Arsenal boosted their hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League after a bizarre 10th-minute goal by striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave them a 1-0 win at 10-man Watford on Monday.

The result lifted the Gunners two places up to fourth on 66 points from 33 games, one behind third-placed Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal are ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea, who have played a game more, on goal difference. Watford stayed 10th with 46 points.

Arsenal manager Unai Emery was pleased with his team's first away clean sheet of the season.

"A clean sheet is very important," he told the BBC. "It is going to give us a lot of information, this match."

The fast-paced clash took a decisive turn in a frantic one-minute spell early on, as Aubameyang found the back of the net in unlikely fashion before Watford striker Troy Deeney was shown a straight red card for elbowing Lucas Torreira.

The home side's goalkeeper Ben Foster dwelled on Daryl Janmaat's back pass for too long, allowing Aubameyang to close him down and block his attempted goalmouth clearance as the ball ricocheted into the back of the net.

Foster made no excuses for his howler.

"I've said sorry to the lads," he said. "I tried to drag it on to my left and pass it out but before I knew it Aubameyang was bloody on me. He is too quick. In hindsight you have to get rid [of the ball] as quick as you can, even if it goes into row Z."

Torreira was taken off at half-time with a "small injury," said Emery, who also cited the atmosphere surrounding the Uruguay international after the Deeney incident.

"First I decided to do the change of Lucas Torreira because, after the red card, the atmosphere is against him," he said.

"Also, the doctor said to me in the first half that he has a little pain from Thursday's game against Napoli and I decided 'okay, it's the moment [to take him off]'."

Asked what he thought of Deeney's red card, the former Sevilla and PSG boss said he never saw the clash.

"I didn't see the red card. I leave the decision for the referee," he said. "It's clear it helped us, with the decisions, because we played with one more player from then on. It's more difficult for them. But our goal gave us the advantage in the first half and after the red card also."

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Watford kept pressing and missed a string of chances to draw level, having twice been denied by the woodwork as well as by some good saves from Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno.

The home side missed their best opportunity in the 80th minute when Arsenal substitute Ainsley Maitland-Niles slid in to block Andre Gray's goal-bound effort after the Watford forward rounded Leno.

Aubameyang, Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan also came close at the other end but Arsenal were forced to hang on in the closing stages with Watford throwing men forward.

The home team's manager Marco Silva praised his team for their fighting spirit in the face of adversity.

"We did a lot of things to try to win, a big effort," he said. "We didn't get any points but we played well. It was a difficult game with 10 men."

Major League Soccer doesn't really do undefeated teams, at least not for long. There are too many ways to trip in a league where even the worst clubs can sometimes sneak a win through poor opponent finishing and/or a bit of luck.

This year, three teams have made it to mid-April without a blemish following Toronto's loss in Seattle this weekend. All three -- LAFC, Seattle and Houston -- play on the road between now and the end of Week 8. No team made it to May without a loss in 2018, and the two that did proved to be paper tigers by the time the playoffs rolled around.

Making it to May might not indicate anything about how a team's season will end up, but it will convey at least one honor: a top spot in the prestigious ESPN MLS Power Rankings.

What could be better than that?

Previous rankings: Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. LAFC (6 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses)

Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 17, at Vancouver (10 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

Herculez Gomez says Carlos Vela isn't even playing the best he can and now he's scoring with his right foot. If the rest of the league wasn't already very, very afraid, now is probably a good time to feel fear of Bob Bradley's black and gold machine as well as what Vela can do if he stays healthy for the balance of the season.

2. Seattle Sounders (5-1-0)

Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: Sunday, April 21, at LAFC (7 p.m. ET)

It feels like Sounders vs. Toronto FC should be a rivalry game simply because of their competing in MLS Cup finals against each other in 2016 and 2017. Saturday's match had that vibe, with a tight and tense hour-plus giving way to a wild finish. Give the Sounders credit: They executed a comeback and used everything they had to hold on for a win.

3. LA Galaxy (5-0-1)

Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: Friday, April 19, vs. Houston (11 p.m. ET)

Four straight wins, two straight clean sheets for the Galaxy. Zlatan Ibrahimovic's health might be the biggest factor in just how successful this season turns out for LA, but there's reason to be positive about the defensive direction of the team. Next week should see the Galaxy debut of Giancarlo Gonzalez, a further boost for a back line that's needed it for some time.

4. Houston Dynamo (4-1-0)

Previous ranking: 6

Next MLS match: Friday, April 19, at LA Galaxy (11 p.m. ET)

The best team no one is talking about (or going out to see, for that matter) is the Houston Dynamo. Wilmer Cabrera's club is unbeaten this season and extended its winning streak to four with a victory over San Jose. If the Dynamo can weather the metaphorical storms of the season like they did the literal one on Saturday, watch out.

