ParsaKgvr/socce_report_analysis · Datasets at Hugging Face

300

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson produced a stunning injury-time headed winner to snatch a 2-1 victory at West Brom, which keeps the Reds' top-four hopes alive

Liverpool had thrown everything at Sam Allardyce's already-relegated side but by the 95th minute they still had not been able to find a second goal, after Mohamed Salah had cancelled out Hal Robson-Kanu's opener

However, the biggest twist was to come, with Alisson sent up for a corner and brilliantly heading home Trent Alexander-Arnold's set-piece

The Brazilian, whose father tragically died earlier this year, was visibly emotional at the final whistle as Klopp embraced him amid the Reds' celebrations

In Liverpool's entire club history since they were founded in 1892, Alisson is the first goalkeeper ever to score a competitive goal for the club

The victory keeps Liverpool's Champions League qualifying hopes alive, moving them one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who host third-placed Leicester at Stamford Bridge, They know if they can beat Burnley and Crystal Palace, they are likely to be in Europe's elite club competition again next season

As for West Brom, who saw Kyle Bartley's strike rightly ruled out for offside during the second half, they remain second-bottom in the Premier League table

While it was a must-win for Liverpool in their bid for a top-four finish, the pressure was off for Championship-bound West Brom and, after a series of set-pieces were launched into the Reds' penalty area, Allardyce's side struck first with a slick move

Matheus Pereira picked up the ball midway into Liverpool's half and flicked a smart pass past Rhys Williams, who had pushed up, for Robson-Kanu to run on to

The striker was making his first start in the top flight in three and a half years but finished in style to record his first Premier League goal since November 2017

Liverpool responded well, though, and had a series of chances, with Sadio Mane - back in the starting XI in place of the injured Diogo Jota - shooting wide, Williams seeing an effort blocked, and Salah firing straight at Sam Johnstone

It was that man Salah who came up with something special to pull his side level on 33 minutes

With the ball bouncing around the edge of the West Brom area, Mane prodded it to Salah and he whipped a brilliant low, left-foot shot into the far corner

There was some controversy in the build-up, with referee Mike Dean awarding Liverpool a free-kick after he got in the way of Fabinho, when a drop-ball seemed the more appropriate restart, but there was plenty more action before Salah's strike

The goal moved him level with Harry Kane in the Golden Boot standings - a race which looks set to go down to the wire just like the top-four battle

Liverpool could have had a second on 35 minutes when Roberto Firmino fired against the bar after a Mane backheel deflected through to him in the box - although West Brom delivered a reminder of their threat on the break when Alexander-Arnold got back well to prevent Robson-Kanu doubling his tally

The chances continued to flow at both ends of the pitch after the break, with Mane finding the net from an offside position four minutes after the restart before Nat Phillips tracked back brilliantly to take the sting out of Pereira's effort on the counter-attack

It was almost a Liverpool breakaway which did the damage moments later when Alexander-Arnold drove his side up the pitch at lightning speed before Salah blasted at Johnstone, while Firmino and Thiago Alcantara were narrowly off target either side of Alisson denying Robson-Kanu from another one-on-one

After Bartley saw his close-range finish from a corner ruled out because of Matt Phillips standing in front of Alisson in an offside position, it was all Liverpool in the final stages, with Alexander-Arnold blowing a big chance with seven minutes to play, firing over from close range after cutting in on his left foot

Thiago and substitute Gini Wijnaldum were the next to go close but in the end it was their own goalkeeper who showed them how it should be done

Sent up in the fifth minute of injury-time, Alisson was unmarked by the West Brom defence and made them pay, arrowing a fantastic header into the far corner and sparking wild celebrations on the Liverpool bench

"The bench has gone mad, and rightly so

If a Liverpool player didn't get the first touch on the corner it was the end, and that man Alisson has saved Liverpool season! What a header! Liverpool don't need a centre forward anymore

"There is still a way to go, but the Liverpool players know how big that goal is from Alisson

Whether you're fighting relegation, going for the title for trying to qualify for the top four, it's not about what the result does for you but more to the teams around you

That will give he teams around them a huge blow and give Liverpool a huge lift going into the game with Burnley

""Football never ceases to amaze you, what a moment

You can just see the emotion of Alisson, you can see what it means to him

Imagine what the Liverpool dressing room will be like now

The header is unbelievable

""I'm amazed no one senses he's there but he keeps his focus, because Nat Phillips comes in front of him late on

He knew exactly where the goal was, a super, super header

He's done really, really well

He watches the ball all the way

Great goal

""It's hard to take after what you've done

We didn't want a result snatched away from us, not by Liverpool but by the decisions made today, and unfortunately two decisions are causing us a problem in terms of both Liverpool goals

"The referee should give a drop ball, not a free-kick, for the first goal

That's a complete blunder as far as the rules go

Then the goal we scored that VAR is supposedly there to let a player who is onside score a goal, and don't give us none of the rubbish about 'he's in the goalkeepers eyeline' because he's about two and a half metres off him

That's just an outrageous ridiculous decision when you've got VAR

"I said before the game we needed a bit of luck, we needed a great performance, and we didn't need the officials or VAR to go against us and they've gone against us on two occasions, and it's the main reason why we've lost this game today

""The game is our season in a nutshell

We do a lot of good stuff, get pretty much hammered for the first mistake, and then have to work like crazy

I liked it

Nobody got over the top

It was 1-1, the minutes were going down, down, down but we had the best chances in the last five or six minutes

We had a shot from Thiago, from Gini, but we kept playing football

It's really difficult against this side, how they defend, how they set up, but in the end we needed Ali to solve it

"Unbelievable header

I've never seen something like that

Insane technique

Nowadays you can't be sure really: 'is something wrong? It can not be?' So I turned around to ask, 'am I right, did he score?' And you saw the faces of the boys and it means a lot to us, obviously

We are still in the race

But Wednesday will be the same fight

I have to say 'chapeau', West Brom fought with all they had, proper professionalism and made it really difficult for us but we did it

"West Brom host West Ham on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 8pm; kick-off 8

15pm

Liverpool go to Burnley on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm; kick-off 8

15pm

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Johnstone

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Ajayi

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Gallagher

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Phillips

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Yokuslu

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Pereira

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Robson-Kanu

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Maitland-Niles

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Alisson

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Alexander-Arnold

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Phillips

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RWilliams

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Robertson

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Thiago

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Jones

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Salah

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<PAD>

301

Everton's hopes of qualifying for Europe hang by a thread after 17-year-old Daniel Jebbison sealed Sheffield United's 1-0 win at Goodison Park with his first Premier League goal on his first top-flight start

The Canadian-born forward became the competition's youngest goalscorer on their full debut, and it is doubtful whether he will find the net with an easier chance against a static home defence

Earlier this season, Jebbison was on loan at Vanarama National League North side Chorley and only got his first taste of first-team football with the Blades as a 65th-minute substitute last weekend

But his goal and an inspired performance from goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale were enough to consign Carlo Ancelotti's side to a ninth home defeat, equalling their worst record from 1950-51 and 1993-94, with one match still to come at Goodison against Wolves on Wednesday

Defeat almost certainly ended their chances of European football as they remain eighth, three points behind Tottenham and West Ham with a vastly-inferior goal difference

At 17 years and 309 days, Jebbison become the youngest player to make his first Premier League start since Mason Greenwood in May 2019

It took the youngster just seven minutes to make an instant impact as he ghosted in behind Ben Godfrey to turn Jack Robinson's cross into the unguarded Everton net

Sheffield United's positive start and lead was nearly erased within four minutes when Allan curled a shot through bodies towards the far corner, but the unsighted Ramsdale produced an excellent save to preserve the Blades' lead

Everton could have been two down before the half-hour mark when Mason Holgate's defensive lapse gifted Jebbison a gilt-edged opportunity to double his and Sheffield United's tally, but Jordan Pickford stayed big and tall to thwart the youngster's attempted lob

Everton steadily increased the pressure on the visitors' goal as half-time approached but found Ramsdale in inspired form

After Chris Basham had deflected a James Rodriguez effort over the bar, Ramsdale brilliantly kept out a Richarlison header before preventing Dominic Calvert-Lewin from converting the rebound at point-blank range with a stunning double save

In between those two attempts, Seamus Coleman felt he should have had a penalty when his attempted flick hit Robinson's hand

Everton's record the previous 32 times - dating back to 2015 - they were losing 1-0 at half-time has seen 25 defeats and no victories and even a change of personnel and formation, forward Gylfi Sigurdsson replacing Holgate, one of the three central defenders, made little difference

United's David McGoldrick had the best chance of the half as the hosts continued to look devoid of ideas and drive

Goodison hosts its final match of the season in three days and, despite the long wait to see live football again, on the evidence of this performance it could be an awkward evening in front of the 6,500 supporters who won tickets in a ballot

"It's really difficult

I have to take the responsibility for this of course but I hope the players also take responsibility for this

I am really embarrassed

Fortunately we have supporters at home for the next game and I hope they wake us up because I think we need to wake up at home

"It is really difficult to explain what is going on here at home

We have two games until the end, I think we lost a great opportunity

"Our chances now are less than before but the only way is to wait to try to get a result with the two games we have to play and see which position we are at the end

""Fantastic moment [for Jebbison]

It couldn't have worked out better for him on his first start in the Premier League

He deserved his start

He's a hard-working lad and we know him through how well he has developed at the academy

The fact I know how hard he works for the team changed my mind to pick him

"Aaron Ramsdale made six saves for Sheffield United, the most he has ever made in a Premier League game in which he did not concede a goal, while six saves is the most he has made in any league division while also keeping a clean sheet since March 2019 for AFC Wimbledon against Peterborough in League One (seven)

Everton host Wolves on Wednesday at 6pm - live on - before travelling to champions Manchester City on the final day of the season

Sheffield United travel to Newcastle on Wednesday at 6pm - live on Sky Sports Arena & Sky Sports Mix - before hosting Burnley on the final day of the season

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Pickford

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Holgate

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Doucoure

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Allan

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James

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Richarlison

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Calvert-Lewin

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Sigurdsson

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Bernard

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AndreGomes

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Ramsdale

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Baldock

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Basham

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Egan

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Robinson

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Stevens

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Osborn

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Norwood

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Fleck

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Jebbison

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McGoldrick

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<PAD>

302

Southampton secured back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since December, overcoming already-relegated Fulham 3-1 at St Mary's

The hosts took the lead in the 27th minute from the game's first shot on target as Che Adams fired home from close range following a James Ward-Prowse free-kick

They doubled their lead on the hour mark when substitute Nathan Tella tapped the ball into the net just minutes after coming on to the field, his first senior goal in professional football

Fabio Carvalho marked his full Premier League debut by pulling one back for Fulham in the 75th minute

The 18-year-old was played through by Bobby Decordova-Reid and fired the ball in off the underside of the crossbar

Substitute Theo Walcott soon restored Southampton's two-goal lead as his deflected shot went past Alphonse Areola to secure a second home win in a week for Ralph Hasenhuttl's side, moving them up to 13th place ahead of the weekend's remaining games

Fulham - who remain in 18th position - travelled south seeking a response after their return to the Championship was confirmed following the 2-0 home defeat to Burnley last Monday

However, they carried with them a wretched record of having failed to win in their previous 20 visits to Southampton, stretching back to 1935

Scott Parker handed 18-year-old Carvalho a full Premier League debut as the Fulham boss looked to the future, but chances were at a premium during the opening period

Ola Aina's mistake allowed Adams to find the run inside from Takumi Minamino but the Fulham full-back atoned for his error to make a crucial last-ditch intervention

Aina was partially at fault when Saints struck first, however

Stuart Armstrong was fouled by Joachim Andersen, and from Ward-Prowse's resulting free-kick, Adams stole a march on the defender to prod home a simple half-volley from three yards out

Southampton were fully imposing themselves now and Ward-Prowse came close to extending their lead when his free-kick was punched away by Areola

Fulham had rarely threatened before the interval, with Carvalho's weak shot easily fielded by the returning Alex McCarthy but there were no changes at the restart

Southampton had won only one of their previous six league games in which they had scored first, but they came close to a second when another whipped Ward-Prowse corner was flicked on by Danny Ings, only for Minamino to be caught on his heels at the far post

It would prove to be Ings' final contribution as he was replaced by Tella shortly before the hour-mark - and Nathan Redmond immediately ought to have extended Saints' lead when put through by Adams, but his shot was well saved by Areola

Fulham's reprieve would be short-lived, however, as Southampton doubled their advantage following a slick team move

Minamino and Armstrong combined in midfield before Kyle Walker-Peters' cross was swept home by the unmarked Tella

Parker rung the changes as Joe Bryan was introduced, and the full-back's arrowing shot very nearly halved the arrears as it whistled past the post

The former Bristol City defender then found Decordova-Reid following a slaloming run, but Mohammed Salisu got back to make a vital block

Fulham deservedly hauled themselves back into the contest when Carvalho was put through by Decordova-Reid to flash his shot beyond McCarthy and in via the underside of the crossbar, becoming the club's third-youngest Premier League scorer aged 18 years and 260 days

Having lost 23 points from winning positions, Hasenhuttl may have feared the worst but his side eased any fears of another late surrender as substitute Walcott latched onto Tella's cute backheel to strike beyond Areola via the boot of the retreating Bryan

Southampton boss : "We showed a committed performance, pleased with the substitutes because it's not been our biggest strength this season but all three had a part in the game

The game balance was good over the game, we knew we had to be clinical, first-half we had chances, we deserved the win

"I must say that I was very pleased with my side today

My guys produced a very good performance

It's no coincidence we've scored 10 goals in our last four home games as we've got our players back

We had players on the bench who could hold the level high and that's what you need in these moments

"On Nathan Tella: "Since he joined, he has been a lively factor in our game

You can be sure he will sprint more in 20 minutes than others do in 90 minutes, always high tempo which is what you need for a sub, very pleased with his performance

"I love him he's always positive, he loves what he's doing and that's what you have to do

He's really one of the hardest workers

It's important to take care of expectations but giving him more game time as a sub when the opponent is a bit tired, this is the perfect moment to show up - it's good for a striker to come on late

"Fulham boss : "We showed pride, effort and some good bits

At 2-0 down, we got ourselves back in the game with a lovely goal from Fabio

We just lacked that little bit in the end

"[Southampton's first was a] poor goal to concede

It looked like we missed a header and then there was confusion

The second goal, we defended very poorly and didn't follow runners

After that, we got ourselves in the game but it wasn't enough

"It was a snapshot of our season, really

At times, we played well but the first two goals were disappointing

We conceded the second far too easily but then we got ourselves back into the game

We were in the ascendancy at that point but conceded the third when we were pushing for the equaliser

We just lacked at key moments

"[Fabio Carvalho was] fantastic

It didn't surprise me

He's in the team because we're searching for goals and for someone who can put the ball into the net

He's shown that he can do that at Under-23 level and in training

He was in the team today because he deserved to be in it, not because it was an opportunity

The one shining bright light from today was Fabio

He was the massive plus from today

"He's someone you see in the 90 minutes today who has got the quality, creates opportunities and is someone you can trust with the ball

We believe he's got a big future and we look forward to seeing him more

"We are seeing a Premier League striker now in Adams

Having failed to score in his opening 24 appearances in the competition, he now has 13 goals in his last 41, adding to his poacher's finish against Crystal Palace earlier this week

No player produced more key passes than Adams' three as he dropped deep to provide a creative source to help Southampton secure a 12th league win of the campaign

The former Birmingham forward showed his aerial prowess, having a team-high four duels

Adams' tally of nine goals in 2020-21 is the most by a Scottish player in a single Premier League season since Steven Fletcher in 2012-13 (11)

Hasenhuttl said on Adams: "His statistics for the season we have spoken about and he could have much more goals, but he always works hard for the team, the more he sores the more he deserves to play because he hasn't always had it easy but this year he has had a bit of a breakthrough

"Southampton host Leeds in the Premier League, live on , on Tuesday; kick-off: 6pm

Meanwhile, Fulham travel to face Manchester United at Old Trafford at the same kick-off time, live on

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Redmond

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Ings

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Walcott

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Areola

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Tete

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Andersen

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Adarabioyo

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Reed

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IvanCavaleiro

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Onomah

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Carvalho

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Bryan

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<PAD>

303

Super-sub Rodrigo's late double helped Leeds to a crushing 4-0 win at Burnley to cement their hopes of a top-half finish

Marcelo Bielsa's side could still mathematically qualify for Europe but can realistically have eighth place in their sights after a second win in a row, sealed in style by their record signing in the final 15 minutes, while Burnley's ninth top-flight home game without victory is now the longest run in their history

Mateusz Klich had set the ball rolling a minute before the break when he capped a typically dangerous break by curling past stand-in goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell from 20 yards

Jack Harrison doubled the lead on the hour mark with a deft flick turning home Ezgjan Alioski's shot from a corner, before Rodrigo worked his magic

The Spanish striker, who has undergone a season of transition at Elland Road, took himself past two defenders with a perfect first touch before dinking over Peacock-Farrell (74), then latched onto Harrison's pass and rounded the 'keeper to add a quickfire second (76)

With around £2m per position in prize money to play for, there was far more than pride at stake at Turf Moor but without fans, the Clarets have found results on home soil hard to come by and have not won at their own ground since January 27

They sprung into life early against their Yorkshire neighbours without testing Illan Meslier, while Peacock-Farrell was called into action from Leeds' first chance of the afternoon, turning Patrick Bamford's near-post effort away to safety

The visitors' top scorer saw little else of the ball before the break as those around him threatened instead to open the scoring

Pascal Struijk should have buried a header from a corner but planted it wide when unmarked

Klich didn't make the same mistake from a Leeds break shortly before the interval, taking advantage of the space given 20 yards out to bend the ball around Peacock-Farrell with a classy finish

Burnley briefly spluttered into life again at the start of the second half, finally getting the ball into their two front men, and should have levelled when Matej Vydra met Chris Wood's return, but was denied by Meslier's legs

On the hour mark Leeds doubled their lead, taking advantage of more unusually lax defending from set pieces as the unmarked Alioski's shot from the edge of the box was flicked home by Harrison

Moments before that Bamford had been withdrawn after one of his quieter performances in a Leeds shirt and his replacement, Rodrigo, would go on to stake his claim for a starting role in his favoured position

Johann Berg Gudmundsson wasted another fine opportunity for Burnley to get themselves back in the game by shooting straight at Meslier when clean through, but that was as much as they offered after the interval

Instead the Spanish sub stole the show, first setting himself exquisitely to beat Peacock-Farrell from Harrison's pinpoint pass, before the two combined again on the break to round the goalkeeper and earn Leeds a thumping win

Burnley boss Sean Dyche told : "It's only harsh in that they were clinical

The game panned out as we expected, they want to make it like a basketball match, we started well and stopped that

"Then we allow a goal that's to their liking, they get two in front and we have golden chances - you can't miss them

They're a side that do concede as well as score, and they took their chances, we didn't

"It's hard to ask a lot more of my players, they've given a lot to the cause this season and there was a big result in an emotional game on Monday

I was probably expecting us to be more off it, physically, than we were

"Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa told : "In the first half we kept going until we managed to score, defended well, in the second half we didn't defend as well but we were efficient and had chances at goal

"Against big spaces it's easier to attack, and when the opponent is losing they take more risks, but as you can see we conceded chances in the second half that we didn't in the first

"Rodrigo drops deep a bit more than Bamford, in the beginning of the second half we needed to link the defence with the attack more

"Rodrigo will take the headlines, but both of his goals were made by excellent passes from Harrison, who also added one of his own with an exquisite flick

The 24-year-old has gone under the radar in the Premier League but not at Elland Road

He's second only to Bruno Fernandes among midfielders across the division in terms of goal involvements this season (16), including three at Turf Moor

Burnley host Liverpool on Wednesday night, live on from 8pm; kick-off at 8

15pm

Leeds are also back on Sky when they visit Southampton on Tuesday night on from 5pm; kick-off at 6pm

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Wood

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<PAD>

304

Said Benrahma kept West Ham in the European hunt with a late equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw with Brighton although their hopes of top-four finish took a severe dent

In a game short on quality, West Ham looked to have been punished for a mostly lethargic display when Danny Welbeck danced through their defence with eight minutes to play before neatly finishing past Lukasz Fabianski

However, Benrahma sprung from the bench to curl a fantastic leveller home as the clock ticked towards stoppage time on a night where Declan Rice played 90 minutes on his return from injury

The Hammers' hopes of finishing in the top four look slim with five points to Chelsea in fourth with just two games remaining, yet, a Europa League finish is within their sights in their remaining two games against West Brom and Southampton

David Moyes' side knew coming into this that three wins from their last three games were a must if they had any chance of reaching the top four

It was a cagey start at the Amex though with only a Craig Dawson header from eight yards that flew well wide threatening to break the deadlock

Jesse Lingard wasn't finding his usual pockets of space as Yves Bissouma watched him like a hawk and was booked for a naughty stud on Lingard's boot right in front of the referee

Brighton's style of playing through the phases was easy on the eye but there was little to shout about from their front man when getting into good positions

The best chance of the opening half fell to Pablo Fornals as the Hammers sensed an opener as the half wore on

Aaron Cresswell joined the attack down the left and found Fornals with a killer pass but his shot from 10 yards that was heading for the corner of the net was blocked away by Aaron Webster

"It's almost like a testimonial," noted Sky Sports pundit James Collins during his half-time analysis

Graham Potter responded by moving Alireza Jahanbakhsh further forward in the second half and the striker tested Fabianski with two well-struck efforts from the angle but the goalkeeper stood up to both

Fabianski was beaten by Jahanbakhsh moments later from an acute angle but somehow the ball curled inches past the post when the striker had thought he had opened the scoring

The game then slipped back into a cagey affair with West Ham not willing to commit many bodies forward and Brighton happy to move the ball across the pitch in patient fashion

Dawson sent a header wide of the post on 80 minutes with the game seemingly slipping to an unremarkable conclusion

However, substitute Percy Tau found space in the pocket and sent a wonderful ball through to Welbeck, whose movement all night had deserved such service

He didn't disappoint with the finish either, clipping a clever strike over the helpless Fabianski

Brighton only had eight minutes to see the game out but they've dropped the most points from losing positions this season for a reason and West Ham found a way through

Benrahma was the man to do it, curling home a fantastic strike from the edge of the area - his first goal for the club on his 31st appearance

It was a performance were perseverance was rewarded

Welbeck didn't stop running all night with his movement excellent at times even despite not being found by some poor approach play from his teammates

When the pass did arrive - from Tau - Welbeck was deadly with his finish, his only real chance of the net and followed up his goal in the last home game with Leeds

This was his 50th Premier League goal and there is certainly a lot of life left in him at Premier League level judged on his performances over the past eight weeks

Potter has confirmed there is an "intention" to reward Welbeck with another deal

Now he's fit and firing, it's a no-brainer

said: "I thought we played very well for long periods of the game, especially first half," said Moyes

"I thought Brighton improved in the second half, we didn't do enough in the final third

I thought our decision-making in the final third was poor

"But overall I thought we played very well tonight

We didn't show enough quality in the pass, quite often it was the decision-making

" said: "I'm disappointed because we scored late and then they equalised but overall I can't complain too much about the draw

The boys gave everything against a tough opponent

I thought they were more dangerous in the first half and we had too long out of possession and too long defending

"But we have got better in the second half

The players responded against a team having a good season and we were perhaps the better side, I was happy with the overall performance

"Brighton are back at the Amex on Tuesday night when the champions Manchester City are in town

Meanwhile, West Ham's pursuit of a place in Europe takes them to West Brom on Wednesday night, live on

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<PAD>

305

Man City began their latest Premier League reign with a thrilling 4-3 victory at Newcastle, with Ferran Torres' hat-trick helping City to more history

Pep Guardiola's side walked out to a guard of honour at St James' Park, having clinched the Premier League title on Tuesday evening after Manchester United's defeat to Leicester gave them an unassailable lead

It was a good thing they already had the trophy wrapped up too, otherwise Friday's game would have proved to be a nail-biting and nervous evening where the pendulum continuously swung between the two sides

Newcastle - who are already assured of their own Premier League safety - took a shock lead when Emil Krafth (25) nodded home his first top-flight goal, beating Man City debutant Scott Carson

But City replied with a quick double - Joao Cancelo (39) and Torres' (42) superb first strike firing the champions in front

But there was more VAR drama to come in the first half

In the second minute of injury time, Nathan Ake's clumsy challenge saw Joelinton fouled in the area

Referee Kevin Friend initially turned down the penalty after Allan Saint-Maximin was adjudged to be offside in the build-up, but VAR ruled the Newcastle forward onside and the penalty was subsequently awarded

Joelinton (45+6) then hammered home from the spot to level things up before the break

The second half continued in the same topsy-turvy vein

Newcastle were awarded another spot-kick just after the hour as Kyle Walker fouled Joe Willock

It was the Arsenal loanee who stepped up for the second, seeing his penalty saved by Carson but slotting home the rebound (62), scoring in his fifth successive Premier League game

But Torres completed his hat-trick soon after (64, 66) - both smart finishes, much like his first - to seal a hard-earned three points for Man City

It was their 12th successive away win in the Premier League - the most in the top four tiers of English league football - and beat the record held by Chelsea (2008) and themselves (2017)

Victory moves City onto 83 points at the top of the table, while a spirited Newcastle remain in 16th with both teams having two league games left to play

Unsurprisingly, Man City had early sights on goal

Ake sent an effort sailing wide, before Gabriel Jesus was gifted a chance by a poor defensive header from Paul Dummett, but his powerful hit just drifted past the post

Torres then went close with a superb run towards the near post, but his poked effort flashed side

Man City continued to dominate, but it was in fact Newcastle who had the best chance until that point

It was a superb counter-attack as Krafth unleashed Allan Saint-Maximin, who in turn picked out Joelinton

But as he went to strike, Kyle Walker was across to make a crucial block

And the corner handed Newcastle a shock lead

Jonjo Shelvey delivered the set piece with Krafth - in between two defenders - looped his header back across goal and into the far corner

Shelvey almost made it two ten minutes later

He lined up a free kick after a crunching Ake challenge on Miguel Almiron, but could only curl his free kick onto the crossbar

Man City scored a quickfire double soon after

There was a touch of bad luck to the goal too as Cancelo's effort took a big deflection off Jacob Murphy on the way through, sending the ball darting past Martin Dubravka

But City's second was a moment of sensational skill from Torres

Ilkay Gundogan whipped in a pacey free kick, with Torres edging ahead of Shelvey to brilliantly flick the ball golawards with his heel, sending it past an already-leaping Dubravka

The drama was not over there

In the third minute of added time, the Newcastle shouts went up for a penalty as Ake's sliding tackle brought down Joelinton in the area

The referee initially ruled out the calls for offside in the build-up

VAR stepped in and after a lengthy check, deemed Saint-Maximin to be onside it the build-up and Ake's challenge to be enough for a penalty

Without regular penalty taker Callum Wilson, Joelinton stepped up and rocketed his effort past Carson to end an entertaining half

As the clock ticked over the hour, the goals flooded into St James' Park

Newcastle were awarded their second penalty of the evening as Walker caught Willock inside the area in a clear foul

The Arsenal loanee - on a superb run of form - took this time, but his initially effort was superbly saved by Carson

But Willock was lurking and despite slipping, managed to reach the ball first and slot home

Just like the first half though, the Premier League champions came out swinging as Torres made it 3-3 mere minutes later

Jesus cut the ball back into his path, waiting on the penalty spot, and it was a smart finish to level things up again

The Spaniard nabbed his hat-trick two minutes late in another sensational finish

Cancelo's initial strike smacked the foot of the post, but Torres was waiting and showed superb reactions to volley the ball past Dubravka as the pendulum swung back in City's favour

From then on, Man City showed off their Premier League-winning credentials and mostly kept Newcastle at bay, knocking the ball between themselves for the final 15 minutes of the game to seal another victory

It was a sensational performance from Torres

As Man City look for Sergio Aguero's successor, the Spaniard has put himself at the forefront of the reckoning

First - the stats

He had the highest number of shots (5) and all three that were on target ended up in the back of the net

What sensational finishes each of them were too

He showed superb skill, brilliant reactions and vital instincts that will serve him well in the Premier League

Sky Sports' Andy Hinchcliffe said: "City have such an abundance of attacking riches that Torres at times maybe slightly under the radar

But he's showcased his attacking talents tonight - three great goals, great finishes

He came alive in the Newcastle penalty area and he deserves the award

He's been brilliant

" "We gave it a right good go

We gave Man City a fright tonight but we weren't quite good enough

"Although I can't remember the goalkeeper making save after save, just the sloppiness of a couple of goals is the disappointing thing of the whole evening for me

"How often do you score three against this mob? Not very often, so the disappointing thing is we just got up and we were a bit naïve and our defending had to be better at times

"It's just getting that balance right, we know we're a threat on the counter-attack and a threat for any team but we have to get that balance right defensively

"We can't keep conceding the way we have done unfortunately because it's not often you can score three and fours in the Premier League, we have to defend better

"We've now got to try to get a couple of wins if we can and finish off the season in the form we're in

We've got to stay at it and see where we can get to

""We made mistakes because we are champions, because the players were distracted a little bit in the last days, this is normal

We knew it but the spirit from the first minute until the end was absolutely there

"I'm really pleased and hopefully we can learn from our distractions

I knew it could happen but at the end we won and now the team are going to celebrate and we're going to prepare to face Brighton

"I'm pretty sure we'll be more focused to prepare for the final of the Champions League

" "Not just this evening, of course this evening was important, but his first season in England and his number are exceptional

He came as a winger, but he has to think about a striker

When Sergio, Gabriel were out, he was there

He scored against Leeds and Crystal Palace

He didn't have many minutes, but when he played, he had a sense of goal

"Yeah, he can be [a No 9]

We will use him, we used him and he was brilliant

His rhythm, especially defensively he has improved a lot

The game at Palace, he makes a turn [in his season] - so good

The movement he makes as a striker, for the [third] goal, it hits the bar and where it goes, he knew it

"The smell, the strikers know, intuitively where it will arrive

He has this talent and the first goal is fantastic

Very pleased

" How Pep Guardiola returning to first principles and putting Bernardo Silva at the heart of his team helped turn Man City's season

Guardiola made full use of his squad to lead City to Premier League glory, with Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and John Stones key men

Manchester City have overcome the unique challenges of this season to reclaim the Premier League crown

But now comes the tricky debate about greatness

null

Newcastle are back in Premier League action on Wednesday, hosting Sheffield United, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 6pm

Man City play on Tuesday, travelling to Brighton; kick-off 7pm

On the final day of the Premier League season, Newcastle travel to Fulham while Man City host Everton before being presented with the trophy

null

<PAD>

Dubravka

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Krafth

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Fernandez

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Dummett

False

Murphy

False

Shelvey

True

Willock

True

Ritchie

False

Almiron

True

Saint-Maximin

True

Joelinton

True

Carson

False

Walker

False

Garcia

True

Ake

False

Cancelo

True

Rodri

True

Gundogan

True

Sterling

False

Silva

True

Torres

True

Jesus

False

Mendy

False

<PAD>

306

Liverpool breathed new life into their bid for a top-four finish in the Premier League after a 4-2 victory in their rescheduled game at Manchester United

The initial match on May 2 was called off as anti-Glazer protestors invaded Old Trafford, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team were stuck at the team hotel

, but there were no repeats of the scenes of earlier this month

With both teams safely inside the ground, focus could turn to events on the pitch and United took an early lead when Bruno Fernandes' shot was deflected into his own net by Nat Phillips

However, Liverpool, who also had a penalty overturned after a pitchside review by referee Anthony Taylor, responded brilliantly as Diogo Jota's flick (34) brought them level before Roberto Firmino's header (45+3) completed the turnaround just before half-time

Jurgen Klopp's side extended their lead immediately after the restart as Firmino added his second of the night (47), taking advantage of what Gary Neville described as "erratic defending" from a United defence missing the injured Harry Maguire

Liverpool had chances to finish the game off, but Jota's shot hit the woodwork before United got back into the game as Marcus Rashford's 50th goal at Old Trafford set up a grandstand finish

Substitute Mason Greenwood saw a shot cleared off the line by Phillips as United searched for an equaliser, but Mohamed Salah's late strike (90) secured the win that sees them move four points off fourth with a game in hand, piling the pressure on Chelsea and Leicester in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League

Finally, after all the talk and 11 days later than planned, we had a game and there were early chances at both ends

Liverpool's appeals for a penalty were turned down by referee Taylor after Firmino's early cutback hit Eric Bailly's arm, while Alisson Becker's wayward pass almost gifted Edinson Cavani a fifth-minute opener

However, Liverpool did fall behind in the 10th minute

A swift United move started as Paul Pogba swept the ball into the path of Rashford, who played it onto the overlapping Aaron Wan-Bissaka

The full-back's cutback found Fernandes, whose shot was deflected into his own net by defender Phillips

The visitors thought they had earned the chance to respond midway through the first half as Taylor pointed to the spot after Bailly's strong challenge on Phillips in the box

But the VAR recommended a pitchside review, and the initial decision was overturned as Bailly was adjudged to have won the ball before catching Phillips with his follow-through

The decision left Liverpool frustrated but they were celebrating moments later

Dean Henderson had to be alert to keep out Jota's powerful drive, but the hosts failed to deal with the resultant corner

Phillips was involved again as he kept the ball alive after Salah's initial shot was blocked, sending a low ball towards goal and Jota was on hand to flick the ball home from close range

Liverpool, buoyed by the goal, were starting to dominate and their turnaround was complete just before the break

Trent Alexander-Arnold's inch-perfect free-kick picked out Firmino, who got in behind Pogba at the far post to head home in the third minute of stoppage time

It took Klopp's men just 72 seconds to extend their lead in the second half after a catalogue of errors from United

It looked like they had got away with Fred's loose pass before Luke Shaw was caught in possession just outside his own penalty area

Henderson then spilled Alexander-Arnold's initial shot before Firmino pounced on the rebound to give the visitors a two-goal advantage

Jota should have added a fourth just before the hour mark as Liverpool capitalised on another loose Fred pass, but the Portugal international's shot crashed back off the upright

Alexander-Arnold's low drive was then well saved by Henderson before United got themselves back into the contest

Cavani played in Rashford and the England forward sent a low shot past the onrushing Alisson and into the bottom right-hand corner

United had grabbed back the momentum and they were inches away from an equaliser as Phillips cleared Greenwood's volley off the line

However, as United pushed forward they left acres of space at the back and Liverpool eventually capitalised, Salah coolly finishing past Henderson to put the finishing touch on a late breakaway and seal what could prove to be a vital three points if Liverpool are to qualify for next season's Champions League

"Liverpool's attacking play was excellent, they were open at the back but the good sign for Liverpool was they scored four tonight, they should have scored six or seven but missed some easy chances

United were all over the place, poor performance from them, poor mentality, but credit to Liverpool - attacking-wise, they were almost back to their best

" "It was a super game, it really was

I'm delighted Liverpool won but Manchester United played their part too

They started really well, for 20 minutes they were dominant, got their goal, Liverpool got themselves going halfway through the half, they were dominant for a good hour

"Even when United got it back to 3-2, I thought they weathered that pressure and thoroughly deserved to win the game

At 3-1, it could easily have been 4 or 5-1

Liverpool were nearly back to where they were, and there were periods in the game where Manchester United played well too

" "They're capable of scoring goals, they've shown that today, but the fixtures they've got, they're winnable

If they can get some goals and hope Spurs do them a favour, all you can ask for is a performance like today

"We've questioned the mindset of the players but they've shown they're good professionals, they got on with it

I thought the front three, minus Mane, with Jota coming in, looked really good today

We've questioned the goals this year, not enough attacking threat, but Trent was good at right-back, it was a really impressive performance

"Man Utd boss : "They deserved the win

We conceded goals in key moments of the game, just before half-time, just after the second half started and of course towards the end

We didn't build on our momentum or break up their momentum

We gave them three goals, really

We scored again and we had momentum, we had a massive double chance, but key moments went against us

"Their shape and their pressing is very good but we created our own downfall

""Harry's been really important for us

He's been absolutely top since he came to the club

So of course we're going to miss him

But he's out so we've got to deal with that

We've got good enough players to be able to deal with it

So now it's about regrouping and starting to build our confidence and momentum again

"The attitude was right, the focus was right

I saw in the boys that we were ready for it, but key moments went against us and we didn't build on the good times we had in the game

We need to find ourselves straight away

We've got Fulham on Tuesday

We don't have a lot of preparation time but we should go into that final ready because I expect Tuesday will be a good one

"Liverpool boss : "Great fight, good game, intense, as all derbies should be

Our first win at Old Trafford since I'm at Liverpool and good timing, I would say

We needed it, obviously

We fought hard for it and we deserved it

"There were only good performances, to be honest

You saw that our two centre-halves were shaking a little bit at the beginning of the game, you could see it with their passing, but from the moment when they were in the game, when they forgot everything around them, they played really well

"We are still in the race

That's all we could have done tonight

We did that and now we have a very intense period, with three games in a week

So, in three days, West Brom, which is tough, then Burnley with supporters and Crystal Palace at home

It's very intense

We have to recover quickly and then go again

"Manchester United have lost two home games in the space of three days for the first time since April 1958

Thirty-three per cent of Manchester United's Premier League goals conceded this season have been from set-piece situations (14/42, excluding penalties), the highest ratio in the division

This was Liverpool's first Premier League win at Old Trafford since March 2014, while it was manager Jurgen Klopp's first away win against Manchester United with the club

Liverpool are unbeaten in seven Premier League games (W5 D2), the longest current run without defeat in the competition

The Reds had lost six of their seven league games prior to this run

Liverpool are back in action onSunday when they travel to West Brom, live on ; kick-off 4

30pm

Meanwhile, Manchester United's Premier League campaign continues next Tuesday when they host Fulham, live on ; kick off 6pm

null

<PAD>

PicturesemergedoftheUnitedteamarrivingatOldTraffordearlyonThursdayafternooninabidtoavoidmoredisruptionbutJurgenKlopp'smenmayhavehadtheirrouteinterruptedImagesonsocialmediashowedaLiverpool-brandedbusblockedinbycarsneartheirhotelTyresonthecoacharereportedtohavebeenletdownbeforepolicearrivedThebuswasonthemoveat6pmwhensupportersbegantheiranti-GlazerdemonstrationoutsideOldTraffordFansmovedfromtheforecourtoutsidetheEastStandaroundtheperimetertotheentrancewheretheLiverpoolteamcoachwouldarrivePoliceformedabarriertostopfansonWharfsideWaygettinganycloserThestadiumwaslockeddowntemporarilybuttheLiverpoolteamwasabletoarriveHenderson

False

Wan-Bissaka

False

Lindelof

False

Bailly

False

Shaw

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Fred

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Pogba

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McTominay

False

Fernandes

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Rashford

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Cavani

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Greenwood

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Matic

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Alisson

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Alexander-Arnold

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Phillips

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RWilliams

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Robertson

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Thiago

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Fabinho

True

Wijnaldum

True

Salah

True

Jota

True

Firmino

True

Mane

False

Jones

False

Williams

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<PAD>

307

Everton's European chase stuttered as they played out a poor 0-0 draw with Aston Villa at Villa Park and missed the chance to go sixth in the Premier League table

Villa defender Tyrone Mings planted a header wide from Douglas Luiz's cross when his dive should have at least tested Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal, before he later survived a VAR red card review for what appeared a studs-up challenge on Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Calvert-Lewin had Everton's clearest chance of the night in the closing minutes, but, having netted a header for the Toffees against Villa in the return fixture 12 days ago, he nodded down and straight at Emiliano Martinez as the visitors failed to claim a late victory

Three points would have taken Carlo Ancelotti's side up to sixth in the table and inside the European spots, but instead they stay eighth, behind Tottenham and needing other results to go their way if they are to qualify for continental competition

On paper, Everton looked clear favourites as two sides with better results on the road than on home soil met at Villa Park, but they were just as limp as their hosts in the opening stages with the lack of tempo hurting the creativity of both

Fittingly, a set-piece provided the one clear-cut chance of the opening period, with Ross Barkley's delivery picked up on the far side by Luiz, who found Mings at the near post - but the stand-in Villa captain could not turn his diving header inside the goal-frame

Richarlison should also have tested Martinez as Everton found themselves in a rare good position, but he scuffed Allan's pass well wide from 20 yards

At the break, Roy Keane called for the swift introduction of Jack Grealish, in the Villa squad for the first time in three months, to inject some life into his side - but he would have to wait for their captain to return

By the time he did set foot on the pitch, Ben Godfrey had nearly put Everton ahead from Gylfi Sigurdsson's free-kick but was denied by Martinez at his near post, before Pickford kept out an Anwar El Ghazi set-piece which proved too hot to hold

Grealish did ignite some spark in the hosts once he emerged from the bench with 20 minutes left but the one clear-cut chance which followed fell to Everton, with Calvert-Lewin wasting a glorious cross from Lucas Digne and allowing Martinez to keep the scores level

Villa spurned the opportunity to leapfrog Leeds and move into the top 10 with the draw but had less to regret than Everton, who now must hope the sides around them falter in their final three games of the season if they are to make it into Europe

Aston Villa manager told "We controlled the ball well in the first half without creating many clear-cut chances

The second was a little bit scrappy from both teams

"We never really took the control we wanted into the second half, and I thought they had the better chances

The changes helped us, Jacob Ramsey and Jack Grealish, we looked like we could go and create something, but that was missing today for us

"Everton head coach told "We tried to do everything to try to win, we had a good second half, pushed a lot of energy there, the first was more in balance

"We were unlucky but there's nothing to say for the performance when you do your best

We have three games, we are still in the fight, and we have to try to win them

"In a game of real attrition, Godfrey and Michael Keane did well to keep Villa's often lively front three quiet

Although Ollie Watkins was sitting out a game for the first time this season, El Ghazi in particular had worried the Toffees' defence at Goodison Park earlier this month, and both centre-backs did a fine job in keeping Pickford's evening quiet

Aston Villa travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday, live on from 11

30am; Kick-off at 12pm

Everton host relegated Sheffield United later that day; Kick-off at 7pm

null

<PAD>

Martinez

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Davis

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ElGhazi

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Pickford

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Holgate

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Keane

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Godfrey

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Digne

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Coleman

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Doucoure

False

Allan

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Sigurdsson

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Calvert-Lewin

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Richarlison

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Iwobi

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<PAD>

308

Emile Smith Rowe denied Chelsea the chance to cement their top-four status as he took advantage of Jorginho's howler to give Arsenal a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge

The Blues would have all but secured their Champions League qualification with a victory which would have taken them 10 points clear of Liverpool, who have four games left to play, but after making seven changes ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final, struggled to create clear-cut chances

Kai Havertz should have put them ahead 10 minutes in when he intercepted Gabriel's loose pass for Pablo Mari and raced clean through, but then fired over Bernd Leno's bar with only his compatriot to beat

Moments later Jorginho's equally poor back-pass was kept out by Kepa Arrizabalaga at full stretch, but Smith Rowe was on hand to bundle home after being teed up by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Chelsea were dominant for the large majority of the remaining 75 minutes without forcing Leno into any uncomfortable saves until the final minute

They did beat him through Pulisic's close-range header from a corner, which was swiftly denied by a VAR review, before the German produced a stunning stop to tip Kurt Zouma's header onto the crossbar, which was then rattled by Olivier Giroud's shot on the rebound

The Gunners now sit only a point behind their north London rivals Tottenham, who have played a game less, while Chelsea's top-four cushion could be cut to one point if Liverpool win both of their games in hand

Arteta has enjoyed some of his best days as a manager against Chelsea and as the hosts made seven changes, with one eye on Saturday's FA Cup final, he would have been especially eager to continue his strong record against the top six in an otherwise miserable season

The Spaniard has employed some tactical masterclasses in those wins but their first-half success owed more to a pair of Chelsea howlers

Jorginho, facing his own goal, failed to look up and spot Arrizabalaga's unusual position wide of his net, forcing him to palm off the line at full stretch and into the path of Aubameyang, whose square ball was scuffed home by Smith Rowe

By then, Arsenal should have already been behind

A poor ball by Gabriel to Mari was pinched off his toe by a better-placed Havertz

That set the German clean through, but he beat both Leno and the bar

Mason Mount's free role troubled the visitors throughout the half but he was twice denied in his search for an equaliser, while Christian Pulisic headed over a corner from close-range as Chelsea went in at the break with their top-four spot a more pressing concern than the weekend's final

Callum Hudon-Odoi was introduced at half-time and offered Chelsea little by way of an additional cutting edge, although they briefly thought they had levelled on the hour when Pulisic nodded in from a corner, but the American knew he was offside long before VAR intervened

If anything, with 20 minutes to go and Chelsea pressing further forward Arsenal began to look the more likely, and Martin Odegaard teed up Hector Bellerin to fire straight at Arrizabalaga before shooting over himself when well-placed

Just as it looked like a leveller was beyond the hosts, Hudson-Odoi's teasing low cross was fired into Leno's body by Pulisic, who should have done better

The goalkeeper then helped preserve Arsenal's three points with a wonderful stop to tip Zouma's looping header onto the bar, and watched on helplessly as Giroud turned the rebound back against the woodwork and away to safety

Chelsea head coach told "We had three days, we are on a good run, we had a good mood

The choices were not so good today from my side for the line-up so that's on me

We were unlucky, of course

But we did everything today to lose

"I'm not happy with my line-up

It's easy to say afterwards

But it was too many changes, I should not have done it like this

It's something in particular - but I will not tell you!"Arsenal manager told Sky Sports: "I don't know how they're going to try from the outside but from the inside, nothing is broken

"They're going to put things on me that I never said, you can see the spirit of the team from the first minute

You can never doubt their efforts and how much they try

"Chelsea are off to Wembley in the FA Cup final on Saturday, where they will face Leicester City; Kick-off at 5

15pm

Arsenal's penultimate game of the season is also in London, with a trip to Crystal Palace next Wednesday night; Kick-off at 7pm

null

<PAD>

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<PAD>

309

Leicester breathed life into their Champions League qualification bid with a 2-1 victory at Manchester United which confirmed Manchester City as Premier League champions

Courtesy of their win, Leicester are up to third in the Premier League and will qualify for the Champions League with four more points from their remaining two games

Luke Thomas' sumptuous first Premier League goal saw Leicester strike first against a much-changed United, who were playing the second of three games in a congested five-day period

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had made 10 changes, but his makeshift United side hit back five minutes later as Mason Greenwood continued his red-hot form with an instinctive equaliser

Leicester improved drastically in the second half and deservedly regained the lead through Caglar Soyuncu's towering header, and, despite introducing Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, there was no way back for United

United's defeat confirms rivals Manchester City's third Premier League title in four seasons, while Leicester climb above Chelsea into third place - eight points ahead of fifth-placed West Ham - after a massive victory in their pursuit of Champions League football

Fifty hours on from Sunday's win at Aston Villa, Solskjaer handed Anthony Elanga and Amad Diallo their Premier League debuts for Manchester United as he wrestled with a hectic fixture schedule by making 10 alterations

The unfamiliar United line-up handed Leicester a gilt-edged opportunity to get their bid for Champions League qualification back on track after Friday's shock defeat by Newcastle, and the Foxes made the perfect start inside 10 minutes

Youri Tielemans sent a deep cross towards Jamie Vardy at the back post but, under instruction from the late-arriving Thomas, he left the ball for the wing-back to rifle an unstoppable volley into the top corner

Thomas' first Premier League goal looked to have provided Leicester with the platform to push on, but that foundation was ripped from under them as Greenwood continued his hot streak in front of goal

Premier League debutant Diallo outmuscled Leicester goalscorer Thomas down the right channel, cut back inside and found Greenwood, who unerringly skipped around Soyuncu and picked out the bottom corner of Kasper Schmeichel's set in one devastating movement

Leicester showed little sign of wrestling back control until they returned from the interval, but steadily ratcheted up the pressure on the United goal

Kelechi Iheanacho was thwarted by David de Gea but the visitors' superiority was soon rewarded

Solskjaer introduced Rashford and Cavani but the lethal strike duo's first task was to defend a Leicester corner, where Rashford switched off and allowed Soyuncu to head the Foxes emphatically back into the lead

Fernandes came on with 12 minutes remaining in Solskjaer's last throw of the dice, but despite bringing on players who between them have scored 63 goals this season, United were unable to find another equaliser as Fernandes dragged their best chance wide as City's coronation was confirmed at Old Trafford

Çaglar Soyuncu netted his first Premier League goal in 44 appearances

He also became the second Turkish player to score vs Man Utd in the competition after Tuncay Sanli in October 2010 and the first to do so at Old Trafford

Manchester United host Liverpool on Thursday at 8

15pm - live on - before Leicester travel to Wembley for the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday at 5

15pm

null

<PAD>

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Schmeichel

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Castagne

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<PAD>

310

Danny Ings scored twice on his return from injury as Southampton came out on top 3-1 in an exciting end-of-season encounter with Crystal Palace

With both teams free of the shackles of relegation it resulted in a pulsating encounter full of chances, sparked by an early Christian Benteke opener (2)

But Ings - on his first start since limping off against Tottenham - skilfully equalised with Southampton's first effort on goal (19)

Palace squandered a perfect opportunity to take the lead but Luka Milivojevic's penalty was saved by Fraser Forster (41)

Southampton made them pay as Che Adams slid home at the back post (48) and Ings neatly finished off a flowing move (75) to wrap up the points

It was a timely reminder of his qualities with only two weeks until Gareth Southgate names his 26-man England squad for the Euros

Southampton are usually associated with fast starts but it was Palace that came out of the blocks with real intent, fresh from their impressive win at Sheffield United on Saturday

A ball into the Saints box was poorly dealt with and it was Benteke that reacted quickest of all to fire a tidy finish through Forster from a tight angle

Palace looked composed in their shape with Ralph Hasenhuttl's side keeping the ball without really testing their well-organised opponents

Then Ings came to the party

Nathan Redmond found him with his back to goal inside the box and the England striker did superbly well to turn into space before sending a fine finish into the bottom corner

Jack Stephens and Redmond both had efforts pushed away by Vicente Guaita but Palace still carried a threat with Benteke providing a great platform attack

Wilfried Zaha then teased Redmond into a silly tackle in the box which gave Milivojevic the opportunity to score from 12 yards

However, Forster read the spot-kick brilliantly and pushed clear the effort

VAR had a good look at whether the goalkeeper was off his line but deemed it a legitimate save

Saints took advantage of that reprieve, taking the lead after the break

James Ward-Prowse, whose set pieces were on-point all night, cleverly mixed up his delivery to fire a low cross to Stuart Armstrong on the edge of the box

His strike across goal took the Palace defence out of the game and Adams was on hand at the back post to stick it away

Benteke squandered another big chance for Palace when being presented with a ball through on goal by Jack Stephens, however, he perhaps had too long to think about the chance and fired a terrible effort wide of the post

That proved costly as Ings timed his run to perfection to beat the offside trap and finished a flowing Southampton move with another calm finish

Two chances, two goals

His finishing was the difference between the two teams on the night

His first one wasn't even really a chance either - a half-chance at best as he swivelled and finished like the world-class predator to find Saints a way back into a match they were struggling to make an impact on

Special mention to England team-mate Ward-Prowse too, whose delivery, passing in midfield and tenacity stood out once again

He surely will be in Southgate's plans for the Euros

Southampton are back at St Mary's on Saturday when hosting relegated Fulham

Meanwhile, Palace are back in action on Sunday lunchtime with a home fixture against Aston Villa, live on

null

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311

Fulham's relegation to the Championship was confirmed by an abject 2-0 defeat to Burnley, who guaranteed another season of Premier League football with a clinical victory at Craven Cottage

Scott Parker's side needed four wins from their final four games to have any chance of avoiding the drop but were comprehensively beaten as their season-long stay in the top flight ended with three games to spare

Fulham's fate was effectively sealed before half-time as Ashley Westwood's opener and Chris Wood's emphatic 50th Burnley goal left the hosts needing to score three unanswered goals - the same they had managed in their previous 11 outings

Fortune favoured Fulham after the interval when goalkeeper Alphonse Areola avoided a straight red card for a clear handball outside the area, but the Cottagers were unable to take advantage of the reprieve, with Andre-Frank Anguissa cannoning the underside of the Burnley bar with the hosts' best effort of sparking a comeback

Defeat - Fulham's 18th of an arduous campaign - sends them straight back to the Championship at the first attempt, while Burnley climb up to 14th with a victory which sees Sean Dyche deliver a sixth successive season of Premier League football

In what was the first of four defining games to save their season, Fulham fashioned the first opening on 12 minutes, but Ademola Lookman's hesitancy when reaching Ivan Cavaleiro's cross handed James Tarkowski the opportunity to intervene with a last-gasp goal-mouth clearance

Burnley responded as Ben Mee forced Areola into a save with a header before finding the back of the Fulham net, only for Wood's effort to be chalked off instantly, with Matej Vydra adjudged to have taken the ball out of play in the build-up

Fulham were indebted to Tosin Adarabioyo and Antonee Robinson as headers from Wood and Tarkowski were deflected behind for corners in quick succession, but it was only a matter of time before the hosts' already slim survival hopes were dented

Vydra peeled in behind the Fulham defence to gather a long ball over the top, dropped a shoulder to skip around Joachim Andersen, brilliantly kept the ball in play and then picked out the late-arriving Westwood, who bundled in Burnley's opener

One became two on the stroke of half-time as Wood's sumptuous swerving volley found the top corner to leave Fulham with an almost insurmountable task in the second half

Parker resisted the temptation to make alterations at the break but waiting just nine minutes before introducing January signing Josh Maja, and the addition of an attacking reinforcement resulted in concerted Fulham pressure in search of a lifeline

Aleksandar Mitrovic nearly delivered one before the hour mark, but his near-post header from Bobby Decordova-Reid's cross rippled the side-netting

Fulham felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Charlie Taylor lunged in on Lookman, but he was adjudged to have made contact with both man and ball by referee David Coote and VAR Peter Bankes

The hosts' frustrations with the officials were felt equally by Burnley moments later when Fulham goalkeeper Areola escaped punishment for a clear handball outside which prevented Vydra from racing through on the unguarded goal, but, again, VAR chose not to intervene

Anguissa could have kick-started a late Fulham rally but his thunderous drive crashed off the underside of the Burnley bar

Substitute Jay Rodriguez had the chance to put Fulham out of their misery, but Areola, who was fortunate to still be on the pitch, produced a fine save to give his side a fighting chance heading into the final quarter of an hour, but it was one they couldn't take

"I'm hurt, I'm gutted

This has been looming us, we've flirted with it for a long time, there are no words that I can say other than I am gutted we have not been successful this year

Staying in this division was success for us, we knew it was always going to be a challenge, but it is bitterly disappointing not to do that

"The performance levels have been there, the fine margins and gulf in class in this division are so small

We've been so close at times but yet so far

Over the last five or six games, we've just fallen short

"My players have given absolutely everything this year, and I have seen that again tonight

Endeavour, desire, effort, but we have fallen short on quality at times

Over the coming weeks we need to have some discussions and work out what we need to do to move forward and try and get off this rollercoaster

""It was an awkward game for obvious reasons, but we dealt with that

The second half was an ugly, but you expect that, and we dealt with it very well

"To secure a sixth season in the Premier League with three games to spare having got just two points from our first seven games is a really big achievement

These players deserve a lot of credit

"This year has been my most challenging as a manager off the pitch with the long-winded sale of the club where not a lot of finance was put in, so a lot of credit goes to my players and staff

"You've got to work through all those challenges off the pitch to make sure the team is still motivated on it, and we never lack motivation to be fair

""The difference between the two sides was know-how, experience

It was men against boys, Burnley looked like a team who trusted what they were asked to do

Fulham, like all the three teams at the bottom, have not been good enough throughout the season

I trust Burnley, I didn't think for one second Fulham would win

Burnley are reliable and Fulham aren't, they are inconsistent and not clinical, and that is the big difference, Burnley are clinical and ruthless

""If you're a team who are going to be in the bottom half and you've got a player who can get you goals in double figures like Chris Wood, you'll be a long way towards staying in the Premier League

That is why he is so vital to Burnley

"Burnley host Leeds on Saturday at 12

30pm, before Fulham travel to Southampton on Saturday at 3pm - live on

null

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<PAD>

312

Morgan Gibbs-White came up with an injury-time winner for Wolves after Brighton's Lewis Dunk scored and was then sent off in a 2-1 victory for the hosts at Molineux on Sunday

At half-time the Seagulls had looked on course for a win which would have taken them to 40 points and made them mathematically safe from relegation, thanks to Dunk's towering header on 13 minutes

However, Brighton were left to play the final 37 minutes with 10 men after Dunk grabbed Fabio Silva's shirt as he ran through on goal, and substitute Adama Traore fired Wolves level (76)

Gibbs-White had passed up a great chance to score his side's second when he blasted over from 16 yards with the goal at his mercy but he made no mistake from a similar position with 90 minutes on the clock, earning Wolves a first-ever win over Brighton in the top flight

Brighton's situation got even worse at full-time when Neal Maupay was also shown a straight red for arguing with referee Jon Moss but they still have a 10-point cushion on third-bottom Fulham

If the Cottagers lose to Burnley on Monday Graham Potter's side will be assured of another season in the Premier League - but they will be kicking themselves for not doing it under their own steam at Wolves

With the hosts set for a mid-table finish, Nuno made five changes and fielded the youngest Wolves starting XI for a Premier League match in almost 12 years, but they started brightly, with Vitinha forcing Robert Sanchez to tip his shot around the corner early on

However, the game changed on 13 minutes when Brighton scored with their first effort at goal, as Dunk towered above the Wolves defence to meet Pascal Gross' corner and power his fifth Premier League strike of the season into the bottom corner

Set-pieces proved to be a real problem for Wolves during that first half, with Dan Burn furious he wasn't awarded a penalty when he was held back by Gibbs-White, before Dunk headed at goal from consecutive corners, out-jumping the mis-matched Ruben Neves

Maupay came close to adding a second on 28 minutes, hooking a Danny Welbeck knock-down over the bar with his left-foot, but Wolves managed to not fall any further behind by the break

Nuno used the interval well and Wolves came out with far more purpose in the second half - and they were handed a huge boost on 53 minutes when Vitinha nipped a pass through the Brighton defence for Fabio Silva to run onto and the slow-turning Dunk hauled down the striker

The Brighton man could have few complaints about the straight red card and waves of Wolves attacks followed his exit, with Gibbs-White testing Sanchez twice from the edge of the box, before substitute Willian Jose just failed to latch onto Joao Moutinho's cute chipped through ball

It was another Wolves replacement who eventually pulled the hosts level with 15 minutes to play, Traore - who had been involved in an intriguing battle on the right flank with Burn - came inside and, after exchanging passes with Silva in a crowded penalty area, blasted home the equaliser

Wolves should have scored a second on 84 minutes when Traore broke past Sanchez after running onto a long ball, and pulled the ball back for Gibbs-White but the 21-year-old sent a woeful effort over the unguarded goal

There was time for a reprieve for the young Wolves forward, though, with Gibbs-White netting his first Premier League goal on the stroke of 90 minutes by firing into the top corner to win it for his side

Brighton's frustration of throwing away the points told at full-time, as Maupay was shown a straight red for remonstrating with ref Moss

"We got a little bit of luck in the final moments of the game but we chased that moment a lot

The message in the first half was trying to correct, to find better solutions, but the main message was energy

We didn't have energy in the first half

I was really disappointed with the first half but I was happy we changed that

"It seemed in the previous game at home we seemed flat, too

It's something we're worried about

I'm sure one of the things is a lack of fans and I'm sure when they return it is going to be better than ever

""First half we were good, deservedly in the lead and looking to add to that

We started the second half slowly and sloppily and the result is then the red card happens and when it happens so early it's difficult to keep them out

"It's frustration from Neal [Maupay for second red card] and he needs to handle that better

We're disappointed with the result, until you're mathematically there you have to keep fighting and that's what we have to do

"Wolves go to Tottenham next Sunday, live on Sky Sports at 2

05pm, while Brighton host West Ham live on Sky Sports on Saturday at 8pm

null

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<PAD>

313

Manchester United once again fought back from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 3-1 at Villa Park, meaning Manchester City must wait to be crowned Premier League champions

City still need three points themselves, or for United to drop three points, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team made it 31 points from losing positions, the most of any Premier League side

Villa took the lead midway through the first half as Bertrand Traore turned and produced a fine effort into the top corner (24), though questions will be asked of Victor Lindelof's defending

But United, playing the first of three games in five days, fought back in the second half through Bruno Fernandes' penalty after Douglas Luiz had clumsily fouled Paul Pogba (52), before Mason Greenwood found the bottom right corner with a fine turn and finish (56)

But for the first time in his 72 league appearances for United, Harry Maguire did not complete 90 minutes, forced off with an ankle injury in what will be a concern for Solskjaer's side ahead of a packed schedule, and for England ahead of Euro 2020

Solskjaer said after the game the defender's injury will be assessed, and "might be a few weeks, might be a few days

"Substitute Edinson Cavani wrapped up the points with a classy header (87) while Ollie Watkins saw red for two yellows, the second for simulation

The result means United are now unbeaten in 25 away games, two shy of Arsenal's record from 2003 to 2004, while Villa are 11th, six points off the top seven but with a game in hand

Much has been made of United's schedule, but Solskjaer fielded a strong side at Villa Park, where they have not lost in the Premier League since 1995

Luke Shaw had the freedom of the left flank early on as Villa struggled to keep tabs on the United wing-back, who stung the hands of Emi Martinez with an effort from an angle

Just moments after Greenwood's miscued shot almost fell into the path of Marcus Rashford, waiting at the back post to convert, Villa took the lead with their first opening

John McGinn broke up play superbly high up the pitch, allowing Luiz to feed Traore, who turned Lindelof in the box and fired a superb left-footed effort into the top right corner from a difficult angle

