven Gerrard — in what was billed as his final derby before leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. Everton levelled early in the second half through Beto. Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was forced off with a knee injury and replaced by Freddie Woodman. The victory lifted Liverpool to fifth on 55 points with five games remaining, seven clear of sixth‑placed Chelsea, strengthening their push for one of five Champions League places. The game came amid a busy weekend in the Premier League that also saw key wins for Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest and leaves both clubs facing injury and selection questions heading into the run‑in.

Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was stretchered off and taken to hospital after suffering a deep knee wound in the Merseyside derby against Everton on April 19, 2026. The 25-year-old Georgian collided with Everton striker Beto while the away side equalised in the second half at Hill Dickinson Stadium. With first-choice Alisson sidelined by a hamstring complaint, manager Arne Slot was forced to bring on third-choice keeper Freddie Woodman, who made his first Premier League appearance for Liverpool and kept his nerve as the Reds went on to win 2-1 with Virgil van Dijk scoring a 100th-minute header. Slot described Mamardashvili’s injury as a “big wound” and said the club would wait for hospital assessment to determine the extent and duration of his absence. The result moved Liverpool clear of nearby rivals in the race for Champions League qualification late in the season. The club’s mounting list of injuries has required rotation across the squad in recent weeks, leaving Liverpool to manage resources carefully for the final run of fixtures.