Steve Smythe has 40 years-plus experience of bettering marathon time targets and he gives his thoughts on what’s required to improve certain marks from sub-2:00 to 4:30

Running sub-three used to be my speciality. I first achieved it in my first marathon in Harlow in 1976 and last did so in Seville 2017, which at the time was a world record span of 40 years. Two Americans have now done better but I can claim that I have one thing in common with Sir Mo, as I am a European record-holder of sorts.

This year’s London Marathon will be my 38th in the capital and I currently have an average of 2:52 for London and 2:49 overall for my 72 completed marathons. The averages will be getting slower every race but hopefully in my 44th consecutive year of marathon training, I can pass on what is required for each major time target.

Most people if running London would have already chosen a time target, which might not necessarily be one of the obvious half-hourly targets.

It is likely to be based on previous marathon times, then adjusted on how much training was achieved and specifically the number and quality of long runs and any recent half-marathon times and then further adjusted to take into account time lost in training through illness and injury.

Unfortunately, most London runners had to predict their times back in 2018, and if you have gained fitness you will have to start in the same pen which relates to your prediction, but if you are now aiming for a slower time, you can move down a pen.

Weather conditions might require minor adjustments to targets. Last year’s London was very hot and meant many runners were way down on their original expectations.

This year, heat will not be a problem but the wind (especially as it is a strong Westerly) could mean slower times.

As for the race itself, pacing is important. Obviously even pace is the best option but you may need to make adjustments because of the crowded start, the course’s hills (the downhill third mile gives you some time in hand), wind direction and traditionally how strong you are in the closing miles.

Being successful for achieving a target is dependent on picking a target that is attainable and then getting the pacing right and not suddenly allowing the occasion and adrenalin to override your previous judgement in what was possible.

The race has some very experienced pacers who are good for assistance but don’t overly rely on them as they may have started behind you and as they are usually capable of much faster than the target time might be prone to run faster than target time occasionally which they can easily cope with but a runner on the edge may not fare as well.

SUB-3:00 (6:52 per mile)

Last year 1113 broke three hours in hot conditions but 1935 did it in 2017, which is a far better example of typical London conditions so you roughly need to aim to come in the first 2000 positions to achieve this target.

Note 10 runners ran 3:00:00 or 3:00:01 that year but it is quite crowded throughout the 2:59s with 173 finishing in that minute – roughly three a second.

The average halfway time for those in the 2:59s was 1:28 with a fastest of 1:14:39 and a slowest of 1:30:42.

Most runners aiming for this target will have run a half-marathon time inside 1:25 or even better low 1:20s and a 10km inside 40 minutes.

The final runner to break 3:00 ran an 83 half-marathon in his build up and 39 for 10km that year.

On even pace runners should pass 5 miles in 34:21, 10 miles in 68:42, 15 miles in 1:43:03, 20 miles in 2:17:24, 25 miles in 2:51:45.

SUB-2:30 (5:43 per mile)

My own experience suggests this target is 60 times as hard as breaking three hours.

55 did it from the main race and 45 in the elite race in 2017.

Of those who ran 2:29 on the main start, the average halfway time was 74:00, the fastest was 70:52 and the slowest 74:50.

Most runners aiming for sub-2:30 would have run a half-marathon close to 1:10 and around 33:00 for 10km.

The final runner to break 2:30 had a 71:30 half-marathon and 32:30 10km time from the year before.

On even pace runners need to run 28:37 for 5 miles, 57:15 for 10 miles, 85:52 for 15 miles, 1:54:30 for 20 miles and 2:23:07 for 25 miles.

SUB-2:15 (5:09 per mile) or 2:15:25

Only 15 runners broke 2:15 in 2017. 10 did it in 2018.

Paula Radcliffe’s women’s world record has already stood for 16 years and could stand for another 16 as no other woman has broken 2:17.

Radcliffe was a 30:00 10km runner and had incredible endurance to hold a pace longer than any other woman.

Only a handful of women have run quicker than 30:00 for 10km and most of the other women in the sub 2:18 range have run the half-marathon around 65 minutes.

