FOOTBALL: Arsenal go clear at top, relief at last for United

 

Arsenal go clear at top, relief at last for United

Toby Davis, Reuters

Arsenal and Manchester City showed they have the stomach for a title fight on Saturday with the Premier League leaders sinking Newcastle United 1-0 and Manuel Pellegrini's men launching a late comeback to beat Watford 2-1.

There was celebration at last for Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal as his team ended a dismal six-game league streak without a win by defeating Swansea City 2-1.

Arsenal's victory was scrappy and nervy but Laurent Koscielny's 72nd-minute winner was enough to move them two points clear at the summit after Leicester City's surprise push faltered with a goalless draw at home to 10-man Bournemouth.

Manchester City underlined their credentials as Arsenal's main challengers and although they looked forlorn for much of the game at Vicarage Road, they showed their mettle in the closing stages.

Trailing 1-0 to Aleksandar Kolarov's own goal, Yaya Toure volleyed home superbly in the 82nd minute and Sergio Aguero headed the winner moments later to wrap up a precious win that kept them three points behind the pacesetters.

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Substitute's Partey piece sends Atletico top

Tim Hanlon, Reuters

Substitute Thomas Partey scored his first La Liga goal as Atletico Madrid beat bottom club Levante 1-0 to go top of the table on Saturday while Barcelona were held to a 0-0 draw at Espanyol.

Hosts Atletico lacked a finishing touch in front of goal until Partey struck nine minutes from the end with a shot that squirmed away from keeper Diego Marino.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both hit the woodwork as Barcelona drew with Espanyol.

Barca set a Spanish record of 180 goals in all competitions in 2015 but their normally prolific attack drew a blank against their local rivals who were strong in the challenge, especially in the first half, and succeeded in disrupting their play.

Elsewhere, Charles and Raul Albentosa gave mid-table Malaga a 2-0 victory over fifth-placed Celta Vigo.

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Benitez supports 'serious kid' Rodriguez
Kieran CANNING, Agence France-Presse

Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez has backed star playmaker James Rodriguez after the Colombian was followed to the club's training ground by police accused of speeding at up to 200 kilometres an hour.

Madrid sports daily AS published photos and a video of an unmarked police car following the top scorer at the 2014 World Cup to the entrance of the club's Valdebebas training ground on Friday.

However, Benitez hinted Rodriguez will be involved when Madrid travel to Valencia in a crucial La Liga clash on Sunday.

"Evidently, we are talking about a private matter. James is a good kid, he is serious, he has given us his explanations about what happened and there is no more to say," Benitez said on Saturday.

"I repeat he is a serious kid and what we have to do is wait and see."

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Pogba says Man Utd was holiday compared to Juve

Agence France-Presse

French star Paul Pogba says his time at Manchester United was like being on holiday in comparison to the work he has to do at Juventus.

Pogba, who has helped Juve win three consecutive league titles since controversially quitting United in 2012, made the remark in a wide-ranging interview with Turin daily La Stampa in which he also tips Argentinian team-mate Paulo Dybala as a future winner of the Ballon d'Or.

"People need to know that nothing at Juve is easy," Pogba said. "There is a different culture of work compared to elsewhere. I was at Manchester: it seemed like being on holiday.

"Here we work so much. All these titles, we didn't steal them. It was by working right to the end."

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Gerrard eyes Liverpool coaching return in 2016

Agence France-Presse

Liverpool great Steven Gerrard could return to the club in a coaching capacity as early as this year, he revealed in a British newspaper interview published on Saturday.

Gerrard, 35, left Liverpool for the Los Angeles Galaxy last year, but he has been training on Merseyside during the Major League Soccer close season and is now eyeing a role on Jurgen Klopp's coaching staff.

"I'm not 100 percent sure, but I think it will probably be my last year as a player," the former Liverpool and England captain told the Daily Telegraph.

"I am basically available from November, December 2016. Everyone in the football world will know I am available and hopefully I will be 75 percent into my coaching badges."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Liverpool prepare for life after Gerrard

LIVERPOOL, UK - Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers braced supporters for a close-season rebuilding process after long-serving captain Steven Gerrard played his final home game for the club.

Gerrard, 34, declared himself "devastated" following Saturday's 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace at a sold-out Anfield and must now prepare for his last ever Liverpool appearance at Stoke City next weekend.

Gerrard's departure echoes that of his fellow stalwart Jamie Carragher, who bowed out in 2013, and with Luis Suarez still to be satisfactorily replaced following his move to Barcelona last year, Rodgers knows there is a pressing need to bolster his squad.

Asked if it would be possible to replace Gerrard -- who joins the Los Angeles Galaxy in July -- with one player, Rodgers told his post-match press conference: "I dont think there is that.

"He is a player and a person who is irreplaceable for the club. What he's given over his time here and the standards he's set are second to none.

"We'll go forward at the end of the season and we'll have to plot a way to improve in the summer. That's our challenge."

Having pushed Manchester City all the way in last season's title race, Liverpool have slipped back in 2014-15 and are yet to secure even the consolation of a Europa League place after missing out on a Champions League berth.

But asked if he felt optimistic about the future, Rodgers replied: "We have to (be).

"In my time here, we've lost a couple of players with 700-odd games for the club in Jamie Carragher (737) and Steven Gerrard (709).

"Those two guys have been monumental players for the club, so losing both of those is a big blow. Throw in a world-class player like Luis Suarez, and of course it's difficult.

"This year has been very difficult for us in many aspects. But the players have given everything they possibly can and hopefully in the summer we can add that quality that the group clearly needs and take the opportunity next year."

- Pardew targets top eight -

Should Liverpool falter again next season, they should not necessarily expect Gerrard to appear on a white charger.

There is a feeling that Gerrard could return to Anfield on loan -- following the examples of David Beckham and Thierry Henry during their stints in Major League Soccer -- but he told the BBC that he would only consider returning in an "emergency situation".

Rodgers's side took a 26th-minute lead when Adam Lallana seized on a misplaced pass from former Liverpool player Martin Kelly before beating Wayne Hennessey.

But Palace equalised through Jason Puncheon's free-kick just before half-time and second-half goals from substitutes Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray secured a first league win at Anfield since November 1991.

Rodgers complained with justification that Zaha had been offside when he tapped in Yannick Bolasie's low cross on the hour and that the foul on Zaha by Lucas Leiva that led to Murray's stoppage-time penalty had occurred outside the box.

But he also conceded that his side had been "punished" for committing "poor defensive errors".

Former Palace midfielder Alan Pardew has rejuvenated the club since returning as manager in January and he hopes that performances such as Saturday's win will help the club make transformative signings.

"For the chairman (Steve Parish) and the board, it must be quite exciting," said Pardew, whose side had lost their four previous games.

"We're in a good position financially. Put two or three quality players into that group and we could attack the top eight, top 10.

"I want to be knocking on (Parish's) door. He's been receptive to my opinions. It's still difficult to get quality players through the door, and I think today's performance will have helped us.

"Players abroad can see we've produced performances against top teams. Now we need that little bit of extra quality. Hopefully we've shown players in Europe that they can come here and have a great future."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com