5. D.C. United (4-2-1)

Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: Sunday, April 21, vs. New York City FC (4 p.m. ET, live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes)

Luciano Acosta's first goal since the season opener against Atlanta (a figurative lifetime ago) helped United overcome an early deficit against the Rapids and bounce back from Tuesday's disappointing draw with Montreal. Keep an eye on Chris Durkin; following reports that United turned down a loan opportunity, there's new pressure to play him.

6. Columbus Crew (4-1-2)

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, vs. Portland (7.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

The lack of a finishing touch and a simple mistake at the back were enough to undo the Crew in Montreal. It's the danger of the possession-heavy approach Columbus takes, particularly against a defend-and-counter team like the Impact. No reason to panic for the Crew, though: They were the better team on the day in Quebec.

7. Sporting Kansas City (2-3-1)

Previous ranking: 7

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, at San Jose (10 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

While other teenagers are getting the bigger spotlight, Gianluca Busio is quietly becoming a crucial part of Sporting's season. The 16-year-old scored the equalizer on Sunday against the Red Bulls and perhaps more impressive, he didn't bother celebrating with more than a first pump: Busio wanted to get back and find the late winner.

8. FC Dallas (4-1-2)

Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, at Atlanta (4 p.m. ET, live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes)

Atlanta's first win of the year might look like it comes at a bad time for FC Dallas, the next team to face the defending champs, but Atlanta's better form will make a win for the Texans more impressive if they can pull it off. Paxton Pomykal and FCD's kids will get a chance to show what they can do on the big national stage.

9. Toronto FC (3-1-1)

Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: Friday, April 19, vs. Minnesota (8 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

The Reds took their best swing at the Sounders and came up short. On the plus side, "Pozuelo to Altidore" looks to be a phrase TFC broadcasters will be saying a lot this season. Jozy Altidore already has five goals through four appearances after totaling just seven goals in all of 2018.

10. Philadelphia Union (3-1-3)

Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, vs. Montreal (1 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

The trip out west ended the Union's unbeaten run and winning streak at four and three, respectively. A tough penalty call in the first half put Philadelphia in a hole it couldn't climb out of. Whatever the debate on the call, the Union's lack of firepower doomed them in a game that was likely to demand goals.

11. Minnesota United (3-1-2)

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: Friday, April 19, at Toronto (8 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

The Loons home debut at Allianz Field didn't exactly go to plan (much like the debut Allianz Field tifo), but a draw and three goals is hardly a bad showing. The building glittered and Ozzie Alonso's booming volley was a fitting first goal for the new venue. Now to the business of making it a fortress on the northern plain.

12. Montreal Impact (3-1-2)

Previous ranking: 13

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, at Philadelphia (1 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. That piece of wisdom appears to apply to Remi Garde's Impact, who secured three points in the first home game of the season on Saturday. Things are weird enough in the East that the win launched Montreal up the table and into third place.

13. New York Red Bulls (1-2-3)

Previous ranking: 12

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, at New England (7.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

What a "woulda coulda" game for the Red Bulls in Kansas City. How big would a win at Sporting have been for a team struggling in the early going? How could a team as good as the Red Bulls were last year at protecting leads let two points slip by conceding a late goal?

14. FC Cincinnati (2-2-3)

Previous ranking: 14

Next MLS match: Friday, April 19, vs. Real Salt Lake (7.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

Cincy walked into the lion's den -- or the falcon's aerie -- and fell to the best team in the league. There's no shame in that, especially considering that Alan Koch's team kept it competitive and nearly managed to steal a point. FCC is still in the "no judgment" zone as an expansion side, so let's call that one a "positive loss."

15. Orlando City (2-2-3)

Previous ranking: 15

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, vs. Vancouver (3 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

Lions boss James O'Connor rolled out a lineup on the road in Salt Lake City that didn't feature Dom Dwyer and Nani, for reasons that aren't entirely clear. It's probably not right to say Orlando lost just because those two didn't start, but it's probably wrong to say things wouldn't have been any different with the pair in the lineup from the opening whistle.

16. Atlanta United (1-2-2)

Previous ranking: 17

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, vs. FC Dallas (4 p.m. ET, live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes)

The champs won a game! Frank de Boer's team put more balls into New England's net (2) than New England did into Atlanta United's net (0)! Ezequiel Barco's coming-out party was a major part of the win and will have the Five Stripes faithful dreaming the $15 million man can lead the team in the quest for another title.