Generally, a runner wishing to break 2:30 will have to have run 30:00 for 10km and 65 for a half-marathon.

The runner closest to 2:15 in 2017 went through halfway in 66:41 and ran 64:27 for a half-marathon and ran 30:01 for 10km though has a 29:22 PB.

On even pace runners need to run 25:45 for 5 miles, 51:31 for 10 miles, 77:17 for 15 miles, 1:43:03 for 20 miles and 2:08:49 for 25 miles.

SUB-2:00 (4:34 per mile)

A few years ago, very few would believe that the world record would now be 2:01:39 but Eliud Kipchoge’s superb Berlin run means that the pace he managed is less than four seconds a mile down on the sub-2 target and he also ran a 2:00:25 paced run at Monza.

The sub-two is certainly closer than it was but a runner aiming to achieve that target would probably need to be able to run well inside 27:00 for 10km and low 57s for the half-marathon.

It’s worth noting that of history’s three fastest 10,000m runners – Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat – the latter two set world records at the marathon but only have respective bests of 2:03:03, 2:03:59, 2:04:55, which tends to suggest a low-26 10km may be necessary for a sub-2 attempt which does look many years away.

Runners attempting to break two hours would need to run just over 28:20 for each of their 10km splits.

SUB-3:30 (8:00 per mile)

6336 runners broke 3:30 in London in 2017. Note it is much busier around this time and 650 runners finished in the three-minute span between 3:27 and 3:30 at around four a second.

Of those who ran a time of 3:29, the average halfway time was 1:42, the fastest time was 1:23:55 and the slowest was 1:47:38.

Runners aiming for this time usually have times of around 1:35 for the half-marathon and 43:00 for 10km.

On even pace runners need to run 40:04 for 5 miles, 80:09 for 10 miles and 2:00:03 for 15 miles, 2:48:19 for 20 miles and 3:20:22 for 25 miles.

SUB-4:00 (9:09 per mile)

13383 runners broke 4:00 in London in 2017 and 1000 runners finished in the three-minute span between 3:57 and 4:00 as finishers are at the peak around this time with runners finishing between five and six a minute.

The fastest time for those who ran 3:59 at halfway was 1:19:48 and the slowest was 2:04:28 with the latter going 10 minutes quicker on the second half. The average was around 1:56.

Runners aiming for this time usually have PB times of around 1:45-1:50 for half-marathon and 47-50:00 for 10km.

On even pace, runners need to run 45:48 for 5 miles, 91:36 for 10 miles and 2:17:24 for 15 miles, 3:03:12 for 20 miles and 3:49:00 for 25 miles.

SUB-4:30 (10:18 per mile)

20,567 runners broke 4:30 in London in 2017 and 800 runners finished in the three-minute span between 4:27 and 4:30. At a rate of between four and five a second.

The quickest time of those who ran 4:29 was 1:50:00 and the slowest was 2:20:05 – the latter going 10 minutes quicker on the second half but the former slowing 50 minutes. The average was around 2:07 and runners were slowing much more in this span than the others.

Runners aiming for this time usually have PB times around 1:55-2:10 for half-marathon and 53:00-60:00 for 10km.

On even pace, runners need to run 51:31 for 5 miles, 1:43:03 for 10 miles and 2:34:34 for 15 miles, 3:26:06 for 20 miles and 4:17:38 for 25 miles.

Beatrice Wood, Thomas Archer and Menje Merle proved they were names to watch for the future as they won titles at the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon

Beatrice Wood, the Inter-Counties cross-country champion, translated her success to the road as she took the under-15 girls title in a time of 16:35, just 10 seconds off the course record to take a second victory on the streets of London, Jacob Phillips reports.

Despite her success Wood’s season has not been without challenge following a knee injury which meant she could not run for several weeks.

“I was desperate to win because I won last year,” she said. “I had three weeks off injured over half term because of a knee injury so I’m just happy to be here.

“I’m looking ahead for English Schools competition, which I won last year as well, so I’m just looking to shave as much time as possible.”

Under-15 Thomas Archer, representing Hackney, won both the London Borough Challenge and the British Athletics Road Running Championships as he powered to a surprise victory of just two seconds.

