Tag: Premier League

BURNLEY: Maxwel Cornet scored five minutes from time as Burnley beat Premier League rivals Everton 3-2 in a see-saw clash at Turf Moor on Wednesday.

Victory saw Burnley remain in the relegation zone but move to within a point of Everton.

Burnley took an early lead through Nathan Collins’ first goal for the club but fell behind before half-time as Richarlison twice scored from the penalty spot.

Jay Rodriguez equalised in the 56th minute before Cornet’s first goal since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations in January gave Burnley their first win in six games.

It was also just the Clarets’ fourth win in 29 league games so far this season, with Burnley having lost their last four games without scoring a goal.

The result meant Everton had now suffered six straight away defeats in the Premier League and facing the prospect of playing second-tier football for the first time in 68 years, with manager Frank Lampard’s dismay visibly evident at full-time.

READ: South Africa’s Mignon du Preez announces retirement from Tests and ODIs

LONDON: Arsenal dealt a significant blow to their bid to finish in the Premier League’s top four as Crystal Palace thumped the former by 3-0, here on Tuesday.

Arteta’s side was destroyed by first-half goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew at Selhurst Park on Monday.

Unable to muster a revival after the break, Arsenal’s second defeat in their last three league games was sealed by Wilfried Zaha’s late penalty.

Arsenal had gone into the weekend in fourth place, but Tottenham’s 5-1 win against Newcastle on Sunday piled pressure on the Gunners and their response could not have been any less convincing.

The battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top-four finish is heating up and Arsenal are in danger of wilting.

They sit in fifth place, behind Tottenham on goal difference having played a game less than their north London rivals.

West Ham and Manchester United, both three points behind Arsenal, will also fancy their chances after a result that blew the top-four battle wide open.

It was an especially painful result for Arsenal fans given the presence in the Palace dug-out of Eagles boss Patrick Vieira, a Gunners legend after his trophy-filled playing career with the club.

How they could have done with the kind of tenacious performance that was Vieira’s hallmark in midfield during Arsenal’s glory days.

Vieira comfortably out-witted Arteta, who was voted the Premier League’s manager of the month for March after masterminding his side’s climb into contention for a top-four berth.

READ: Ellis takes four as Australia restrict Pakistan to 162-8 in one-off T20I

LONDON: Son Heung-min fired Tottenham to a crucial 3-1 win against West Ham as the South Koreans double lifted his side within three points of the Premier League’s top four on Sunday.

Antonio Conte’s team went in front through Kurt Zouma’s own goal before Son doubled their lead.

Said Benrahma reduced the deficit, but Son struck again in the second half to give Tottenham a fourth victory from their last five league games.

Tottenham move up to the fifth place and sit just three points behind their north London rivals Arsenal in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top-four finish.

Although Tottenham have played a game more than Arsenal, they are firmly in the hunt with a clash against the Gunners still to come later this season.

After the high of beating Sevilla to reach the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday, this was a major setback to West Ham’s hopes of clinching a top-four berth.

David Moyes’ men are seventh and trail Arsenal by six points, with the Gunners holding two games in hand.

Tottenham had lost five of their previous seven Premier League London derbies this season.

But they took the lead in the ninth minute when Zouma deflected Harry Kane’s pass into his own net as he tried to stop the delivery.

There was extra relish in the celebrations of Tottenham fans who jeered Zouma following the French defender’s shocking abuse of his pet cat.

Son was inches away from doubling Tottenham’s lead with a fierce drive that smacked off the post.

The South Korean forward did not have to wait long to get on the scoresheet as he latched onto Kane’s defence-splitting pass and lifted a clinical finish past Lukasz Fabianski in the 24th minute.

It was a landmark moment for Kane and Son, who have combined for 38 Premier League goals with 19 assists each, the most of any duo in the competition’s history.

BIRMINGHAM: Arsenal took another big step towards ending a five-year exile from the Champions League as Bukayo Saka’s strike beat Aston Villa 1-0 to open up a four-point lead in fourth in the Premier League.

The Gunners could even increase that gap with a game in hand over fifth-placed Manchester United and were well worthy of the three points against a toothless Villa despite the narrow scoreline.

“We are there with 10 games to go,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “We have this feeling that we really want it, you can sense it and we’re going to give it a go.”

A run of 10 wins from their last 13 league games has propelled Arteta’s men to the front of the race to join Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the top four after getting off to their worst start to a league campaign in 67 years.

Arteta had complained about the tight turnaround his side faced after Wednesday’s 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool.

But there was no sign of tiredness from his young side Saturday as they penned Villa back for the opening 45 minutes.

“It was a tough first half because we allowed it to be tough,” said Villa boss Steven Gerrard.

“Our performance lacked belief. It wasn’t until half-time onwards we showed we could be better in the game.”

READ: Women’s WC: England beat New Zealand in a low scoring thriller 

WOLVERHAMPTON: Leeds United staged a dramatic fightback from two goals down to beat 10-man Wolves 3-2 as Luke Ayling’s last-gasp strike improved their prospects of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

Jesse Marsch’s side was in deep trouble when Jonny and Francisco Trincao netted to put Wolves in control by half-time at Molineux.

