Football: Liverpool hit Leeds for six, Conte hints at Spurs exit after defeat

LONDON -- Liverpool crushed Leeds 6-0 to close the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City to three points, while Tottenham boss Antonio Conte demanded talks over his future after their top four bid was rocked by a 1-0 defeat at Burnley on Wednesday.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp believes his side must win every game for the rest of the season to pip City to the title.

That ambitious goal can't be ruled out on Liverpool's current form and Leeds were no match for the title chasers at Anfield.

Mohamed Salah netted twice from the penalty spot either side of a Joel Matip goal.

Sadio Mane bagged a brace in the second half and Virgil Van Dijk completed the rout.

Liverpool have won their last nine games in all competitions, with none more important than this success in their game in hand on City.

City were 12 points ahead of Liverpool just a few weeks ago, but that lead has quickly been whittled away by a combination of the Reds' blistering streak and a couple of blips from the champions.

The stage is set for a titanic battle with 12 games left for both teams as City aim for their fourth English crown in five seasons and Liverpool look to win their second in the last three.

"It is three points until the weekend and then City will probably win and then it will be six points. If we win all our games pretty much there will be a chance for us," Klopp said.

Despite the League Cup final against Chelsea looming on Sunday, the title is Klopp's priority and he recalled Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson among five change from the win against Norwich.

Robertson was involved when Liverpool took the lead in the 15th minute.

Leeds defender Stuart Dallas was adjudged to have blocked the Scot's cross with his arm, conceding a penalty that Salah calmly converted for his 26th club goal this season.

In the 30th minute, Cameroon defender Matip advanced from the back and exchanged passes with Salah before dinking an expert finish past Illan Meslier for his first goal since December 2020.

Five minutes later, Luke Ayling conceded a penalty with a foul on Mane and Salah drilled high into the net for his second of the night.

Mane made no mistake from Jordan Henderson's pass in the 80th minute and the Senegal star scored again from close-range in stoppage-time.

Van Dijk's header capped Liverpool's biggest win this season.

Leeds have lost seven of their past 10 league games and are only three points above the relegation zone.

On a wet and windy night at Turf Moor, Tottenham reverted to the kind of erratic display that has frustrated their fans so often in recent seasons.

Just days after their epic 3-2 win at Manchester City, Conte's side were shattered in the 71st minute when Ben Mee met Josh Brownhill's free-kick with a far-post header past Hugo Lloris.

Tottenham remain in stuck in eighth place, seven points adrift of the top four as their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League begin to fade.

"I came here to try to improve the situation but maybe in this moment I'm not so good," Conte said.

"We will see how the situation is and make an assessment. I'm open to every decision because I want to help Tottenham.

"I'm too honest to close my eyes and continue in this way, and also take my salary, it's not right in this moment."

It was a second successive victory for third bottom Burnley, who are now just two points from safety with a game in hand.

Crystal Palace enjoyed a 4-1 win over Watford at the expense of their former boss Roy Hodgson.

Hodgson recently returned to management after leaving Palace at the end of last season and is aiming to save Watford from relegation.

But Palace's first victory in seven league games kept Watford marooned in the bottom three.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Chelsea see off Spurs as Jesus grabs late Man City winner

LONDON -- Chelsea strengthened their grip on a Premier League top-four place on Saturday by beating London rivals Tottenham 2-1 as Manchester City edged past Leicester despite another attack of the penalty jitters.

Sheffield United will rue missing out on the chance to clamber above Tottenham into fifth place after drawing at home to struggling Brighton.

Liverpool's staggering 19-point lead over second-placed Manchester City means the title race is effectively over, with much of the focus turning to the scramble to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Frank Lampard's fourth-placed Chelsea went into their match against Jose Mourinho's Spurs at Stamford Bridge without a win in their past four Premier League matches and just one point clear of Spurs.

Fringe players Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso were recalled by Lampard and both rewarded their manager's confidence by scoring in the home win.

The result means Lampard has completed a league double against his former boss this season after their 2-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December.

But the match was overshadowed by a VAR controversy, with officials ruling that Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso did not deserve to be sent off for a "leg breaker" stamp on Cesar Azpilicueta.

World Cup winner Giroud put Chelsea ahead in the 15th minute when he reacted quickest to finish beyond Hugo Lloris after Ross Barkley had struck a post.

Chelsea doubled their advantage three minutes into the second half, Alonso drilling in a first-time shot after being set up by Barkley.

Alonso's free-kick hit the bar before Antonio Rudiger deflected Erik Lamela's shot into his own net in the 89th minute to give Spurs late hope.

Lampard criticised VAR after Lo Celso was allowed to stay on the pitch.