Archer, who finished 164th at the English Schools Cross Country Championships, looks to be improving at a dramatic rate.

Speaking to Athletics Weekly, Archer said: “It was as perfect as I could have expected. I wasn’t expecting much going into it and to come away with the win feels amazing.

“At English schools I struggled and at cross country I’m not that strong so it was good to take the win.

“It’s always in the back of your mind to get to the elite level but I just want to keep being consistent and not overthink it. I’m going to go home now to do some homework and watch the main marathon.”

Athletes represented either their London boroughs or British regions as the two categories of races were merged.

Zien Zhou was the first athlete of the day to cross the finish line on The Mall as he won the boys’ wheelchair race by over a minute, a feat mirrored by Merle Menje, who won the women’s wheelchair race.

Following her victory, Merle said: “I knew that I could do better than last year. My next target is to qualify for the world para athletics junior championships in Switzerland in August.”

Following in the footsteps of the likes of Mo Farah, David Weir and Hannah Cockroft as Mini Marathon winners, those who took to the last three miles of the marathon course will hope to follow in their footsteps to become future Olympians.

Other notable successes included Henry McLuckie who took gold in the under-17 men’s race, Charlotte Alexander in the under-17 women’s race and Ruby Vinton in the under-13 girls race, while Ben Peck took the under-13 boys victory.

Kenyan dominates on streets of the British capital as Charlotte Purdue excels in 10^th to go No.3 on the UK all-time rankings

Brigid Kosgei defeated a stacked field in the women’s race at the Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday as she surged away from fellow Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot in the closing stages to clock 2:18:20.

Kosgei finished runner-up to Cheruiyot 12 months ago in London but this time the 25-year-old turned the tables by moving clear during the final 10km to win by almost two minutes.

Defending champion Cheruiyot was level with Kosgei at 20 miles but Kosgei proved too strong as Cheruiyot clocked 2:20:14 to finish second with Rozu Dereje of Ethiopia third in 2:20:51, Gladys Cherono of Kenya fourth in 2:20:52 and three-time London winner Mary Keitany fifth in 2:20:58.

Close behind, Emily Sisson clocked an American record in a women-only race of 2:23:08 in sixth place, while Sinead Diver, the Irish-born Australian runner, held on to clock a fine 2:24:11 after an audacious start that saw the 42-year-old enjoy a half-minute lead over Kosgei and everyone else in the early stages.

Diver’s training partner, Charlotte Purdue, produced the best British performance of the women’s race as well as she stormed home in 2:25:38 to go No.3 on the UK all-time rankings behind Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi.

Purdue’s fine run saw her finish in 10^th overall and the next Briton was Tish Jones – the Belgrave runner clocking 2:31:00 – while Lily Partridge ran 2:31:53 and Hayley Carruthers 2:33:59, before the latter collapsed over the finish line in exhaustion.

Purdue’s preparations saw her split her time between Australia – where she is coached by Nic Bideau – and the Bushy Park area of London. A former European junior cross-country champion, she is now aged 27 and her run on Sunday saw her qualify for the IAAF World Championships in Doha plus the Tokyo Olympics.

“I am really happy to get into the top 10 in a massive PB,” said Purdue. “I couldn’t have asked for a better run really.”

Purdue ran a smartly-paced race but the battle for overall victory was more of an unpredictable, see-saw affair. Kosgei and the main contenders did not go with the pacemakers during the opening miles, for example, with Diver enjoying a clear lead as she passed halfway in 71:22 with Kosgei clocking 71:38 as the eventual winner was content to stay with her main east African rivals at that stage.

By 20 miles, though, Kosgei and Cheruiyot had passed Diver and the contest looked set to be between the same who finished one-two in London in 2018. But Kosgei’s strong surge in the last 10km – where she didn’t even stop to take a drink – ended Cheruiyot’s ambitions and she sped away to a dominant win.

Kosgei said: “The wind was a problem for me today. It was hard for me to get my breath but I’m very happy to have done so well.”

Kosgei also won the Chicago Marathon last autumn in 2:18:35, so she is building up a formidable reputation ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

“I didn’t really know how far ahead I was, I looked back a couple of times then realised everything was okay. I’m extremely happy in my performance and everything went to plan.”

