Football: Man City face Man Utd test on march towards history

Manchester City have history in their sights as the runaway leaders bid to take a huge step towards the Premier League title in Sunday's showdown with fading challengers Manchester United.

City are 14 points clear of United with 11 games left and victory in the derby would effectively end their second placed rivals' faint hopes of catching them.

Pep Guardiola's side have been so dominant since the end of last year that it is the landmarks they can shatter on the way to a third title in four seasons that now hold the greatest interest.

They are unbeaten in 28 games and will set a new club record if they avoid defeat this weekend.

That could be the first of many milestones to fall for City, who are on an English top-flight record run of 21 successive wins in all competitions.

The only teams from the top five European leagues ever to record longer winning streaks in all competitions are Bayern Munich (23) and Real Madrid (22).

City can edge closer to Bayern's tally if they clinch a 16th successive Premier League victory this weekend, which would also take them to the brink of their own record of 18 consecutive Premier League wins, a mark shared with Liverpool.

Guardiola's team are six wins short of equalling the world record for consecutive victories in all competitions by a top-flight side -- set by Welsh team The New Saints in 2016.

City's incredible run is all the more remarkable given their troubled start to the season.

When they were held to a 0-0 draw at United in December, they were a point behind their rivals in ninth place and the death knell was ringing for their title hopes.

But, aided by some clever tactical tweaks from Guardiola, including the use of full-backs Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker as auxiliary attackers, they have been perfect since then.

City have not trailed in a league fixture for 19 games despite being without the injured Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne for long periods.

While United's inconsistencies and the collapse of champions Liverpool have contributed to City's surge to the top, the leaders' supremacy has not been restricted to the league.

- 'Something special' -

An unprecedented quadruple is within City's reach, but Guardiola is determined to keep his players from getting complacent.

"To do what we have done in these four years, still winning, these guys have something special like my time at Barcelona and Bayern Munich," he said.

"We are in a really good position. I did not expect to be in this position two or three months ago but we need to be calm."

United have stumbled recently, drawing four of their past five league games, and their title ambitions faded into the south London fog during Wednesday's goalless stalemate at Crystal Palace.

Even so, United are unbeaten in their past 21 away league games and Guardiola is well aware of the threat they could pose.

United are the only side in any of the top five European leagues yet to lose an away league match this season, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has won on both of his visits to the Etihad since taking charge in 2019.

"I know how difficult United are," said Guardiola. "More than one year not losing away and they have good results at the Etihad."

Realistically United, who are five points clear of fifth-placed Everton, have to focus on qualifying for the Champions League, either via a top-four finish or winning the Europa League. 

"Our focus is just on this one game and not where we're going to end up," Solskjaer said.

"They're ahead of us by a fair distance at the moment, so Sunday is a chance to test ourselves against a very good team."

Fixtures (GMT)

Saturday

Burnley v Arsenal (1230), Sheffield United v Southampton (1500), Aston Villa v Wolves (1730), Brighton v Leicester (2000)

Sunday

West Brom v Newcastle (1200), Liverpool v Fulham (1400), Manchester City v Manchester United (1630), Tottenham v Crystal Palace (1915)

Monday

Chelsea v Everton (1800), West Ham v Leeds (2000)

Agence France-Presse

Football: Premier League chief pleads for rethink of stadium fan ban

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has pleaded with the government to rethink its stadium supporter ban, calling for football to be treated "fairly".

Matches at the end of last season in the English top-flight and the beginning of the new campaign have been played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus crisis.

Plans to pilot a limited return of fans from October 1 were shelved last month due to tighter lockdown measures following a surge in cases of Covid-19 in Britain.

Masters told The Times newspaper that he welcomed the return of audiences to concert venues but said football stadiums should be included.

"It's good news that (concert) venues can run socially distanced events indoors, it gives them a lifeline," he said. "We are starting to see the return of the paying spectator at a ticketed event and we just believe that football should be allowed to do the same.

"We do understand why caution is needed but what we are asking for is consistency from government so that sport is treated as fairly as other activities."

"We are a highly regulated environment. We have the Sports Grounds Safety Authority in place to ensure that supporters are safe at all times and we're outdoors in a highly stewarded environment. What we really need is clarity for our clubs and supporters and a road map from government."

Masters said Premier League clubs were facing a number of tough challenges including the scrapping of the October return date for fans, expectations to help clubs lower down the pyramid and the frustration of seeing entertainment arenas close to football grounds reopen with no "roadmap" for the return of supporters.

Masters cited the example of the Bundesliga, which has allowed limited number of fans back depending on local virus rates, as one that clubs could potentially follow.

"The government is managing the country around local conditions so we have to be flexible in that respect," he said.

"We have been in regular conversation with our German counterparts and we are aware of how it's working and how it is not working for some clubs where the numbers are higher.

"Like everything, you have to start somewhere and just to do it would be fantastic. Football needs its voice back, we need fans back in the stadiums to provide that missing ingredient.

"Having fans back, even if it is not exclusively across the league, has given German football a massive boost."

Agence France-Presse

Soccer: Premier League says 'home and away' venues remains wish

MANCHESTER, England - The Premier League, which will resume on June 17, says its aim is for the remaining games to be played on the usual home and away basis but that they have a contingency plan for neutral venues.

