United fail to make it three in a row; Munster left with it all to do in Paris

Manchester United failed to continue their winning run when held to a 1-1 draw with Everton at Old Trafford. Revitalised under Duncan Ferguson, the visitors held on after a controversial opener, with youngster Mason Greenwood scoring United's goal. Tottenham continued to close the gap on the top four with a last-gasp winner against Wolves, and Kevin De Bruyne scored two and created another as Manchester City brushed managerless Arsenal aside at the Emirates. In his column this morning, Ken Early explains why the single-minded Mesut Özil is an Arsenal misfit in more ways than one. And Brian O'Connor writes about the most evocative sporting story in Ireland right now, Liverpool closing in on becoming champions of England for the first time in 30 years: "in a country so in thrall to the English game, how the Liverpool story unfolds is going to be watched with compulsive interest here in particular, no matter what the geography might indicate."

Brian Lohan's Clare tenure got off to a winning start as his team came from behind to defeat Tipperary in the opening round of the Munster Hurling League in Nenagh. In Leinster, an understrength Dublin team were comfortable winners over Westmeath in a low-key Walsh Cup game and two quickfire first half goals were enough for Eddie Brennan's Laois team to beat neighbours Carlow in Cullen Park. While the Carlow footballers were also beaten on Sunday, by Longford who booked their place in the O'Byrne Cup semi-final for the fourth year in a row.

This morning Gerry Thornley explains where the Irish provinces stand so far in this year's Champions Cup pools - "Leinster's progress to the knockout stages has already been serenely completed before Christmas . . . Ulster look well set to join them again in the last eight pending a pool shoot-out away to Clermont and Connacht are hanging in there after an astonishing, Munster-like, last-ditch victory over Gloucester. But, as for the famed escape artists themselves, the stark reality is that Munster must beat Racing in Paris next time out to stay alive." The tournament organisers, EPCR have confirmed they have launched an investigation into the unseemly fracas during Saturday's defeat to Saracens, and to that end have written to both clubs for information, following which they will decide whether there will be any further action taken. As Ulster made it four wins out of four in the Stoop on Friday night, John Cooney was the heartbeat of their performance with a two-try, 19-point haul. However, Ulster's man of the moment won't believe the hype . . .

Meanwhile New Zealand native Ben Stokes last night became the first cricketer since Andrew Flintoff in 2005 to be named BBC's sports personality of the year after helping England to World Cup victory in July. A look here through his career highs and lows stretch from being arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm following a disturbance outside a nightclub in Bristol last year, to his astonishing unbeaten 135 in a one-wicket Ashes victory at Headingley in August.