17. Real Salt Lake (2-1-4)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: Friday, April 19, at Cincinnati (7.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

Sam Johnson's name might not stand out, but the Liberian striker is a DP and does need to score goals for RSL to make noise in the West this season. Johnson's first MLS tally finally happened on Saturday against Orlando after weeks of slowly building into the lineup. Will it jump-start RSL's season nearly two months in?

18. New York City FC (0-5-1)

Previous ranking: 16

Next MLS match: Sunday, April 21, at D.C. United (4 p.m. ET, live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes)

NYCFC's fifth point of the year probably should have been three. There might not be a worse goalkeeping moment in MLS this year than Sean Johnson's gaffe, and the last thing Dome Torrent needs as he tries to right the Yankee Stadium clipper is a keeper going through a crisis of confidence.

19. Chicago Fire (1-3-2)

Previous ranking: 19

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, vs. Colorado (1 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

"Fair" is a word we use a lot in soccer, sometimes to the point of forcing the narrative on games that end up in draws. That said, it seems mostly fair that Chicago earned a home point from a questionable penalty after gifting the Whitecaps a goal when David Ousted mishandled the ball on the edge of his box. "Fair."

20. Vancouver Whitecaps (0-2-4)

Previous ranking: 21

Next MLS match: Wednesday, April 17, vs. LAFC (10 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

The Whitecaps blew into Chicago without a win on the season. They didn't blow out any better. The chance at three points was there momentarily, but Vancouver can't have too many complaints about getting a single point out of game in which it had just two shots on target.

21. New England Revolution (1-1-5)

Previous ranking: 20

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, vs. NYRB (7.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

For a team called the Revolution, New England is doing a lot of standing in place. A second straight goalless performance doomed the Revs to a loss on Saturday, but more troubling, the club is dropping games at home in a league where doing so is the surest sign of a season on its way to being lost.

22. San Jose Earthquakes (1-0-5)

Previous ranking: 22

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, vs. Sporting Kansas City (10 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

The Quakes didn't just suddenly become good with last week's win over the smoking wreckage of the Timbers, so Saturday's loss is not a shock. San Jose does look more competitive by the week, however, so maybe there's reason to hope for soccer fans in Northern California. Small victories.

23. Colorado Rapids (0-2-5)

Previous ranking: 23

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, at Chicago (1 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

Still no wins for Anthony Hudson and the Rapids in 2019. The new approach -- leaning on MLS vets to make the playoffs -- isn't working. The problems at the back are so bad that Hudson effectively called out every defender in his postgame comments by saying no one in the team has staked a claim to a starting spot.

24. Portland Timbers (0-1-5)

Previous ranking: 24

Next MLS match: Saturday, April 20, at Columbus (7.30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+)

Despite what you might hear from certain figures high up in the administration, it's not the referees who are holding back the defending Western Conference champions. The Timbers are just bad, though when things are going so poorly, the big decisions that go against you can feel like total miscarriages of justice. We get it.

Arsenal clung on to a 1-0 win against 10-man Watford to climb back into the Champions League places.

Watford were the architects of their own downfall after a huge Ben Foster error to gift Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the game's only goal was swiftly followed by a Troy Deeney red card.

Positives

It will be a huge relief for Arsenal to have finally recorded their first clean sheet on their travels this season. They owe plenty to Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who came off the bench to produce a brilliant late block to deny Watford an equaliser.

The clean sheet could provide the defence with a confidence boost ahead of their crucial trip to Naples in the Europa League later this week.

Negatives

This ought to have been far more comfortable than it was. Arsenal never really made their man advantage tell, and when they did create chances their finishing was wayward.

The Gunners will need to be better than this if they're to prevail in their three remaining away league games this season.

Manager rating out of 10

6 -- Unai Emery will be pleased that he managed some rotation and still came away with the three points. Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil shared the game, while Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette spent the entire game on the bench. However, he will be disappointed his team did not win this game more comfortably.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Bernd Leno, 7 -- Despite Arsenal having a man advantage from relatively early in the game, Leno was still called upon to make some decent saves. In the first half alone, he reacted well to keep out efforts from Craig Cathcart and Etienne Capoue.

DF Shkodran Mustafi, 6 -- Deployed as right-back, Mustafi was essentially asked to keep it simple. Unusually for him, he managed it.

DF Laurent Koscielny, 7 -- In a week where Arsenal play three times, Koscielny's stamina will be tested. However, Emery knows they simply cannot afford to be without him at the moment.

DF Konstantinos Mavropanos, 5 -- With Sokratis Papastathopoulos suspended, Emery elected to throw in the younger of their Greek defenders. Arsenal fans have built up Mavropanos in his absence, but this outing showed he is still raw with much to learn.

