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LOS ANGELES — Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson scored season highs of 33 and 27 points as the short-handed Miami Heat dominated the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns with a 123-100 victory on Saturday.

The pair sparked the hot-shooting offense as the Heat equalled a franchise record by making 22 of 44 baskets from three-point range.

Robinson drained eight threes, including two clutch ones in the fourth quarter that thwarted a brief Suns rally.

The Heat, who outrebounded Phoenix 49-35, had 11 players on the inactive list, including star guard Jimmy Butler.

Devin Booker scored a team-high 26 points and Mikal Bridges added 20 for the Suns, who shot just 38 per cent from the field.

It was a rare one-sided home loss for the Suns, who had their three-game win streak halted. The Suns dropped to 30-9 on the season.

In Los Angeles, Jaren Jackson scored a team-high 26 points as the Memphis Grizzlies used a strong second quarter to win their eighth straight game with a 123-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Desmond Bane finished with 23 points, including five three-pointers, one of four Grizzlies players who finished with 18 points or more.

After a slow start which saw them down by 12 points in the first quarter, Memphis went on a 10-0 scoring surge early in the second to take the lead. They led 66-56 at the half and never trailed in the second half.

“One of the great things about Jaren is that he’s very versatile,” Grizzlies assistant coach Brad Jones said. “The Clippers struggled on how to handle him today.”

Tyus Jones tallied 18 points and had five assists while Brandon Clarke came off the bench to finish with 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Memphis was missing leading scorer Ja Morant, who was out with a thigh injury.

They lost starter Dillon Brooks early in the second quarter after the Canadian forward injured his ankle and had to be helped off the floor.

“Our guys have stuck together. We figure it out as it goes along,” said Jones. “They believe in our system and each other. It’s really cool when players are talking about that and the coaches don’t have to.”

Marcus Morris scored a game-high 29 points for Los Angeles, which included draining four threes. But the Clippers as a team went just 10-of-32 from three-point range.

Hornets sting Bucks

Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo carried the offense with a game-high 43 points and 12 rebounds but it was not enough as the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks were toppled 114-106 by the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Terry Rozier scored 28 points, Miles Bridges added 21 points and eight rebounds, and the Hornets handed the Bucks their third loss in four games.

LaMelo Ball added 19 points for the Hornets, who held Milwaukee to just 38.9 per cent shooting from the floor.

Khris Middleton added 27 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for Milwaukee, who won in Brooklyn on Friday.

The teams meet again Monday in Charlotte.

In Boston, Jaylen Brown recorded his first career triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds as the Boston Celtics avenged their loss to the New York Knicks with a 99-75 win.

Boston blew a 25-point lead and lost on RJ Barrett’s three-pointer at the buzzer in a 108-105 loss to New York two nights ago.

In Indianapolis, Domantas Sabonis scored a career-high 42 points and Lance Stephenson finished with 16 points and 14 assists off the bench to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 125-113 win over the Utah Jazz.

YAOUNDÉ — The Africa Cup of Nations begins in Cameroon on Sunday with the continent’s top-ranked side Senegal seen as the team to beat alongside reigning champions Algeria.

AFP Sport picks out six stars to watch at the tournament:

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich and Cameroon: Choupo-Moting was dismissed at times during his two-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain, where he was a back-up in attack to superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Yet, he still popped up with some important goals and has netted 17 times in 44 appearances since signing for Bayern Munich in 2020.

The 32-year-old, who stands 1.91-metres tall, was born in Germany and notably played for Hamburg and Schalke at the start of his career before a stint in the Premier League at Stoke City.

Eligible for Cameroon through his father, he represented the Indomitable Lions at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups and captained them at the AFCON in 2015 and 2017. He did not go in 2017, when Cameroon won the trophy in Gabon, but is the biggest name in the hosts’ squad this time as they look to win the trophy for the sixth time.

Sadio Mane (Liverpool and Senegal): Senegal are the leading African side according to the FIFA rankings and Liverpool forward Mane is their star player. A former African Footballer of the Year who also came fourth in the Ballon d’Or rankings in 2019, Mane will be hugely missed by Liverpool as he heads to Cameroon — he has 10 goals this season for his club.