The initial suggestion from the UK government had been for the closed-door matches to be played at neutral venues but some clubs have expressed opposition to that idea -- views that have been put to the government by the league.

Some media reports have suggested that select games which may have a risk of fans gathering outside grounds, such as the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool, would still be held at a neutral venue even if most matches are held on a home/away basis.

"The Premier League’s ambition is to complete all of our remaining fixtures this season home and away, where possible," the league said in a statement on Friday.

"We are working with our clubs to ensure risks are assessed and minimised, while co-operating with the police at a local and national level.

"Discussions with the National Police Chiefs' Council and UK Football Policing Unit have been positive and are continuing. We are prepared for all outcomes and have a neutral venue contingency," the statement concluded.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters told Sky Sports News: "We'll have a clearer picture in the next seven to 10 days but we hope the amount of games (at neutral grounds) will be low."

"...(the police) have legitimate concerns but we think we can mitigate some of the issues they're trying to deal with.

"Ultimately, we want the season to be played out on the pitch and we're discussing a number of options to make it as fair as possible."

The Premier League was suspended on March 13 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic but teams returned to small group training last week and on Wednesday voted unanimously to return to contact training, including tackling. (Reporting by Simon Evans Editing by Christian Radnedge)

-reuters-

Football: Arsenal players and boss Arteta agree coronavirus pay cut

LONDON -- Arsenal became the first Premier League club to agree a coronavirus pay cut with their players as manager Mikel Arteta and his stars slashed their wages by 12.5 percent on Monday.

After Southampton and West Ham announced wage deferral agreements with their players, Arsenal went one step further by securing the pay cut from Arteta and the first-team squad.

"We are pleased to announce that we have reached a voluntary agreement with our first-team players, head coach and core coaching staff to help support the club at this critical time," Arsenal said in a statement.

"The move follows positive and constructive discussions. In these conversations there has been a clear appreciation of the gravity of the current situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a strong desire for players and staff to show their backing for the Arsenal family."

The pay deals come after a series of negotiations over the last two weeks amid a backdrop of criticism for Premier League players over their failure to agree quick wage cuts while some top-flight teams furloughed non-playing staff to save money.

The Premier League asked clubs to put a 30 percent pay cut to players, but the English Professional Footballers' Association said that would affect tax contributions to the UK's state-run National Health Service.

It was reported that Arsenal initially proposed a 12-month drop in salary for their players.


- 'Financial risks' -

After a muted response to their request, Arsenal were able to secure the agreement thanks to Arteta's influence, according to reports.

Arteta, who has recovered after contracting the virus in March, spoke to his 27-man squad in a video call on Wednesday.

He is said to have made it clear that he would not engage them in discussions about money normally, but in this case he wanted them to take a strong collective stance in supporting Arsenal through the unprecedented financial mayhem caused by the pandemic.

There are reports that Arsenal, whose yearly wage bill is around £230 million ($286 million), will give players their money back in the event that they bridge an eight-point gap and qualify for the Champions League when football restarts.

"If we meet specific targets in the seasons ahead, primarily linked to success on the pitch, the club will repay agreed amounts," the statement said.

"We will be able to make those repayments as hitting these targets, which the players can directly influence, will mean our financial position will be stronger. 

"The agreement is based on the assumption we will finish the season 2019/20 and receive the full broadcasting revenues.

"The resulting savings will help cover some of the financial risks we have this season in relation to our matchday and commercial income."

Last week, Arsenal announced that their executive team, including the chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and the head of football Raul Sanllehi, would waive more than a third of their earnings over the next year.

Premier League chiefs believe the virus could cost them around £1 billion if the season cannot be completed.

Football is currently suspended indefinitely in England, with the UK under lockdown.

"We are proud and grateful to our players and staff for pulling together to support our club, our people and our community in these unprecedented times which are some of the most challenging we have faced in our history," the statement said.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Hudson-Odoi, first Premier League player with COVID-19

Chelsea's players and coaching staff were ordered into isolation as Callum Hudson-Odoi became the first Premier League player confirmed to have the new coronavirus late on Thursday.

The news casts the viability of this weekend's games further into doubt after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive, also throwing their team into lockdown.

"Chelsea men's team player Callum Hudson-Odoi had a positive test result for coronavirus returned this evening," a club statement said.

"Chelsea personnel who had recent close contact with the player in the men's team building will now self-isolate in line with government health guidelines.

"These will include initially the full men's team squad, coaching staff and a number of backroom staff."

Chelsea said they would discuss their upcoming games, starting with Sunday's trip to Aston Villa, with Premier League officials on Friday.

Two Arsenal fixtures -- Wednesday's game at Manchester City, and away to Brighton on Saturday -- have already been cancelled because of the virus.

Hudson-Odoi displayed cold symptoms on Monday morning and has stayed away from the club since then. His test result was returned on Thursday night.

The club said despite testing positive, the 19-year-old was "doing well and looking forward to returning to the training ground as soon as it is possible".