Cheruiyot said: “I’m happy with a podium finish, I know that coming second means I can keep on improving.”

Like Kosgei, Manuela Schär of Switzerland was a similarly emphatic winner as she took the women’s wheelchair race in 1:44:09.

“Can you believe it I have all of the majors in one year,” said the Swiss athlete. “Plan A was to drive ahead at the three mile downhill mark, which is early, but I know I had to do this in order to put myself in a good position.”

More than five minutes behind, Tatyana McFadden of the United States was runner-up in 1:49:42 followed closely by Madison de Rozario of Australia.

Kenyan breaks course record with 2:02:37 to take London Marathon victory while Mo Farah finishes fifth and Callum Hawkins creates history

Every time Eliud Kipchoge runs, he appears to use it as an opportunity to underline his greatness. If ever there were any doubts that the Kenyan is the finest marathon runner in history then his command performance in winning a record fourth London title surely dispelled them.

His winning time of 2:02:37 broke the London course record and only one person has ever gone quicker over the distance – Kipchoge himself, who ran 2:01:39 in Berlin to break the world record last year.

This is a man clearly at the peak of his athletic powers and, though there was a degree of pressure applied on the streets of the UK capital, he always looked in total control.

Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew set a national record of 2:02:55 but he still finished 18 seconds behind the victor, while compatriot Mule Wasihun clocked 2:03:16 for third.

In the lead-up to the race, there had been hope of a battle between Kipchoge and European record-holder Mo Farah but, in truth, such a joust simply didn’t materialise and, after a controversial week for the Briton, he took the national title in fifth with 2:05:39, outside his best of 2:05:11.

Farah was not the only home athlete to finish in the top 10, however, as Callum Hawkins bounced back in remarkable style from last year’s collapse while leading the Commonwealth Games, destroying his personal best to run 2:08:14 and smashing Allister Hutton’s 34-year-old Scottish record of 2:09:16.

Hawkins also made sure of World Championships selection for Doha, well inside the qualifying mark of 2:13:00, as well as meeting the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying criteria of finishing in the top 10 and running inside 2:11:30. Welshman Dewi Griffiths was 16th in 2:11:46.

Kipchoge was to the fore throughout the race, at the head of a nine-strong group containing Geremew, Wasihun, former world record-holder Wilson Kipsang and last year’s runner-up Shura Kitata, with Farah content to sit at the back. The first 5km was passed in 14:23, 10km in 29:01, while the first real injection of speed came not long after halfway mark was passed by the leaders in 61:37.

A group of five – Kipchoge, Geremew, Wasihu, world silver medallist Tamirat Tola and Valencia winner Leul Gebrselassie – began to edge away as the 14th mile was covered in 4:32 it became clear that, once again, Kipchoge was planning something special.

Farah gave it his all but sensibly did not attempt to match the pace as he gradually began to fall further adrift. Behind him, Hawkins – who had passed halfway in 63:21 – was growing in strength and bang on the schedule he had spoken about pursuing earlier in the week.

Kipchoge continued in his trademark, serene fashion as his competitors began to fade. First Gebrselassie was dropped, then Tata, to leave a three-way fight for the title as the closing stages loomed. As they progressed along the Embankment, at first it did not look like Geremew and Wasihun would be shaken off. A man used to having things his own way when it comes to closing out a race, how would Kipchoge respond?

The Kenyan’s smile betrays a ruthless streak and another change of pace (mile 24 was covered in 4:43 but mile 25 produced a split of 4:30) was as decisive as it was impressive. His foes vanquished, Kipchoge allowed himself to enjoy a finishing stretch down the Mall in the shadow of Buckingham Palace which could only be described as processional.

“I had the confidence to win,” said Kipchoge, who was won his last 10 marathons in a row and admitted he is hoping to defend his Olympic title in Tokyo next year.

“I was very worried,” he added, when asked about having two pursuers with him in the closing stages. “Because you never know what will happen when everyone is at your back.”

As it turned out, the 34-year-old had little cause for concern.

