LONDON -- Liverpool surged 22 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 win over Southampton, while Bruno Fernandes made his Manchester United debut in a goalless draw against Wolves on Saturday.
Mohamed Salah scored twice as the champions-elect equalled a Premier League record with a 20th straight home win at Anfield.
Southampton believed they should have had a penalty early in the second half when Danny Ings went down in the box against his old club, but no spot-kick was given. Liverpool went straight up the other end to take the lead through Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
"The game would have been going in a different direction," admitted Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
"We had to change in the second half. That helped massively and when we are rolling it's difficult to stop."
Jordan Henderson doubled the European champions' lead with a smart finish on the hour mark.
Salah then produced two cool finishes in the final 20 minutes as Klopp's men took their tally of points to a remarkable 100 from the last possible 102.
Having completed his move from Sporting Lisbon on Thursday, in a deal worth an initial £47 million ($61.2 million), Fernandes went straight into the starting line-up at Old Trafford.
The 25-year-old midfielder delivered a composed display full of neat passing as he lined up behind United striker Anthony Martial and took the role of chief creator.
He kept Rui Patricio on his toes with a series of long-range drives, one of which the Wolves goalkeeper nearly spilled into his own net.
There was also a booking for Fernandes for pulling back Raul Jimenez in the second half of a tame clash that left sixth-placed United without a win in their last three league games.
"Bruno is a top player. It's the first game. Bruno is one of those who, when he gets it into feet, he wants players moving in front of him and we didn't," United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.
"We've played so many games in the past few months the players are down to the bare bones. Energy levels are down and we need a break."
Leicester and Chelsea consolidated their places in the top four in a 2-2 draw at the King Power Stadium.
Fourth-placed Chelsea sit five points clear of fifth-placed Sheffield United and six ahead of United and Wolves.
Frank Lampard's men have won just four of their last 13 league games and needed two goals from centre-back Antonio Rudiger just to claim a point.
"Not many people gave us the top-four slot and I understand why, and it's probably the same now," Lampard said.
- Blades on the rise -
All the goals came in the second half as Rudiger nodded Chelsea in front before two goals in 10 minutes from Harvey Barnes and Ben Chilwell turned the game around for Leicester.
A brilliant leap from Rudiger 19 minutes from time denied the Foxes all three points, but Brendan Rodgers' men maintain an eight-point lead over Chelsea in third.
Sheffield United are Chelsea's closest challengers as Chris Wilder's men earned a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace thanks to a calamitous own goal from Eagles goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.
A double for Robert Snodgrass after Issa Diop's opener put West Ham 3-1 up against Brighton at the London Stadium, but the Seagulls fought back through Pascal Gross and Glenn Murray for a point that keeps them two points above the drop zone.
Watford failed to even collect a point after going 2-0 up on Everton through Adam Masina and Roberto Pereyra.
The Hornets switched off from two set-pieces in first half stoppage time to allow Yerry Mina's double to bring Carlo Ancelotti's men level.
Everton then went down to 10 men when Fabian Delph was sent off but snatched all three points through Theo Walcott.
Aston Villa's celebrations at reaching the League Cup final in midweek were short-lived as 10-man Bournemouth held on for a 2-1 win that lifted them up to 16th.
Norwich are seven points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table after a 0-0 draw at Newcastle.
Agence France-Presse
LIVERPOOL, England - Liverpool opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League with an emphatic and hugely impressive 3-1 win over defending champions Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
The victory, sealed with goals from Fabinho, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, leaves unbeaten Liverpool on 34 points from 12 games, eight ahead of Leicester City and Chelsea, and nine in front of Pep Guardiola's fourth-placed City.
While talk of decisive results in November, with 26 games of the campaign remaining, is premature, the manner of Liverpool's win over a team which has dominated the league for the past two seasons was certainly a declaration of intent.
"The boys were completely focused and concentrated. It was so good," Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp said.