However, the 29-year-old is desperate to win African football’s biggest prize after Senegal lost to Algeria in the 2019 final. The west African country has never won the Cup of Nations.

Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco): At 23, right-back Hakimi is starring for PSG having already played for Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, and is arguably the best attacking full-back on the planet today. He will therefore be the man to watch in a Morocco side among the leading contenders to go all the way.

Hakimi, who joined PSG from Inter last July for 60 million euros ($71 million), is in theory a defender, but he is chiefly a key creative and attacking outlet down the right. Born and brought up in Madrid to Moroccan parents, Hakimi was just 18 when he scored on his competitive debut for the Atlas Lions.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool and Egypt): Many scoffed when Salah came seventh in the final Ballon d’Or rankings in November. It could be argued there is no better player in the world right now than the 29-year-old forward, who has scored 54 times for Liverpool since the start of last season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side will miss him and Mane while they are gone for up to a month, but Salah carries the hopes and dreams of 100 million Egyptians on his shoulders. He is the headline act in a squad made up largely of home-based players as The Pharaohs chase a record-extending eighth African crown.

Salah played in the team that lost the 2017 final to Cameroon before losing to South Africa as host in the last 16 in 2019.

Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City and Algeria): Another former African footballer of the year, Mahrez captained Algeria to victory in 2019 and is again the star man as they look to defend their title.

The winger has been in fine form for Manchester City, with 13 goals in 25 games this season for the Premier League leaders. Now 30, Mahrez was born and brought up in the Paris suburbs but Algeria was the land of his late father’s birth and Riyad made his international debut just before the 2014 World Cup, not long after he first moved to England with Leicester City.

Sebastien Haller (Ajax and Ivory Coast): The tall 27-year-old striker has been one of the stars of this season’s UEFA Champions League, scoring 10 goals in the group stage for Ajax. He became just the second player to score in all six group games, following Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017.

Haller, who has 22 goals this season, joined Ajax last January from West Ham United for 22.5 million euros ($27.5 million), calling time on a disappointing spell in England to return to the Dutch league, where he was based previously.

Born and brought up in the Paris suburbs, he played for France U-21s but opted to represent the Ivory Coast — the land of his mother’s birth — after getting the call aged 26.

MELBOURNE — Tennis World No. 1 Novak Djokovic won a temporary reprieve in his deportation from Australia on Thursday, but is set to spend the night in an immigration detention facility as he fights to remain in the country.

The vaccine-sceptic Serb was detained at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport having failed to "provide appropriate evidence" of double vaccination, or a medical exemption needed to enter the country.

Djokovic had jetted into Australia on Wednesday hoping to defend his Australian Open crown and to bid for an unprecedented 21st Grand Slam title.

Instead of a conquering champion's welcome, he was questioned at the airport overnight before having his visa revoked and being transferred to a Melbourne immigration detention facility pending deportation.

After an emergency online court appeal, a judge ordered that the controversial star would not be removed from Australia before Monday, when a final hearing is scheduled to begin.

With scarcely 10 days before the tournament, it remains far from clear that Djokovic will be able to play, even if he wins in court.

Judge Anthony Kelly warned that justice will move at its own pace through all necessary appeals. "The tail won't be tagging the dog here," he warned the star's lawyers.

Wrong court

For months there had been speculation about whether Djokovic would play in the January 17-30 tournament, given Australia's rigid border rules.

The 34-year-old has refused to reveal his vaccine status, but has previously voiced opposition to being jabbed. He has contracted Covid at least once.

Then this week a jubilant Djokovic boasted on Instagram that he had scored an unexpected medical exemption to play.

That move prompted widespread outcry in Australia, where many residents have been unable to travel or welcome family from overseas for the last two years.

Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison — under additional pressure from soaring Covid case numbers and the collapse of the once-excellent testing system — defended revoking Djokovic's visa at the last minute.

"Rules are rules and there are no special cases," he said.

Officials did not say exactly what evidence Djokovic failed to present, but medical exemptions must be accompanied by details of the doctor's consultation and clear reasons for not getting the vaccine.

'So sad'

Djokovic is now believed to be at the Park Hotel, which the Australian government terms an "Alternative Place of Detention".