Lindelof, however, should have initially cleared the ball as Traore's turn fell into his path

Greenwood saw his own effort from a tight angle parried by Martinez, while Watkins forced a good stop from Dean Henderson in first-half stoppage time, but United, who have scored more goals than any other Premier League side in the second half, stepped it up after the break

They were handed the leveller on a plate as Luiz kicked through Pogba in an attempt to get the ball, unnecessary with his back to goal, but described as a "pathetic" decision by Villa boss Dean Smith

Chris Kavanagh gave it, prompting Fernandes to calmly convert the penalty, his 27th goal in all competitions this season and the record-breaking 113th penalty taken in the Premier League this term

Four minutes later United went ahead as Aaron Wan-Bissaka found Greenwood with his back to goal

With Tyrone Mings on his back, the youngster turned well, and found the bottom corner past Martinez from just inside the box, making the 19-year-old the top-scoring teenager for United in the Premier League, ahead of Wayne Rooney (16 to 15)

Henderson then did well to deny Traore's near-post effort, while Villa had an appeal for a handball on Greenwood turned down following a VAR check, before Maguire was brought off with an ankle injury following a collision with Anwar El Ghazi

United made sure of the win through substitute Cavani with three minutes remaining, running across the Villa defence to guide Rashford's drilled delivery into the far corner with class

Villa's afternoon was made worse as striker Watkins saw red for a second yellow, going down in the area after slipping past Henderson, with referee Kavanagh deeming it a dive

It was another afternoon of positives for United, showing character to fight back once more, but there will be lingering concerns over another stuttering first half - they have gone 1-0 down more times (14) than they have gone 1-0 ahead (13) this season - and the severity of Maguire's injury

For Villa, it was a familiar story; this was the ninth time they have led United in all competitions at Villa Park without beating them

On Maguire injury: "I don't know

We've got to check it

Might be a few weeks, might be a few days

Was his ankle, lower leg

"On delaying City title: "That's a good thing, that's the best thing with today

At least I don't drive into a blue army tonight, we'll try to deal it as long as we can

"I'm delighted

It was always going to be difficult after being in Europe, didn't come back until half four in the morning on Friday

Great reaction at half-time again, even though I felt first half we were the better team, created the better chances but couldn't find the goal

"The advantage of being fresh going into a game like this is quite high

We could have scored the first goal, they scored from nothing, with a good goal by the way, but I'm pleased with everyone

I know how hard it is towards the end of a long, long season

""I think the penalty decision affected us more than them, they got the opportunity to go and score and got their second after

"I have no idea [if it is the right decision], I don't think anybody knows at the moment, everybody is confused that Raheem Sterling can have four or five touches on his backside, go down, and not get a penalty, when we've got people at Stockley Park watching it again

And then there's one touch, they [Pogba] go down, and it is a penalty

I think the whole of the footballing world is confused at the moment

"It looked a pathetic decision to me: was that enough for him to go down? No

But he goes down

Similar to at Old Trafford, similar to last season here

Ollie Watkins has got sent off at the end for a second yellow - there's no way that he can tell me he's convinced he hasn't been touched, because nobody knows if he's been touched, apart from the two players

I just don't understand the decision-making of the officials at the moment, and more important, Stockley Park, when they are looking at it slowly

"It looks like now he's going to have to get hurt to win the penalty

He touches it past the goalkeeper: is it enough for Ollie to go down? No, but it isn't enough for Pogba to go down

"Man Utd's hectic schedule continues with a home fixture against Leicester on Tuesday at 6pm, before hosting Liverpool in their rearranged fixture on Thursday at 8

15pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League

Aston Villa host Everton on Thursday night at 6pm, before going to Crystal Palace at midday on Sunday, both live on Sky Sports Premier League

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<PAD>

314

Arsenal sent West Brom down with a 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium as Sam Allardyce suffered relegation from the Premier League for the first time in his career

The Gunners, 10th in the Premier League table ahead of kick-off and playing for little more than pride after their Europa League exit on Thursday, took the lead when the excellent Bukayo Saka, playing at left-back, crossed for Emile Smith Rowe to volley home (29)

Arsenal doubled their advantage soon afterwards when Nicolas Pepe cut inside from the right flank and curled a stunning effort beyond the outstretched Sam Johnstone (35), but they had some nervy moments after that

West Brom pulled a goal back in superb style when Matheus Pereira broke forward from inside his own half and, with Arsenal defenders backing off him, fired a diagonal shot into the corner (67)

The hosts struggled to regain control, despite Mikel Arteta sending on Kieran Tierney, Alexandre Lacazette and Thomas Partey, but Willian eventually made the result safe when he found the top corner with a brilliant free-kick (90) to notch his first Arsenal goal

Arsenal's first home win in two months was not entirely convincing but it did at least provide some relief after a dismal week

West Brom, meanwhile, return to the Championship after a single season in the top flight

Arteta, under pressure after a poor season, had called on his players to show character and desire in the wake of their Europa League exit, but once again they looked flat in the opening stages of the match

West Brom's direct approach caused them problems, with Kyle Bartley and Semi Ajayi firing long passes over their defence at every opportunity and Pereira twice going close from outside the box, curling one spectacular effort a few inches wide

Callum Robinson threatened too, sending a looping shot against the crossbar after latching onto a diagonal ball in behind, and while the assistant belatedly raised his flag for offside on that occasion, it served as another warning for the hosts

Arsenal gradually began to wake up, but their build-up play was laboured, with Saka the only player willing to inject speed and urgency into proceedings

His overlapping runs allowed him to get into dangerous positions repeatedly and while his team-mates were unable to capitalise at first, it was not long until the breakthrough arrived

Willian played the youngster in behind and Smith Rowe met his fellow academy graduate's cut-back with an impeccably timed run to convert the opening goal

Arsenal's second came from a rare attack down the opposite flank as Pepe collected Calum Chambers' pass, cut inside West Brom left-back Conor Townsend and picked out the top corner

Arsenal had chances to further extend their lead before half-time, with Saka once again the source of the danger

First, his cross was headed over by Gabriel Magalhaes

Then, in first-half stoppage time, his low, diagonal effort was repelled by Johnstone

Allardyce sent his players out early from the interval but the second half started in the same way the first had ended, with Arsenal threatening to add to their advantage

Pepe stung the palms of Johnstone with another diagonal effort after West Brom had lost possession in their own half, while Saka continued to find space on the left, with one cut-back narrowly missing both Gabriel Martinelli and Smith Rowe in the six-yard box

West Brom looked dead and buried at that point but, out of nothing, they pulled a goal back, with the dangerous Pereira capitalising on woeful Arsenal defending as he ran unopposed from the middle of his own half to the edge of the Gunners' box and fired a clinical effort into the bottom corner

Arsenal were rocked by the goal and struggled to regain control as West Brom sensed an opportunity to draw level

It looked like they might in the 73rd minute when Darnell Furlong met a Matt Phillips cross - only to head wastefully wide

It was a fortunate escape for Arsenal and it was the closest West Brom came to prolonging their Premier League survival

The Gunners then made the result safe when the much-maligned Willian provided a reminder of his quality, curling home a free-kick from 25 yards out and sealing what is only Arsenal's seventh home win of a difficult Premier League campaign

With Tierney on the bench and Granit Xhaka injured, Saka started at left-back for only the second time all season

His performance was one to savour - although some Arsenal fans will see it as proof that he should have been deployed there earlier

The 19-year-old, like Smith Rowe, has provided a ray of light in a dismal season and while he has shone in more advanced roles over the course of the campaign, this was a reminder of just how dangerous he can be from the left-back position

West Brom could not handle his speed and directness and while the statistics show he only created two chances, there were many more occasions when he got in behind and created danger for his side

Arsenal's squad is in need of work but in Saka they have a player to build around

"We needed that win

It has been a while since we won at home

We scored three fantastic goals and we had some great spells in the game

"They scored out of nothing and then they throw everything at you

They know the situation they are in and we struggled to play that kind of game

When we conceded the goal we did look nervy

"Europe is a completely different game, different context

There were things we could have done much better

"We will try to win every match now and see where we finish

The only thing we can do is win our games

" "It's not sunk in yet, but I'm sure I'll wake up tomorrow and realise the situation

I'm bitterly disappointed we're not still in the fight

"I'm not saying we would have avoided relegation but we should have been closer, we should have taken it down to the last three games, based on how we performed

The creating of chances has been there but the converting has not

"We had [enough] time to pull it round

Our real problem was not beating the bottom-six sides when we came up against them

The results against Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City should have been bonus points

"Arsenal are back in action on Wednesday when they travel across London to face Chelsea, live on ; kick off 8

15pm

Meanwhile, West Brom face Liverpool next Sunday, also live on; kick off 4

30pm

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<PAD>

315

Tottenham's hopes of finishing the season inside the Premier League's top four took a huge blow as they suffered a 3-1 defeat at Leeds United

Spurs' interim boss Ryan Mason had targeted four wins to finish the season and with Leicester's surprise defeat at Newcastle on Friday, the door had just been opened for Spurs in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League

However, they suffered an early set back when Stuart Dallas gave the hosts the lead in the 13th minute

Tottenham cancelled out Dallas' opener to draw level in the 25th minute through Heung-Min Son, but Leeds regained the lead just before half-time as Patrick Bamford converted Ezgjan Alioski's cut-back from close range

Spurs, who saw two Harry Kane goals correctly ruled out for offside, had chances in the second half but Illan Meslier kept out efforts from Serge Aurier and Giovani Lo Celso before substitute Rodrigo added Leeds' third to seal all three points

Defeat is a huge blow for Spurs as they look to seal European football for next season

They stay five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, having played a game more than most of the teams around them and with just three games remaining of their season

Meanwhile, the win sees Leeds move above Aston Villa and Arsenal into the top half of the Premier League

The two sides set a ferocious early pace, which continued throughout the first half, and it was Leeds that started the brighter

They started with typical Leeds intensity and they took full advantage in the 13th minute

Jack Harrison's cross caused all sorts of problems in the Spurs defence as Sergio Reguilon turned the ball towards his own net

Hugo Lloris had to be alert to keep it out but the rebound dropped to Dallas, who fired the ball into the roof of the net

Spurs, who were playing some good stuff of their own, responded well and they were back on level terms in the 25th minute when Dele Alli's clever through ball picked out Son, who swept the ball past Illan Meslier

The visitors thought they had taken the lead six minutes later when Harry Kane latched onto another Alli pass, but the England striker, who finished brilliant, was flagged offside and a VAR check confirmed it was a close decision, but the right one

Leeds regained the lead moments before half-time, and they capitalised on an excellent advantage played by referee Michael Oliver as Ezgjan Alioski's cut-back picked out Bamford who tapped home from close range for his 15th goal of the season

Leeds resumed on the front foot at the start of the second half, but Tottenham continued to threaten on the counter

Kane had another effort ruled out - this time he was clearly offside - and then fired off target before Son crashed a shot into the side-netting

Alioski's excellent run and cross just evaded Bamford, and Mateusz Klich was denied by Lloris, while Meslier produced a superb save to keep out Serge Aurier's near-post drive

Kane's free-kick then clipped the top of the crossbar, but back stormed Leeds as Toby Alderweireld's brilliant last-ditch block thwarted Klich

Leeds then made sure of all three points with six minutes remaining when Raphinha's cross was met by a thumping finish from fellow substitute Rodrigo

It was nothing more than Leeds deserved, and they are the first side to remain unbeaten at home in a Premier League season against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Spurs since West Ham in 2015-16

Leeds boss : "For a while now we hope to play on an equal term with an important opponent

In some ways today we achieved this

"The conclusion is linked to the enthusiasm of the players

The rebelliousness to try and look like the teams that are better than us

"Every time a professional football team plays, they are obliged to give a performance to those watching and follow them

They are obliged to give their best version possible

We will try for this

"Interim Spurs boss: "We had moments, but we weren't clinical enough at times

They started bright but we got back

At 1-1 there was an offside decision and I'm shocked

I don't think it was right

People don't understand momentum in football and how those decisions can affect you

"I've seen it back

My first look, second look and 10th look tell me that it's not offside

At 1-1 it's a big moment

In my opinion they got that one wrong

"Leeds know what they're doing, they play a certain way and it took us a while to get into the game

In the second half we were the better team

The moments we had; you have to take them in these games

"Today was a massive game for us, to lose it hurts

It's difficult to win in the Premier League but we've got to have our full attention on next week now

"The winger was excellent for Leeds

He held his width brilliantly and gave Serge Aurier a torrid time all afternoon

His cross for Leeds' first goal was superb and he was unlucky not to get himself on the scoresheet, finding Hugo Lloris in good form

Tottenham host Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday, May 16, live on ; kick-off 2

05pm

Meanwhile, Leeds are back in league action next Saturday (May 15); kick-off 12

30pm

null

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<PAD>

316

Crystal Palace rubberstamped Premier League survival and ended a winless run of five games with a 2-0 victory at Sheffield United

Christian Benteke's deflected shot after just 66 seconds had looked set to be decisive, even though it belied Palace's dominance against a long-beaten side who failed to muster an effort on target

Benteke had been denied from close-range by a fine first-half Aaron Ramsdale save, before drilling against a post after the break, but a belated second finally came through the impressive Eberechi Eze (88) as the Eagles eased past the 40-point mark and made sure of an eighth successive season in the top flight

Sheffield United, whose own relegation was followed in the day earlier by that of rivals from the Championship - the city's first double drop in the same season - never truly threatened to punish Palace's profligacy as they recorded a 28th league defeat of a tortuous season

Sheffield United had edged Roy Hodgson's side at Bramall Lane on the opening day of last season, a result that provided crucial early momentum, but another leaden display was a reminder of their striking slump

Hodgson had urged his players to "take risks" against the basement side with their position all-but mathematically secure and they were ahead with a little over a minute on the clock

Eze sidestepped Kean Bryan and then John Egan, before teeing up Benteke for a first-time finish that clipped Baldock to wrong-foot Ramsdale

The former QPR player had been allowed to swagger through unopposed when the sides had met back in January and he was full of elegant movement here again as home shirts backed off in the pouring rain

He drilled one free-kick chance into a Blades wall, before Luka Milivojevic went close from another set-piece, his fierce drive taking another deflection but this time into Ramsdale's gloves

The hosts had offered only fleeting threat through a series of long diagonals but, as so often this term, the final ball remained elusive, David McGoldrick and Oliver Burke sending weak headers wide

Tyrick Mitchell might have felt fortunate when Sander Berge stayed upright under his close attention in the penalty box, Paul Heckingbottom later ruing the "honesty and naivety" of his players

Egan had a chance soon after, controlling the ball awkwardly on his chest before lashing well over, while fellow defender Chris Basham did the same at the near post, but Vicente Guiata was never properly tested

Benteke, teed up by Eze, rattled an upright from angle shortly before the hour mark and substitute Jordan Ayew went close with an effort that Ramsdale parried smartly

But a second that both Eze and Palace richly merited came two minutes from time, the forward too easily riding a John Lundstram challenge at the halfway, skipping contemptuously past more half-challenges before unleashing a shot that nicked off Fleck

Though there was fortune in the way both goals eventually crossed the line, the Blades had little claim on the contest as they slipped to a sixth defeat in seven under their interim boss, the only bright spot on a familiarly gloomy afternoon the debut of teenage striker Daniel Jebbison

Hodgson could instead depart content, his future at the Palace helm still unclear but his side's Premier League status secure once again

Sheffield United interim boss : "It was the start

When you're where we are in the league, to concede a goal that early is really tough

It's our fault but it put us on the back foot

I thought we were the team pushing in the second half but we were always vulnerable on the counter with players of their quality

"Two deflected goals summed it up today

The honesty that I love about these players also cost us in the penalty box; coulda, woulda, should gone down

That's a stonewall penalty if Sander goes down

It's our naivety

"We tried to play more forward passes in the second half

We huffed and puffed but missed the target

I feel for them; they're flat, they're down

It's a tough situation but we can't feel sorry for ourselves

That's going to be the message

"Crystal Palace boss : "It was a very solid performance in every respect

Especially in the first half, they found it very difficult to mount any attacks

If anything it's the fact the 2-0 victory is scant reward for the opportunities we created and the quality of our play

"[Eze] has progressed but there is a lot more progress to come

There was a spell where Benteke wasn't scoring but he'd tactically done what we'd asked of him and worked really hard

He's done all that season, improved in some respects and has added scoring goals into the bargain

With the resources we've had at our disposal, I think we've done an excellent job

" Jamie Redknapp: "Eze was the best player on the pitch by a long way

He looks a different class

Pretty much all season he has been exceptional

"Micah Richards: "He's a magician, isn't he? The way he took his second goal

null

he's a really big talent

"Sheffield United travel to Everton next Sunday for a 7pm kick-off, before a midweek visit to Newcastle on Wednesday May 19 - live on - and then a Premier League farewell at home to Burnley on Sunday May 23

Palace face two double gameweeks before the season's conclusion, heading to Southampton on May 11, before hosting Aston Villa on May 16, with both games live on

They face Arsenal at home on May 19 and finish at Liverpool

null

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<PAD>

317

Chelsea tormented Manchester City once again by delaying their title-winning party and boosting their own top-four hopes with the help of an awful Panenka penalty miss by Sergio Aguero during their 2-1 comeback win at the Etihad on Saturday

Hakim Ziyech, who had ended City's Quadruple dreams in a FA Cup semi-final last month, was on target again to cancel out Raheem Sterling's opener for the much-changed hosts, before Marcos Alonso (90+2) grabbed a deserved stoppage-time winner for the visitors against a side they will meet in the Champions League final on May 29

A mis-control from Aguero - City's most-famous title-clincher of all - had allowed Sterling to find the net for the first time in 13 games on 44 minutes but another error from the striker moments later proved far more costly, with his weak spot-kick easily saved

Chelsea capitalised and had the upper hand throughout the second period, with Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi seeing efforts ruled out for offside after Ziyech's leveller on 63 minutes, and they leapfrogged Leicester into third place in the Premier League with Alonso's last-gasp finish from close range

Chelsea are now six points clear of fifth-placed West Ham in the top-four race, while City - who were aggrieved not to be awarded a late penalty when Sterling was tumbled by Kurt Zouma - could still reclaim the crown this weekend if Manchester United lose at Aston Villa on Sunday, live on

The exertions of reaching the Champions League final was reflected on both team sheets, with Man City making nine changes and leaving out key man Kevin De Bruyne completely, while Mason Mount, Thiago Silva, and Ben Chilwell were also given the evening off by Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel

That reshuffle saw Pep Guardiola field his City side in an unconventional 5-1-4 formation, although it was a mistake by Andreas Christensen, one of Chelsea's six starters from their midweek win over Real Madrid, which presented the first chance of the match to Ferran Torres, who fired over under pressure from Antonio Rudiger

A similar mistake from the defender at the end of the half wouldn't go unpunished

With City on the front foot, Benjamin Mendy shot wide, although there was a scare for the hosts when VAR took a closer look at Sterling's high tackle on Werner, before the officials in Stockley Park decided against upgrading his yellow card to a red

As the visitors began to get to grips with City's set-up there was something of a stalemate until Werner saw a strike ruled out for offside just after the half-hour, after turning in Reece James' mis-hit shot

That sparked a flurry of efforts at goal, with a scuffed Sterling volley and long-range Ziyech effort failing to trouble either keeper - but with the half looking like it would finish goalless, drama struck just before the break

On 44 minutes, Christensen got his clearance all wrong from a ball into the channel from Ruben Dias and Gabriel Jesus squared for Aguero

The usually clinical striker let the ball get away from him but Sterling was there to tap City ahead and end his personal goal drought

The action was not over though, and, as Chelsea tried to replace Christensen, who had hurt his hamstring, Jesus was brought down in the box by Billy Gilmour

Aguero had looked less than impressed with Sterling pouncing on his error for the opener but spectacularly fluffed his chance to get on the scoresheet with the spot-kick, chipping the ball tamely for Mendy to gather on the stroke of half-time

That miss proved costly as Chelsea took control at the start of the second half and turned their dominance in possession into an equaliser when Rodri gave away the ball and Ziyech lashed in from the edge of the box from Cesar Azpilicueta's cross

With the momentum on the visitors' side, Reece James swung in a couple of wicked crosses, the first was just beyond Werner's reach and the second taken off the striker's head by a flick from Aymeric Laporte

The frustration for Werner continued when he found the net for a second time and was again ruled offside - an issue in the forward's game he will have to address

Substitute Hudson-Odoi went the same way with 10 minutes to play, tucking in another fine cross from James before seeing the offside flag stop his celebrations

City still threatened on the break, with substitute Zouma producing a brilliant tackle to deny Sterling before breathing a sigh of relief when VAR judged him not to have fouled the forward soon after when the England international went down in the box

That decision proved pivotal as Chelsea went up the other end, broke clear with Werner, and grabbed all three points with Alonso's scuffed finish with 92 minutes on the clock

The question now is whether Chelsea can beat City for a third time in a row when they meet in the Champions League final

null

"It was a tight game but in general we played really well

We missed our chance in the last minute of the first half with the penalty

Is was Sergio's decision [to take a Panenka], the taker has to make that decision

I always say 'decide and take it fully convinced', he decided to do it this way

Nothing to add

"It was a penalty [Zouma on Sterling]

It's a penalty, that's all

In football this happens

Next time we will try and score our penalty and that's all

The opinion of Anthony [Taylor] and the officials, they know it and that's all I can say

Sometimes we make mistakes, maybe they believe they didn't make a mistake, that's OK

I saw it on the TV, it's a penalty, that's all

""What a performance in the second half

It was more or less equal in the first half, but we almost gave the game away in the last five minutes

If they scored the penalty, maybe the game would have been over before it really started

If it went to 2-0, maybe we wouldn't have had a chance to come back

It was very hard, we were 1-0 down and had an injured player, I'm absolutely impressed by the performance and reaction in the second half and we deserved to win the second half

"If you want to steal all three points at the Etihad in this situation, of course you need a bit of luck, momentum, and decisions from the referee

But we had many chances in the second half, so a big, big congratulations to the players

We were more confident in the second half, the goal helped us a lot and suddenly we were more physical and recovered the balls higher

It was a physical battle and we never stepped back or gave up, instead we increased our motivation

I'm absolutely delighted with the performance

"Manchester City go to Newcastle at 8pm on Friday, live on Sky Sports, while Chelsea are next in action at home to Arsenal on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports at 8

15pm

null

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<PAD>

318

Thiago scored his first goal for Liverpool as they kept their top-four hopes alive with a 2-0 win over Southampton at Anfield

Both sides had clear chances in an open first half, but Liverpool got the opener as Sadio Mane rose above Kyle Walker-Peters to convert Mohamed Salah's cross from six yards (31), the first time the duo had combined for a Premier League goal this season

Alisson was on hand to deny Saints on several occasions in both halves, while also nearly handing them a leveller on a plate with a poor pass out in the second, gratefully gathering Che Adams' weak shot, before summer signing Thiago struck with a fine low effort from outside the box into the bottom right corner (90)

The weekend had offered mixed results in Liverpool's quest for the top four, with and beaten, but just before this vital win

It leaves Liverpool six points off fourth-place Leicester, with a game in hand and four to play, with Chelsea a point further ahead in third

Southampton are 16th and not yet mathematically safe having won just twice in 17 games, but sit 10 points off the drop zone with 12 points to play for

Both sides were eager to attack in the first half; Salah was denied by Fraser Forster at an angle, with Mane in a better position, before the Southampton goalkeeper was then forced into stops from Diogo Jota's fierce effort and Salah's curling shot inside the box

Forster was beaten by Gini Wijnaldum's header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner, the crossbar coming to his rescue, and at the other end goalkeeper Alisson stood tall to deny Adams a sure goal as Saints broke at speed, feasting on Liverpool's high defensive line

But 45 seconds later, Liverpool were ahead

Found by Fabinho on the right, Salah weighted a lovely ball into Mane at the back post, outmuscling his marker Walker-Peters and heading past Forster, who chose not to come out and claim the ball

Salah nearly had a second moments later, blocked out after trying to round Forster, and Saints should have levelled just before the break as Nathan Tella's header from Nathan Redmond's cross fell into the grateful hands of Alisson

Jota stung the hands of Forster early in the second half from a tight angle, while Nat Phillips then had a much clearer sight at goal, miscuing his ummarked header from Alexander-Arnold's brilliant cross

Michael Obafemi, just moments after coming on, nearly grabbed a leveller as he was played through by Tella, catching Rhys Williams flat-footed, but Alisson rushed out to block again

Diallo, another substitute, forced Alisson to tip over from a half volley as Liverpool survived some pressure, with the hosts caught in-between pushing for a second and defending against a pushy Saints side

Alisson, who had been the scourge of Saints, then nearly gifted them a goal as his loose pass out fell to the feet of Adams, only for his weak effort to fall straight back into the Brazil goalkeeper's arms

But Thiago, criticised for mixed form since joining from Bayern Munich last summer, showed his class with a low finish from 20 yards in the final minute, wrapping up a significant victory

While not being a mathematical must-win, Liverpool would have felt the pressure at kick-off to keep themselves in the race for the Champions League spots, a bare minimum expectation at the start of what has been a testing campaign for the champions

Liverpool boss : "It was good, a tough game, we knew that before and we had to work hard, and we did that

Yes, they had their moments in counter-attacking situations, where it was tricky for us

"They don't give up, they go and go and go

We had good moments, I liked our switches, they were really brave

I thought we controlled it better tonight

It was really hard for Southampton, and hard for us as well

We had to be really careful

We won the game, and that's all that counts

"On Mane and Thiago scoring: "Very important

If you'd asked me I'd love everyone to score, but probably these are two who needed it most

"Southampton boss : "I think we had maybe the bigger chances today

But we couldn't score, and you cannot win

This was the difference today

We showed some good, brave football today, kept the game open

"When you don't take the chances, it's difficult

We really played well, and to create so many chances against Liverpool is not normal

It was a good balance in the game, we tried to be brave today

"Liverpool now go to Manchester United on Thursday night in their rearranged fixture at 8

15pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League, before going to West Brom on Super Sunday at 4

30pm, also on Sky Sports Premier League

Southampton now host Crystal Palace on Tuesday night at 8

15pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League, before hosting Fulham at 3pm on Saturday, also live on Sky Sports Premier League

null

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<PAD>

319

Newcastle took a giant stride towards Premier League survival after securing a resounding 4-2 win at Leicester, dealing a blow to the hosts' Champions League hopes at the King Power Stadium on Steve Bruce's side moved up to 13th, 12 points clear of 18th-placed Fulham, who still have four games to play, as fears of another end-of-season collapse for the Foxes in their bid to finish in the top four showed signs of materialising

Joe Willock took full advantage of a Caglar Soyuncu error to continue his rich vein of form (22) before Paul Dummett rose unopposed to double Newcastle's lead (34), with Brendan Rodgers' team visibly unsettled by the late withdrawal of Jonny Evans prior to kick-off through injury

Callum Wilson pounced on a Timothy Castagne mistake to add to Leicester's woes (64) before making it 4-0 from an acute angle (74) after his initial effort had rebounded off the inside of the post

Marc Albrighton reduced the deficit with a rifled finish (80), before Kelechi Iheanacho halved the arrears (87) but it would prove scant consolation

While Newcastle are not yet mathematically safe, Fulham and West Brom will be relegated this weekend if they lose to Burnley and Arsenal respectively

Newcastle's inconsistency this term is the reason they have been languishing towards the bottom end of the Premier League

Following their home defeat to Arsenal, Bruce admitted his side fell below the standard that had been set in the recent games against West Ham and Liverpool, but facing an in-form Foxes in pursuit of Champions League football appeared an onerous task

In their final four games last term, Leicester gained just three points, losing to Tottenham and Manchester United

Brendan Rodgers' side face those two foes once more in the coming weeks, so this untimely misstep against the Magpies a week before their FA Cup final appearance against Chelsea will certainly jangle nerves

The evening didn't start well for the hosts with Evans withdrawing as a result of an injury sustained in the warm-up, forcing Rodgers to select Albrighton at wing-back and move Castagne inside as part of a back three

They survived a penalty scare inside nine minutes when Soyuncu was caught square-on as he dangled out a foot and brought down Wilson on the edge of the box, with referee Darren England in the right place to spot the infringement just outside the area

Newcastle continued their encouraging start as Federico Fernandez glanced Jonjo Shelvey's free-kick wide of the post

Kasper Schmeichel wasn't tested, but he was forced spectacularly into action moments later

A lightning-quick break involving Jacob Murphy and Wilson resulted in Allan Saint-Maximin being released, but he telegraphed his shot to allow the Leicester goalkeeper to stick out a left leg and prevent a certain goal

Newcastle didn't have to wait much longer to convert their dominance into a slender lead, however, as on 22 minutes Soyuncu was caught dallying in possession from Dummett's hopeful ball forward, allowing Willock to pounce and stroke home his fourth goal in as many games

"They're looking sluggish the players in blue," co-commentator Alan Smith said

"It's all a bit messy from the home team at the moment

The Newcastle players are all looking quicker

"Leicester badly needed a response, and it was very nearly provided by Wesley Fofana as the defender rose to meet James Maddison's free-kick but he powered his header straight at Martin Dubravka

Willock was bristling with confidence, and with Soyuncu and his team-mates rattled, Newcastle doubled their lead after 34 minutes in routine fashion

Leicester were losing their individual battles all over the pitch and Dummett rose with ease above Fofana to meet Matt Ritchie's corner and glance his header beyond the stranded Schmeichel

It was the defender's first goal in over five years

"Newcastle have been fabulous and 2-0 doesn't flatter them," Graeme Souness told at the interval

"It's worrying times for Leicester

" Given how Rodgers' side missed out on Champions League qualification from a similar position of authority during the run-in last term, doubts of a repeat collapse were starting to creep in

Five years to the day since lifting the Premier League trophy against Everton at the King Power Stadium, the hosts needed to find some of the spirit which saw them through that title-winning season - but the response was far from immediate

Maddison saw a header land on the roof of the net before he sized up a presentable chance from a 25-yard free-kick, only to see his effort deflect wide of Dubravka's right-hand post

Rodgers summoned Ayoze Perez off the bench shortly after the hour-mark, but Newcastle duly extended their lead

Again, it was entirely of Leicester's own making as Castagne's backpass to Schmeichel fell desperately short, allowing Wilson to nip in and round the Dane for his first of the night

Ten minutes later, things got even better for Newcastle and for Wilson as Miguel Almiron spotted his run in behind Fofana, and after his first effort came off the post, Wilson was able to tuck home the rebound from the tightest of angles

It capped an embarrassing night for Leicester, a week before their big day at Wembley, but they did end the match with a degree of dignity as Iheanacho's dummy allowed Albrighton to run onto Jamie Vardy's pass to cut across his shot and send an unerring strike high into the top corner beyond the dive of Dubravka

Newcastle were wobbling when Iheanacho notched his customary strike, collecting Perez's pass before reversing his shot into the bottom corner for his 11th Premier League goal in eight games

Perez was then dramatically denied by Dubravka from Luke Thomas' flick-on to ensure there would not be an unexpectedly tense finale

For Leicester, it was far too little, too late

Leicester boss : "It's very easy to analyse as we made so many mistakes

You can't afford to do that

The goals we conceded were uncharacteristic and it's a time of the season where you've got to be super-concentrated if you are to achieve what you want

We lacked concentration and if you do that against good teams, with good players, they'll punish you

"I'm proud of the players because they kept going

Sometimes, teams can start throwing their arms about and blaming each other but we kept going until the end

Too many mistakes ultimately cost us

You can get that with young players, and you can see from the first goal that it was a poor mistake

"There were other mistakes, but that's football

With young players, that will happen

I've got a very honest group of players who are very disappointed but we'll have to regroup and go again on Tuesday

"Newcastle boss : "I didn't think we'd come here and score four times, to be brutally honest, but I'm delighted with the win, we played very, very well

"Towards the end, I was thinking it can only be us, but Leicester are never going to give up

Thankfully we came through

We're not safe

In the Premier League, as I've said many times, you can't take anything for granted

It's almost there, as we've gone up to 13th, but it's a nice easy one next week against Manchester City

"Until it's done, we have to get ready for that challenge

When the big players have returned over the last few months, we've lost two in 10 - something like that

The performances, the big players getting fit, makes a difference

We've struggled for a while with Covid and illness, people being injured, and that's been a real major challenge

"Newcastle have won as many points in their last five Premier League matches as they managed in their 15 matches prior to this run, and Wilson ensured his team had a big enough lead to withstand Leicester's late revival

Wilson told : "It was very enjoyable, we had to stay disciplined and hit them on the counter-attack

A few results and it is like a domino effect

"We are playing with a bit more freedom

We had nothing to lose and everything to gain

We had a nice incentive that if we got three points we'd be close to safe

We were very disciplined until the last 10 minutes

When your backs are to the wall you probably have to weather the storm better than we did

That's a downfall of ours at the minute

"It's another three points on the board and more of a gap to the bottom three

"All 12 of Wilson's Premier League goals for Newcastle have been scored in the second half, while he's the first Magpies player to score 12 in his debut top-flight season for the club since Loïc Rémy scored 14 in 2013/14

"They didn't start right

They're a team who have got everything to play for in terms of finishing in the top four, keeping that momentum and that winning habit for a Cup final that's coming up, but they didn't start right

"Brendan swapped Soyuncu with Fofana at the start of the second half, but in the first half he was playing in the middle and thought he had more time than he actually had

"It was casual, and if he was playing against one of the bigger teams, I don't think he would've made that mistake

The tempo had already been set by Newcastle, but the game was lost for Leicester before they got going

For an hour, Newcastle were convincing and they deserved to win the game

"Leicester travel to face Manchester United in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Tuesday; kick-off is at 6pm

Newcastle host Manchester City at St James' Park on Friday Night Football, live on ; kick-off 8pm

null

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Thomas

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Murphy

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Fernandez

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Willock

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<PAD>

320

West Brom came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at home to rivals Wolves but the solitary point edges them closer to the drop

Mbaye Diagne's second-half header cancelled out Fabio Silva's fortunate goal in first-half stoppage time but the draw means Sam Allardyce's side are 10 points from safety with four games to go

Wolves had more of the ball throughout but their own frailties were evident as Nuno Espirito Santo's out-of-form team failed to withstand West Brom pressure after the interval

As rain swept across the ground, it took both teams some time to settle into any kind of rhythm but it was Wolves who had the first chance when Romain Saiss headed straight at Sam Johnstone

The away side dominated possession for much of the first half, Nelson Semedo forcing a far better save from the Baggies goalkeeper on the half hour before Vitinha tried his luck from range

West Brom came close to the breakthrough late in the half when a short corner found its way to Diagne at the far post but he could only divert across goal rather than into the net

It was to prove costly within minutes when Wolves took the lead in farcical circumstances at the other end after some impressive build-up play involving Owen Otasowie and Vitinha

Kyle Bartley looked likely to clear but his attempt ricocheted off Silva, looping over Johnstone and into the Albion net, much to the delight of the teenage forward who wheeled away in celebration

The Portuguese has struggled to fill the void left by Raul Jimenez but this was his second goal against Wolves' biggest rivals and more than justified his return to the starting line-up

The only change at half-time was the official, with Mike Dean stepping up to referee the second half after Paul Tierney sustained an injury, but there was a shift of momentum towards the home team

West Brom threw everything at Wolves in the early stages of the second half with goalkeeper Rui Patricio making two huge saves when the equaliser seemed inevitable

Firstly, the impressive Matheus Pereira slipped the ball to Conor Townsend only for the full-back to shoot too close to Patricio on the angle

Then, good work by substitute Matty Phillips found Sam Gallagher in space at the far post only for the midfielder to see his effort palmed away

The goal finally came just after the hour mark when Diagne was left unmarked in the centre of the goal to head calmly home from Townsend's expertly directed left-wing cross

With both teams chasing a winning goal, it made for an open finale as rain lashed down on the sodden Hawthorns turf but neither side had the quality to fashion another clear chance late on

The result means West Brom have had the better of this season's Black Country derbies, having won at Molineux in January

But a repeat of the fixture next time around now looks highly unlikely

West Brom manager "You can't miss chances like that

When you're in the position we're in, the first one's unlucky off the line, but the two chances after half-time, with only the keeper to beat, not to put those two in is a big loss for us today, a big three points missed

"We can only hope the teams lose above us and we win four games on the trot

"Wolves boss : "I'm not totally pleased, but more pleased regarding what we wanted from the game

We controlled it from the beginning, had good moments

"The only part was the beginning of the second half, when West Brom created problems, but for the rest of the game the attitude was magnificent

"This was only the third Premier League start of Vitinha's career, having never started a league game for parent club Porto, but the little midfielder made a big impression at The Hawthorns

His impeccable control and busy work in a derby game being played out in treacherous conditions caught the eye

He has a fierce shot on him and was involved in the build-up to the opening goal

Vitinha was substituted late on but he had already done enough to earn the man of the match award by then and on this evidence Wolves would do well to keep hold of a player with real promise

West Brom take their survival battle to the Emirates Stadium and Arsenal next Sunday; Kick-off at 7pm

Earlier that day Wolves host Brighton at Molineux; Kick-off at 12pm

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<PAD>

321

Michail Antonio's first-half double was enough for West Ham to see off Burnley 2-1 in an entertaining encounter, sending the Hammers into fifth

Although West Ham saw good early openings, it was Burnley who went ahead in the 19th minute as Tomas Soucek fouled Chris Wood in the box

The striker fired home the penalty, continuing his trend of goals against West Ham (seven goals in eight Premier League games)

But two-and-a-half-minutes later, Europe-chasing West Ham were level when Antonio (21) headed home

The lively forward then added his second soon after (29) as he turned home a superb Said Benrahma cross

Having registered 22 shots throughout the whole game, West Ham could have added more to their tally in the second half, although Burnley's Jay Rodriguez had the best chance to score but could only fire wide

The victory sees West Ham go above Tottenham into fifth, keeping them on track for European football next season with four games to play

Burnley are now winless in their last eight Premier League home games - matching their longest run without a top-flight victory at Turf Moor (eight between December 1970 and March 1971) - and remain in 16th

West Ham began wonderfully, and had two sights of goal inside 11 minutes

Antonio sent an effort wide from the top of the area, before Manuel Lanzini curled the ball just over Nick Pope's bar

But for all of West Ham's early chances, it was Burnley who went ahead first

Some superb play from Wood inside the area saw Soucek swipe at his legs, handing the hosts a penalty

The striker stood up to take it himself, dispatching into the bottom left corner and through the palms of Lukasz Fabianski

Wood has now scored more Premier League goals against West Ham than he has versus any other side in the competition, netting in all four of his Premier League appearances against the Hammers at Turf Moor

But 154 seconds later, and West Ham were level

Vladimir Coufal sent in a superb cross from the top right corner, with Antonio rising above his marker to nod home

The forward was on target again eight minutes later

Benrahma curled a wonderful cross in from the left, with Antonio needing only the slightest of touch to send the ball past Pope

Minutes later, it was almost an identical third and an Antonio hat-trick

Benrahma again fired in a cross from the left, but this time, Antonio's outstretched foot was unable to turn it home

Burnley could also have added another with Matej Vydra getting the better of both Issa Diop and Fabianski in the area, but Craig Dawson was waiting to clear the ball off the line

West Ham continued to impress at the start of the second half, racking up six shots in the opening 15 minutes after the break

Antonio had another glorious effort for his hat-trick too, but his right-footed shot hit the heel of his left

The ball then ran away from him as Burnley cleared

Burnley should have equalised in the 64th minute

Josh Brownhill's initial effort was saved wonderfully by Fabianski, before landing at Jay Rodriguez's feet inside the six-yard area

His first effort was blocked by Coufal, before the second dragged well wide

The chances kept coming from both sides - Rodriguez nodded wide from a corner before Antonio sent an effort just past the post

Late in the game, it was another superb break from West Ham, but Jesse Lingard's effort pinged off Ben Mee before forcing a good save from Pope

It was an absolutely superb performance from Antonio as the central striker

The signs were there inside mere minutes as he fired wide from the top of the area, but he was soon on target with two wonderfully taken goals

He had other efforts to complete his hat-trick, but it wasn't to be for the striker and he will likely be frustrated to have not got that third goal

But he led the way for the West Ham team in terms of shots (6) and shots on target (2) as they aim for a strong finish to the season

"I'm buzzing to be fair

It's been a great season

I'm over the moon

I'm a bit disappointed not to get a hat-trick, I had chances

This is a very tough place to come

You dread coming here

"I've had a couple of goals disallowed by VAR

I thought 'I don't want to be there doing a dance and the goal gets disallowed'

I've toned down my celebrations

A couple of times I've been about to do one and a handball or whatever, VAR has killed it

"It would be unbelievable [to qualify for Champions League]

Everybody wants to play in the Champions League

I have been here a few years and there have been so many seasons we were fighting to stay in the league and now we have the opportunity for top four, it's a dream come true

We will keep fighting, keep pushing

""The team he picked tonight, it wasn't a very David Moyes move in terms of his perception as a manager at times

If you were asking if David Moyes is a more attacking or pragmatic manager, you'd probably say pragmatic

"He almost said before the game 'we need three points'

He called it on and it was interesting that West Ham and David Moyes are talking about Europe

But I think in the back of his mind, Moyes has to think Champions League

"You have to think how often David Moyes will be in this position over the next few seasons to be in the Champions League

I think they've got to throw everything at getting into the Champions League and maybe risk losing a game

If they get into the Europa League, it's still fantastic, but the chance for West Ham to get into the Champions League? Go for it!""A good game played at a quick tempo, both going at it

They are chasing Champions League spot and we are trying to look after ourselves

We didn't go too far wrong

Our level of performance has been good

Overall they were the stronger side

"We didn't stop the crosses enough, especially first half

Transition was a big thing

We gave the ball away too often to a side with a lot of danger

"Thing for me is levels and we have had that right for a while

Against good sides you need to perform

We weren't a million miles off

They were good and sometimes you need to hold your hands up

" "The team played really well

We won 2-1 but I felt it was a lot more than that

We rode our luck at the end but we should have been out of sight

"I'd love to be in Europe

It would be an incredible achievement

We're not far away from the Champions League positions

We've got to keep believing

"Said played well tonight but he's still got more consistency to come

Asking boys to be successful in their first season in the Premier League isn't easy

I'm hoping he adds that [goals and assists] to us

I always felt it would take him a bit longer

He is a really good team player

"Four games to go, it's great

I want to smile about it

I've been here before - we'll probably have to win the four games

If we played the way we played tonight we'll give most teams a game

"Burnley are back on Monday Night Football next week when they travel to Fulham; kick-off 8pm

For West Ham, they host Everton on Super Sunday; kick-off 4

30pm

null

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<PAD>

322

West Ham suffered a major blow to their Champions League hopes as Everton breathed renewed life into their own with a hard-fought 1-0 win at the London Stadium on

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the crucial goal on 24 minutes as he latched onto Ben Godfrey's through ball to steer his low shot beyond Lukasz Fabianski

The visitors' goal led a charmed life at times, with Said Benrahma missing a glorious first-half chance before Vladimir Coufal struck the inside of the post after the interval

Everton stay in eighth place, but move to within three points of their opponents in fifth, with their game in hand against Aston Villa taking place on Thursday evening, live onThis was the last game at the London Stadium without supporters

When Southampton are the visitors on the final day of the season, there will be 10,000 season-ticket holders in the stands

The residents will find out then if a fine season will be rewarded with European football, but three defeats in West Ham's last four league games has made the prospect of this stadium being graced by Champions League opponents increasingly unlikely

Everton arrived having lost just one of their previous 12 away league meetings with the Hammers, and they very nearly found the early breakthrough when Gylfi Sigurdsson's corner was flicked towards Calvert-Lewin at the far post but Tomas Soucek was in the right place to head clear

West Ham were looking to complete their first league double over Everton since 1972/73, following their 1-0 win at Goodison Park in January, but they fell behind on 24 minutes

Godfrey drove into midfield and timed the perfect pass behind Craig Dawson for Calvert-Lewin to steady himself and find the far corner for his 16th Premier League goal of a productive season

David Moyes' side reacted well to conceding the first goal against Burnley last Monday, and they nearly found the perfect response again as Seamus Coleman blocked Benrahma's shot before Jesse Lingard's delicious curler from just inside the box veered inches wide of the post with Jordan Pickford beaten

Everton were not sitting on their lead, however, with Sigurdsson drawing Fabianski into a fine save from his 25-yard free-kick

It was not the only sight of goal Carlo Ancelotti's side had during the opening period as a route-one ball was flicked on by Calvert-Lewin into the path of Richarlison, but Fabianski got down well at his near post to field the shot

You sensed the Merseysiders needed a second given their recent run of one win in their last seven Premier League games, and they ought to have been pegged back with six minutes of the half remaining when Pablo Fornals was afforded too much time to cross but Benrahma somehow headed over at the far post

Graeme Souness told : "He sees it coming a long way, he tries to guide it into the corner but he gets the direction wrong

"Moyes stood with a pensive gaze on the touchline, and he was soon contemplating an enforced change as Manuel Lanzini hobbled off with a strain, making way for Jarrod Bowen shortly before the break

There were no changes at the restart and no change to the fast-paced nature of the contest at the start of the second half with West Ham looking to force the issue

England assistant manager Steve Holland watched on in the stands, and he will have been impressed by Pickford's commanding presence as his instructions continued to echo in the empty surroundings

On 55 minutes, Tom Davies was in the right place to block a Fornals shot from Coufal's header back across goal

Aaron Cresswell became the second West Ham player forced off through injury as Moyes' problems mounted, but they very nearly found the equaliser on the hour-mark

Fornals' pass sent Coufal into space down the right but his shot across goal thudded against the inside of the post, with Bowen's attempt from an acute angle on the follow-up gleefully landing in Pickford's gloves

It was a huge let-off for Everton, as Moyes looked to Andriy Yarmolenko in a last roll of the dice

Ancelotti's men stayed compact and looked menacing on the counter-attack as an important tracking run from Soucek denied Richarlison from linking up with Calvert-Lewin before Coleman was thwarted by a last-ditch bock from Lingard as he pulled the trigger

Everton ought to have added a second when Calvert-Lewin was again played through, rounding Fabianski before selflessly crossing for Joshua King to rise and strike the post

But it would not prove costly, as with Coufal's rising shot in stoppage time went West Ham's hopes of a late reprieve

West Ham boss : "I was pleased with the players, for long parts we controlled the game but we didn't have the difference up front

"Neither did they, we gave them the goal

It was terrible defending, we were too easy to score against

We've done well but when you're really competing at the top you've got to be switched on all the time

"We have to keep winning

I don't think we deserved to lose today so we need to get the next win under our belts as quickly as possible

"I think because we've lost today defeat might be costly, but you never know in football

If we qualify for Europe I think it would be an incredible achievement, no matter which competition it is

"Everton boss : "It was a vital victory, if we don't win here we are out of the fight for Europe

"There was pressure on the game but we managed the game well

We played defensively at the top, really good, and were really dangerous on the counter-attack

"The players knew it was vital

They also know Thursday against Aston Villa is vital

We have to be ready again to feel the game

The players understood, the attitude, spirit, concentration and motivation was very high

"The goal Dominic scored is the goal of a top striker - cold in front of the goalkeeper

"There were several impressive performances from the men in blue with Godfrey and Calvert-Lewin excelling, but none more so than Ancelotti's midfield enforcer Allan

His absence has been felt by Everton when he has been out injured, but here he demonstrated why his manager was so determined to be reacquainted with him once more having worked together at Napoli

Allan produced four tackles and made two interceptions, more than any other Everton player

Alan Smith told : "He's played a central part sat there in front of the back three

He's got his foot in the way lots of times

He's been an example of the determination from Everton's players

There has been a real tenacity out there today

"On the final blow of referee Stuart Attwell's whistle, Calvert-Lewin slumped onto his back in exhaustion

The striker had run himself into the ground on a big pitch and had given a clinic in hold-up play for his side

Such has been his rise this term, there was little surprise his 21st goal in all competitions decided a contest high on quality but low on clear-cut chances

Much was made of Ollie Watkins coming out on top in their battle last weekend at Goodison Park, but on the day the Aston Villa striker saw red against Manchester United, this was a reminder of who remains best-placed to be Harry Kane's understudy at Euro 2020

With Everton looking to wind down the clock in the closing stages, King was guilty on more than one occasion of choosing the wrong pass, wasteful too with a glorious chance presented to him by Calvert-Lewin

The striker thrashed at his thighs in frustration

It was another indication of the raised standards in a player going places

The question now is whether Everton can move along with him

West Ham visit Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, live onand ; kick-off is at 8pm

Everton travel to face Aston Villa on Thursday, live on and ; kick-off is at 6pm

null

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<PAD>

323

Arsenal returned to winning ways as goals from Mohamed Elneny and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang secured a dominant 2-0 victory over Newcastle at St James' Park

Mohamed Elneny volleyed in his first Premier League goal inside five minutes before Aubameyang marked his first start since April 3 with the Gunners' second midway through the second half

Newcastle had moved to within touching distance of mathematical Premier League safety with a four-game unbeaten run before Arsenal's trip to Tyneside but were completely outplayed, registering just a single attempt on target, before Fabian Schar's late dismissal compounded a miserable outing for Steve Bruce's side

Arsenal's first league win in three lifts them up to ninth and provides a timely boost ahead of Thursday's Europa League showdown with Villarreal, while Newcastle stay 17th, nine points clear of the relegation zone with four games remaining

Mikel Arteta left no room for doubt that salvaging Arsenal's season in Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg against Villarreal was the priority as he made eight changes from midweek first-leg defeat

But instead of weakening his side, Arteta's alterations inspired Arsenal to a dominant first-half performance which was capped with the opener inside five minutes

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should have delivered it on his return to the Arsenal starting line-up but his mis-hit from Hector Bellerin's cross turned the ball into the path of Elneny, who volleyed in his first Premier League goal for the Gunners at the 66th attempt

Arsenal's breakthrough momentarily sparked Newcastle into life and they almost equalised on 18 minutes when Allan Saint-Maximin's scuffed shot looked set to loop in, but Mat Ryan scrambled back in time to tip it over and the Magpies wouldn't register another attempt on target in the half

Instead, Arsenal peppered the Newcastle goal in search of a second, with Granit Xhaka's left-footed thunderbolt forcing a fine save from Martin Dubravka before Miguel Almiron prevented Elneny heading in his second from a corner with a brilliant goal-line clearance

A tactical alternation shifted Newcastle further up the field after the break and the hosts were more competitive, but the better chances continued to fall for Arsenal, with Gabriel Magalhaes heading a glorious opportunity over on 63 minutes

But Arsenal's second soon came in emphatic style as a flowing one-touch move ended with Gabriel Martinelli exquisitely finding Aubameyang at the back post to volley in his first goal since March 6

Jonjo Shelvey's blocked shot from distance was a close as Newcastle came to salvaging something from the game, and things went from bad to worse in stoppage time when Schar, making his first appearance since February 6, was given his marching orders for a rash lunge on Martinelli

"Arsenal were very impressive; from the get-go they were on the front foot

Newcastle didn't get going, the initiative was handed to Arsenal and they bossed it from the first minute through to the last

"Newcastle knew one more win would make them safe and they to start right against an Arsenal side who may have an eye on the Europa League game in midweek

"Newcastle turned up as if their season was already over and that shouldn't have been the case against a team that was a little bit fragile

""The better team won, that's for sure

Arsenal were very good and weren't quite at the level we have been for the last few weeks

When you play against the big teams you cannot afford to gift them a goal like we did, it's always difficult to be down after four minutes and we found it tough

"We stuck at it, our best period of the game was just after half-time, but they scored again, and we didn't carry the threat we've carried before, which was unfortunate

"I couldn't fault the effort and commitment from the players, we simply weren't good enough on the day to beat them

" "This game showed our focus is still there in the Premier League

We believe that anything is possible if you're picking up points and we wanted to put bad results out of the way

"We had a great attitude, some moments of real quality and had total control from the start

We refreshed the team because we've played so many games

Thursday was very demanding, but the team was really committed and focussed on this game and that's why we won

"We controlled the game and we accelerated when it was needed

The early goal gave us confidence which we needed after the defeat on Thursday

We have to do as well as we can and finish as high as we can

You need big performances and we had that today

"Arsenal host Villarreal in their Europa League semi-final second leg on Thursday at 8pm

Newcastle travel to Leicester on at 8pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League - before Arsenal entertain West Brom on Sunday at 7pm

null

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<PAD>

324

Gareth Bale scored a brilliant hat-trick as Tottenham shook off their Carabao Cup final misery and kept alive their Champions League hopes with a 4-0 win over relegated Sheffield United

Bale's 36th-minute opener, a fine instinctive flick from close range, was scant reward for Spurs' first-half dominance, but though Heung-Min Son saw an effort after the break (52) ruled out for offside, the Welshman would strike twice more legitimately and emphatically

Bale brought up his 50th Premier League goal shortly after the hour mark when he was set up by Son on a Spurs breakaway and hit a fierce third without breaking stride (69) to fire a further reminder of his enduring potency

The Blades, for whom John Fleck escaped punishment after a VAR review after catching Giovani Lo Celso on the head, had twice built momentum before conceding but Bale's third goal ended their fleeting resistance and Son completed the rout with a brilliant curled finish 13 minutes from time

Tottenham move up to fifth - for now at least, having played a game more than West Ham, Liverpool and Everton behind them - but remain five points off Chelsea with just four games left to play

Seeking a mood-boosting win after unrest over their part in the European Super League, renewed speculation over Harry Kane's future, and a Manchester City mauling that delivered a paltry 0

06 in expected goals, Spurs were dominant from the off, albeit against far inferior opposition

A moment of early hesitancy between Aaron Ramsdale and George Baldock almost cost the Blades with Sergio Reguilon lurking, but Spurs were building patiently as Dele Alli - making only his third Premier League start of the season - drifted between central areas and the left flank

Kane's round-the-corner ball fizzed into Bale should have brought reward, the Welshman firing well over, and after Son drew a strong right hand from Ramsdale, Chris Basham had to sidefoot off his line to deny Kane

Kane had further ballooned over and lashed a free-kick chance into Sheffield United shins but despite weathering the storm, the visitors were unable to make any rare forays forward count

David McGoldrick's pull-back from a dangerous area was straight at Hugo Lloris and Rhian Brewster - still to score for the Blades - shanked high and wide

They were punished soon after when Bale stretched to elegantly lift a ball chipped into his path by Serge Aurier, the breakthrough belated but inevitable

Fleck was reprieved after the interval after leaving Lo Celso with a cut that saw ice strapped to his head, the moment deemed accidental, but momentum the Blades seemed to have wrestled back through the substitutions of Oli Burke and Sander Berge was short-lived

Though Son had been narrowly ruled offside from Toby Alderweireld's long ball forward (52), he was soon riding a Ben Osborn challenge from a spurned Blades corner before setting up Bale, who gave Ramsdale no chance with a powerful finish

Aurier turned provider again eight minutes later, cutting inside after collecting Alli's slide-rule pass, and affording Bale a low first-time finish

That sapped Sheffield United of any lingering fight and Son got the goal his busy performance deserved when Steven Bergwijn - on for Bale - robbed Oliver Norwood and teed him up to find the far top corner

Kane, lively but wasteful, was denied by Ramsdale at the death but the damage was long done, Spurs earning a timely boost as they aim to keep the pressure on, and the Blades well beaten as the last whistle of a torturous season moves thankfully closer

Eight goals in his last eight games: how Tottenham fans will be thinking what might have been

Underused by Jose Mourinho, Ryan Mason had a hunch this might be the Welshman's night after what he revealed had been a bright week in training and how it proved

Six shots, five on target, three goals but Bale bristled with intent all night, relishing the freedom to roam with Kane, Son and Alli

"Gareth Bale has been the jewel in Tottenham's attacking crown," said co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe

"He's given a movement and finishing masterclass

"Tottenham's : "I thought Gareth was outstanding, his goals were world-class

No one should have doubted his ability in the final third; he's proved for a number of years he's one of the best in the world in those moments

He showed real commitment for the team and the moments he produced were outstanding

"I think it's a conversation at the end of the season between Gareth, the club and his parent club

I'm really happy that Gareth's happy

"I thought it was an outstanding performance

We've had a week to train hard and instil some principles

Most important was the attitude, the desire to compete and we paired it with moments

" "Absolutely it's a red card, no doubt

Looking at that once should be enough

I'm shocked the referee hasn't been told to have a look at it

"Sheffield United's : "We have to be at our best every week to get a result and we weren't

The first half upset me the most

It wasn't good enough

There's an anger at that first half

I don't enjoy watching that

The first goal is so passive

The second is a counter from our corner

The third is a giveaway in a bad area

We can't afford to give those players those kind of opportunities

"When we came out in the second half, it was a much better attitude

It's an attitude and a mentality thing

Between now and the end of the season, it has to be a team that's willing to fight

It's taken its toll since the first lockdown and we've had a change in personnel

We need the fans back

But how we approach the final four games is important

" "There's no place for that on a football pitch but the VAR has looked at it and it's been deemed accidental and unintentional

"Ryan Mason was coy when asked about a decision looming over Gareth Bale but more fundamental ones remain for the side his Tottenham team dismissed with ease

Paul Heckingbottom insisted it was "business as usual" when asked if being confirmed as one of the names on Sheffield United's five-man shortlist to replace Chris Wilder on a permanent basis gave Sunday night greater significance than it might have had for a long-relegated side

But again, there was little evidence of fresh impetus

The Blades have conceded 15 goals in his six games in charge and while the small sample size prevents wholly fair comparison with the man whose big shoes he has stepped in to fill, the stats-per-90 dip - fewer goals, shots, chances created, duels won - makes for concerning reading

Heckingbottom has been hamstrung by injuries and a squad shaped to play his predecessor's system yet the Blades look a shell of their former selves; too passive, too accepting

The interim boss, who has admirers in the corridors of power, declared himself "angry" with his players' first-half display, but for short-lived moments of pluck, they were meek opposition

An appointment is not thought to be imminent but the Blades' hopes of repeating Norwich's trick rest heavily on clarity, strategy

energy, direction

The board's next call is one of the biggest in the club's history

Tottenham travel to Leeds on Saturday, May 8 for a 12

30pm kick-off, while Sheffield United host Crystal Palace on the same day (3pm kick-off)

That match is live on

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<PAD>

325

Quickfire goals from Sergio Aguero and Ferran Torres have put Manchester City on the brink of the Premier League title after beating Crystal Palace 2-0 at Selhurst Park

Pep Guardiola had made eight changes from the midweek victory at PSG and it showed in the first half as Man City failed to register a shot on target

Gabriel Jesus had a goal ruled out for offside, while Crystal Palace also had chances of their own, bettering City's tally for on-target efforts (2) in the opening 45 minutes

But 12 minutes after half-time and Man City had their first two shots on target - both of which resulted in goals

The first was an emphatic finish from Aguero (57) into the roof of the net before Torres (59) fired home from the top of the area 83 seconds later to seal the victory

It sees City put one hand on the Premier League trophy and they will secure their fifth Premier League title if Manchester United lose against Liverpool on Sunday, live on

For Crystal Palace, it is a third successive league defeat - although all against teams in the top four - and keeps them in 13th place

It was a rather tepid start at Selhurst Park, but both sides had openings inside ten minutes

Benjamin Mendy's left-wing cross found Torres in the middle, but his attempted volley was seen behind for a corner

At the other end, Andros Townsend sent a good ball in, but Christian Benteke could only direct his header wide

Both teams continued to see half-chances, but the best chance of the half fell to Raheem Sterling in the 17th minute

He made a superb run in behind, beating three Crystal Palace defenders, but Tyrick Mitchell did just enough to put Sterling off, with his eventual effort bouncing wide

But Crystal Palace were hardly being kept quiet

Some more good play from Townsend fed Joel Ward in the area, but Rodri made the block

However, Benteke was lurking with the ball at point-blank range, forcing Ederson to make a vital save at the near post

Not long before the break, Man City did have the ball in the back of the net, but it was ruled out for offside

Jesus volleyed home from a lofted Fernandinho cross, but the linesman instantly had his flag raised

VAR checked briefly, but it soon concurred with the on-field decision

Man City ultimately ended the first half with no shots on target - the first time in 21 games in all competitions that they have failed to have a shot on target in the first half

The second period began much like the first, but after 12 minutes, Man City scored twice in 83 seconds

Mendy fizzed in a low cross for Aguero, and the striker fired the ball into the roof of the net for only his second Premier League goal of the season

Aguero helped set up the second goal too as he found a boost in confidence

It was a wonderful strike from Torres though as he smashed home from the top of the area, beating Vicente Guaita

From then on, Man City found their stride as they tripled their first-half tally for shots, registering 15 compared to five

Soon after the second goal, Sterling sent a shot onto the bottom of the post before Benteke blocked an Aymeric Laporte effort behind

Cancelo also curled an effort just wide, as did Sterling, who missed a string of chances in the second half

Crystal Palace had a good spell themselves towards the end of the game, but were unable to find a way past the City backline on the cusp of Premier League glory

What a return to the Man City starting XI for Aguero

It took him a little while to warm up, but when he got going, he showed why he can still be a vital player for another club when he moves on this summer

His goal was superbly taken and he was involved in the build-up for the second too

He had the most shots on target for City (2) and will be hoping to add a few more goals, a Premier League trophy, and a Champions League one before his departure

Guardiola said: "The pass from Mendy [for Aguero's goal] was exceptional and after that, the control, the action was class

Sergio has shown again what he has shown all his career, many times - what a goal, what a player, what a man

"I'm incredibly delighted that he's back

He spent lots of time injured and in the last week, he has trained really well and he's another weapon that we have next Tuesday for our semi-final

" "The result does hurt but unfortunately we were playing against a team with so much ability

The first goal is not because we defended really badly, it's just a fantastic pass and shot