To Farah’s great credit, he didn’t throw in the towel and though he insisted it was not a distraction, it’s hard to gauge just how much of a toll his very public and controversial row with Haile Gebrselassie took.

“I felt great with my start,” said the four-time Olympic champion. “My aim was to follow the pacemaker, but after 20 miles when he dropped out, the gap opened up and it became hard to close. My aim was to try and reel them back but the wheels came off and I was hanging in there.”

Hawkins admitted to feeling a wobble around the 40km mark, the same stage where disaster struck last year, but held on to become the third-fastest Briton in history.

“It was really important,” he said of bouncing back from Gold Coast. “I was really feeling it in the last 5km. It was really tough out there and really windy but I got my head around it and ground out the last 2km.”

Griffiths was the next Brit across the line, followed by Jonny Mellor’s 19th in 2:13:25, while Josh Griffiths was 21st in 2:14:25 and Commonwealth bronze medallist Robbie Simpson ran a personal best of 2:14:56 for 23rd.

Daniel Romanchuk roars to wheelchair win

America’s Daniel Romanchuk claimed to be “in shock” but, given that he won the Boston Marathon earlier this month, as well as enjoying victory in Chicago and New York last autumn, his triumph in the elite men’s wheelchair race in London can hardly qualify as a complete surprise.

The 20-year-old did have to rely on a strong closing finish to hit the line first in 1:33:38 but he fought off two-time London winner and highly decorated Swiss Marcel Hug (1:33:42) as well as Japan’s Tomoki Suzuki (1:33:51).

Eight-time winner David Weir admitted to an off-day as he finished fifth on what was his 20^th consecutive London Marathon appearance, coming home in 1:37:32.

The Briton had been in touch with the leading group going through halfway but, as the inaugural “Flying 400” – a 400m time trial section – approached, Romanchuk made an uphill break which pulled the eventual top three away from the rest of the field for the remainder of the race.

Romanchuk earned $10,000 for winning the sprint in 45 seconds and the lead changed hands between he, Hug and Suzuki until the closing stages, where the youngest competitor got his tactics just right to finish first and land his maiden World Para Athletics Marathon Championships title.

“I’m still in shock,” he said. “This past year has been incredible. “I climb much better than I descend and I tried to take as much advantage I could on the climbs, I talked to my coaches a lot about this and this is how we planned the race to go.

“The next thing for me is to recover from this and I’ll be heading on to the track after that It’s my first world title and it’s really hard to describe the feeling, I didn’t plan a specific place or anything so this is incredible.”

For Weir, back in a British vest since initially retiring from international athletics in 2017, said: “I just didn’t have it today. I knew Daniel had it when he put the burners on after Tower Bridge. I was slower than previous years, I just had no energy to be honest. I don’t know whether it was the infections I had for a few weeks in the build-up, but I’m not going to make excuses, I just wasn’t good enough today.

“It’s just a one-off thing. I kept up with Marcel and Daniel in New York. I was with them all the way to the end, but it’s just one of those things.”

Weir’s compatriot JohnBoy Smith fought off flu to finish 11th in 1:38:33, while Simon Lawson was 15th in 1:39:58.

In the T46 category, Britain’s Derek Rae destroyed his personal best as he followed up last year’s World Cup victory with a world silver medal thanks to his time of 2:27:08, beating his previous best by over six minutes. Australia’s Michael Roeger took gold in a world record of 2:22:51.

“I’m proud of myself and the team,” said Rae. “It’s a great individual achievement but also good to get the team going on the medal table for the World Championships. We’ve sacrificed a lot over the last six years; myself, my wife, my team; and now we are starting to reap the rewards. Proud is an understatement.”

TALLADEGA, Ala. – In the final laps of Friday’s ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, a lack of cars in the lead pack may have contributed to Todd Gilliland’s ability to pull away from his pursuers, but there was another important factor in the heads of several contenders as well.

Both runner-up Riley Herbst and third-place Brandon Lynn were thinking heavily about their teams’ position in the owner’s championship standings, trying to maintain and protect as much as they were trying to “go for broke” and capture the checkered flag.