As word of his arrival spread, Serbian flag-festooned supporters, anti-vaccine campaigners, refugee advocates and police descended on the already controversial facility.

At least one pro-refugee protester was arrested in chaotic scenes as officers tried to clear the area.

Veronica Michich said she was there to show support for Djokovic, whom she described as a beacon of hope for post-war Serbia.

"We see him as a hero. He put Serbia back on the map, because Serbia was always portrayed, we were the aggressive ones, we were the attackers."

Currently around 32 refugees and asylum seekers are being held at the Park Hotel, after being brought for medical treatment from offshore detention facilities.

Detainees cannot leave the hotel and nobody is allowed in or out except staff.

The facility gained notoriety last year when a fire in the building forced refugees and asylum seekers to be evacuated, and maggots were allegedly found in the food.

In October, 21 men reportedly contracted Covid at the facility, which has been the site of regular protests.

Detainee Mehdi Ali told AFP that Djokovic is his favourite tennis player, and that he was saddened by the prospect of the star being held there.

"The media will talk about us more, the whole world probably, which is so sad, just because Djokovic would be here for a few days," he said.

Diplomatic incident

Rafael Nadal — who like Djokovic and Roger Federer is stuck on a record-equalling 20 Grand Slam wins — said his rival must face the consequences of not being vaccinated.

"He made his own decisions, and everybody is free to take their own decisions, but then there are some consequences," the Spaniard said.

The Serb's treatment prompted fury among his fans and a fiercely worded rebuke from Serbia's president.

"The whole of Serbia is with him and... our authorities are undertaking all measures in order that maltreatment of the world's best tennis player ends as soon as possible," President Aleksandar Vucic said after speaking with Djokovic over the phone.

"In line with all standards of international public law, Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, justice and truth."

John Findley, an Australian immigration lawyer, said both the state and Djokovic would have to answer some tough questions in court.

"If they see he has provided false information, he must have a chance to answer that," Findley said.

Experts said that charge could bring a three-year ban from applying for another Australian visa.

But Findley also said the visa revocation seems to have come from "a pile on from social media" and government would need to explain the legal bar that Djokovic failed to meet.

Tournament organisers also face difficult questions.

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said Djokovic had no special treatment and just 26 of the approximately 3,000 players and support staff travelling to Australia for the tournament had applied for a vaccine exemption. Only a handful had been successful.

Those individuals also look set to face added scrutiny now.

AMMAN — The 2022 Jordan Baja returns to the international spotlight as the second round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, round one of the FIA Middle East Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and the first event in the FIM Bajas World Cup, according to according to the Jordan Baja Media Service.

Blessed with a slightly earlier date in the calendar — that may see competitors cross the stunning desert terrain of the world-renowned Wadi Rum in southern Jordan in cooler late winter temperatures — Jordan Motorsport has again laid on a challenging route for the Hashemite Kingdom’s flagship off-road event. 

Competitors in each of the three international championships will face 471 competitive kilometres over two legs in a route of 664.13km laid on by rally officials under FIA Clerk of the Course Khaled Zakaria, his deputy Omar Zarour and their experienced organising team. Zarour will also act as the Clerk of the Course of the FIM event.

The Jordan Baja will be based at the Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla Resort and the start and finish will take place at the Old Port in Aqaba City on the Red Sea. 

Scrutineering, administrations checks and the pre-event press conference and ceremonial start will take place on Thursday, February 17, before the competitive action takes centre stage on February 18 and 19. 

Event regulations have now been submitted for FIA approval with teams set to face one selective section of 319km through Wadi Rum on leg one and a second stage of 152km on the final day. 

The second timed section runs through Wadi Araba and offers a totally new challenge to competitors with different terrain and a series of medium and high sand dunes. Picturesque Wadi Araba runs from the Gulf of Aqaba to the southern shore of the Dead Sea and is another jewel in Jordan’s scenic geographical crown.

Entries are now open and a closing date has been set for  February 5.

“The team is now putting the finishing touches to everything and we are looking forward to welcoming world-class motorsport back to Jordan,” said Zaid Balqez, chairman of the Organising Committee. 