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Premier League schedule in doubt after Mikel Arteta gets coronavirus

The Premier League could be forced into lockdown after Arsenal's match at Brighton was postponed when Gunners manager Mikel Arteta contracted the coronavirus on Thursday.

Arsenal's training ground has been closed and their players and staff have gone into self-isolation following Arteta's shock positive test.

Less than an hour after Arsenal revealed Arteta's illness, Brighton announced that their scheduled clash at the Amex Stadium had been cancelled.

"It's absolutely essential the health and wellbeing of individuals takes priority and with that in mind Saturday's match has been postponed," Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said in a statement.

"We apologise to all fans for any inconvenience but trust everyone will understand that we are all facing an unprecedented situation.

"First and foremost our thoughts are with Mikel Arteta and we wish him a speedy recovery."

The Premier League, who had earlier insisted all games would go ahead this weekend, responded by revealing they will hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss how to deal with the global pandemic's effect on their fixtures.

"In light of Arsenal's announcement tonight confirming that their first-team coach Mikel Arteta has tested positive for COVID-19, the Premier League will convene an emergency club meeting tomorrow morning regarding future fixtures," the Premier League said.

Arteta said: "This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I'm allowed."

There are over 590 confirmed cases of the virus in Britain and 10 people have died from it so far.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had said the government was "considering the question of banning major public events such as sporting fixtures", but was not ready to do so yet.

Now Arteta's illness could force the Premier League's hand and lead to the cancellation of matches this weekend and possibly into the future.

In Italy, the European country worst hit by the virus, Serie A has suspended matches until at least April 3 and Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has been quarantined.

UEFA, European football's governing body, will consider whether to postpone the Champions League and Euro 2020 at a meeting next week.

All French Ligue 1 matches will be behind closed doors until April 15.

The next two La Liga match days have been suspended and this weekend's Bundesliga fixtures are behind closed doors.

Arsenal's league match at Manchester City last Wednesday was postponed and several Gunners players went into self-isolation after Olympiakos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis contracted the virus.

Marinakis, 52, met a number of Arsenal's players and staff when the Gunners faced Olympiakos in a Europa League tie in February.

- Health crisis -
Arsenal are not the only top-flight club affected by the virus.

Leicester, scheduled to play at Watford on Saturday, said on Thursday that three of their players have shown symptoms of the virus and are self-isolating as a precaution.

The Foxes said the unnamed trio had "presented with extremely mild illness" in recent days.

"We've had a few players that have shown symptoms and signs," Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said.

"We've followed procedure and they have been kept away at this moment from the rest of the squad and then we'll see how that develops."

Chelsea have also been touched by the health crisis, with players told to stay away from training after a member of staff reportedly complained of virus symptoms.

Thursday's training session was cancelled while their Cobham base was deep cleaned before Frank Lampard's side are due to travel to Aston Villa on Saturday.

Manchester City said one unnamed member of their squad, reportedly France defender Benjamin Mendy, is in self-isolation after a family member suffered a respiratory illness.

The relative is being treated in hospital and has undergone tests for the coronavirus, which can cause shortness of breath.

City's Champions League last 16 second leg meeting with Real Madrid, set for Tuesday, has been postponed after one of the Spanish club's basketball players tested positive for the virus.

If the Premier League does decide to play on, Liverpool could be crowned champions on Monday.

If second placed City lose to Burnley, then Liverpool will win the title for the first time in 30 years if they beat Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Liverpool have lost four of their last six games in all competitions and crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Now they must wait to discover if they will be allowed to return to action any time soon.

Fixtures (1500 GMT unless stated):

Saturday

Aston Villa v Chelsea (1730 GMT), Bournemouth v Crystal Palace, Brighton v Arsenal, Manchester City v Burnley Newcastle v Sheffield United, Norwich v Southampton, Watford v Leicester (1230 GMT)

Sunday

Tottenham v Manchester United (1630 GMT), West Ham v Wolves (1400 GMT)

Monday

Everton v Liverpool (2000 GMT)

smg/aph

Agence France-Presse

Football: Chelsea earn late draw at Bournemouth, relief for West Ham

LONDON - Chelsea's erratic week ended with another topsy-turvy affair as they eked out a dramatic 2-2 Premier League draw at struggling Bournemouth on Saturday thanks to a double from their goal-hungry defender Marcos Alonso.

The Spanish full back headed home from a rebound with the predatory instinct of a poacher five minutes for time to ensure Chelsea avoided a second miserable defeat in five days following their humbling Champions League home loss to Bayern Munich.

Chelsea's chances of ensuring they will be in Europe's top tournament next season, though, did suffer a setback after Bournemouth responded to Alonso's first-half goal with two in three second-half minutes from Jefferson Lerma and Josh King.

Yet Alonso, who also scored in the Blues' big win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, notched the leveller that meant fourth-placed Chelsea moved to 45 points, five behind third-placed Leicester City.

Liverpool, who lead the league on 79 points, were playing in the day's late match at Watford.

For Bournemouth, though, there could only be frustration at seeing a comeback victory snatched away on an afternoon when fellow strugglers West Ham United leapt out of the bottom three with a 3-1 win over Southampton.

A few thousand Hammers' fans marched outside the London Stadium before the game, protesting at the club's owners, but their mood was lightened as Jarrod Bowen, the 22 million-pound ($28 million) January signing, marked his full debut with a fine goal.