“In the back of my mind, I was thinking about the fact that we’re running for the owner’s title this year, and Ty (Gibbs) has had some really solid runs lately,” Herbst noted. “My job was to back (up) Ty’s good runs and support the team … so that we can get to Kansas with a shot at the owner’s championship.”

That philosophy meant that as much as the pair of young guns may have wanted the anvil trophy that was ultimately collected by Gilliland, they had to balance their own goals with those of their teams.

“I believe the (No.) 20 is leading the owner’s points right now – I know it was coming into this race – so that was one of our main goals, was to keep the team in the lead,” Lynn said. “Hopefully they still have the lead in those standings after this race. That’s all we’re doing, is trying to get that owner’s championship for Venturini Motorsports at the end of the year.”

With four laps to go in Friday’s race, Herbst was given a directive over his team radio to not “give anything up,” a request he followed to the letter en route to his runner-up finish.

“I wouldn’t say I was forced (to settle), but I definitely had to stick to the yellow line,” said Herbst. “I saw the guys behind me starting to brew up some things, but (Rick) Carelli just told me to stay patient and stay in line as long as I could.

“We did that and came home second, along with some good points for this team.”

Leaving Talladega, Herbst and the No. 18 team jumped past the Venturini Motorsports No. 15 team of Christian Eckes and up to second in the owner’s championship race, with Lynn and the No. 20 team maintaining their position atop the standings.

That meant that both drivers accomplished their mission, even if it did come with the price of missing out on a victory at Talladega.

“Second still sucks,” Herbst lamented. “Man, I wanted that win.”

“As drivers, we don’t come here to do anything but get a victory, but we checked a lot of boxes for our team,” added Lynn. “Hopefully this gives us some positive momentum for the future.”

While it may do exactly that, the owner points fight still arguably stifled the finish of Friday’s race.

Whether those decisions pay off for either the No. 20 team or the No. 18 team later in the year remain to be seen.

LONDON -- As Tottenham slumped to their first defeat in their new ground at the hands of West Ham, you couldn't help but think of the contrast between them and their Champions League opponents, Ajax.

Ahead of Tuesday's fixture here at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Dutch FA has postponed an entire round of Eredivisie fixtures to allow Ajax the opportunity to rest ahead of the Champions League semifinal. They might not have spent the day with their feet up -- more likely they've been working on tactical plans on the training ground -- but they will go into the two-legged tie considerably fresher than Spurs, who looked dreadfully fatigued throughout this disappointing 1-0 defeat.

- Ogden: Does anyone want to finish fourth?
- Premier League sprint to the finish: Title, top four, relegation latest

Mauricio Pochettino has soldiered on with an undermanned squad this season, but this match was a fine example of Spurs' lack of depth. Without Harry Kane, they were depending upon Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura to provide a penalty box presence; Son couldn't time his runs to meet the through-balls his teammates attempted, with both Christian Eriksen and Danny Rose expressing their frustration with his movements. Lucas was barely involved.

There were suggestions after Spurs' dramatic quarterfinal second leg at the Etihad, where they scored three goals, that this side can be better without Kane. That's an understandable argument in matches where Spurs are allowed to play almost exclusively on the counter-attack, but against deeper defences when they dominate possession, they desperately miss him. There was nothing similar to Christian Eriksen's long-range winner against Brighton this time around.

Dele Alli looked tired and failed to produce any of his trademark bursts in behind, while Pochettino must also be questioned in a tactical sense. He fielded a midfield diamond here, with Danny Rose on the left playing close to the touchline, but Eriksen on the right playing very centrally. That meant any width from the right was the domain of right-back Juan Foyth, a natural centre-back who looked entirely uncomfortable overlapping, and it took until stoppage time for him to exert an influence going forward, when his sudden run and crossed onto the head of substitute Vincent Janssen, whose header was cleared off the line by Fabian Balbuena.

Foyth is not a right-back and Rose is not a central midfielder. Pochettino's tactical flexibility has allowed him to rotate effectively this season without sacrificing too much quality, but Spurs' system was lopsided and their performance was flat, after a promising first 15 minutes.

"I think the first half was good for us; the second half they were better, they showed more energy than us," Pochettino conceded afterwards. "We conceded a lot of space to run into for Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio who created problems for us. We couldn't manage the ball properly, we lost a lot of balls.