"I thought our back four were very good

As a group, we did well

Tyrick Mitchell must be very happy with his performance

"Wilfried Zaha was complaining a bit before game about his groin

He kept saying he was OK

I am not 100 per cent sure how OK he was

It could be the groin that was bothering him

"I thought there were moments in the game where he showed signs of being concerned about it and it might've affected his concentration from time to time, but having said that, I can't point to anything in particular that he didn't do the work or do the job that he should be doing

He got through it very well

"Watching them [Man City] as close as I have done these last four years in the league, and seeing the way Pep has worked with this team, I have got to say I don't think I have ever come across a team that good

"If you did really twist my arm and give me one team that might give them a good game, I'd say the Ajax team of Johan Cruyff in 1987, with the Van Bastens and Bergkamps

"I have often said in the past that was the toughest encounter I faced, Malmo vs Ajax, and in the future I might have to change my mind and put Man City up there instead

" "[I am] so, so pleased

In the first half we struggled a little bit to attack in a better way but with the quality of the players we needed more movement and they did it perfectly in the second half

"We were incredibly aggressive

Wow, it was a huge victory and now we can say we just need one step

Hopefully against Chelsea we can do it

"Tomorrow, I will take a look at the game [Man Utd vs Liverpool] and what happens, happens but the most important thing is not the fact you need them to be champions and the game is in our hands

If we don't win it tomorrow, we will try to win it next week

"We have four games to get two points and four games to be champions

"Crystal Palace are back on next Saturday when they travel to Sheffield United in the Premier League; kick-off 3pm

Man City face a huge midweek game when they welcome PSG to the Etihad on Tuesday in their Champions League semi-final second leg

They will then face Chelsea on Saturday in the Premier League, live on ; kick-off 5

30pm

null

<PAD>

Guaita

False

Ward

False

Kouyate

True

Dann

False

Mitchell

True

Riedewald

False

Milivojevic

True

Eze

True

Townsend

True

Benteke

True

Zaha

True

Schlupp

False

Mateta

False

Ayew

False

Ederson

False

Cancelo

True

Ake

True

Laporte

True

Mendy

True

Fernandinho

True

Rodri

True

Torres

True

Sterling

True

Jesus

True

Aguero

True

Zinchenko

False

<PAD>

326

Brighton eased any fears of relegation with a convincing 2-0 win over Leeds that took them 10 points clear of Fulham in the drop zone

With only two wins from their past 20 home Premier League matches, Brighton needed a fast start to settle the nerves and got it when Welbeck was fouled inside the area by Ezgjan Alioski

The penalty was coolly converted by Gross

Leeds, without Kalvin Phillips to injury, lacked the attacking spark to seriously trouble the hosts and Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay both wasted huge opportunities to take the game away from Marcelo Bielsa's men

Brighton's failure to convert those chances didn't cost them though as Welbeck popped up with the second goal, skilfully making a chance for himself before firing into the bottom corner

Leeds kicked off unbeaten in their last six Premier League games, a run which included Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea

They should have been full of confidence against the flaky Seagulls but stepped off their opponents, allowing them to work their clever passing moves through midfield

Trossard had already tested Illan Meslier twice before Brighton did take the lead from the spot

Alioski clumsily upended Welbeck in the area and Gross confidently found the bottom left corner with the resultant spot-kick, despite Meslier going the right way

Leeds improved with the ball but struggled with their final pass against a watertight Brighton back five, led imperiously by Lewis Dunk

Brighton should have made it 2-0 before the break

Diego Llorente was dispossessed by Welbeck and, after the ball was worked back across the area, Belgium forward Trossard somehow blazed high and wide with the goal gaping

With Brighton having dropped 20 points from winning positions this term, head coach Graham Potter would have been concerned to see more chances come and go

Welbeck flashed a low shot across goal just before the whistle, while Joel Veltman rifled over immediately after the restart

There was no response from Leeds though

Robert Sanchez had little to do with his defence snuffing out most of the danger

Chances continued to be concentrated at the other end of the field

White headed onto the roof of the net against his former side, while unmarked Maupay scuffed wide after being expertly teed up by Trossard

The killer goal did eventually come

Pascal Struijk hoisted a clearance into the air and, as he went to close down the loose ball, Welbeck expertly whipped it away from him with a deft touch before smashing low across goal into the far corner

The celebrations suggested Brighton knew this was a big result

An impeccable chest pass back to his goalkeeper Robert Sanchez on 74 minutes triggered a thought: why isn't Gareth Southgate watching Lewis Dunk?Conor Coady seems to be the likely back-up for John Stones and Harry Maguire at the Euros due to his ability to play at the heart of a back three

But Dunk is equally, if not more, effective at such role judged on his performances in the second half of this season

He is the leader in the best defence of sides in the bottom nine, conceding 39 goals and has kept six clean sheets in their last eight home games

He was absolutely faultless in this encounter, marking Patrick Bamford out of the game, who failed to have a shot at goal, and repelling everything Leeds mustered in his direction

When you consider the lack of options in the centre of England's defence, how he only has one cap for his country is a mystery

His manager, Potter, was beaming with his captain, he said: "His performance was sensational

I haven't seen him play as well as that

He's been so consistent at a high level

How he leads the line, he was amazing today

": "A really good performance that ends in a result

Important to get the second goal

Lots of times this season we've been 1-0 up and not been able to kill the game

A great team performance

"Having looked at the table, we still need more points

We will keep fighting

"Danny Welbeck has that quality

He has scored some good goals for us

He has contributed to what we have done on the pitch

He is a Premier League player and he has fantastic attributes as a player and a person

"It was one of our best performances

You have to match Leeds for their effort and honesty and I felt we did that really well

": "In the middle sector of the pitch we were trying to find variety to get in behind them

"There were very few [chances], that's true

It wasn't because [Patrick Bamford] was isolated

It was because the ball couldn't reach the final third

"I pay more attention to the construction of our offensive game

"I think the performance of Robin Koch was positive

I don't link the defeat to the absence of Phillips

"Brighton have an eight-day break now with their next fixture coming against Wolves next Sunday (12pm kick-off)

Meanwhile, Leeds host Tottenham in the early Saturday game next weekend (12

30pm kick-off)

null

<PAD>

Sanchez

True

Burn

True

Webster

True

Dunk

True

Veltman

True

Bissouma

True

Trossard

True

Gross

True

White

True

Welbeck

True

Maupay

False

Moder

False

Meslier

True

Ayling

False

Llorente

True

Koch

False

Alioski

False

Struijk

False

Klich

False

Dallas

True

Roberts

False

Harrison

False

Bamford

False

Poveda

False

Rodrigo

False

<PAD>

327

Kai Havertz doubled his Premier League goals tally with a brace as Chelsea edged rivals Fulham closer to the relegation trap door with a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday

Havertz handed Chelsea a 10th-minute lead with a delicate, lofted finish after Mason Mount's sublime control and through pass

The German added his second four minutes into the second half with another composed finish after combining with compatriot Timo Werner

With an eye perhaps on Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg with Real Madrid, Thomas Tuchel made five pre-match alterations

Despite Fulham's valiant efforts, Chelsea were rarely tested and could have made the victory more handsome had it not been for a number of inspired saves from Alphonse Areola

Chelsea's 15th victory in all competitions under Tuchel sees them move to within two points of third-place Leicester and open up a six-point cushion to West Ham in fifth in the race for a top-four finish

For Fulham, defeat leaves them in 18th place, nine points adrift of Newcastle and Burnley having crucially played a game more than their relegation rivals

Fulham's plight towards the foot of the table left them with little option but to assert themselves from the first whistle, and they gave Chelsea a real fright inside five minutes when Antonee Robinson's drive forced Edouard Mendy into a fingertip save

The early pressure on the Chelsea goal forced Tuchel out of his seat on two occasions, with Reece James bearing the brunt of the tirade for his failure to move forward in support of the attack, and the hosts responded to their manager's rallying calls

Chelsea nearly took the lead on seven minutes when Hakim Ziyech linked up with Mason Mount and he played a square ball into the area which Timo Werner couldn't quite reach on the stretch

Mason exquisitely plucked the ball out of the air before slipping Havertz through on goal, and the German lifted the ball over the on-rushing Areola for his third Premier League goal

Havertz had the ball in the net eight minutes later when he latched onto another through ball from Mount and lifted the ball over Areola, but it was correctly ruled out for offside

Fulham grew after the reprieve, pushing for the equaliser as Ademola Lookman's rasping drive drew Mendy into another save in the Chelsea goal

Areola came to Fulham's rescue on 39 minutes as he anticipated Werner's square pass to Ziyech, committed early to the dive and kept the Morocco international's effort out with a save he had no right to make

It wasn't long before he the Fulham stopper was called upon again, with Werner's low drive well kept out

Parker emphasised to his team the importance of reaching the interval without conceding a second, but Fulham very nearly hauled themselves level on the stroke of half-time, with Ola Aina's heavily deflected shot clawed off the line by Mendy

Fulham had failed to win any of the previous 54 Premier League games when they trailed at half-time, and their challenge was effectively ended within four minutes of the restart when Havertz and Werner had all the time in the world to bypass the Fulham defence with a one-two, and Havertz slotted his second past Areola

Parker introduced Aleksandar Mitrovic for the final 10 minutes but he failed to inspire their survival bid as Fulham failed to register a single attempt on target in the second half and drew a blank for the 16th time this season, and Chelsea warmed up for Wendesday's showdown with Madrid at a canter

"We knew Fulham gives everyone a hard time

They make you under-perform, and they make you suffer

You cannot get confused with the table

That's why I have the highest respect for what we did today

It was tough for us, but we hang in the game

We could decide the match earlier, but it was a tough and a very important win

"We were spot on

It was what we demanded from ourselves

We showed the pride we are capable of - to do it in between two big games

I'm beyond happy that we did it

There was no lack of concentration

We had some trouble which everyone against this Fulham side has but there was no lack of concentration and that was key

""Of course we've not got a positive result but in terms of attitude and desire we got that

And I got a performance

We've seen what this team are about, and we put our stamp on it

"Of course, overall, that quality from Chelsea came through in the two goals

But honestly, I'm nothing but proud of my team

In the last few weeks they have been some disappointing performances

"I understand the questions, but you take every game as it is

You need a performance and I got that today

But, like a few times this year, we've fallen short and this was one of them moments

""Havertz is my man of the match

I could have given it to Mount because he was magnificent

But two goals for Havertz, it's not been easy for him this season, he had COVID, he's had injuries, settled in a different country

Those two goals today would have tasted sweet

He finished them really tidily

"Next up for Chelsea is the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday at 8pm, before travelling to Manchester City on at 5

30pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League

Fulham host Burnley on at 8pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League

null

<PAD>

Mendy

True

Zouma

True

Silva

True

Christensen

True

James

False

Gilmour

False

Havertz

True

Chilwell

False

Mount

True

Ziyech

True

Werner

True

Abraham

False

Kante

False

Areola

True

Aina

False

Andersen

True

Adarabioyo

False

Robinson

True

Lemina

True

Anguissa

False

Lookman

False

Cavaleiro

False

Decordova-Reid

False

Maja

False

Onomah

False

Carvalho

False

<PAD>

328

Jonny Evans' header ensured Champions League hopefuls Leicester avoided a surprise defeat to 10-man Southampton as they drew 1-1 at St Mary's

The hosts may have been fearing a repeat of last season's 9-0 thrashing after Jannik Vestergaard was shown a contentious early red card for denying Jamie Vardy a clear goalscoring opportunity

But, after limiting Leicester and the Premier League's man of the moment Kelechi Iheanacho to some sporadic half-chances, out-of-form Southampton instead took the lead after an hour when Iheanacho's handball allowed James Ward-Prowse to step up and beat Kasper Schmeichel from 12 yards

The Saints' lead lasted only seven minutes as Iheanacho redeemed himself by finding Evans with a cross from the corner of the area, which was powered home by the experienced centre-back

Vardy was denied by Southampton 'keeper Alex McCarthy late on when he should have earned another comeback win for Leicester, who instead missed the chance to move 10 points clear of fifth place and could now see their cushion inside the Champions League spots cut by West Ham and Chelsea later this weekend

A game which offered up nine goals in the corresponding fixture last season showed no early signs of following suit with Nathan Tella's tame effort the only goalmouth action either side enjoyed in the opening stages

One concerning parallel for Southampton would follow shortly afterwards, with the hosts again reduced to 10 men after Rob Jones controversially showed a straight red card to Vestergaard for denying Vardy a clear goalscoring opportunity, despite television replays showing the defender had won the ball before making any contact

But James Maddison's subsequent free-kick, whipped just wide from 20 yards, proved about as much significant pressure as Leicester could mount on the 10-man hosts before the break

Brendan Rodgers added Ayoze Perez as another attacking option for the second half but Southampton continued to hold firm, and took the lead on the hour mark after Stuart Armstrong's shot hit Iheanacho's arm, and Ward-Prowse beat Schmeichel from 12 yards

An improbable victory was snatched away long before full-time as just seven minutes later Iheanacho's cross from the right was met with a firm Evans header, leaving McCarthy with little chance from six yards and bringing Leicester level

In the final 10 minutes, Vardy should have completed the turnaround when outpacing Kyle Walker-Peters to the ball and then turning inside him to shoot, but in going for power he was denied by a sprawling McCarthy, before Wilfred Ndidi wasted the visitors' last chance of note by firing wide when unmarked from 20 yards

Southampton move a point closer to securing their survival but are now 10 clear of 18th-placed Fulham, while Leicester may still require another eight points from their final four games to be certain of a top-four finish

"Leicester have got a tough run-in

Newcastle are resurgent, Manchester United are in brilliant form, the FA Cup final is sandwiched in there, and then Spurs after Chelsea away

Fourth might not be guaranteed Champions League, with Arsenal potentially winning the Europa League and Chelsea potentially winning the Champions League, which would see them automatically qualify

"You don't want to be taking any chances, Leicester need to finish third if they can

The football they have played has been so good, but after their wobble last year you are just concerned whether it could happen again

Having said that, I think this team is too good this year and have learned from last season's mistakes

"Southampton manager told : "We deserve big credit

We can discuss the red card, but how we bounced back was amazing, how we tried to defend everything we could

Apart from the goal how we defended in and around was amazing

After the red card we deserved something from the game

"Vestergaard had a bad touch but then played the ball back to the goalkeeper

He plays the ball, a simple pass

The official explanation was that it was a 100 per cent goal chance but Vardy never had the ball and was never going to get it because the goalkeeper was there

Maybe it was a foul because he made contact with the player after the ball, but not a red card

"Leicester manager told : "I'm a little frustrated, we didn't do enough to win the game

Normally in this type of game we are very good, but we didn't pick up the tempo of the game until we went behind

Give credit to Southampton, they defended deep and compact with 10 men and made it difficult for us

But we're disappointed

"The sending off was an advance to us but the game was too slow, and the speed of our game was not quite at the tempo you would want to shift the ball about

We arrived in some really good positions but didn't quite have that precision or timing on that final pass

"In an all-round stoic defensive performance Walker-Peters shone at right-back, denying Vardy what could easily have been a goalscoring chance late on and staying on his man all night

No-one won the ball back more times than the ex-Spurs man (eight), who showed his streetwise qualities too in winning three fouls to relieve pressure on the home back-line

Southampton travel to Liverpool next Saturday on , live on from 7

45pm; Kick-off at 8

15pm

Leicester will be part of for the second weekend in a row as they host Newcastle on May 7, live on from 7

30pm; Kick-off at 8pm

null

<PAD>

McCarthy

True

Walker-Peters

True

Vestergaard

False

Bednarek

True

Stephens

False

Ward-Prowse

True

Armstrong

False

Minamino

False

Tella

False

Adams

False

Redmond

False

Salisu

False

Diallo

False

Schmeichel

False

Castagne

False

Evans

True

Fofana

False

Soyuncu

False

Thomas

False

Ndidi

False

Maddison

False

Tielemans

False

Iheanacho

False

Vardy

False

Perez

False

Albrighton

False

<PAD>

329

Anwar El Ghazi's 80th-minute strike dented Everton's European hopes as Aston Villa secured a hard-fought 2-1 win at Goodison Park

Ollie Watkins' 13th Premier League goal of the season put Villa ahead after a mistake from Mason Holgate (13) but Dominic Calvert-Lewin restored parity when he met Lucas Digne's corner (19)

With the game meandering towards a draw, El Ghazi was afforded too much time to curl a shot into the far corner and clinch an eighth Premier League away win of the season for Dean Smith's side

The result means Everton remain in eighth place - nine points off the Champions League places with five games remaining - while Villa rise to ninth

This was the 205th top-flight meeting between Aston Villa and Everton, the most played fixture in England's top division - but the hosts looked unsettled by the late withdrawal of James Rodriguez in the opening stages after the Colombian sustained a calf injury in the warm-up

Villa arrived on Merseyside having opened the scoring in each of their previous three Premier League games - failing to win any of them - but the manner in which Everton fell behind on Saturday was entirely self-inflicted

Holgate looked to play out from the back, but his poor control was pounced upon by Watkins, who showed good strength and composure to steal possession and tuck his shot between the legs of Jordan Pickford

In front of the watching England manager Gareth Southgate, Watkins came close to adding to Villa's lead when he raced onto an Ezri Konsa long ball, brushing off Holgate again, but his shot from the angle was smothered by Pickford

It would prove a costly miss as moments later, Everton were level

Calvert-Lewin escaped Ross Barkley at the far post to power his header from Digne's corner over the line despite Tyrone Mings' best efforts to keep it out

Four minutes later, Calvert-Lewin must have thought he had completed the turnaround when his diving header from Digne's superb volleyed cross was parried out by Emiliano Martinez from close range

Villa would carve out the better chances during the remainder of the opening period, however, with Pickford producing a double save to deny Bertrand Traore

Watkins then renewed his battle with the Everton goalkeeper as he met Matty Cash's cross only to be frustrated from close range before El Ghazi clipped the crossbar on the rebound

Smith's side were not done there in a frantic half as Barkley, on his return to Goodison, collected Traore's pass and struck the base of the post with Pickford beaten

Everton had ridden their luck, but they emerged the brighter side following the restart as Alex Iwobi and Allan were wayward with right-footed efforts in quick succession before Richarlison raced onto Pickford's long ball only to drag his shot a yard wide of the post

Villa were struggling with direct balls, as Everton's route one approach very nearly proved effective once again as Mings' misjudged header landed at the feet of Richarlison once more, but his low drive was well-handled by Martinez

The visitors absorbed their opponents' best efforts, and with the game appearing to be drifting towards a stalemate during a relatively uneventful second period, Villa struck the decisive blow in the final 10 minutes

With their first shot on target since the interval, El Ghazi collected Traore's pass and curled his effort beyond the despairing dive of Pickford

Everton boss : "The way we made a lot of mistakes at the beginning - no balance, no concentration

null

It was not a good evening

I don't know why

They showed more desire

It was an important game that we tried to win to stay in the fight

We are still in the fight but it is more and more difficult

"It is difficult to say why [we struggle at home]

It is the same team who beat Arsenal seven days ago

We of course could do better at home for sure

It is unbelievable - the run we had away and the run we had at home

"We were not good

We didn't have good balance with the ball and difficulties

The season is not finished yet

There are five games and we have to keep fighting

They are important games to fight and to try and reach our target

"Aston Villa boss : "It was a good win

It was a really good game of football and both teams tried to win

I think we deserved it on the balance of chances

Jordan Pickford was in really good form and denied Ollie Watkins time and time again

"It's easy for people to say we haven't got anything to play for but we want to finish as high as we can

We want to regain that momentum and consistency we had earlier in the season

"I've said it before but for me Ollie Watkins is one of the best pressing forwards in the Premier League

I had no doubts he could come and do this in the Premier League

"He is better than he was as I had him at Brentford

He would go home and beat himself up but he gets over that a lot more now and learns

He is a really humble guy and is getting his rewards now

"It took a while for Watkins to rediscover his early-season form after Jack Grealish sustained his leg injury in February, but the Villa striker could have finished with another hat-trick against Merseyside opponents after his treble in October against Liverpool

Mason Holgate couldn't cope with his movement in an opening period in which his error led to Watkins' clinical opener

It was one of four attempts he had over the course of an energetic evening

Watkins is a class act, improvising well for another chance at the far post, and with the watching Southgate known for picking players on form, Watkins is well placed to benefit from the extended 26-man squad for the Euros

"It's been a long time coming," Watkins told "We haven't been playing too well of late, so it was nice to get three points away from home

"I think I could have done better with a few chances

I should be leaving the pitch with two or three goals, but the most important thing is we got the three points

"I think any striker will say they can do a little better with the chances I had

I just have to keep working on it

No matter who's watching, you just have to work hard and do your best

"On his England hopes, Watkins added: "Any international game is magical

I'm just focusing on my club form now, trying to push us into the European spots

I think it's a possibility

Games are coming thick and fast now

If we get a couple of wins it puts us right back up there

"Everton travel to face West Ham on Sunday, live on ; coverage starts on and at 4pm with kick-off at 4

30pm

Aston Villa are at home to Manchester United on the same day, live on ; kick-off 2

05pm

null

<PAD>

Pickford

True

Coleman

True

Digne

False

Godfrey

False

Holgate

False

Allan

True

Gomes

False

Sigurdsson

False

Iwobi

False

Richarlison

False

Calvert-Lewin

True

Delph

False

Martinez

False

Cash

True

Targett

True

Konsa

True

Mings

False

Luiz

False

McGinn

False

Barkley

True

ElGhazi

True

Traore

True

Watkins

True

<PAD>

330

Kelechi Iheanacho scored a sensational goal and set up another as Leicester came from behind to boost their Champions League qualification hopes with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace

Wilfried Zaha shocked Leicester when he put Palace ahead inside 12 minutes - his fourth goal in four games at the King Power Stadium

But Iheanacho sparked the Foxes' spirited second-half fightback, setting up Timothy Castagne for the equaliser within five minutes of the restart, before emphatically rifling in his 14th goal in 14 games in all competitions to complete the turnaround 10 minutes from time

Having threatened to leave the door to Champions League qualification ajar for their top-four rivals, the victory sees Leicester consolidate third spot, seven points clear of fifth-placed West Ham, while Palace remain 13th, 11 points clear of the relegation zone but not yet mathematically safe

On his 350th senior career appearance, Jamie Vardy twice threatened to mark the occasion with an early Leicester goal, but he was repelled by Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita before he lobbed a shot a yard wide of the target

The Foxes' bright start was stopped in its tracks by a familiar foe on 12 minutes

After Christian Benteke was adjudged to have legally dispossessed Youri Tielemans, Ebere Eze waltzed through the midfield, released Zaha through on goal and, just as he had on his last four visits to the King Power, the Ivory Coast international found the net

Zaha's clinical finish past Kasper Schmeichel took his tally for the season to 10 goals - his joint-highest in a Premier League campaign - and laid the foundation for Palace's stubborn resistance through to the break, which was typified by Patrick van Aanholt's block to prevent Wilfred Ndidi driving Leicester back on level terms

Palace refused to afford Leicester the time and space in the first period, but it took barely five minutes for the hosts to respond after the interval

Iheanacho capitalised on a defensive mistake from Cheikhou Kouyate and rolled the ball into the path of Castagne, who curled his first home Leicester goal into the top corner past Guaita

Castagne's equaliser survived a VAR check for a potential handball by Iheanacho in the build-up, and the Foxes were fortunate to escape without falling behind for a second time five minutes later, when a crucial last-gasp challenge from Jonny Evans prevented Benteke slotting home from Jairo Riedewald's selfless square pass

Benteke passed up another opportunity to restore Palace's lead when he sent a free header from a corner tamely into the arms of Schmeichel, and Leicester made them pay as their relentless pressure eventually told

Iheanacho had set up Vardy for an effort which was ruled out for offside, and another which the Leicester striker flashed across the face of goal, while Tielemans curled a shot wide of the post before the Nigerian capped an inspired performance with the winner

Iheanacho arced a brilliant run in behind Scott Dann and Van Aanholt, checked inside onto his left foot and unleashed an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net that left Guaita with no chance, handed Leicester a seven-point cushion in the race for the top four and had them dreaming of the Champions League

"When you go 1-0 down against Roy's team, who are very well organised and defend with great discipline, it can be very tough, but we showed real patience in the game

"I said to the players at half-time to stay calm, keep circulating the ball at speed, and in the second half they were outstanding

Jonny made a great tackle, but apart from that we controlled the game and scored two wonderful goals

"Kelechi is a talented player

Over the last few months he's been absolutely incredible

It wasn't just his goal tonight but his work rate, he wants to press the game

He has no ego whatsoever and he works so hard

""I thought for long periods we were going to get at least a point

At half-time I thought we might go on to win

"Leicester scored quickly after the break but after that we looked as though we were seeing the game through reasonably well

Kelechi Iheanacho's quick turn and strike is difficult to defend

"Objectively I didn't think it was a bad performance

Had we got a good result I don't think people would have begrudged us

"Kelechi Iheanacho has either scored (12) or assisted (2) in eight of his last nine appearances for Leicester across all competitions

"Over the last few months he's been absolutely incredible," Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers said

"Kelechi's goal was sheer, sheer quality, his touch to come inside and then to take the shot so early, it was a brilliant finish

"Leicester travel to Southampton on at 8pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League - before Crystal Palace host league leaders Manchester City on Saturday at 12

30pm

null

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Ndidi

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Vardy

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Iheanacho

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Guaita

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Ward

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Dann

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Kouyate

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VanAanholt

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Ayew

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Milivojevic

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Riedewald

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Eze

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331

Burnley took a huge step towards Premier League safety as Chris Wood's first-half hat-trick set them on their way to a 4-0 win over Wolves at Molineux

Wood twice capitalised on errors in a hapless Wolves defence inside the first half an hour of the match before completing his hat-trick before the break to put the result beyond doubt

Sean Dyche's side have let a number of leads slip in recent weeks but Ashley Westwood's late strike capped an emphatic performance that surely ends any relegation fears as they move nine points clear of Fulham

Burnley looked the more aggressive team from the outset, their hunger palpable, while Wolves were off the pace

There was a warning of what was to come just moments before the opener

Willy Boly's header back to Rui Patricio was misjudged and there were calls for a penalty as only a last-ditch tackle by the Ivorian prevented Matej Vydra from finding the net

But there was to be no reprieve when Boly erred again soon after, missing his header completely before Wood did superbly to outfox Conor Coady and slam a fierce shot low into the corner

Burnley were buoyed by that and six minutes later they doubled their lead after more slack play by the home side when Adama Traore's lay-off was sharply intercepted by Dwight McNeil

Nelson Semedo had been on his heels and all McNeil had to do was to square the ball for Wood to slot in for his second of the afternoon and the New Zealander's ninth of the season

Wolves were overrun by that point, the Burnley full-backs advancing with real purpose, and Vydra had a wonderful opportunity to make it three soon after only to volley over from close range

Traore escaped further punishment for raising his hand in the face of Jack Cork following a scuffle in the Burnley box as Daniel Podence went to ground but the respite for Wolves was only temporary

Just before half-time, a needlessly conceded corner brought Wood's third, nodding in McNeil's whipped cross to become only the second player to score a Premier League hat-trick for Burnley

If Wolves were hoping for the momentum to change in the second half, there was little sign of it

Vydra appeared to have made it four, rounding Patricio only for a VAR review to rule him offside

Semedo was sacrificed with Traore switching to wing-back but that only allowed McNeil greater freedom to attack down the left, while Matt Lowton continued to enjoy himself on the right

The full-back crashed a long-range effort low towards the corner that Patricio had to tip around the post as Burnley went in search of the fourth goal, their intensity only growing with confidence up

It finally came after more good work from Wood, dribbling across the face of goal before setting up Westwood, whose powerful drive flew beyond Patricio and into the Wolves net once again

It was no more than Burnley deserved, lifting them up to 14th at the final whistle, their dalliance with the drop surely over following this most convincing of wins

Chris Wood scored in three consecutive matches recently so his form has been good but this was another level of performance as he overwhelmed the Wolves defence in a stunning first-half display

They simply could not cope with his physicality but there was much more to his performance than that, not least the powerful finish for the first goal and the positional excellence for the second

Wood is into double figures for the Premier League season now, alongside the more celebrated trio of Marcus Rashford, Callum Wilson and Danny Ings

This was his day

: "Burnley had movement, we were not able to get out of their pressure, we were not able to keep possession

"It is not about mentality or character, these are the same group of players

It is about not making the right decisions

The game requires mobility and we did not have it

As the game goes on, the mistakes increase and we were not able to settle down and play the game like we should

": "The reason why I signed Chris Wood is because he gets in the positions

There are certain things in football that are hard to coach, it is like an instinct

He does find a way

He is in good form, Woody

"Over the last few games our performance level has been very good and deserved more than three losses, that's for sure

Today, we corrected that by correcting the details at both ends of the pitch

It was a very thorough performance

"Regardless of the circumstances of their season, it is a huge game for Wolves next up as they travel to the Hawthorns for the Black Country derby against West Brom on Monday Night Football

Burnley are also in action on that Monday Night Football as they host West Ham, before they go to Fulham on the following Monday in a game that no longer looks as daunting as it once did

null

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WillianJose

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Lowton

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<PAD>

332

Manchester City only require two wins from their final five matches in order to clinch the Premier League title after Manchester United and Leeds played out a drab 0-0 draw at Elland Road onIn a game of few chances, the visitors came closest to scoring in the opening period when Marcus Rashford's free-kick was well saved by Illan Meslier

Leeds' best chance fell to Helder Costas in the second half, but his deflected effort flashed over the bar

The result means Man Utd are 10 points behind their rivals City in second place

Leeds move up above Arsenal into ninth having extended their unbeaten run to six matches

Before kick-off, Manchester United fan groups organised a plane banner reading "2bn stolen #GlazersOut" in protest against the Glazer family's ownership, which flew over Elland Road

The banner followed on Saturday, where thousands of fans assembled by the Trinity Statue, setting off flares, hanging banners and scarves outside Old Trafford, with many wearing the green and gold colours synonymous with fan protests against the Glazers which have occurred since the American family acquired the club back in 2005

Sunday's match was the first Premier League meeting at Elland Road since October 2003, but chances were at a premium during a cagey opening half

Leeds fans were hoping to celebrate the first top-flight win against Man Utd since 2002 and they had penalty claims turned down when Jack Harrison's cross struck Luke Shaw's arm, but with it down by his side, referee Craig Pawson was unmoved

Marcus Rashford, who had overcome a foot injury, had already seen one shot dragged wide when he was fouled by Luke Ayling on the touchline to draw a booking for the Leeds captain but Bruno Fernandes' ensuing free-kick was flicked over by Patrick Bamford

The next time Fernandes was fouled by Pascal Struijk on the stroke of half-time, Rashford pulled rank as his dipping effort was brilliantly tipped away by Meslier

It meant for the fifth Premier League game in a row, Man Utd failed to score in the first half

Paul Ince told Sky Sports: "It looks like Manchester United's minds are on Thursday

There's no energy, no urgency

"There were very few early signs that the second period would provide greater entertainment as it took until the 57th minute for either side to create a noteworthy chance, Fernandes dragging Aaron Wan-Bissaka's cut-back wide

Man Utd won the reverse fixture against Leeds at Old Trafford 6-2, but this was proving a very different encounter as Mason Greenwood drew a smart save low down from Meslier after latching on to Fred's through ball

"Greenwood is the one who has shown a bit of class when the ball has been at his feet," said Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher

The game briefly burst into life on the hour-mark as Ezgjan Alioski's last-ditch tackle denied Dan James before Costa's shot on the counter deflected off Wan-Bissaka and landed just over

Mateusz Klich entered the fray in the final 15 minutes, and he was immediately involved as he was played through by Patrick Bamford but his tame shot was straight at Dean Henderson

"This game has been awful, the quality," said Carragher

He was right, as it ended in an uneventful stalemate

Leeds boss : "It was a very demanding game for us

For the game not to become unbalanced, the team made a massive effort

This effort allowed the game not to become unbalanced for us

The game was played more naturally for them

But even if they predominantly dominated, the chances on goal were similar

"Even if they had more of the ball to attack

They had a lot more attacks then we did

But I insist that all that we did in this game I value as it allowed for the game not to become unbalanced

"To think doesn't get you tired, nor to look

What was moving was the effort that the team made

If we didn't bring this big energy, we wouldn't have been able to balance it

It's true the game opened up more towards the end, and as it grew the spaces opened up but I think the draw is a good enough reward given how the game went

It was a sufficient reward

"Man Utd boss : "There's no guarantees in football that's for sure

I thought we played well, dominated the second half, just didn't have the ball to fall correctly for us in the moments we had

"When two teams meet you create problems, you solve problems, they give you things to think about and we made them adjust to us

We put a really big shift in

I have seen Leeds run over teams in the second half and it was the opposite

"You don't lose momentum, we are disappointed not to win but the boys have a lot of respect for Leeds

This is not going to be something we look back on as derailing our season

""It was tight

We had control of the game without punishing them

We knew how they would play, our attacking players love a one v one but today it wasn't to be

"We kept them to a minimum, we were solid

We just couldn't find that edge

The intensity was there, both teams were trying to play the right way

"Bruno Fernandes had the best chance of the game and on another day he puts it in the back of the net and we take the points

It's a big week for us

""Sometimes you can be fooled by results, thinking a team is playing well but we saw against Burnley last week and also today, they are so inconsistent

I didn't see they had any tempo

The intensity wasn't there

It was that bad the referee blew up before the end of injury time

It was a bad performance from both teams, like watching a kids team play

"United need to do a lot better on Thursday

Some of the decisions [Ole] made

Cavani came on for six minutes, United needed a goal

They took Rashford off when they had two sitting midfielders

"Van de Beek, who they paid £40m for, gets three minutes

These decisions can't be right if you are going to win football matches

United have always been brought up on winning games, trying to find a way to win games

"This was a game where both defences were on top, but in Luke Shaw, Manchester United had the one player who offered a bit of everything

His resurgence continued at Elland Road with the England left-back creating a game-high five chances

Shaw regained possession seven times and produces 12 crosses - more than any other player

The defender has created 11 chances in his last two league games; in 2021 he has created the most chances of any player in the Premier League (50)

Leeds travel to face Brighton in the Premier League next Saturday at 3pm

Manchester United host Roma in their Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday at 8pm before returning to Premier League action on as they host Liverpool; coverage starts at 4pm with kick-off at 4

30pm, live on and

null

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<PAD>

333

Keinan Davis' late strike denied West Brom a vital victory in their battle against Premier League relegation as they drew 2-2 at Aston Villa

West Brom were much improved after a lacklustre showing against Leicester on Thursday, but went behind inside nine minutes when Semi Ajayi was penalised for a foul on Ross Barkley in the area

Anwar El Ghazi (9) scored the penalty, but the Baggies' own spot-kick was not far behind

Ezri Konsa was the Villa culprit, clipping the feet of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, with the impressive Matheus Pereira (23) firing home the penalty to see West Brom level

The winger also rattled the underside of the crossbar with a superb free-kick in a strong first half for the visitors

It was a night to forget for Aston Villa's centre-backs, who both had a hand in West Brom's second goal

Konsa's poor control allowed Mbaye Diagne through, and his cross was then turned into his own net by a sliding Tyrone Mings

For the remainder of the second half Aston Villa were camped around the West Brom area - although the visitors had chances of their own - and the hosts made it count in the second minute of added time

Davis took advantage of some poor Baggies communication to stab the equaliser home, scoring his first Premier League goal

However, Aston Villa have now won only two of their last 10 Premier League outings and remain in 11th

For West Brom, it was a bitter late blow for their survival hopes as they are two points behind Fulham and nine away from Brighton in 17th place with five games to play

Inside eight minutes, Aston Villa were awarded a penalty

Ajayi caught Barkley on the ankles inside the area, with referee Stuart Attwell pointing to the spot

El Ghazi then lashed a thunderous penalty into the back of the net, sending Sam Johnstone the wrong way

West Brom almost responded instantly as Pereira swung a free-kick over the bar, but they were given their own chance from the spot in the 22nd minute

Konsa was penalised for a clip of the feet of Maitland-Niles, which VAR confirmed after a short review

Pereira lined it up and also dispatched the penalty wonderfully, with Emiliano Martinez unable to reach high enough to keep it out

Soon after, both goalkeepers were called into action

Johnstone twice denied El Ghazi, once from range and the second near the post

Martinez then leapt to keep out Maitland-Niles from the top of the area, with Pereira gliding past Douglas Luiz and nutmegging Matt Targett in the build-up

The winger should have fired West Brom ahead just before the break

Conor Gallagher won a free-kick over on the left, but Pereira could only find the underside of the crossbar with his resulting effort

Two minutes after the restart and West Brom were ahead

It looked like neither Konsa nor Mings had refocused after half-time, with the former poorly controlling a goal-kick from Johnstone, allowing Diagne to drive onto the ball

His cross was then turned home by the studs of Mings' outstretched foot - the first own goal Aston Villa have conceded this season

Villa continued to dominate the half, but both goalkeepers had work to do again

Just after the hour, Ahmed Elmohamady sent a sensational first-time volley goalwards, but Johnstone was there to push it away

Then, Ollie Watkins got in behind the West Brom defence, but Johnstone was poised at the near post to beat the eventual strike away

Konsa had Martinez to thank for not making it a second own goal during West Brom's best period of the half

Gallagher's corner was inadvertently nodded onto the post and looked to be heading in, but Martinez was there to flick the ball away from his fingertips

He made another sensational stop soon after, leaping to keep out Pereira from range

Davis replaced Barkley in the 83rd minute and had an instant impact

He pinged an effort off the post soon after and took advantage of some poor West Brom play in the second minute of injury-time to seal a point

Kyle Bartley and Johnstone dithered over a Watkins header, both waiting for the other to clear, allowing Davis to come through with a foot to send the ball into the net

It was a sensational first half from Pereira which proved just why he is so vital for West Brom

He was at the heart of every Baggies attack and should have added more than just the one goal to his tally

His set-piece delivery was inch-perfect, and he hit the underside of the crossbar with a late free-kick

Although quieter in the second half, when West Brom had their best spell of the game, he again was the main instigator and forced a sensational save from Martinez with a long-range effort

He had four shots - the joint-highest on the pitch, two of which were on target - and made three key passes

Pereira also made the highest number of tackles in the West Brom squad (3), showing another side to his impressive game

He has has now either scored (9) or assisted (5) 14 of West Brom's 30 Premier League goals this season (47 per cent); only Harry Kane for Tottenham (61 per cent) has had a hand in a higher proportion of his side's goals in the 2020/21 season

"I do think it's the least we deserve - I think it would have been a travesty if we'd lost that game today, especially to a farcical penalty decision and an own goal

"I thought we started the game really well, controlled the ball, controlled possession and got into really good areas of the pitch and created opportunities

Our finishing probably let us down a little bit and we had to wait for that sub to get the equaliser in the end

"Ross toes the ball past him [Ajayi], he plants a foot and Ross goes over it

I'm not trying to say ours [penalty] is and theirs isn't, but it looked like a penalty

I don't see what part of the West Brom penalty is a penalty - I don't see it

"I'm really pleased for Keinan, he's a really hard-working boy

Since I've been here

He's had a few niggling injuries, but this season, we've managed him really well and that first Premier League goal will do him the world of good

"We've just played Liverpool and Man City and we pushed both of them

At Liverpool it was a last-minute goal and against City, they're Man City against anyone

We fully deserved at least a draw today

" "I can't praise the players enough

They've done it against all the odds, recovered from a disappointing Thursday result… But my players were absolutely fantastic

"We had the chances to get the third, of course, and because we didn't do that and the late slip up in the last minute, them throwing everything in the box and everybody up, we paid the price

"But overall, after a shaky start and a very sloppy penalty given away, you can think the worst when we are where we are

But the lads grew into the game, they didn't let it get them down, got themselves back into the game and in front with the second goal

"When we played on the counter-attack and with our set pieces, we were exceptionally dangerous and their goalkeeper had to pull off some absolutely brilliant saves

So a great shame, but proud of the players on their performance and what they've done in this local derby

"There have been plenty of games like this for us where we've ended up drawing instead of winning - far too many, which is why we are so far behind now in points terms

"But at least the performances have been there

You would hope the performances would turn into wins, and they haven't, so that's something we have to take into consideration going into the next few games

"I think they did their very best to hang onto this lead, but just the pressure, maybe Kyle [Bartley] could have headed it out for a corner, but I don't want to be too critical of the players today

"For us, it is very important to finish as strong as we can

It is still achievable in terms of winning four out of five or try to win all five, and you have to try to do it

We tried today and we were so close

"Aston Villa are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Everton in the Premier League; kick-off 8pm

For West Brom, they face another Midlands rival in Wolves on Monday May 3, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 6pm

null

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Luiz

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Watkins

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Ramsey

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Davis

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Johnstone

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<PAD>

334

Joe Willock scored a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser as Liverpool blew the chance to move into the Premier League's top four after dominating for large parts in a 1-1 draw

Starting the day in seventh Liverpool could ill afford any more surprise defeats at Anfield and Mohamed Salah settled the nerves with an explosive finish with their first attack in the third minute

It should have set the tone for a comfortable afternoon but Jurgen Klopp's team were wasteful in front of goal, failing to score again despite registering a further 21 shots on Newcastle's goal

With time running out Newcastle sensed an opportunity to strike and thought they had equalised when Callum Wilson bundled home, but VAR disallowed the goal as the ball inadvertently hit his arm before he scored

Undeterred by a potential piece of VAR injustice, Steve Bruce's side kept going and, with their final attack, Willock - who scored the winner in the victory against West Ham last weekend - popped up to strike home a deflected effort (90+5)

Having played a game more than Chelsea and West Ham, who meet later today, Liverpool find themselves one point behind their rivals in sixth place

Newcastle are all-but safe from relegation, nine points above the drop zone

Around 150 supporters greeted the Liverpool team coach's arrival but only a fraction took the opportunity to protest regarding the owners' conduct over the proposed European Super League breakaway

On the field Liverpool had a job to do in order to make sure Champions League football would be seen at Anfield next season

They started with great intent, grabbing the lead inside three minutes

Salah was the man to take the chance, firing home a well-taken goal following a Sadio Mane cross - his 20th Premier League strike of the season

That would be the last time Liverpool would find the net, but it was not for a want of trying

Mane and Diogo Jota were the chief culprits in front of goal

Jota was twice off-target with efforts when well-placed, while Mane still looked to be lacking in confidence, taking an extra touch on what should have been a first-time shot from Salah's cross the best example of that

Newcastle found areas to work in on the counter-attack thanks to the superb Allan Saint-Maximin

Their best chance fell to Sean Longstaff when he burst from midfield and it required a smart save by Alisson and a clearance from Ozan Kabak to keep the hosts ahead

Joelinton did well to break in behind after the break but his finishing was lacking as Alisson won that battle, making a solid save to deny his fellow Brazilian from close range,Roberto Firmino then saw his near-post volley saved by Martin Dubravka's outstretched foot as Liverpool's ruthlessness in front of goal from yesteryear vanished

Salah hit the side-netting, Trent Alexander-Arnold smacked a volley wide and Mane and James Milner tested Dubravka with efforts from range

Yet, Newcastle remained in the game and sent Wilson and Willock on in search of a late goal

Wilson's pace sent him through in injury-time and he bundled the ball over the line only for VAR to rule the ricochet onto his elbow off goalkeeper Alisson was handball

A lucky escape for Liverpool, but even with that huge slice of fortune they could not see it out

Willock latched onto a loose ball to drive home with the aid of a deflection off Fabinho to leave Klopp dumbstruck on the touchline

speaking to : "If you deserve it, you deserve it

I didn't see today that we deserved to play Champions League next season

In another five games? We'll see what we can do

"We learn or we don't play Champions League

That's it

"We didn't finish the game off and we didn't play enough

null

the counter-attack can happen but we kept them alive

In the end they deserved the goal

They scored two minutes before, with the new rules it's unlucky for Wilson but that's how it is now

null

and we didn't even take that present

"We've been unlucky with VAR this season but today we were and then we gave another chance away

It's really tough to take

"Why it's happened, I don't know

We just have to keep the ball

In specific ways we don't fight enough

It's not about when we make a mistake, we try to get it back and stuff but [we need to] keep it ourselves in a position where we [can] dominate the game

"We had 70 per cent of the ball and we should have had 80

We create a lot of chances but didn't score with them so we have to create more

When you don't score with the second or third chance it has a bit of an impact, instead of 'Who cares? Keep going'

We don't do that well in this moment

It feels like a defeat

"Newcastle boss : "There's no denying we were sloppy with some of the decisions we made trying to play out from the back but I always thought we carried a threat going forward

"We scored twice in the last minute which is quite remarkable

To go and get something from the game is vitally important

"We were gutted [by Wilson's disallowed goal]

When you see the goal back you think what a ridiculous decision that is not to allow the goal

"We are going to have to look at these crazy rules

VAR is becoming laughable and it is not VAR's fault, it is the letter of the law

It doesn't make sense

"VAR was brought in for a clear and obvious mistake so to be looking at every goal whether it is a millimetre or two onside is not a great spectacle

"Liverpool have a trip to old foes Manchester United next Sunday, live on Sky Sports (4

30pm kick-off)

Newcastle are also in action on Super Sunday as they host Arsenal (2pm kick-off)

null

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Clark

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Fernandez

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Dummett

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Ritchie

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Longstaff

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Shelvey

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Murphy

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Almiron

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Saint-Maximin

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Joelinton

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Willock

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Gayle

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Wilson

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<PAD>

335

Timo Werner's first-half strike helped strengthen Chelsea's grip on the top four with a 1-0 win at West Ham, who saw Fabian Balbuena controversially sent off after a VAR intervention

Chelsea's winner came just before half-time through Werner's first Premier League goal since mid-February, finishing off at close range from Ben Chilwell's low cross (43)

The game opened up in the second half as Werner missed a fine chance to double his tally, turning wide at close range from a rebound, and West Ham were reduced to 10 men with a baffling dismissal as Balbuena's studs caught Chilwell's calf after following through with a clearance

After referee Chris Kavanagh consulted the pitchside monitor to view the incident, which seemed an unavoidable action from the West Ham defender, Balbuena was shown a red card

Chelsea saw the game out, meaning Thomas Tuchel's side are fourth, now three points clear of fifth-placed West Ham, with Liverpool a further point behind in sixth with five games remaining

West Ham's surprise top-four challenge this season will have no doubt strengthened desires for the 'big six' to breakaway to an exclusive European competition, with these two sides arriving on equal points with just six games remaining

Chelsea had some joy down the right early on as Werner turned Mason Mount's cross over the bar from 12 yards, before Christian Pulisic struck Werner's own low centre into the hands of Lukasz Fabianski

Chelsea had all of the ball, as expected, but were shut out by West Ham, who were keen to soak up pressure and counter-attack at every opportunity; in every home game against top-half opposition, David Moyes' side have had less than 40 per cent possession

But Chelsea scored against the run of play in a move started and finished by Werner, who now has 20 goal involvements (11 goals and nine assists) this season, more than any other Blues player

Receiving the ball with Angel Ogbonna on his back, Werner held it up well and found Pulisic, who spread out wide to Chilwell

The German then continued his run into the box and slotted home Chilwell's low cross from eight yards with just two minutes of the first half remaining

But Werner missed a huge chance to put Chelsea 2-0 up early in the second half; after Mount's long-range effort was saved by Fabianski, the ball fortuitously fell into Werner's path, six yards out, but he skewed his effort wide of the post with just the goalkeeper to beat

West Ham were then jolted into life as Ryan Fredericks' goalbound effort was blocked well by Mount, before Jesse Lingard's clever half volley floated just wide of Edouard Mendy's left-hand post

Mount was fantastic once again for Chelsea, forcing another fine save from Fabianski with a long-range effort with little backlift, but the visitors began to retreat as the game wore on to protect their lead

West Ham's task was made more difficult, however, when Balbuena's seemingly innocuous collision with Chilwell was referred to VAR and then the pitchside monitor

Clearing the ball, Balbuena's foot caught the leg of Chilwell, who was closing down the West Ham man, and slowed down, the incident looked far worse than it was

Kavanagh dismissed Balbuena, a decision David Moyes described as "rubbish" and "made by somebody who has never played the game," and though West Ham pushed to find an unlikely equaliser, they were restricted to long-range efforts

Sub Tammy Abraham missed a clear header from close range for Chelsea in the final minute of stoppage time, but it did not matter as Tuchel's positive impact continued, this their 16th clean sheet in 20 games under the German

"It's not even a yellow for me

This totally killed the game

He turns, clears the ball upfield, what is he supposed to do? There can be contact and it not be a foul for me

"I'm not sure you can blame VAR for that

The VAR has flagged the incident, it's then down to the ref to make the right decision, and for me he gets that totally wrong

He's just clearing the ball up the line

What is he supposed to do? He can't move his foot in a different direction, it's impossible

""You cannot believe that

It can happen that the referee makes a mistake if he only sees the end of it, but the VAR should be in control of the situation and see it is not an intentional foul

West Ham didn't deserve it

It was totally unfortunate

"West Ham boss on Balbuena red card: "I think it's a decision made by somebody who's never played the game

I don't know where Fabi Balbuena is supposed to plant his foot

"If they do think that, you'll look at the one a few minutes later, with Coufal and Rudiger, a similar challenge, but they never did anything about it

"I don't know how it's a red card

I don't know where he's supposed to plant his foot

I don't think for one minute there's a bit of malice in that

I thought it was a rubbish decision

"We'll go again, we're in a decent position

There's games to play, hopefully we're right in the mix for some form of European football 'til the end, and I'll keep pushing to make that Champions league if we can

"Chelsea boss : "The boys are very, very happy in the dressing room, and they can be

Great performance and amazing result, I think a well-deserved win for us

"Very tough to play [at West Ham], you can win ball possession, but you have to earn your chances, and be very, very smart

You cannot afford to do easy mistakes and you have to be patient

"It was a pretty normal preparation, we did not talk one word about Super League from Tuesday on

I felt everyone was very concentrated and enjoying the focus on just the game

I am happy that we came up with an intense performance

"On Timo Werner: "He always gives everything

He could have made it more comfortable, but very happy because he played a very good match

"West Ham now go to Burnley on Monday Night Football on May 3, live on Sky Sports Premier League

Chelsea go to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday at 8pm, before hosting Fulham on Saturday Night Football on May 1 at 5

30pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League

null

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<PAD>

336

Rock-bottom Sheffield United secured only their fifth Premier League win of the season as David McGoldrick's first-half strike was enough to clinch a 1-0 victory over Brighton at Bramall Lane on The Blades' fate was sealed last weekend when they were narrowly beaten by Wolves, but the hallmarks of their successful first season back in the top-flight were back on display during a resolute performance that ultimately came too late in their quest to beat the drop

McGoldrick's winning strike (19) was far from a thing of beauty as a series of attempted clearances and ricochets allowed the striker to shoot on the turn and wrong-foot goalkeeper Robert Sanchez

Brighton, who remain in 16th place, were denied an equaliser upon VAR review when Jakub Moder found the net from an offside position as Graham Potter's side missed the chance to go 10 points clear of the relegation zone

In terms of summer recruitment, Paul Heckingbottom - who secured his first win in his fifth game as Blades interim boss - claimed that he didn't believe wholesale changes were necessary - and he got a positive response from his players in the first half

Brighton had plenty of possession, but were pedestrian, only troubling the excellent Aaron Ramsdale in the opening period when Yves Bissouma played in Neal Maupay, but the Frenchman's shot was well smothered

The manner in which the Seagulls fell behind in comical circumstances seven minutes later will certainly have frustrated Graham Potter

Adam Webster had the first of three opportunities to clear as his touch was pounced on by Enda Stevens before Ben Osborn was sent free down the left

The cross was poorly met by Joel Veltman before Pascal Gross lacked aggression in his challenge with Rhian Brewster as the ball ricocheted to McGoldrick for an opportune finish

Bissouma was Brighton's standout performer once more during a subdued first half from the visitors as John Egan did well to block one effort before another speculative drive cleared Ramsdale's crossbar

The only other incident of note during the opening period saw McGoldrick cautioned by referee Kevin Friend for a high boot on Webster, with greater scrutiny placed on the foul following Fabian Balbuena's controversial red card for a potentially more minor infringement earlier in the day during West Ham's defeat to Chelsea

Potter injected some much-needed intensity into his troops during the interval, and Brighton came close to levelling within a minute of the second half when Lallana shot straight at Ramsdale, and the former Liverpool midfielder was involved again after 54 minutes when Danny Welbeck flicked his pass into the path of Maupay but this time Ramsdale made an excellent save low to his right

Pressure was mounting on the Sheffield United goal, and Brighton thought they had levelled when Moder spun and finished into the corner from Gross' corner, but the Poland midfielder was standing in an offside position from Webster's flick-on as VAR correctly ruled it out

Unperturbed by the setback, Brighton continued to probe as Moder then turned provider for Lallana but the latter's header was directed inches wide

Bissouma flashed another shot just past the post as Heckingbottom urged his players upfield

Potter turned to Alireza Jahanbakhsh in the final 20 minutes, and the substitute almost made an immediate impact as his low cross was somehow lifted over by Maupay from point-blank range

When Ramsdale sprung to deny Jose Izquierdo's long-range strike, the hosts had weathered the second-half storm as Potter, wounded this week when he fell on Brighton's beach into a set of railings, was again left with that sinking feeling

Sheffield United interim boss : "The players deserve the utmost credit

We spoke before the game and for them it's justice and the right result for their attitude because it's been a tough, tough season

"You get what you deserve in football and tonight we got the three points

For us it was about being clinical and carrying out the game-plan and doing our jobs

"We've said all season we have been on top in lots of games but haven't got the goal

To get the first goal was a big difference

"We know we are a Championship club next season

It doesn't mean we're not going to enjoy these last few games

We might be planning for next season but we're looking to pick up points along the way

"Brighton boss : "Naturally, I'm disappointed

Our performance was below par and it was a poor goal to concede

That made it difficult against a team that was defending and we didn't have enough quality in the final third

"I thought maybe we deserved to score overall but it wasn't to be

You go through periods like this [where you don't score] but it's something we have to improve on as you have to score to win football matches

"We were probably not quite as good as we have been recently

We had a decent chance early with Neal Maupay and then gave a poor goal away from our perspective

"Football is about scoring goals and we didn't do it today

We pushed and pushed, maybe could have got a goal but it was not to be

We needed a bit more quality over the course of the game

"We are at that stage of the season where everyone is fighting for something, even if it is pride like Sheffield United

""Just because we are relegated we are not sacking it off

We are playing for our futures

It is not many times we have led this season

Brighton are a good team and play some good football

They gave it to us but we showed some reliance

"We worked hard with bodies on the line

We deserved it

It is good we showed character

We have to be a team, we can't go out there as single players, we have to be a team and we did that

"Relegation has upset me of course

We care about this club

We are still fighting for the club

"McGoldrick has scored 39 per cent of Sheffield United's goals in the Premier League this season (7 of 18); the highest percentage of any player for his team in the competition

McGoldrick's seventh goal in the Premier League this season - the most by a Blades player in a top-flight campaign since Rob Hulse in 2006-07 (8)

Sheffield United travel to face Tottenham next Sunday, live on ; kick-off is at 7

15pm

Brighton host Leeds next Saturday at the Amex Stadium at 3pm

null

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Lallana

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Moder

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Maupay

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Welbeck

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Connolly

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Jahanbakhsh

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<PAD>

337

Everton ended their 25-year wait for a win at Arsenal and moved to within three points of the Premier League's top four after Bernd Leno's calamitous own goal secured a 1-0 victory amid supporter protest at the Emirates Stadium on Richarlison's cross flashed through the Arsenal goalkeeper's legs with 14 minutes remaining as a tumultuous week at Arsenal - which began with the club's intention to join a European Super League - ended in a home defeat

The hosts thought they had been awarded a second-half penalty when Dani Ceballos was fouled by Richarlison, but Nicolas Pepe was deemed offside in the build-up upon VAR review

Everton remain in eighth position but move to within a point of sixth-placed Tottenham and are now six points clear of Arsenal in ninth

on Sky Sports earlier this week over their involvement in a breakaway league, for taking an initial decision that was indicative of Stan Kroenke's distant handling of the club, and Friday's contest was played out throughout the constant backdrop of disgruntled home supporters heard letting off fireworks outside the ground

It was clear from Mikel Arteta's team selection against Fulham last weekend where his priorities lie when it comes to securing a Champions League berth for next season

By some distance, that now resembles winning the Europa League, but the hosts came out the traps fast as Ben Godfrey was well placed to flick Calum Chambers' cross off the head of Eddie Nketiah inside the opening two minutes

The only other league game Arsenal have started with neither Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang nor Alexandre Lacazette in their side was at Goodison Park in December, when Nketiah started up front with Pepe in support, and the young England striker made his presence known on the quarter-hour mark when challenging Godfrey from another Chambers centre, with the loose ball falling to Bukayo Saka, but his shot was straight at Jordan Pickford

It took nearly half an hour for the visitors to carve open their first chance

Allan spotted the run of Richarlison, and nimble footwork from the Brazilian drew a fine save low down from Leno, with the returning Dominic Calvert-Lewin not far from nodding in the rebound

Arsenal sat 15th in the table, 12 points behind their opponents, when they lost at Everton before Christmas, but a win would have taken them level on points

Arteta's side were fortunate not to fall behind, however, when Gylfi Sigurdsson grazed the crossbar with a sublime free-kick from 25 yards out six minutes before the break

Both sides mustered just two shots on target between them by the start of the second half - one apiece - underlining the recent focus both Ancelotti and Arteta have placed on greater defensive solidity, but the visitors showed their attacking intent minutes into the restart

James Rodriguez combined well with Seamus Coleman down the right and - despite a hint of offside - the Everton captain's low cross was met by Sigurdsson but his swept shot deflected just wide of Leno's left-hand post

Arsenal were determined to end a turbulent week on a high, and they were soon awarded the chance to score from the spot when Richarlison caught Ceballos inside the box

Smith said on commentary duty for Sky Sports: "It's one of those careless flicks of the boot from Richarlison

There's the slightest touch on the shin pad that convinces Ceballos to go down

He certainly catches him, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt

"But Everton would earn a reprieve from Stockley Park as VAR David Coote deemed Pepe was fractionally offside in the build-up

The incident visibly enlivened both sides, and it was Everton's turn to feel a sense of injustice when Richarlison's appeals for a penalty for a perceived handball by Pablo Mari were ignored

Mason Holgate took his aggression a step too far when wiping out Pepe on the byline, and from Saka's ensuing set-piece, Chambers hammered his volley into the ground and wide of Pickford's goal

Arsenal looked to turn the screw as Ceballos brought a fine save from the outstretched England No 1, but Everton were gifted the lead inside the final 15 minutes when Richarlison easily escaped Granit Xhaka down the right

He looked up and sought to find Calvert-Lewin with his cross but the ball ricocheted through the legs of the hapless Leno and trickled over the line

There was a slight delay on the restart as VAR checked for an offside, but the on-field decision stood

After Nketiah dramatically snatched a point in the 97th minute last weekend against Fulham, there would be no such saviour this time as substitute Gabriel Martinelli's poked shot from an acute angle in stoppage time was again kept out by the inspired Pickford as Everton ended their long wait for a win at the Emirates

Arsenal boss : "We were the better team but there are certain decisions that we can't control

To disallow a penalty 15 seconds before - [we had] eight or nine touches [after Nicolas Pepe was offside] - I saw it 10 times and I don't get it

It can be taken the way they want

Zero control

Somebody has to explain that

"We were the better team

We lacked some clear-cut chances and the edge in the final third

They are very well organised but we conceded the goal in the wrong moment and when we had the penalty but it wasn't given

"On Bernd Leno's own goal: "It's an own goal and we know we have to do better

"Everton boss : "It's a good result, and an important one

We are still attached to the top of the table

We needed that

We keep fighting, we played a good game with difficulties

"Defensively we were good, I am satisfied

To be honest it should have been a draw, Arsenal had more control of the ball

We were not clinical in possession

We deserved to win our last few games which were draws so we have those points back

"Jordan Pickford did really well with a good save at the end, he was comfortable, good with the ball

After five games without a win it was an important victory

The race will be decided on the last game

""On the balance of play, I think Everton did [deserve to win]

Arsenal had all the possession, did nothing with it, but Everton looked to be a little bit more of a threat

"But it was always going to take something extraordinary to win the game and that [the own goal] summed up Arsenal's week

"You've got to question the goalkeeper

I think he's a good goalkeeper but I don't think he's top class

If you've got a top class 'keeper, that doesn't go in your goal

I think it is a lack of concentration, but the top 'keepers don't concede goals like that and it isn't the first one

"The Brazilian worked tirelessly for his team, involved in 17 duels - more than any other Everton player

It could well have led to the concession of a penalty were in not for VAR, but his role in deciding a tight contest keeps Everton's quest for European qualification on track

No player won more fouls than Richarlison's three and Alan Smith said: "He created the most problems from Everton in the first half and he's created the winning goal

He takes the honours

""It's brilliant

In the last few weeks we've been hit and miss so to dig deep and get the win is massive

Arsenal want the same thing as we do so to take the points from them is massive

We've got to be consistent now

"It's the best looking goal I've seen

null

It wasn't the prettiest but a huge win

We have turned up in big games all season but the games we should be winning we haven't

It's down to us

"Arsenal return to Europa League action next Thursday as they travel to face Villarreal in the semi-final first leg at 8pm before visiting Newcastle in the Premier League on May 2, live on ; kick-off 2pm

Everton host Aston Villa at Goodison Park in the Premier League next Saturday at 8pm

null

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Coleman

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Godfrey

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Holgate

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Rodriguez

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Allan

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AndreGomes

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Richarlison

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Delph

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<PAD>

338

Leicester produced a super performance to beat West Brom 3-0 and tighten their grip on third spot in the Premier League