Southampton teenager Michael Obafemi equalised but the Hammers' supremacy was underlined when Sebastien Haller and Michail Antonio scored the goals that propelled West Ham to 16th on 27 points, ahead of Bournemouth on goal difference.

Brighton & Hove Albion are still in a precarious 15th position as former England manager Roy Hodgson celebrated his 100th Premier League match in charge of Crystal Palace with a 1-0 win at the home of their old rivals.

Jordan Ayew's 70th-minute winner, conjured up against the run of play, left Brighton pondering serious difficulties as they face a daunting fixture list for the rest of the season.

Newcastle United could get sucked into the relegation zone too if their strike force remains as blunt as it did in the 0-0 draw at home to Burnley, the fourth successive game in which they have failed to score.

($1 = 0.7800 pounds) (Reporting by Ian Chadband, editing by Ed Osmond)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Chelsea's Rudiger wants swift action against alleged racist abusers

LONDON - Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has urged Tottenham Hotspur to find and punish the individuals who allegedly directed racist abuse at him during Sunday's Premier League match.

The German was involved in an incident in which Tottenham's Son Heung-min was red-carded in the 62nd minute and indicated shortly afterwards that he had been the victim of a monkey gesture from the home section of the crowd.

Spurs have so far been unable to identify any home supporter making racist gestures but a Chelsea fan was arrested for allegedly racially abusing Son and was ejected from the ground.

Sky Sports reported on Monday that the Metropolitan Police had confirmed that the supporter was arrested after allegedly committing a racially aggravated public order offence.

The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) called for a government inquiry into racism in the English game following the match between the London rivals, which Chelsea won 2-0.

"I really hope that the offenders will be found and punished soon, and in such a modern football ground like the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with dozens of TV and security cameras, it must be possible to find and punish them," Rudiger wrote on Twitter.

"If not, then there must have been witnesses in the stadium who saw and heard the incident. It's just such a shame that racism still exists in 2019. When will this nonsense stop?"

Tottenham are reviewing CCTV footage and vowed to take the "strongest possible action" if any supporter is identified as having made racist gestures but said in a statement their investigations so far have been inconclusive.

"We are able to track every fan via the cameras and have spent many hours reviewing CCTV footage," the club said. "We have engaged lip readers to study the footage and contacted Chelsea for further information from their players.

"We have also taken statements from other parties present at the time. The police will be reviewing our evidence alongside us. Please be assured we shall be exhaustively investigating this matter.

"Any fan found to be guilty will receive a lifetime ban. At this time, however, we should point out that our findings are inconclusive and would ask that comment is reserved until the facts are established."

APPROPRIATE STEPS

The FA, the country's soccer governing body, is working with all parties to establish facts before taking action.

"Following the incident in the match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea... we're working with the match officials, the clubs and the relevant authorities to fully establish the facts and take the appropriate steps," the FA said in a statement on Twitter.

The British Prime Minister's office issued a statement expressing support for the efforts to stamp out racism.

"Clearly there remains more work to be done by the football authorities in tackling this issue and we are committed to working with them on this to stamp it out," a spokesman said.

"The FA, Premier League and English Football League have significantly stepped up their efforts, but we expect them to continue to prioritise this issue and to consult with both players and supporter groups," the spokesman added.

"We will be monitoring how the football authorities implement their plans through the season. We will continue working with the authorities on this, including the PFA, and we don't rule out taking further steps if required."

STADIUM ANNOUNCEMENTS

Anti-racism organisation Kick It Out applauded referee Anthony Taylor for following the protocol which led to repeated stadium announcements warning the fans.

Rudiger is the latest Premier League player to suffer alleged racist abuse during a match, with Manchester United's Fred targeted by a Manchester City fan this month.

Racist incidents have tainted European soccer recently, with Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku and Brescia's Mario Balotelli subjected to racist insults from rival fans during Serie A matches in Italy this season.

"It's really sad to see racism again at a football match, but I think it's important to talk about it in public. If not, it'll be forgotten again in a couple of days (as always)," Rudiger added.

"I don't want to involve Tottenham as an entire club into this situation as I know that just a couple of idiots were the offenders. I got a lot of supportive messages on social media from Spurs fans as well... thank you a lot for this." (Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar and Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, additional reporting by William Schomberg; Editing by Lincoln Feast/Ed Osmond/Ken Ferris/Pritha Sarkar)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Man City keep Liverpool in sights as Mourinho magic lifts Spurs

LONDON -- Manchester City kept Premier League leaders Liverpool in their sights on Saturday after battling back to beat Chelsea as Jose Mourinho ended Tottenham's away-day woes in his first game in charge.

Leicester saw off Brighton 2-0 to stay in second place, eight points behind Jurgen Klopp's men, while struggling Arsenal needed a stoppage-time goal to draw 2-2 with lowly Southampton.

Liverpool's hard-fought 2-1 win at Crystal Palace meant defending champions City went into their evening match against high-flying Chelsea 12 points behind the pacesetters.

N'Golo Kante gave the visitors a deserved lead midway through the first half at the Etihad but City hit back with a deflected shot from Kevin De Bruyne and a trademark Riyad Mahrez strike to win 2-1.