DF Nacho Monreal, 7 -- Starting in his favoured position as a full-back, Monreal put in a committed display. He was probably somewhat relieved not to be up against the pace of injured countryman Gerard Deulofeu.

MF Granit Xhaka, 5 -- On his return from injury, the Swiss international looked somewhat rusty. He will need to be far better in Naples on Thursday night.

MF Lucas Torreira, 6 -- It was the Uruguayan who has caught by Deeney's elbow, and consequently became a target of boos from the Watford fans. Perhaps Emery felt that was playing on his mind, and that might have contributed to the decision to withdraw him at half-time.

There was no place for Rishabh Pant or Ambati Rayudu in India's 15-man World Cup squad, but KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar and Ravindra Jadeja got the selectors' nod.

The meeting to pick the team took place in Mumbai on Monday and was attended by India captain Virat Kohli and the five-man selection panel led by MSK Prasad.

The squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma (vice capt), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami.

Who will be the No. 4?

For the past few months, both Kohli and Prasad had stressed that the World Cup squad was virtually "sorted" barring one spot: The No. 4 spot in the batting order. India have tried as many as 11 batsmen in that position since the 2017 Champions Trophy held in England.

Kohli wants a No. 4 batsman with both the skill and temperament to inject momentum into the innings, especially if India are setting a target. Ambati Rayudu, Pant, Vijay and Karthik emerged as the main contenders for the spot and the selectors have now shortlisted Vijay, Karthik, Kedar Jadhav and if need be Rahul to perform that important role.

"Under pressure, we have seen Dinesh Karthik finishing matches. That scored for him" MSK PRASAD

"After that Champions Trophy [in 2017] we have tried quite a few middle-order batsmen, which also includes Dinesh Karthik; we also tried Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey. We did give a few more chances to Rayudu, but what Vijay Shankar offers is three dimensions. Apart from his batting, he can bowl; if the conditions are suitable, overcast, which we might encounter in England, he might bowl a bit and he's a fantastic fielder. That's the thing that went in favour of Vijay Shankar.

"We are looking at him at No. 4 to begin with. With Dinesh Karthik in and also Kedar Jadhav in, we have plenty of options at that No. 4 right now."

India's vice-captain Rohit Sharma had also put forward MS Dhoni name at No. 4, although he said that was a "personal" choice. Prasad said that they had looked at all options in the meeting and the unanimous decision was to stick with Shankar at No. 4, at least at the start of the World Cup.

"It (Dhoni at No. 4) was discussed," Prasad said. "But I don't think that was the point. The point discussed is that Vijay Shankar will bat at No. 4 and so can Kedar Jadhav and we also have a role for KL [Rahul] somewhere." Prasad clarified that Rahul would be the third opener and will only be brought into the middle order if all other options failed.

Karthik v Pant

Why Karthik and not Pant was a question directed at Prasad more than once at the media briefing. And Prasad explained that though Pant was "almost there", the selectors had more faith in Karthik handling the pressure of "crunch" matches.

"It's definitely a case where we have debated at length and all of us in unison felt that either Rishabh Pant or DK [Karthik] will only come into the playing XI if Mahi [Dhoni] is injured. If it is a crucial match, like a quarter-final or a semi-final or like an important game, wicketkeeping also matters. So that's the only reason that we went ahead with Dinesh Karthik. Otherwise Rishabh Pant was almost there."

However, the biggest factor that worked against Pant was his struggle in finishing games for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2019; something that had also happened in final ODI against Australia in March, when he walked in to bat early with India chasing 273 early, but fell for a run-a-ball 16.

"That is exactly what we have discussed," Prasad said. "Under pressure, we have seen Dinesh Karthik finishing matches. That's one reason that scored for him."

Despite his promise as a hard-hitting batsman, Pant's wicketkeeping has not convinced everybody - including Prasad. "You can say that, you can say that, but the situation that was discussed among the selection committee is one of them will play in the XI provided MS [Dhoni] is injured. So under such situations, in crunch matches, who is the best guy who can handle the pressure? That is the reason that we went in favour of Dinesh Karthik. Otherwise Pant is full of talent. We have a lot of time for him. It is just unfortunate that he has missed out."

Three spinners against fourth specialist fast bowler

The defending champions Australia announced their World Cup squad on the same day as India and they picked as many as five fast bowlers. India though have settled for only three - Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami.

It appears that the fourth seamer's spot has gone to Jadeja, who has been included in case the wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal suffer drops in form, which can happen in a tournament like the World Cup where each team plays nine games during the league phase alone.