But Wolves striker Raul Jimenez was sent off for crunching into Leeds keeper Illan Meslier early in the second half.

Leeds made the most of that lucky break as Jack Harrison and Rodrigo netted to draw them level before Ayling won it in stoppage-time.

It was a second successive late victory for Leeds, who beat relegation rivals, Norwich, in the final seconds last weekend.

Leeds are now seven points clear of the relegation zone, with third-bottom Watford holding a game in hand.

The Yorkshire club isn’t safe yet, but former Leipzig boss Marsch has given them hope since replacing Marcelo Bielsa in February.

They showed their fighting spirit not only in the comeback but also after losing four players in injuries.

“It’s a group that has big hearts, quality young men and I’m very thankful to be here with them and to be in a fight with them,” Marsch said.

“Even though I’ve only been here a short while I believe in them. We still have a lot of work to do.”

Wolves suffered a major setback themselves early on when in-form Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves was forced off.

But Leeds were bitten by the injury bug moments later as Patrick Bamford went down holding his leg, prematurely ending just his fourth appearance since September.

There was worse to come for Leeds as Wolves took the lead in the 26th minute as Jonny met Trincao’s cross with a clinical finish from 12 yards to claim his first goal since 2020.

READ: Egypt’s Karim wins PSA World Tour Bronze of GFS Karachi Open Squash

MANCHESTER: Cristiano Ronaldo became the all-time leading men’s goalscorer in football history as his brilliant hat-trick inspired Manchester United’s 3-2 win against Tottenham, while Liverpool closed the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City with a 2-0 victory at Brighton on Saturday.

Ronaldo had netted just once in his previous 10 games amid speculation that the Portugal striker was considering his future after less than a season of his second spell with United.

The 37-year-old’s commitment was questioned when he reportedly jetted to Portugal last weekend rather than watch his team after being ruled out of their 4-1 defeat at Manchester City with a hip injury.

Even United interim boss Ralf Rangnick conceded he didn’t know if Ronaldo was happy at the club.

But Ronaldo proved his commitment to the United cause with a superb display to single-handedly dispatch Tottenham at Old Trafford.

With recently retired NFL legend Tom Brady watching from the stands, Ronaldo bagged his first United treble since 2008.

His brilliant 25-yard drive put United ahead in the 12th minute before Harry Kane equalised with a 35th-minute penalty awarded for Alex Telles’ handball.

Ronaldo restored United’s lead three minutes later from Jadon Sancho’s cross, but Harry Maguire’s 72nd-minute own goal threatened to ruin his evening.

However, Ronaldo headed home from Telles’ corner in the 81st minute to claim his 807th career goal, making him the top-scoring men’s player in history, according to FIFA statistics, as he surpassed Josef Bican.

Ronaldo’s heroics earned a standing ovation from Brady and lifted United into fourth place, while Tottenham are five points behind them in seventh.

“Today it was his best performance, at least since I arrived. He was good in training on Thursday and that is why I decided to start him,” Rangnick said.

“A fantastic performance. It was not just the three goals, it was also he was part of the team when they were in possession of the ball.

“We showed the kind of reaction we were due after the bad second half at City.”

At the Amex Stadium, Luis Diaz opened the scoring for Liverpool with a 19th-minute header and Mohamed Salah netted with a 61st-minute penalty awarded after Yves Bissouma’s handball.

Jurgen Klopp’s side has won their last eight league games, keeping the pressure on City, with the champions playing at Crystal Palace on Monday.

Salah has reached 20 goals in a Premier League season for the fourth time, with his latest strike coming at just the right time amid his tense contract negotiations.

Klopp said on Friday it is up to Salah whether he signs a new deal, a claim that was followed by the Egypt forward’s agent tweeting a series of laughing emojis just minutes later.

Salah’s long-term value to Liverpool is immense, but of more immediate concern to Klopp will be the knock that saw him replaced by Diogo Jota soon after his first goal in four games.

With a testing trip to Arsenal looming on Wednesday followed by an FA Cup quarter-final at Nottingham Forst, Klopp will hope his star makes a quick recovery.

“Something was not right. I think there was a situation where his foot got stretched. We’ll have to see,” Klopp said.

While City are in fine form, Liverpool’s hot streak is equally impressive.

The Reds have scored 21 goals and conceded just twice in their winning run, while also keeping a third successive league clean sheet for the first time this term.

On the title race, Klopp said: “It’s always the same, you expect Manchester City to win every game when you watch them play.

“The only thing we can do is win as many football games as possible. We’re ready, we don’t need to call it a title race, we just want to win games.”

Brentford boosted their bid to avoid relegation with a 2-0 home win against third-bottom Burnley thanks to a pair of late goals from Ivan Toney.

READ: Atletico warm up for Man United Champions League clash with victory

NORWICH: On the matchday of the ongoing Premier League, Chelsea have managed to thump the bottom-ranked Norwich City 3-1, while the struggling Leeds United have crashed against Aston Villa 3-0.

Chelsea could not have hand-picked a better opponent than bottom-of-the-table Norwich to prove they can still function.