Pep Guardiola's men were never entirely comfortable with a one-goal lead but their margin of victory could have been greater as Raheem Sterling found the bottom corner deep into stoppage time, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside.

City's possession figure of 46.74 percent is the lowest recorded by a side managed by Pep Guardiola in any of his 381 top-flight matches in charge.

"It was a top game against a top side," Guardiola told Sky Sports. "Chelsea have been big quality for the past 20 years. When they went ahead in the best moments they had we scored through Kevin De Bruyne. Then we missed a lot of chances."

Guardiola sounded the alarm over all-time top-scorer Sergio Aguero, who limped off in the second half, saying he feared his injury could be "bad".

- Liverpool late show -

Earlier, Liverpool once again demonstrated their knack for scoring last-gasp winners, with Roberto Firmino finishing from close range following a goalmouth scramble.

Liverpool had looked set to drop points for just the second time this season after Wilfried Zaha cancelled out Sadio Mane's opener in the 82nd minute.

The European champions, chasing their first league title for 30 years, have now won 12 of their 13 Premier League matches this season and are unbeaten in 30 league games.

"We are not out there to show we invented football. We have a job to do to get results. We did that again," said Klopp.

"I have no problem that we were not brilliant today. You just have to make sure you are ready to fight for the result and we were that from the first minute."

Brendan Rodgers' Leicester kept up their dogged pursuit of the leaders, with second-half goals from Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy giving them a fifth successive league win.

- Mourinho effect -

In the early kick-off at the London Stadium, Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane were on the scoresheet for Tottenham as Mourinho won his first game in charge 3-2, days after replacing the sacked Mauricio Pochettino.

Spurs' first away league victory since January will help to endear Mourinho to sceptical supporters, who were sad to see Pochettino dismissed less than six months after leading the club to a first-ever Champions League final.

"It was very, very important. Eleven months without music in the away dressing room, without a smile, without happiness and they did it," said the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss.

"That's where I belong (on the touchline), that is my natural habitat. I just love it. When things go in your direction, winning is the best feeling."

Arsenal manager Unai Emery is under increasing pressure after another limp display that leaves them winless in five Premier League matches.

Southampton took an early lead at the Emirates through Danny Ings only for Alexandre Lacazette to level.

James Ward-Prowse restored Southampton's lead in the second half but Lacazette saved Emery's blushes with a goal deep into stoppage time.

In-form Wolves won 2-1 at 10-man Bournemouth courtesy of a Joao Moutinho free-kick and Raul Jimenez's goal to climb to fifth in the table.

Norwich lifted themselves off the bottom with a 2-0 victory away to Everton while Burnley won 3-0 at Watford, who are now bottom.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United face Sheffield United on Sunday with a chance to move into fifth place.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Mourinho pledges 'passion' after being named Spurs boss

LONDON -- Jose Mourinho promised "real passion" following his appointment as Tottenham Hotspur boss on Wednesday after Mauricio Pochettino was sacked by the struggling Premier League club.

The former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United manager was announced as the new boss at White Hart Lane hours after the Argentine was dismissed on Tuesday evening.

"I couldn't be happier and look forward to the challenge," Mourinho told Tottenham's official website. 

"What can I promise? Passion, real passion. Passion for my job, but also passion for my club, that's the way I have been all my career."

The 56-year-old, who had been out of work since leaving United last December, signed a contract until the end of the 2022-23 season after Spurs acted to halt their slide down the table.

The club reached the Champions League final last season but are languishing in 14th spot in the Premier League after picking up just three wins from 12 games. They are 11 points off the top four positions which allow qualification to European club football's top competition.

"I want to try, obviously, everything to bring happiness to everyone who loves the club," added the new manager, who has won domestic league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.

Mourinho was due to take training on Wednesday before his first press conference on Thursday. His first game in charge is at West Ham on Saturday.

His glittering CV includes Champions League titles with Porto and Inter Milan.

He also won three Premier League titles over two spells in charge of Chelsea, and returned to England to manage Manchester United in 2016, where he won the Europa League and the League Cup.

"In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football," said Spurs chairman Daniel Levy. "He has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician.

"He has won honours at every club he has coached. We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room."

Mourinho was sacked by United last December and has been without a club since, most recently working as a TV pundit.

Despite his troubles in the latter stages of his tenure at Old Trafford he remains a big name, but is a divisive figure and there will be questions over whether his pragmatic style can mesh with Tottenham's tradition of attacking football.

- Spurs slide -

Pochettino had transformed Spurs' fortunes since arriving in 2014, qualifying for the Champions League four times.

Although he failed to win a trophy, Tottenham made a dramatic run to the European Cup final for the first time in their history in June, losing 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid.

But that masked a worrying dip in domestic form in the second half of last season and Pochettino was unable to reverse the slide in this campaign.

They were also bundled out of the League Cup by fourth-tier Colchester United and suffered an embarrassing 7-2 defeat at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp told the BBC that poor results had forced the club's hand.

"The same voice after six years starts to wear a little thin, a new man can find another 10 percent, they will find a spring in their step for Jose's first game," he said.