Goals from Jamie Vardy (23), Jonny Evans (26) and Kelechi Iheanacho (36) in the space of 13 first-half minutes took the game away from West Brom to dent their hopes of an unlikely escape

The victory takes the FA Cup finalists four points clear of West Ham in fifth, while Sam Allardyce's side stay on 24 points - still nine behind Burnley in 17th

The game at the King Power Stadium was remarkably open from the outset, Kelechi Iheanacho squandering a one-on-one chance in the third minute, a poor touch allowing Sam Johnstone to close him down

At the other end, within moments, Mbaye Diagne contrived to miss his kick entirely when in space just yards from goal

A wastefulness West Brom fans have become familiar with

It proved costly as Leicester took the game away from the relegation strugglers midway through the first half after some excellent work by Youri Tielemans in the build-up

The Belgian midfielder broke the offside trap to find compatriot Timothy Castagne and his square pass was expertly converted by Vardy for his first goal since February

That appeared to deflate West Brom and the visitors were two down within minutes when a right-wing corner found its way to Evans via Callum Robinson, enabling him to head home

The Baggies were rocking by that point, their recent momentum just a memory as the returning James Maddison found Castagne in space only for his low shot to strike the post

Matheus Pereira did manage to strike the crossbar with a corner but it offered only momentary respite

When Vardy turned Dara O'Shea and unselfishly passed to Iheanacho, it was three

That was the in-form Nigerian's 11th goal in eight games - astonishing form - and he might have made it four before half-time, firing over after some glorious skill to bring the ball down

Allardyce made a change at the interval, adding defender Semi Ajayi for forward Callum Robinson, and with Leicester having done the hard work it made for a calmer second period

Vardy attempted an ambitious effort from distance that did not begin to trouble Johnstone, while Iheanacho tested the West Brom goalkeeper rather more with a curling free-kick

But there were no more goals, the game decided in that frenzied first half

It could well have decided West Brom's fate too

Leicester will hope there are bigger achievements ahead

There was so much attacking flair on show from the Foxes that it seems almost churlish to select a centre-back but Evans' performance was just so easy on the eye

When he was not spraying balls left to Luke Thomas, he was finding Castagne in space on the right

Defensively, he was assured, putting in one vital tackle inside the penalty box during the first half

Offensively, he popped up in the West Brom area to double Leicester's lead with his head

Against his former club, the 33-year-old Evans produced the complete display

"Any win in the Premier League is always a good win, especially against a team that has showed really good form of late and had a good rest period coming into the game

"It was an excellent victory for us

I said to the players beforehand that this is the time of the season where just because we're in the [FA Cup] final, it's not one foot in and one foot out

We've got other targets and we have to have that determination and commitment until we get to the final

"It wasn't perfect, I was annoyed at half-time, I have to be honest

I thought the goals were exceptional, some of our play was very dynamic, we looked fast, pressed the game well

But there were too many loose passes, too many mistakes - simple mistakes - when we needed to be more precise

"In the second half, we were able to control the game

Overall, delighted with the three points and three very good goals

"I am not thinking about the other teams, we have to think about ourselves

We can only control ourselves

There's nothing guaranteed, we want to arrive in the top four

"This is a team which has been evolving but I can't ask for anything more from the players

" "It's obviously very disappointing for us, but I think there are defining moments in some games

When you know you're coming across a team like Leicester, and you've heard me talking for many weeks now about taking your chances when they arrive and ours came through Mbaye [Diagne, early in the first half]

"If you don't take it, when you're playing a team at this level, who have got all their injured players back, who are on song, you must take that chance and get 1-0 up

But when you miss that chance, you can pay the price and we certainly did pay the price in the first half because Leicester came into the game and overran us then

"Disappointed in the first half and the game was beyond us at that point, but we had to make sure we shut the back door on how good Vardy and Iheanacho were

We did that, but couldn't play our way back into the game

"We didn't get anywhere near the game we've normally got to in the last eight or ten matches and you have to give Leicester a lot of credit for that

You can see why they're in the FA Cup final and third in the Premier League

Apart from Man City, they're as good a team that we have played against this year

"We need to win five out of six to be certain [of Premier League survival], and we know that's a tall order, but we need to win as many games as we can, starting with Aston Villa on Sunday… We've got to bounce back from this and try and do our best

"Leicester are back in action at the King Power Stadium when they host Crystal Palace for Monday Night Football before travelling to play Southampton later in the week on Friday Night Football

West Brom stay in the Midlands for their next two games against their two biggest rivals in football

It is Aston Villa away on Sunday for the Baggies before they host Wolves in the Black Country Derby on May 3

null

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Vardy

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Albrighton

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Perez

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Praet

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Johnstone

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Furlong

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Bartley

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O’Shea

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Townsend

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Maitland-Niles

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Yokuslu

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Phillips

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Pereira

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Robinson

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Diagne

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Ajayi

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Robson-Kanu

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Grant

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<PAD>

339

Heung-Min Son and Gareth Bale completed a remarkable 2-1 comeback win for Tottenham against Southampton in Ryan Mason's first game as interim boss, boosting their top-four hopes after Spurs supporters had earlier staged a protest against club chairman Daniel Levy

A turbulent week for the club, which has already seen them sign up to and then exit the Super League amid fan outrage, and surprisingly sack head coach Jose Mourinho, will take another twist on Sunday in their Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, but against Southampton, the drama fell in their favour, with a late VAR call allowing Son to strike from the spot

The visitors had bounced back from their FA Cup semi-final disappointment impressively to lead through Danny Ings' header on 30 minutes but Spurs, who had been below their best in the first half, improved after the break and replied with Bale's bending effort on the hour

Son thought he had completed the comeback when he swept home on 74 minutes but referee David Coote ruled it out after a VAR check, with Lucas Moura offside, however, the officials at Stockley Park judged in Spurs' favour when Moussa Djenepo caught Sergio Reguilon just inside the box, allowing the South Korea forward to eventually find the net from 12 yards

The winning start for 29-year-old Mason - the youngest manager in Premier League history - lifts Tottenham up to sixth, two points off the top four having played a game more than the teams around them, and they will head into their cup final on a positive note, while Southampton stay 14th

Mason had said he wanted Spurs to play 'like Tottenham Hotspur' under his management and there was an immediate shift back towards a more attacking approach against Southampton, with Mourinho's three-man defence at Everton ditched for 4-2-3-1

But that intent did not translate to the pitch

Instead, a lacklustre Spurs needed a sensational double-save from goalkeeper Hugo Lloris just two minutes in to deny Mohammed Salisu and Che Adams, before their captain again came to the rescue 10 minutes later, rushing out to smother at the feet of former team-mate Kyle Walker-Peters

Giovani Lo Celso and Lucas had directed tame efforts off target in between but it was Southampton looking the more energised and they deservedly took the lead on 30 minutes when Ings beat Serge Aurier to James Ward-Prowse's corner and steered a fine header in off the far post

Southampton had won just two of their previous 14 but were in control until a late Spurs rally to end the half forced Adams to scramble clear in his own box before Lucas fired over

Spurs failed to have a shot on target in the first half - the first time they had done that at home in a Premier League game this season - and a good block from Jan Bednarek on Son at the start of the second period extended the wait

Bale eventually warmed the hands of Alex McCarthy on 54 minutes from distance before Ings fired straight at Lloris at the other end

However, it was a costly effort for the Saints striker, with the action forcing him off moments later, clutching his hamstring

Saints' problems then worsened on the hour when Salisu's block on Lucas fell kindly for Bale and the Wales forward bent a fine effort past McCarthy to level the score

Bale almost added a second moments later when Lo Celso's perseverance nearly teed him up in the six-yard box before the forward lashed well wide from the edge of the box

Spurs piled on the pressure and Son thought he had put his side in front when he swept home Reguilon's cross but after the celebrations, a VAR check advised referee Coote to go to the monitor, where replays showed Lucas had run in between his team-mate and Saints goalkeeper McCarthy, and the strike was ruled out

The VAR drama was not over, though, and, after the officials in Stockley Park judged the ball hitting Jannik Vestergaard's arm as not worthy of a penalty, they spotted a foul by Djenepo on Reguilon came just inside the area, after initially being given as a free-kick

Son sent McCarthy the wrong way to eventually make it onto the scoresheet - and get Mason's reign off to a winning start, as Spurs' players on the pitch put off-field distractions to one side

"It's great [to get off to a winning start], it's a massive relief

Obviously it's been a bit of a whirlwind the last two or three days but thankfully we got the win

Most importantly, I thought second half we were outstanding

The performance, the commitment, the energy was brilliant

I think in the first half we found it very difficult, we found it quite tough to get out

They were very good, they created some chances, Hugo pulled off two world class saves for us but I thought as the game went on we gained control of it and there was only one team that was going to win the match

"[The half-time team talk] was about giving them the belief, the energy, to have the bravery to play and express themselves but within that we had to compete as well

There were some situations in t he first half where they were quicker to the second ball, and the duels, the tackles I thought they were coming out on top

But we changed that second half and gained full control of the match, and played pretty much in their half

I thought we fully deserved to win the match overall

""The way we lost the game today, we can not be more hurting

In the first half we must be three up, and in the second half, especially in the last 30 minutes, we had not the best game we wanted to have but the way we gave them the goals, it's always the same issue

"We don't clear the ball after the corner, we make a stupid foul around the box in the last minute and then you concede a goal which you can never normally concede and the whole work you put in is then gone

It's hard to take

Hopefully [Ings] is not too much injured but I don't know his situation

"Tottenham face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Football from 4pm; kick-off 4

30pm

Southampton have a weekend off before hosting Leicester on Saturday May 1 at 3pm

null

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Lloris

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Aurier

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Alderweireld

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Dier

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Reguilon

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Hojbjerg

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Ndombele

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LoCelso

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Bale

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Lucas

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Son

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Winks

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McCarthy

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Walker-Peters

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Bednarek

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Vestergaard

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Salisu

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Ward-Prowse

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Armstrong

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Tella

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Walcott

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Adams

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Ings

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Diallo

False

Djenepo

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<PAD>

340

Manchester City are now eight points away from winning the Premier League after fighting back from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 2-1, despite John Stones seeing red

Villa took the lead after just 20

82 seconds through John McGinn's sweeping strike, the second-fastest goal of the Premier League season, but City fought back through Phil Foden's finish to a nice move (22) before Rodri glanced a header home after Emiliano Martinez missed his punch (40)

Stones, whose error had led to Villa's opener, then saw red with the help of VAR after a late, high challenge on Jacob Ramsey (44), meaning he will miss the Carabao Cup final on Sunday against Spurs, live onVilla had the numerical advantage for all of 13 minutes as Matt Cash received two yellow cards within three minutes (54 and 57), but neither side created much of note in the second period as City held on to win

It means if City and second-place Manchester United keep winning, Pep Guardiola's side will be crowned champions for the third time in four years after their game at Newcastle on May 12

Villa stay 11th, seven points off the top seven but with a game in hand, having won just one in seven

In an , City were looking to edge closer to the Premier League title, but were dealt a blow after just 20 seconds

Taking a quick free-kick, Tyrone Mings' ball down the channel caught Stones off guard, and after missing his sliding interception, Ollie Watkins took over to square for McGinn, who swept past Ederson

But City ramped it up and camped in Villa's defensive third, equalising through the brilliant Foden

Having spread the ball wide, the England midfielder followed the ball into the box, arriving 10 yards out to turn home from Bernardo Silva's cut-back from the byline after overlapping Mahrez on the right flank

Only Kevin De Bruyne (24) has been directly involved in more goals in all competitions for Man City this season than Foden (23)

City's second was more of a gift, however

Bernardo was involved again, clipping a ball into the box from the right for Rodri, who glanced the ball into an empty net after Martinez had rushed out and got nowhere near the ball with his punch

The Premier League leaders were in complete control, but Pep Guardiola went into half-time fuming after Stones' reckless red in front of England manager Gareth Southgate

Moving across to hoof the ball clear ahead of Ramsey, Stones was beaten to it, catching the Villa player on the knee with his follow-through

VAR told referee Peter Bankes to go to the pitchside monitor, and Stones' yellow turned to red, his first sending off in the Premier League

But Cash brought the numbers level with two quickfire yellow, the first for a tug on man-of-the-match Foden, and the second just moments later, flying in on Foden again at the touchline having been overeager to retrieve the ball after miscontrolling it

Villa's plans to mount a fightback - they brought on striker Keinan Davis at half-time for midfielder Ramsey - were scuppered, and City saw out the game professionally, with both sides barely creating a chance

The win settles any talk of an unlikely late title race, whereas Villa continue to struggle for form without their captain Jack Grealish

The Villa captain, currently out with a shin injury, was seen in deep discussion in the stands with England boss Southgate, who will have no doubt been concerned by an evening to forget for one of his starters Stones ahead of this summer's Euros

Aston Villa boss : "The sending off is stupid and reckless from Cash

I thought the first yellow was harsh, the second was stupid and reckless

You won't have a better chance 11 vs 10 against Man City

"I thought their red was a yellow as well though

I think you can slow anything down and make it look worse than it is

He's gone for the ball and got the man, you see that all of the time

"Our plan was to go out there, play behind them and get it into the front two

I thought it was a bit more even at 10 v 10, but they've got better technically-gifted players than we do on the ball

"Man City boss : "It was not the best start that we imagined

We reacted incredibly well, we played so good

That was a really good performance

We knew how important it was, the Premier League is the most important title of the year

"On Phil Foden: "He is growing, this guy is growing

He's making steps forward every time

His influence in our game is massive right now

He's so aggressive without the ball

He's becoming a serious player

"Phil, right now, in the last games especially, is becoming such an important player

His influence in the final third is so important

""They struggled in the first 10 minutes and you thought it could be one of those games but they slowly but surely grew into the game

Foden, Gundogan and Bernardo Silva were majestic tonight

It was incredible the way they moved the ball, chased, closed down - they are great examples to any young footballer

"And Foden

null

we have all done it and I have got excited by young talents before but this kid is the real deal

For a young player to play with so much flair and aggression; he's incredible

Sometimes you worry when kids get too much, too early, are they going to lose that hunger and desire but if that kid keeps accelerating at this rate, anything is possible

He's frightening

"High-powered, heavily-funded and years in the making, it lasted barely two days

In a podcast special, Jasper Taylor is joined by Gerard Brand and Ron Walker to discuss the rapid break-up of the breakaway European Super League

The panel discuss why football is more than just a business or entertainment sport, how this was a fan victory we should celebrate, and what the future holds for football

We also hear from Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Kaveh Solhekol and Bryan Swanson on another monumental 48 hours

Villa now host West Brom on Sunday evening at 7pm in the Premier League, while Man City face Tottenham in Sunday's Carabao Cup final, live on Sky Sports Football at 4

30pm

null

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Martinez

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DouglasLuiz

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Ramsey

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McGinn

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Traore

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Watkins

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Davis

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Barkley

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ElGhazi

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Ederson

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Walker

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Stones

False

Dias

False

Zinchenko

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Rodri

True

Bernardo

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Gundogan

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Mahrez

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Jesus

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Foden

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Laporte

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<PAD>

341

Diego Llorente scored a late equaliser for Leeds in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool as fans protested outside the ground over the European Super League proposal

Liverpool fans have reacted angrily to the news that their club could be involved in a breakaway European competition with Jurgen Klopp admitting he understood their grievances before kick-off

He said that Liverpool's focus wouldn't be affected and his team delivered on that notion in the first half, pinning Leeds back for large parts and opening the scoring through Sadio Mane (31) after a forceful run and assist from Trent Alexander-Arnold

However, some lacklustre finishing always left the door open for Leeds, who improved as the game wore on and Llorente headed home his first goal for the club (87)

The result leaves Liverpool outside the top four in sixth place with six games remaining while Marcelo Bielsa's side are finishing the season strongly and now unbeaten in five games

Leeds made a clear statement in the warm-up as they wore t-shirts with 'Football is for the Fans' written on the back

Klopp, whose team didn't wear the shirts, was angered by their opponents putting the shirts in their dressing room and sent his team out with attacking intentions

Thiago Alcantara's early strike was tipped over the bar by Illan Meslier and Diogo Jota's close-range effort was blocked away

Leeds were struggling to create but were almost gifted an opening goal as Fabinho played a woeful pass and Patrick Bamford went clear on goal, but Alisson produced a crucial block

But Liverpool carried the greater threat and turned their territory into a goal on 31 minutes

Alexander-Arnold charged in behind on to Jota's superb through ball and kept his composure - in front of a watching Gareth Southgate - to slide a lovely pass for Mane to stroke home his first goal in nine Premier League matches

The goal was also Liverpool's first goal scored before the 45th minute in a Premier League game since December 27

The pattern continued after the break with Liverpool creating all the big moments

Roberto Firmino was denied by Meslier's near-post save at the start of the second period and Jota headed narrowly over from the subsequent corner

Leeds started to win more second balls as the half developed and Alexander-Arnold escaped a penalty appeal against him after the ball appeared to hit his lower arm and Helder Costa failed to keep his far-post volley on target

Mohamed Salah replaced Mane with 19 minutes left as Klopp tried to take the game back in his favour, but Leeds continued to dominate

Patrick Bamford came within inches of an equaliser when his exquisite touch and clever volley struck the crossbar and Alisson saved again from Roberts

Time was running out for Leeds but Llorente rose highest to send a thumping header past Alisson to give Leeds a deserved point

When Alexander-Arnold plays well, Liverpool play well

It's no coincidence that the drop in form of the supremely talented full-back had come alongside Liverpool's patchy run of form

In the first half at Elland Road we saw Alexander-Arnold at his brilliant best, making clever runs and providing first-class distribution for his team-mates

That was on show for Liverpool's goal where he combined both the peaks of his skillset to allow Mane the easiest of tap-ins to end his goal drought

His influence waned as the game wore on but this was a performance hard to ignore

: "We played a really good first half

Could have scored a really nice goal

Could have scored others, couldn't do that

Actually the plan was to play the second half like the first

For some reason that didn't work out that well, but we had big counter attacking chances which we should or could have used to finish the game, maybe off

"But with 1-0 and Leeds, it's Leeds and very intense and stays intense and became even more intense in the second half

We dropped too deep and gave them too many set pieces

They had two, I think, really big chances where Ali [Alisson Becker] made sensational saves, so they deserved the point

But when you are that long 1-0 up it's obviously you want to bring it over the line

We couldn't work that out tonight, so that's it

"Next up for Leeds are Manchester United next Sunday, a game live on Sky Sports (2pm kick-off)

Liverpool welcome Newcastle to Anfield on Saturday lunchtime (12

30pm kick-off)

null

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Meslier

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Roberts

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HelderCosta

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<PAD>

342

Eddie Nketiah scored a dramatic late equaliser as Arsenal rescued a 1-1 draw to dent Fulham's Premier League survival hopes

Scott Parker's side came into the game seven points adrift of safety having played a game more than Burnley in 17th, and they thought their task was about to become even harder when Dani Ceballos converted Hector Bellerin's cross just before half-time

However, VAR came to their rescue and the goal was ruled out because of an incredibly tight offside decision against Bukayo Saka

Fulham defended resolutely against the Gunners and were hoping for one chance to fall their way, and it did midway through the second half when Gabriel Magalhaes brought down Mario Lemina inside the penalty area

The incident survived a VAR review for offside and Josh Maja stepped up to emphatically convert the penalty as Parker's men looked on course for what would be a crucial three points

However, after repelling nearly everything the Gunners threw at them with a superb defensive performance, Fulham buckled in the final stages of seven minutes of injury-time, Nketiah poking home from close range to rescue a 1-1 draw

The result means Fulham are now six points behind Burnley, who have the chance to stretch that gap when they take on Manchester United on Super Sunday (kick off 4pm - live on )

Meanwhile, despite the point, it was a disappointing afternoon for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side after they booked their place in the Europa League semi-final in midweek with a thumping win at Slavia Prague

The Gunners stay ninth with their chances of European qualification through the league now looking extremely difficult

Arsenal started well and could have been ahead inside two minutes when Alexandre Lacazette's flick released Gabriel Martinelli, but the Brazilian could only lift the bouncing ball over Alphonse Areola and wide of the far post

The hosts cut the Fulham defence wide open again moments later when Emile Smith Rowe's cut back picked out Martinelli, but, again, he wasted the chance as his low effort was saved by Areola

Arteta's side failed to make their early dominance count and Fulham began to get a grip of proceedings

They were inches away from taking the lead in the 21st minute when Maja's deflected shot left Mat Ryan stranded, but the ball trickled inches wide of the upright

The Gunners were starting to toil against a stubborn Fulham defence, but they thought they had finally broken the deadlock when Ceballos headed home Bellerin's cross at the far post, but a VAR review saw the goal chalked off for a marginal offside against Saka in the build-up

The assistant referee's flag would soon deny Arsenal another goal, this time with a more obvious decision against Smith Rowe, who mistimed his run as he latched onto a Lacazette pass in the build up to Ceballos' cross being turned into the Fulham net

At the start of the second half, Arsenal pushed forward again but Lacazette pulled a shot wide before the Gunners would again struggle to create any clear-cut chances

Their wastefulness in front of goal would come back to haunt them as Fulham were awarded a penalty, with referee Craig Pawson pointing to the spot after guidance from his assistant following Gabriel's late challenge on Lemina

Two VAR checks later - one on the challenge and one for offside - and Maja broke the deadlock, sending Ryan the wrong way and thumping the ball into the roof of the net from the penalty spot

Arteta turned to Nicolas Pepe and Thomas Partey, the former coming close to levelling with his first meaningful touch as his header across goal was cleared off the line by Tosin Adarabioyo

Lacazette was then replaced by Nketiah, the France striker heading straight down the tunnel with his shirt over his head after appearing to pick up an injury, and it would be the substitute who eventually rescued the Gunners

Arsenal threw everything they could at Fulham, who looked like they were going to get over the line, but the pressure finally told in the closing stages of seven minutes of stoppage time

Ryan was thrown into the Fulham box for back-to-back late corners and the goalkeeper got an important touch to the second as the ball broke to Ceballos, whose shot was pushed away by Areola but only into the path of the waiting Nketiah, who made no mistake from close range

The sight of Alexandre Lacazette heading straight down the tunnel with his shirt pulled up over his head would have been a difficult one for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta

The Frenchman has been a key figure for Arteta in recent weeks, with his goals helping fire the Gunners to a Europa league semi-final against Villarreal later this month, but he now faces a spell on the sidelines after limping out of the 1-1 draw with Fulham with a hamstring injury

"I cannot tell you if it is going to be a week or five or six weeks," Arteta said

"He felt his hamstring so we don't know

We are all disappointed because we know 'Laca' was on form

We have to rotate players; we have players who didn't recover from the game on Thursday

That is the risk

You cannot change those players every game

"The Gunners are already without captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who contracted malaria on a recent international trip to Gabon, leaving Arteta with a potential headache up front with games against Everton and the first leg against Villarreal on the horizon

It may lead to a chance for Eddie Nketiah, who came to Arsenal's rescue against Fulham, sealing a point for his side deep into stoppage time

The 21-year-old, who has been linked with a move away from Arsenal, has struggled for minutes with the Gunners in recent months, but he was in the right place at the right time to poke home from close range and spare Arteta's side's blushes

Now he could be set for a central role

"We will see, we will assess who is available and how we want to approach the game and we will make decisions based on that," Arteta said when asked about Nketiah's chances

"He always offers his best

Today he scored a goal, he had another two important chances and he's always a threat in front of goal

"And now with Arsenal's hopes of European football resting mainly with the Europa League, the Gunners may need Nketiah in the right place and the right times a few more times this season in the potential absence of Lacazette and Aubameyang

Arsenal boss : "We started really well, controlling the game and creating chances, scoring a goal that was disallowed, in a very disappointing way, we kept going and didn't allow any shots on target and suddenly we concede a penalty and the game changes completely

"We took risks in the right way, we could have scored three or four, we totally deserved to win the match but put ourselves in a difficult position

"We have to just focus on the boys playing away in Europe and arriving here with the desire to go all the way to the 97th, 98th minute

"Fulham boss: "I'm disappointed and gutted and the overriding factor is the team have worked tirelessly today, given everything, come to a place like this against a very good side and managed to get our nose in front

Second half we had to weather it a bit and then the last action, I've just seen it back

He [Rob Holding] looks offside to me, he's standing in an offside position

As a consequence of where my 'keeper is, he's two yards away from the goal-line and he's in an offside position - that's what's disappointing

"We defended superbly, we limited them to few chances

The longer the game was going on I felt we had done well but the residing factor is that late decision and the rules on it

I think the linesman sees Holding in an offside position, we then go to someone who is miles away and I'm not just saying that because I'm standing on the end of a draw

If someone's standing in an offside position then I don't understand that

"Andersen was a rock at the heart of the Fulham defence and helped repel anything Arsenal threw at them, right until the final seconds of the game

Speaking to , Andersen said his side were left disappointed after getting so close to what could have been a crucial three points

"We're disappointed

It is a little bit similar to the Liverpool game, concede a silly goal like that at the end, small things that change the game," he said

"We showed many times that we can play against the best and it is small things that mean we don't win the game, it is just hard now

"Arsenal were good today and it was a difficult game, you have to understand you have to defend sometimes when you come here, we didn't create enough but if you can win 1-0 away then what more do you want

"Arsenal are back in action on Friday when they host Everton, live on ; kick off 8pm

Fulham's next game is not until Saturday May 1 when they travel to west London rivals Chelsea; kick off 3pm

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Lemina

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<PAD>

343

Mason Greenwood's double and Edinson Cavani's late strike gave Manchester United their fifth straight Premier League win as they beat Burnley 3-1 to move within eight points of leaders Man City

The first half was frantic but goalless, and it was United who took the lead just after the break through Greenwood (48), smashing home at the far post from Marcus Rashford's centre and a clever Bruno Fernandes dummy

Burnley were level just 114 seconds later as James Tarkowski rose highest from an Ashley Westwood corner (50), but Greenwood got his second, finding the near post at the right of the box from a deflected shot off Jack Cork (85)

Half-time sub Edinson Cavani converted Donny van de Beek's centre at close range for 3-1 in stoppage time (90+3), and the result means that, with six games remaining, United's gap to rivals City is now eight points, while the gap to fifth place is now 12 points

Burnley remain 17th, six points ahead of Fulham in the relegation zone and with a game in hand

Old Trafford was a home from home for Burnley, having been unbeaten there in four games, and they nearly had the perfect start but for the offside flag sparing Dean Henderson's blushes

Racing out to meet a long ball, Henderson was beaten to it by Chris Wood, who looped a header into the net, but Wood was just ahead of last man Luke Shaw

United, notorious slow starters in recent months, had survived

Both sides had chances in an energetic first half - Paul Pogba saw a looping header tipped away by Bailey Peacock-Farrell, but headed over unmarked from a corner later in the half, while Rashford also stung the hands of the Burnley goalkeeper from an angle, and Greenwood was inches away from reaching Rashford's flash across goal at the far post

At the other end, Wood continued to cause problems, directing a header from Matt Lowton's cross wide, and then shooting off-target on the swivel 12 yards out

The game had been threatening goals from minute one, and they came in quick succession early in the second half

Cavani was introduced at the break for Fred, but it was Greenwood who provided the clinical edge, firing into the net at the far post after the ball had rolled to him unmarked from Rashford, via a lovely Fernandes dummy

But Burnley reacted well and levelled shortly after; Tarkowski looked to have been sandwiched by Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka from a Westwood corner, but he stayed airborne to direct a header into the corner of the net from six yards

United huffed and puffed for a winner - Fernandes' header was saved well by Peacock-Farrell - and got it with five minutes remaining through Greenwood's fifth goal in six games

Cutting in from the right, Greenwood's low, left-footed effort fortuitously deflected off the foot of Cork and found the net, meaning Greenwood is now the joint-top scoring teenager in Premier League history for United (15, level with Wayne Rooney)

United missed two good chances to get a third - Peacock-Farrell saved superbly from Scott McTominay before Fernandes rounded the goalkeeper but could not finish - before it duly came in stoppage time

Sub Van de Beek, getting some rare Premier League minutes for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side wriggled free on the left of the box, before squaring for Cavani to tap in

Only Solskjaer himself in 1998-99 (5) and Javier Hernandez in 2010-11 (5) have more Premier League sub goals in a season for United than Cavani's four

"He was excellent

He's got a really good habit of hitting the target when he gets chances

He contributed coming off the bench against Spurs, and his first is a lovely goal

"There's big pressure playing through the middle, and players have struggled with it, so maybe in the wide position there is less responsibility and less pressure

Maybe it does suit him

""I think he's got more room to manoeuvre on the right

When he comes onto his left he has more options, with Wan-Bissaka on the overlap sometimes

His technique is just delightful, the way he strokes the ball

"Manchester United now go to Leeds on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 2pm, while Burnley travel to Wolves at 12pm in the Premier League on the same day

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Taylor

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<PAD>

344

West Ham's Champions League hopes were dealt a blow as Newcastle boosted their own hopes of staying in the Premier League with a dramatic 3-2 victory over the 10-man Hammers at St James' Park

David Moyes' side - who had the chance to move up to third in the table, four points ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea - sent Newcastle on their way to victory as Issa Diop's hapless own goal gave them the lead

It was a double blow for the visitors as Craig Dawson, who had earlier been booked for a foul on Joelinton, brought down the Newcastle forward again in the build-up to the first goal and he was dismissed for a second yellow card

It was to get worse for Moyes and his side just before the break as Lukasz Fabianski spilled Matt Ritchie's routine corner to hand Joelinton a tap-in from close range

However, after the break, West Ham roared back as Diop's header (73) and Jesse Lingard's penalty (80), after VAR spotted a handball from Ciaran Clark, restored parity

In a thrilling finale, Newcastle thought they had blown their chance of victory when Ben Johnson cleared Jacob Murphy's shot off the line, but there was still time for substitute Joe Willock to head the hosts to all three points (82)

Victory sees Newcastle move nine points clear of the relegation places with just six games remaining, while West Ham stay fourth, but defeat leaves their Champions league hopes firmly in the balance ahead of a crucial clash with fifth-placed Chelsea next Saturday, live on

Newcastle looked the likelier of the two sides to grab a goal in the opening stages with Allan Saint-Maximin looking a threat every time he got on the ball

Dawson was forced into a rash challenge, picking up a booking after Jarrod Bowen gifted possession to Joelinton, and Fabianski was the busier of the two goalkeepers, making routine saves to deny, Murphy and Saint-Maximin

Newcastle eventually took the lead nine minutes before the break and it came from Dawson's heavy touch just inside his own half

In his efforts to win the ball back, he brought down Joelintom, who managed to flick the ball into the path of Saint-Maximin

Referee Kevin Friend allowed play to continue and Saint-Maximin drove past Mark Noble and into the penalty area before sending the ball towards goal, where a combination of Diop and Fabianski failed to keep the ball out

It led to the defender getting his feet into a tangle as he bundled the ball into his own net

It was a double whammy for the Hammers as the referee went back to hand Dawson a second yellow card to leave Moyes' side to play out the rest of the match with 10 men

The visitors then gifted Newcastle a second five minutes later when Fabianski inexplicably spilled Ritchie's corner to hand Joelinton a simple tap-in from one yard out to send Bruce's men in at the break with a two-goal advantage

Despite their numerical disadvantage, West Ham started with more urgency after the break and Vladimir Coufal had a glorious chance to get a goal back, but his header was saved by Martin Dubravka

The visitors eventually dragged themselves back into it with 17 minutes remaining when Diop atoned for his earlier mishap, heading Bowen's cross down and past Dubravka to give the Hammers a lifeline

Having had to fight off a number of comebacks in recent weeks, West Ham were mounting one of their own and they were awarded an 80th-minute penalty for handball against defender Clark after a VAR check, and man-of-the-moment Lingard made no mistake from the spot

It set up a grandstand finish, and Newcastle would have been forgiven for thinking their chance might have gone when Johnson brilliantly cleared Murphy's strike off the line, but three minutes after Lingard's penalty, they had the lead again

Substitute Willock headed Ritchie's cross past Fabianski seconds after coming on to break West Ham hearts and send Newcastle up to 15th and within touching distance of safety

"It's enormous for Newcastle

I think that will be enough for them

"West Brom, who had a bit of momentum, will see this as a real kick in the teeth, as will Fulham

"They did it in a fashion that won't make Steve Bruce too happy; they were in the driving seat and then completely lost the plot, but they got there

"They got a couple of slices of luck and they'll take it

"Newcastle manager : "I've always said this job comes with a government health warning

I couldn't have been more pleased at half-time when we played the way we did

We were arguably better against 11 than we were 10, and how often do you see that

"The situation, the human nature is to defend what you've got and go deep, and we were wasteful just after half time

We had two or three opportunities and were wasteful and that gave West Ham the opportunity, and to be fair to them, they've got themselves back in the game and made it one of those awful afternoons

"But thankfully we've redeemed ourselves

It was difficult but I'm relieved

"West Ham boss : "I thought the players showed great character

They came from 2-0 down with 10 men and got right back into the game

There are a lot of good things from it

"Obviously, we gave away a couple of really poor goals in the first half, then the sending off adds to it as well, but we kept at it and we didn't change

"We altered things a little bit at half time, but I thought the players put up a great effort, I really did

"There's no drama

We're not getting too down about it

We've had a couple of really good results, we're doing ok

We think that's probably a chance lost to pick up some points, but it is very hard with 10 men

"I thought the players did a great job to get back into it

Probably the disappointment is that when we got to 2-2, we couldn't see that last little bit out

"There's no frustration whatsoever

The players are doing brilliant, we're at it, we came, and we put on a good performance

We didn't get the result we wanted but overall, the players are doing a good job

"We're without a few injured players and we've put on another decent show

We want to keep trying to score goals, but we need to stop conceding them as well

"West Ham face a crucial clash in the race for Champions league qualification when they welcome London rivals Chelsea to the London Stadium, live on Sky Sports next Saturday (kick off 5

30pm)

Meanwhile, Newcastle face a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool, also on Saturday; kick off 12

30pm

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<PAD>

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Johnson

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<PAD>

345

Sheffield United's inevitable relegation from the Premier League was confirmed as Wolves sealed their fate with a 1-0 victory at Molineux on Saturday

Willian Jose's first Premier League goal at the 12th attempt condemned the Blades to a sixth successive league defeat which leaves them rooted to the foot of the table, 19 points from safety with just 18 points left to play for

Sheffield United's two-season stay in the top flight ended with a performance packed full of heart, but crucially lacking end product, as an arduous campaign saw the Blades become the fourth team in Premier League history to be sent down to the Championship at the 32-game mark

For Wolves, Willian Jose breaking his duck for the club and back-to-back league victories for the first time since February offered hope for improvement in the future, as Nuno Espirito Santo's side moved to within four points of the top half

With Newcastle's late victory over West Ham leaving Sheffield United a defeat away from relegation to the Championship, the Blades started the brighter of the two sides but the game lacked intensity throughout

Wolves came closest to breaking the deadlock when Willian Jose chested down a clearance and Willy Boly audaciously tried to flick the ball in with his back to goal, but a combination of Oliver Norwood and the crossbar denied the hosts

Daniel Podence volleyed a speculative effort wildly over the target as the game meandering towards the interval, though there was a late flashpoint before half-time when Rayan Ait-Nouri was fortunate not to be shown red for going over the ball and connecting with Rhian Brewster's ankle

Sheffield United had a measure on control as the second period started at a similarly lethargic pass to which the first had ended, but seconds after Enda Stevens' drive was blocked in the goalmouth by Nelson Semedo, Wolves hit the Blades on the counter to seal their fate

Kean Bryan's decision to step out of the defensive line left John Egan exposed one on one against Adama Traore, and the Wolves winger's burst of pace and driven cross found Willian Jose unmarked six yards out to prod his first goal for the club into the roof of the net

The Blades didn't go down without a fight, with Stevens' rasping drive drawing a stunning fingertip save from Rui Patricio in the Wolves goal

Wolves could have put Sheffield United out of their misery earlier had Romain Saiss, substitute Fabio Silva and Traore been able to find a way past Aaron Ramsdale with late chances, but it was left to the referee's final whistle to bring the curtain down on the Blades' stay in the top flight

"It's been a long time coming but we've really enjoyed the journey

The supporters haven't seen it this year, which certainly hasn't helped, but we have to remember the journey that they've come on,"From League One under Chris Wilder, some great times

The players did fantastically well coming up into the Championship and then the Premier League

The club is in a much better position financially now; they can grow

"It's been hanging over the players for some time

Now it's about how the board react, who the next manager will be and it's about the players; can they reproduce? Can they get a couple more in?"They've got a good enough squad to go into the Championship, even though there will be one or two [leaving] for sure

But who's the manager going to be? They have to improve the training ground and recruit in a balanced way

" "It's about results [not performances]

The only thing we could control was the performance, and we had to go out with our heads held high

"Nobody could fault the players' effort; we've had decent performances and decent moments

We should have definitely got something out of this game, but I guess that typifies our season

This hasn't been through a lack of effort; we've got an honest group of players who gave everything tonight

"There has to be a mentality to get straight back

You have to keep the group of players together, look to build and enjoy the challenges of what will be another tough season in the Championship

"Sheffield United didn't get promoted through luck, they had to fight, dig deep, and gather momentum and put in some really strong performances to get out of that league

""Finishing well can give us a good foundation for the future

We have a lot of aspects to our game, a lot of youngsters who can help and improve

We are going to need them

"Willian Jose has been very important for us

I am very, very glad he found his goal

This can make him grow and keep helping us

"The first time we faced Sheffield United we lost there

They are a very good team; I have a huge admiration and respect for their group of players

We faced them in the Championship, and we faced them in the Premier League

I am sure they will bounce back

"Sheffield United host Brighton on at 8pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League - before Wolves entertain Burnley on Sunday at 12pm

null

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Traore

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Jose

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Silva

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Vitinha

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Bryan

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<PAD>

346

Harry Kane emphatically punished two defensive errors before suffering an ankle injury as Tottenham and Everton played out a thrilling 2-2 draw which did little for either sides' European ambitions

After an uneventful opening 27 minutes at Goodison Park, Michael Keane's costly defensive header set up Kane to ruthlessly volley Spurs into the lead, but Everton hit back inside four minutes when Gylfi Sigurdsson converted a penalty after Sergio Reguilon had fouled James Rodriguez in the area

Everton were superior in every department from there on and took a deserved lead shortly after the hour when Sigurdsson haunted his former club again with a clinical finish from Seamus Coleman's cutback

But just as Spurs had relinquished their first-half lead, the Toffees gifted Kane his second six minutes later when a defensive mix-up between Keane and Mason Holgate ricocheted the ball into the path of the England international, and he rifled an unstoppable volley into the top corner

Everton could have snatched all three points at the death but substitute Josh King was thwarted by Hugo Lloris before Richarlison blazed the rebound over, though a The draw leaves Everton in eighth, six points outside the fourth and final Champions League spot, while Spurs remain a point and place ahead in seventh

With victory imperative for Everton and Spurs' respective challenges for European football, a coy and cautious first 25 minutes unfolded at Goodison, with Richarlison drawing Lloris into a decent save with 22 minutes on the clock

But the deadlock was unlocked by a defensive mistake and clinical finishing from one of the Premier League's most lethal marksman

Seconds after throwing his body in the way out Tanguy Ndombele's shot from the edge of the box, Everton defender Keane misjudged the Spurs midfielder's cross from the left and took his centre-back partner Holgate out of the crucial glancing touch on the ball

Keane's touch presented Kane with the ball unmarked six yards from goal, and the Spurs striker took his tally for the season to 20 goals for the fifth time with an incredible first touch and ruthless volley into the bottom

Spurs' lead would last barely four minutes, though, with Reguilon adjudged to have clipped James heels in the area before the Colombian could bring a cross under control

Up stepped former Spurs man Sigurdsson, sending Lloris the wrong way with a clinical spot-kick as Everton maintained their flawless penalty conversion record this season

Everton laid siege to the Spurs goal before the break but that second goal eluded them as Loris denied James and Richarlison, before Ben Godfrey fired wide after James' brilliantly free-kick reached him unmarked at the back post

The Toffees started the second half brightly, but it was Spurs who fashioned the early openings, with Heung-Min Son thwarted by a fine smothering save from the returning Jordan Pickford before Toby Alderweireld glanced a header against the post from a corner

Everton had a second goal correctly chalked off for offside when Richarlison converted after latching onto Allan's ball over the top, but the Toffees did not have to wait much longer to take a deserved lead

Minutes after entering the fray, substitute Seamus Coleman injected pace into the Everton attack, playing a one-two with Richarlison in a slick move which ended with Sigurdsson doubling his tally with an exquisite first-time finish into the Spurs net

But Everton were architects of their own downfall six minutes later as Keane and Holgate collided, and the ball fell for Kane to rifle his 164th Premier League goal into the top corner to overtake Robbie Fowler in the all-time scoring charts

Before his late injury, Kane nearly completed his hat-trick but his glancing header clipped the outside of post, before Everton squandered their chance of snatching all three points when King was denied by Lloris and Richarlison fired hopelessly over with an open goal at his mercy

"I mentioned about these teams perhaps not being Champions League level and l think we saw that tonight

People may say that it's not good enough for Spurs, but l don't believe that with the squad Tottenham have got they should be in the top four

There are better squads in this league

I felt if Tottenham got into the top four this season it would be a slight over-achievement

""We played a good game

It was probably the best we played at home this season

We were unlucky

We did easy mistakes and when you do mistakes against Harry Kane you are condemned

"It is a disappointing result but not performance

We have more difficulties to reach Europe, but we have to keep fighting

We still have possibility playing like tonight

"We pressed well forward and were aggressive

In the first 10-15 minutes we didn't do well with the ball but after that we had a lot of opportunity and chances

We have to keep the performance and repeat it

" "I think it was a game between two teams that have lots of similarities

We are very similar in many aspects

It's teams who are capable of scoring goals and can concede too

It was a good game where both teams tried to win it and probably a fair result

" "It is too early to say something

For him to leave the pitch with a few minutes to go is obviously because he felt something

Let me be optimistic and believe that he has time to recover

"Let me be optimistic and believe it's nothing serious

It's obvious he's a very important player for us

I cannot say much or speculate

"Harry Kane became the first player in Premier League history to score 2+ goals in three consecutive away appearances against a single opponent (September 2017, December 2018 & April 2021) with a devastating display of opportunist finishing at Everton

Kane moved up to seventh in the all-time Premier League scoring charts with his 20th and 21st goals of the season, only Alan Shearer (7) and Sergio Aguero (6) have scored 20+ goals in more different Premier League seasons than the Spurs striker

Since Mourinho's appointment at Spurs, Kane has been directly involved in 62 goals in 62 appearances in all competitions for Spurs - no Premier League player has more goal involvements in this period (since 23/11/19)

Everton travel to Arsenal on at 8pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League - before Tottenham host Southampton in the Premier League on Wednesday at 6pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League

Spurs then face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday at 4

30pm - live on Sky Sports Football

null

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<PAD>

347

Another superb West Brom performance has seen them further boost their Premier League survival hopes, beating Southampton 3-0 on Monday Night Football

Sam Allardyce's Baggies had stunned Chelsea last Saturday, winning 5-2 at Stamford Bridge, and instantly picked up where they had left off in an impressive first-half display

They did have the ball in the back of the net inside four minutes, but Mbaye Diagne's glancing header was ruled out for offside by the linesman

VAR checked it though and despite replays appearing to show the striker was onside, the goal remained disallowed, once again throwing VAR into the spotlight

But if anything, it seemed to further galvanise West Brom, and they deservedly went ahead when Matheus Pereira (32) scored from the penalty spot, having been fouled in a moment of madness by Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster

Although his goal may have been chalked off, Diagne did pick up an assist for his evening's work when his cross was turned home by Matt Phillips (35), before Callum Robinson (69) followed up his two goals against Chelsea with West Brom's third

Although Southampton dominated possession after the break, they did not create many clear-cut chances, registering just four shots on target

James Ward-Prowse saw a late penalty stunningly saved by Sam Johnstone as the Saints suffered a hit to their confidence ahead of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Leicester at Wembley

But West Brom have given their hopes of Premier League survival another massive boost, now eight points from safety with seven games to play

After a miserable weekend for VAR, the technology was once again under scrutiny inside four minutes

Diagne had glanced home from Pereira's fizzing attempt, but the offside flag was raised

VAR stepped in, but the goal remained chalked off, despite Diagne appearing to be onside during replays

West Brom dominated the first half and continued to see chances fall their way - registering 13 shots in the first half - with Diagne going close just before the half-hour mark

After some superb passing play from the Baggies, Pereira slotted the ball through for him, but his eventual effort flew wide

Soon after, Stuart Armstrong had the best chance of the half for Southampton, forcing a leaping save from Sam Johnstone with a powerful long-range effort

West Brom finally went ahead from the penalty spot in the 31st minute

A rash moment from Forster saw him swipe at the legs of Pereira for a stonewall penalty

The West Brom forward lined it up on the spot and fired down the middle, deservedly putting the hosts ahead

The Baggies doubled their lead four minutes later with some more superb team play

Diagne drove down the left wing with an acre of space ahead of him, before slotting the ball to the back post for the incoming Phillips

It was then a simple slot home for the midfielder as West Brom rounded off a stunning first-half performance

There was a change of tack for West Brom in the second half, switching to a more defensive mentality

Southampton dominated the ball - registering 80

1 per cent possession after half-time - but despite some good play, they did not create too many chances

Their first real sight of goal after the break did not come until after the hour when once again, Armstrong stung the palms of Johnstone from range

But West Brom's aim of scoring on the break came off perfectly when Robinson added their third in the 69th minute

The Baggies did well to win the ball back in midfield, with Okay Yokuslu sending a low pass through for Robinson

The forward was in between the two defenders, before sending a lovely finish into the far corner for his fifth Premier League goal of the season

Southampton did not offer much by way of a reply, but did have the chance for a consolation in added time when Moussa Djenepo was fouled by Conor Townsend in the box

Saints captain Ward-Prowse stepped up, but his powerful penalty was saved by a leaping Johnstone to compound a dismal evening for Southampton

It was a superb performance from the Arsenal loanee

He did not give Southampton a moment of rest and was one of the key driving forces behind West Brom's victory

Sky Sports co-commentator Don Goodman said: "With and without the ball, he has covered every blade of grass

He's stretched that Southampton defence by making runs in behind and then he has got back, made tackles, kept the ball and ticked every box for me

" "The first half was absolutely right up there with anything and everything we did at Chelsea, apart from we didn't finish quite as clinically, which meant that if we had, we probably would have been four or five up before they had a sniff in the second half

"Obviously the big disappointment is the first goal we scored that looked like a goal, that wasn't a goal, that should have been a goal because I've seen all the lines and angles on that and as far as the situation goes, I think they got that wrong

"Gladly for us, it hasn't affected the result we deserved but it easily could have done

We've overcome that decision and got the three points we thoroughly deserved

"Southampton were bound to get back into the game at some point, but then the resilience and the defending qualities which have been with us for eight, nine, ten games were there again

Then you do what you've got to do to finish a team off and that's when you have a chance, you put it away and we did that

"It's a clinical performance in the first half and then finishing them off with the third goal

A brilliant save from Sam for the penalty which gave us the clean sheet and I'm very satisfied with how the players played today

"If you could have seen me in the studio, you would've seen me jumping up and down… We have it on our iPads and then we had another look at half-time, but gladly, it hasn't cost us anything today in terms of points

"But that's immaterial now, it's come and gone

We can only hope that when it does come up next time, the goal is given

We had one here against Everton at 1-1 and it was a toenail, and that would have been another precious point

"But the game today is what we're really focused on

The players have won back-to-back games this season, we've been a really good team for nine, ten, 11 games now

Unfortunately it has been our fault for missing chances and not getting more points on the board and not having a better chance of survival

But we keep going and if we keep on like this, we've got to try and beat Leicester next time round

""In the first half, everything [went wrong]

In the second half, the way we conceded the third goal… It was a killer for the game and then it was gone

"We made a few [tactical] changes at half-time and they worked better but it is not always possible to turn a game when you're 2-0 down

In the first half, we have been too far away from our opponents and dropping so quick, and I'm not sure why we do this sometimes because it's not necessary

"We had a big problem with second balls

We nearly lost every second ball and it's not possible against a team who come with long balls and going for the second balls

It was tough and in the second half, we changed this, we defended higher and more compact, then we immediately had more pressure on the opponent but in this time, you must make a goal and you have maybe a chance to come back like we did last week, but it's not always possible

"In the end, everything, even then not scoring the penalty, fits with the game and it was definitely a very bad performance

"One thing is clear - when we play like this, we do not have a minimum chance on Sunday

If they think they can rest today for Sunday, I think that's not the right way to do it

We will have a very critical analysis of this game because it's important, I think

""I just think a few teams may start getting a little nervous after thinking that both Sheffield United and West Brom were down

I think Sheffield United are

West Brom have got a lot to do, we know that, but if you are Newcastle, Burnley, maybe Brighton going into this game tonight, it is what they call squeaky-bum time

" "If they perform like this every week, they're going to be there or thereabouts [for Premier League survival], asking other teams questions to get results

I thought Maitland-Niles was excellent, Pereria was excellent, and they asked that many questions of Southampton that they couldn't answer

A really good win

"It's what West Brom deserve - they deserve to win by three clear goals minimum

Really impressed with West Brom today

"West Brom now have a 10-day break before travelling to Midlands rivals Leicester on Thursday 22 April; kick-off 8pm

Southampton will play their biggest game of the season so far on Sunday when they also face Leicester in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley; kick-off 6

30pm

They will then travel to Tottenham in the Premier League on Wednesday 21 April, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 6pm

null

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<PAD>

348

Brighton's struggles at home continued with a 0-0 draw against injury-hit Everton, who lost further ground in the race for Europe on In a game that lacked real quality, Neal Maupay, Jakub Moder and Adam Lallana all squandered chances as Graham Potter's side were held to a frustrating eighth Premier League draw of the season at the Amex Stadium

Everton's hopes of halting a run of three league games without a win were hampered by injury to top scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin before the game, although the Toffees could have snatched all three points when substitute Alex Iwobi flashed a shot over in the final minute

The draw hands Brighton, who climb a place to 15th, and Everton, who stay eighth, a point apiece towards their respective survival and European bids, but both will have been left wanting a more decisive boost to those campaigns

Everton striker Calvert-Lewin was the surprise omission from the teamsheet as another name was added to the Toffees' lengthy injury list

Missing their top-scorer, Everton failed to register a single attempt on target in the first half, but Brighton could only go one better despite dominating for large parts

Seagulls midfielder Moder dragged a shot inside the opening 10 minutes before Everton came to life and fashioned their first chance, which midfielder Tom Davies headed wide of the Brighton goal

Brighton went close twice before the break as Maupay's drive deflected inches wide off Yerry Mina, before Yves Bissouma's audacious, acrobatic overhead kick nestled on the roof of the net as a potential goal of the season contender escaped the Seagulls

With Everton options from the bench few and far between, Brighton retained control of the game but, as has been the case time and again this season, quality in the final third eluded them

Moder wrapped a shot over the bar from a training ground corner routine, before Lewis Dunk's glancing header drew a fingertip save from Everton goalkeeper Robin Olsen

With the game petering out for a draw, Everton sprung a late rally to snatch all three points, but Iwobi's drive fizzed over the bar to leave both sides with a point

"The run of form Everton are on at the moment; you just get the feeling they will look back at this at the end of the season as a reason why they never really pushed for the Champions League and top four

"Because there are so many teams involved and dropping points, no matter how bad your run is at the moment, you're always there or thereabouts in terms of points for Europe

"Everton still have hope of Europe, because that was the target at the start of the season that Ancelotti keeps mentioning

"Captain Seamus Coleman admits if Everton miss out on European football it will be their home form they will come to rue and not draws at places like Brighton

"It would be a massive disappointment [if we didn't qualify for Europe]

We have been given opportunities this season by other results

We just had to look after ourselves and we would have been in a better position

"That would be the disappointment

We have full belief and obviously the manager we have has massive experience and doesn't panic

We have something to play for but yes there's no question we need to finish in European places

"The morale is good

We have a good bunch of lads and we train hard

It's up to myself and a few of the experienced lads to keep that morale high at all times

We have a great manager and some top players

It's just about those results at home we need to brush up on massively

" "I thought it was a good performance from us

I thought we had good intent

We tried to attack and played positively

We lacked a little bit of quality in the final third but defended well when we had to

It was a hard-earned point

"I don't think there were loads of clear-cut chances

There were some opportunities

I don't think we worked the keeper enough

They were defensively set up to do well

It wasn't easy to find the space but we were the closest ones to scoring

"You always want a bit more but there's another team on the pitch and an opponent fighting for the win

The effort and intent were there we just missed that little bit to get the goal

" "The fight [Europe] is more difficult now but a point is a point

We had good spirit; we could have been better with the ball as we were unable to efficiently reach our strikers

But we are still in the fight, it's a difficult moment but we are still there

We have a lot of players out, but I hope they recover so we can fight [against Tottenham] on Friday

"The last four games were not good

I hope Allan recovers soon and, in a few weeks, hopefully Abdoulaye Doucoure

We have to play against Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham and two games against Aston Villa

All the games are really important if you want to reach Europe

""The biggest talking point, the biggest bright spark, was Yves Bissouma," said Jamie Carragher

"He was man of the match but he was not just the best player on the pitch, he was the best player by a mile on the pitch

He really was

You looked at him and thought, he really does look like a top-quality player

"He was excellent at Old Trafford too last time out when he looked head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch

There has been some talk of teams looking at him

I am not sure teams will be looking at him

I think teams will be bidding for him at the end of the season

"Everton host Tottenham on at 8pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League - before Brighton travel to Chelsea on Tuesday, April 20 - live on Sky Sports Premier League

null

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Olsen

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Mina

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Keane

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<PAD>

349

Danny Welbeck hit the post and Adam Lallana missed a glorious chance late on to deny Brighton a famous victory at Stamford Bridge in a 0-0 draw with Chelsea

Thomas Tuchel's side never got going in a game delayed by 15 minutes due to protests outside Stamford Bridge against the European Super League stopping both teams from reaching the ground, and managed only three shots on target all night against a stoic Brighton backline

Instead, the visitors should have snatched victory late on but passed up a couple of gilt-edged chances, the first coming after Kurt Zouma was caught in possession by Neal Maupay, who found Lallana - only for the substitute to miss the far post when clean through

Seconds later, Chelsea were again caught on the ball as Jorginho was robbed, allowing Welbeck to strike from 20 yards, but the width of the woodwork denied him a superb late winner, before Ben White was sent off for a second yellow in added time

The point moves Chelsea back into the top four, ahead of West Ham on goal difference, while Brighton are seven points clear of the bottom three, having played a game less than 18th-placed Fulham

On a night of high drama around Stamford Bridge, matters on the pitch had a lot to live up to in order to match the news Chelsea were planning to withdraw from the European Super League following protests by hundreds of fans outside the stadium

It may have felt a little after the lord mayor's show, and it certainly looked like it

Tuchel predicted his side would be "a little distracted" by the evening's events and it took them 17 minutes to register their first shot, when Christian Pulisic turned Ben White well before skewing well wide

A half of few chances, thanks to some committed Brighton defending and a real lack of tempo in Chelsea's play, could have turned out differently had White's poor touch in his own box been turned home by Hakim Ziyech, who instead fired straight at Robert Sanchez

At the other end, Yves Bissouma's goalbound strike was diverted just over his own bar by Jorginho, with Chelsea given a reminder they could not switch off in their own half despite enjoying the majority of the play

Little changed for the Champions League semi-finalists after half-time, with Chelsea managing only two shots in the entire 45 minutes, and instead considering themselves lucky Brighton had left their shooting boots on the south coast

With time running out, Zouma's decision to turn into danger nearly proved fatal as Neal Maupay robbed him before feeding Lallana, who missed the target altogether when clean through

Moments later Welbeck went closer still after Jorginho was caught in possession, but fired against the crossbar from distance with Arrizabalaga beaten

Giroud, Chelsea's saviour more than once this season, could have enhanced that reputation in the dying minutes when meeting Callum Hudson-Odoi's low ball, but swept wide at the near post when under pressure

Chelsea head coach : "They have a lot of individual quality and a unique style

They defend very strongly, that created a lot of problems for us and we could not find the answer

We were not precise enough on the counter attack or after ball losses, and didn't create too many moments in counter-pressing

"Brighton boss : "Of course, we hit the post, but you play against a top opponent, you have to say that, but our players were amazing

They sacrificed for each other, we're happy with the clean sheet, the point, and move forward

"Despite his late red card, White was the pick of an impressive bunch at the back for Brighton, who were barely troubled by Chelsea throughout

Only the Blues and Manchester City have kept more clean sheets since the turn of the year than the Seagulls, and White's performance at Stamford Bridge highlighted exactly why, helping to keep Robert Sanchez's night quiet enough to make only one save of note all game

Next up for Chelsea are West Ham on Saturday, a game live on Sky Sports Premier League (5

30pm kick-off)

Meanwhile, Brighton travel to already relegated Sheffield United, also on Saturday and live on Sky Sports Premier League (8pm kick-off)

null

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<PAD>

350

Allan Saint-Maximin's devastating impact from the bench eased Newcastle's relegation fears as he set up one and scored one in a crucial 2-1 win at Burnley

Steve Bruce's men looked set for another miserable away day when Matej Vydra (18) struck but the Premier League game completely changed with the introduction of Saint-Maximin on 57 minutes

Five minutes later, Newcastle were 2-1 to the good with the Frenchman providing the assist for a wonderful Jacob Murphy finish (59) before scoring a sensational solo effort (64)

Newcastle had to face a barrage from Burnley, in the form of 12 corners and 21 shots over the course of 90 minutes at Turf Moor, but led by the outstanding Martin Dubravka, the Toon saw out the game to win a vital three points

The victory takes them six points clear of Fulham, who have also played a game more than Bruce's side

A Newcastle victory looked unlikely for large parts of the game, with confidence in short supply within Bruce's side having gone seven games without a Premier League win

Burnley took a deserved lead with 18 minutes gone

Ciaran Clark's poor header went straight to Ashley Westwood, and when he played the ball forward to Chris Wood, the New Zealand forward beat Clark for pace before pulling it back for Vydra to score his third goal in five matches, having needed the previous 53 outings to reach the same tally

Newcastle's response wasn't instant but slowly they started to find space down their right, with Murphy getting a bit of joy up against Eric Pieters

Dwight Gayle, making his 100th league appearance for the Magpies, poked the ball into the net from an offside position - though it was closer than it first appeared, given that Pieters was down on the far side of the pitch

Bailey Peacock-Farrell had been a spectator for much of the half but made a superb save to parry Gayle's close-range header seven minutes before the break

From the rebound, James Tarkowski went to boot it clear, catching Sean Longstaff in the head as he did so

VAR Stuart Attwell took a long look but ultimately agreed with referee Anthony Taylor that Tarkowski got to the ball first

Dubravka, who continuously dealt with dangerous inswinging Burnley corners under his crossbar, was called upon to react quickly to prevent a Paul Dummett own goal

Dubravka remained busy after the break, tipping over shots from Matt Lowton and Dwight McNeil

A Burnley second goal looked on the cards but Bruce changed things up, replacing Gayle and Joelinton with Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson, and the game swung in their favour

Within two minutes of his introduction, the Frenchman, whose season has been interrupted by illness and injury, drew three defenders to him down the right before pulling the ball back for Murphy to fire in an equaliser in emphatic fashion

Five minutes later, Saint-Maximin went it alone, racing from the halfway line before finding the bottom corner as Ben Mee and Tarkowski dived in very prematurely

Burnley tried to respond but Newcastle had an added resilience about them

Vydra fired into the side netting and Dubravka had to be alert to punch clear under pressure from Wood

Saint-Maximin almost helped wrapped up the points on the counter-attack but his pull back for Miguel Almiron was blocked by Tarkowski on the line

Newcastle should be nowhere near the relegation zone with a player like this on their books

Bruce has been very vocal about how much they've missed the Frenchman this season and he has a point

Only deemed fit enough to play 30 minutes, that's all he needed to make his mark on this game

Before his arrival, Newcastle were toothless but they quickly went to terrific when he entered the field

Burnley dropped deeper after his arrival, allowing much more space to their opposition which was taken advantage of by Murphy before Saint-Maximin stole the show with a fantastic individual goal

Burnley boss : "It was a very dominant performance and it's disappointing that you don't get anything from the game, but that's football

"You've got to turn the key moments in your favour, which we sort of nearly did but didn't quite see it off

"The second goal was going to be important and we didn't get that despite creating enough

"They were two relatively soft goals

The first one we didn't get the blocks in a place where we'd normally deal with it, and the second one we dropped too deep and allowed the lad to show a bit of talent but though I'm disappointed with the result I'm not disappointed in the performance

"Newcastle boss : "All week the question was, 'were they [Wilson and Saint-Maximin] ready'

"They've had big injuries, muscle injuries, and it made sense to leave them (out of the starting XI) and see if they could make an impact and they've certainly done that

"Probably only Allan could have done that, and when you see games like that you see what we have missed

I hope we can keep them both well because we are a different animal with them in the team

"It's three points towards that magic figure

As I've said all along, it doesn't matter what the other teams do, you've got to get there yourself

"Newcastle host West Ham next Saturday, kick-off 12

30pm, live on

Meanwhile, Burnley have a tricky trip to Manchester United next Sunday, kick-off 4pm, also live on

null

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<PAD>

351

Jesse Lingard continued his fine scoring form with two more goals as West Ham beat Leicester City 3-2 to move back into the Premier League top four

West Ham raced into a two-goal lead as the on-loan Lingard struck twice before half-time with a brilliant cushioned volley (29), followed by a tap-in (44)

And when Jarrod Bowen swept home a third three minutes into the second half, the points appeared in the bag for David Moyes's side