Anfield exploded when Liverpool grabbed a sixth-minute lead with a thundering drive from Brazilian Fabinho, who pounced on a poor clearance from Ilkay Gundogan and blasted past Claudio Bravo from over 20 metres out.
Yet City felt the stunning effort should have been ruled out -- and a penalty awarded to them -- as prior to the break that led to the goal Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to handle the ball inside the box but the VAR review went against the visitors.
It was the latest VAR controversy in the Premier League and is certain to spark more debate, but while the opening goal set the tone, Liverpool's dominance was soon evident all across the field.
City pushed forward in response and Raheem Sterling missed a close-range header, but Liverpool struck again in the 13th minute when Andy Robertson crossed from the left and Salah nodded the bouncing ball past Bravo to make it 2-0.
Juergen Klopp's European champions, without a domestic league title since 1990, now had a firm grip on the game and caused constant trouble for City's shaky defence with their powerful surges forward.
Liverpool were on top physically and their pressing stopped City from establishing their usual possession game but still they managed to carve out some openings.
Sergio Aguero, who had a disappointing game, forced Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker into action in the 25th minute and then the Argentine should have done better three minutes before the break when he shot wide after being fed by Kevin De Bruyne.
Guardiola needed to adjust something at the break to find a foothold in the game but City's third defeat of the season, after losses to Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, was assured when Liverpool made it 3-0 six minutes after the interval.
Jordan Henderson superbly worked space on the right flank and whipped in a cross which Mane dived to head home at the back post.
Bernardo Silva pulled a goal back for City in the 78th minute, drilling home a low cross from Angelino and the visitors enjoyed some late pressure but it was too late for a comeback from the champions.
City have not won at Anfield in the league since May, 2003 -- their only win at Liverpool in 38 years, but manager Pep Guardiola took positives from Sunday's performance.
"It's not easy after being two goals down to react the way we reacted. It was one of the best performances I have ever seen from my team. That's what we needed and hopefully we can continue to make the steps we need," he said.
(Reporting by Simon Evans Editing by Toby Davis)
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LIVERPOOL, England - European champions Liverpool gave up a three-goal lead to Austria's Salzburg before recovering to win 4-3 in an enthralling Champions League Group E match at Anfield on Wednesday.
Mohamed Salah, who scored twice, grabbed the 69th-minute winner for Liverpool after Salzburg, managed by American Jesse Marsch, had stunned Anfield with three goals either side of halftime to make it 3-3.
While Liverpool will be relieved to have avoided their first home defeat in the Premier League or Champions League since April 2017, there will be concern about the performance of their defence, which was exposed by the lively Salzburg attack.
Salzburg, who beat Belgium's Genk 6-2 in their opening game in the group, were applauded off the field by their travelling fans, recognition for their spirit and the enterprising, positive football they played against Juergen Klopp's side.
Liverpool, beaten 2-0 by Napoli in their opening game, quickly took charge, taking the lead in the ninth minute with a beautifully-worked goal from Sadio Mane.
The Senegalese left two defenders in his wake as he cut in from the left and then drove home after a crisp exchange with Roberto Firmino.
Left back Andy Robertson made it 2-0 in the 25th minute, starting the move with a burst down the flank and then staying forward to apply a deft finish to Trent Alexander-Arnold's low cross.
Salah then made it 3-0, turning the ball in after Salzburg keeper Cican Stankovic had pushed away an angled header from Firmino.
The Austrians pulled a goal back in impressive fashion, with South Korean Hwang Hee-chan leaving Virgil van Dijk on his rear with a sharp turn inside, before he blasted past Adrian in the 39th minute.
Hwang then turned provider when his cross from the left was met with a superb volley from Japanese striker Takumi Minamino, who buried the ball in the bottom corner from 20 metres out in the 56th minute.
The home crowd could barely believe it four minutes later when the impressive Minamino slipped the ball across the face of the goal and 19-year-old substitute Erling Haaland tapped in.