Mourinho has a tough task on his hands. No team with as low a tally as Spurs have after 12 games -- 14 points -- has ever gone on to record a top-four finish.

- Tributes -

Pochettino, operating on a tight budget in comparison with his rivals, nurtured a squad of young players to become household names including Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.

A series of Spurs players paid warm tribute to their departing manager.

Tottenham and England forward Kane tweeted: "Gaffer. I'll be forever thankful to you for helping me achieve my dreams." 

South Korean forward Son Heung-min said in an Instagram post that "words are powerless to express my gratitude".

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust released a statement expressing "concerns" and seeking clarity over how the new boss and the board would work together.

The group asked: "Is the manager solely accountable? How much has the board's line on wages and transfers contributed to player unrest and disaffection?"

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Liverpool go eight points clear with 3-1 victory over Man City

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)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Man City shocked by Wolves, Man Utd beaten again

LONDON -- Manchester City's Premier League title defense suffered another huge blow in a shock 2-0 defeat to Wolves, while Manchester United endured another miserable day in a 1-0 loss at Newcastle on Sunday.

City now trail runaway leaders Liverpool by eight points after just eight games as Adama Traore punished a sloppy performance by the champions with two goals in the final 10 minutes at the Etihad.

"Today we were not at our level," admitted City boss Pep Guardiola. "We had problems to make our game. We have faced many teams defending deep and found a solution, but not this time."

City badly missed the presence of injured duo Aymeric Laporte and Kevin de Bruyne as Wolves soaked up plenty of possession from the hosts, but always looked the more dangerous side on the counter-attack.

Raul Jimenez failed to make the most of three breakaway chances before the interval, but the Mexican made amends with a great run past the hapless Nicolas Otamendi to set up Traore's opener.

The same two players then combined in stoppage time as Traore raced through to seal a famous win for Wolves.

"The first thing you have to do is stop them and we did that because the players were running like crazy," said a proud Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

City have now dropped more points at home this season than the entirety of the previous Premier League campaign, but Guardiola is not yet giving up the title fight.

"The distance to Liverpool is big, but we must not think about the eight-point gap. We are still in October and there are lots of games and lots of competitions to play."

Toothless Man Utd beaten again

While City's off day came as surprise, United's defeats are becoming ever more routine as they dropped to 12th after failing to win on the road for an 11th straight game.

The Red Devils' lack of a killer instinct in front of goal was again in evidence as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men lacked imagination to open up a defensive-minded Magpies.

But Newcastle hit back with devastating effect on the counter-attack 18 minutes from time when 19-year-old Matthew Longstaff sealed a dream Premier League debut by drilling the ball past David de Gea from outside the box.

"We've given ourselves a big, big uphill challenge to get among the top four but it's tight and we need to get a run together," said Solskjaer with United just two points off the relegation zone and five outside the top four.

However, De Gea was more scathing in his assessment.

"We didn't create any proper chances," said the Spaniard.

"We have some big injuries but that's no excuse. We are Manchester United, we need to keep training hard, fighting and winning games."

-- Arsenal up to third --

Arsenal were also far from convincing but did enough to edge out Bournemouth 1-0 thanks to David Luiz's first goal for the club to move into third.

The Gunners were lucky to escape as Bournemouth enjoyed by far the better chances after the break with England striker Callum Wilson somehow failing to find the net after rounding Bernd Leno.

"We are very happy with that result. I'm very proud with our work in the first-half, but we are very critical with ourselves to improve things," said Arsenal boss Unai Emery.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard was much happier after his side rounded off an excellent week with a 4-1 win at Southampton to remain just one point behind Arsenal in fifth.

Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount put the Blues in command early on at St. Mary's before Danny Ings pulled a goal back for Saints.

However, N'Golo Kante quickly restored Chelsea's two-goal lead and Michy Batshuayi came off the bench to round off the scoring and the Londoners' third win in eight days a minute from time.

Abraham now has eight goals in eight Premier League appearances this season and nine in all competitions.

"I trusted him at the start of the season," said Lampard. "He also has (Olivier) Giroud and Batshuayi there, and he has made the place his own at the moment. I will keep on him because I want more."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Last-gasp Milner keeps Liverpool flying; Spurs crash again

LONDON - A stoppage-time James Milner penalty sparked huge celebrations at Anfield as Liverpool beat Leicester City 2-1 on Saturday for an eighth successive Premier League win that moved them eight points clear at the top of the table.

The contrast with Tottenham Hotspur, whom they beat in last season's Champions League final, could not be more marked as Mauricio Pochettino's side continued to ship goals in a 3-0 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion. Aston Villa thumped Norwich City 5-1, Burnley edged Everton 1-0 and Crystal Palace won 2-1 at West Ham United.

With Manchester City not playing until Sunday, Liverpool looked determined to lay down their marker and were well in control when Sadio Mane scored the opener -- his 50th league goal for the club -- after getting on the end of a superb through ball from Milner.

But Leicester were always a threat on the break and looked to have secured a point when James Maddison equalised 10 minutes from time before a rash Mark Albrighton challenge on Mane set up Milner's penalty chance.