However, the in-form Kelechi Iheanacho gave Leicester hope of a recovery by smashing home an unstoppable drive with 20 minutes to go, before adding a second in injury time with his ninth goal in his last six matches

West Ham, though, held on for the win that moved them a point above Chelsea and back into the fourth and final Champions League berth

Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers's team stay third in the table, although they are now just a point above the Hammers after back-to-back league defeats with seven games left this season

The Foxes arrived in the capital without James Maddison, Ayoze Perez and Hamza Choudhury after the trio reportedly broke Covid regulations, forcing Rodgers into two changes

The visitors' day went from bad to worse as despite making a promising start to the contest at the London Stadium, they went behind just before the half-hour mark to a sublime goal

Arthur Masuaku was given too much time and space to cross from the left and although his centre evaded everyone in the middle, Vladimir Coufal was there to collect the ball at the far post, before finding Lingard on the right edge of the box

The England international then beat Kasper Schmeichel at his near post with a clever volley

The hosts doubled their lead just before half-time with a simple strike as Issa Diop's long clearance found Bowen running off Jonny Evans's shoulder, with forward rolling the ball across for the unmarked Lingard to tap home into an empty net for his seventh goal - confirmed after a VAR check - since joining the club from Man Utd

If West Ham thought they were in dreamland at the break, then they soon found themselves in total control of proceedings as now Lingard turned provider, with the forward taking advantage of Iheanacho's misplaced pass to find Tomas Soucek in the box, who in turn set up Bowen to smash home a third

Game over? Well, not quite, with the visitors - who almost went 4-0 down, only to survive a close VAR call - throwing everything at their opponents in the final quarter, almost snatching an unlikely point in the process as West Ham sat back looking to protect their lead

That drew the Foxes on to them, though, with Iheanacho firstly giving his side hope of a comeback with a powerful drive from the edge of the box after Masuaku had lost the ball in a bad area

And the Nigeria frontman was there again in stoppage time to fire home from an acute angle as Leicester sensed a point was on the cards, only for time to run out on them

"I'm disappointed with the way we finished the game

We've got to get out of the habit of going 3-0 up and conceding goals

"That's really important and we've got to do something about it

But overall I'm thrilled with the results we're getting

"If before the game you'd offered me 3-2 against the team third in the league and going for the Champions League I'd have snapped your hand off

"There's a real belief that we can go and win games and we've got players who can do that

"Lingard has now scored eight goals in nine appearances since joining on loan from Manchester United, and Moyes added: "He's has been crucial, he's helped the team greatly

"I didn't expect him to get quite so many goals so long may it continue

" "I can tell you there was a breach

"My objective when coming to Leicester was to create standards on and off the pitch

"The standards fell way below what we would expect, especially at this stage of the season when we are challenging and fighting

They fell well below that

"The guys would have been in the squad but as a consequence they weren't

It wasn't ideal but that's how strongly I felt

"We were coming into a very important game but some things are more important than football

You have to respect what the nation is going through and what our values are

"From a personal perspective I was bitterly disappointed

But it's a mistake that they've made and I won't hold it against them

It's in the past now

""This is so important to Leicester now, they don't want to miss out on the Champions League," the former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder told "It's a side story that, as a manager, you just don't want to be involved in

It's a nightmare for a manager

You don't want your players misbehaving at a time like this, we all know the importance of it

"There were more than a few eyebrows raised when West Ham shelled out an initial £18m to sign Bowen from Hull City in January 2020, but not anymore, with the Englishman having proved a shrewd acquisition

Bowen may have only managed one goal last season, but he has more than made up for it this time around with an impressive eight goals and four assists in his 31 Premier League outings to date

And on Sunday afternoon in the east end of London, the 24-year-old produced a man-of-the-match display to help West Ham edge top-four rivals Leicester in a five-goal thriller, scoring his side's decisive third goal just after half-time, as well as putting a goal on a plate for Lingard

All of which means Bowen has now scored in three straight top-flight games for the first time to help the Hammers move back up to fourth and now just seven matches away from a place in next season's Champions League

West Ham take on struggling Newcastle United at St James' Park next Saturday, with the game kicking off at 12

30pm on

Meanwhile, Leicester face Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley on Sunday, April 18, with the match getting under way at 6

30pm

null

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<PAD>

352

Arsenal ended a four-game winless streak as Alexandre Lacazette scored twice in a routine 3-0 win over relegation-bound Sheffield United at Bramall Lane

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missing through illness, Lacazette clinically swept the Gunners in front (33) to complete a brilliant team move before Gabriel Martinelli scored his first goal in an Arsenal shirt for 15 months following a serious knee injury (71)

Lacazette was ice cool to slot home his 50th Premier League goal in the final five minutes as Arsenal moved back up to ninth place ahead of their Europa League quarter-final second leg with Slavia Prague on Thursday

Rock bottom Sheffield United's fate is close to being sealed

They are 18 points adrift of 17th-placed Newcastle with 21 points left to play for as the Sky Bet Championship beckons

Mikel Arteta said he was in shock after Arsenal lost 3-0 at home to Liverpool last weekend, with his side registering just two shots on target

After what was described as an "unacceptable" performance, this was the perfect response and a much-needed boost of confidence heading into the crucial Europa League trip to Prague

While that competition still offers Arsenal their best hope of European football next season, it was important they ended a four-game winless streak at Bramall Lane

In the absence of Martin Odegaard and Aubameyang, Martinelli and Dani Ceballos seized their opportunity, and Martinelli came close to breaking the deadlock after 24 minutes when he was fed by Ceballos but his shot was driven into the side-netting

The Brazilian teenager tested Aaron Ramsdale with his next chance as the deflection off Oliver Norwood made his effort from the edge of the box awkward for the Blades 'keeper, who gathered at the second attempt

But Arsenal were not to be denied the breakthrough before the interval as they struck first in typically free-flowing fashion

It was a goal of real beauty as some lovely one-touch football around the edge of the penalty area involved Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey and Ceballos, whose deft backheel flick eventually put Lacazette through on goal to slide the ball beneath Ramsdale

It extended Lacazette's impressive record on the road this season - nine of his 12 Premier League goals have come away from home - just nine of his first 37 in the competition across three seasons had come on the road

Barring a dragged shot from David McGoldrick, Bernd Leno had not been tested, but it was clear that Blades interim boss Paul Heckingbottom had looked to inject some urgency into his players upon the restart

Sheffield United entered the game unbeaten in all four home Premier League matches against Arsenal, yet they ought to have fallen further behind inside 10 minutes of the second period when Nicolas Pepe was released down the right and selflessly picked out Lacazette on the edge of the box but the forward scuffed his shot wide

There was concern for Arteta - and for England - shortly after the hour mark when Saka hobbled off with a thigh injury sustained in a challenge with Rhian Brewster, with ice applied to the troublesome area immediately upon his withdrawal

But this would turn into another difficult night for Heckingbottom and Sheffield United as they stared down the barrel of a 25th Premier League defeat of the season when Martinelli doubled Arsenal's lead with 19 minutes remaining

The 19-year-old reacted quickest to tap the ball into an empty net after Ramsdale had parried Pepe's shot, registering his first goal in 446 days since scoring against Chelsea in January 2020

It was now a case of how many and it became an increasingly passive display from the hosts thereafter

The Blades looked lost and showed the effects of a testing season as a third Arsenal goal duly arrived when Lacazette raced onto Partey's gorgeous through-ball to reverse his shot beyond Ramsdale

Victory keeps alive Arsenal's European qualification chances via the league with the focus now turning to Prague

Sheffield United interim boss : "It shows how fine the margins are

I didn't think we had enough control in the first half

"But we conceded a really poor goal which took the game away from us

A key moment

I thought Arsenal played through our press well in the first half

"We can't feel sorry for ourselves

Seven more games and we won't be given anything

The players know they are playing for everything

These are the moments that make you hungry as a football manager and I will make sure the players feel that way

"We didn't have control without the ball in the first half so we had to make changes

We'll keep fighting and pushing to make sure we get more points before the end of the season

"We have a varied group, some young boys just starting their journey and some older players who have been on a journey with this club over the last five years

You have to learn from the tough moments and come back stronger

"Arsenal boss : "We had a really strong performance and a clean sheet which was needed after a long time

We were efficient and intelligent with the ball

We showed the right attitude so overall I'm really happy

Winning always breeds confidence and we will need that heading into Thursday

On Saka's injury: "Saka had discomfort in his thigh which is the last thing that we needed

We've got a few players out at the moment so the last thing we need is another one

"I don't know the extent of Saka's injury

We'll have to see how it develops in the next few days

I'm delighted with Gabriel but I ask you to be patient as we shouldn't compare him with other 19-year-olds

He's got an incredible attitude and talent

He's got an incredible future in front of him but we have to manage him

"I'm not aware [of the clamour to give him starts] but I'm sure there's always debate over who should be playing

That happens most of the time if you don't win

"Lacazette is the sixth Frenchman to score 50 Premier League goals for a single club, with four of the six doing so for Arsenal (also Thierry Henry, Olivier Giroud and Robert Pires)

Lacazette said: "It was important we won and it was a great day for us

I missed an easy chance on Thursday and so I wanted to score

"The confidence was lacking a little bit

We know we have the quality but sometimes we miss a little bit at both ends of the pitch

"On Lacazette's first goal, Arteta said: "It was a typical Arsenal goal with high quality

The movement was really good and Laca is playing really well at the moment

He's full of confidence

In the past six or seven months, I've seen a big change in the way he interacts with his team-mates and we need his type of character in the team

"Sheffield United visit Wolves next Saturday at 3pm, live on

Arsenal travel to face Slavia Prague in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday before hosting Fulham in the Premier League next Sunday, live on , at 1

30pm

null

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<PAD>

353

Leeds United pulled off a remarkable 2-1 win away to champions-elect Man City with Stuart Dallas at the double, despite playing with 10 men for 45 minutes

Pep Guardiola's men needed just 11 more points to secure the Premier League title but were met by a resilient Leeds side, who took the lead at the Etihad Stadium when Dallas found a way through (42)

The game swung in City's favour just before the break when Liam Cooper was dismissed for an ugly lunge on Gabriel Jesus which was upgraded from a yellow card to a red after VAR had instructed Andre Marriner to review the decision on the pitchside monitor

City set up camp in the Leeds half with the extra man but Marcelo Bielsa's men were dogged in their defending and it took until 14 minutes from time to level it up when Ferran Torres struck

The game only looked like going one way from that moment but Leeds continued to dig in and sensationally staged a devastating counter-attack which was finished off by the tireless Dallas (90+1) as Leeds managed to win despite having just two shots on goal to City's 29

City, having made seven changes following their midweek Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund, failed to play with their usual spark in the early stages

Leeds sat in and looked to hit down City's left with Benjamin Mendy and Nathan Ake targeted as a potential weakness

Their best opening saw Tyler Roberts break into the box on the right but his ball across goal was too far behind Patrick Bamford

City gradually began to increase the tempo and Torres had a good effort brilliantly blocked by Cooper at point-blank range following a corner as City looked a major threat from all set pieces

Raheem Sterling started to see more of the ball as half-time approached but his finishing was off, blasting a first-time shot horribly wide, after being teed up by Fernandinho

City were playing with the arrogance of champions but were punished for not taking their chances when Helder Costa broke down the left and passed inside to Bamford

Dallas then latched onto an inviting lay-off on the edge of the area, hitting a firm low shot that left Ederson rooted to the spot as it rebounded in off the base of the post

It was a lead that came against the run of play and Leeds' hopes of hanging onto it almost immediately suffered a blow as Cooper was dismissed for a bad challenge on Jesus

Marriner initially showed a yellow card after Cooper caught the Brazilian on the knee in his follow-through but revised that to red after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor

Oleksandr Zinchenko - playing more advanced than usual - warmed the palms of Illan Meslier after the break as City dominated territory without really forcing the goalkeeper to make any fine saves

Bernardo Silva wasted a glorious opportunity moments later, volleying wide from close range

Ilkay Gundogan fired over and Fernandinho had a powerful effort palmed over by Meslier, who also saved from Joao Cancelo

The equaliser finally came 15 minutes from time as Silva flicked the ball into the path of Torres and the Spaniard clipped it past Meslier

Many would have expected Bielsa's side to crumble in the closing stages but it was Leeds that would produce the next moment of quality on the counter-attack

Dallas broke clear and slid a fine finish through the legs of Ederson

An astonishing finish to cap a perfect away day for Bielsa

Who else? His goals stood him out for the crowd, both excellently taken, but just as impressive was his work without the ball, especially in the second half when Leeds had to show tremendous mettle to swat away wave after wave of Manchester City attacks

No player covered more ground than the Northern Irishman (12

13km) in a performance that will only further enhance his legendary status among Leeds supporters

This is a day he'll never forget

Man City manager said: "What happens when you lose a game is you realise how difficult it is what we've done so far

When you see the last 27 or 28 games we've won 26, you realise how difficult it is what we have done

The Premier League must be won so we need points still because our opponents could win all their games, so we need to do it again

Now we have, of course, Aston Villa in the middle but the next four games, three are like we have finals, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup

Defeat sometimes is necessary to understand what we have done and what we have to do to move forward

"Leeds manager said: "They dominated the game, the majority of the chances at goal were in their favour

But the result was deserved because of the character, personality, effort and fortitude from a mental and physical point of view

"It is a little bit strange to say it - as it would have been fair for City to win - but we deserved to win

"

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<PAD>

354

Liverpool's run of six successive Premier League defeats at Anfield has come to a dramatic end, with Trent Alexander-Arnold's stunning winner beating Aston Villa 2-1

The first half played it in an achingly familiar fashion

Liverpool saw a plethora of chances but failed to take them, before Ollie Watkins (43) fired Aston Villa ahead, having now scored four goals against the Reds in the league this season

Liverpool thought they had equalised with the last kick of the first half, but Roberto Firmino's goal was ruled out for offside

Diogo Jota was the man penalised by VAR in another lengthy and extremely tight call

But Mohamed Salah's (57) tap-in early in the second half finally hauled Liverpool level and ended the Reds' run of 12 hours and 44 minutes without an open-play goal at home in the Premier League

Aston Villa came closest to scoring next when Trezeguet (62) hit the post, but much like the end of the first half, there was late drama to finally break Liverpool's losing run

Alexander-Arnold curled home a sensational strike in injury time (90+1) - with England manager Gareth Southgate watching on from the stands

The victory initially sent Liverpool into fourth, but ended Saturday in fifth after

It will also give Jurgen Klopp's side a huge boost ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday

For Aston Villa, they have been bumped down into 10th after Leeds' win against Manchester City earlier on Saturday, but remain five points from Tottenham in seventh, which could be enough to secure European football next season

Looking to exorcise some demons from the 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa in October, Liverpool began quickly at Anfield

Salah had a golden chance to capitalise in the 13th minute, latching onto a loose ball after some poor control from Tyrone Mings

The Liverpool forward burst into the area, but some smart goalkeeping from Emi Martinez put Salah off enough to send his effort curling past the far left post

Soon after, Firmino sent an effort wriggling wide from the top of the area

Ezri Konsa then had Aston Villa's first shot of the game in the 22nd minute, heading a Matt Targett free kick goalwards, but Alisson made the save

After a lengthy injury break following a knock to Douglas Luiz, Liverpool had two more glorious chances

Alexander-Arnold's direct free kick pinged off the top of the net, giving Liverpool a corner after Martinez got the slightest of touches onto it

Andy Robertson then delivered the corner, but Diogo Jota could only nod it over the crossbar

But Watkins came back to haunt Liverpool once again as he fired Aston Villa ahead in the 43rd minute

It was some neat attacking play from the visitors, with John McGinn slotting the ball through for his team-mate

Watkins then found a yard around Ozan Kabak before firing home, with Alisson allowing the effort to slip through his fingers

There was more drama to come, though

Firmino thought he had equalised just minutes later after scooping a Mings clearance into the roof of the net

However, VAR checked the goal for offside in two parts

The first was to see if Matt Cash had touched the initial pass from Alexander-Arnold before Jota collected

When it was deemed that he had not, VAR checked for a Jota offside, which was given after much scrutiny, and Firmino's equaliser was ruled out

But 12 minutes after the restart Liverpool did equalise

Robertson's initial shot was palmed away superbly by Martinez, but Salah was lurking at the back post - just ahead of Mings - to turn home from close range

It was Liverpool's first home goal from open play in the Premier League in 765 minutes, since Sadio Mane netted against West Brom in December

Aston Villa should have retaken the lead just after the hour mark

There was some superb play from Watkins down the left of the area, turning around Nat Phillips before tapping the ball back for Trezeguet

The midfielder then flicked the ball onto the post with a wonderful first touch, bouncing off the woodwork

He attempted to nod home the rebound, but sent the effort wide

It continued as a rather even half, but it was a stunning strike from Alexander-Arnold to secure a much-needed home win for Liverpool

It was another superb save from Martinez in the build-up, pushing away Thiago's effort, and Anwar El Ghazi clearing only as far as the top of the area

Alexander-Arnold was waiting to hammer the ball sensationally into the net to secure the victory

Before the game, Graeme Souness told Sky Sports that not enough players had stepped up for Liverpool this season, but Salah certainly had a huge hand in Liverpool ending their horrendous home run

Firstly, there was the equalising goal, which was Liverpool's first from open play at Anfield since 27 December

He was in the perfect position to tap home, now scoring in three successive games in all competitions

He also topped the rankings for shots (7) from Liverpool's 23 attempts

"It's a big one

Everybody told us, and it's the truth, that we had lost the last six home games, which is really not a nice number and not one we want to have

"Then you play a first half like we played against a really strong Aston Villa side, dominate the game, create chances, but make one mistake and concede a goal for it

That's a shambles

"Then in the next situation, we scored the equaliser but it's offside, I didn't see it back but maybe not for a lot

So you go in at half-time and as you can imagine, it's not the best mood of all possible moods

"But the boys were OK and I didn't have to lift them too much because they knew if we continue with these things, keep the aggression and desire on that level, if you play football like we did, we would create chances again

"But we have to score the goals for it, and it took a while, but then we scored them

That was massive and felt massive and it's really relieving

"We defended well in a few situations and we were constantly in the creating mood… We had lots of shot on target, more than the last few games maybe and that's all good, but we needed that today

These three points feel really big

" "I thought we deserved a point

Football is a funny game sometimes - I didn't think we were great in the first half, they were much better than us and we go in 1-0 up

"In the second half, I think we were better ourselves, not better than Liverpool, but we created opportunities and restricted them to few, but you lose the second half 2-0 and that's sometimes what football is and what it does to you

"I wanted an improvement in the second half and we got it

Unfortunately, we conceded two goals

"A little bit of lapse in concentration [cost Villa], probably the killer instinct in the final third

We had some really good counter-attacking opportunities where we've created overloads, but the final ball hasn't been quite right, or the finish wasn't quite right

But we certainly got into those areas in the second half to kill the game off

"It was another good performance from Olli, a good goal from him and that's four goals against the champions

It's not a bad return for him, but we're disappointed we leave here with nothing

""They did huff and puff at times

It was an effort for them, there wasn't that silky, free-flowing stuff that we were used to seeing from them prior to this season

I find it a staggering fact that they had not won at Anfield in 2021

"They got away with it today, it didn't look the best of games, but it was a great finish

What he's doing in that position, you'll have to ask him, but it was a great strike to win the game

"They were the better team, had most of the ball, most of the chances, but that clinical Liverpool we have seen for the last three years is not there for whatever reason, the intensity is not there

"They can point to the full-backs not being the same, missing their two regular centre-backs, but they have become a team that no one wanted to play to a team that people will be looking forward to playing because they are vulnerable

"The loss of Van Dijk has been enormous for them and Jordan Henderson in midfield - he's the catalyst for all the pressing and high energy and putting the ball under pressure at any opportunity

That's gone out of their game, I feel and they are huffing a puffing

"It's been a difficult season for them… But they could end up having a great season and winning the Champions League

On any given night, Liverpool could, with the firepower they have, turn anyone over but when you play the very best teams, you are going to be asked to defend at some crucial times

"This year, when they have been asked to do that, they have been found wanting

"Liverpool are back in Champions League action on Wednesday, already trailing Real Madrid 3-1 in their quarter-final tie ahead of the second leg

Liverpool will then be back on for Monday Night Football on April 19, facing Leeds; kick-off 8pm

Aston Villa now have an 11-day break until their next game against Manchester City on Wednesday 21 April, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 8

15pm

null

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355

Manchester United came from behind once again to win 3-1 at Tottenham and dent the hosts' top-four hopes with just seven Premier League games remaining

Edinson Cavani had a goal controversially disallowed on 33 minutes after VAR spotted a flailing arm from Scott McTominay on Heung-Min Son in the build-up, a decision described as "embarrassing and ridiculous" by Sky Sports' pundits at half-time, while the South Korea forward himself put Spurs ahead before the break with a far-post finish from Lucas Moura's centre (40)

United levelled early in the second half as Fred converted a few yards out after Cavani's shot had been parried by Hugo Lloris into the Brazilian's path (57)

The visitors went ahead as substitute Mason Greenwood's brilliant ball was converted by the diving header of Cavani (79), and Greenwood rounded off a brilliant second-half performance for the visitors, smashing home after fantastic work from Paul Pogba to assist (90+6)

The win means United have taken 28 points from losing positions, the most in the Premier League by some distance, leaving them firmly lodged in second place with nine points separating them and fifth placeBut the result leaves Jose Mourinho's Tottenham six points behind fourth-place West Ham with time running out to bring Champions League football back to the club next season

After 36 hours of speculation surrounding the future of Harry Kane if Spurs do not make the top four this season, this fixture had added intrigue, not least for Mourinho against his old club

Manchester United started Pogba on the left of a front three, but the visitors struggled to play through midfield during a slow first half, and though Spurs created very little either, their defence seemed more at ease

But the game did spring into life with a moment of VAR controversy, with United thinking they'd taken the lead

Cavani swept home low, left footed from eight yards from Pogba's lovely through ball in the box, but VAR spotted a stray arm from McTominay on Son in the build-up

McTominay's action was deemed accidental, with the Scot therefore not receiving a second yellow card, but enough for the officials to rule out the goal, much to United's anger after a similar stray arm from Giovani Lo Celso on Marcus Rashford had gone unpunished

"If that's a foul, we should all go home," said Roy Keane on Sky Sports regarding the disallowed goal, while Micah Richards said: "It's embarrassing, this is not football anymore, this is spoiling the game

"PGMOL, the body responsible for match officials, said the incident wasn't part of McTominay's natural running movement, and was careless

To add to United's frustration, Son then turned goalscorer just minutes later with Spurs' first shot on target, turning home at the far post from Lucas Moura's ball across the face of goal from Harry Kane's first-time pass in-behind, which Victor Lindelof was inches away from intercepting

It was Son's 14th Premier League goal of the season, equalling his best return in the competition set in 2016/17

As we've become accustomed to seeing with United this season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side turned it on after the break, and after Lloris turned away McTominay's curling effort, they duly levelled

Bruno Fernandes, Rashford and Fred combined nicely with little room to manoeuvre around the box, with Fred slotting Cavani through on goal

Cavani's left-footed shot was saved by Lloris, but it parried into Fred's path to turn home under the crossbar for only his second Premier League goal and his first in 73 shots at goal

After such a cagey start, the game had now completely opened up

Dean Henderson stopped Son's low shot with his feet, then used his feet again to deny Kane from a tight angle, either side of Lloris save from Fernandes' effort at the other end as both sides looked for a winner

United went ahead with 11 minutes remaining as Fernandes' deft skill found Greenwood, who delivered a wicked ball onto the head of Cavani eight yards out, and the Uruguayan stooped low to convert a fantastic header beyond Lloris

Spurs almost levelled with six to go, with Cavani diverting the ball onto the post after chaos at a corner, but United made sure of the points in the last minute of stoppage time

Pogba, signed by Mourinho at United in 2016, was brilliant in the build-up, shaking off Eric Dier and Pierre Emile Hojbjerg before feeding Greenwood, and the youngster fiercely struck right-footed past Lloris at the near post, despite the Frenchman getting a touch

It was the perfect second-half showing from comeback kings United, but that's 18 points lost from winning positions for Spurs, not a trait typically associated with a Mourinho side, with only Fulham (19) and Brighton (20) faring worse

Man Utd boss on Son's reaction in build-up to disallowed goal: "I have to say, if my son stays down like this for three minutes and gets ten of his mates around him… if he gets that in the face from one of his other mates and he needs ten of his mates to help him up, he won't get any food

"It was an absolutely top reaction after that

We played some great stuff in the second half but after they scored, we feel the injustice there and the adversity into our players heads and good character showed that we had to come back from it

We cannot let those decision ruin a good season for us

"Spurs boss : "Let me tell you something

I am very, very surprised that after the comments that Ole made on Sonny, you don't ask me about it

And I told Ole already this, because I met him just a few minutes ago

If it's me, telling that player A B or C from another club, "If it was my son I wouldn't give him dinner tonight," or something like that, what would be the reaction?"It is very, very sad

I think it's really sad that you don't ask me about it

It's really sad that you don't have the moral honesty to treat me the same way you treat others

I just want to say, Sonny is very lucky that his father is a better person than Ole, because I think a father - I am a father - you have to always to feed your kids, it doesn't matter what they do

"If you have to steal to feed your kids, you steal

I am very, very disappointed, and like we say in Portugal bread is bread and cheese is cheese, I told Ole already what I think about his comments

"Tottenham go to Everton in the Premier League on Friday Night Football, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 8pm, while Manchester United host Granada in the Europa League quarter-final second leg at 8pm on Thursday, leading 2-0 from the first leg

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356

Adama Traore's 92nd-minute stunner gave Wolves a 1-0 victory over Fulham to sink the Cottagers deeper into the relegation mire

Ruben Loftus-Cheek glanced a fine chance wide of goal in the first half for Fulham, before Wolves' Willian Jose had a header ruled out in first-half stoppage time, with VAR intervening to find Daniel Podence offside by a matter of centimetres in the build-up

That call looked to have saved Fulham a point, having failed to muster up a clear-cut chance in the second half, but Traore broke in the closing stages of stoppage time to score his first goal of the season, lashing home from an acute angle on the break past Alphonse Areola, who should have done better

The result means Fulham are three points off 17th-placed Newcastle, but having played two more games, with Newcastle travelling to Burnley on Sunday, live on Sky Sports

Wolves move up to 12th on 38 points

Neither side registered a shot on target in the first half - in fact, Fulham and Wolves have scored just two first-half goals in their last 12 Premier League games - but chances still came at both ends

Willian Jose glanced Nelson Semedo's cross wide in the second minute, while at the other end, Ruben Loftus-Cheek missed a fine chance to put Fulham ahead, himself turning a Terrence Kongolo delivery wide of the far post, Fulham's first shot after nearly half an hour

Wolves were forced into a personnel and formation change shortly after; Pedro Neto was replaced by Ruben Neves, prompting Nuno's side to go from a back four to a back five, and they thought they'd had the lead just before the break following a fine move

Conor Coady's fine diagonal down the right flank found Semedo, who slipped in Podence, and his cute, lofted delivery was headed home by Willian Jose from eight yards, for what he thought was his first goal for Wolves on the 12th attempt

However, VAR intervened, disallowing the goal for a offside on Podence as he received the initial pass from Semedo, with barely a couple of centimetres in it

The second half was somehow even more cagey than the first as both defences cancelled each other out, with neither side willing to take much of a risk to break the deadlock

Bobby Decordova-Reid found a yard to shoot from the edge of the box, but fired wired off balance, while Antonee Robinson's right-footed half volley from range tested Rui Patricio

But Wolves broke in the last minutes of the game and stunned the hosts with a goal out of nowhere

Traore, criticised this season for his lack of end product after registering six goals and 13 assists last season, scored his first goal of the season after his first assist on Monday

Sub Fabio Silva found Traore down the right flank, and despite beating Kongolo in the box, the Spain international had no right to score from the angle, but he lashed past Areola high at his near post to take the posts

Questions will be asked of Areola, but more questions will be asked of Fulham over the entire 90 minutes after failing to create much against an out-of-form Wolves, with time running out in their Premier League campaign

Six games remain for Scott Parker's side, but their hopes of staying up are firmly in Newcastle's hands

"This is not the spirit of the game, I hope football can find a solution

When the stadiums are full again it's hard to explain to thousands of people that one hand is offside

"On Traore's winner: "Adama can produce amazing things, his talent, his speed, his character and the way he works

He really works for moments like this

"Justice is not the word

We looked for it [the winner], we worked hard for it and we got our goal in the end

I'm happy for the boys

The response to Monday was really good

""It's a tough one to take

It's not going to be a tough one to bounce back from

It's a painful one tonight

You can see how desperate this team are to be successful

I asked the team to show fight and desire, to leave everything on the pitch, and to a man we did that

"What's going to be the deciding factor is that sometimes when you get put to the canvas, the real character is for someone to get back up

We're going to need to do that

We've done that for large parts this year

"I thought we did everything

We limited them to very few chances, and then the longer the game goes on, we commit more men, we want to win the game, but it didn't quite fall for us

The game has been decided in the last minute, and that's painful of course

"It is a blow, but picking them up is honestly not my concern

We've been in this situation, and of course while tonight is probably one of the most painful this year in terms of how the game finished, there's other issues we need to learn from

We're deflated, we're hurt, but as always this team will come back stronger, come back fighting, and we'll go again

"Can we go and win at Arsenal? Of course we can

Nobody expected us to win at Liverpool or Leicester, we've done that through resilience, and that gives me belief

""Scott Parker's post-match interview was all about Fulham's character, their resilience, their will to win

But all the will in the world couldn't force Rui Patricio into a real save all night as Fulham handed the initiative firmly to Newcastle in the relegation dogfight

"The story to Fulham's predicament is a simple one - only Sheffield United have scored fewer goals this season

While the Cottagers have lost only two games more than Leeds, 11 draws and just five wins have halted their push to stay up

"Parker will be praying Newcastle don't take advantage of Fulham's latest slip-up

Steve Bruce's side could have a nine-point gap over the bottom three, in theory at least, if they win both of their games in hand over Fulham

"Realistically, with games against Arsenal and Chelsea next up, Fulham's hope lies in that last-day game with Newcastle in west London

But unless they can get back to their brief resurgence earlier in 2021, get more bodies forward and get Josh Maja and Aleksandar Mitrovic firing, it may well be too late by then

"Fulham now go to Arsenal on Sunday April 18 at 1

30pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League, while Wolves host Sheffield United on April 17 at 3pm, also live on Sky Sports Premier League

null

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357

Chelsea moved back into the Premier League top four as Christian Pulisic scored twice in an impressive 4-1 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park

Liverpool's dramatic earlier on Saturday had squeezed Thomas Tuchel's side out to sixth prior to kick-off, but Kai Havertz struck inside eight minutes to ease any fears of another set-back following last weekend's 5-2 defeat at home to West Brom

Chelsea doubled their lead just two minutes later when Havertz turned provider for Pulisic to rifle in a quickfire second and Kurt Zouma extended the visitors' lead when he headed in his fifth goal of the season (30)

Palace had offered very little, but found a route back into the game when Christian Benteke headed in at the far post (63), but Pulisic capped a routine win for Chelsea from close range as Tuchel's men responded in this absorbing race to qualify for next season's Champions League

Palace remain in 13th place on 38 points

Chelsea are still yet to lose on the road under Tuchel in the Premier League, with the German becoming only the second Blues manager to avoid defeat in his first six away games in the competition along with Felipe Scolari

The opening half was like a training game for the visitors with Palace unable to lay a glove on them

It only required eight minutes for Havertz's second Premier League goal to give Chelsea an early lead

After dominating the opening exchanges, the former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker collected Callum Hudson-Odoi's pass and curled beyond Vicente Guaita from inside the area moments after Pulisic had been denied by the Spaniard at the near post

It was 2-0 within 120 seconds as Pulisic ran onto Havertz's cut-back and smashed into the roof of the net from a tight angle following more statuesque Palace defending

Palace manager Roy Hodgson was by now staring down the barrel of a seventh consecutive Premier League loss to Chelsea, and things got worse with half an hour played as Zouma headed home a Mason Mount free-kick to make it 3-0

Co-commentator Chris Coleman said on "Crystal Palace are all over the place defensively at the moment and Roy won't be happy with that

Chelsea are getting in at will here

This could get a lot worse

"It very nearly did as Antonio Rudiger's header from another Mount delivery was headed off the line by Patrick Van Aanholt

It capped a disastrous opening period for Palace, with frustration getting the better of a number of players after Van Aanholt and Wilfried Zaha exchanged words

Palace had just two touches in the opposition box during an entirely toothless opening half in which they failed to muster a single goal attempt

By contrast, Chelsea had managed 12 and had scored three times in a single game for the first time in Tuchel's reign in his 17th game in charge

Chelsea continued to play one and two-touch football with Ben Chilwell wasteful with a shot within two minutes of the restart

The end product deserted the England full-back once more on the hour mark as his rising shot from Hudson-Odoi's cross cleared the crossbar, and Palace were given a glimmer of hope moments later following a double change

Jeff Schlupp and James McCarthy replaced Ebere Eze and Jairo Riedewald, and it was Schlupp's cross that was powered home by Benteke, rising above Chilwell to notch his first goal at Selhurst Park since last July, against Chelsea

Tuchel's men ought to have been out of sight, but a fourth goal settled any lingering nerves as substitute Reece James was found in space down the right and his cross was blasted in from close range by Pulisic to cap the biggest win of their new manager's reign to date

Crystal Palace boss : "We know they are a good side, everybody knows that, but we can't afford to play the way we did in the first half

"Both of the first goals came about through balls lost near our own goal

Suddenly they find themselves 2-0 up after 10 to 11 minutes

We needed to defend well and make good decisions

"But we came in at half-time 3-0 down

How many teams can come back from 3-0 down against this Chelsea team? To give some credit, the players did better in the second half and showed some fight in them but the bottom line is we played against a Chelsea team that we believed we could stretch and we're on the back end of a 4-1 defeat and needed to do some last-ditch defending to keep it down to four

"Chelsea boss : "The first half an hour was excellent

We were very hungry, very aggressive and got a lot of recoveries in the final third

It was a deserved lead

After 35 minutes we dropped a little in position and got a little bit sloppy

We continued like this a little in the second half but it was a good reaction after their goal

We created a lot of chances and didn't concede any big chances

"Clearly we had many chances today

The guys were hungry and creative

We had a lot of good runs and good movement

We put pressure on ourselves to have the right response

It was a step in the right direction

"I am not disappointed [with Kai Havertz] but he could have actually scored more

He had two big chances to finish the game off

This is the way

He has absolute quality

He needs to show his quality and that is the challenge for him

"Everything was bad against West Brom

The result was horrible but the stats were not as bad

Today we were very hungry, full of confidence and wanted to play a very aggressive game in terms of high recoveries

We were totally focused

It was good with the attitude today

It's a part of our DNA to be aggressive and should be

We showed that today

"Of course I came to England for the targets, which was to finish in the top four

We have our own way to go

We need results continually

We had a set-back last week but it is not the moment to look at other teams all the time

We are in the middle of the race

It's the target to finish there but it will be tough until the last end

"Havertz showed signs of the player Chelsea bought last summer while Pulisic may grab the headlines with his two goals, but here was another virtuoso performance from Mount

Chris Coleman told Sky Sports: "Mason is my man of the match

Overall with his movement and both with and without the ball, he's been superb

"The England playmaker set the tone and led the way for Chelsea to ensure there would be no hiccup, having more shots (5) than any other player while also producing an incredible 15 crosses, highlighting his ability to pop up in areas across the front line

All four of Mount's Premier League assists this season for Chelsea have been for headed goals from set piece situations, with three of those being scored by Zouma

Havertz scored and assisted in a single league game for the first time as a Chelsea player, last doing so for Bayer Leverkusen against Cologne in the Bundesliga in June 2020

Havertz told Sky Sports: "I'm happy and the most important thing is that we won after the 5-2 defeat

It was a good game from us, we could've scored more goals but we'll keep on going

In my position, you always want to score

"In the last few months it's not been easy and I've not had too many chances

Today, I had those chances and I could've scored one or two goals more

But I'm happy with the results

The false nine is a good position for me as I have the freedom to go wherever I want

I hope I can continue like this

"In the second half, I had the chances to score more but now we focus on the second leg against Porto

It's always easy to play with players with real quality

After one game, it's easy to say we're a good attacking team but we have to prove that more

After the season finishes, we can then reflect on it

I have to prove this now across more games

"Crystal Palace have no fixture next weekend but return to action on April 26 away to Leicester, live on; kick-off 8pm

Chelsea host Porto in the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday before facing Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals next Saturday at 5

30pm

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<PAD>

358

West Ham moved into the top four of the Premier League after holding on for a nervy 3-2 victory against Wolves at Molineux

With plenty of the sides around them dropping points this weekend, it felt like a real opportunity for David Moyes' side as they look to secure European football for next season

And it looked like one they would take as goals from Jesse Lingard (6), Pablo Fornals (14) and substitute Jarrod Bowen (38) saw them race into a three-goal lead inside the first 38 minutes

However, Wolves grabbed a lifeline just before the break through Leander Dendoncker's header (44) before substitute Fabio Silva's smart finish set up another nervy finish for West Ham, who squandered a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Arsenal before the international break

On this occasion, Moyes' men held on for what could be a crucial three points in the race for the Champions League places

Victory sees the Hammers jump above Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea into fourth on 52 points, four points behind third-placed Leicester with eight games remaining

Meanwhile, Wolves stay 14th after a 13th defeat of the season

West Ham raced out of the blocks as in-form Lingard opened the scoring in stunning style after six minutes

Collecting the ball 10 yards inside his own half, he powered towards goal, breezing past Romain Saiss before producing an ice-cool finish to beat the onrushing Rui Patricio

The Hammers extended their advantage eight minutes later and Lingard was heavily involved again

The England international brilliantly kept the ball in play, knocking it around Nelson Semedo, Arthur Masuaku crossed for Fornals to steer home into the bottom corner

West Ham were dealt a blow just after the half-hour mark when Michail Antonio, who had run the Wolves defence ragged alongside Lingard, was forced off through injury

However, it didn't knock Moyes' side off their stride as Bowen - who had only been on the pitch two minutes after replacing Antonio - made it 3-0 seven minutes before half-time after another swift counter-attack from Lingard

For the second Premier League game in a row West Ham had a three-goal advantage in the first half, but just as against Arsenal, they conceded just before the break

Adama Traore went on a blistering run down the left before standing the ball up for Dendoncker, whose header gave the hosts a lifeline

Wolves threw on Silva at the break in place of Daniel Podence as they tried to claw their way back into the game further, but it was West Ham who thought they had extended their lead just before the hour mark

Patricio could only palm Bowen's powerful shot into the path of Tomas Soucek, and the Czech midfielder turned the ball into the back of the net but only after bringing it under control with his left arm, which was correctly spotted by referee Michael Oliver

The West Ham nerves were jangling once again with 22 minutes remaining as Silva, who was played in by Pedro Neto's inch-perfect through ball, struck past Lukasz Fabianski and into the far corner

But this time around, the Hammers made sure the comeback was not completed as they held off Wolves' fightback to claim what could be a crucial win

Wolves boss : "Not a bad game

In possession we started well, but we were very poor in defence

There were players running 30, 40 metres and it takes away from all the good things we did in attack

"When you don't have the same players, everything is not the same and it becomes harder

The reaction was good, but we started very bad

Conceding three goals against a top team like West Ham makes it very difficult to reverse the result

" "It has been a test all season long - not only for us but all teams

It is testing us and making us find solutions to finish the season well

But it has been a tough test

"West Ham boss : "For a manager it is torture [game like that]

Scoring three last week and three this, unfortunately conceding a few as well

It was really open

Both teams could have scored more

"It felt like deja vu

We didn't manage it too well

We were going to try and make it four instead of settling for 3-0 at half-time

Some of our play in the first half was scintillating

Jesse [Lingard] was fantastic

Michail Antonio played as well as he has for a long while for 30 minutes

We're not sure on the injury

We will assess it tomorrow

It looks like he's felt his hamstring

""We have to go and take it on

Why not? I am hearing pundits talking about West Ham having a chance of Champions League

Nobody would have envisaged or mentioned that last season

Can we keep it going? We are going to try and compete with the big teams right until the end

""He does an incredible amount of running

It's what he does

He's good out of possession and good in possession

At Manchester United because there is that expectation of what you need to be to be a wide player there, he's always going to get a difficult press

"He's a really good player

He's going to have a great career

Manchester United have sent him out to West Ham to boost his career, maybe with the thought of boosting his price-tag, but they might be thinking, 'actually, we might want him back, he could be a real help to us'

""It was a tough game

We had to work hard

We kept at it

I thought it would be another Arsenal, conceding just before half-time

But the lads kept their focus

We come out second half a bit better

It was about managing the game

" "It was two versus two and we work on that in training, Michail took a man away with his run

There is always room for improvement

It is a great victory and we take the positives

""It is consistency

I have not played much in the last two years so to play week in week out is good

The team help me

""It is about maintaining and keeping focus

We have tough fixtures, but the lads are ready

"West Ham host Leicester City at the London Stadium in a crucial clash, live on

05pm kick off)

Meanwhile, Wolves travel to Fulham next Friday (8pm kick off)

null

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<PAD>

359

Southampton came back from 2-0 down to beat Burnley 3-2 at St Mary's to move further clear of the Premier League relegation zone

The visitors had raced into a 2-0 lead on the south coast thanks to Chris Wood's 12th-minute penalty - awarded after the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee - and Matej Vydra's well-taken goal 16 minutes later

However, the Saints drew level before half-time through Stuart Armstrong's fine strike just past the half-hour mark and then Danny Ings' wonderful solo goal against his former side

Nathan Redmond's sweetly struck volley midway through the second half completed the turnaround for Ralph Hasenhuttl's team, who have moved up to 13th in the table and are now 10 points clear of 18th-placed Fulham, while the Clarets stay 15th, seven points above the drop zone

The sides started the day level on points and knowing that a win would all but secure their Premier League survival for another season, with the visitors racing out of the traps on a sun-drenched day on the south coast

Buoyed no doubt by their impressive 2-1 win at high-flying Everton before the international break, Burnley began the contest confidently and deservedly went ahead early on after the VAR told referee Andre Marriner to look at Kyle Walker-Peters' clumsy challenge on Erik Pieters

The official agreed with Jon Moss that it was a foul, with top-scorer Wood - on penalty-taking duties in the absence of Ashley Barnes - slamming home his seventh goal of the campaign, as well as a club record-equalling 41st in the Premier League

One soon became two in typical Burnley fashion as Ben Mee's long punt upfield was nodded on by Wood to Vydra, whose low strike from outside the area somehow got past a flat-footed Fraser Forster

But if the Clarets thought the points were in the bag, they were mistaken, with the hosts replying with two goals of their own before the break, the first after a lovely team move that ended with Ings' clever layoff finding Armstrong, who swept home from the edge of the box

Then, three minutes before half-time, Walker-Peters' hopeful clearance up the right touchline caused Mee to hesitate momentarily, allowing Ings to nip in and after selling James Tarkowski a dummy, the forward levelled matters with a composed finish through Nick Pope's legs

Not surprisingly, the second period failed to hit the heights of the first 45 minutes, but it was Southampton who grabbed the crucial next goal after a period of concerted pressure forced several brilliant stops from Pope

With 24 minutes to go, the England international could only palm Ings' well-struck effort from the edge of the area to Theo Walcott, whose floated cross to the far post found the unmarked Redmond, and the winger's fiercely struck volley completed the turnaround

Both sides had great chances late on to score again, with Forster's brilliant reaction stop denying Wood as the Saints held on to record their first home win in three months

"Every win you need and this one was not really expected after being two down, for anybody

"We showed the things we were working on in the last two weeks and the guys created a lot chances today against a team that don't normally give you a lot

"I think to turn the table around against this side when you are 2-0 down, not a lot of teams have managed this in the past

They have an amazing record when they go one up

"It was important to make the equaliser before half-time and in the second half we tried to keep the tempo high and then it was a very deserved win

We had some really good chances to make it higher

"I don't know (if it means Southampton are safe) but it was an important step against an opponent that was on the same level like you have been

"If you lose this today then they are gone and now we have three points more than they have

It was a six-pointer and we took it and it was important

" "I am frustrated

It's one of them that got away from us through our own lackof awareness

We scored two goals, concede a soft one and then the second one we have given away and they've come back into it from nowhere

"We just stopped doing the basics

We looked a threat, we opened them up and then defensively we stopped doing the basics, we went on the back foot a little bit

"In the second half, we had a go, they had a go

Woody has a chance, he's impeded, his shirt is pulled

"We got a penalty today but they tried not to give us it

Our record of penalties is terrible - everyone knows it's the worst in the Premier League by a long shot

"They (the officials) tried not to give us the first one and then Woody gets impeded for the second one, no penalty

Ryan Bertrand has a handball, no penalty

So we do struggle to get penalties

"I'm a big fan of VAR and I think it will get better

But they are ones you do scratch your head at

"Burnley really should have known what was coming when the teams were announced at St Mary's and Danny Ings was in the Southampton starting line-up for the first time since suffering a leg problem at Sheffield United on March 6

Ings just loves scoring against his former clubs - just ask Liverpool, Bournemouth and the Clarets themselves, who have been on the receiving end of goals from Ings twice before

The England international was at it again in the Easter Sunday sunshine, firstly helping to get his team back in the contest with a delicious assist for Armstrong's strike, before levelling matters himself with a wonderful solo effort just before the break

And it was Ings' shot that led to Southampton's winner as the striker became only the fourth player in Premier League history to score in four games in a row against former sides

Southampton take on struggling West Brom at the Hawthorns on Monday April 12, with the game kicking off at 6pmMeanwhile, Burnley face relegation-threatened Newcastle at Turf Moor on Sunday April 11 at noon, with both games live on

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360

Joe Willock's late equaliser secured a deserved - and vital - 2-2 draw for Newcastle against Tottenham, with Spurs missing the chance to go fourth

All eyes were on Newcastle after a dismal defeat to Brighton two weeks ago, but the international break seemed to breathe new life into the team as they deservedly went ahead when Joelinton (28) fired home

But the lead was short-lived as Kane bundled in the equaliser less than two minutes later (30), before powering home a superb second not long after (34)

Much like the first-half goals, it was a short period towards the end of the game that ultimately decided the outcome

Kane spurned a golden chance to wrap up the three points and his hat-trick when he clipped the post, before Arsenal loanee Willock (86) found the net via the underside of the crossbar two minutes later

It was the least Newcastle deserved after a much-improved performance

They remain 17th on 29 points and avoided ending the day in the bottom three after Newcastle also have a game in hand over the London side with a three-point cushion

Tottenham miss the chance to go into the top four, instead moving into fifth, two points behind Chelsea

West Ham could displace them when they travel to Wolves on The first half began with sights of goal for both sides

Davinson Sanchez - making his 100th Premier League appearance - nodded the ball into Joelinton's chest, with the Newcastle striker eventually sending his effort straight at Hugo Lloris

At the other end, Kane beat Emil Krafth before firing on the angle, but Martin Dubravka was level to it

Newcastle had two quickfire chances to take the lead in the 19th minute

Jonjo Shelvey lofted a superb ball into the area, picking out Dwight Gayle in the middle of the defenders

His first strike forced a superb, leaping save from Lloris

Gayle was then lurking for the rebound, but his shot was caught under the body of the Tottenham goalkeeper, who was able to collect

Soon after though, Newcastle took a deserved lead

Matt Ritchie collected a poor clearance from Sanchez, before slotting Sean Longstaff through

He then squared the ball for the waiting Joelinton, who emphatically fired home for only his second Premier League goal at St James' Park

But the joy was short-lived as Kane equalised 90 seconds later after some more suspect defending

Giovani Lo Celso slotted the ball through for Kane, with Krafth and Dubravka between them unable to clear their lines

Kane dinked over both, with the ball ricocheting kindly off his legs and into the back of the net

Kane added his second in superb fashion four minutes later

Tanguy Ndombele chipped the ball in for him on the right of the area, with the striker unleashing a thunderous half volley that rifled into the far-left corner

Within seconds of the restart, Newcastle went close to an equaliser

Miguel Almiron curled an effort goalwards, but Lloris made a vital, fingertip save to send the ball around the post

The half continued with far fewer clear-cut chances than the first half, but Tottenham went close in the 67th minute

Lo Celso delivered a corner, which Dubravka initially punched away

However, it landed on Tanganga's head, sending the ball goalwards, but his effort was seen away by Almiron's own nodded effort on the line

Newcastle could have been left to rue a huge miss from Joelinton shortly after

Krafth sent a fizzing cross into the area, finding the striker, but he could only lash his effort past the post

Kane then let two glorious chances for his hat-trick pass him by

Much like his second goal, Ndombele played the Spurs striker through, but he could not sort his feet out and Dubravka came across to smother

Tottenham then drove forward on a speedy break, with Lamela feeding Kane in the area, but he could only send his effort onto the post

It proved to be a pivotal moment as two minutes later, Newcastle equalised

It was a chaotic goal too, with Ritchie's cross nodded back by Joelinton

Almiron saw his close-range header blocked by Rodon, but Willock was coming in to hammer the ball home via the underside of the crossbar, peeling away for a delirious celebration

Once again, Kane was the man to the rescue for Tottenham with two goals that almost won the game

The first was a real slice of luck but the second was vintage Kane - firing home into the bottom corner

The striker has been directly involved in 45 goals in all competitions this season (29 goals and 16 assists), equalling his career-best tally from 2017/18 (41 goals and 4 assists)

Kane has also scored 84 goals in 120 away games in the Premier League for Spurs, the most goals any player has scored away from home for a single club in the competition, overtaking Wayne Rooney's 82 for Manchester United

"We're pleased but, in my opinion, it should have been three points

I thought we were the better side, it's as good as I've seen us play for a long time, especially after the debacle of two weeks ago

"We've done as well as we could have hoped, we're just disappointed we haven't won it

But you take a point and move on

There was the performance, which I was really pleased with, considering what's happened over the last couple of weeks

"The spirit in the camp and the togetherness is, in my opinion, always going to be there

I alluded to it before the game, we have to it with so much nonsense up here, but after a poor five minutes where we gave the goals away, the response was there for everybody to see

The spirit is never in doubt

"The performance is what you're looking for after a such a poor one

We all know we let ourselves down a couple of weeks ago, so to come out here and perform against a very good team in Tottenham, I thought they were excellent

I couldn't say anything else

"When they set standards like they have today, it's important that you stay there

We're in tomorrow to start work on next week

We've got a crucial few weeks and let's get ready for the challenge because there's still a lot of football to be played

But if we stay at that level, then I'm still convinced we'll be OK

""It is not a good point

We should and we can, with the objective to win so I'm not happy with a point

I don't want to go very deep on my analysis because I feel that what I feel, what I think, what I want to say cannot be with you, it can only be in the dressing room

"If I analyse the performance separated from so many mistakes that lead to instability and instability leads to hope in the opposition, if I want to analyse it separate from that, I think we were very good in some moments… But I cannot do it

I cannot separate the game from these moments of instability and that's the reason why we didn't the game

"Every point for Newcastle can be a crucial point

Of course we knew that and until the game was over, they were going to fight

We come to the second half with the intention of killing it and in fact, the biggest chance of the second half was just before the 2-2 where we hit the post

"But we knew they were going to fight until the end and I think because of that fighting spirit and also because they were probably feeling a bit of fragility, they went until the end and got the point

"It was not a problem of fight, it was not a problem of attitude, the players wanted to win but I have to be honest and say I saw things on the pitch, not in terms of attitude but in terms of profile, vision, balance, which belongs to the top players, I didn't see in every position

"We were three points behind Chelsea, now we're two points behind Chelsea, so you can look at two perspectives

But it isn't just about Chelsea, it's about Everton, West Ham and Liverpool so you can say we got one point in relation to Chelsea but lost two to Liverpool so let's see what the other does

"That's not the point for me in this moment, the point for me is to set up a team that came here with every intention to win and in the end, a little bit of déjà vu in some situations

I believe many of these white hairs, they come with things I'm not used to seeing in football matches at this level

""Newcastle never gave up

They were a completely different team to two weeks ago at Brighton

The supporters and manager will be heartened by that performance today

"Spurs have given up 15 points from winning positions

That's not a Jose trait

That's worrying

If you want to be a top team you can't give up leads the way they do

""It was a spirited, ambitious performance from Newcastle - and a fantastic response to that huge setback against Brighton before the international break

"But from Spurs' point of view, what a missed opportunity

They were big favourites to win today and, when Kane hit the post with them 2-1 up, they looked on course to move into the Champions League places

But another late Newcastle equaliser has cost Spurs again

"That's 15 points dropped from winning positions by Spurs this season

Only Southampton and Brighton have dropped more

A let-off for their rivals Chelsea, who remain fourth despite their shock loss to West Brom yesterday

"Newcastle are back on next Sunday when they host Burnley in the Premier League; kick-off 12pm

Tottenham will also play on April 11 when they welcome Jose Mourinho's former side, Manchester United, live on ; kick-off 4

30pm

null

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<PAD>

361

Aston Villa scored three late goals in nine minutes to fight back from a goal down to beat relegation-threatened Fulham 3-1 at Villa Park, denting the Cottagers' survival hopes

In a first half lacking in chances, Villa had a penalty overturned in stoppage time as Mario Lemina looked to have clipped Ollie Watkins, but Andy Madley spotted a touch from the Fulham man after being advised by VAR to go to the pitchside monitor

Tyrone Mings' fluffed backpass allowed Aleksandar Mitrovic to open the scoring for Fulham, rounding Emi Martinez before slotting into an empty net (61) for his first goal since September

But Trezeguet, subbed on directly after Mitrovic's goal, turned the game on its head with two goals in three minutes, the first a cool finish from Mings' centre (78) before converting at the back post from fellow sub Keinan Davis' delivery (81)

Watkins rounded off the win with a close-range finish from Bertrand Traore's cross late on (87), giving Villa three points that had seemed so unlikely late in the second half

The result means Fulham are three points behind 17th-place Newcastle, having played an extra game, while Villa are back into the top half, five points off the top seven

Fulham knew a win could take them out of the drop zone on goal difference following , with Mitrovic causing a nuisance early in the first half

He stung the hands of Martinez with a low effort early on, before forcing the Argentine into another diving save with a curling shot from just inside the box, as Fulham started brightly

But the rest of the first half resembled a battle of defences as delivery after delivery, mostly from set pieces, came to nothing from both sides, before drama in stoppage time

Going down under the challenge of Lemina in the box, Watkins thought he had won Villa a penalty, awarded by Madley

But after VAR intervened, Madley went to the pitchside screen and spotted a slight touch by Lemina, overturning the original decision

Villa didn't have a shot on target in the first half for the fourth home game in a row, and only had themselves to blame as they gifted Fulham an opener

Looking for a simple backpass towards goalkeeper Martinez, Mings miskicked, allowing Mitrovic to take over, compose himself, before rounding Martinez and rolling into the empty net

It was Mitrovic's first goal in 22 Premier League appearances, having gone 45 shots without scoring, and his sixth goal in 12 days for club and country, having gone 159 days without a goal

But Fulham were out of the relegation zone for all of 17 minutes as sub Trezeguet transformed the game

Over eight hours without a Villa player scoring, the hosts netted three in nine minutes as Fulham completely capitulated

First, Egyptian Trezeguet finished coolly from 12 yards after Mings' left-wing centre, slotting into the bottom left corner, the goal coming out of nowhere

And Trezeguet got his second just three minutes later with another clinical finish at the back post from Davis' lofted cross after capitalising on Tosin's mistake

Watkins followed up his debut goal for England with his 13th for Villa this season, and first in seven games, tapping home under a few yards out after fine work from Traore on the right of the box

It was a game Villa had no right to get back into, with Scott Parker surely wondering how his side managed to throw away the lead and a dominant position

Villa, however, still have a faint chance of qualifying for Europe, but the sooner Jack Grealish returns, the better

Aston Villa boss on Sky Sports: "They made the impact that you want from substitutions

The minimum you want is for them to run more than the player they've just replaced

"I thought the performance of the whole game was a bit laboured from both teams

There are a lot of teams battling for performances at the moment, it's a long, hard season

"All results are important, and they are hard to come by in the Premier League

They are big whenever you win, and this was a hard-fought win

It's the first time we've come from behind this season

"Fulham boss on Sky Sports: "It's a difficult one

It's a poor 15 minutes

The game ebbed and flowed until our goal, and I'm disappointed with the way it goes after that

They are easy goals, silly goals, and that has let us down

It's disappointing

"At certain moments in certain games, you need to understand where the team are at, and we didn't manage that situation well

Sometimes you need a grit, to be horrible, play the game with territory

You get to eight games remaining, get our nose in front with 15 on the clock, we were sloppy in those moments

There needs to be something more in those moments

"It's a young team, and we understand that, but it's naïve, silly mistakes

Where we are as a team, you need to eradicate them

There's a way to lose football matches, and I'm not pleased with how we lost today

"[How do we pick them up?] Easy

It's easy

Today is a bump, how we react to these times is the most important thing, and we've proven throughout this season that we've re-grouped, worked even harder, and learn and grow

It won't be any different tomorrow morning

"Aston Villa now go to Liverpool at 3pm on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Premier League, while Fulham host Wolves on Friday at 8pm in the Premier League

null

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<PAD>

362

Mason Greenwood completed Manchester United's spirited second-half fightback as they came from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 at Old Trafford

Danny Welbeck headed the Seagulls into a deserved lead against his former club (13) with a lacklustre United having failed to register a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes

But Marcus Rashford restored parity with his 19th goal of the season (62) before Greenwood stooped to head in Paul Pogba's mis-hit as Brighton's resolve was broken with seven minutes remaining

The result comes as a relief for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, whose side stay second on 60 points - meaning Manchester City still require a further 11 to be confirmed as champions

Brighton stay 16th, six points clear of the relegation zone

Brighton were seeking to win three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since October 2018, and Graham Potter stuck with the same team that dismantled Newcastle in their previous fixture before the international break

United welcomed back Edinson Cavani, and they came close to breaking the deadlock inside nine minutes when Bruno Fernandes' cross was headed out only as far as Mason Greenwood but his low shot struck Robert Sanchez's left-hand post

United had won five successive meetings with the Seagulls but that was as good as it got for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men in the first half as the visitors began to assert themselves - and they edged in front four minutes later

Pogba's slack pass inside to Fred was gobbled up by Pascal Gross as Neal Maupay was sent on his way down the right channel

Luke Shaw gave the forward too much time to shape a cross that was met by Welbeck, forcing a smart save with the legs from Henderson but the ball looped back up and was headed over the line at the second attempt

In doing so, Welbeck became the first player to score as many as three Premier League goals against United after leaving the club

If Solskjaer expected an immediate response, he didn't receive it

Instead, Potter continued to encourage his players forward and Brighton were unfortunate not to double their lead when Henderson showed sharp reflexes to tip over Lewis Dunk's header from a Gross free-kick

The Seagulls sniped time and again in the opening period, with Pogba and Fernandes both guilty of giving the ball away regularly - and Henderson was fortunate when he spilled another Gross set-piece having collided with Harry Maguire

"It seems ridiculous this Brighton team were involved in a relegation battle six-pointer last time out," Sky Sports' Peter Smith commented at the break

"They've gone toe-to-toe with the second-placed team in the league, away from home, and looked the better side so far tonight

"The potential of this team is far beyond their current league standing

"United had failed to have a shot on target in the first half of a Premier League game at Old Trafford for the first time since August 2019 against Crystal Palace - but they finally tested Sanchez when Rashford collected Maguire's pass seven minutes into the re-start but the long-range effort was straight at the Brighton stopper

There was more intent about Solskjaer's side, with Scott McTominay intensifying his warm-up on the touchline appearing to have the desired effect

On the hour-mark, Sanchez came haring off his line to smother Fernandes' shot from Pogba's through-ball - but the reprieve for Brighton was short-lived

Joel Veltman lost possession and clattered into Fernandes as he sought to atone for his error, but referee Mike Dean waved on the advantage as the Portuguese had found Rashford to his left and the forward swept home the equaliser with a precise, first-time finish

Brighton still posed a threat on the counter and there were penalty claims when Welbeck was unable to reach Maupay's low cross, feeling a tug from Maguire but VAR Peter Bankes stuck with Dean's on-field decision of a goal-kick

United nearly took full advantage of the let-off

Sanchez's save from Fernandes' speculative drive fell straight to James, who squared for Greenwood, but the teenager's shot on the stretch just cleared the crossbar

The miss didn't play on his mind, however, as with seven minutes remaining, Greenwood was in the right place to head in Pogba's miscued shot despite Ben White's best efforts on the goal line

It was cruel on Brighton but United had dug in

Manchester United boss told the : "It's always difficult to play Brighton

We have had good results and we've had to earn them the hard way

We managed to find a way in the second half

"Danny [Welbeck] was in the reserves when I was the coach

He is a big talent

It's great to see him back playing football with all the injuries he has had

We gave it away sloppily [for his goal]

Dean [Henderson] makes a good save first but then the rebound comes in

We had to come in at half time and compose ourselves as we didn't create much after they scored

"I thought we started well but when they scored, after that we couldn't find our rhythm again and we needed half-time to compose ourselves and go again

Second half we played some good stuff

More runs in behind, more movement, better movement

"Sometimes after international breaks it takes time - and then maybe the fireworks have to be lit at half-time

Mason Greenwood needs to add those goals to his tally because we know how wonderful a talent he is, and when he can add those goals we know he'll be a good'un

"Brighton boss told the : "We contributed well in the game

We took the lead and were probably the team which carried the most threat in the first half

We just missed that final pass

Man Utd responded in the second half without creating too many chances

They scored from not too much

Maybe a penalty which Danny Welbeck didn't get

"When it was life I thought it was a penalty then I suppose it's the clear and obvious debate