“We are blessed with some of the most spectacular terrain on the planet and our competitors will be able to appreciate the beauty of the region that has been showcased frequently by numerous blockbuster Hollywood films, including “The Martian”, “Aladdin”, “Dune” and “Star Wars.”

Saudi Arabia’s Yasir Seaidan is the defending champion in the FIA category after pipping Dutchman Erik van Loon to victory last March. Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed Al Balooshi was a comfortable winner of the motorcycle section and Saudi Arabia’s Hani Al Noumesi was the sole finisher in the international quad category in 2021.

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom — Wolves ended Ralf Rangnick’s unbeaten start as Manchester United interim manager on Monday as Joao Moutinho’s strike earned a deserved 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

A first home defeat to Wolves in 42 years leaves United still seventh in the Premier League table, four points adrift of the top four.

But it was another lacklustre performance that was just as concerning as the result for Rangnick as the Red Devils were thoroughly outplayed.

“We didn’t play well at all, neither individually or collectively,” said Rangnick, who had taken 10 points from his first four games in charge.

“We didn’t press at all. We tried but after 10 or 15 minutes we were not able to get into those pressing situations.

“The games show we still have a lot of work to do. Especially against the ball, but also in the first half when we had the ball, we had too many unforced giveaways.”

An injury crisis at centre-back with captain Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly all missing, forced Rangnick to hand Phil Jones his first Premier League appearance in two years.

But the former England international was one of few United players to emerge with any credit from a ragged display that raises questions over their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Cristiano Ronaldo was named United captain for just the second time in the absence of Maguire.

In his new year message on social media, Ronaldo said he was “not happy” with the state of affairs at United and that “we have to work harder, play better and deliver way more than we are delivering right now”.

However, there was no sign of improvement as Ronaldo was kept quiet up against a number of his Portuguese international teammates. 

David De Gea was the difference between the sides when United won 1-0 at Molineux in August and the Spaniard was again his side’s saviour with a fingertip save to turn Ruben Neves’ volley over early on.

Wolves managed more shots in the first half than they had in their previous three matches combined.

But Bruno Lage’s men have scored just 14 goals in 19 league games and again failed to make their control of the game show in the scoreline.

“It is one more victory,” said Lage. “Lovely stadium, a place with a lot of history, but the most important thing is how we played.

“We played in our way, we controlled the first half and missed a lot of chances. We win three points but again we have more chances than goals.”

Rangnick left Bruno Fernandes on the bench after the Portugal midfielder missed Thursday’s 3-1 win over Burnley due to suspension.

However, it was not until his introduction on the hour mark that the home side even began to threaten a breakthrough.

Fernandes should have opened the scoring when he rattled the crossbar with the best chance of the match from Nemanja Matic’s cross 23 minutes from time.

Moments later his free-kick was headed home by Ronaldo, but clearly from an offside position.

United’s attacking flurry quickly fizzled out and Romain Saiss hit the bar from a free-kick as Wolves continued to pose a threat.

The visitors finally got their reward eight minutes from time when Jones’ header fell kindly for Moutinho at the edge of the box and he drilled low into the bottom corner.

Jose Sa was still needed to make a vital save from another fierce Fernandes free-kick with virtually the last kick of the game.

Victory lifts Wolves up to eighth, just three points behind United.

LOS ANGELES — Rookie Evan McPherson kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired on Sunday as the Cincinnati Bengals clinched the NFL’s AFC North division title with a 34-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots all secured play-off spots in Sunday’s early games.

The Patriots manhandled the Jacksonville Jaguars 50-10 to post their 10th win of the season.

Rookie quarterback Mac Jones completed 22 of 30 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns and the Pats were assured of their first post-season berth since Tom Brady departed for Tampa Bay after the 2019 campaign when Miami fell 34-3 to Tennessee.

That victory saw the Titans secure the AFC South division title for the second successive season.

Buffalo punched their playoff ticket with a 29-15 victory over Atlanta coupled with the Indianapolis Colts’ 23-20 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The penultimate on Sunday of the regular season offered plenty of drama.

Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay rallied from a 24-10 third-quarter deficit to beat the New York Jets 28-24.