"Of course it's a setback. We wanted to win the three points to be in a good position to arrive in the Champions League game in a good way. Now we have to move on, it's about recovery, and on Tuesday we'll be ready to play."

With directly referencing Ajax's period of rest, the implication was there when Pochettino added: "It's a bit unfair, the way we arrive in the competition. It's a situation we cannot change."

Manuel Pellegrini's West Ham were somewhat timid before the break, only threatening when Felipe Anderson motored in behind down the left, but as Spurs wilted after half-time, the away side offered more attacking threat. Arnautovic suddenly sprung into life, producing the game's most impressive moment when he controlled a high ball with the elegance of Dimitar Berbatov, before producing a long-range strike that was handled comfortably by Hugo Lloris who, tellingly, was Spurs' best performer here.

Lloris, though, could do nothing when Arnautovic's clever chip into the path of Antonio produced a composed finish -- a touch with the chest to control the ball, and a powerful right-footed smash into the far corner. "It was not an easy goal to score, and he did it very well," a typically understated Pellegrini said afterward.

West Ham continued to offer a counter-attacking threat despite Pellegrini throwing on an extra defender in Angelo Ogbonna and going 5-4-1, and but for Lloris' save from Antonio, and Issa Diop running out of stream when through on goal after an incredible dribble from the back, this could have been a more convincing margin of victory.

This was far from ideal preparation for Tottenham ahead of Tuesday; but that match is so big, the prospect of qualifying for the Champions League final so exciting, that the atmosphere will surely be hugely positive on the night. The question for Pochettino is precisely how to format his attack, and the fact Fernando Llorente was rested here suggests he will lead the line on Tuesday night. To take advantage of his qualities, however, Spurs will need a more balanced system, and more attacking threat down both flanks, to prevent another flat performance.

Toss Rajasthan Royals chose to bowl v Sunrisers Hyderabad

Rajasthan Royals will bowl first in their must-win encounter with Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur. While Sunrisers come into this match nestled in fourth place on the points table - and with the confidence of their five-wicket win in the last meeting between these two teams - Royals are wedged down near the bottom of the table in seventh, needing to win all three of their remaining games in order to stay in contention.

Royals are without Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, while Jonny Bairstow has also departed Sunrisers' squad, with all three players returning to England for national duty. Royals have also been without Jos Buttler since he returned to England to be present for the birth of his first child last week.

Liam Livingstone and Ashton Turner have slotted into Royals' XI for Stokes and Archer, while Kane Williamson is back for Sunrisers after briefly returning to New Zealand following the death of his grandmother. Wriddhiman Saha also returns for his first IPL match this season, replacing Yusuf Pathan and taking the gloves from Bairstow. Siddarth Kaul is also back in Sunrisers' XI, in place of fellow fast bowler Sandeep Sharma.

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Riyan Parag, 6 Ashton Turner, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Jaydev Unadkat, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Oshane Thomas

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Siddarth Kaul

After winning four of their first five matches of this IPL season, Kolkata Knight Riders have lost their last six matches on the bounce. Their batting has come under plenty of criticism for the situation they find themselves in, but Andre Russell believes the blame lies elsewhere.

"We have a good team," Russell said on the eve of Knight Riders' match against Mumbai Indians. "But having a good team and making bad decisions, I think you will always lose games. And that's what we've been doing.

"I could pinpoint a few games where if we'd just looked to bowl tighter, and bowl bowlers who would restrict the game - the right bowlers at the right time [the results would've been different]. They say our batting has been struggling, but our batting hasn't been struggling really. We get the totals that we should defend, and we should restrict teams to lesser totals and go in and get those runs. And we don't really take our catches, we've been the worst fielding team so far. It's plain on TV, everyone's seeing it."

Russell has been Knight Riders' standout performer this season - with 406 runs at a strike rate of nearly 210, and eight wickets - but he says his team's performances have left him deflated.

"To be in this position is not the most healthiest," Russell said. "I find myself just being in my room for the last couple of days. Losing game after game… I'm not the type of guy to go walking around like I'm doing something good. Even if I score a half-century or get five wickets and we come out on the losing end, it doesn't make me want to leave my room.