- 'Leg-breaker' -

"I hate to call for red cards but that is a leg breaker," he said. "Everybody knew they made a mistake. I was just waiting for the red card to be shown."

Adding to Lampard's frustration, television broadcaster BT Sport reported that VAR officials had told them Lo Celso should have been sent off.

As it stands, a fifth-placed finish could guarantee Champions League football next season because Manchester City have been banned from Europe's elite competition for two years.

City hope to have their appeal against the ban heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport before the start of next season.

Substitute Gabriel Jesus struck late on for City at the King Power Stadium after Aguero saw his second-half spot-kick saved by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

City have failed to score from each of their past four penalties, with each spot-kick being missed by a different player.

But they bounced back to see off Leicester and the 1-0 win leaves them seven points clear of their opponents, cementing their position in second place.

Jamie Vardy will rue hitting the post early in the match and Leicester had two penalty appeals turned down in an engaging contest.

"We have missed four penalties in a row but maybe we will shoot a penalty when we need it to win something," Man City coach Pep Guardiola told the BBC. "The keepers are good too, but the next one we are going to score."

Sheffield United had a chance to steal a march on their rivals for a Champions League place next season, with Manchester United, Wolves, Arsenal and Everton not in action until Sunday.

They took the lead at home against Brighton through Enda Stevens but Neal Maupay equalised for the south coast club on the half-hour.

The 1-1 draw leaves Sheffield United in sixth place on 40 points, level with Tottenham.

Sheffield manager Chris Wilder said he was proud of his team's efforts in tough conditions.

"There was just a relentless nature of our game, we were knocking on the door and if it don't open, it don't open, but not for want of trying and not for want of an attitude that's exceptional and has been all season," he said.

Burnley beat Bournemouth 3-0 to win for the fourth time in five Premier League matches and lift themselves to eighth in the table while Southampton won 2-0 at home to Aston Villa to move 10 points clear of the drop zone.

Runaway league leaders Liverpool host struggling West Ham on Monday. 

Agence France-Presse

Messi, Barcelona outgun Spurs as Neymar bags hat-trick

PARIS, France -- Lionel Messi struck twice as Barcelona inflicted more Champions League pain on Tottenham with a 4-2 win at Wembley on Wednesday, while Neymar hit a brilliant hat-trick in Paris Saint-Germain's 6-1 rout of Red Star Belgrade.

Philippe Coutinho scored after just two minutes for Barcelona, who arrived in London winless in three La Liga matches, with Ivan Rakitic drilling in a magnificent second.

Messi, who had earlier twice hit the post, then got on the scoresheet in between goals from Harry Kane and Erik Lamela, before the Argentina superstar grabbed his second late on to seal victory.

"After a few bad results it was important to do well today. Our response was very good," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.


Barca head Group B on six points alongside Inter Milan, but Mauricio Pochettino's side face a vital double-header against PSV Eindhoven after failing to collect a point from their opening two matches.

The Tottenham boss admitted Spurs had few answers for Messi as his team was left with an uphill struggle to reach the knockout stages.

"He's a fantastic player," said Pochettino. "His average performance is this type of game. He's always above everything."

Inter, the last Italian club to win the Champions League in 2010, again recovered from a goal down to beat PSV 2-1 in the Netherlands.

A cracking Pablo Rosario strike put PSV ahead, but Inter levelled through Radja Nainggolan moments after visiting goalkeeper Samir Handanovic somehow escaped a red card for handling outside his area.

Mauro Icardi, whose late goal stunned Spurs a fortnight ago, was the hero again for Luciano Spalletti's men as he pounced on hesitant defending to net the winner on the hour.

PSG rebounded from their 3-2 defeat by Liverpool with an attacking masterclass against 1991 European Cup winners Red Star at the Parc des Princes.

Neymar curled in a sublime free-kick to open the scoring on 20 minutes, quickly doubling his tally before Edinson Cavani, Angel di Maria and Kylian Mbappe also found the target.

Former Germany international Marko Marin popped up with a consolation for Red Star, with Neymar completing his hat-trick from another stunning free-kick.

"I really liked the effort made by the whole team, but Neymar was sensational," said PSG coach Thomas Tuchel.

"He is one of the best players in Europe and that is very, very important for us."

- Insigne sinks Liverpool -

Carlo Ancelotti's Napoli top Group C on four points after Lorenzo Insigne delivered a 90th-minute winner at home to Liverpool, who are level on three alongside PSG.

Dries Mertens hit the bar for Napoli late on, but there was still time for Insigne to nick all three points at the death as he slid to poke in a cross from Jose Callejon.

"Tonight we showed this group won't just be hard for Napoli, but for everyone involved," said Ancelotti. "It means a lot to us to have won against the finalists from last year."