"We had to dig deep and find the points," said Milner, who said he just had to concentrate and stay calm to convert his 16th spot-kick in 18 attempts for Liverpool.

"The boys have done it time and time again. There was a few tired legs and it was about getting the result."

The game ended with several players from both sides confronting each other as passions threatened to boil over.

Tottenham's defeat at the Amex stadium was compounded by a horror injury to keeper Hugo Lloris, who was taken to hospital after injuring his arm in trying to keep out Neal Maupay's opener on three minutes.

The French keeper, who made a howler against Southampton last week and conceded seven against Bayern Munich, was badly at fault in parrying the ball straight into Maupay's path.

But recriminations were soon forgotten as the severity of his injury became clear and Lloris was treated on the pitch for six minutes before leaving on a stretcher. Spurs later confirmed he had dislocated his elbow.

SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE

Pochettino said the injury so early in the game affected the rest of the team although questions remain about another substandard Spurs performance so soon after their mauling by Bayern.

Brighton's other goals were scored by 19-year-old Irish striker Aaron Connolly in his first Premier League start.

"I've been watching the Premier League since I was four or five, so to be playing in it now, and then to score and to win 3-0, it really is a dream come true," Connolly said.

Brazilian striker Wesley scored twice for Aston Villa in the 5-1 win over Norwich although he spurned the chance of a first-half hat-trick by missing a penalty.

That hardly mattered as Villa recorded their highest away Premier League win in 11 years against a side who had conquered Manchester City in their previous home game.

Everton sit one point above Norwich after their fourth successive league defeat, a result that will pile more pressure on manager Marco Silva. Jeff Hendrick scored Burnley's winner and Everton will rue the dismissal of Seamus Coleman for two yellow cards.

Jordan Ayew scored a VAR-assisted 88th-minute goal to complete Crystal Palace's comeback victory at West Ham which moved Roy Hodgson's side into the top four.

West Ham had taken the lead on 54 minutes through Sebastien Haller but Patrick van Aanholt's cool penalty brought the visitors level before Ayew's late winner.

Bottom side Watford remained without a Premier League win this season after being held to a goalless draw by Sheffield United at Vicarage Road.

(Reporting by Neil Robinson, editing by Ed Osmond)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Liverpool maintain searing pace, Man United lose at West Ham

LONDON - Liverpool maintained their searing pace at the top of the Premier League as they beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to make it six wins from six matches.

A day after second-placed Manchester City's 8-0 demolition of Watford, Liverpool were made to work much harder but hung on after first-half goals by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino had put them in control.

N'Golo Kante reduced the arrears after the break but Chelsea remain without a victory at home under manager Frank Lampard.

Arsenal moved into fourth spot as they twice came from a goal down with 10 men to beat Aston Villa 3-2 at the Emirates thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's late free kick.

Manchester United suffered a dismal 2-0 defeat at high-flying West Ham United who finished the weekend fifth.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are still winless in six Premier League games but at least avoided defeat at Crystal Palace as Diogo Jota struck a stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw.

Liverpool, whose serene start to the season was jolted by a midweek defeat to Napoli in the Champions League, were not at their best, especially in the second half, but dug in to extend their club-record run of Premier League wins to 15.

They lead City by five points with Leicester City, who beat Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, in third on 11 points. Arsenal and West ham also have 11 points.

Chelsea are one of six clubs on eight points along with Manchester United and Tottenham.

Liverpool took the lead in the 14th minute when Alexander-Arnold rifled the ball into the top corner after Mohamed Salah back heeled a free kick into his path on the edge of the box.

Chelsea thought they had leveled but were denied an equalizer by VAR after 26 minutes when Cesar Azpilicueta bundled the ball in only for replays to show that Mason Mount had strayed a fraction offside in the build-up.

To add insult to injury to the hosts Firmino then headed in Andy Robertson's cross from the left.

Chelsea showed great spirit following the break and after Kante's superb curled effort, they had chances to level through Mount and substitute Michy Batshuayi.

"We scored two wonderful goals and we could have scored directly after halftime two more," manager Juergen Klopp said. "We deserved the three points, it is a difficult to win here."

Lampard saw things slightly differently.

"Performance wise we were the better team. We had more energy in our game, character and spirit," he said.

Lampard said the VAR decision, one of several to overturn goals over the weekend, had been a turning point.

"It changes the atmosphere in the crowd, on the pitch. We are slightly deflated and they get a boost. We deserved to be level at that point," Lampard said.

Arsenal had Ainsley Maitland-Niles sent off for a second yellow card 20 minutes John McGinn put Villa in front.

Nicolas Pepe equalized from penalty spot on the hour after midfielder Matteo Guendouzi was fouled in the area by Björn Engels but Villa restored their lead immediately through Wesley.

Calum Chambers replied again for the hosts in the 81st minute before Aubameyang then pounced to complete a remarkable win for Unai Emery's side.

Ukrainian forward Andriy Yarmolenko put West Ham ahead against United at the end of a drab first half at the London Stadium and Aaron Cresswell sealed victory with an outstanding free kick in the 84th minute.

To complete a bad day for United, who are already 10 points behind arch-rivals Liverpool, they lost striker Marcus Rashford to a groin injury that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fears could sideline him for "a while". 