Haaland had scored a hat-trick in the win over Genk and the tall striker had the extra satisfaction of matching his father, Alf-Inge, who scored for Leeds United at Anfield in a Premier League match 22 years ago.
Klopp threw on a fourth forward in Divock Origi as he looked to retrieve the game and Salah secured the points for Liverpool in the 69th minute, the Egyptian firing home his second goal after a header down from the always-influential Firmino.
"Salzburg are a really good team and after we went 3-0 up it was a tough game to try and push - but we deserved the win," said Liverpool's former Salzburg striker Mane.
"To be honest, I knew how good Salzburg were as I was there for two and a half years. They never give up and push and they caused us problems, but in the end, we scored more goals."
The win left Liverpool second in the group on three points, one behind leaders Napoli who were held to a 0-0 draw at Genk earlier on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Simon Evans Editing by Toby Davis)
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LONDON - Mohamed Salah-inspired Liverpool laid down an emphatic early-season marker as they outplayed Arsenal on Saturday to win 3-1 and ensure they are the only team left in the Premier League with a 100 percent record.
The European champions were in full cry at their Anfield fortress with two second-half goals from Salah ensuring they have a maximum nine points from three matches while they also ended Arsenal's own perfect league record.
On another eventful afternoon in England's top-flight, Manchester United suffered more woe from the penalty spot as they went down to a shock home defeat to Crystal Palace and Frank Lampard celebrated his first win as Chelsea manager at Norwich City.
Attention, though, centred on the day's late match between the two heavyweights who had won their first two games but it turned into a demonstration of Liverpool's strength as they equalled a 29-year-old club record with a 12th straight league win.
Liverpool dominated once Joel Matip headed home from a corner four minutes before halftime, with Salah, seeking to be the Premier League's top scorer for the third successive year, then taking over after the break with a 10-minute double.
After David Luiz desperately pulled his shirt in the area, the Egyptian converted from the spot before later producing a solo tour de force to spin and speed away from the hapless Brazilian and slot home a wonderful left-foot finish.
Arsenal earned a late consolation through substitute Lucas Torreira but Juergen Klopp's men opened up a three-point lead over the Gunners, who are second on six points.
Champions Manchester City, who play at Bournemouth, and Tottenham Hotspur, who host Newcastle United, have the chance to move on to seven points if they win their matches on Sunday.
Earlier, Manchester United's hopes of continuing a promising unbeaten start to the campaign were undone by Palace's 93rd-minute strike from Patrick van Aanholt in a 2-1 victory for Roy Hodgson's strugglers.
Daniel James thought he had earned United a point by cancelling out Jordan Ayew's first-half goal in the 89th minute but toothless United were left to rue their second missed penalty of the week.
After Paul Pogba had missed on Monday against Wolverhampton Wanderers, this time it was Marcus Rashford who spurned the opportunity, hitting the inside of the post and raising fresh questions about United's policy not to have one designated penalty taker.
FIRST VICTORY
Lampard finally landed his first managerial victory for the Blues at the fourth attempt as Tammy Abraham's double inspired a thrilling 3-2 win at Norwich City for his youthful side.
Lampard, back at the club he graced for 13 years as a player, fielded the youngest Chelsea side in a league match for 25 years, with an average age of 24.
Abraham struck in just the third minute, and after Norwich had twice fought back from a goal down, he also proved the match-winner at Carrow Road with another superb strike in the 68th minute.
Another of Lampard's starlets, Mason Mount, also scored while Teemu Pukki continued his dazzling start to the season for Norwich with a league-leading fifth goal.
"Our performances haven't given us what we deserved so far -- but today it did," said Lampard.
Abraham, who became the youngest player to score twice in a Premier League match for Chelsea for 21 years, added: "It's something I have always dreamed about, to score for my childhood club."
Leicester City moved up to third on five points after a first-half goal from Jamie Vardy and a thunderously struck winner from Harvey Barnes repelled a fightback from Sheffield United in a 2-1 win at Bramall Lane.