Brady threw three touchdown passes, connecting with Cyril Grayson on a 33-yard TD pass with 15 seconds remaining to cap the comeback.

But the 93-yard winning drive was overshadowed by Antonio Brown’s sideline meltdown that saw the receiver strip off much of his jersey and pads and depart, waving to fans.

Brown’s latest antics came less than two weeks after he served a three-game suspension for using a fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination card.

Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said after the game that Brown’s tenure with the team was over.

“He is no longer a Buc,” Arians told reporters in his only comment on the incident. “That’s the end of the story.”

Brady urged compassion for Brown.

“We all love him,” Brady said. “We care about him deeply. We want to see him be at his best. Unfortunately he won’t be with our team, but we have a lot of friendships that will last... I think everyone should be very compassionate and empathetic towards some very difficult things that are happening.”

Tight end Rob Gronkowski said he wasn’t aware of the Brown drama as the Bucs pushed for the comeback.

“Whoever was in the huddle, we just kept fighting,” Gronkowski said.

So did the Bengals, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Stuff to accomplish 

Cincinnati trailed by 14 points on three different occasions, but Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase wouldn’t go away.

Burrow hit Chase for a 72-yard touchdown in the first half, one of Chase’s three TDs on a day in which his 266 receiving yards set a single-game record for an NFL rookie.

“We’ve been waiting for this since we started the season,” Chase said. “Now that we’re here, we’ve still got a lot of stuff to accomplish.”

Burrow threw for 446 yards and four touchdowns as he out-dueled Chiefs counterpart Patrick Mahomes.

In Nashville, Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes, D’Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard ran for touchdowns and the Titans scored 10 points off of Miami turnovers.

The only downside to the day was an ugly right ankle injury to Titans tight end MyCoyl Pruitt in the second quarter.

There was a frightening moment in Washington, where Washington Football Team tight end Ricky Seals-Jones was stretchered off with a neck injury after colliding with a sideline cameraman in the team’s 20-16 loss to Philadelphia.

Although he was ruled out of the game, Washington coach Ron Rivera said after the contest that Seals-Jones was up and walking by halftime. The cameraman was able to return to work.

In other games, the Los Angeles Rams edged the Baltimore Ravens 20-19 despite three turnovers from quarterback Matthew Stafford to inch toward the NFC West division title.

But the Arizona Cardinals stayed in the hunt for the NFC West crown with a 25-22 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

MADRID — Carlo Ancelotti admitted Real Madrid were "still on holiday" as they suffered a shock 1-0 loss at relegation-battling Getafe in La Liga on Sunday.

Madrid's surprise defeat is their first in three months and gives fresh hope to the beleaguered chasing pack in Spain, after Eder Militao's early error allowed Enes Unal to score the winner at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

"We were on holiday for an extra day," said Ancelotti afterwards. "The team was not the same team that played before Christmas — less commitment, less concentration.”

"We didn't deserve to lose but we ended up with a defeat that could be a wake-up call."

Atletico Madrid took advantage by beating the high-flying Rayo Vallecano 2-0 to leapfrog Rayo into fourth place, with Angel Correa scoring both of Atletico's goals.

Diego Simeone's side are still 14 points behind Real Madrid but Sevilla in second will be only five points behind the leaders with a game in hand if they win at Cadiz on Sunday.

Getafe stay 16th after recording only their fourth league victory of the season.

Madrid have taken command of the Spanish title race after a superb run of form that included 10 consecutive wins and 15 matches without defeat, their last loss coming at Espanyol on October 3.

But Ancelotti's side were woefully out of sorts in their first outing of 2022 and, aside from a brief spell in the first half, struggled really even to threaten the Getafe goal.

Eden Hazard came on at half-time but again failed to shake his team into life while Karim Benzema was unusually quiet up front. Madrid certainly missed the penetration of Vinicius Junior, who was absent after testing positive for COVID-19.

Ancelotti's mood was summed up in the second half when the deflated Italian on the bench slumped over and dropped his head after a Toni Kroos free-kick drifted harmlessly out of play.

"To say we were still on holiday isn't a criticism, it's the same thing that I've said to the players," Ancelotti said. "We accept responsibility, because the coach was maybe still on holiday as well. We are still top, so we look forward."