Antoine Griezmann scored two goals to lift Atletico Madrid, last season's Europa League winners, to a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge in Spain.

Arnaut Groeneveld cancelled out Griezmann's opener with a thunderous strike from the left wing, but the France international restored Atletico's lead before Koke made the points safe in stoppage time.

"I said it last season and I'll say it again -- Griezmann is the best player in the world," said Atletico coach Diego Simeone.

Borussia Dortmund lead Atletico at the top of Group A on goal difference following their 3-0 defeat of a struggling Monaco outfit.

Jacob Bruun Larsen broke the deadlock in Germany shortly after his introduction as a half-time substitute, with Paco Alcacer finding the net just minutes after smacking a penalty against the bar.

Marco Reus fired in a third from a Bruun Larsen cross, leaving Dortmund and Atletico on six points apiece ahead of their upcoming home-and-away meetings.

In Group D, American international midfielder Weston McKennie hit an 88th-minute winner as struggling Schalke edged Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0.

Porto are joint-top with Schalke following a 1-0 win over Galatasaray courtesy of Moussa Marega's second-half goal in Portugal.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

EPL: Kane at the double as Spurs rout Everton

LONDON - Harry Kane continued his rich scoring streak by netting twice in Tottenham Hotspur's 4-0 win over Everton at Wembley as Mauricio Pochettino's side made up ground on third-placed Chelsea who shared a goalless draw with 10-man Leicester City.

For a while, it looked as if Kane might be outshone by his team mate Son Heung-min, who scored in a home game for the fifth successive time.

Then Kane took over to net in the 47th and 59th minutes to take his season's league tally to 20, the fourth consecutive campaign he has reached the landmark.

Christian Eriksen rounded off a cleverly worked team move, again featuring Son, for Spurs' fourth as Everton crashed to their heaviest defeat under Sam Allardyce, who gave a debut to 27 million pound ($37 million) new signing Cenk Tosun.

With three of the top four not playing, fifth-placed Tottenham moved level with Liverpool on 44 points, three behind Chelsea. Antonio Conte's side missed the chance to go second as Leicester hung on for a draw at Stamford Bridge despite the 68th-minute dismissal of Ben Chilwell.

It was the third successive game in all competitions that Chelsea failed to score, with striker Alvaro Morata looking frustrated and short of confidence.

Manager Conte believes they are paying the price for playing seven games in three weeks, with no let-up in prospect as they contest four competitions. "I think I saw a lot of very tired players," Conte said.

Elsewhere, there were more controversial refereeing decisions as English football continued to debate whether the video assistant referee (VAR) system, which was tested in some cup games last week, would benefit the Premier League.

The first flashpoint occurred at Vicarage Road where TV replays revealed Watford's Abdoulaye Doucoure bundled the ball over the line with his right hand in the 2-2 draw with Southampton.

A seventh Premier League defeat in eight games had looked likely for Marco Silva's side after James Ward-Prowse scored twice but Andre Gray set up a thrilling finale before Doucoure's contribution led to furious Southampton protests.

"We can do nothing now," said Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino diplomatically. However, Watford striker Troy Deeney admitted that had the VAR system been in operation "we probably wouldn't have got it".

At Newcastle United, bottom side Swansea City believed they were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when Mohamed Diame appeared to handle the ball.

Swansea manager Carlos Carvalhal said: My assistant says that it's a very clear penalty and a red card also, but what can we do? Nothing, only talk about this. This is one of the situations VAR will in the future say clear penalty – it will be clear."

HAPPY HAMMERS 

There was nothing controversial about West Ham United's 4-1 destruction of Huddersfield Town, a victory that puts the Hammers 11th in the table.

When David Moyes took over as West Ham manager many observers questioned his ability to get the team scoring again. But the Scot has proved all the doubters wrong with the London side scoring 12 goals from his past five league games in charge.

A Manuel Lanzini double plus strikes from Mark Noble and the impressive Marko Arnautovic gave the visitors a comfortable victory that took them above Huddersfield, for whom Joe Lolley scored and new 14 million pound ($19.2 million) signing Alex Pritchard came on as a substitute.

The win was Moyes' 200th in the Premier League, a landmark reached by only three other managers.

At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace's revival under Roy Hodgson continued with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Burnley which moved them five points above the relegation zone.

Alan Pardew was another manager breathing easier after West Bromwich Albion beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 to record their first win in 21 league games and his first in nine as their manager.

Both Albion goals came via headers from Chris Brunt corners, with Jonny Evans and Craig Dawson rising above Brighton's defence.

($1 = 0.7283 pounds) (Reporting by Neil Robinson; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

source: news.abs-cbn.com