"In the last one-and-a-half years, these two wristspinners who have won us games," Prasad said. "But there might be a situation where you might require an additional allrounder in the playing XI, which Jadeja brings in. In the second part of the tournament, where the wickets may be a bit more dry, that is where we felt Jadeja will come in handy. That's the reason why he's been picked."

Also, the selectors believe that with four allrounders in the squad - including Hardik Pandya and Vijay, who bowl seam up - India can often field an XI with as many as seven strong bowling options. Also, a BCCI press release said four additional quicks - Navdeep Saini, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed and Deepak Chahar - will be traveling to the UK "to assist the Indian team in their World Cup preparation" and they could well be on standby in case of any problems to the three frontline quicks.

Big picture

Before IPL 2019, not many would have pointed at the return fixture between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals being the match they most looked forward to watching. In the post-mankad world though, this is going to be a game where non-strikers will be watched as closely as batsmen and bowlers. Under particular scrutiny will be the two protagonists of the drama that kicked off these two teams' IPL 2019 - R Ashwin and Jos Buttler. Will the Kings XI captain feel any additional pressure, knowing that there might be an extra edge to this contest? Will Buttler come out more determined to cart the bowlers everywhere because of what he has since said he perceives as a wrong decision?

Amid that subplot and drama, the bigger picture remains the race for qualification. Despite a stirring win against Mumbai Indians away in their last match, Royals' chances look a bit dim, with just two wins from seven games. They've been on the wrong end of four close results, and while different aspects of their execution went awry at various points, the common thread was their tendency to concede the big moments to the opposition. Their bowling has been led by Jofra Archer and Shreyas Gopal, but the support cast has regularly let them down, which is another area they need to work on.

Kings XI have had an up-and-down campaign so far, not stringing together enough wins to be truly dominant, but never letting too many losses pile up to lose spirit either. Ashwin has proved himself an astute captain and reliable bowler. His team though, has been a bit of a slightly off-kilter machine that is getting the job done. You know that if all the wheels align, it would go forward more easily. Lots of their wins have been scrappy affairs, and perhaps one truly dominant performance will mark a turnaround for a smoother ride ahead.

In the news

• Hardus Viljoen was unwell for Kings XI's last game, and thus missed out. That opened up a spot for Andrew Tye, but the Australia seamer conceded 40 runs in four overs without taking a wicket, so if Viljoen is fit, he could slot back in for Tye.

• Ben Stokes missed Royals' last match due to injury and they brought in Liam Livingstone. He, however, bowled only one over that went for 13 and batted at No.6, making 1 off 2 balls. If Stokes hasn't recovered, Royals could throw Ashton Turner into the mix. But, his right shoulder problem could restrict his throwing and bowling.

Previous meeting

It was both sides' opening game this season, and it's one no one is going to forget. When Ashwin ran Buttler out at the non-striker's end, it immediately became the story of the match. Steven Smith was making his return to the IPL, but he walked in when Buttler was out, and went almost unnoticed. Royals were cruising in their chase till then, but that mankad dismissal set off a chain reaction that resulted in a collapse, and a loss. Royals fumed, Ashwin stated plainly that he had acted perfectly within the law. Round 2 should be spicy.

Likely XIs

Kings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Sarfaraz Khan, 5 Mandeep Singh, 6 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 7 Sam Curran, 8 Hardus Viljoen, 9 R Ashwin (capt), 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 M Ashwin

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Steven Smith, 5 Rahul Tripathi, 6 Ashton Turner, 7 Shreyas Gopal, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 K Gowtham, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Dhawal Kulkarni

Strategy punt

• Kings XI have a stark difference in run-rates when the middle overs are broken up into 7-12 and 13-18. They score slower in the second block, which is against the norm. A combination of factors contributes to this: their strong opening partnership and being conservative against spin the chief factors. With the openers often staying together till past 10 overs, their dismissals trigger a slowdown which is more pronounced against spin. To combat this, they could use someone like Nicholas Pooran as a floater, given the license to go out and hit the spinners off their lengths.

• Jos Buttler is pretty handy against all types of bowling on most days, but in IPL 2019 so far, he has been more circumspect against spinners. His strike-rate against spin is 124.7, compared to 173 against pace. He has also reversed the route he had gone down last year: this season he starts slower and picks up pace in the middle overs. His initial caution and comparative struggles against spin might tempt Ashwin to include Mujeeb Ur Rahman and use him up front.

Stats that matter

• Shreyas Gopal has the second-best average and strike-rate in wins since IPL 2018. He averages 13.6 and has a strike-rate of 13.3.