If Mike Dean had given it I don't think VAR would have overruled it

There's nothing we can do in the end

We're disappointed to come away with nothing

"I'm confident in terms of the team, the way we're playing and the personality in the team but until you get the points you can never relax

Sometimes the opposition have some quality that you have to hold your hands up to and say 'that's good

' We'll keep going

"Even during off days, Fernandes can be so lethal

He was subdued for large parts of the first half, but as Brighton faded, United's talisman came to the fore

Fernandes provided four key passes, more than any other player while he also had the most number of shots (3)

He might have sulked and stropped after being clattered into by Veltman having provided the assist for Rashford's equaliser, but instead he clicked into gear and was involved in the match-winner, setting up Pogba whose dragged shot fell kindly for Greenwood

Fernandes has been directly involved in five goals in three Premier League appearances against Brighton (3 goals, 2 assists)

Fernandes has been involved in more Premier League goals since his debut than anyone else (42 - 24 goals, 18 assists)

"It was a hard night

When they scored the first goal we knew we had to react and put in a better performance

Everyone was excellent in the second half

"I don't think we started very well but we knew we had to switch on and be focused

We should have started that from the moment we came out, but it's a good three points

There was a lot of men behind the ball and we had to have that creative spark

"It's a confidence booster, I've not scored as many in the Premier League

I scored a header tonight which is something I've been working on a lot behind the scenes

"Manchester United travel to face Granada in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday; kick-off is at 8pm

Their next Premier League outing is away to Tottenham next Sunday, live on and

Coverage starts at 4pm with kick-off at 4

30pm

Brighton host Everton live on on April 12; kick-off is at 8

15pm

null

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<PAD>

363

Matheus Pereira and Callum Robinson scored twice to help struggling West Brom win 5-2 at 10-man Chelsea to boost their Premier League survival hopes

The home side, looking to consolidate their top-four position in the table, went ahead after 27 minutes thanks to Christian Pulisic's close-range finish after Marcos Alonso's free kick had hit the post

However, the match was turned on its head by Thiago Silva's red card (29) after Chelsea's returning Brazil centre back picked up two bookings in the opening half an hour, with the visitors taking full advantage

Pereira's clever lob (45+2) brought West Brom level in first-half stoppage time before the Brazilian's low finish (45+4) then gave his team a half-time lead

When substitute Robinson volleyed home a third goal after a wonderful move in the 63rd minute, Sam Allardyce's men were in dreamland

That was not the end of the scoring as Mbaye Diagne (68) added a fourth for the Baggies and while substitute Mason Mount (71) immediately replied for Chelsea, Robinson was on hand to add the icing on the cake for West Brom with a late fifth (90+1)

As a result, Thomas Tuchel's side stay fourth in the table, despite the German's 14-match unbeaten start to his Chelsea reign coming to an end, while the Baggies also remain in 19th position, but now just seven points from Newcastle and safety

West Brom arrived in the capital knowing nothing less than victories would now do if they were to have any hope of staying in the top flight, but facing a Chelsea team who had still to concede at home under their new boss

The visitors' challenge became even harder when they fell behind just before the half-hour mark after Alonso's curling free kick beat Sam Johnstone, but not the post, only for the alert Pulisic to tap home the rebound

However, if the hosts thought they were in for a comfortable afternoon's work in west London, they were mistaken as Silva, back in the line-up after injury and booked early on, picked up a second caution to receive his marching orders two minutes later after the hosts lost possession in a bad area

West Brom made their hosts pay, turning the match around as Pereira scored twice in first-half injury time, the equaliser coming from a long Johnstone clearance that somehow made it all the way through to the Brazilian forward, who then lobbed the advancing Edouard Mendy

Incredibly, with Chelsea having previously not conceded at Stamford Bridge under Tuchel, they then let in a second in the space of just two minutes and 46 seconds as that man Pereira took advantage of Reece James' misplaced pass to find the bottom corner with a low shot

Anyone who thought West Brom would look to defend their slender lead, however, were mistaken as instead, they attacked Chelsea, with Robinson ending a flowing move with a sensational volleyed finish for a goal of the season contender on 63 minutes

Five minutes later the visitors added a deserved fourth after another eye-catching break involving Pereira, Robinson and Conor Townsend, whose lovely backheel - with the help of the former once again - set up Diagne for a composed finish

Chelsea were given brief hope of an unlikely comeback when Timo Werner unselfishly laid a goal on a plate for Mount, but it was the Baggies who had the last laugh when man-of-the-match Pereira slipped Robinson through on goal, with the sub doing the rest with a dinked finish for the fourth Premier League goal of his career - all against Chelsea

""We cannot lose our heads now and take away the trust we have in these players

"It was the moment after the game to be honest, be calm and to tell everybody to breathe

This will be a hard evening for everybody

"We had completely different plans how to start this match day so we have to accept it now, it's our first loss together

"It's important to find a way to deal with it together

"So there were some quick words to calm everybody down and delay the talks until tomorrow because it would be too emotional now and too much frustration, so that would not be productive enough

"This is my responsibility

I trusted this line-up and I still think the line-up was strong enough now in this game

"We were rusty, we were sloppy in the build-up in our own half and made many, many unforced errors

"We didn't adapt our positions under pressure

"We gave away easy ball losses that led in the end to a red card and that cost us the game

"There were two games, a game 11 against 11 and the game where we were a man down afterwards

" "It just gives us hope, I think that perhaps on the quality of the performance and the way we demolished Chelsea, perhaps it gives us a little bit more than hope

"It gives us hope that maybe we can reach this performance again starting a week on Monday against Southampton

"It keeps us going, it keeps us alive

We can't complain about the quality of this performance, the outstanding performance of all the players

"They demolished Chelsea with an undefeated team since the new manager arrived

"People cannot say that Chelsea were under par, and not that they went down to 10 men, they must say, and you must say, it was because of the quality of our performance

"They were off form because we were so good

"Where would the Baggies be without their inspirational Brazilian, who once again was his side's star man at Stamford Bridge, running the show from start to finish

The forward is his team's top scorer this season, with two more to his tally in west London helping to transform this contest

Pereira's first was a delicious lob, while his crucial second that put the visitors ahead just before half-time was the result of great composure and a neat finish

It was the 24-year-old's vision on the counter after the interval that helped seal West Brom's stunning win and they will need more similar displays from him between now and the end of the season if they are to stay up

Chelsea take on Porto in Seville in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night (8pm), before facing Crystal Palace a Selhurst Park next Saturday at 5

30pm in a game you can see live on Meanwhile, West Brom host Southampton at the Hawthorns on Monday April 12, with that match also live on , kicking off at 6pm

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<PAD>

364

Wasteful Leeds needed a Phil Jagielka own goal to move into the Premier League top half with a 2-1 win over Sheffield United at Elland Road

Leeds wasted several good positions to see their afternoon out more comfortably, registering 21 shots across the afternoon, but scored only a single goal themselves through Jack Harrison's 12th-minute tap-in after good build-up from Raphinha

Having dominated the opening period, they went in level at the break after Oli McBurnie's shot was turned in at the back post by Ben Osborn just before the half-time whistle

Four minutes after the interval, Harrison aimed a whipped ball across the six-yard box only for Sheffield-born Jagielka to dent his own Yorkshire pride by restoring the lead for the county's other Premier League team with a sliding own goal

Stuart Dallas hit the post before Patrick Bamford and Ezgjan Alioski both spurned opportunities for the hosts, who were nearly made to pay late on when Rhian Brewster and Oliver Burke went close in the final minutes - but not close enough to stop Leeds moving 10th, and leave the Blades potentially two games from relegation

Leeds, still harbouring hopes of a top-half finish, looked full of intent from kick-off and had Sheffield United hearts in mouths within a minute when winning a free-kick right on the edge of the visitors' box, which Raphinha aimed just over the bar

Their opener took only 12 minutes to arrive but even by then, it had been coming

After saving from Kalvin Phillips and Dallas, Aaron Ramsdale could do nothing to stop Harrison from close-range after some fine work down the right by Tyler Roberts and Raphinha, who got to the byline before giving his team-mate a tap-in

Harrison could have doubled his money before half-time but spurned a fine chance from a flowing Leeds break, allowing Ramsdale to turn his effort round the post after being played clean through

Sheff Utd took full advantage in added time when McBurnie's angled shot was turned goalwards by Osborn, and despite Leeds appeals that Luke Ayling had blocked the ball on the line, Graham Scott's watch said otherwise

The Blades had shown unusual resilience to hang on and find an equaliser but once Jagielka put through his own net from Harrison's dangerous low cross, they crumbled

Within three minutes Dallas' 20-yard curler kissed the far post and soon Ramsdale had to be at his best to deny Bamford from Ayling's excellent lofted ball forward

The waves of pressure kept on coming but without a third goal, Leeds were always in danger of being caught out again

In the final 10 minutes, Brewster's turn and shot whistled past Illian Meslier's near post before Burke had the goalkeeper scrambling from the edge of the box

But anything less than three points would have been an injustice for the hosts, who move 10th in the table at least until Aston Villa host Fulham on Sunday

Sheffield United could be as little as two games from the drop if Newcastle pick up three points against Tottenham

Leeds boss : "We won by only one goal but when the opponent sees only a one-goal difference, they insist on arriving a lot in the opponent's 18-yard box

"We had sufficient chances to have scored more goals, and many situations which did not end in shots which would have increased the amount of options we had to score goals

"It is very difficult in the Premier League to imagine a comfortable victory, at least for us

"Sheffield United caretaker manager told : "The effort and the fight was there

There were too many moments where we lacked quality

We gave Leeds their best chances on the counter

That was the most frustrating thing

We came back into the game winning set-pieces in good positions but then the quality wasn't there

We were our worst enemy today

"As the first half wore on we kept winning the ball higher up, but again, we didn't open them up and had too many shots from distance and too many lost balls

In the second half it was similar, but we got opened up again when we didn't fully commit to a break

We couldn't quite put them under pressure

"Although he did not get on the scoresheet, Raphinha made Leeds' opener and spearheaded most of their numerous attacks, often leading on the break after Sheffield United moves had broken down

He took on more duels (17) than anyone else on the pitch and made more key passes (four) too

The Brazilian was the pick of an impressive attacking bunch for Marcelo Bielsa, with Jack Harrison also impressive and well-worthy of his goal

Leeds visit league leaders Manchester City next Saturday in the lunch-time game with kick-off at 12

30pm

Sheffield United are at home to Arsenal a day later with that match kicking-off on Sunday at 7pm

null

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Jagielka

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<PAD>

365

Michy Batshuayi came off the bench to deliver a blow to Everton's European hopes as his equaliser grabbed Crystal Palace a 1-1 draw

Carlo Ancelotti's team looked set to move level on points with Tottenham in fifth when James Rodriguez - making his first start since the win at Liverpool - found a way past Crystal Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, who was in inspired form in denying Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison

However, Batshuayi, who had last week accused Roy Hodgson of not trusting him amid a lack of game-time this season, was on hand to level the game with just four minutes remaining

This latest setback means they have won just one of their last eight home Premier League home games as their form at Goodison Park continues to hold them back

The result leaves Ancelotti's side in eighth place, two points behind Tottenham in fifth, albeit they have a game in hand

Ancelotti had won five of his six managerial meetings against Hodgson, all in the Premier League, and both shared a big embrace in the pre-match pleasantries

It would have been Hodgson the happier in the early stages as his team restricted Everton possession but never really looked likely to find a way through themselves

Eberechi Eze tested Robin Olsen from an angle but that was as good as it got

Everton then took charge and created three big chances in a matter of minutes

Calvert-Lewin seized upon an incredible through ball from Mason Holgate but Guaita narrowed the gap and blocked it away and Richarlison headed over from a Seamus Coleman cross seconds later

Richarlison - who cut a frustrated figure - scampered through past Gary Cahill on 22 minutes but Guaita read his finish into the far corner

Perhaps riled by not finding the net, Richarlison then grabbed the ball from a set-piece about 22 yards out and seemed to go against team orders for Lucas Digne to have a strike

His effort was off target and his team-mates did not look impressed with his shenanigans

The goal eventually came just after the break

Left wing-back Digne's cross was turned goalwards by substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson but his effort was saved by Guaita

However, Coleman was alive to the loose ball and returned it into the danger area for James to thread a shot around a crowd of legs

It finally sparked Palace, still without a win in 13 meetings with the Toffees, into life after almost an hour of containment, and Eze, from distance, and Wilfried Zaha both forced Olsen to make saves

But it was Batshuayi, who on recent international duty with Belgium had said he had the trust of his country but not his club, who struck within two minutes of coming on to make it just one victory in eight home league matches for Everton

Calvert-Lewin had a late chance to win it for Everton but despite two goals for England against San Marino, his confidence looked low he also failed to beat the brilliant Guaita one-on-one as he charged to the edge of his area

Sure, Everton's finishing was very wayward but the Palace goalkeeper's positioning and shot-stopping ability was first class as he made six saves across the 90 minutes

Calvert-Lewin especially will be very disappointed he could not get the better of the Spanish goalkeeper as a player of his international standing should have finished one of his two chances

Has there been a better value for money free signing in Premier League history than Guaita? I would argue not

said: "The reason (for the result) was we were not able to kill the game when we had the opportunity

"We had a lot of chances and usually in the last games our strikers in those situations were really clinical

Tonight they need to do better

"After we opened the scoring we had opportunities, we could have closed the game, and sometimes it can happen the last 10 minutes you have to defend and there might be a little mistake

"That's what happened in the last situation and and we have two points less

We deserved to win, we have lost points for our mistakes

We were not unlucky, I have to say

"I think the position in Europe is still there because we are in the fight and we have one game in hand but we have to be more focused in this situation - when you deserve to win, you have to win

" said: "Batshuayi scored a goal, which was important

He has to be very pleased with that and we are pleased with it

"When players go on international duty and they've just scored a goal for their national team and they are asked how it is at Palace as they are not playing a lot, it would be a surprise to me if he didn't make the comments he did

"Since he came back he has been in good spirits and contributed well in training sessions, which has given me the faith to put him on tonight to see what he could do for us and luckily he has repaid that faith

"It is good for me to know, going forward, Michy still has goals in him

"Everton are once again in action on next week when they visit Brighton (8

15 kick-off)

Meanwhile, Palace welcome Chelsea next Saturday, live on Sky Sports (5

30 kick-off)

null

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Gbamin

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Kouyate

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Ayew

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Eze

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Zaha

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<PAD>

366

Manchester City were simply too good for Leicester as they continued their march towards the Premier League title with a 2-0 win at the King Power Stadium

Man City were completely dominant in every area but the scoreline stayed goalless in the first half - coming closest through Kevin De Bruyne's free-kick off the crossbar - as Leicester failed to register a single shot, touching the ball just once in the opposition box

The champions elect deserved their opener through Benjamin Mendy (58), only his second goal for Man City, coolly curling home from 12 yards after a smart turn in the box

Pep Guardiola's side wrapped up the win through birthday boy Gabriel Jesus (74), initially played through by De Bruyne's eye-of-a-needle pass, before exchanging passes with Raheem Sterling at close range and converting at close range

The result means Man City are 17 points clear of second-placed Man Utd, who have two games in hand, and are a maximum of 11 points away from securing the title

In the race for the top four, fifth-place West Ham will be just four points off Leicester if they beat Wolves on

Six of Man City's starting XI didn't take part in international duty, as Pep Guardiola made another four changes, taking their tally of starting XI changes to 98 this season, more than any Premier League side

The visitors thought they'd taken the lead in the opening minutes as Fernandinho's 25-yard effort found the bottom corner, but Sergio Aguero was in an offside position and in the eyeline of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel

Man City were governing the ball in the first half - in one six-minute period, they had 100 per cent possession, and the Foxes didn't complete a single pass - as Leicester struggled to get out of their half

As De Bruyne said after the game: "Only one team was playing"

The game was following a similar pattern to the opening stages of their 5-2 win at the Etihad in September, where Leicester sat back and coerced Man City into overcommitting, but the result was different this time against a more savvy Pep Guardiola side

De Bruyne struck a free-kick that he had fortuitously won against the bar from the edge of the box and Riyad Mahrez's low effort from a clever Gabriel Jesus flick was saved by the feet of Schmeichel, but Leicester kept the leaders at arm's length without posing any threat themselves

Leicester's only moment of the first half came in stoppage time as Jamie Vardy rounded Ederson and converted from Ayoze Perez's throughball, but the offside flag was up to correctly deny him

Man City were making "the third team in the Premier League look like they are from the league below" with their dominance, according to Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp, but Leicester did start brightly in the second half

After Fernandinho lost the ball in midfield, Kelechi Iheanacho released Youri Tielemans at a slight angle on the right of the box, and his low, goalbound effort was brilliantly blocked by Ruben Dias

Man City finally made the breakthrough just before the hour mark through an unlikely source, the ball breaking to Mendy in the box before the Frenchman composed himself, turned Marc Albrighton and curled right-footed into the bottom corner from 12 yards

Though he didn't get the assist, De Bruyne played a huge part in the second, playing Jesus through with a world-class threaded pass

Jesus squared for Sterling, who returned the favour by sitting Ricardo Pereira down and feeding Jesus to poke home until an empty net from close range

De Bruyne should have had an assist moments later as he slipped through Mahrez one-on-one with Schmeichel, but the former Leicester man stuck his clear chance wide

The scoreline by no means flattered Man City

They showed the shrewd and ruthless edge they were missing in September's heavy defeat to Leicester, which came a day before the £65m investment in Dias, who was imperious again on Saturday

Leicester, meanwhile, will be hoping this isn't the start of a similar slump that saw them fall out of the top four last season

Leicester boss : "For large parts of the first half we defended well, we had tiredness in our game

Technically we weren't as good as we normally are

We are disappointed with the goals, they came when we were starting to chase the game

"Apart from that we had some chances but the best team has won the game

We have no excuses

"We didn't show the quality we have got but that comes with a bit of tiredness sometimes

Our organisation was good but we didn't get through the pitch well at times

"If you concede against a team with that much quality they can just hide the ball from you

We have been brilliant this season with what we have had to contend with, injuries and stuff, so now we can recover for a few days and freshen the guys up

"Manchester City boss : "They are an incredible team, we suffered at home against them but we are more patient and it is a big step to winning the Premier League

"You never know after an international break but I trust my players

The players don't always believe me but I like every one of them, today I trust some of my players who haven't played for a while

When you are winning, winning, the guys who play know they have to play good to play again

There is good solidarity between the players

"The Premier League is the nicest competition [to win], it is 11 months and it is so tough

We are close

We need three more wins

"Sergio Aguero is fine, his knee is perfect

He needs the rhythm of games but we need players fresh

I am delighted the way he trained this week, nothing is going to change

Maybe one day we will need the one goal to win something and he will be there

""We've spoken before about the Premier League's best strikers, but when it comes to the league's best ever passers, Kevin De Bruyne is the best the Premier League has ever seen

I've never seen anyone like him

The weight of the ball, the killer-ball passes, the precision, is just phenomenal

""He's got to be up there with the best midfielders in the world

He's so hard to mark because he always finds that little bit of space

He can play off the left foot, the right foot, and he always looks to pass forward when he gets on the ball

He can do absolutely everything

"Leicester now go to West Ham next Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 2

05pm, while Manchester City host Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League quarter-final first leg at 8pm on Tuesday, before hosting Leeds in the Premier League at 12

30pm on Saturday

null

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<PAD>

367

Three second-half goals, including two from sub Diogo Jota, strengthened Liverpool's top-four hopes with a dominant 3-0 win over a tame Arsenal at the Emirates

James Milner missed the best chance of a dominant but goalless first half for Liverpool, with a shot-shy Arsenal registering just one attempt in the first hour, described by Gary Neville as "shabby" throughout a poor home performance

Liverpool found their clinical edge after the hour mark, taking the lead through sub Jota's header from a superb Trent Alexander-Arnold cross (64), a much-needed assist having been left out of the recent England squad

Mohamed Salah made it 2-0 four minutes later, stealing the ball from Gabriel in the box before slotting through Bernd Leno's legs, moments before Gabriel's lax pass was feasted upon by Alexander-Arnold as Jota devoured the chance to smash home eight yards out (82) following touches from Salah and Sadio Mane

The result means Liverpool are now just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with eight games remaining, while Arsenal stay ninth, just a point off the bottom half

Regardless of the stature of these two sides, this was ninth versus seventh in the Premier League, and Arsenal in particular resembled a mid-table outfit as they served up a limp show

Mikel Arteta fielded Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette together for the first time this season, the three most expensive players in Arsenal's history, with Jurgen Klopp saying before the game the Gunners had "put everything they have offensively" on the pitch

But Arsenal's approach was anything but offensive from minute one to 90

On the day it was confirmed that it was mathematically impossible for Liverpool to retain the Premier League title, Klopp's side dominated the ball, with Arsenal registering just one shot on goal in the first 61 minutes

Arsenal's four touches in the Liverpool box in the first half was also their fewest in a PL home game since March 2014

Liverpool had several half chances - the impressive Fabinho, back in midfield, drilled wide from range, as did Roberto Firmino - but Milner should have put the visitors ahead striking wide in space 15 yards out from Alexander-Arnold's cut-back

Arsenal were "alarming" and "flaky" without the ball, said Neville on commentary, and were dealt a blow just before the break as Kieran Tierney was forced off having jarred his knee

After Chelsea's shock 5-2 defeat by West Ham earlier on Saturday, Liverpool had the chance to close the gap on the top-four spots, and they took that opportunity in the second half as they turned dominance into goals

Alexander-Arnold answered critics with an unplayable, deep cross from the right wing, finding Jota in the box to head past Bernd Leno just three minutes after coming on

Alexander-Arnold's elation was evident in his celebration as he looks to force his way into Gareth Southgate's plans for Euro 2020

And Liverpool's second came shortly after as Salah, chasing down Gabriel from man-of-the-match Fabinho's pass, stole the ball from the Arsenal defender in the box as he looked to slide in and clear, allowing Salah to bear down on goal and slot through Leno's legs from eight yards

With Arsenal crumbling, Salah should have had his second and Liverpool's third as he latched onto Firmino's ball between the centre-backs, but his half volley was beaten away well by Leno

But Liverpool did get their third as Gabriel's poor pass out from defence was intercepted by Alexander-Arnold; Salah took over, squaring from the right for Mane, whose hold-up allowed Jota to smash into the net from close range

Mane almost added a fourth in injury time as Leno denied him at his feet, but this was Liverpool back to their imperious best for one game at least as they look to achieve the bare minimum of a Champions League in this most humbling of seasons

Without the energy of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, Arsenal were deeply disappointing, with Aubameyang brought off with 14 minutes remaining having been largely anonymous on the left flank, ahead of an arguably more important clash in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday against Slavia Prague

Arsenal boss: "We completely deserved to lose the game

They were better in every department and deserved to win the game with the margin they had, or even more

I accept responsibility for the way we played today

"They made the right decisions, we didn't

It is my fault

I have to set the team up to perfom in a different way and that is it

Congratulations to Liverpool because they were exceptional today

That showed the difference between the two teams - that when they play at that level, the margin is incredibly high

"I don't have to use any excuses - that we don't have five or six players - the standards are much higher at this football club and I have to get them to perform at that level

It was technical as well

We gave every ball away and could not put three passes together

The basics weren't there today

If you do that against this kind of opponent, you get punished like we have

"At the moment I am in shock

I didn't expect that because of the way the team trained

It is a challenge

A challenge brings an opportunity

If you have courage and you represent a club like this, you have to stand up and take it

"Liverpool boss : "Very good

A top, top game

Our counter-pressing was at the highest level which is very important

In general, the defending from the whole team looked exactly as it should

I'm really happy with the whole performance and more so the three points

"It is the first time in the season - Neco Williams came back and had a slight knock - but apart from the long-term injuries, all the boys involved tonight were fit and in really good shape

We could have lined up with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, or Naby Keita or Xherdan Shaqiri is in really good shape, so these kinds of things, it is the first time we have had that

Hopefully that will help us

""Trent has done well, in light of what we've seen him go through over the past week or so, but I'll go for Fabinho

He has been Liverpool's best player

He is outstanding

He is the best defensive midfielder in the league

"Arsenal now host Slavia Prague in their Europa League quarter-final first leg at 8pm on Thursday, before going to Sheffield United at 7pm on Sunday in the Premier League

Liverpool go to Real Madrid at 8pm on Tuesday in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, and then host Aston Villa at 3pm on Saturday, live on

null

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Partey

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Ceballos

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Pepe

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Lacazette

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Soares

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Elneny

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Alisson

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Alexander-Arnold

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Phillips

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Kabak

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Robertson

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Fabinho

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Milner

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Thiago

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Mane

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Firminho

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Salah

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Jota

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<PAD>

368

Alexandre Lacazette's 82nd-minute header completed a remarkable Arsenal comeback as West Ham surrendered a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 in a breathless encounter at the London Stadium

The Hammers raced into what seemed an unassailable advantage after Jesse Lingard's opener (15) was added to by Jarrod Bowen (17) and Tomas Soucek (32)

But Lacazette played his part in beginning the sensational response by the Gunners when his shot deflected in off Soucek (38), before another own goal from Craig Dawson further reduced the deficit (61)

West Ham were crestfallen when Lacazette met Nicolas Pepe's cross to secure a share of the spoils

This will feel like a defeat for David Moyes' side having been in such a commanding position, but his team remain in fifth place on 49 points, two adrift of Chelsea in the final Champions League place

The result moves Arsenal into ninth ahead of Aston Villa's game with Tottenham later on

West Ham had won just three of their previous 24 Premier League home games against Arsenal, but they started the day five places above their opponents in the table and dominated the opening half an hour

Mikel Arteta had spoken of wanting his Arsenal side to return to the standards he has set for them after underperforming in Thursday's 1-0 Europa League defeat to Olympiakos, but they deservedly went behind after 15 minutes when Lingard rifled in Michail Antonio's cutback

Ninety-eight seconds later, Arsenal fell further behind in comical circumstances

Bukayo Saka fouled Antonio on the edge of the penalty area, but, as the Gunners turned their backs in preparation for the set-piece, the razor-sharp Lingard played a quick free-kick into the path of Bowen, who beat Bernd Leno at his near post

Arteta felt obliged to change something as Saka and the ineffectual Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang switched flanks, but he witnessed his team concede for a third time as Soucek (32) pounced to direct Antonio's header from Vladimir Coufal's cross into the bottom corner, with replays showing the Czech was marginally onside

It was the earliest from the start of a Premier League match that West Ham had scored three goals since May 2007 against Bolton

But Arsenal were handed a lifeline just five minutes later as Calum Chambers was played down the right and his cross was controlled and fired emphatically past Lukasz Fabianski by Lacazette, via a significant deflection off Soucek

Moyes' side had scored with all three of their shots on target during the opening period but there were signs of the momentum shifting in Arsenal's favour before the restart

Within two minutes of the second half, the Gunners came within a whisker of a second as Lacazette took in Chambers' cultured pass to lift his shot over Fabianski but Issa Diop managed to hook the ball off the line

The Frenchman was growing in influence as he then turned provider moments later for Saka, who was released through on goal but Fabianski smothered his low shot

Jamie Carragher said on co-commentary: "The change in intensity is stark compared to what we saw in that first half

Arsenal looked like they were in bed in that first half

West Ham have got in that same bed in this second half

"By the hour-mark, the deficit was reduced to one as Arsenal forced a second own goal

This one was far more clear-cut, as West Ham were this time picked off by a quick free-kick

Lacazette worked it inside to Martin Odegaard, who played in Chambers on the overlap and his low cross was crashed beyond Fabianski by the sliding Dawson for his second own goal in as many games

West Ham came within inches of restoring their two-goal lead as Lingard's pass was flicked on by Antonio into the path of Bowen, who only had Leno to beat but Kieran Tierney recovered to produce a crucial block

The best form of defence was to attack for the hosts, and they missed a glaring chance to put the game to bed when Antonio struck the post with the goal at his mercy following brilliant work by Said Benrahma

His cross-shot fell to the stretching forward but he could only divert the ball onto the woodwork from close range

By now, Arteta had hauled off Aubameyang despite needing a goal as Emile Smith Rowe and Pepe were summoned, and it was the latter who unlocked West Ham for a third time to complete the spirited fightback

Odegaard was involved once more as he found Pepe down the right, and, on his weaker foot, his cross was headed home at the far post by Lacazette

"They are all over the place, West Ham

If you offered them a point they would take it," said a breathless Carragher

It was next goal wins, and it very nearly swung back West Ham's way when Declan Rice went on a barnstorming run and stung the gloves of Leno, who had been a spectator at times during the second period

Back came Arsenal for one last assault but Pepe's tame effort failed to hit the spot as this pulsating contest came to an end

: "It was a really good game, tough, lots of goals

We played very well especially in the opening 30 minutes and unfortunately we gave them a goal before half time, which gave Arsenal a foot up

"There was a lot of frustration throughout the game about the decisions, but that's the way football goes sometimes

"We played very well for long periods, Arsenal played well but are in good form, it wasn't a great result after going 3-0 up but we showed we are up there competing with the best teams

"It has been a long time since we finished above Arsenal, we have done our best to make sure they can't catch us

Now we want more, I'm greedy and they are devastated in the dressing room at not taking three points

": "I'm very disappointed because I cannot accept my team to play the way we did in periods in the first half

I expect we play at the level we did afterwards

"The first goal, it can happen

It is a really good combination [by West Ham]

That is fine

The way we concede the second and third is unacceptable

Afterwards the attitude and togetherness we showed - it is really difficult to do what we have done

We got really close to winning and I think we deserved to win it but the first part really worried me

"On switching off at a set-piece: "Unacceptable

We talk about that all the time

I don't know if it's a hangover from Europe, tired, focus, it was more than one player that switched off

We have to right that quick

""I'm going for Calum Chambers

If you look at the Arsenal team, and why he is in the team, you would have thought it would have been to cope with West Ham at set-pieces

"You don't think he's going to offer too much to the Arsenal attack, but without him they wouldn't have been able to get back into this game

"On Chambers' performance, Arteta said: "He was really good, he has been training really well

He gives us something else, some height in the back line and he was busy in the final third as well

A really good performance

""My feeling is mixed between being proud of the team for the comeback

We didn't respect the game plan from the coach [in the first half]

"We had the pressure, we knew it was a big game

We have to work a lot to be ready for the end of the season

"It is really complicated, this kind of game, we need to work a lot

We knew even after the bad first half we could come back and score more

""That was Arsenal's season summed up in 90 minutes

"It's so inconsistent

One minute they are poor and the next minute they are great, and that's not good enough

If you want to be a successful football team, you've got to be consistent but at the moment it is like a rollercoaster

"Mikel Arteta has got to sort that out if they are going to be successful next season

"Following the international break, Arsenal host Liverpool in the Premier League on April 4, live on ; coverage starts at 4pm with kick-off at 4

30pm

West Ham travel to face Wolves the following day on ; kick-off is at 8

15pm

null

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Bowen

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Lingard

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Benrahma

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Antonio

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Leno

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Chambers

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Luiz

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PabloMari

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Tierney

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Partey

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Xhaka

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Odegaard

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Lacazette

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<PAD>

369

Tottenham put a difficult week behind them as they breathed new life into their bid to secure European football next season with a 2-0 victory at Aston Villa on Super Sunday

Jose Mourinho's side, who were under pressure after defeat to north London rivals Arsenal last weekend and a Europa League exit at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb in midweek, took the lead midway through the first half thanks to Carlos Vinicius' first Premier League goal

Harry Kane, who partnered Vinicius in attack, put the smiles firmly back on Spurs' faces, scoring from the penalty spot to seal an important three points after winning the penalty following a coming together with Matty Cash

Victory sees Spurs, who ease the pressure off Mourinho, move above Everton and Liverpool into sixth, one point behind West Ham in fifth, and three behind fourth-placed Chelsea

Meanwhile, Villa, who were without the injured Jack Grealish again, stay 10th with defeat denting their own European hopes

Mourinho made a statement with his team selection, responding to two disappointing results by making numerous changes and also including 16-year-olds Dane Scarlett and Alfie Devine on the bench

In the early stages, Villa looked threatening, but they failed to create any real clear-cut openings as Hugo Lloris remained untested

Spurs then pounced as Vinicius chased down a long ball, prompting goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into a poor clearance that fell straight to Lucas Moura

The Brazilian played a swift one-two with Kane and then rolled the ball across the face of goal to give Vinicius the easiest of tap-ins and his first league goal in just his second start

Mourinho's men, seemingly learning from the mistakes of the previous week, came out in the second half trying to find another goal

Kane saw a deflected effort from the edge of the area flash just wide while Moura's pull back looked like it would pick out Kane, but Tyrone Mings just about intervened

Villa once again struggled to create in the absence of Grealish and had to wait until just before the hour before they had a shot on target as Joe Rodon made an important clearance from Trezeguet's effort

However, they failed to build on that as midway through the second half Spurs doubled their lead

Kane drew a foul from Cash right on the byline and he clinically converted, sending Martinez the wrong way for his 17th goal of the season

Spurs threatened to add a third as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg forced Martinez into action, but in the end, they didn't need it as they ended a tough week on a high

"Spurs are a point off West Ham in fifth, three points behind Chelsea, who are in the final Champions League place

"Jose Mourinho will be nibbling again

It will be a comfortable international break for him now

"It's there for these Spurs players

We talk about it being a bad season and them doing more, which I think is right, but they could still go and win a trophy, and they could still go and get into the Champions League

"It's there for them

They have got the ability to do it, they are just inconsistent

""Jose Mourinho would've been so pleased tonight

"I've been a manager in the lower leagues but it's still the same, if you have a couple of bad defeats you are just sweating that you are going to win the next game, and they did that at Aston Villa

"It's spot on what Jose said, there are ways of losing football matches

You can lose football matches and know the players have given everything and what can you do?"The last couple of games haven't been good enough

"But that was a typical Jose Mourinho performance

Solid at the back, not very entertaining but a very good win, and they needed it

"I look at their fixtures and I think they are a team with every chance of getting into the top four

"Aston Villa boss : "Mistakes [cost us]

I thought we started well and were the better team in the first 30 minutes

We made a mistake and they scored

We got into good areas in the first half

We made a stupid mistake for the penalty

"Defensively we were solid all game

I thought Matt Targett was fouled, he needs to learn to go down maybe

They went on to score the second

"We can't [just] wait for Jack (Grealish) to come back

The players there, it's their opportunity

Not too many have taken it

"We've had a good season so far but we're in a bit of a blip

We won't get too downhearted

We'll reflect and work hard

We have a top player coming back for the next game

"Spurs boss : "We had the attitude

Of course, we changed little tactical details but this was not about tactics, this was about attitude

So, total credit to the players

The players gave it everything

"Everyone was at the limit

We saw cramps, we saw fatigue

We saw the things that are connected with a performance where you give everything

Tonight was one of these matches where we had to give everything

"But my next challenge as their coach is for them to have this attitude every match and not just as a reaction to a bad result

" "It could be Harry Kane, it could be Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but I'm going with Lucas Moura

"I just think the setting up of the first goal and his general all-round performance has been really good

""The last couple of games have not been good enough in all areas

We knew we had to bounce back, especially before the international break

We didn't want to go away with three losses, or two losses and a draw, but the boys put in a great shift and we deserved it

"Our attitude, in the last couple of games that had dropped below our standards, but we are working hard together, all in the same direction

"We'd lost a bit of that, but it was nice to get it back today and you saw everyone fighting and putting their bodies on the line and that's what we need if we're going to make a push for the top four

"Whenever you go through a difficult period, which for us was a London derby and then going out of the Europa League in that fashion, it was embarrassing for us as players, so the only way we can give back to the fans and to the club is to get out on the pitch and show what we're made of and we did that today

"Following the international break, Aston Villa host Fulham on Saturday, April 3 at 8pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7

45pm

Meanwhile, Tottenham travel to Newcastle on Sunday, April 3; kick-off at 2

05pm, live on

null

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Konsa

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Targett

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Luiz

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Sanson

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Traore

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Watkins

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Trezeguet

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ElGhazi

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Barkley

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Lloris

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Tanganga

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Sanchez

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Rodon

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Reguilon

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Hojbjerg

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LoCelso

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Ndomebele

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Moura

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Vinicius

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Kane

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Davies

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Bergwijn

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<PAD>

370

Brighton boosted their hopes of Premier League survival by cruising to an emphatic 3-0 victory over relegation rivals Newcastle

The hosts dominated the opening 45 minutes and got their reward on the stroke of half-time when Leandro Trossard's curled effort found the bottom corner

After the break, Ryan Fraser struck the woodwork for the visitors but two minutes later they were further behind as Danny Welbeck's strike doubled Graham Potter's side's advantage

Neal Maupay rounded off a brilliant evening for Brighton, further deepening Newcastle's problems

The pressure is firmly on Toon boss Steve Bruce with just nine games remaining in the campaign

His side sit just two points above the relegation places, albeit with a game in hand on 18th-placed Fulham, who lost to Leeds on Friday evening

Meanwhile, victory makes the table better reading for Brighton, who move six points clear of the drop zone

Brighton started brightly and Jakub Moder forced Martin Dubravka into a low save at his near post inside the opening five minutes

After 30 minutes, the hosts were dominating possession and had had five shots, including two on target, with Newcastle yet to test Robert Sanchez in the home goal

Newcastle had to wait until the 37th minute for their first opportunity when Isaac Hayden headed wide at the far post

Moments later, Maupay had a good opportunity at the other end after being picked out by Trossard's cut back, but his shot was blocked by Ciaran Clark

Matters got worse for Newcastle just before the half-time break, when Hayden was hurt in an accidental collision with Yves Bissouma, and he had to be carried off on a stretcher

Moments later, Brighton took the lead, having dominated throughout the first half, with Trossard picking up the ball on the edge of the box before turning and curling it into the bottom-right corner

Newcastle created their first meaningful opportunity at the start of the second half when Miguel Almiron released Fraser in space on the left, and the Scotland international curled the ball towards the far corner, only for it to strike the upright

However, Potter's men responded immediately, with Welbeck doubling their advantage

The forward cut inside onto his right foot before curling the ball beyond the dive of Dubravka and into the back of the net from 20 yards

In the 68th minute, Brighton made sure of the points when Pascal Gross crossed for Maupay, who volleyed the ball into the net to end a run of nine games without a goal

"When you lose, you want to be playing as soon as possible, but they [Newcastle] have got two weeks to get back on the horse and look for a win

"They looked a sorry group tonight, from start to finish

For me, they were passive throughout, they looked like a team accepting their lot

"That's not a good sign, that doesn't bode well for the future

"They're still in a great position, you wouldn't want to be swapping with Fulham, but looking at them, they need to get some momentum going from somewhere, some belief, some fire in their bellies

"They need to find some fire

A bit of aggression, not accepting people scoring easy goals against you, not accepting that going 1-0 behind means it's over

"Speaking on earlier in the day, ' Paul Merson said Newcastle fans may need to lower their expectations and accept the current limitations at the club

Brighton boss : "Really pleased, the performance was fantastic

The players were brave from the start and were smart

"I thought we were the dominant team in the game and deserved to win

Overall, we played well, we showed a really good attitude, good courage, and I'm delighted for the players

"They've had to suffer, so it's nice to get three points off that performance

"Newcastle boss : "Certainly was tough, we were simply beaten by a far better team on the night

It was a very difficult evening for us, we have to accept it, and take responsibility for it, because at times it was a little bit too easy for Brighton

Take nothing away from our opponents, they were better in every department

"Without the ball and with it, it was a big problem

We kept surrendering possession back to them, and we all know they're a very decent football team, and we didn't do enough without the ball either

When that happens, it becomes a very difficult evening for you

"We needed to get to half-time and didn't quite get there

On the night we were well beaten by the far better team on the night

""There were some brilliant performances from Brighton, but for me, Danny Welbeck was the real difference maker

He not only grabbed a goal but produced a top-class, all-round performance

"He was always a threat going forward

His link-up play was also superb, alongside scoring a fine goal

"Following the international break, Brighton travel to Manchester United on Sunday, April 4 at 7

30pm

Meanwhile, Newcastle host Tottenham at St James' Park on the same day, Kick-off at 2

05pm, live on

null

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Manquillo

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Clark

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Dummett

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Hayden

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Shelvey

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Almiron

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Willock

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<PAD>

371

Fulham missed the chance to move out of the bottom three for the first time since December, losing 2-1 to Leeds thanks to Raphinha's winner

Scott Parker's side knew a victory would send them into 17th ahead of Brighton vs Newcastle on Saturday evening - but a slow start saw Luke Ayling nod home inside ten minutes - before VAR ruled it out for offside

Bamford took advantage of some lax defending when he fired home Leeds' deserved opener in the 29th minute

Against the run of play, Fulham then equalised just before the break as Joachim Andersen scooped home his first Fulham goal

Leeds retook the lead not long after the break as Bamford set-up Raphinha (58) for a superbly taken goal, with Fulham unable to muster a reply, having just two shots on target in the second half

It's an opportunity missed for Fulham, who remain in 18th place and two points from safety, having played two more games than Newcastle and Brighton immediately above

Leeds move above Crystal Palace into 11th place and have completed their first league double over Fulham since the 1984-85 campaign in the second tier

Leeds began the game well, and thought they had gone ahead inside eight minutes

It was a superb header from Luke Ayling as he nodded home Tyler Roberts' cross, letting down his trademark top knot during his celebration

However, VAR had a long look and eventually ruled it out for offside against Roberts in the build-up

Leeds had another offside goal ruled out in the 20th minute, but this was a much easier decision

Raphinha fired home into the far corner, but the flag was well raised

Illan Meslier then pulled off a sensational save at the other end in Fulham's first real opening, pushing away Josh Maja's shot before Ayling booted the ball off the line

But Leeds finally scored a goal that counted just before the half-hour mark

After being played through by Jack Harrison, Bamford peeled away from Tosin Adarabioyo before thundering a shot beyond Alphonse Areola, showing England manager Gareth Southgate what he is missing after missing out on a call-up earlier in the week

Seemingly from nowhere though, Fulham equalised

Leeds' defending was chaotic as Ademola Lookman delivered a corner, with Andersen able to curl his foot around Ayling to prod the ball home

It lit a fire underneath the hosts too, with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa firing goalwards just after, but Meslier was there again to make a vital save

Both sides had chances early in the second half - Jack Harrison firing at Meslier and Ademola Lookman scuffing a golden chance - but Leeds went back ahead just before the hour

Bamford sped away down the field, skipping past Andersen, before playing Raphinha through

Despite having defenders either side and the goalkeeper to beat, the Brazilian did superbly well before slotting home past Areola

Leeds began to dominate proceedings as the half continued with Fulham looking lost in front of goal

In the pick of the visitors' chances, Raphinha fired wide before Stuart Dallas just dragged a shot past the far post

Areola then tipped an Ezgjan Alisoki effort past the post

Fulham had a golden chance in the first of five minutes of added time

Lookman sent a wonderful corner into the area, with Anguissa's flick inadvertently sent back through the area by Pascal Strujik

However, Aleksander Mitrovic was unable to convert as Leeds won the goal kick, capping a frustrating evening for Fulham

All eyes were on Bamford after he was left out of Southgate's latest England squad, but he shrugged off the pressure just as he shrugged of Adarabioyo for his goal

It was wonderfully taken and he extends his good run of scoring against Fulham

He also added a lovely assist for Raphinha's winner, who was also superb on Friday evening

The only downside was a potential knock picked up, but it was still a great performance

Speaking to after the game, Bamford said ofnot being in the England squad: "I think every player who gets called up fully deserves it

There's a lot of people who may have thought they would've got called up and are slightly disappointed, but I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing

I need to keep putting my name in contention for the Euros

"As long as I keep going the way that I am, I might be in with a shot

Who knows? I just have to keep working hard for my club

At the start of the season, if you'd have told me I'd be linked with England, I'd have said 'you're bonkers'

"So I think I've come a long way and I can't be too upset as it's something I wasn't dreaming of at the start of the season

It's one of those things that I'll still keep working towards

"It was in the back of my mind a little bit, I guess

But I was just trying to get through as much of the game as I could

It always gives you a bit more fire in your belly

"Fulham boss said: "I was disappointed tonight

We didn't deserve anything from the game really and the best team won tonight

I thought we huffed and puffed in the first half and were perhaps fortunate to go in at 1-1

"In saying that, in the second half we miss a massive chance just before they score just over 20 seconds after

But I think it's fair to say the best team won tonight

We struggled at times, and that was disappointing

"We didn't cope well enough with their intensity

The way Leeds play, they make the game end-to-end, they want the game to be like a basketball match

We spoke about having cool heads in those moments to gain control

"It's easier said than done, of course it is, but we struggled with that at times tonight

We didn't deserve much from the game

You're always in the game with Leeds

You always have a chance because of the way they play, but tonight wasn't something we've come to see

"Our work ethic and desire was there but we just fell short in certain moments

"Leeds bosssaid: "We ran a lot, we defended and we attacked all of us and we deserved the triumph we have taken

"There was certain leadership from certain players that helps a lot

"Fundamentally, the win was deserved and I thought it was a collective game with generosity from a lot of players

"They talk a lot about this situation [not winning in London] and I'm glad it is over

I hope it doesn't last that long again

"Following the international break, Fulham travel to face Aston Villa on Saturday, April 3 at 8pm, live on and

Leeds host Sheffield United at Elland Road on the same day at 3pm

null

<PAD>

Areola

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Aina

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Robinson

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Andersen

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Reed

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Lemina

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Anguissa

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Lookman

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Cavaleiro

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Maja

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Mitrovic

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Loftus-Cheek

False

Tete

False

Meslier

True

Ayling

True

Alioski

True

Struijk

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Llorente

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Roberts

False

Phillips

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Dallas

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Harrison

True

Raphinha

True

Bamford

True

<PAD>

372

Leandro Trossard's second-half strike provided a vital winner for Brighton to move three points clear of the relegation zone with a 2-1 victory at Southampton

Trossard finished off a flowing team move from the visitors, firing Danny Welbeck's deft touch high beyond Fraser Forster, 11 minutes after half-time to end a run of five games without victory

It looked like the Seagulls would again rue their game management after Lewis Dunk's booming header from a corner for the opener (16) was cancelled out by another finish from Che Adams (27), his third in three games

But the Belgium international's winner, after Pascal Gross had passed up a fine chance to restore the visitors' lead, will provide a serious relief for the visitors, who not only rise three points above 18th-placed Fulham but also leapfrog Newcastle into 16th

A game between two of the form table's worst sides never promised to be a classic but provided opportunities from the off at St Mary's, where Stuart Armstrong fired straight at Robert Sanchez when well placed early on

Brighton's foothold took a while to emerge but once it did, they took instant advantage

Neal Maupay found space from Welbeck's deft backheel to force Forster into his first save of the afternoon, before leaving him little chance from the resulting corner as Dunk towered above Ryan Bertrand to head home

No sides have given up more points from winning positions than Brighton and Southampton, so an equaliser from Adams 11 minutes later came as no great surprise, latching onto Bertrand's flick to volley home and continue his goalscoring resurgence

But before the break, they should have made amends

More Welbeck class released Dan Burn inside and allowed him space to find Gross in acres of space, only for the German to blast straight at Forster when one-on-one

A change at the break saw Burn replaced by Andi Zeqiri and a change to a five-man midfield, which paid dividends barely 10 minutes into the half when Lallana picked up the ball on the half-turn and fed Welbeck

His one-touch ball into Trossard was inch-perfect, and the Belgian did the rest

Lightning would have struck twice had Adams not been denied by a sprawling Sanchez minutes later when he should have levelled

From then Brighton did learn their lesson, restricting the hosts to half-chances in the final half-hour and earning a most welcome of victories to ease their relegation worries, and leave them only four points behind Southampton in the table

Southampton boss : "It's very disappointing what we showed today, especially in the second half

In the first half, there was also a little bit of a feeling that the opponent wanted it more

"And then the goal conceded we are in normal shape

Everybody's in their position

This cannot happen

We were defending far too sloppily in that moment

"Brighton manager : "We had to change at half-time because of the injury, and then that forced a change of shape

"We were just trying to organise that and make sure we're we learn a little bit from what we did first half, in terms of just picking up second balls better, making sure we stay centrally compact

I thought we did that quite well

And then it's just about the players quality in terms of how they find the spaces

"When you've only got one goal separating the two teams, there's always nerves, there's always pressure

But credit to the players

They managed that situation really well

"Welbeck rolled back the years at St Mary's with a number of deft touches and flicks in and around the Southampton box, most tellingly with a perfect pass, more difficult than it looked, for their winning goal

On days like this, you wonder where he would be still had he not found life so tough through injuries in recent years, because he looked a class above the Southampton defenders at times

Southampton travel to Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals next Saturday; kick-off at 12

15pm

Brighton are on next weekend in a relegation six-pointer with Newcastle at the Amex Stadium, live from 7

30pm; kick-off at 8pm

null

<PAD>

Forster

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Tella

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Adams

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Redmond

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Djenepo

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Sanchez

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White

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Veltman

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Bissouma

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Gross

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Lallana

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Trossard

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Maupay

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Welbeck

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Zeqiri

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Propper

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<PAD>

373

Diogo Jota haunted Wolves with the winner on his first return to Molineux, but Liverpool's 1-0 victory was overshadowed by a late injury to goalkeeper Rui Patricio

On his first return to his former club since his summer move to Anfield, Jota scored the decisive goal in first-half stoppage time with a near-post effort which goalkeeper Patricio got a hand to but was unable to keep out

Mohamed Salah could have made Liverpool's win more comfortable had his late effort not been ruled out for offside, but that proved immaterial after Patricio sustained a late head injury which delayed proceedings by 15 minutes before he was carried from the field on a stretcher

Liverpool withstood a late Wolves rally when the game eventually resumed to climb up to sixth in the table after only their second Premier League win in eight games, but the win was put to one side as thoughts turned to Patricio's wellbeing

Liverpool travelled to Molineux looking to avoid a seventh Premier League defeat in eight, but their bid began in nervy fashion

Alisson fumbled an Adama Traore cross in the six-yard box before clumsily clattering into Wolves full-back Nelson Semedo as he tried to gather the spill, but referee Craig Pawson was unmoved by the hosts' penalty appeals

Semedo drew Alisson into the first save of the game with a fierce near-post drive in a bright opening five minutes from Wolves, but Liverpool soon established a dominance on the ball and the chances followed

Thiago and Georginio Wijnaldum combined in midfield to release Sadio Mane through on goal on 13 minutes but he was forced wide by on-rushing goalkeeper Patricio, and when he eventually got a shot away Wolves had bodies back to block

Liverpool restricted Wolves to fleeting glimpses of goal on the counter and should have had a goal to show for their superiority on 38 minutes but Mane could only steer a header wide from Trent Alexander-Arnold's inch-perfect cross

Ruben Neves forced a save from Alisson from a free-kick before flashing a shot wide as the interval approached, but the breakthrough was made by the visitors in first-half stoppage-time

A slick one-two between Mane and Salah ended with Jota being played down the left channel, and the Portuguese marked his return to Molineux by squeezing a shot in at the near post which Patricio will feel he should have saved having got a hand to the ball

Conor Coady and Salah exchanged efforts as both sides increased the tempo after the break

Traore's teasing cross was punched clear by Alisson before Wolves were denied a penalty for a second time when Alexander-Arnold's shove on Joao Moutinho in the area went unpunished

Traore stung the palms of Alisson before Patricio denied Mane from sealing Liverpool's victory at the other end

Salah looked to have clinched the points when raced onto Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's through pass and slotted home, but the effort was ruled out for offside

Wolves goalkeeper Patricio sustained a blow to the head while trying to prevent Salah from scoring, resulting in a 15-minute delay which effectively ended the hosts' challenge and took the gloss off Liverpool's return to winning ways

"We just had an update, he's OK

It was a collision with the knee of Coady on the head

We have spoken already

All these situations when it is the head get us worried

He is OK and is going to recover

"We played well

We had chances, we defended well, and we played good football with some chances we should take advantage of

The building and the creation were good and the players played a good game

A lot of things to improve but a positive attitude showed we can compete

""The same target we always have; improvement, competing well, trying to adjust some things and we have been able to sustain our performance from the first half to the second half - beyond the result

There is a lot of football to be played

" "It was an awful situation [with Patricio]

I have spoken to Wolves staff, they are rather positive

It was a proper shock

"[On the game] It's all about the result

A big fight

If we want three dirty points, I'm fine with that

We had very good moments where we should have done better

Defensively the whole game was really good

"I didn't like the start, we weren't active enough

We defended well, we counter-attacked

A lot of really good football moments

The goal we scored was beautiful

I thought the goalie would have saved it but it was in

"A lot of good news tonight but most important, the three points

We want to go into the [international] break with a positive feeling and we have it

"Liverpool's Diogo Jota became just the second player to score both for and against Wolves in the Premier League after Stephen Hunt

Liverpool travel to Arsenal on on April 4 at 4

30pm, before Wolves host West Ham on at 8

15pm on April 5 - watch both games live on Sky Sports Premier League

null

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Patricio

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Boly

False

Coady

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Saiss

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Semedo

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Neves

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Moutinho

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Jonny

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Neto

False

Jose

True

Traore

False

Silva

False

Dendoncker

False

/Alisson

True

Alexander-Arnold

False

Phillips

True

Kabak

False

Robertson

False

Wijnaldum

False

Fabinho

False

Thiago

False

Mane

False

Jota

True

Salah

True

Milner

False

Keita

False

Oxlade-Chamberlain

False

<PAD>

374

Kelechi Iheanacho's first Premier League hat-trick helped Leicester to a 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United to consolidate their place in the top four

It was a nightmare start to Paul Heckingbottom's interim tenure

, with Sheffield United mustering just one shot on target at the King Power Stadium and suffering their heaviest defeat of the season

Iheanacho (39) opened things up in the first half as he tapped home a sweeping Jamie Vardy cross to score in three successive Premier League games for the first time

But it was after the break when Leicester truly overpowered their opponents

Ayoze Perez (64) added the second with a lovely finish, with Vardy once again setting up Iheanacho (69) for his second of the afternoon soon after

The striker's hat-trick goal was a thing of beauty as he powered home from 25 yards out, before Vardy's cross was turned home by Ethan Ampadu at close range to round off a bruising defeat for Sheffield United

It's a vital win for Leicester, who are now eight points clear of West Ham in fifth

Sheffield United remain rooted to the bottom of the table with 14 points

It did not take long for Leicester to start seeing chances fall their way, but were twice denied by Aaron Ramsdale

The first saw Timothy Castagne send a lovely cross into the area, which Perez glanced towards goal

However, the fingertips of Ramsdale sent the ball pinging off the far post

A few minutes later, Wesley Fofana played a neat pass into the channel for Vardy, but Kean Bryan initially did well to pick it up

However, the Leicester striker muscled him off the ball before striking, but Ramsdale was down low to make a save with his leg before jumping up to collect the looping pass

Ampadu also made a superb blocked as Youri Tielemans let fly from the top of the area, sending the ball behind with an outstretched foot

However, the Sheffield United defence was found wanting three minutes later when Leicester took the lead

The build-up involved some lovely, crisp passes from the hosts, with Perez's pass in behind sending Vardy away down the left

He then unselfishly squared it for Iheanacho, who was open and waiting in the middle to tap home past Ramsdale as Sheffield United found themselves carved open

Leicester had two glorious chances to add their second soon after the break

Vardy was set up by Iheanacho, but his strike went straight onto Basham's forehead, who was waiting on the line

The Leicester striker - who has now not scored in seven games - was sent through again by Iheanacho, but could only place his effort directly at Ramsdale

But soon, the goals started to flow for Leicester

Their second came from a cleared Sheffield United free-kick, with George Baldock inexplicably unable to hold onto the ball as half-time substitute Marc Albrighton nicked through before driving down the right wing

He then picked out Perez, who sent a sweeping effort into the bottom corner

Iheanacho added his own second of the afternoon shortly after and it was another one-two with Vardy that punished Sheffield United

Tielemans found Vardy on the left, and his first touch swept the ball into the feet of the incoming Iheanacho on the right

It was then another fierce finish from the striker to make it 3-0

The hat-trick goal was not far behind in the pick of the afternoon's efforts

Wilfred Ndidi found him in the middle of the opposition half, with Iheanacho working himself into some space 25 yards out

With two goals already in the game and confidence high, he went for an audacious long-range effort that fired past a leaping Ramsdale

The striker was visibly emotional during his celebration as his good recent run of form continues

The game was missing a goal from Vardy after his two assists, and he also had a hand in Leicester fifth

He flashed a cross into the six-yard box with Ampadu there to turn it home from point-blank range as with Sheffield United's miserable trip was truly compounded

Iheanacho has been shown glimpses of greatness in recent games and his potential was finally realised against Sheffield United

He took his hat-trick incredibly well, and tried to set up his team-mate Vardy for a long awaited goal on a number of occasions, showing his unselfish nature even when close to his first ever Premier League treble

His movement and runs throughout were superb too

With the likes of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes facing spells out, Leicester looked to be struggling for goal creation but Iheanacho has really stepped up to the mark, along with the newly-found assist machine in Vardy

"Sheffield United have shown throughout their time in the Premier League that they're a tough team to break down

If you watch a lot of their games this season, they've lost by the odd goal so we knew we were going to have to be patient

"In defence, we were very strong, we didn't allow them too many efforts on goal so we counter-pressed the game well and we were aggressive when we did have to defend

Like I said, we just had to be patient and wait for that moment for the first goal and once we did, I thought we played our shape well against their shape so it was very pleasing

"[Iheanacho] has been in great form, he's playing at a really high level

It wasn't just his goals, he is dropping in short to get into the right spaces that we wanted him to where we could take advantage of it

Him and Jamie up front, the combination was very good with Ayoze in behind

"His [Vardy's] movement is just so good and it allows the players to get up with him

It was so unfortunate that it wasn't for him today [to score]

He got in the right positions, had some chances, the goalkeeper makes a couple of great saves and Chris Basham clears off the line

"But he's still there to keep going for the team and he's created a couple of goals for Kelechi

So he might not have scored but we always appreciate everything he brings for the team

"We have to retain that work rate, hunger and intensity in the game and when we do that, we're very competitive in the league

An outstanding team performance, we looked dynamic going forward so it gives them confidence but we can recover now and get ready for the next game

""We could make all the excuses in the world with the week the players and staff have had

It's a really upset dressing room, an emotional dressing room because their leader has gone

He was a friend to all of us and I think it has taken its toll today

"But I've just said in there and the players understand that me coming in from the outside, I'm letting them down if I use that as an excuse

We know the hard work starts next week when we're back in, but it's not nice to be in that dressing room

"If confidence was something you could click your fingers and develop, it would be easy - I'd be Einstein - but it's a tough thing to do

Hard work, determination, a recognition of what the team did to get where they are from League One all the way up in five years, which were really fantastic and I know that all too well having managed against the boys

It's a recognition of that [to rebuild confidence] and a full-on commitment to try and get back to those levels

"I'll take the team to the end of the season while the club organise what they want to do and the decisions that they want to make

Myself and the rest of the staff will be doing all we can to do that

"It's what I've got to do

I'm not thinking about myself, believe me, I'm thinking about the players and helping the club in this time

I see this as what it is, just stepping in to help out, so for me personally, I don't think about it

"For the club, it's an important time, but it's difficult because we've lost Chris, who was a mate to me and many more and an idol for the fans

So we know it's a difficult time and one the club now have to look forward and put things in place ready for next season

"Both sides are in FA Cup action next Sunday

Leicester take on Manchester United in the quarter-finals while Sheffield United travel to Chelsea

After the international break, Leicester welcome Manchester City in the Premier League while Sheffield United travel to face Leeds

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Albrighton

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375

Arsenal sealed their first north London derby win since December 2018 after fighting back from a goal down to beat 10-man Tottenham 2-1 on Super Sunday

The Gunners, who were without captain after he was left out of the starting line-up due to a disciplinary breach, dominated much of the first half as Emile Smith Rowe and Cedric Soares both saw strikes hit the woodwork

However, they were behind in the 33rd minute when Erik Lamela, who replaced the injured Heung-Min Son after 19 minutes, produced a spectacular drilled Rabona (33) to beat Bernd Leno and find the bottom corner

The hosts did finally get some reward just before the half-time interval when Martin Odegaard (44) swept home Kieran Tierney's cutback and they turned the game around midway through the second half when Alexandre Lacazette scored from the spot (64) after being scythed down by Davinson Sanchez

Lamela's afternoon turned sour 15 minutes from time when he threw out a stray arm to catch Tierney to pick up his second yellow card in eight minutes, while Harry Kane, who had a late header disallowed for offside, struck the post with a free-kick before Gabriel Magalhaes' brilliant block to deny Sanchez scoring from the rebound secured Arsenal all three points

Defeat dents Spurs' top-four hopes as Jose Mourinho's side - whose five-match winning streak comes to an end - stay seventh in the Premier League table, six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea

Meanwhile, Arsenal, who boosted their own European qualification hopes, stay 10th, four points behind Tottenham

Tottenham sat off Arsenal in the opening stages and they were almost punished for a sluggish start when Smith Rowe's curled effort from 25 yards beat Hugo Lloris but crashed back off the crossbar

Spurs' tricky opening continued when Son, making his first real forward run of the game, pulled up clutching his hamstring, and he was replaced by Lamela before the game had reached the 20-minute mark

Smith Rowe was heavily involved again as the Gunners created another excellent opening, breezing past Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg before cutting the ball back for Lacazette, but the Frenchman snatched at his finish from 12 yards, failing to test Lloris

Arsenal failed to capitalise on their dominance and Spurs, who eventually grew into the game, took the lead following a moment of magic from Lamela

The ball dropped to the Argentine on his weaker foot in the penalty area and he produced a Rabona, drilling a low finish straight into the far corner with Spurs' first shot of the game

Arteta would have been wondering how his side were behind and their frustration continued as Soares' powerful strike from the edge of the penalty rattled the upright, but they did manage to get back on level terms just before the break