Brighton & Hove Albion's encouraging start under Graham Potter also hit the buffers after the 30th-minute sending off of Florin Andone allowed Southampton to take control and win 2-0 on the road.
Watford saw their painful, pointless start to the season continue with a 3-1 defeat at Vicarage Road to West Ham United, for whom new record French signing Sebastien Haller scored a second-half double.
(Reporting by Ian Chadband Editing by Toby Davis)
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MADRID -- Jurgen Klopp admitted his Liverpool team were overcome with emotion after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 to win Saturday's all-English Champions League final in Madrid and take the trophy for the sixth time in the club's history.
Mohamed Salah's second-minute penalty and a late Divock Origi goal settled what was not a classic at the Metropolitano Stadium, as Liverpool made up for their defeat in last year's final against Real Madrid and the deflation of missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City.
"We were all pretty much crying on the pitch, because it was so emotional, it was so big, it means so much to us," Klopp said.
The revered German has his first trophy as Liverpool manager, three and a half years on from his arrival at the club. This result saw him end a run of six straight defeats in finals.
For Salah there was redemption after injury ruined his night against Real a year ago, and for Liverpool it is now half a dozen European Cups, as they further cement their status as one of football's most storied clubs.
They now have more than Barcelona or Bayern Munich, and twice as many as their greatest rivals, Manchester United. The biggest party is still to come.
"Tomorrow, going to Liverpool and having something to celebrate, that is big, and I am really looking forward to that," said Klopp.
"When we drive through the city then we will all realise what these boys have done."
Perhaps the occasion was just too much for Tottenham in their first ever appearance in the Champions League final. They have now lost all three meetings with these opponents this season, winning just one of their last 15 encounters.
Mauricio Pochettino's decision to start Harry Kane after nearly two months out did not pay off, and he is still looking for his first trophy after five years in charge.
- Kane fails to make impact -
Nevertheless, if they can keep him, and with the impetus from the move to their new stadium, maybe they will be back on such a stage before long.
"It is so painful but at the same time we need to be calm and feel proud. The season was fantastic," he said.
That Spurs were here at all was remarkable, Lucas Moura's sensational hat-trick that dumped out Ajax in the semi-finals capping a memorable Champions League season all round.
The stage was set for this match, only the second all-English final, but after all the hype and the stories of fans paying thousands for tickets for a game they simply could not miss, this was a strangely subdued affair between the two goals.
- Suffocating heat -
Perhaps the stakes were simply too high, or perhaps the three-week break since the end of the Premier League season was to blame.
Most likely the suffocating Madrid heat -- Klopp's description of "pretty warm" was an understatement -- impacted on the players and prevented this from being like a typical Premier League clash.
However, it might also have been a result of the opening goal coming so early, badly affecting Tottenham's confidence.
Pochettino had opted to start Kane after an ankle injury, meaning Lucas was on the bench. Kane hardly touched the ball.
Eight members of Liverpool's team also started last season's final, when Salah went off injured and in tears in the first half.
This time Liverpool were the ones celebrating early on, Slovenian referee Damir Skomina pointing to the spot inside 25 seconds when Moussa Sissoko blocked Sadio Mane's cross with his arm.
Salah confidently blasted home the penalty for the second-fastest goal ever in the final of the modern Champions League.
The only faster effort was Paolo Maldini's goal for AC Milan against Liverpool in Istanbul in 2005, when the Anfield side famously won on penalties.
Spurs just did not get going, and there was none of the frenzied pressing and attacking associated with Klopp's side, although Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson both came close in the first half.
Tottenham improved after the break, but Virgil van Dijk was immense for Liverpool and there was no way past Alisson, the Brazilian saving well from Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen late on.
It was left to Origi, one of the heroes of the stunning semi-final win over Barcelona, to wrap it up with three minutes left as he swept home inside the box.
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LIVERPOOL, England - A spectacular strike from Mohamed Salah helped Liverpool maintain their two point lead over Manchester City in the Premier League title race with a crucial 2-0 win over Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday.