(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: David de Gea signs new deal at Man Utd

David de Gea has signed a new long-term contract with Manchester United, the Premier League club announced on Monday, ending months of speculation over his future.

The Spaniard, 28, who had been linked with a return to Spain with Real Madrid for several seasons, has put pen to paper on a new four-year deal.

"David de Gea has signed a new long-term contract with Manchester United, keeping him at the club until at least June 2023," United said on their official website. "There is an option to extend for a further year."

De Gea joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and has made 367 appearances for the club.

“It has been a privilege to spend eight years at this great club and the opportunity to continue my career at Manchester United is a genuine honor," said the goalkeeper.

"Since I arrived here, I could never have imagined I would play over 350 games for this club. Now my future is fixed, all I want is to help this team achieve what I believe we can and win trophies again, together."

De Gea has won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League since arriving at Old Trafford.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he was delighted the Spaniard had committed his long-term future to the club.

"Over recent years, David has proved himself to be the best in the world and a vital part of our plans as we look to take Manchester United back to where it belongs. David is a fantastic person and his outstanding quality provides the perfect base to our defense."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Man City stunned by Norwich as Liverpool stretch Premier League lead

LONDON -- Manchester City succumbed to a first Premier League defeat since January in stunning fashion to newly-promoted Norwich 3-2 on Saturday, as Liverpool opened up a five-point lead at the top of the table by beating Newcastle 3-1.

Tottenham and Chelsea bounced back to form with comprehensive wins over Crystal Palace and Wolves respectively, while Manchester United held out for a much-needed three points with a 1-0 victory over Leicester.

However, Liverpool were the big winners of the day as the gaps left in City's defense by the injured Aymeric Laporte were exposed at Carrow Road.

"Of course it is special day for us and for the club," said Norwich boss Daniel Farke.

"We had to be special in our plan for City because they are the best team in the world and we had setbacks too with our injuries, but we deserved the win today. We were exceptional."

Kenny McLean showed up the champions' struggles to defend set-pieces with a towering header to open the scoring and Teemu Pukki then squared for Todd Cantwell to make it 2-0 inside 28 minutes.

City regained their composure and got a foothold in the game before half-time when Sergio Aguero headed home Bernardo Silva's cross.

However, with Laporte out till January at least with a serious knee injury, Pep Guardiola has problems to solve at the heart of his defence as John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi gifted Norwich a third at the start of the second-half.

Emiliano Buendia robbed Otamendi on the edge of his own box and set up Pukki to prod home.

City rallied late on, but Rodri's first goal for the club two minutes from time was too little, too late.

"I know what we are as a team, what we have done, what we are going to do again, and I love my players. It is a pleasure and honour to be with them," insisted Guardiola.

"That is the challenge in a high level. The people cannot expect all the time (to) win."

- Liverpool turn up in time -

Liverpool also fell behind early on to Newcastle as Jetro Willems brilliant finish saw the Reds trailing at Anfield for the first time since March.

Sadio Mane fired into the top corner to start the revival, but it was the introduction of Roberto Firmino off the bench for the injured Divock Origi that truly turned the tide in Liverpool's favor.

The Brazilian's through ball was spilled by Martin Dubravka to allow Mane a simple task for his second just before half-time, and another brilliant Firmino flick teed up Salah to seal the points 18 minutes from time.

"I started enjoying after 25 minutes, around about when we arrived finally in the game," said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

"Second-half we scored only one goal, but we played really good football and I liked it a lot."


- Relief for Lampard - 

Frank Lampard has endured a difficult start on his return to Stamford Bridge as manager, but he enjoyed his finest day so far in charge Chelsea with his faith in youth again fully vindicated in a 5-2 win at Wolves.

Tammy Abraham was the star of the show with a hat-trick, but Fikayo Tomori also scored his first goal for the club and Mason Mount completed a perfect day for three graduates of Chelsea's academy.

"All three goals were so different, it just shows what he can do," said Lampard of Abraham, who now has seven goals in three games.

"I am so delighted for him. I know how hard the academy works and Tammy has an enthusiasm to score goals. He has a fantastic approach to the game and how he wants to progress."

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said David Beckham asked to play for his side so impressed was the former England captain with Spurs first-half demolition of Palace in a 4-0 win.

All four goals came before half-time with Son Heung-min scoring twice either side of Patrick van Aanholt's own goal before Erik Lamela rounded off the scoring.

"I was talking to David Beckham just now and he said, 'I wish I could still play football and play now for Tottenham because this stadium is amazing. I wish I could play here and play for you!'" Pochettino said.

United had to suffer far more for just a second win in 10 league matches.

Rashford shrugged off his recent miss from the spot in defeat to Palace to convert a penalty on eight minutes after he had been brought down by Caglar Soyuncu.

United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Leicester are all now level on eight points from five games behind the top two.

"We hung in there. It was the first time this season where we have had to defend for large periods," said United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Jeff Hendrick struck a late equaliser for Burnley to secure a 1-1 draw at Brighton after Neil Maupay's opener for the Seagulls.

Southampton were 1-0 victors at Sheffield United courtesy of a brilliant strike from Moussa Djenepo.


source: news.abs-cbn.com