• KL Rahul needs six runs to make 1,000 for Kings XI. He has batted in only 22 innings so far, and if he gets there against Royals, he'll be the joint second-fastest to get 1,000 runs for one franchise. The quickest is Shaun Marsh. He scored 1,000 runs in 21 innings, also for Kings XI.

• Historically, both teams have been pretty evenly matched. They've won three games each in their six meetings at Mohali. Overall in the IPL, Kings XI have won eight and Royals have won ten in their 18 matches.

Mumbai Indians 172 for 5 (De Kock 40, Hardik 37*, Moeen 2-18) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 171 for 7 (De Villiers 75, Moeen 50, Malinga 4-31) by five wickets

AB de Villiers hit a 51-ball 75. Moeen Ali struck five sixes in his 50 off 32 and then took 2 for 18 from his four overs. Yuzvendra Chahal took 2 for 27 as well, but the rest of Royal Challengers Bangalore were being their typical Royal Challengers Bangalore selves. Despite having been nicely set up for the death overs by de Villiers and Moeen's 95-run third-wicket stand, Royal Challengers lost five wickets for 27 runs in the last three overs - only de Villiers managing to find the boundary through that crucial stage of the innings.

After they had hobbled to an underwhelming 171 for 7, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammad Siraj proceeded to all concede runs at over 10 an over, giving Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock a dream start to the chase. No one in the Mumbai Indians side made a half-century, but - apart from perhaps Krunal Pandya - they all also made significant contributions. Rohit's breakneck partnership with de Kock, which propelled the team to 70 in the first 7.1 overs was a definitive period in the game, but Hardik Pandya's two sixes and two fours off Pawan Negi - who bowled the 19th over of the innings - sealed the match, from what was a slightly tricky situation.

With the ball, Lasith Malinga was modest against de Villiers, but took a stellar 4 for 31 anyway, prospering against every other batsman he bowled to. Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, muzzled de Villiers, but did not take any wickets, conceding just 22 runs from his four overs. Hardik's 1 for 21 from three overs also helped keep Royal Challengers quiet through the middle overs.

The de Kock-Rohit explosion

Royal Challengers' 171 was never a great score, but it seemed like a half-decent one until de Kock and Rohit made their charge. De Kock began the salvo, cracking two fours off the first over, bowled by Umesh Yadav. Umesh's next over was even more expensive - 16 runs coming from it, but none of the seamers escaped, really. The second over, bowled by Saini, went for 11, before Saini's next over - the sixth of the innings - was hit for 13. By the time Mumbai's opening pair were parted, they had made 70 off 43 balls, and put their side well on track for victory.

There would be a middle-order stutter for Mumbai, but the pace at which their openers had set off had granted the team a little room for error.

Mumbai's outstanding death bowling

Royal Challengers went into the last four overs of the innings with 136 for 2 on the board, and two set batsmen at the crease. They should absolutely murder it from there, right?

Only, they ran into two of the best death-overs operators in the game. First, Bumrah conceded only eight runs in the 17th over - once hitting de Villiers in the helmet with a bouncer. Malinga then had Moeen caught at deep square leg with a slower ball. Four balls later, Malinga had Marcus Stoinis popping a leading edge to cover. Bumrah's next over went for 10, then Malinga finished strong, having two batsmen caught off slower balls, to concede just seven off that over (there were also two byes).

Giving away just 33 from the last four overs, these two had foiled another late-overs surge.

The let-down

Thanks to a mini-collapse in the Mumbai middle order, Royal Challengers had a chance going into the final two overs, in which they had to defend 21 runs off 12 balls. Left-arm spinner Negi was thrown the ball, but although he began nicely, delivering a big-turning dot ball, Pandya's excellent hitting capabilities soon manifested. He hit the second ball of the over for a massive six, then hit two consecutive fours - one of them a bullet to the extra cover boundary.

De Villiers' IPL dominance over Malinga

No batsman seems to take Malinga apart in the IPL as much as de Villiers. Malinga has bowled 59 balls to him through the course of the league, with de Villiers plundering 109 runs off those balls. Never has Malinga dismissed de Villiers. Today, the trend did not change. De Villiers reaped 23 runs off the eight balls he faced from Malinga. Against the rest of the batsmen, meanwhile, he took four wickets, and gave away only 8 runs from 16 balls.

World Cup and Australia A squads have been named, along with the CA central contracts, as planning steps up for Australia's massive next six months. An enormous number of Australians are playing in overseas competitions in the lead up to those tours. Here the latest on how they are faring so far.

Who's in form and who's not

Glenn Maxwell isn't warming up for the World Cup in the IPL but rather in Division Two of the County Championship for Lancashire. He failed with the bat in both innings against Middlesex at Lord's but took a career-best 5 for 40 in the second innings to help Lancashire to a seven-wicket win. He claimed Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan in his five-wicket haul.