In the 14th minute, Havertz teed up Mount in the Norwich area and the midfielder smashed a superb strike into the top corner.

Norwich’s Teemu Pukki scored a 69th-minute penalty after Chalobah blocked Pierre Lees-Melou’s cross with his arm, but Havertz bagged Chelsea’s third with a side-footed finish in stoppage time.

Leeds remain in severe danger of relegation after a 3-0 defeat against Aston Villa at Elland Road.

Jesse Marsch’s maiden home game in charge was another let-down after a defeat at Leicester last weekend in his first game since replacing Marcelo Bielsa.

Leeds have lost six successive league games and lie only two points above the relegation zone, having played two more matches than third-bottom Burnley.

Villa went ahead in the 22nd minute as Philippe Coutinho scored his fourth goal since joining on loan from Barcelona.

Matty Cash struck in the 65th minute and Calum Chambers wrapped up the points eight minutes later.

Newcastle moved another step closer to survival with a 2-1 win at Southampton that extended their unbeaten league run to nine games.

Southampton went in front through Stuart Armstrong in the 25th minute.

New Zealand striker Chris Wood headed Newcastle’s equaliser in the 32nd minute with his first goal since signing from Burnley in January.

Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes marked his first start since his move from Lyon with a sumptuous back-heeled finish in the 52nd minute, lifting Eddie Howe’s side eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Wolves crushed second-bottom Watford 4-0 with goals from Raul Jimenez, Daniel Podence and Ruben Neves, as well as a Cucho Hernandez own goal.

Bruno Lage’s side ended a run of three successive defeats to leave Watford three points from safety after a fifth loss in their last seven matches.

LONDON: Antonio Conte challenged Tottenham to push for a top-four finish in the Premier League after their 5-0 rout of Everton pushed the woeful visitors deeper into relegation danger on Monday.

Conte’s side ran riot in north London after Michael Keane’s own goal started the spree early in the first half.

Son Heung-min increased Tottenham’s advantage and Harry Kane bagged the third before the interval.

Sergio Reguilon made it four and Kane netted again to complete the demolition.

Tottenham’s second successive league victory moved them up to seventh, three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who have played one game less than their north London rivals.

Conte has frequently bemoaned the “ups and downs” of life as Tottenham manager, pointing to the club’s history of inconsistency as proof it will take time for him to make an impact.

The last few weeks have underlined Conte’s concerns, with victory at champions Manchester City followed by a dismal defeat against lowly Burnley.

The swaggering display against Everton, which came immediately after an embarrassing FA Cup loss at second-tier Middlesbrough, at least provided hope that the Italian could turn the tide eventually.

“A good game. Also a good answer after the last defeat,” Conte said. “It’s not enough. The players and I want to fight for a position at the top of the table.

“We have to take this responsibility in the last 12 games to give everything. I want an answer from my players against Manchester United on Saturday.

“I want to see if we’re getting better in a tough game against an important team fighting with us for the top four.”

For slumping Everton, the alarm bells are ringing after a fourth defeat in five league games since Frank Lampard replaced the sacked Rafael Benitez.

Lampard’s team are languishing just one point and one place above the relegation zone.

Although they have a game in hand on third-bottom Burnley, this wretched surrender suggests there is a serious chance of Everton being condemned to play outside the top tier for the first time since 1954.

“I could tell there was a fear of relegation when I came in. This challenge isn’t bigger than I expected, I knew it would be (hard),” Lampard said.

“Individual errors led to goals which took the game away from us. When you know what’s coming and fall foul of it, that’s the most disappointing thing.

“The reaction was not good enough. It was the reaction of a team used to losing away from home. We need to sort it out.”

READ: Women’s WC: Javeria suffers injury, doubtful for next match

LONDON: Leeds United on Sunday sacked manager Marcelo Bielsa following a poor run of results that has left the Premier League side teetering just two points above the relegation zone.

Saturday’s dispiriting 4-0 loss to Tottenham at Elland Road was their fourth straight defeat, a run during which their leaky defense has conceded 17 goals.

The 66-year-old Argentine remained convinced he could turn things around but the Leeds board decided they had to act to preserve their top-flight status.

The club intends to make an announcement regarding Bielsa’s successor on Monday, with former RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch the heavy favorite to take over.

Chairman Andrea Radrizzani said he was forced to act due to the club’s “precarious position” in the Premier League, saying it had been the toughest decision of his tenure at Leeds.

“With Marcelo as our head coach, we had three incredible campaigns and the good times returned to Elland Road,” he said. “He changed the culture of the club and brought a winning mentality to us all.

“The moments created, particularly in the 2019/20 season and winning promotion to the Premier League, will, of course, live long in all our memories, [I] and the fans included.

“However, I have to act in the best interest of the club and I believe a change is required now in order to secure our Premier League status.”

Bielsa, who took charge in 2018 and returned the club to the English top-flight two years later, is revered in Leeds.

Murals of the mercurial Argentine adorn walls around the northern city and the club’s Elland Road stadium.

READ: Liverpool win League Cup after Kepa’s shoot-out miss