"We as cricketers, we have to hold our passion inside and not show it on the television. I'm passionate inside. Sometimes it may show on the field. I may get upset at a team-mate for dropping a catch or not taking a half-chance. Because when we mess up, [opposition] guys take our half-chances. It's hard to go walking around, losing six games in a row. It's not healthy. I'm feeling down at the moment, but tomorrow when I cross that rope, my level will be 150."

As for his highly-debated batting position - he has himself advocated going higher up the order - Russell hinted at more flexibility in the matches to come.

"Yes, there have been conversations with the coach, and he's backing me to go in whenever the team needs me," Russell said. "Maybe tomorrow you'll see me a bit earlier, maybe I'll be coming in at the same lower-order spot. It all depends on what happens tomorrow. You can't predict the future.

"If we should get a good start, then maybe I'll just stay where I normally bat. I can go in at four-five overs to go, I'm happy doing that. If the team needs me to bat 12 overs tomorrow, I'm happy to bat 12. If they need me to bat three or four, that's my job."

Asked about the prospect of facing one of the best attacks in the IPL in Mumbai Indians, Russell said the pressure would be on the bowlers and not on him.

"I never fear any bowler. Never. Bowlers fear me! (laughter) I'm not bragging or anything," Russell said. "I can get out in one ball tomorrow, or the first ball they bowl can go for six. I'm not afraid to get out. It's not a life and death situation. You're giving yourself a chance to score runs, and they're trying to get you out.

"[Jasprit] Bumrah is a top bowler, [Lasith] Malinga - top bowler. But they're human beings. Tomorrow they can bowl a few balls that slip out of the fingers and don't come out like they normally come out - and I'm in business. I never back down."

The Eden Gardens crowd has witnessed four straight Knight Riders defeats. Russell was amazed that spectators were still packing the stands.

"It's been unbelievable to be honest. We keep losing game after game, but the stadium is always full," Russell said. "And I know Sunday we'll get another full crowd. It's just amazing.

"In the Caribbean, if I was playing for West Indies or Jamaica, and we lose six games in a row, you'll not see no fans to be honest. You're going to see a few die-hard fans, but you won't see the stadium full like this. People are going to say, 'you're not playing good cricket'. It's not like the English Premier League where guys look to fight. It's just amazing. I would appreciate if the stadium gets full tomorrow. That would really get me pumped, after hitting a boundary and taking a wicket to hear a big cheer. That would really keep us going."

Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan has been given a two-week course of medication by doctors in England, along with a prescription of complete rest, in an attempt to cure the virus that ruled him out of their forthcoming series. He will now return home from London and undergo another round of blood tests in Lahore next month to determine his fitness for the World Cup.

Shadab was originally named in both squads for the England series and World Cup only to be ruled out two days after the announcement after failing a blood test. He was subsequently replaced with fellow legspinner Yasir Shah, while the PCB arranged an appointment with a London-based gastroenterology and hepatology specialist.

The possibility of being without Shadab, a key player over the last two years, would be major dent ahead of the World Cup, although the PCB is optimistic that he may still recover in time. The PCB can make changes to the squad without seeking ICC permission until May 23. After that date and through the tournament, the ICC's technical committee will process any replacement requests.

Shadab was the only frontline spinner named in Pakistan's original 17-man squad to tour England, however, the presence of Mohammad Hafeez, back after a thumb injury, and Imad Wasim gives them options in the spin department for a one-off T20I and a five-match ODI series between May 5 and 19.

Pakistan also have Mohammad Amir pushing for a World Cup spot, having been named alongside Asif Ali as the two men outside the World Cup 15. Amir's form over the past 18 months hasn't been good enough to win selection in the preliminary squad but he has the chance to push his case in familiar conditions - the country where his last ODI high point occurred in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy.

Crystal ball: Raiders pick from CFP title game

After two days and three rounds of the 2019 NFL draft, three of the Raiders' four picks are from the College Football Playoff National Championship, which GM Mike Mayock was on hand for just a week into his new gig.