David Warner's stellar form continued with yet another half-century in the IPL against Delhi although it was his slowest of the tournament. He is the leading run-scorer in the IPL and looks set for a big World Cup campaign.

Not many of his fellow World Cup squad members are in the same kind of touch though. Steven Smith is still battling to find some rhythm. His last two IPL innings for Rajasthan have yielded just 15 and 12 and he's chewed up 37 balls in the process.

Marcus Stoinis played well in Royal Challengers Bangalore's only win of the IPL to-date last week making 28 not out from 16 balls. Two of his four boundaries came off Andrew Tye although he was also dropped off Tye's bowling. Stoinis failed to score against Mumbai on Monday. He also hasn't bowled in his last three matches after conceding 12 runs per over in his first two.

Jason Behrendorff dismissed Virat Kohli again but has been quite expensive in his last two outings after bowling well in his first three.

#Asheswatch

Peter Siddle wasn't selected in the Australia A four-day squad for the tour of England but he continued to push his case for the Ashes with a six-wicket haul for Essex against Surrey at The Oval. He ploughed through 49 overs for the match and claimed seven wickets in a draw. He also made 41 not out with the bat.

Marnus Labuschagne made a century for Glamorgan, just his fifth in first-class cricket, but it came on a Cardiff pitch that yielded six centuries and just 19 wickets in four days and was criticised by Northamptonshire.

Matt Renshaw made 48 not out in quick time to help guide Kent home in a fourth-day run chase at Edgbaston. He also made 39 in the first innings on a surface that was described as "Test quality" by Kent assistant coach Allan Donald. Renshaw again batted at No.3 in both innings.

Cameron Bancroft made scores of 33 and 22 also batting at No.3 on debut for Durham in a loss to Sussex in Division Two.

Did you see?

Chris Lynn has become a forgotten man in Australian cricket. After being groomed in the ODI team last year to potentially become a key cog in the World Cup campaign his name was nowhere to be seen when Australia listed 34 cricketers to tour England on Monday. But he continued his good form in the IPL over the weekend making a blistering 82 from 51 balls against Chennai. He struck seven fours and six sixes in his second half-century in three matches.

Injury list

Nathan Coulter-Nile was due to head to the IPL this week after a short rest at home following the UAE tour but he did not end up travelling and was replaced in RCB's squad by Dale Steyn. It was only precautionary and not due to any specific injury. He was named in the World Cup 15-man squad and is expected to be fully fit for the camp in Brisbane on May 2.

Performance of the week

Maxwell's five-wicket haul at Lord's was pretty significant. Not only did it set up a victory for Lancashire, it was the first time he had taken five wickets in a first-class match. Notably, it was also the first time he had taken four wickets in a first-class innings since his Test debut in Hyderabad in March of 2013.

Australia's head coach Justin Langer has acknowledged how tough it was on Peter Handscomb to miss out on the World Cup squad but said that it was impossible to ignore "all-time great"Steven Smith.

It was the clearest indication of where the final call on Australia's 15-man squad came with the team's recent upsurge in one-day form having created a logjam for batting positions. With Smith and David Warner both eligible to return following their bans, two of the players who featured on the successful India and Pakistan series had to be cut and they have been Handscomb and Ashton Turner.

The latter is less of a surprise after he didn't get a game against Pakistan - despite his thrilling 84 off 43 balls in Australia's record run chase in Mohali - but Handscomb had been a steady presence in the middle order since his recall, averaging 43.54 across 13 matches including a maiden hundred in that same Mohali match.

ALSO READ: The winners and losers from Australia's big day

He also brought a second-string with his wicketkeeping which could have provided back-up for Alex Carey, but in the end the selectors couldn't squeeze him in with Smith penciled in to be the middle-order accumulator, likely to bat at No. 4 behind Warner, Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja in a yet-to-be-decided order.

Shaun Marsh could have been the other batsman with a few questions hanging over him, but he scored four centuries in eight matches - albeit all losing causes - during the period Smith and Warner were absent although he could now be shunted into the reserve spot.

"Selection is always hard, there's no doubt about that. It's the toughest part of the job. It has been for as long as I've been coaching but certainly last Tuesday was really tough," Langer told RSN radio. "Pete is terribly stiff to miss out. He's all class. I spoke to him yesterday. He's literally all class. He's another ripper."