Arsenal attacked down the Spurs left again as Tierney got the better of Matt Doherty before pulling the ball back for Odegaard, who, with the help of a deflection, swept the ball past Lloris to give the Gunners a deserved equaliser

The hosts made a change at the break with Nicolas Pepe replacing Bukayo Saka and they had the first effort of the second half as Lacazette turned and got a shot away from 20 yards, forcing Lloris into a comfortable save

Gareth Bale, who had been on the periphery all game, was replaced by Moussa Sissoko before Tanguy Ndombele made way for Dele Alli just after the hour mark, but Spurs found themselves behind in the 64th minute

Pepe's pass released Lacazette, who took an air shot at the ball before being wiped out by a lunging Sanchez

The referee pointed to the spot - with VAR agreeing with the decision - before Lacazette picked himself up off the floor to send Lloris the wrong way to give the Gunners the lead

Spurs' frustrations were summed up when Lamela went from hero to villain, picking up two yellow cards in eight minutes, the second of which came in the 76th minute after his stray forearm caught Tierney in the face

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Spurs burst into life as they tried to find an equaliser and Kane headed home Lucas Moura's free-kick, but the flag was correctly raised for offside against the England captain

The late drama wasn't over as Kane's powerful free-kick struck the foot of the post and Arsenal needed a brilliant headed clearance from Gabriel to keep out Sanchez's goal-bound strike from the rebound as the Gunners held on to hand Arteta's first north London derby win as a manager

Sky Sports' : "Spurs didn't do enough early in the game

I know they lost Son, which is so difficult, but they didn't do well enough

They didn't start well enough and there was no sharpness about their play

Arsenal were just better, until the last 10 minutes

"Former Arsenal forward : "100 percent [Arsenal deserved this]

Arsenal were the better team and definitely deserved to win the game

The two big decisions we can discuss back and forth, but they did deserve to win the game

"Former Spurs defender : "It was disappointing from Spurs - really, really disappointing

They went ahead from a really great goal, however, Harry Kane in attack must have been so disappointed

It was only when they went down to 10 men in the final 10 minutes that they really had a go

They were on the front foot and you are thinking, can they nick a draw? But, until then, it was very defensive, very slow, and a really disappointing afternoon for Spurs

"Arsenal manager : "Full credit for the way we have done it today after two days coming back from Europe

It was incredible

Going 1-0 down the way we were playing was disappointing and worst-case scenario against a team like Spurs

But we kept playing and deserve the win

"Last 10 minutes we did not manage the game and we need to improve as a team

We relied on luck

With the way we played, we should have seen it out comfortably

"We prepare the game trying to exploit areas

We had some really strong performances today

You could see the energy they were playing with

"It is about how you react

This team have the reaction in them to not give up

We kept playing and generating chances and got rewarded

We played quite well in the previous derbies, but they are so efficient

They don't need much to score

You see with Lamela today - a quality goal

"Spurs boss: "No post-match interviews for referees? That is a pity

"We played really bad in the first half

The 1-1 was not a fair reflection of the first half

We were poor

Defending bad

No intensity or pressing

Some important players hiding

Really bad

In the second half, we only had space to improve which we did and then it is a question - but an impossible one as they don't speak - for the referee Michael Oliver to answer

Probably Paul Tierney too, as he was the VAR

According to Kevin Friend, the referee told him he had a clear decision and the VAR does not want to go against

"The game was under control in the second half, so we recovered

We made changes to try and win and then it is a penalty and after that, a second yellow for Lamela

It means the last 20 minutes 11 v 10, the team try to get the result

"What I see from the bench is just a feeling at first

I am 40-50 metres away

I saw it on the iPad

Referees have a difficult job sometimes

I did not complain but when I watch back on the iPad, it is what it is

If somebody has a different opinion, it has to be one of the big Arsenal fans with a season ticket

It is the only one I accept as it is the passion speaking

Other than that, I don't accept a different view as it is obvious

"If the players don't do better, it is because they can't do better

I belong to the team, so I am as guilty for the first half as the players but the best thing is, we improve in the second half

Players get tired, coaches get tired, maybe referees get tired too

My record with Michael Oliver on penalties with Chelsea, United, and Tottenham is unlucky

"on Smith Rowe's performance: "I think he had a magnificent performance

"His personality and intelligence, his energy gives us something different

"Arsenal face Olympiakos in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 clash on Thursday (kick-off 5

55pm), leading 3-1 from the first leg, before facing a trip to West Ham next Sunday, March 21, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 3pm

Meanwhile, Tottenham face a trip to Dinamo Zagreb in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday (5

55pm), leading 2-0 from the first leg, before travelling to Aston Villa on Sunday March 21 (kick-off 7

30pm), also on Sky Sports

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Saka

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Lacazette

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Pepe

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Lloris

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Doherty

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Alderweireld

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Sanchez

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Reguilon

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Hojbjerg

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Ndombele

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Moura

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Bale

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Son

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<PAD>

376

Manchester United moved back up to second in the Premier League thanks to a 1-0 win over Champions League-chasing West Ham at Old Trafford, secured thanks to Craig Dawson's second-half own goal

In a tight and cagey contest, the home side were forced to wait until eight minutes into the second half to make a deserved breakthrough as Dawson headed Bruno Fernandes' corner into his own net

As a result, United leapfrogged Leicester City, who had moved up to second place with a 5-0 home win over Sheffield United earlier in the day, although they are still a mammoth 14 points behind rivals Manchester City at the top of the table

As for David Moyes, who was back at Old Trafford after his brief time in charge of United, his team stay fifth, three points behind Chelsea in the final Champions League berth, but with a game in hand on the Blues

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team started Sunday night's clash with West Ham having slipped to third place in the table after Leicester's resounding win over struggling Sheffield United earlier in the day, but boosted by the surprise return of Marcus Rashford in attack

The England international was not expected to make United's starting line-up after injuring his ankle in last weekend's derby win over City, however, not only did he take his place up front, but the forward also wasted his team's best opening of the first half

Mason Greenwood did brilliantly to work himself some space on the right side of the box, before picking out Rashford at the far post, only for the frontman to glance his close-range header wide of gaping goal

Greenwood himself also went close to opening the scoring eight minutes before the break after a slick United move involving Fernandes, who found the young forward in space just outside the box

However, Lukasz Fabianski did brilliantly to tip Greenwood's low shot, heading for the far corner, behind as the two sides went in goalless at the break

Moyes - whose team were ultra-cautious in a first period in which they failed to have a shot - opted to move from three to four at the back in the second half to give the visitors an extra body in midfield, with little impact though as United took the lead in bizarre fashion

Dawson, normally so strong in the air, rose to clear Fernandes's inswinging corner from the left, only to inadvertently head the ball into his own goal to give the hosts a deserved lead

And in truth, United should have added to their advantage in the final half an hour, only for Fabianski to keep out Fernandes's well-struck drive from the edge of the area, before Greenwood could only strike the outside of the post having been put through on goal late on

"As expected, they are always going to make it hard for you

We could have been more comfortable towards the end as we had a few decent chances to finish it off - we like to make it hard for ourselves

"We created massive opportunities but the final pass or shot wasn't good enough

It could have been two or three easily - but then it could have ended up in our net at the end as they are a threat

"We know West Ham are challenging to get in the top four so it was a big result and we kept a clean sheet again

" "I'm disappointed we lost

Parts of the game we played OK and parts we didn't

The way we set up maybe didn't quite work

Our breaks were really poor tonight

""I've just been told it was an own goal by Dawson, I thought Scott McTominay scored it

It's one thing we've been good at this season, set pieces, defending or attacking, but tonight it wasn't our night

"Is there a better left back in the Premier League at present? On Shaw's showings this season, the answer must be a resounding 'no'

Shaw was at it again at Old Trafford , turning in another accomplished display both in defence, as United kept a fourth successive clean sheet for the first time in over three years, and as an attacking presence

In fact, it could even be argued that the rampaging full back was United's most dangerous attacking player, creating two chances on the night, while completing 72 of his 79 passes

And if Shaw, 25, continues in this vein of form, then surely an England recall is just around the corner…United travel to AC Milan for the second leg of their Europa League last-16 clash on Thursday night (8pm), having drawn the first leg 1-1, before taking on Leicester City at the King Power in an FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday (5pm)

Meanwhile, West Ham face Arsenal at the London Stadium on Sunday March 21 (3pm), with the game live on

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377

Both sides hit the bar as Chelsea's unbeaten run continued, but their push for a top-four finish took a minor hit in a 0-0 draw at Leeds

Chelsea nearly took an early lead in unusual style as Luke Ayling's clearance fired straight into Diego Llorente and back onto his own crossbar, shortly after Leeds had been denied an eighth-minute opener when Patrick Bamford was ruled just offside in teeing up Tyler Roberts to score

The hosts struck the woodwork themselves when Roberts' wonderful effort crashed off the goalframe thanks to a fingertip touch by Edouard Mendy

The goalkeeper was again in fine form to readjust and keep out Raphinha's close-range shot 10 minutes after half-time, while Kai Havertz and Antonio Rudiger tested Illan Meslier at the other end of the pitch

But some wasteful Chelsea finishing, failing to beat the Frenchman despite registering seven shots on target, leaves them three points ahead of fifth-placed West Ham - who have played two games fewer than their London rivals

Goals looked likely to be on the menu at Elland Road given Leeds' expansive style, and the opening quarter of an hour did little to dampen expectations, with an early Leeds goal, made by Bamford's smart run and square for Roberts, ruled out by a marginal offside in the build-up

Chelsea controlled the early possession but Meslier was more troubled by his own defenders than the opposition

Ayling's powerful clearance left Meslier with his heart in his mouth as it cannoned off Llorente and over him, before rebounding to safety off the woodwork

Roberts' own denial by the Chelsea goalframe minutes later proved somewhat more impressive to loop the ball towards the top corner from 20 yards, and inches away from breaking the deadlock

Rudiger should have done better to anticipate a Chelsea corner reaching him unmarked in the home penalty area after the frantic start had long died down, but deflected one of few clear-cut openings straight at Meslier

Moments after the break, Havertz was guilty of squandering another when he made life similarly straightforward for the goalkeeper when unmarked, before Mendy's acrobatics denied Raphinha on the turn from a Rodrigo knock-down

The Spanish forward, given a rare chance to impress in attack after an early injury to Bamford, then wasted a free header from a corner, and would later face the embarrassment of being substituted less than an hour after coming on

Callum Hudson-Odoi worked space to shoot from 20 yards after his own arrival late on, but his shot, down Meslier's throat, summed up Chelsea's afternoon, as they extended their unbeaten start under Thomas Tuchel but missed out on the chance to move third in the table

Leeds manager told : "We value the point a lot, if there had to be a winner it wouldn't have been us

In the first half they established a difference in comparison to us

"In the second half we were slightly better

The superiority they showed in the first half was greater than the superiority we showed in the second half

If we don't play at the rhythm we play at, the differences between us would be a lot bigger

"Chelsea head coach told : "The pitch was super-hard to play

We had a couple of chances to go 1-0 up, and in the end they troubled us, and the more minutes you need to score, the more belief they have

"There were enough chances, but sometimes it's like this

I don't want to be too harsh

As long as we have chances and touches in the box and don't concede too many chances the results will be there

We need to accept this

"Aside from making as many tackles (3) as anyone else on the pitch, Kante won possession back 11 times

Not only that, he was also a driving force behind getting Chelsea on the front foot, starting attacks and showing again why he is more than a midfield water carrier

Chelsea host Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, taking a 1-0 lead into the second leg of their Champions League last-16 second leg; Kick-off at 8pm

Leeds' trip to Fulham is live on on Friday from 7pm; Kick-off at 8pm

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<PAD>

378

Luka Milivojevic's first half penalty was enough for Crystal Palace to beat West Brom 1-0, compounding the Baggies' relegation fears with nine games to play

It was a better result than when West Brom were thrashed 5-1 by Palace in December - and they played well in spells - but a lack of cutting edge up front cost them again, having just one shot on target with their 12 efforts

Darnell Furlong will also be glad to see the back of Crystal Palace this season, having scored an own goal in the reverse fixture and gifting the hosts a penalty on Saturday

Wilfried Zaha's cross hit him on the arm inside the area and, after a lengthy VAR check, the spot kick was awarded

It was converted by Milivojevic (37), who fired home past Sam Johnstone

There were a handful of chances for both to score the next goal in the second half, but it was the penalty that was ultimately the difference, keeping West Brom in 19th and eight points from safety

The victory pushes Crystal Palace into 11th and more or less confirms their place in the Premier League for another season

West Brom had the better of the first half chances at Selhurst Park

Birthday boy Matt Phillips sent in a great cross from the right wing, with Matheus Pereira there to nod the ball back into the middle

Although Gallagher was waiting, Cheikhou Kouyate nicked through to see the ball scrambled behind

Gallagher had another sight of goal soon after, but send a floating effort from range into the empty stands

Okay Yokuslu went closer from a similar range, turning into space before striking, but sent his effort curling just wide

But the VAR drama was on the way as Crystal Palace were awarded a penalty

Patrick van Aanholt slotted a penalty down the left side for Zaha, whose cross into the area hit Furlong on the arm

The cries went up for a penalty but play continued, with Milivojevic forcing a fingertip save from Sam Johnstone with a thunderous effort

Once the ball was out of play, VAR intervened

Firstly, they checked to see if Zaha was onside when the free kick was played and, after the use of the offside lines, was judged to be in line

Simon Hooper was then sent to the pitchside monitor to assess the handball and it did not take long to award Crystal Palace the penalty

It was another good quality spot kick from Milivojevic too, sending Johnstone the wrong way to hand Crystal Palace the lead

Both sides had their best chances of the second half within ten minutes of the restart

Christian Benteke - who scored twice in the reverse fixture - sent a low, hard strike goalwards, but Johnstone made an equally as good save to tip the effort behind for a corner

At the other end, Conor Townsend sent in a superb cross from the left wing, which landed kindly for Phillips

However, he hit it first time with no direction and send it flying into the Holmesdale End

Minutes later, Phillips' placed shot was well blocked before Pereira's curled effort from the top the area just went wide

Eberechi Eze had his own sight of goal in the 65th minute, but fired straight at Johnstone, as Crystal Palace registered their first ever top-flight double over West Brom

Wilfried Zaha has called for greater efforts towards education on racial inequality and says social media companies should start taking "strong action" over abuse after he opted against taking a knee before kick-off of Crystal Palace's match against West Brom

In a statement, the midfielder said: "My decision to stand at kick-off has been public knowledge for a couple of weeks now

"There is no right or wrong decision, but for me personally I feel kneeling has just become a part of the pre-match routine and at the moment it doesn't matter whether we kneel or stand, some of us still continue to receive abuse

"I know there is a lot of work being done behind the scenes at the Premier League and other authorities to make change, and I fully respect that, and everyone involved

"I also fully respect my teammates and players at other clubs who continue to take the knee

"As a society, I feel we should be encouraging better education in schools, and social media companies should be taking strong action against people who abuse others online - not just footballers

"I now just want to focus on football and enjoy being back playing on the pitch

I will continue to stand tall

"It was Milivojevic's penalty that won it for Crystal Palace as he continues to be their go-to guy for set-pieces

He also led the way for interceptions (four) and made the most passes of the team against West Brom, with 26 of his 37 efforts successful

Milivojevic was joint-top for open play crosses and interceptions, as the Eagles registered a vital win

"I put it down as a very good, solid win against a team that ask a lot of you and you've got to make certain that you're capable of answering the questions you know are going to come your way

"It's all very solid football from their side and if you're not careful, if you don't plug the gaps and compete as you need to, then you pay the price

I thought the reason we didn't pay the price today was because we did those things particularly well

"It's one of those games where you don't get much praise for either drawing or winning, but the most important thing is, if you do the job properly, you get points and those points are valuable

"We're happy with 37 points, it's a lot closer to where we want to be, but we're not safe

We'll only be safe when the number of points that we're in front is greater than the number of games remaining

It's an obvious truth but it's a very important truth as well

"We have an opportunity now, we've got nine games and we need more points

But there are teams below us and behind us and we do have a margin to them… But we know there are nine more matches and we need nine more performances

If we fight like we did today then we're going to be a hard nut to crack for the nine teams we play

"Before kick-off, Zaha opted against taking a knee, becoming the first Premier League player to choose not to kneel before games since Project Restart began last summer

"I would be unbelievably surprised if there was anyone who suggested for one minute that Wilf doing what he's doing because he doesn't care

"It seems to me that he's doing it because he cares too much or wants to show he cares as much as everybody else and perhaps even more because he's making a strong statement that he doesn't think at the moment that the things we are doing are having quite the same drastic effect as perhaps they had right at the beginning

"I don't think he's alone on that, I've heard it mooted on several occasions, but if anyone doubts Wilf's commitment to the cause of anti-racism, then I can assure them that they have no reason to do so

" "You don't fear the worse when you play like that, when you outplay the opposition and you arrive in the opposition penalty area twice as many times as they do playing at home

"We put twice as many crosses in, had twice as many shots but unfortunately, our shot ratio is where it all lies

We had 12 shots today and only one on target, so it tells you our problems and what our problems have been over the last ten games or so

"It is very frustrating for the players that their efforts haven't been rewarded

That's a consistent analysis from me over the last eight or ten games - not getting what we deserved, which in the main, is our own lack of finishing in the end, unfortunately

"You need a natural goalscorer and when you have one, he finds a way to be in the right area and he doesn't need more than one or two opportunities to score a goal

Lots of teams down there [at the bottom of the Premier League] in our position find that it is their ultimate problem where you struggle to get the finishing touches because you haven't really got an out-and-out goalscorer

That makes life very difficult for you

"Everything about what we're doing now is defending superbly well, although we could have avoided the penalty

Our football up until the final third is excellent, our balls into the box maybe could be better but they're coming and the chances are there where we need more responsibly with not just scoring, but hitting the target… When you keep missing the target, it's the most disappointing thing for me

"There are 27 points available and 20 needed [to stay up]

We can only afford to drop seven points if we really want to be safe

Mathematically, we're not down yet and we'll keep on fighting and stuff like that, but it's a massive mountain to climb

"Both teams now have a three week break before their next game

Crystal Palace will travel to Everton on Saturday, April 3 while West Brom are back in London, this time at Chelsea, on the same day

Both games are subject to change

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379

Manchester City returned to form with a thrilling 5-2 win over Southampton that moves them 14 points clear at the top of the table

Saints took the game to the Premier League leaders but two goals apiece from Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne underlined City's superior quality in an entertaining game

De Bruyne's early effort had been cancelled out by James Ward-Prowse's penalty but goals from Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan secured City a two-goal advantage at half-time

There was even time for more VAR debate when Phil Foden appeared to be fouled by Alex McCarthy only to be denied a penalty - seemingly due to his own desire to stay on his feet

But it did not cost City as further second-half goals from Mahrez and De Bruyne - either side of a Che Adams strike - ensured they shrugged off the derby defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, swiftly ending any talk of a dip in form

Southampton stay in 14th position

The away side started much the brighter, dominating possession in the opening stages as their pressing game prevented City from settling into their usual passing rhythm

But City were able to score from their first meaningful attack when Oleksandr Zinchenko raced away down the left, feeding Foden inside the penalty area

Foden's shot was parried by McCarthy but the Saints goalkeeper could only push the ball into the path of De Bruyne who found the net via the underside of the crossbar

Ralph Hasenhuttl's side were undeterred despite the setback and when Nathan Redmond found space in a central area his measured effort forced Ederson to concede a corner

Jannik Vestergaard's header from the subsequent set play was blocked by the City goalkeeper but Aymeric Laporte pulled the defender back when he went for the follow-up

Ward-Prowse duly converted the resulting penalty, slotting calmly beyond Ederson and parity was the least that Southampton deserved at that stage for an enterprising start

Fortune did favour them on the half-hour mark, however, when McCarthy's poor control allowed Foden in on goal

The youngster appeared to be clipped by the goalkeeper as he attempted to take the ball round him but stayed on his feet and VAR did not intervene, City were aggrieved and there frustration would have only grown had Ederson not been able to tip a dipping long-range effort from Ward-Prowse over the bar soon after

Instead, some Mahrez magic changed the whole complexion of the match

Firstly, he capitalised on a poor pass by Adams to curl the ball low into the corner of the net from 20 yards to restore City's advantage with five minutes of the half remaining

In first-half stoppage time, the Algerian then struck the far post with a right-footed effort that bounced nicely back into the path of the onrushing Gundogan who did the rest

Another mazy run from Mahrez looked to have ended any hope of a Southampton comeback when his dancing feet carried him inside before firing past McCarthy yet again

But when Bernardo Silva uncharacteristically put his team in trouble at the other end, Adams was able to reduce the deficit

It did not stay that way for long

With the game remarkably stretched, De Bruyne was through again for City

The Belgian's assured finish from the brilliant Foden's pass brought his second goal of the evening and City's fifth

There were no further goals despite substitute Ferran Torres going close and Adams seeing an attempt ruled out for offside

Guardiola also giving a brief cameo appearance to his club's record scorer Sergio Aguero

But the points had been decided by then

Manchester City's blip lasted just one game

Foden did not score the goal that his performance deserved but he did everything but on his return to the starting line-up

After playing a key role in the opening goal, he was unable to add one of his own due to the outstretched boot of McCarthy for which a penalty was controversially not awarded

"I thought it was 100 per cent a penalty," Foden told afterwards

"I don't know what happened there

"He dealt with that disappointment to add a further two assists after the break

"I am giving the man of the match award to Phil Foden because of his tactical and technical maturity," said former Manchester City defender Andy Hinchcliffe on co-commentary for

"It was another example with this performance of why he should be playing in each and every game

He has been brilliant

"City boss on Foden penalty claim: "Jon [Moss, referee] cannot see it, but the VAR is there, they don't whistle the penalty, it's incredible

For a long time, maybe four or five years, never complain about the referees, but this action really is in-cred-ib-le

In-cred-ib-le

"The VAR exists for when the referee doesn't see the action, they can make a mistake, that's why they review

But if there is a review and they didn't whistle the penalty for this action, I don't understand

Honestly

The same with Fulham and Arsenal

Maybe one day they will explain rally the rule for all of the managers and players

"Tough game

They make us suffer the most this season, without the ball

After two shots on target we scored two goals

Second half we were much, much better

Unfortunately with the 4-1 we concede a goal we could have conceded

"In general, good, another victory, and now Fulham

The quality of our players won the game

This game belongs to the players

Riyad, Phil, Kevin, they won the game

"Saints boss : "We played quite well, I must say, even though we conceded five goals

When they win the ball it goes so quick

"In the second half, when they get confident, then it looks horrible

You are always too late, they have so much quality

I must say it's absolutely OK what we did today

"In the end it's not so interesting if you lose 1-0 or 5-2, this game I enjoy more than sitting back for 90 minutes and parking the bus

We showed how brave we can be with the ball against this side, this is our way

This is what I like to see and I enjoyed the game to be honest

"Manchester City now go to Fulham on Saturday at 8pm in the Premier League, before hosting Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League last-16 second leg in Budapest

Southampton now host Brighton at midday on Sunday in the Premier League

null

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<PAD>

380

Jamaal Lascelles' stoppage-time header saw Newcastle snatch a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa at St James' Park

Ciaran Clark's 86th-minute own goal had appeared to have given Villa all three points, until the Newcastle captain's 94th-minute header rescued a point for Steve Bruce's side

As a result, the hosts stay 16th in the table, although they are now two points clear of the drop zone, while Dean Smith's side remain in ninth place

Newcastle were in desperate need of a morale-boosting win having gone four league games without a victory, a run that had seen them fall to within a point of the bottom three at just the wrong time of the season

Villa, menwnhile, were once again without their influential captain Jack Grealish, who was missing due to illness, as the visitors looked to improve on a record of just four wins in 21 matches when the England international was absent

However, both sides could have done with a player of Grealish's imagination in a lacklustre first half that was cagey and tight, and lacking in any meaningful attacking play

The only occasion either goalkeeper was called into action before half-time was when Trezeguet and Anwar El Ghazi - on for the injured Bertrand Traore - exchanged passes on the right-hand side of the box, before the former stung Martin Dubravka's palms with a fiercely struck drive

The second period, though, followed a similar pattern to the first as Villa pushed for the breakthrough, with Ezri Konsa going close with a glancing header, while Newcastle largely looked to catch their opponents on the break

Matt Targett inadvertently headed Isaac Hayden's centre goalwards, before Joelinton failed to pick out a team-mate in the six-yard box after making space for himself in the box with a smart turn

Jacob Murphy came desperately close to opening the scoring with seven minutes to go, but having twisted and turned to earn him some space in the box, the substitute crashed his effort against the bar as the game appeared destined to end goalless

But there was late, late drama in the north east as first Ollie Watkins got a head on to Targett's inviting left-wing cross, with the ball somehow ending up in the net via a huge deflection off Clark, who was credited with an own goal

Just as Villa thought they had done enough to earn the win, though, Lascelles met Murphy's cross with a powerful header in the fourth minute of stoppage time to score a goal that could prove vital come the end of the campaign

"There's still a long way to go yet

The tickly bit hasn't come upon us just yet, so we've got all that to look forward to

"We've got a big, huge game, as we know, next week, but 10, 11 games to go, it's still all to play for

"To get off the the floor the way they have after the hideous goal they have conceded

The way they've gone about their work tonight

null

"I thought we were marginally the better side and had the better opportunities and it would have been cruel if we hadn't have got something from the match

""It's two dropped from scoring in the 89th minute or whatever it was

"We were fortunate to score the goal, but you certainly take those and then we should go and see the game out

"We got a great opportunity to get a three or four v one and go and finish the game off to make it 2-0 and we messed that up, and then we messed a few clearances up and they end up scoring with 10 seconds to go, so we're disappointed

"While Villa's improvement on the whole has been massive this season, no player has come on quite as much as full-back Matt Targett and he showed that again at St James' Park

Dogged in the tackle, Targett was rarely troubled by Newcastle's forwards and offered an outlet going forward all the time

It's a shame his teammates failed to get on the end of any of his balls into the box

Newcastle take on fellow strugglers Brighton at the Amex on Saturday March 20 at 8pm

Meanwhile, Villa face Tottenham at Villa Park on Sunday March 21 at 7

30pm, with both matches live on

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381

Burnley charged clear of the relegation zone with an impressive 2-1 win at Everton, who missed the chance to close in on the top four places in the Premier League

Sean Dyche's men attacked with great cohesion and bravery, with Chris Wood opening the scoring (13) before Dwight McNeil curled home a stunning effort from range (24)

Dominic Calvert-Lewin halved the deficit for the hosts (32) but that was as good as it got for Carlo Ancelotti, who also lost his goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to a first-half injury

Fulham's recent form has put the pressure on the teams above them, like Burnley, but this win takes Sean Dyche's men seven points clear of the relegation zone ahead of the Cottagers' clash at home to leaders Manchester City on Saturday night

Meanwhile, since winning their opening two home games, Everton have won just three of the last 12 at Goodison Park, including defeats to Fulham, Newcastle and now Burnley

The Toffees remain sixth, five points off the top four

Everton's domination of possession in the early stages would not have worried Dyche, who had set his team up in usual organised fashion

There was little purpose to Everton's passing and Burnley showed them how it should be done on 13 minutes with an attack full of direction and danger

Josh Brownhill dispossessed Tom Davies deep inside his own half and sent McNeil racing down the left and his deflected cross was clipped home past an unsighted Pickford by Wood

A response from Everton was expected but Burnley sensed blood and should have had the game wrapped up in the next 15 minutes

Visibly aggrieved by what they felt was the clear denial of a penalty, when McNeil's corner hit the raised elbow of Mason Holgate as he challenged Ben Mee, Burnley's intensity increased and they added a brilliant second moments later

McNeil, in the inside-right position, easily skipped past the tackle of Allan and advanced unchallenged to curl a superb left-footed effort into the top corner

Johann Gudmundsson then hit the post with a low shot from distance with Pickford at full stretch with a despairing dive that caused the Everton goalkeeper an injury to his hip

Calvert-Lewin got the hosts back on track, powering home a close-range header from Davies' cross for his first goal in five matches and he should have done better with his flicked attempt from Andre Gomes' free-kick moments later

Pickford eventually succumbed to his injury and was replaced by Joao Virginia for his Premier League debut, two-and-a-half years after joining from Arsenal, just before the break

Like the first half, Everton tested Pope early after the interval, with the England goalkeeper tipping Gomes' shot around the post

Burnley were comfortable in their shape though, winning second balls to trigger clever counter attacks

A mix-up between Virginia and Ben Godfrey almost gifted Matej Vydra - brilliant throughout - a tap-in but he missed his kick

Ben Mee then looped a header off the crossbar as Everton somehow stayed in the game

Everton pushed for the equaliser but Burnley dug in to claim the points

It's easy to forget that Dwight McNeil is just 21-years-old

With 88 Premier League appearances under his belt it seems like he's a seasoned campaigner down the Burnley left flank

He's had a relatively quiet season - up until the last few weeks

And it came alive in this performance, capped by a quite sensational individual goal

"I do it in training all the time - I just needed to do it in a match situation," McNeil told Sky Sports

Former Burnley boss Eddie Howe, on punditry duty, said: "I loved the chop he did on Allan

It was a great finish

To score from that range it has to be full of quality and right in the corner and it was

"There's still so much more to come from McNeill, too, with natural development under the watchful eye of his astute manager

He's Burnley gem

Everton boss told : "Big disappointment

We lost a great opportunity to climb the table

We made the same mistakes we have in games this season at home

We started poorly and were 2-0 down

We tried to get back into the game but it was not enough

"It was a mistake

We tried to build up and were imbalanced

They were better and strong defensively

They won second balls

This is the reason for the defeat

"We should have created more

We missed passes and crosses

We missed control and quality

"He (Jordan Pickford) had the same problem he had before

He will have a check on Monday and we will see

It is not a big problem

"When we try to play with quality we have difficulties

We are strong when we defend properly

It is clear at home we were not good enough

We are fantastic away

This season is like this

Next game is at home and we have to do better

"Burnley boss told : "It was a really good win and a really well earned win

The willingness came from our shape to press

I thought we looked a threat and it could've been more by half-time given the quality of the chances

They're a really good side and they came out lively at the start of the second period, but I thought we were in control

"The players' mentality has been fantastic and it always is

We're trying to nurse some players back to full fitness

"Popey had to make a big save but we handled well

We don't just try to stop goals, we've got players with quality to score

I thought Woody's was a great finish, and Dwighty's got a lot of quality - there's a lot more to come from him

"And we had some clear-cut opportunities

We don't always make the most of our chances but we did today

"Everton face Manchester City in a FA Cup quarter-final next Saturday

Burnley now have 21 days until their next match, with an FA Cup weekend and an international break to come

Their next fixture is against Southampton on April 3

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382

Sergio Aguero scored his first Premier League goal in over a year to help Manchester City win 3-0 at Fulham and move 17 points clear at the top of the table

Pep Guardiola's side were made to wait until the start of the second half before taking the lead through John Stones' close-range finish, before Gabriel Jesus soon took advantage of a mix-up at the back to double the visitors' lead

Aguero - making just his second start for City since October and captaining his team - provided the icing on the cake when converting a penalty on the hour-mark, with the striker ending a run of 13 games without a goal stretching back to January 2020

As a result, City now need just 14 points from their final eight matches to be sure of the title, while Scott Parker's team stay in the relegation zone on goal difference behind Brighton, who have two games in hand on the west Londoners

City have made more Premier League changes than any side so far this season and Guardiola was at it again at Craven Cottage - making a whopping seven alterations to the side that beat Southampton so convincingly last time out - with one eye on Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second-leg tie at home to Borussia Monchengladbach

One of those saw a recall for Aguero as the visitors opted for a 3-4-3 formation, although not surprisingly having missed so much football of late, the Argentine looked rusty and off the pace in a first half largely devoid of any meaningful action

City tested Alphonse Areola on a couple of occasions through shots from Ferran Torres and Bernardo Silva, but the Fulham No 1 was more than up to it as the two teams went in level at the break

However, one minute and 16 seconds into the second half and City were ahead as Joao Cancelo curled in a free-kick from the left-hand touchline, only to get it wrong and allow Stones a simple finish for his fourth goal in his last 10 appearances for the club

Just nine minutes later City doubled their lead, and again, Fulham were their own worst enemies as a mix-up between Ivan Cavaleiro and captain Joachim Andersen let in Jesus - who coolly rounded Areola for his 12th goal of the campaign

Minutes later, Fulham's former City defender Tosin Adarabioyo got caught in possession attempting a flick, before the youngster made matters worse by barging Torres over in the box for a clear-cut penalty

Up stepped Aguero, 32, to beat Areola from the spot, despite the Frenchman diving the right way, as City netted their 99th goal of the campaign to register a club-equalling 16th away game in a row without defeat

"I thought first half we took the game to Man City and played very well, were very solid out of possession

"I asked the team to be very brave in terms of how we set it up and building from midfield and I thought we did it very well

"It's fair to say there were some sloppy goals really in the second half

Something we've not been accustomed to seeing really

"Set-play goal which was poor and two individual errors that Man City pounced on and the game was over at that point really so I think that's the residing factor from tonight's game

"I asked the team to be brave, I asked the team to show courage because that's what you have to do when you're playing a top side like Man City and try and leave a mark or at least try and have some impact on the game and I thought we did that, but there's no denying that we made mistakes and the goals we conceded tonight were poor goals

""In general, the game was really good in a tough, tough stadium, they came here and they won in Anfield last week and they always create chances

"We controlled really well and we played in the first half really good and we cannot deny we scored the first goal in the first minute (of the second half) with John (Stones) and after much later, the second and the third and it was an important and brilliant victory

"We knew it was important this week with three games in three different competitions, we started with one (win)

But eight games left in the Premier League, now we focus on the Champions League

"Silva struggled at the start of the season, finding it hard to get into the City line-up, but boy has he returned to form since returning to the side in December

And the diminutive forward was once again on song in west London to help City cruise to a 3-0 win, orchestrating all that was good from the visitors

The Portugal international went close to opening the scoring in the first half, only to be denied by a smart near-post stop by Areola, and continued to be the standout performer after the break as the 26-year-old again reminded everyone of his importance to this team

Fulham take on Leeds United at Craven Cottage on Friday at 8pm in a match you can see live on

Meanwhile, City face Monchengladbach at the Etihad in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday (8pm), leading 2-0 from the first leg, before an FA Cup quarter-final at Everton on Saturday March 20 (5

30pm)

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383

Chelsea consolidated fourth spot in the Premier League as Thomas Tuchel's unbeaten start to life at Stamford Bridge continued with a 2-0 victory over Everton

In a crucial contest in the race for Champions League qualification, Kai Havertz made decisive contributions in either half as Chelsea proved a cut above their resurgent top-four rivals

Havertz had a hand in Chelsea's opener when his 31st-minute strike deflected in off Everton defender Ben Godfrey, and the German won the second-half penalty off Jordan Pickford which handed Jorginho the opportunity to double the hosts' lead from the spot

Tuchel's eighth victory as Chelsea manager extends his unbeaten start to 11 games and sees the Blues open up a four-point lead over fifth-placed Everton, who saw their three-game winning run end with a whimper in the capital

Chelsea came out strong but Everton stood firm in the face of sustained pressure, limiting the hosts to just a single attempt in the opening quarter of an hour, with Jorginho whistling a volley inches wide after a corner was cleared to him on the edge of the box

Callum Hudson-Odoi and Havertz steadily grew into the game and were involved as Chelsea made the breakthrough just after the half-hour mark

Hudson-Odoi span brilliantly away from Mason Holgate and Andre Gomes in midfield before releasing Marcos Alonso away down the left, and the Spaniard's driven cross was turned towards goal by Havertz before hitting the bottom corner after a wicked deflection off Godfrey left Joran Pickford with no chance of saving

Pickford was called upon moments later and rose to the challenge as he adjusted his footwork superbly to tip Alonso's deflected shot around the post and prevent Chelsea from doubling their lead before the break

Havertz had the ball in the Everton net for a second time shortly after the restart when he lashed a shot past Pickford after bringing Hudson-Odoi's floated ball down, but he was adjudged to have handled the ball and he was denied a goal again

Everton best chance to get back into the game passed Richarlison by on 57 minutes when he shanked woefully wide after being played through on goal by Gylfi Sigurdsson

And Chelsea soon had their second, with Havertz involved again

The German burst onto Mateo Kovacic's through pass and skipped around Pickford being being tripped by the Toffees stopper

Up stepped Jorginho with his trademark hop, skip and jump to double Chelsea's advantage and tighten their grip on a top-four spot

"We deserved to win

It was a very difficult first half, but we controlled it completely

Second half we increased our level and had a lot of dangerous attacks

"You see the quality of the players and the club

It is a pleasure to be on the sideline and work with the team

Everybody in the club is doing everything to compete at this level

""We have to be honest; we are not at the same level

We cannot play an open game against this kind of team

"It was the plan to play the same way as we played against Liverpool, but against Liverpool we scored early

"We are looking to fight for Europe

This is good for us

We will be there until the last game

We are disappointed for this defeat but no tragedy

We look to the next game

"Kai Havertz has yet to make his mark since arriving at Chelsea but this performance served as a first example of the match-winning qualities he has in abundance

Eyebrows were raised when Tuchel made five changes from the win at Anfield, one of which saw Havertz replace the in-form Mason Mount, but the decision was vindicated by the German responsible for the game's two decisive moments

On another day Havertz would have had two goals to show for his performance but Godfrey's own goal and VAR did little to detract from his first-class contribution

Chelsea travel to Leeds in the Premier League on Saturday at 12

30pm, before Everton host Burnley on at 5

30pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League

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384

West Brom and Newcastle played out a goalless draw as Steve Bruce ended a turbulent week with a positive result in a game low on quality

In an encounter full of endeavour but zero quality, the Baggies created the better opportunities but couldn't take advantage of the 29 crosses they put into the Newcastle box with Mbaye Diagne continuing his luckless run in front of goal

Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark were the stars for the visiting Toon, who carried little threat in attack without Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson or Miguel Almiron

This will be seen as a better result for Newcastle than West Brom as the gap between the two clubs remains at nine points and Sam Allardyce's side are eight points from safety

Bruce would have wanted a reaction from his players after a turbulent week and they started with good intent

Joelinton had an effort blocked after a clever break by Ryan Fraser before a goal-saving tackle by Darnell Furlong denied Fraser a tap-in

West Brom settled as the half wore on with Conor Townsend proving a good outlet from the left

His cross produced the best chance of the half but Diagne's clever header was palmed around the post by Martin Dubravka

Bruce rolled the dice just 11 minutes after the break when Dwight Gayle replaced Jeff Hendrick as West Brom were beginning to pin the Toon back with Matt Phillips striking Townsend's cross over from eight yards

Gayle almost made an instant impact when he teed up Joe Willock to test Sam Johnstone at his near post on the hour

Some superb wing play from Ainsley Maitland-Niles should have presented Diagne with a much-needed goal but he awkwardly missed his kick from close range

As the Baggies began to tire Newcastle exploited the extra space and Johnstone saved low from Joelinton with 20 minutes left

That was the last we saw of Newcastle as an attacking threat as they soaked up pressure in the closing stages with Clark and Lascelles clearing all the loose balls in their area

More performances like this from the Baggies full-back and he won't be playing in the Championship next season as he looks a Premier League player all over

Someone will surely snap him up

His marauding runs down the left was West Brom's best weapon and he can feel aggrieved with his team-mates for not taking any of the chances he put on a plate for them

Townsend created five chances in the match, the most from open play by a West Brom player in the Premier League since April 2014

His quality shone in a largely forgettable affair

"We have to be ready for it, we hope not and hope we can pick up enough points

But we have shown signs we are doing OK after a dismal run of games

"To be without them (the injured players) and get a point really pleased me, the attitude and spirit is what got them the point

"We are disappointed we didn't win but the one thing which was vitally important was we didn't get beaten, with the problems we have had over the past five or six days and more importantly the injuries

"The reason why we got a point was the togetherness and attitude

We lacked a bit of quality but without the big players the team had to roll up their sleeves and take a point if that's what it was going to be

" "I sound like a record which is stuck, looking back to the chances we missed in the last four or five games

I can't knock the lads too much because of the effort after playing against the odds on Thursday

"The big disappointment is we didn't finish Newcastle off, we're giving ourselves a great platform to finish teams off but we fail to do so

"It means we have to win the next game to stay alive

It'll mean at one stage we will have to win every single game that's left

"The performances have become a part of our DNA, we are tactically aware, the performances are at a high level, our fitness has improved

The only thing which has been missing is the quality of finishing

"West Brom have a trip to Crystal Palace next Saturday (3pm), a game live on Sky Sports

Meanwhile, Newcastle host Aston Villa on Friday night (8pm)

null

<PAD>

Johnstone

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Furlong

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Bartley

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O'Shea

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Maitland-Niles

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Yokuslu

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Townsend

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Gallagher

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Phillips

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Pereira

False

Diagne

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Robson-Kanu

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Grant

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Dubravka

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Krath

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Lascelles

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Clark

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Dummett

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Willock

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Hayden

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Shelvey

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Fraser

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Hendrick

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Joelinton

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Gayle

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<PAD>

385

Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson continued their run of scoring form to lift West Ham back to fifth with a 2-0 win over Leeds on Monday Night Football

Lingard opened the scoring on the rebound from his own penalty in the 21st minute, saved by Illan Meslier, after the Manchester United loanee had been tripped by Luke Ayling just inside the visitors' penalty area

Dawson doubled the lead by capitalising on Leeds' Achilles heel of defending set-pieces to bury a free header from a corner seven minutes later, before stooping to head against the post from another before half-time

Leeds missed a hatful of chances in either half with Patrick Bamford twice guilty of gilt-edged misses and substitute Rodrigo's effort cleared off the line late on

The hosts instead taught their visitors a lesson in clinical finishing - with Dawson and Lingard now scorers of seven of West Ham's last 13 Premier League goals - to leapfrog Everton into fifth, two points off a top-four spot

Leeds began with their usual intensity and saw an early goal ruled out for a marginal offside call against Helder Costa, a minute after he had already drilled over when well-placed in a bright start from the visitors

Marcelo Bielsa has seen plenty of those before, but they have often been unravelled by poor defending

It was no different at the London Stadium, where Ayling tracked Lingard's run into the box before dangling a tentative leg out which sent the midfielder tumbling, right in front of referee Mike Dean

Lingard's awful spot-kick was easily saved by Meslier but parried straight back into his path, where he tapped home his fourth goal since his loan move in January

Seven minutes later the lead was doubled as Aaron Cresswell's corner was buried at the back post by Dawson, who would then hit the post from another in first-half injury time

Bielsa made two changes at the break and looked to inject some life into a Leeds side which had flagged after the second goal

They lacked only a final touch for a route back into the game, and Bamford curled a one-on-one wide before Raphinha's deflected bicycle kick was tipped over superbly by Lukasz Fabianski

Pablo Fornals rattled the bar from range in West Ham's closest attempt of the half as they focused on seeing out victory, which would have been harder had Bamford not skied another effort over from eight yards or Rodrigo been denied on the line by Dawson

But at is it was, without a Leeds goal forthcoming, David Moyes could breathe easy with his side taking another step towards upsetting the odds this season, with a five-point gap now opened up to eighth place, and only two keeping them from a Champions League spot

West Ham manager told We had a bit of control, but I didn't enjoy it

We didn't pass it well at all, nothing like how we've played

But what we are doing well is being resilient and hard to beat and keeping the ball out of the net as much as we can

All those things are part of football

"We are doing really well at the moment

We are having a good season, but we could have a great season

Our aim is to have a great season

If it were to finish now, we'd probably say we had a good year

I was disappointed when we dropped out of the top four

"I'm not going to say we're going to finish in it, but why can we not hang in there and see what we can do? Anything in the top half of the league would be seen as a strong season for West Ham

"Leeds manager : "The initial 15 minutes were very good, the final 30 minutes of the first half we defended poorly

In the second half, we defended well and attacked well, and I think barring those 30 minutes we were superior

"As we can't ignore that 30 minutes, my conclusion is we played better in the second half than they did in the first half - the differences in the first half were smaller than in the second half

""I've been playing in the first team for four years and I said last week, this is the best squad I've been a part of at West Ham

"It's the gaffer's second time round, the players we've brought in, it's a real enjoyment

You wake up and look forward to going into training, seeing the lads

"That's a great football environment, and that shows on the pitch, how we are off the pitch

How the manager's got us playing, it's a real special place to be around at the moment, and long may that continue

"It's hard to come and say we're going to be in the Champions League, there's so many games left, Chelsea have hit some fantastic form and so have Tottenham

It's going to be a real tough test, but looking where we are compared to last season, it's a massive upgrade

"It's in our hands, we've got Manchester United next then Arsenal, if we want to push on and believe we can be a European team, whether that's Europa League, Champions League, we've got to win the big games

We've just got to keep going, take every game as it comes - and we'll be ready

"A colossus at both ends of the pitch, Dawson is fast becoming one of the Premier League's better signings of the season, something few expected when he was brought in from relegated Watford where he had hardly courted plaudits

Sky Sports' Alan Smith said: "Craig Dawson has been at the heart of West Ham's defending, the highlight of which was that goal-line clearance

He got that goal as well, which was an important one

A solid performance from the centre-back who wasn't even a Premier League player at the start of the season

"West Ham's European credentials are going to be tested again with a trip to Manchester United on Sunday, live on from 7pm; kick-off at 7

15pm

Leeds next host Chelsea on Saturday lunch-time; kick-off at 12

30pm

null

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Dawson

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Soucek

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Rice

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Fornals

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Benrahma

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Antonio

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Bowen

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Meslier

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Ayling

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Cooper

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Llorente

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Dallas

False

Phillips

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Klich

False

Raphinha

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Roberts

False

Costa

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Bamford

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Alioski

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Harrison

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Rodrigo

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<PAD>

386

Liverpool's capitulation as champions stooped to an unprecedented low as Fulham boosted their survival hopes with a 1-0 win at Anfield which condemned Jurgen Klopp's side to a sixth successive home defeat

Klopp made seven changes in the wake of Thursday's defeat by Chelsea but they failed to inspire the Reds as their horrendous home run continued against the relegation-threatened Cottagers

Mario Lemina punished slack defending from Mohamed Salah to rifle in his first Fulham goal on the stroke of half-time as Scott Parker's side were rewarded for their adventurous approach at the home of champions

Substitute Sadio Mane clipped the crossbar in the second half and a crucial stoppage-time clearance from Joachim Andersen prevented Liverpool from salvaging a point as they failed to win for an eighth consecutive game at Anfield for the first time since 1958

By contrast, it was a memorable first managerial visit to Anfield for Parker as he guided Fulham to only their second victory away at Liverpool which sees them move level on points with 17th-place Brighton in the battle for survival

With an eye arguably on Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second-leg with RB Leipzig, Klopp made seven pre-match changes, but they were pounced upon by a Fulham side fighting for their lives

The visitors came close to taking an early lead when January loan signing Josh Maja shanked a volley wide inside three minutes, and Fulham's adventurous approach went on to cause Liverpool's makeshift defence issues throughout the first period

Ademola Lookman had the beating of Neco Williams, tormenting the Liverpool right-back throughout with driving runs which he could have capped with goals had he found the target with two shots early in the first half

Liverpool were indebted to two smothering save from Alisson Becker before the half-hour mark when he prevented Maja from bundling the ball home at the second attempt after reaching Kenny Tete's cross to the back post

Neco Williams was undone by another run in behind from Lookman on 35 minutes but recovered in time with a crucial last-ditch block which turned the Fulham forward's shot over the bar

Salah looked sharp in the final third as he looked to draw a line under his midweek substitution against Chelsea

But having flashed a couple of early chances wide of the Fulham goal, the Egyptian's week took a turn for the worse a minute before the break

Salah dithered in possession on the edge of his own area after Liverpool had cleared a cross into the box, inviting pressure from Lemina who picked his pocket and rifled a low shot past Alisson which gave Fulham the half-time lead

Klopp resisted the temptation of making changes at the start of the second half, which was greeted by the low buzz overhead of a banner-carrying plane which the message 'Unity is Strength

Let's go Reds

YNWA'

It almost inspired the Reds to an instant response, with Diogo Jota's thunderous volley expertly tipped away by Alphonse Areola within three minutes of the restart

Mane was introduced just after the hour mark but even he was unable to spark Liverpool into life as he failed to convert a header from Shaqiri's cross and scuffed an effort into the ground from Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross

Liverpool ramped up the pressure late on but Fulham's stout defensive performance was typified by Andersen's stunning late clearance as Liverpool's Anfield woes continued to leave their top-four hopes in tatters

"So often at these stages last season, Liverpool scored late goals, even the year before when they were chasing down Man City

That man [Jurgen Klopp] rightly called his side the 'mentality monsters' and they deserved that tag

But right now, they are like 'mentality midgets'

"Every time there is a bit of adversity, you go behind in a game, his team is just not dealing well with adversity at any stage in this last three or four months

"It's not acceptable from Liverpool, that sort of performance, and I'll tell you what, I played in some really poor Liverpool teams

These defeats, at home, against the level of opposition, you need to find something from somewhere

It looks like top four positions now are a long way off

""There were moments we could have had more of an impact on the game

Conceding that goal before half-time was a massive blow

We tried to react, and the boys showed that

In the end if we don't score goals that's a big problem

"We never had a momentum in the season, really, in the Premier League at least

You can see that

It's still in the boys, they still have it all, but in the moment can't show it

It would be a masterpiece to find out how we change that overnight

"The only good thing is we play a different competition in three games and hopefully we can show a different face there

"Fulham will cause us problems - it's clear

They're in a good moment, they're a good team

We all agree a team like this should stay in the Premier League

"Asked if Fulham 'wanted it more', Klopp said: "The winner is always right

My boys wanted it

It's easy to judge, 'they have won it so wanted it more

' I don't think that's the problem

I don't have to stand here and say we're fighting for this or that

" "First half I thought we were every bit what I wanted us to look like

The chances we created, the boys stuck to the plan, and we were worthy of the first goal

"But again at the end, the whole second half, we had to show another side to us, character, resilience, doggedness

I'm so proud of the team today

I've always said to the team: 'The way we're playing, things will change' and today we're on the right side of that, so it's massive

"There is momentum with us as a team

When it's all said and done at the end of the season, we'll work out whether we were good enough or not

"I'm pleased for the lads, that they've got what they deserve, because for large parts of this season, and in the last 10 or 15 games, we haven't got what we deserved

"Ademola Lookman was the shining light in an impressive offensive display

The marauding Kenny Tete deserved recognition from his tireless efforts down the right flank

But the inspired performance of captain Andersen typified the fighting spirit of Fulham

Alongside Tosin, the Cottagers have a centre-back pairing that will be the foundations of their survival bid if they pull of their relegation escape

Liverpool 'host' RB Leipzig in their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday at 8pm in Budapest, before travelling to Wolves on at 8pm - live on Sky Sports Premier League

Fulham host league leaders Manchester City on Saturday at 8pm

null

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Alisson

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NWilliams

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Keita

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Shaqiri

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Salah

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Jota

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Fabinho

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Mane

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Alexander-Arnold

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Areola

True

Tete

True

Andersen

True

Tosin

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Aina

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Reed

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Lemina

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Lookman

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Cavaleiro

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Decordova-Reid

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Maja

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Mitrovic

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<PAD>

387

A James Ward-Prowse penalty and a powerful Che Adams volley gave Southampton their first win in 10 games as they beat basement-side Sheffield United 2-0 at Bramall Lane

Ward-Prowse fired in the opener from the spot (32) after Nathan Tella had been fouled by Ethan Ampadu, with regular penalty taker Danny Ings already withdrawn to add to the Saints' lengthy injury list

Sheffield United passed up a great opportunity to level moments before the break when former Saint David McGoldrick fired straight at Fraser Forster - his shot would prove one of only two that were on target from the hosts all afternoon

Instead, Southampton doubled their lead after a half-hearted clearance from John Lundstram was nodded straight to Adams, who volleyed a stunning second past Aaron Ramsdale from 20 yards (49)

A first win since beating Liverpool on January 4 eases the Saints' faint relegation worries and moves them 10 points clear of Fulham, but the Blades remain 12 points adrift of safety, having now played two games more than 17th-placed Newcastle

It was always unlikely to be a high-octane affair at Bramall Lane, given the form of the two clubs involved, with errors over quality likely to play their part

And they did

The first chance of note took 25 minutes to arrive - when Enda Stevens' fluffed clearance allowed Tella a free shot with Ramsdale off his line - but his panicked finish flew well wide

Eight minutes later the Saints were ahead, with Tella again playing a part

His pace would trouble the Blades throughout and he was clearly clipped by Ampadu when running through, allowing Ward-Prowse to send Ramsdale the wrong way for the opener

In the dying moments of the opening period McGoldrick should have levelled from a lackadaisical Ibrahima Diallo pass in midfield, but he fired Rhian Brewster's threaded pass straight into Forster's body

Sheffield United have lacked quality throughout the season while remaining committed mentally, but even that was in real question for the Saints' second four minutes after the break

Kyle Walker-Peters' cross was kept alive by Adams on the byline before his low cross was palmed away to Ramsdale

A lazy hook from Lundstram only found Armstrong, whose header teed up Adams for a thunderous finish to double the lead

That should not have been Adams' only goal as he was later denied by Ramsdale on the break, with Nathan Redmond also kept out from a similar position, while Takumi Minamino and Stuart Armstrong also missed presentable chances to add to the visitors' lead and confidence

Stevens and Jayden Bogle both passed up half-chances for the hosts, who continued fighting until the end, but may not have much longer to fight in their increasingly unlikely attempt at avoiding the drop

Sheffield United manager told : "We didn't deserve anything from the game

We had more of the ball than we've had for quite a while, but second half the second goal killed us

"We had possession at the top of the pitch, it comes back, and a lack of quality, a mis-timed tackle, we give it away again - it's another one of three, four and five mistakes

You can't let one mistake go to another, and we've done that too many times

I don't really have an answer for anybody, any of the players

"Yep, we've opened up, they could've taken us from two to three to four, Aaron's made sure it hasn't happened, but we have to be at our best, full-tilt, the best players have got to be playing to the best of our abilities

"Southampton manager told : "The first win after a long time is always an important one, and I think it was a deserved one today

We had a good performance, deserved to win and it feels good

"The team did what we had to do against a team that is fighting for everything

The only thing I can criticise is that we could have scored more, but it was important for Che to score, Nathan Tella played well, and it was a good performance

"Earlier in the season, it was the absence of Ings which allowed Adams to blossom, and perhaps lightning will strike twice here

Certainly it did in the resumption of his scoring streak versus Sheffield United, against whom he has scored four of his nine Premier League goals

The second goal was owed not just to his superb long-range finish but also his work-rate in stopping Walker-Peters' cross going behind when the Sheffield United defenders had switched off, and he was excellent with and without the ball

Sheffield United visit Leicester next Sunday, live on from 1pm; Kick-off at 2pm

Before that Southampton face Manchester City in midweek, visiting the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, live on Sky Sports Premier League

<PAD>

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McGoldrick

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Forster

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Bednarek

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Redmond

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<PAD>

388

Granit Xhaka gifted Burnley an equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal, in a match which also saw Erik Pieters' red card and an Arsenal penalty overturned by VAR

Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang put Arsenal in control with an early finish that snuck through the grasp of Nick Pope (6)

However, with Arsenal cruising and Burnley struggling, Xhaka inexplicably decided to play a pass across his own six-yard box which deflected off Chris Wood's hip and into the unguarded net (39)

The game seemed to be meandering towards an uneventful conclusion but then sparked into life in the final 10 minutes

Arsenal felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Pieters looked to have handled in the area but VAR did not deem it a clear and obvious error

Pieters - in the thick of the action - was then dismissed by referee Andre Marriner and a penalty was awarded when the defender deflected a Nicolas Pepe effort onto the crossbar

However, VAR showed that the block had come off his shoulder and Burnley had a reprieve

Arsenal still managed to create one last chance in injury-time but Dani Ceballos curled an effort off the foot of the post as Burnley managed to hold on

Arsenal have taken only eight points from their last seven games, leaving them firmly in mid-table as the fight for Europe rages above them

Aubameyang's clever positioning off the left spearheaded attack after attack in the first half for Arsenal

The Gabon forward needed only six minutes to make it six goals from his last five starts, cutting in from the left to hit a low shot which Pope could not keep out at his near post

Gareth Southgate was watching on from the stands

Aubameyang - who has scored more goals, eight, against Burnley than any other Premier League side - looked in the mood as he twice went close himself while also setting up Bukayo Saka, guilty of a bad miss as he poked wide

Burnley could barely string two passes together as Thomas Partey then fired over from Martin Odegaard's cut back

But then Xhaka came bearing Premier League gifts

Xhaka took a short pass from Bernd Leno while facing his own goal and a pass to David Luiz looked on but the Swiss midfielder took a touch, looked up, then inexplicably kicked the ball against Wood and watched in horror as it flew into the net

It was the eighth time the Swiss midfielder has been guilty of an error leading directly to a goal since the 2016-17 season - more than any other outfield player in the Premier League

Burnley enjoyed more and more of the ball after the break as the game turned into a scrappy affair that suited Sean Dyche's men

Saka wanted a penalty when the ball struck substitute Pieters on 74 minutes, but neither Marriner nor VAR Kevin Friend were interested as it came at the Dutchman from close range

Pieters remained at the forefront of the game as his volley had to be touched over the crossbar by Leno at full stretch

Moments later Wood should have had his second but shot straight at Leno when played in by Matej Vydra

At the other end substitute Pepe missed a sitter as he swung tamely at Kieran Tierney's pass

Further drama came as Marriner pointed to the spot when Pepe's volley hit Pieters and flew on to the crossbar

Pieters was initially shown a red card, but it was overturned by Friend with replays showing the ball struck the Burnley man on the shoulder

Ceballos then saw his shot come back off the post in a frantic finish that Burnley were fortunate to escape from with a point

Burnley must be sick of the sight of Aubameyang

He has now scored more Premier League goals against Burnley (8) than against any other club, while only against Hamburg (9) has he netted more often in the top five European leagues

Overall, the Gabon striker looks a far more confident player than the one who has struggled for large parts this season

That is now six goals in his last five starts across all competitions

His movement looks sharper, as does his finishing

There was never anything else in his mind as he dribbled towards the box

We are now seeing the real Aubameyang

said: "Overall, another good point against a good Arsenal side

We attempted to affect the game by pressing all match

We relied on the same group [as in previous games] and they were outstanding, the way they went after Arsenal for the whole 90 minutes

"I'm a fan of VAR, we know it has to be streamlined but that is where it's worth its weight in gold

The referee couldn't wait to get his red card out today, although he is a very fine referee

That is what VAR is for

There wasn't a lot in it in the first half, but our defending was exceptional and we probably made the chance of the game, but their 'keeper made a good save

" said: "I'm disappointed with the result, but the reality is when you come here, which is a tough place to play, and you generate the chances that we created, don't score enough, give a goal to the opponent and then don't get the decisions that you should get, it becomes difficult to win a game in the league

"On the no handball penalty decision that was not overturned by VAR, was it a penalty? "Absolutely I think it's obvious and clear I think there is no debate about that

If that's not a penalty I think somebody has to explain what is a penalty in this league

"Burnley have condemned online abuse directed at defender Erik Pieters and his family following the 1-1 draw against Arsenal and the club are investigating the matter

The abusive comments were made on an Instagram post, where Pieters had wished his wife a happy Valentine's Day

Some contained wishes of harm on his wife and unborn child

A Burnley statement read: "We are aware of online abuse directed at Erik Pieters following yesterday's game

"Thanks to all who have highlighted it

We are in contact with all relevant parties and offering our support to Erik and his family

" has contacted Instagram for comment

Pieters came on as a substitute at Turf Moor on Saturday, replacing the injured Charlie Taylor during the second half and Arsenal felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Pieters looked to have handled the ball in the six-yard box as he blocked a shot from Nicolas Pepe in the latter stages of the game

Referee Andre Mariner awarded a penalty to the Gunners and gave Pieters a red card but the decision was overturned following a VAR review which ruled that the shot ricocheted off of the defender's shoulder instead of his arm

After the final whistle, Pieters explained that he felt VAR had made the correct call after Mariner's original decision was reviewed

null

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Pope

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Lowton

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Tarkowski

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Mee

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Taylor

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McNeil

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Wood

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Pieters

True

Brady

False

Rodriguez

False

Leno

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Chambers

False

Tierney

True

Luiz

True

Mari

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Xhaka

False

Partey

False

Saka

True

Odegaard

False

Willian

False

Aubameyang

True

Pepe

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Lacazette

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Ceballos

False

<PAD>

389

Harry Kane set up two goals for Gareth Bale and scored two himself as a stylish Spurs beat Crystal Palace 4-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Bale continued his resurgence by scoring the opener, tapping home Kane's cross (25), but Palace hit back out of nowhere through Christian Benteke's superb header from Luka Milivojevic's delivery (45+1)

Spurs upped the ante after the break, regaining their lead through Bale's sixth goal in six games, scoring with a close-range header from another Kane assist, his 14th in the Premier League this season (49), before Kane got in on the act with a brilliant double

First, Kane curled a stunning, sweeping effort into the top-left corner from the edge of the box (52), before simply finishing off a fine team move from Heung-Min Son's unselfish centre (76)

While Bale continues his resurgence, Spurs' talisman Kane has now directly been involved in 40 goals in 36 games in all competitions this season (23 goals and 16 assists), the most of any player for a Premier League club

The result means Spurs move up to sixth, just two points off the top four with 11 games remaining, while Palace are 13th, eight points above the drop zone

Spurs started well and dominated the play in the first half, and could have taken the lead as early as the seventh minute as Bale's cross found Son, but his free header was straight at Vicente Guaita