City won 3-1 at Crystal Palace earlier on Sunday meaning Liverpool have 85 points with four games to go and City are on 83 with an additional match to play.
But with Pep Guardiola's side having to face Tottenham and Manchester United in the next 10 days and Liverpool having no more matches against top six teams, Juergen Klopp's side have a glorious chance to end their club's 29-year wait for a domestic league title.
After a fascinatingly even first half, Liverpool turned on the style after the break with a 51st minute header from Sadio Mane and then a long-range screamer from Salah two minutes later blowing Chelsea away.
"I’m so proud of the team, it was a fantastic performance," said Klopp.
"What a team, what a stadium, what an atmosphere. I’m so thankful I can be a part of this, it’s great. It’s just outstanding, very overwhelming at times," said the German.
Although the brilliant Eden Hazard hit the post for the visitors, there was a real determination about the way Liverpool approached the second half -- closing down across the field and yet still pushing forward in search of a third to totally kill the game.
BIGGEST OBSTACLE
That did not come but with only lowly Cardiff City, relegated Huddersfield Town, Newcastle United and Wolves remaining as hurdles, this was the biggest obstacle in Liverpool's run in, cleared with some margin to spare.
Hazard, playing in a central role, had been a constant threat in the opening half while Liverpool's cutting edge was not quite there. Mane went close with a curling effort and a Firmino toe poke forced Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga into action.
Chelsea had arguably had the better of the opening half but whatever Klopp said to his team at the break certainly had the desired effect.
The breakthrough came when Salah weaved into the area, putting the Chelsea defence on the back foot and Henderson picked out Mane at the back post with the Senegalese forward confidently heading home.
If that goal brought a feeling of relief, it was pure joy two minutes later when Salah scored a sensational second -- the Egyptian receiving the ball on the right flank and cutting inside before unleashing an unstoppable drive from 25 metres out into the far, top corner.
"It blows me away," said Klopp.
"I had the best view of it. I saw earlier than most people that it would go in. What a finish, what a shot. But the whole move around it. Wow, brilliant," he added.
Chelsea responded positively, though, with David Luiz picking out Hazard with a ball over the top, the Belgian beating the advancing Alisson Becker only to see his shot bounce out off the post.
Moments later, Becker then had to be alert to keep out a Hazard shot from a Willian cross as Chelsea searched in vain for a way back.
But having been warned, Liverpool were alert to the Hazard threat and they could have had a third themselves in the 89th minute with Mane forcing Arrizabalaga into a reflex save.
The jubilant reaction of the crowd at the final whistle, showed the importance of these three points.
The pressure is on City ahead of 10 days which could determine the outcome of this fascinating title race.
(Reporting by Simon Evans Editing by Christian Radnedge and Pritha Sarkar)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LONDON -- Mohamed Salah's second-half penalty moved Liverpool seven points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to a 1-0 win away to Brighton, while Arsenal's hopes of a top-four finish suffered another body blow in defeat by West Ham on Saturday.
Chelsea now lead the Gunners by six points in the race for Champions League qualification after beating Newcastle 2-1.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admitted it had been "no opera" watching his side struggle to create chances on the south coast in a game of little goalmouth incident other than Salah's 17th goal of the season after the Egyptian had been hauled down by Pascal Gross five minutes into the second half.
"We are not the Harlem Globetrotters, we have to deliver results," said Klopp, as his side got back to winning ways after a first Premier League defeat of the season by Manchester City and an FA Cup exit to Wolves.
"For that, we need to perform. The performance was good. It was not the best performance of the season in a few departments but I would say it was the most mature performance of the season."
City can close the gap to four points with victory over Wolves on Monday, while Tottenham can close to within six should they move above the champions with victory over Manchester United on Sunday.
However, if United continue Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's perfect record as caretaker boss, the Red Devils will have eroded an eight-point gap to Arsenal in the month since Jose Mourinho was sacked.