Getafe lost eight games in a row earlier in the season but came in on the back of an upturn in form under Quique Sanchez Flores, having gone five games unbeaten, including a pair of wins over Cadiz and Osasuna.

Unal gave them the lead in the ninth minute after the usually dependable Militao was caught napping.

The Brazilian went to clear on the edge of his own area but instead took an extra touch, engaging in a tussle with Unal, who robbed the ball and finished past Thibaut Courtois.

Madrid dominated for 20 minutes, with Luka Modric increasingly influential, but a dogged Getafe preserved their lead for the rest of the first half and were relatively comfortable in the second.

Hazard and Marcelo both came on at half-time but neither made much of an impact, with Hazard unable to muster a single attempt on goal. Benzema had a shot blocked, Casemiro saw a half-volley saved and Mariano Diaz headed over, but Getafe deserved their victory.

LONDON — Manchester City beat Brentford 1-0 on Wednesday to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to an ominous eight points as title rivals Chelsea conceded a last-gasp equaliser at home to Brighton.

Phil Foden's first-half goal was enough to give Pep Guardiola's champions a 10th consecutive league win as they took full advantage of injury-hit Chelsea's slip-up at Stamford Bridge.

The defending champions now have 50 points after 20 matches, putting them eight clear of second-placed Chelsea. Liverpool, who lost to Leicester on Tuesday, are a further point behind.

The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged English football's fixture list, leaving some clubs needing to play catch-up, but 2021 will end with City out on their own.

Brentford threatened in the opening stages in west London, but City took the lead in the 16th minute when Foden cleverly tucked in a pinpoint cross from Kevin De Bruyne.

Foden and Jack Grealish were left out of the starting XI for City's wins over Newcastle and Leicester after they were pictured on a night out following the 7-0 home victory over Leeds.

But the England pair were back on the teamsheet on Wednesday and Foden's goal made it a perfect 10 out of 10 for City.

Despite their dominance of possession, the visitors mustered just three shots on target in the entire game and Guardiola looked edgy in the latter stages as his team attempted to see out the victory.

They thought they had sealed the three points in the dying minutes when Aymeric Laporterose to head home but his goal was ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside.

Guardiola, who hailed the "exceptional" Foden, refused to be complacent despite his side's huge lead at the top of the Premier League.

"There are 54 points to play for," he told the BBC. "It is not expected to have this distance for eight and nine, but Liverpool play one game less. But it is 54 points. 

"In December no one is champion. We are going to lose games. I see in my mind Arsenal, Chelsea, Southampton coming.... I cannot say more than congratulations to the team but we must focus."

Chelsea pain

Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea, who kicked off 45 minutes before City, looked poised for victory after Romelu Lukaku headed them into a first-half lead but Brighton substitute Danny Welbeck struck in stoppage time for a 1-1 draw.

Chelsea wing-back Reece James limped off in the 27th minute with a hamstring injury, to be replaced by Marcos Alonso.

The home side went ahead immediately, when Lukaku shook off the attentions of Neal Maupay after a tussle to power a header past goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from a Mason Mount corner.

But Graham Potter's side came back strongly, with Adam Lallana and the impressive Yves Bissouma testing Chelsea goalkeeper EdouardMendy either side of half-time.

It looked as though it was going to be a familiar story for Brighton, who have struggled to score this season, but substitute Welbeck had other ideas, heading home Marc Cucurella's cross in the 91st minute.

Tuchel counted the cost of further injuries to an already stretched squad after James limped off and Andreas Christensen had to be substituted at half-time.

The club announced on Tuesday that left wing-back Ben Chilwell faced surgery on a knee injury and defender Thiago Silva missed the Brighton game due to a thigh complaint.

"Very frustrating, of course very disappointing because we gave everything and we had enough big chances to decide the match," Tuchel told Amazon Prime.

"It was a very intense match and we have another two changes because of injuries [James and Christensen] so in the dressing room they are completely, completely exhausted but it is the same subject every single matchday now."

City travel to face fourth-placed Arsenal on Saturday knowing a win would take them 11 points clear of Chelsea, who host Liverpool the following day.