Palace briefly got into shape, but shot themselves in the foot as Milivojevic was robbed by livewire Lucas Moura; Kane took over, got into the box and squared across the face of goal for Bale to tap home at the far post

Spurs looked most likely to score the next goal, getting a confident Bale into the game at every opportunity, but Palace hit back on the stroke of half-time with their first effort on goal

Milivojevic, the culprit for Spurs' opener, found Benteke in the box with a perfect left-footed cross from the left, and the Belgian striker leapt brilliantly before powering a header into the top corner

It was only Palace's second touch in the Spurs box in the first half

Palace looked to pounce by bringing on Wilfried Zaha at half-time, but Spurs killed the game off with a quick-fire double from a familiar threat

After Sergio Reguilon's deep cross was headed back across goal by Kane, Bale arrived at the back post to head past Guaita from six yards

Having only scored four goals in his first 16 appearances for Tottenham this season in all competitions, Bale has since scored six in his last six games for Spurs

But Spurs' third was the best of the lot

Kane, 20 yards from goal on the right, received Matt Doherty's pass, and curled an unstoppable, sweeping effort into the opposite corner, a definite contender for goal of the month

Zaha hit the post with a left-footed effort from range as Palace threatened to halve the deficit, but if Kane's first showed his individual brilliance, his second was more for the team

After latching onto a diagonal on the right, the impressive Moura squared for sub Erik Lamela, whose deft pass over the defence found Son free at the back post

The South Korean, an unlikely gooseberry up until then, unselfishly squared for Kane, who headed into the empty net

Jose Mourinho wore the widest smile after that goal, and Spurs' third straight Premier League win leaves them primed for an assault on the top four with a north London derby coming next

Spurs boss : "After three victories in the same week

If the stats I was given are correct - 100 goals scored in the season, which for a very defensive team, a very negative team, is not bad

"Playing with happiness, with good self-esteem, we have lots of qualities

Of course it is a privilege to have such a very good group of players

"It was a good week for us

Three matches, nine points, and for next week when we play a crucial match in the Europa, and against Arsenal, nothing could be better for us than to win nine points this week

"Palace boss : "We felt we were back in the game at half-time but those two goals early in the second half - goals of great quality - it was always going to be difficult

"It's good to see Christian Benteke getting in that position

We've tried to encourage him to get in the centre

As Harry Kane said to me after the game they took their chances very well

"I'd rather be in our position than Fulham's

Eight points might not sound very much but it takes a lot of getting

I'm not concerned in that respect but I'm aware if you are not careful and think your work is done you can easily lose game after game

""It's what we were expecting from Bale now, when he first arrived from Real Madrid

Maybe some were a bit hasty in their judgment as he was obviously not match fit, and has taken him some time

"Every time I watched him play up until two weeks ago, it looked like his first game back

He didn't have the rhythm or the spring in his step, but now he looks like the player we expected to arrive

"He's getting better and better and is looking stronger and stronger

Another good night for Gareth

""I enjoyed it massively - it's why I came here

The attacking players we have are amazing

Not just the ones who played tonight, but the others on the bench

We're all pushing each other, and it's nice to get the three points again

"There's a lot of fighting for places, so you have to keep on your toes and keep working hard, but we're in a good moment now

We've got the confidence back and hopefully we can keep it going

On playing with Kane: "It's fantastic, he's an incredible striker as he showed again tonight

He's been so consistent

It was a fantastic performance again from him and we're happy to have him here

"On his own form: "It feels good

It takes a bit of time sometimes but I'm experienced enough to be patient

It is what it is

Time will tell [if I can get back to my best], but I'm not 21 anymore

I'm just going to keep working hard every game

"Your body changes over time

You've not got the youthfulness where you can recover quickly after sprinting for 90 minutes, but you learn about your body as you get older and that's what I'm having to do

""I was disappointed with some of the things he said there

He's 32 in July

I played my best football when I was 31

I was strongest when I was 30

Of course, he's not 21, but he's talking like he's an old man - he's not

"What an example he played with for years and years in [Cristiano] Ronaldo whose 35 and still at it

He's a worldie, and he should be doing the opposite of that and saying what he's going to do and how fabulous he's going to be

"These talents don't come along very often

He's got ridiculous ability

He's been on the bench a lot at Spurs this time around

If you're on the bench, you're alright to play some part in games

null

"I remember having a conversation six weeks ago

null

if I'm him, I'm knocking on the manager's door saying I'm ready

We saw pictures of him smiling on the bench

He's been here all season, and I expected more from him

I'm an enormous fan of him, and I just want to see more of him

"Those words he came out and said at the end there

null

we've all been 31

Your career finishes too quickly when you're a footballer

I'd like him to have a pint of enthusiasm

""Crystal Palace, Fulham, Burnley

null

Wolfsberger

null

I want to see that against the big teams as well

You cannot ignore the fact that he's not playing in Real Madrid's first-team now

Madrid wanted to see the back of him

"Why would a manager like Zinedine Zidane, who knows football inside out, who would know a great player when he sees one

null

why wouldn't he want him?"Any manager would want Gareth Bale in their team, so there has to be a reason for it

He didn't seem too bothered if he was playing or not

There has to be a reason right now why he's not starting for Madrid

"Tottenham now host Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League last-16 first leg on Thursday at 8pm, followed by a trip to bitter rivals Arsenal on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 4

30pm

Palace host West Brom on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 3pm on March 13

null

<PAD>

Lloris

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Alderweireld

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Sanchez

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Reguilon

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Hojbjerg

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Winks

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Moura

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Bale

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Son

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Kane

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Lamela

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Sissoko

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Guaita

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Ward

False

Cahill

False

Kouyate

False

VanAanholt

False

Milivojevic

False

Riedewald

False

Townsend

False

Eze

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Benteke

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Ayew

False

Zaha

False

Schlupp

False

Mateta

False

<PAD>

390

Manchester United ended Manchester City's 28-game unbeaten run with a shock 2-0 victory at the Etihad on Sunday, with early goals in each half from Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw stunning Pep Guardiola's Premier League leaders

United have been criticised for their lack of intent in these big fixtures this season but they were ahead inside two minutes thanks to a Bruno Fernandes penalty, after Gabriel Jesus had clumsily fouled Anthony Martial just 34 seconds in

City - who had won their last 21 on the spin - assumed control of possession after that and hit the bar through Rodri at the start of the second half but moments later, Shaw drove forwards and finished the move he started to put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side on course for a big derby win

The title remains seemingly out of reach for United, with City's lead shorn to a still-handsome 11 points with 10 games to play, but they took an important step towards Champions League qualification and laid down a marker with this statement win

City had shut United out in their two previous meetings this season but the visitors got off to the perfect start when, during their first attack of the game, Jesus tripped Martial inside the box

Fernandes fired his low penalty in off Ederson's right hand and celebrated his 16th goal of the season by covering his ears, after receiving criticism in recent weeks for failing to deliver against top opposition

City certainly fall into that bracket

They hadn't trailed for a minute of their previous 19 Premier League games but they were rocked by United's early goal and, incredibly, Shaw almost made it two just moments later

The United left-back robbed a dithering Joao Cancelo in the box but his scuffed right-foot shot was comfortable for Ederson

It was a breath-taking start from United and Marcus Rashford had a sight at goal on 16 minutes, firing straight at the City keeper from just outside the box after some sloppy play from Kevin De Bruyne

However, City began to gain control from there and, after Ilkay Gundogan bent a shot off target, Raheem Sterling saw a penalty shout rightly waved away, and Oleksandr Zinchenko fired at Dean Henderson

United's defence responded to the challenge well, though, and, other than a tame Gundogan shot following some neat build-up play, a De Bruyne free-kick needlessly tipped out for a corner by Henderson, and Riyad Mahrez's drive across goal, the visitors made it to the half-time interval without any major alarms

That changed just three minutes into the second half when Rodri fired against the bar from Jesus' lay-off - but it was United celebrating soon after

Shaw burst forward with the ball from inside his own half and, after getting the ball back from Rashford in the box, the left-back clipped a low shot into the far corner to put the visitors two clear against their neighbours with just his second-ever Premier League goal

Sterling went in search of an immediate response but after he fired straight at Henderson, Martial teed up Daniel James for a blocked shot before the France striker headed his own effort at Ederson

United had their tails up now and on 69 minutes, Martial missed a golden opportunity to make it three

He latched onto a loose ball after good play from Scott McTominay but failed to convert his one-on-one with Ederson

City sent on Phil Foden and the local lad almost pulled his side back into the game after exchanging passes with De Bruyne but he badly sliced his shot wide with Henderson's goal exposed

Sterling blew an even better chance with 10 minutes to play, when he completely missed Kyle Walker's cross into the six-yard box, and despite some frantic attacking in the final moments, City weren't able to carve out a better opening, as United held firm

The result makes it 22 Premier League away games unbeaten for United - but this will be the sweetest of the lot

"It was a fantastic game

United make incredibly high pressing and they are so fast on the counter

We played good

Unfortunately we couldn't be clinical up front so we congratulate United

"We will be the news because we lost

But the news is 21 victories in a row

There are still 30 points to play and we have to start to win again

That's football

Sometimes it happens

We played much better than the game against West Ham which we won

""When you come away with a 2-0 win, another clean sheet, and a performance like this, we're delighted, of course

We knew it was a challenge, the first goal dictated a lot of what happened out there

We came in at half-time having played too much on the result that we were winning, but in the second half we got on the ball more and what a second goal, fantastic

"Every game is different, but we went back to more of the kind of team we want to be

We were more direct, more straightforward, attacking play was positive and we got at them

""Martial was absolutely superb, he was the Anthony of old

To think that he was a doubt this morning, even two hours before the game I wasn't sure he would play or not

He was fantastic

Today he rediscovered himself, was really good on the ball

""As soon as City throw it into midfield you look at United, they're like a pack of animals, hungry animals

They're all pressing

There's a mis-control by Jesus, and he's trying to make up for the mistake, but the more you look at it, it's just crazy what he's doing

Absolutely crazy

It's stupidity, it's crazy

"Obviously it's a striker's tackle

But what's he doing? What is going through his mind? Martial's going nowhere

"But it's the dream start for United, and I bet they couldn't believe their luck, they didn't even have to work for it

"Manchester City host Southampton in the Premier League on Wednesday; coverage starts at 5

30pm with kick-off at 6pm

Manchester United host AC Milan in the Europa League last-16 first leg on Thursday (kick-off 5

55pm) before returning to Premier League action at home to West Ham on Super Sunday; kick-off 7

15pm

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Ederson

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JoaoCancelo

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Dias

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Stones

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Zinchenko

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Gundogan

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Rodri

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DeBruyne

False

Mahrez

True

GabrielJesus

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Sterling

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Walker

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Foden

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Henderson

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WanBissaka

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Lindelof

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Maguire

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Shaw

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McTominay

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Fred

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James

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BrunoFernandes

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Rashford

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Martial

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Greenwood

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<PAD>

391

Daniel Amartey's late header from a Robert Sanchez error gave Leicester a vital comeback victory as they beat Brighton 2-1 at the Amex

Leicester struggled for rhythm in the first half, going behind through Adam Lallana's first goal for Brighton (10), composing himself to tuck past Kasper Schmeichel from Neal Maupay's slipped pass

But Leicester improved in the second half as Kelechi Iheanacho's cool finish from a brilliant Youri Tielemans through ball levelled things up (62), before Amartey capitalised on Sanchez's error, reacting to convert from a corner after the goalkeeper had missed his punch (87)

It was a much-needed win for Leicester in their quest for the top four, giving them a seven-point cushion ahead of Everton in fifth, though the Toffees do have two games in hand

Brighton stay 16th, three points above the drop zone

Both sides have been struggling with injuries of late, but Leicester, who went with a back three again after the 1-1 draw with Burnley, struggled to get going for the first 45 minutes

Brighton, whose 66 attempts in the previous three games had yielded just one goal, took the lead after 10 minutes as Maupay shrugged off the challenge of Tielemans and slipped in Lallana, who calmly slotted into the bottom left corner past Schmeichel

Leicester's only chance in the first half came from range as full debutant Sidnei Tavares, a cousin of former Manchester United winger Nani, saw his superb half volley from 25 yards tipped wide brilliantly by Brighton goalkeeper Sanchez

But top-four chasing Foxes, hoping to avoid a repeat of last term's late-season collapse which saw them drop out of the Champions League places, looked uncomfortable in defence as the three-man backline were stretched by a positive and organised Brighton

Lallana then nearly grabbed his second, glancing a header from Pascal Gross' corner against the post, while Maupay thought he had doubled Brighton's lead from Lallana's clever flick, finishing almost identically to Lallana's goal, but the assistant rightly flagged for a close offside

Leicester began to find rhythm after the break - Timothy Castagne's through ball was slammed into the side-netting by Iheanacho - but Brendan Rodgers' side got their equaliser thanks to a world-class piece of creativity from Tielemans

Spotting the run of Iheanacho in behind Lewis Dunk, the Belgian gave Brighton defenders the eyes, threading a no-look, inch-perfect pass from deep into his path in the box, and the Nigerian duly finished off with poise for his second goal in two games

Leicester looked to have their tails up, but Brighton settled again and took the sting out of their attacking play, and had a chance of their own as Leandro Trossard and Steven Alzate combined to present Lallana with an opening, but he failed to properly test Schmeichel unmarked from just inside the box

Leicester felt they should have had a penalty after Dunk slid in on Jamie Vardy in the box, and though Michael Oliver and the VAR saw a touch from Dunk on the tackle, Brighton shot themselves in the foot from a corner moments later

Sanchez came to punch sub Marc Albrighton's cross, but got caught under the ball, prompting Amartey to react quickly behind him, stooping low to head into the empty net for only his second Premier League goal - the last coming 1,540 days ago

Leicester won having been nowhere near their best, a good sign ahead of a crucial final 10 games of the season without several of their key men, but for Brighton it was late heartache again, having now lost 17 points from winning positions this season, the second-highest in the Premier League

Brighton boss : "It's a bit harsh at the moment, we're suffering

I thought the performance deserved something from the game

"First half we did well, second half not so well

Over the course of the game I just think we missed too many passes

"It feels like we could have got something from the game

At half-time, they're 1-0 down and going for the Champions League, so you'd expect them to respond and push for an equaliser, but we gave away the ball a little too cheaply

I thought we responded quite well, but disappointed to concede in the manner we have

"We know we're in a fight, we know we have to perform and be at our best

You have to be at your best, fight for everything have a bit of luck

"Leicester boss : "Very important win, playing against a good side who are technically very good

First half we weren't good enough, didn't press well enough, square passing,"We had to ask the question at half-time and in the second half we were brilliant

We stopped them playing, and then we showed our quality

By the end we deserved to win

"We have to deal with it [the injuries], you only need to look at the bench, we've got some young players

Which is OK because we love young players, but some aren't playing regularly in the under-18s!"Second half the tempo was better, speed of the game, movement was better

We're now into the final 10 games

We hope over this period we can get some of our players back When they're not all ready you have to be ready to dig in, and the way we did in the second half was outstanding

"Iheanacho has scored in each of his last two Premier League appearances, having netted in just one of his previous 17 in the competition

"He got a really good goal, his link-up play with Jamie Vardy was excellent, and some of his passing has been superb

The more games he gets, he seems to be improving

"Brighton now go to Southampton on Sunday March 14 in the Premier League at midday, while Leicester host Sheffield United on March 14, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 2pm

null

<PAD>

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Gross

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Trossard

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MacAllister

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Lallana

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Maupay

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Alazate

False

Schmeichel

False

Amartey

True

Fofana

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Soyuncu

False

RicardoPereira

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Ndidi

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Tavares

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Tielemans

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Castagne

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Iheanacho

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Vardy

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Albrighton

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<PAD>

392

Romain Saiss' glaring second-half miss ensured Aston Villa and Wolves played out an entertaining goalless draw on Saiss had the goal at his mercy after Conor Coady's header had struck the post but the defender could only direct his effort over the bar from a yard out

Aston Villa had struck the woodwork twice in the opening period through Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa, but they faded in the second period as Wolves were left to rue Saiss' moment of misfortune

Rui Patricio denied Watkins before Konsa's rebound was wide in stoppage time and the result leaves Villa in ninth place with 40 points from 26 games, while Wolves remain in 12th on 35 points

Twelve miles and five points separated these two mid-table teams, while Aston Villa were looking to secure their first league double over Wolves since the 2003/04 season having won the reverse fixture 1-0 in December

The hosts made a bright start and came within inches of finding the breakthrough inside four minutes when Watkins collected John McGinn's pass, escaped Leander Dendoncker, and unleashed a ferocious shot that thundered back off the crossbar

It was the seventh time this season Watkins had struck the woodwork, more than any other Premier League player

Wolves were vying to earn consecutive away league victories against Villa for the first time since 1960, but their goal continued to lead a charmed life when 10 minutes later Konsa met Bertrand Traore's cross to hit the same spot of the woodwork

Don Goodman said: "Once again, Wolves have got away with it

Desperately unlucky for Aston Villa

"The visitors had just four touches inside the Villa box during the opening period as Emi Martinez was untroubled

Nuno Espirito Santo will have demanded more at the interval, and his side improved markedly in the second period

A Villa corner broke down within five minutes of the restart and Pedro Neto drove from inside his own half to test Martinez at his near post, but the Argentine was equal to the effort

A trademark volley from Ruben Neves came next but it whistled over the bar as a malaise set in Villa's performance, shorn of Jack Grealish's inspiration once more

Dean Smith's side had not heeded the warning and should have fallen behind when Neto's short corner was headed onto the post by Coady before Saiss somehow lifted the rebound over from a yard out

"That is remarkable that he can't turn that in," Goodman said

Villa had lost all their rhythm as Wolves continued to hunt a winner - and they thought it had arrived with 15 minutes remaining when Willian Jose's scuffed shot was collected by Coady, but his turn and shot brought a superb stop by Martinez

Remarkably it meant that Coady has now had a shot on target in his last two Premier League games, after not registering a single one in his first 102 appearances in the competition

The chance had been all of Villa's own making after a poor touch inside his own penalty area by Ross Barkley, but the game ended with both teams ruing missed opportunities and Grealish's mind elsewhere after his side had fired another blank in his absence

Aston Villa boss : "It was a game of two halves

The first half was the best we've played since December

Ollie Watkins pulled one back when he could have had a shot

In the second half I thought Wolves were really good

So it's probably a fair result

"There were some big chances missed

Whenever Jack Grealish is not playing you are always lacking something

I know Wolves are missing Raul Jimenez but they are a good team

"I keep saying there is a lot of inconsistency around the Premier League at the moment with the exception of Manchester City

There is tiredness and fatigue

"Wolves boss : "We didn't press so well in the first half but everything changed in the second half

At the moment it's the case and it's something we need to try to improve

I wish I knew why

It's something we need to reflect on and find why and the how to stop it

"After the first half, we had to improve and we found better ways of pressing

We controlled the game with and without the ball after that

Everything changed - we were much more organised and aggressive in the duels

"We had the header from Coady and I know him very well so I can say he should've done better

Credit for him as we're pushing him to get into the box

We'll keep looking for more solutions so he can score more

"Of course there's been progress

We weren't playing well but we've improved and individuals are getting better

We're recovering players, we're more stable and are more confident in ourselves

We're focused on making improvements game after game

"Espirito Santo refused to blame Saiss after his horror miss, saying: "It's clear he should have done better but the mistake, in our view, is something we are always supportive of

There is no problem at all

Saiss must be proud because he fought really well for the team

"It was Coady first, the header of Coady, I know him very well and he could have done better but credit to him because it's something we are pushing him to go into the box

He has been able to find good positions

"Villa boss Dean Smith said: "When I have seen it back it's one which comes back at him and he (Saiss) inexplicably puts it over

I was certainly a relieved man after that

""I should have scored two tonight

I should have scored again after the other night as it was right in front of goal

The second shot was on the turn and was a bit scuffed

We were much more like ourselves in the second half so we're a bit disappointed

"I should score - it doesn't matter if I've scored one or 100

I should've scored

We'll keep on working hard to get better

It needs to stop [where second halves are better than the first]

"We were too passive and were giving the ball away

It was more our sloppiness, but we had words at half-time

If we perform like we did in the second half more, we'll pick up more results

""Pretty much all the chances fell to the centre-backs

It was that sort of game as the frontmen didn't show enough quality, and the chances fell to the likes of Coady and Saiss

"It's so easy to say in hindsight that they should've taken another touch but people panic in these situations

Strikers stay ice cool and it's why they make the difference

"Dean Smith will be really disappointed with the second half

They had been the better side, and they were in the ascendancy

There wasn't enough quality on show apart from Neto

He was the only offensive player who looked likely to score

"Speaking prior to the game, Redknapp said: "Neto is one of my favourite players in the Premier League

I feel he's got incredible pace, he dribbles past people, he's got the stepover

He's so quick off the mark, and can stand good balls up to the back post

I feel he's got everything

"The best clubs in Europe will be looking at him

He's got so much confidence and a tremendous desire to win the ball back for his team

He's got that lovely arrogance and I could watch him play all day

He's a fantastic player who is destined to go right to the top

"There were no goals, but Neto did not disappoint

The Portuguese produced two key passes - more than any of his team-mates - while he also did his fair share of defensive work, regaining possession eight times and making three interceptions

No man in black and gold managed more

Aston Villa travel to face Newcastle at St James' Park next Friday; kick-off is at 8pm

Wolves host Liverpool on March 15 on ; coverage starts at 7pm with kick-off at 8pm

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<PAD>

Martinez

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Konsa

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Luiz

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Sanson

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McGinn

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Watkins

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Barkley

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Davis

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Patricio

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Dendoncker

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Jonny

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Neves

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Neto

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Traore

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Jose

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<PAD>

393

An unfortunate Tosin Adarabioyo own goal saw Tottenham edge to a narrow 1-0 win at Fulham, with the hosts once again frustrated in front of goal

Fulham had seen a plethora of chances pass them by in a goalless draw against Crystal Palace at the weekend and a lack of cutting edge up front was once again their Achilles heel on Thursday

They were unable to keep a third successive home clean sheet when Adarabioyo (19) inadvertently turned Dele Alli's flick into his own net to ultimately hand Spurs their first league away win since January 17

Fulham dominated the second half and thought they had deservedly equalised when Josh Maja (62) fired home, but the ball had hit Mario Lemina on the arm just before and VAR ruled out the strike

The hosts will feel like it is another opportunity missed - a victory would have taken them out of the bottom three for the first time since Christmas - but remain in 18th

Meanwhile, the win boosts Spurs' chance of finishing in a European spot and have won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since November

They are four points from Everton in fifth and five off It was an achingly familiar story for Fulham

They began well in the first half with some good attacking build-up, but failed to create any clear-cut chances

Their best was in the seventh minute when Ademola Lookman sent a shot straight at the waiting Hugo Lloris

After beating Burnley 4-0 on Sunday, Tottenham soon began to find their feet as Gareth Bale and Davinson Sanchez saw shots blocked by Alphonse Areola, but Bale was offside as Heung-Min Son played him through

Harry Kane - who had scored in each of his four appearances against Fulham prior to the game - should have put Spurs ahead in the 18th minute, but his free header went straight at the goalkeeper

Tottenham made the breakthrough a minute later

There was some wonderful build-up as Alli sent Son away down the left, with the South Korea international then sending a low, fizzing cross through the area

Alli was there with the flick, which was inadvertently turned home by the legs of Adarabioyo, who was awarded the unfortunate own goal a few minutes later

Spurs continued to see the better of the attacking play

Alli and Son combined again as the former sent in the cross this time, but Son could only direct his header wide

But Fulham's best chance came with the last kick of the half

Antonee Robinson picked out Maja in the middle but, under pressure and with a poor first touch, could only send the ball back to the waiting Lemina

However, the Southampton loanee lofted his effort well into the empty stands

Fulham dominated the second half, and their two centre-backs had sights of goal in the opening 10 minutes

Joachim Andersen nodded an Ivan Cavaleiro free-kick goalwards, but Lloris tipped it over the crossbar with his fingertips

Adarabioyo tried to redeem himself from the corner with a header, but again, Lloris was over to his left to make the save

Fulham thought they had deservedly equalised just after the hour mark

Maja twisted and turned himself into space in the area, but his initial effort was seen away by Sanchez

However, the ball hit Lemina on the arm before landing again to Maja, who then fired past Lloris

But VAR checked the goal and correctly - albeit harshly - ruled it out for handball

Kane could have put the result to bed in the final 10 minutes, but saw another glorious chance pas shim by

He was picked out by Erik Lamela, but his effort went straight at Areola

The hosts continued to play superb football, forcing real concentration from the Spurs defence but could not find the net as they were once again frustrated

It's not often that the man of the match is given to someone on the losing side, but it proves just how well Fulham played and they truly deserved at least a point against Tottenham

Lookman was particularly lively for the hosts, especially in the second half

He was a menace down the left and even Lloris was telling his players to do something about it by the midway point

Lookman had two shots and made two key passes - the joint highest of Fulham's squad

He always drew three fouls, although it is a shame that the resulting free kicks could not be turned into Fulham goals

"In the first half, I thought we started the game well

We probably then didn't stamp our way on the game in terms of what I want from the team to play like a top side

I felt like we didn't take the game enough to Spurs or certainly trying to show our quality in those moments

"In the second half, we did every bit of that

I thought we were fantastic in terms of the way we played, our endeavour, the way we moved the ball, the way we were really dynamic in those moments to try and get ourselves back in the game

"We should have got something out of the game tonight

We've not done that and it's disappointing, but overall, a first-class performance from us

"I understand why the goal wasn't given tonight and that's the rule

I don't agree with that rule because looking at it, I don't know what else he can physically do

If it doesn't hit his arm, it hits his side, but I'm not complaining about that, the referee has just acted to the law, but maybe with a bit of common sense in those moments

"We've got VAR so you can always go back and work out if there's a clear advantage being had in that moment and I think tonight, there wasn't a clear advantage but that's what it is

"I honestly think and honestly believe that [if Fulham keep playing as they did against Spurs, they will be safe]

We played against a fantastic team and a top football club… with arguably the best front three in the division

"Tonight, if you were someone who didn't understand or it was the first time you were watching that match tonight, how the two teams are and where they're placed, you wouldn't suggest that was the case

"It's constant belief that we'll get a result if we put in performances like that and we need to maintain that

""It was an important win, we need points and three are better than one

I believe that we showed from the first minute that we were coming for that and the first half was a good half for us

"The second half was harder, they put some pressure on us, but when we made the changes and bought a new energy and dynamic to the team, we bought danger to the other side and solid block to defend

"We were the team that had the best chances in the last 10 minutes and had a good control of the game, a control we lost during the 15 or 20 minutes in the middle of the second half

But in the end, it is three points for us and very important

"I don't want to look to the table

I want to win matches and especially for a team like us that is playing in two competitions, the next match is Premier League but after that, it is Europa League

"I don't want to look too much to the table, I don't want to feel too much about that, I just want to try to win matches and that's what we did today

Another one is coming fast on Sunday but we try again

"Fulham will be live onthis weekend as they travel to Liverpool in the Premier League; kick-off 2pm

Tottenham will play later on Sunday when they host Crystal Palace, also live on ; kick-off 7

15pm

null

<PAD>

Areola

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Cavaleiro

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Andersen

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Aina

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Reed

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Lemina

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Robinson

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Loftus-Cheek

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Lookman

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Maja

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Anguissa

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Mitrovic

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Bryan

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Lloris

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Doherty

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Sanchez

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Alderweireld

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Davies

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Ndombele

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Hojbjerg

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Bale

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Alli

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Son

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Kane

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Moura

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394

A stunning strike from Kelechi Iheanacho, plus some sensational goalkeeping from Kasper Schmeichel, saw Leicester draw 1-1 with Burnley in an entertaining encounter

The Foxes were hoping to reignite their form after two successive defeats in all competitions, but they made a shaky start as Matej Vydra took advantage of a poor Hamza Choudhury pass to fire Burnley ahead

Leicester soon found their rhythm though and drew level with a sensational first-time volley from Iheanacho in an enthralling first half

Both sides could have added another after the break - Burnley began well but were thwarted by a superb Schmeichel, while Leicester were also unable to find a way past the ever-reliable Nick Pope

The two teams also hit the post as the game ended in a well-deserved draw

The game marked two years to the day since Brendan Rodgers' first game in charge - a 2-1 defeat to Watford - but the result was not enough to send them into second ahead of Manchester United's game against Crystal Palace later on Wednesday

They remain in third on 50 points, with 31 of those now coming away from home - the highest in the league as it stands

Burnley also stay in 15th, now six clear of the bottom three, having drawn three of their last four Premier League outings

Leicester made a sluggish start at Turf Moor and the warning signs were there when Ben Mee headed just wide inside a minute

But some poor play did allow Burnley to find the net two minutes later

Choudhury's lackadaisical pass for Wilfred Ndidi allowed Vydra to drive into the area, skipping past Ndidi, before thundering home past Schmeichel

Choudhury almost redeemed himself soon after

Timothy Castagne sent in a superb cross from the left, finding the midfielder in the middle, but his heavy touch sent the ball agonisingly over the crossbar

Just after, Iheanacho was picked out at the top of the area but a wonderful long pass from Ndidi, but he lashed wide

Leicester equalised in sensational style in the 34th minute

Ndidi looked concerned about where to play the ball, but he ended up chipping it forward for Iheanacho, who ran into a gap in the Burnley defence before powering the ball home with an incredible first-time volley

But Schmeichel made two wonderful saves either side of Leicester's leveller

Dwight McNeil picked out the goalkeeper's former Foxes team-mate Chris Wood at the back post, with a slip from Caglar Soyuncu allowing the striker to send a volley goalwards, but Schmeichel was waiting to make the save

McNeil was involved again after Iheanacho's goal, sending in another wonderful cross, but James Tarkowski's volley was stopped down low by the Leicester goalkeeper, who just managed to keep the ball the right side of the line

An entertaining first half came to an end with another superb save from Pope

Iheanacho was involved again, driving to the top of the area before picking out Youri Tielemans to his left

The midfielder then tried his luck on an angle, but Pope made a leaping save to see the ball behind for a corner

Burnley began the second half well and almost took another early lead, but were met with a world-class save from Schmeichel

Josh Brownhill sent a wonderful cross in from the top right corner, which Wood met with a powerful header

However, Schmeichel made a sensational, leaping save to keep him out

Minutes later, Wood tried his luck again after some superb play, but his effort was deflected behind for a corner

Burnley were ruing their luck once again after the hour mark as they were denied by the woodwork

Charlie Taylor's cross was cleared by Castagne, but only as far as Westwood

He took a good touch before thundering an effort goalwards on the half volley, but it hit the post before going wide

Leicester made the first changes in the 69th minute

Marc Albrighton and Wesley Fofana came on and the move to a four-man midfield worked wonders, having been second best to Burnley up until that point

They almost added another a few minutes later as Tielemans' silky pass found Ricardo Periera at the top right corner, but his curling effort was sent wide by Taylor's foot

The visitors had the better of the late chances too

Albrighton sent a fierce drive straight at Pope before Leicester hit the woodwork themselves

Tielemans struck, but it deflected off Jack Cork before spinning onto the post as the two sides deservedly shared the points

Schmeichel put in nothing short of a world-class performance against Burnley

It took an early effort from a team-mate to beat him, making brilliant save after brilliant save afterwards

The pick of his efforts came early in the second half when Burnley threatened to score early once again

Wood powerfully headed his way, but the goalkeeper made a sensational, leaping save

Let's also not forget, he showed great awareness to keep Tarkowski's first half header on the line too

Andy Cole, who played with his dad Peter at Man Utd, told : "It's reminiscent of his dad with the saves he's pulling off there

From the Wood header, it's a fantastic save

"His manager Brendan Rodgers later added: "He's one that is constantly there

He's been brilliant for me in my time here

There's moments where you're certain it is going to be a goal and then he pulls off a save

His concentration and desire to stop the ball going into the net is so good

He always produces for us, he was absolutely outstanding when he had to be tonight and that's why he's one of the top goalkeepers at this level

""I thought we were excellent throughout

We were a little bit tentative in the first half, we went 1-0 up and then that weird thing where you think 'let's just play a little bit subservient', not a lot, just a little bit

"In the second half, I thought we were terrific, the way we took the game on and the mentality but also the performance levels

We came off a tough one against Tottenham with some question marks, but that was a really strong performance against a really strong side

"[Schmeichel being man of the match] is pleasing in the sense that we made him work, creating chances against a side who are joint-top away from home so they're certainly a decent outfit

"Mainly the reaction from a tough day on Sunday… Today, the whole feel of it, the attitude, the mentality, our defending shape was good

In attack, I was really pleased with that because we did offer enough to maybe score another goal

"Performances are something for a season's work, they pay you back eventually, so it's another point, a better performance and we've got to go again on Saturday when it comes round

" "We didn't make a good start

It was clearly not a very good goal for us to concede, but I thought the mentality of the players then to get back into the game [was good], we played some good football at times in the first half and then scored a great goal

"In the second half, we didn't start that well enough either

You know when you play Burnley, you've got to take that pressure, the ball coming direct and they get into good areas on the sides to get crosses in so you've got to defend that well

"I felt as the second half went on, we could go on and win the game and we nearly did when Youri hits the post

"But it's four out of six points against Burnley and you know when you play them, it's a tough game and especially the turnaround after the weekend with the short preparation time and physicality needed in a game like this

Overall, we take a point and there are certain areas we can be better in

"It was a brilliant goal

Great movement off the front two, a great pass by Wilf to get him in but in terms of the game, I said to the players afterwards that there was a great spirit and mentality and moments of quality but we need to show more precision in our passing

It wasn't quick enough or clean enough at times and that's an area we'll improve on

"Kasper made a couple of saves like he always does for us

He's one of the top 'keepers at this level

"Burnley are at home again on Saturday when they welcome Arsenal in the Premier League; kick-off 12pm

Leicester play later in the day, travelling to Brighton, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 8pm

null

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Wood

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Schmeichel

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Amartey

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Ndidi

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Soyuncu

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Pereira

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Choudhury

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Mendy

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<PAD>

395

Everton moved up to fifth in the Premier League as Richarlison's 65th-minute header was enough to secure a 1-0 win over West Brom at The Hawthorns

Mbaye Diagne was denied a dramatic late equaliser in the third minute of stoppage time when his finish was ruled out for offside

The striker saw an early header brilliantly kept out by Jordan Pickford before Dominic Calvert-Lewin went close as Sam Johnstone kept out his shot from close range

But Everton took control in the second period and found the breakthrough when substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson's cross was turned in by Richarlison for his fourth goal in as many games

The visitors' third straight league win moved them temporarily into the Champions League places but Chelsea's 1-0 victory at Liverpool later on Thursday squeezed them out to fifth

West Brom remain in 19th place after 27 games, nine points adrift of safety

Everton were favourites to take their opportunity, but recent defeats to Newcastle and Fulham served as cautionary tales against sides in and around the battle at the bottom

It has taken time, but West Brom are showing signs of improving under former Everton boss Sam Allardyce and went into the game on a three-game unbeaten run, having kept clean sheets against Burnley and Brighton in their previous two outings

The hosts made a bright start and were denied the opener inside two minutes when Conor Gallagher's cross was met by Diagne, but his header was brilliantly clawed away by Pickford

West Brom had taken just four points from a possible 39 against sides currently in the top half of the table but they continued to impose themselves as Pickford was then forced into action again by Matt Phillips from distance

Half of Everton's eight league defeats heading into the contest had come against teams currently in the bottom seven, but Carlo Ancelotti's side grew into the contest and came close themselves after 38 minutes

A cute pass by Bernard inside to Abdoulaye Doucoure led to Dominic Calvert-Lewin setting up Richarlison for the shot but the ball skipped off Darnell Furlong's boot and flashed onto the roof of the net

An even better chance was to fall to Calvert-Lewin before the interval as another Bernard pass fell kindly for the England striker after deflecting into his path off Ainsley Maitland-Niles but Johnstone kept out his effort from point-blank range

West Brom began the second period in sharp fashion as Matheus Pereira's shot was dealt with by Pickford before another wicked Gallagher cross evaded Diagne at the far post

Ancelotti had seen enough and swiftly changed formation as Allan brought greater control to his midfield

But it was his second alteration that paid instant dividends just after the hour mark

Sigurdsson had been on the field for 43 seconds when, with only his fourth touch, his cross was headed in by Richarlison after Diagne had failed to clear the Icelander's initial corner

Sky Sports' Andy Hinchcliffe said: "What a substitution by Carlo Ancelotti, sending on Sigurdsson

That's what Everton have been crying out for: quality delivery into the box

"Everton nearly doubled their lead when Lucas Digne's cut-back was lashed over by Calvert-Lewin as Allardyce turned to Hal Robson-Kanu and Robert Snodgrass off his bench for the final 10 minutes

Diagne thought he had snatched a point when he collected Maitland-Niles' cross on his chest before tucking his shot inside the post - but the offside flag came to Everton's rescue

West Brom boss : "It is small moments that change the game

The first few moments with the header and Pickford saves it

Also what I consider to be a penalty for us for a foul on Diagne in the box

If we get 1-0 up, it is good for us

We start well and then slip up for one moment and concede

"We score a great goal at the end and he is two millimetres offside and you realise you are not getting the luck you deserve

We now need to beat Newcastle on Sunday and get closer to the teams above us

I can give the lads a lot of credit but unfortunately no points

"We have struggled to score goals from day one and that was the case again tonight

Everton had one lucky chance for Calvert-Lewin and the goal

We had more chances but we didn't take them

"We were in the position to get more than one point today

We haven't even got that today

We need to correct that now on Sunday

It will be about mentality

Grit and determination and the size of your heart

We need to push through the pain barrier

We will still be feeling the mental and physical exhaustion of this game

"Everton boss : "I feel really good

If I look at the table, I'm really happy but there are two problems

First, I don't know how long it will be and unfortunately the season doesn't end today

We know that we will have to fight

"At the start of the season, no one could say after 26 games Everton would be there in the top five so this is well deserved from my team as they're working really well

""I talked to the players about following the dream of the Champions League

Most of these players haven't played one game in the Champions League

We'll have to fight and we'll need to sacrifice until the end

"There was relief for Carlo Ancelotti and his Everton side at the final whistle

The visitors had been below their best, but they still had found a way of winning for a third straight game, bouncing above their local rivals Liverpool and into fifth spot

It was a familiar source that proved the difference, as was the case against Southampton on Monday

Sky Sports' Andy Hinchcliffe said: "Richarlison has underlined just how important he is to Everton

He's bang in form, and at times he's pretty much unplayable

"He's got a bit of everything: great skill, pace, strength and is good in the air

Sigurdsson's ball in was an excellent one but he had to turn it home

""Never in doubt! Keano (Michael Keane) assures me it was offside

Dominic (Calvert-Lewin) has scored a lot of goals but Richarlison is chipping in now at the right time

1-0 in the last game and today

"That is six points he has won us in the last two

It was a tough game

We knew they would defend deep and well

We had an idea a set-piece might win it

With Allan coming on he wanted us on the ball and playing

He did well and I got the assist

"We are confident after a couple of good results

But it is tight at the top

We have to keep going and work hard

If we get on a run we have a chance

""It wasn't a game full of quality but Gylfi Sigurdsson is a quality player

He has the ability with his right foot to put the ball into great areas

He doesn't try to over-hit the cross

null

it's floated in to allow someone to arrive onto it

It's a really good header from a standing jump by Richarlison

""If I'm really honest and we wanted to break it down to Everton's challenge for the top four, they've got to work harder

I think off the ball, they've got to press with a little bit more intensity

I've seen players at 0-0 walking, and they weren't really at it

"But if they want to keep fighting for the dream of the top four, Carlo will get them working harder

"West Brom host Newcastle at The Hawthorns on Sunday; kick-off is at 12pm

Everton travel to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday; kick-off is at 6pm

null

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Pickford

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Holgate

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Keane

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Godfrey

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Digne

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Doucoure

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Gomes

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Bernard

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Iwobi

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Richarlison

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Calvert-Lewin

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Allan

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Sigurdsson

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<PAD>

396

Manchester City extended their winning run to 21 games in all competitions to move further clear at the top of the Premier League with a 4-1 victory over a stubborn Wolves at the Etihad Stadium

Pep Guardiola's side dominated from the first whistle and they took the lead in the 15th minute through Leander Dendoncker's own goal and they thought they had a second just before the break, but Aymeric Laporte's strike was ruled out for offside in what was an extremely tight call

Wolves were barely seen as an attacking force, but they managed to grab an equaliser with what was their first touch in the City penalty area, Conor Coady heading home in the 61st minute

City immediately upped the tempo but found Rui Patricio in excellent form, before strikes from Gabriel Jesus (80, 90+3) and Riyad Mahrez (90) secured all three points as the hosts breathed a small sigh of relief

Victory sees City, who are unbeaten in 28 games, move 15 points clear of Manchester United - who face Crystal Palace on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports - ahead of the Manchester derby on Sunday, which is also live on Sky Sports

Meanwhile, Wolves, whose four-game unbeaten run in the league ends, stay 12th

Manchester City quickly took control of the game and they created an early opening as Joao Cancelo spotted Raheem Sterling's run in behind the Wolves defence

The full-back picked him out brilliantly, but Rui Patricio was quickly off his line to block Sterling's shot from a tight angle

After an incredible start from the hosts, it came as no surprise when they opened the scoring with 15 minutes gone

Mahrez latched onto a long ball before playing an inviting cross across the face of goal

Sterling was waiting for a tap in but Dendoncker could do nothing but turn the ball into his own net

Wolves could not land any sort of blow on City, who thought they had doubled their lead just before half-time with a strike from Laporte, but the goal was ruled out for offside against the defender

The Frenchman had been onside when Mahrez delivered the initial cross, but he was ruled to have moved into an offside position by the time Bernardo Silva flicked it on

A VAR check showed it was a tight call but ruled the original decision to have been correct

Silva then had a chance to extend the lead himself, but Rui Patricio saved his header to keep the score at 1-0 heading into the interval

Wolves didn't create a single goalscoring chance in the first half - they didn't have a single touch in the City penalty area, and the second half started in a similar fashion to the first with the hosts dominating as Kevin De Bruyne and Mahrez forcing excellent saves from Rui Patricio

And they proved to be crucial stops as Wolves snatched a surprise equaliser completely against the run of play just after the hour mark

Joao Moutinho clipped a free-kick into the box and Coady dived to steer a header just inside the post with Wolves' first shot on goal and their first touch in the City penalty area

It was Coady's first ever shot on target in the Premier League and it stunned City into life

They immediately upped the tempo and finally their dominance told as they reclaimed the lead with 10 minutes remaining

Wolves failed to deal with Kyle Walker's cross and Jesus, who was in the right place at the right time, pounced to smash home from close range

City put the result beyond doubt as Mahrez steered home their third in the 90th minute before putting some gloss on the result, scoring a fourth, which was awarded after a VAR check for offside, with the final kick of the game as Guardiola's men stretched their winning run in the Premier League to 15, and their unbeaten run to 19

"Manchester City won this game twice

In the first half, their dominance of Wolves was so total that the away team barely registered a touch of the ball in the final third of the pitch let alone the opposition penalty area

And when a set play allowed Wolves back into the match, City cut through them to show how they can devastate teams late on too

"Riyad Mahrez was magnificent all evening, tormenting Jonny Otto and then Ki-Jana Hoever

Is there a silkier first touch in football than that of the Algerian? His ability to bring that ball down from the sky in his stride was enough to find space in behind the Wolves defence for the opening goal

He ended any hopes of a comeback by scoring the third himself

"Gabriel Jesus scored the other two - a reward for his unselfish work leading the line for Pep Guardiola

Elsewhere, Joao Cancelo was excellent again, this time at left-back, while Bernardo Silva's role in raising the tempo of the team's play in the opposition half cannot be underestimated

The in-form Ilkay Gundogan was only required for eight minutes

"Twenty-one consecutive wins tells the tale

Those autumn doubts about the method and the mood are long forgotten

Confidence is oozing from the team and the depth is so good that any number of changes to the starting line-up do not appear to affect the fluidity of the football

It has crept up on many during a miserable winter, but this is a great City side

"Man City boss : "We were fantastic

After 1-1 we suffered but we created lots of chances in the end

" "Manchester United

That's all we care [about now]

The champions are Liverpool, the crown belongs to them

We are in the best position right now to take them out and we are going to try, but they are the champions

"There are 33 points to play [for]

Tomorrow our opponents will play, we have one or two days off and prepare for Manchester United at home

"Wolves boss : "First half we were organised but no fight, there was a lot of possession from City

Second half we had more pressing, were higher up the pitch and creating threats in our possession - which we sustained for a spell of the game

The boys were solid and compact

"The game went by, but we were not able to sustain this and we got punished

We felt that we were on the front foot in the second half but after we draw the reaction was not to sustain but we faced a very good opponent

Riyad Mahrez was magnificent all evening, tormenting Jonny Otto and then Ki-Jana Hoever

Is there a silkier first touch in football than that of the Algerian? His ability to bring that ball down from the sky in his stride was enough to find space in behind the Wolves defence for the opening goal

He ended any hopes of a comeback by scoring the third himself

Up next for Manchester City is the Manchester derby

League leaders City host second-placed Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on , live on ; kick-off 4

30pm

Meanwhile, Wolves visit Aston Villa on Saturday, also live on ; kick-off is at 5

30pm

null

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Dias

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Rodri

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Bernardo

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Mahrez

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DeBruyne

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Jesus

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Sterling

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Patricio

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Dendoncker

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Coady

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Saiss

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Hoever

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Semedo

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Neves

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Moutinho

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Jonny

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Neto

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Traore

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Silva

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<PAD>

397

Sheffield United secured just their fourth Premier League win of the season to dent Aston Villa's European hopes as David McGoldrick's strike earned a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane

McGoldrick put the Blades in front after 31 minutes when he turned home George Baldock's driven cross, sticking out his leg to divert the ball into the net via the underside of the crossbar

The hosts were reduced to 10 men following VAR review in the second period as Phil Jagielka's challenge on Anwar El Ghazi when the last defender was upgraded to a red card by referee Rob Jones

But Chris Wilder's men held on for a rare three points to close the gap on 17th-placed Newcastle to 12 points with 11 games remaining

Villa stay in ninth place on 39 points after 25 games

Wilder, whose side ended a four-game losing streak, admitted this week he does not know if he will be Sheffield United manager next season, but his team produced a valiant display, absorbing some early pressure

Aston Villa, in the continued absence of Jack Grealish, were seeking back-to-back wins for the first time since Boxing Day - and they had the game's first chance as Ollie Watkins headed into the path of John McGinn but the midfielder's shot across goal failed to trouble Aaron Ramsdale

But Ramsdale was forced into action after 19 minutes when Anwar El Ghazi slipped Watkins into space down the left channel and his low drive was parried out by the former Bournemouth goalkeeper

Watkins wanted a penalty moments later when he was sandwiched inside the box by Kean Bryan and Jagielka but referee Jones waved away his protests

Having defended resolutely, the hosts took the lead just after the half-hour mark

McGoldrick started and finished the move as his raking pass found Baldock on the right

After the wing-back cut inside, his effort was drifting wide before McGoldrick stretched out a leg to lift the ball into the net via the underside of the bar

It was the 33-year-old's sixth goal in 16 Premier League starts this season and only the third time in 14 home games this campaign that Sheffield United had opened the scoring - but they were so nearly pegged back immediately

Bertrand Traore was found by Ahmed Elmohamady, and the forward escaped Oliver Norwood, Jagielka and Bryan with his weaving run before curling his shot just wide of the post

It was a frustrating opening 45 minutes for Villa, who were faced with the challenge of improving a record of collecting just one point having conceded the first goal this term

The visitors hadn't come back to win a Premier League game since January last season against Watford, but they came within inches of equalising nine minutes into the restart when Watkins directed El Ghazi's cross onto the woodwork

A minute later came the game's major flashpoint as Jagielka was initially shown yellow for hauling down El Ghazi on the counter-attack

But VAR Graham Scott advised Jones to review the incident via a pitchside monitor, and the match official upgraded the card to red, deeming Jagielka to have been the last defender

Sky Sports' Nick Wright said: "Another game, another instance of VAR controversy

Jagielka was clumsy but was El Ghazi really away? Or would one of Jagielka's team-mates got back and caught him? There will be plenty of differing views on that one

"Villa failed to make their numerical advantage count, however, as Wilder immediately reverted to a back four

Chances were few and far between but Sheffield United stood defiant

El Ghazi's cross was headed back across goal by Traore for McGinn to shoot first time but Ethan Ampadu was in the right place to block

Villa continued to press against the disciplined Blades backline, but when Ezri Konsa's low shot was brilliantly kept out by Ramsdale in the final minute of normal time, the Premier League's bottom side had the victory their efforts deserved

Sheffield United boss : "It's a win that was made a little bit more difficult by going down to 10 men but we showed good character

It was similar to a lot of games we played in the Premier League last year

"We took our moments last season and we didn't make any individual errors, which have basically cost us so many points all season

If you do this, it allows you to get the kind of results like this which we consistently got last season

"On Phil Jagielka's red card: "He was gone the moment he went over [to the monitor]

Villa are a great club, but they've had some decisions against us

I don't think Villa can ever complain about the decisions that have gone against us in our previous three fixtures

We got on with it and kept the ball out of the back of the net

"He was a long way out

I still think Bryan is close enough and we had retreating players

I think it's harsh

Some of the decisions, not just for us, but for everyone else are head-scratching

But maybe I've gone past caring

I even thought [David McGoldrick] was offside given the luck we've had this season!"We showed an unbelievable desire to keep the ball out of the net

I said to the players I'll celebrate for them tonight

They have another game on Saturday

All the beers they might have drunk tonight, I'll do that for them

I'll give it a good go

It was everything you want in a performance

That was a game like 90 per cent of our games last season

"Aston Villa boss : "We found it difficult to provide a decent ball tonight and the one time we did, Ollie [Watkins] ended up hitting the bar

With all the possession we had in the final third, we needed better quality runs and balls

"For me, we tried to get the goal back within the first five minutes after the sending off rather than being a little bit more patient by dragging them out

"I have no worries about us scoring goals

If we take our big chances today, we're not having the discussion [of a lack of goals]

As long as we create big chances in games, that's what I'm interested in

We did in the first half but we didn't so much in the second period

When a team goes down to 10 men, you can see them all in front of the 18-yard box and they were hard to break down

"We've had three days in between the games and felt that was enough recovery period to go again

I felt it would be a game where second balls would be important, and we did that quite well

There were moments in the first half where we were very good despite maybe not being as crisp on the ball

We've not taken our chances while they've taken their one opportunity

"Villa lacked quality in front of goal and became frantic as they chased the game in the second period, but this missed opportunity was thanks in large part to Ramsdale's resolute performance, in front of the excellent Bryan and Ampadu

The England U21 international has endured a difficult season since arriving as Dean Henderson's replacement last summer, but a second clean sheet of the campaign was earned through four crucial saves as Villa pursued an equaliser in the closing stages

His quick reflexes to thwart Konsa's firm strike late on keeps Sheffield United's flickering hopes of survival alive

Sheffield United host Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, live on ; kick-off is at 3pm

Aston Villa will also feature in front of the cameras next up as they host Wolves on Saturday Night Football at 5

30pm

null

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Martinez

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Elmohamady

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Targett

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Mings

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Konsa

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Nakamba

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Ramsey

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McGinn

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ElGhazi

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Traore

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Watkins

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Barkley

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Sanson

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<PAD>

398

Chelsea boosted their top-four hopes as Mason Mount's first-half strike inflicted a fifth straight defeat at Anfield for champions Liverpool

Thomas Tuchel's side dominated the first half and thought they had scored through Timo Werner in the 24th minute, but the goal was ruled out by VAR after an extremely tight offside call

However, Chelsea's dominance did eventually pay off when Mount fired past Alisson to give the visitors a deserved lead

Liverpool showed more urgency after the break, but they struggled to find their fluency in attack and failed to create many clear-cut chances as Chelsea held on for what could prove to be a crucial three points in the race for Champions League qualification

Victory sees Chelsea, who continue their unbeaten start to life under Tuchel, move up to fourth in the Premier League table ahead of another crucial game at home to Everton on Monday (kick-off 6pm)

Meanwhile, Liverpool's difficult season continues as Jurgen Klopp's side, who stay seventh - four points behind Chelsea - go into the record books for the wrong reason after a fifth straight home defeat

Chelsea enjoyed the better of opening exchanges and they created the first real opening as Werner beat the offside trap, but he couldn't lift the ball over Alisson, who made a comfortable save

Tuchel said before the game they would be looking to exploit Liverpool's high line with Werner's pace, and they thought the plan had paid off when Werner once again raced in behind the home defence to latch onto Jorginho's pass

The German beat Alisson, who was in no man's land, to the ball, and fired home into an empty net, but after a VAR check, the goal was ruled out with Werner's arm adjudged to have been offside

Liverpool responded well after their VAR reprieve and Sadio Mane should have done better when picked out by Mohamed Salah, but the Senegal forward missed his kick with the goal at his mercy

It was the visitors, though, who got the breakthrough they had been threatening just before half-time when N'Golo Kante's direct pass out to the left wing picked out Mount, and he cut inside Fabinho to drill a fine finish past Alisson and into the bottom corner

After the break, Liverpool looked livelier

There were strong appeals from the home players for a penalty when Roberto Firmino's cross hit the raised arm of Kante from close range, but the referee waved away the appeals and VAR saw no reason to overturn the decision

Andy Robertson cleared off the line from Hakim Ziyech after Alisson parried Ben Chilwell's shot as Chelsea continued to threaten

Klopp looked to his bench just past the hour mark bringing on Diogo Jota for his first appearance in three months and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but eyebrows were raised when Salah - the Premier League's top goalscorer - made way

However, Liverpool still struggled to create anything of note, while at the other end, Werner, was doing everything but score as Alisson's leg saved another shot from the German

The hosts eventually registered a shot on target in the 85th minute, but Georginio Wijnaldum's weak header was easily saved by Edouard Mendy

Chelsea's well-drilled defence got them over the line as the champions ran out of ideas

"It's a great result for Chelsea, it really is

Thomas Tuchel has made a fantastic start to his career at the club

He's come in on an 18-month contract and it felt like he had to get this club into the top four in his first few months

They are in that position now

"Mason Mount was outstanding for the visitors

There was a lot of talk about him being on the bench in Tuchel's first game, but I'm sure Tuchel is aware of how important he will be, not just this season but in the years to come for Chelsea

"It really is a big result

You can see that from the reaction of the players

It's not just about where it puts them now but psychologically it will bring huge belief to this club and it sends a warning to the Premier League that they will be difficult to shift out of the top four now

"They look a really good outfit and deserved this result

"Mason Mount has scored three goals in eight Premier League appearances under Thomas Tuchel this season, after netting only twice in 18 league appearances under previous boss Frank Lampard to start the campaign

He has now scored 12 and assisted eight goals in the Premier League for Chelsea

Aged 22 years and 53 days, he's the second-youngest player to reach 20 goals and assists for the club in the Premier League after only Arjen Robben (21 years and 337 days)

Liverpool boss : "The individual quality of Mason Mount in that moment made the difference

It was a tight game, intense game

Both teams invested a lot

That is it pretty much

They had the goal they scored which was offside

The second half another counter-attack, we had more situations around, the great one with Sadio Mane and other situations where we did not score

"You have to defend differently and we didn't do well there

There are a lot of things out there you have to consider

In the end, we conceded one goal, we made the mistake there, the other was offside and you can say it was good defending but with all the possession we had you need to have more chances

Everything was really good until the final pass

"Unfortunately we cannot say it is only at home

It is not about Anfield or whatever, it is in general, too often

In the decisive moments we have to improve

We have to show our quality in these moments and we don't do that often enough

: "I just brought on fresh legs

Mo (Salah) looked like today he suffered a bit, he played a lot of games

I could have taken off Sadio or Bobby, that is all clear but at that moment it looked like Mo

Milner we bought on to wake them up a bit and keep them in the game because we needed one situation

"It is a massive blow

It is not done yet

We have to win football games

"Chelsea boss : "We had excellent moments with the ball, we had moments where we needed to suffer but we never lost the attitude to defend, we never lost the discipline, attitude, desire or courage to defend up front

It was a well-deserved win with a big performance and a big result

"When you play at Anfield, you cannot overthink, you have no time to think so we told the players 'we need your best performance, but we need nothing extra or super special'

But the things we did today, we need to do them at the highest level with position and passing and distances where we want the ball

We need to be courageous if we want to escape the pressure and we did this excellently

It was a very good team performance and I'm absolutely happy because it's a deserved win

""We knew that when we arrived here, we need to be top in all situations of the game

They ask you a lot of questions and you need to have the answers

"It's a six-point game because at the same time, when you win, the others lose

But the race is on, there are still 11 games to go

We go step-by-step, there is no other way to prepare every match that is coming, the next one is the next tough one, also against a direct opponent for the top four

It's good because we can never rest, we can never celebrate and be happy for too long because there is no time for that

"I feel as a part of this group, I feel like a big part of the club actually from the first moments and we put in all our effort and try to help and do this in the best way possible

We are happy when the team shows their quality and I'm delighted to be a part of it

"' : "It was a toss-up between Andreas Christensen and Mason Mount, but I've gone with Christensen

"He defended really well in the second half and he was extremely brave in taking the ball in really difficult positions

He was really composed on the ball

"He was a standout performer for Chelsea against a Liverpool side that struggled to create anything of note

"Liverpool are back in action on when they host Fulham, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm; Kick-off 2pm

Meanwhile, Chelsea face another top-four rival in their next game when they host Everton at Stamford Bridge on Monday; Kick-off 6pm

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<PAD>

Alisson

False

Alexander-Arnold

False

Fabinho

False

Kabak

False

Robertson

False

Wijnaldum

False

Jones

False

Thiago

False

Mane

False

Firmino

False

Salah

False

Jota

False

Oxlade-Chamberlain

False

Mendy

False

Azpilicueta

True

Christensen

True

Rudiger

True

James

False

Jorginho

True

Kante

True

Chilwell

True

Ziyech

True

Mount

True

Werner

True

Pulisic

False

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399

Nemanja Matic's 12th-minute effort proved to be Manchester United's only shot on target as a limp 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace left them 14 points off leaders Manchester City

United dropped points for the seventh time in their last 10 Premier League games and never put up any real fight to earn three points in south London, with Palace, who had mustered only six shots in their previous two games, twice going close to a shock win

After Matic's early piledriver was turned behind by a full-stretch Vicente Guaita save, United stuttered throughout and were made to worry when Andros Townsend's volley flew just past Dean Henderson's far post after half-time

Late on, after Luke Shaw and Mason Greenwood had both missed opportunities, Patrick Van Aanholt - scorer of Palace's injury-time winner at Old Trafford in 2019 - was denied another winning contribution by Henderson's legs

But even gaining that point for United leaves their title challenge as good as over with a trip to leaders City, live on , to follow this weekend

Crystal Palace had never recorded a league double over Manchester United, so after a shock result in their opening-weekend win at Old Trafford, there was a chance to make history at Selhurst Park

The hosts began on the front foot, but failed to turn that into an early shot - not that an absence of chances had stopped them picking up four points from their last two games

And once United began to assert their quality in possession, they stood firm

Matic's deflected drive forced Guaita into a finger-tip stop and Rashford fired a low effort wide from the edge of the area, but beyond those opportunities the hosts were largely untroubled, as United failed to click into gear in the final third

The first half proved so uneventful Andre Marriner opted against adding any injury time, and a managerial team-talk failed to spark any sort of life into the visitors, even knowing what was at stake in what remains of the title race

Instead, Townsend's well-struck volley bounced past Henderson's post after United failed to clear a free-kick, and Andre Ayew tested the goalkeeper from a tight angle from Christian Benteke's tee-up

Substitute Dan James would have proved an unlikely matchwinner had his 5ft 7ins frame directed Shaw's cross goalwards, but his glancing header was cleared behind by Gary Cahill as United offered a rare moment of concern

Two more followed in the dying minutes, with Greenwood and Shaw both firing wide from good positions, before Luka Milivojevic's through-ball released Van Aanholt, who was denied by Henderson's smart stop when clean through

Defeat would have been harsh on United in a balanced game but not undeserved, given their lack of intensity, but even a point does little for their hopes at the top - and again fails to put distance between themselves and third-placed Leicester

Crystal Palace boss "There were some very good signs tonight about us getting back the composure we've lost in a couple of recent games

"We were playing through the midfield, we do have the quality players to do that, the return of Schlupp and return soon of McArthur and Zaha, that'll help us even more in that area

"It's not easy to create chances against United, as their run away from home shows

And every time we've played United, as long as I've been here, it's always been a reason to celebrate when you get a result

"Manchester United manager : "It's not what we want, but that's the football we're playing in

We're in the Premier League and you have to play better to win games

"We know we're in a battle to be as high in the table as possible

You sometimes see results that go the way we don't expect

We know we're in a fight and we need to pick up every point we can

""He's earned a clean sheet, and kept Edinson Cavani relatively quiet

I know Manchester United have been poor, but he's been very good as part of that defence, alongside Gary Cahill

"Both teams are back on television this weekend with a pair of tasty cross-city derbies as part of live on

First off, Manchester United visit Manchester City from 4pm; Kick-off at 4

30pm

Following that game, Crystal Palace's trip to Tottenham will follow from 7pm; Kick-off at 7

15pm

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<PAD>

Guaita

True

Ward

True

Cahill

True

Kouyate

True

VanAanholt

True

Townsend

True

McCarthy

False

Milivojevic

True

Eze

False

Ayew

True

Benteke

False

Riedewald

True

Henderson

True

Wan-Bissaka

False

Bailly

False

Maguire

False

Shaw

True

Fred

False

Matic

False

Fernandes

False

Greenwood

False

Cavani

False

Rashford

False

McTominay

False

James

False

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