- Rice sinks Arsenal -
Teenager Declan Rice scored his first West Ham goal as Unai Emery's men suffered on the road once more in a 1-0 loss at the London Stadium.
Mesut Ozil was again not selected even in Emery's squad as Arsenal's winless run away from home in the league extended to five games.
"We decided that the players here were the best for this match," said Emery of the German's absence.
"We've won with him, we've lost with him. No one player makes the difference between winning and losing the game."
However, it was not a perfect afternoon for the Hammers either as Marko Arnautovic appeared to wave goodbye to the home fans when substituted with the Austrian strongly linked with a move to the Chinese Super League.
Chelsea took advantage of Arsenal's defeat despite making heavy work of seeing off Newcastle.
Pedro Rodriguez's early opener was cancelled out by Ciaran Clark's header for the visitors, but Willian's fine 57th-minute strike secured all three points for Maurizio Sarri's men.
Defeat allied to results elsewhere saw Newcastle slip into the bottom three as 10-man Southampton held out to win 2-1 at Leicester.
James Ward-Prowse's penalty gave the Saints an 11th-minute lead before Yann Valery was sent off.
Southampton still doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time through Shane Long and withstood a second-half fightback from the Foxes when Wilfried Ndidi pulled a goal back.
"I'm unbelievably proud of my players," said Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
"To go 2-0 in the lead at Leicester is not easy and we defended with fantastic commitment."
Fulham remain in the relegation zone as Burnley won 2-1 at Turf Moor despite not even having a single shot on target.
Andre Schurrle's stunning effort put Fulham ahead in just the second minute but Burnley equalised in the 20th minute through Joe Bryan's own goal and were soon in the lead when Denis Odoi also put through his own net.
"It is unbelievable. We scored a great goal and then suddenly two own goals," said Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri.
Craig Cathcart scored at both ends as Watford beat Crystal Palace 2-1 thanks to Tom Cleverley's volleyed winner with 16 minutes left at Selhurst Park.
Huddersfield are still rooted to the foot of the table following a goalless draw at Cardiff.
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DAKAR - Egypt striker Mohamed Salah was voted as the African Footballer of the Year for the second successive year at the Confederation of African Football’s awards ceremony in Dakar on Tuesday.
Salah beat fellow nominees, Liverpool team mate Sadio Mane and Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
He edged the same two players last year in a vote decided by the technical directors and head coaches of 56 CAF member associations.
"This award is very big for me, I love it because I saw it when I was young and I always had a dream to win it one day," Salah said when collecting his trophy for his 2018 exploits.
"I'm proud to win it twice, I must thank my family and my team mates, and I dedicate this award to my country, Egypt."
Salah helped Liverpool reach the 2018 Champions League final but suffered a shoulder injury during the 3-1 defeat by Real Madrid in Kiev.
That injury raised doubts about his World Cup participation but he regained fitness to represent Egypt in the finals in Russia, scoring twice as they exited in the first round.
He has scored 13 Premier League goals this season to guide Liverpool to the top of the standings.
It is the third time an Egyptian player has claimed the crown, with Mahmoud El Khatib’s 1983 victory being the other occasion.
(Reporting By Nick Said, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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LONDON - Liverpool maintained their finest start to any season, earning a sixth straight Premier League win 3-0 over Southampton as Manchester City returned to form with a dazzling 5-0 win at Cardiff City on Saturday.
On an afternoon when Manchester United welcomed former manager Alex Ferguson back to Old Trafford only for Wolverhampton Wanderers to spoil the party with a 1-1 draw, United's deadliest rivals continued to set a burning pace.
Liverpool had never before won their first seven games in all competitions in any season but they marked Juergen Klopp's 600th match as a manager by surpassing their 1961-62 season record when they won their first six.
A Wesley Hoedt own goal, Joel Matip's header and Mohamed Salah's poached rebound settled the game by halftime as the feelgood factor sweeping Anfield continued after the midweek Champions League triumph over Paris St Germain.
It left Klopp smiling on his landmark day.