"I can give you all the clichés, I can try to find some good reasons, but the truth is I can't tell you how close he was to being selected. He had a brilliant time of it. He played exactly the role that we talked about for the back end of the ODI summer and in India and the UAE. He did a great job. He's super fit and a terrific young bloke. He gets on and does his job. But we just felt that Steve Smith would play that same role and Steve Smith is one of the all-time greats of Australian cricket."

Smith and Warner will join up with the World Cup squad for a pre-tournament camp in Brisbane early next month which includes three non-international matches against a second-string New Zealand XI. They will be followed by two warm-up matches in England, one of which is against the hosts, before their campaign starts against Afghanistan on June 1.

"I said 12 months ago it would be great for those guys to come back into the team and they've got to work hard to get back into the team," Langer said. "We're at that point now where the team is flying, the team is going really strongly and like always they'll be part of it. They're both great players and they'll fit nicely back into the team, no doubt about that.

"It was a strong process over the last nine or 10 months particularly, just to keep an eye on how the boys were going. They went through a lot of life education I guess themselves because of what had happened."

There remain a couple of injury concerns hanging over the World Cup 15, with Mitchell Starc and Jhye Richardson having been selected subject to fitness after their pectoral and shoulder injuries receptively.

Starc appears on track with his recovery and Langer was "confident" that Richardson would be fine having not needed surgery after the dislocation he suffered in the UAE. Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns confirmed on Monday that Josh Hazlewood, whose back injury and lack of cricket ruled him out of the initial squad, and Kane Richardson were the first-choice reserve quicks if required.

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RALEIGH, N.C. -- Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals are looking to defend the Stanley Cup. And they're not going down without a fight.

Ovechkin fought -- and knocked out -- Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov in the first period of Game 3 of the teams' first-round series on Monday night, a 5-0 win for Carolina.

Svechnikov, 19, is the youngest player in the NHL playoffs this season. A native of Barnaul, Russia, Svechnikov has said that he grew up idolizing Ovechkin, his countryman who is 14 years his elder. Svechnikov appeared to provoke Ovechkin, and the two exchanged words before dropping the gloves. Svechnikov got a few jabs in before Ovechkin dropped Svechnikov with three hard rights.

Svechnikov's head hit the ice on the way down. Svechnikov stayed down on the ice for several minutes before he was helped off by Carolina trainers. He was later ruled out by the Hurricanes to return. Both players received five minutes for fighting.

According to HockeyFights.com, Ovechkin has fought only four times in his NHL career -- and not since 2010.

Svechnikov scored two goals and tallied one assist in the Hurricanes' first two playoff games. Ovechkin won his record eighth Rocket Richard Trophy this season as the league's top goal scorer. He has one goal and two assists in the Capitals' first two games these playoffs.

The Hurricanes are hosting their first playoff game in a decade. Washington holds a 2-1 series lead after the loss.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento Kings hired Luke Walton as their coach on Monday, just days after the Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with him following three losing seasons.

Neither the Kings nor Walton waited long following changes that came just after the regular season. Sacramento fired coach Dave Joerger on Thursday following a 39-43 finish that was the best record for the franchise in 13 years. Walton was dismissed in Los Angeles a day later after failing to get the Lakers into the postseason in the first year with LeBron James.

Kings general manager Vlade Divac met with Walton on Saturday and the two sides quickly came to the agreement that was formally announced Monday.

Walton, 39, was 98-148 with Los Angeles in his first full-time head-coaching job, missing the playoffs all three seasons. He was 37-45 this season.

Walton also has experience as an assistant for Golden State, helping the Warriors win the 2015 title and then leading the team to a 39-4 record, including 24 straight wins to open the 2015-16 season, as interim coach while Steve Kerr was sidelined following complications from a pair of back surgeries.

That performance helped Walton get the job with the Lakers, but he was unable to duplicate that success with a roster with far less talent during his first two seasons and then again this year with James on board.

Walton takes over an up-and-coming team in Sacramento that features several talented young players acquired by Divac: guards De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, forward Marvin Bagley III and center Willie Cauley-Stein. The Kings finished nine games out of a playoff spot after being tied for the Western Conference's eighth seed heading into the final game before the All-Star break.

Sacramento had its most wins since going 44-38 in 2005-06, during coach Rick Adelman's final season. That ended a run of eight straight playoff berths, and Sacramento hasn't been back to the postseason since for the NBA's longest active drought.

Joerger was the ninth coach since Adelman was fired in 2006 and none was able to post a winning record or earn a playoff berth. In fact, since they moved to Sacramento before the 1985-86 season, the only winning seasons for the Kings came in Adelman's eight years at the helm, highlighted by a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2002.

Divac is now counting on Walton being the one who can get the team back to the level it reached under Adelman, when the Kings were a contender for several years and played an entertaining brand of basketball.