"Winning seven in a row is cool but challenges will get tougher and tougher," he said.
"It's taken me 18 years to manage 600 games and another 18 would mean I'll be 69! So, hopefully I'm still healthy."
Champions Man City put their shock home Champions League defeat by Olympique Lyonnais behind them, rebounding with a crushing win at Cardiff kicked off by Sergio Aguero's opener on his 300th appearance for the club.
The Argentine celebrated his signing of a one-year contract extension with his 205th City goal just after the half-hour, opening the floodgates for further strikes before the break from Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.
Record signing Riyad Mahrez added his first two for City after the break.
The league favourites' convincing wins see Liverpool lead the table on a maximum 18 points from six games with unbeaten City still pursuing hard on 16.
Chelsea, third on 15, have the chance on Sunday to join Liverpool with a perfect start to the campaign on 18 points if they win at West Ham United while Watford's 1-1 draw at Fulham in the early game kept them fourth on 13.
TRYING WEEK
In the day's late game, goals from Harry Kane, from the penalty spot, and substitute Erik Lamela earned Tottenham Hotspur a nervy 2-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion, pushing Spurs into fifth on 12 points at the end of a trying week.
Ferguson, the patriarch of Old Trafford, received a standing ovation as he took his seat in the stands for the first time since he underwent emergency surgery after a brain haemorrhage in May.
United looked poised to welcome him back with a win as Brazilian Fred scored his first goal for the club since his move from Shakhtar Donetsk but Jose Mourinho was left frustrated again after a recent resurgence with Joao Moutinho deservedly equalising soon after halftime.
United are losing touch with the leaders, now eight points behind Liverpool in sixth place, with midfielder Marouane Fellaini conceding: "Everyone is disappointed...After that it will be difficult to close the gap."
Mourinho gave a withering verdict on United's approach.
"I think Wolves deserved it. They play like I like to play which is like the World Cup final," he said.
"That is the attitude I like my teams to have in every match. We didn't have that. They did. That attitude made a difference."
Aleksandar Mitrovic joined Eden Hazard on five goals as the Premier League's top scorer when the Serb's second-half equaliser for Fulham checked Watford's best start to a top-flight campaign after Andre Gray's 90-second opener.
At the other end of the table, Burnley hauled themselves off the bottom with their first win of the season, 4-0 over Bournemouth to interrupt the Cherries' fine campaign, with goals from Matej Vydra, Aaron Lennon and a double from Ashley Barnes.
Cardiff, Huddersfield Town, beaten 3-1 at Leicester City after taking an early lead, and Newcastle United, who drew 0-0 at Crystal Palace, prop up the league on two points.
(Reporting by Ian Chadband, Editing by Ed Osmond)
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MANCHESTER - Liverpool moved into the semi-finals of the Champions League after a 2-1 win against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday earned them a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino struck in the second half as they fought back from going a goal down on the night to reach the competition's last four for the first time in 10 years.
With a three-goal deficit to make up from the first leg, City needed an early goal to give them hope and they got exactly that, taking the lead in the second minute.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk gave the ball away and Fernandinho played a superb pass to Raheem Sterling on the right who slipped the ball to Gabriel Jesus to slot home.
Sensing the comeback might be within reach, City attacked relentlessly but with Liverpool defending well in numbers chances were rare until Bernardo Silva struck the post in the 40th minute.
Two minutes later, Leroy Sane thought he had added a second, poking the ball over the line but was ruled offside. City objected strongly and as the teams came off for halftime their manager Pep Guardiola’s protests resulted in him being sent to the stands for the second half.
All City's breathless efforts though were undone in the 56th minute when Liverpool got the crucial away goal -- Sadio Mane burst into the box, City keeper Ederson dived at his feet but the ball spilled out to Salah who took his time before coolly converting.
Any lingering questions over who would advance to the last four were ended 13 minutes from the end when Firmino robbed a sloppy Nicolas Otamendi and slotted past Ederson.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
