Football: Mourinho sacked as Tottenham Hotspur manager

LONDON - Jose Mourinho was sacked as manager of Tottenham Hotspur on Monday after 17 months in charge of the London club and six days before they will appear in the League Cup final.

Tottenham confirmed in a statement that the Portuguese had left along with his coaching staff.

"The Club can today announce that Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff Joao Sacramento, Nuno Santos, Carlos Lalin and Giovanni Cerra have been relieved of their duties," it said.

The news comes the morning after the London club said it was one of 12 clubs forming a breakaway European Super League - a development that has been widely condemned and threatens a bitter power struggle in the European game

The 58-year-old former Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United manager Mourinho had been in charge of 86 games at the club, having replaced the popular Mauricio Pochettino in November 2019.

Having taken charge with the club in 14th place in the Premier League, they finished in sixth spot last season.

His first full season in charge began well with the club beating Manchester United and Manchester City and topping the table in December.

But they have since slumped with fans disgruntled by the style of football and mystified by the lack of game time given to the likes of Gareth Bale and Dele Alli.

Tottenham have also become overly reliant on the goals of Harry Kane who took his tally to 21 for the season in the league with a double against Everton on Friday, but who is being linked with a move away from the club.

The 2-2 draw at Everton left Tottenham in seventh place and they have won only won of their last five league games, all but ending their top-four hopes.

They also suffered an embarrassing Europa League last-16 exit against Dinamo Zagreb, losing the away leg 3-0 having won the first leg 2-0.

The timing of Mourinho's sacking denied him the chance of landing Tottenham's first trophy since 2008 as he had taken the club to this Sunday's League Cup final against Manchester City.

Mourinho, a former FIFA World Coach of the Year, is one of the most-decorated managers in football and has delivered silverware wherever he has been since joining Porto in 2002.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy turned to Mourinho as the man to do the same for Tottenham, a club which boasts one of the best stadiums and training grounds in the world, but has consistently fallen short on the pitch.

However, results and performances have tailed off alarmingly this season and since the end of January Tottenham have won only five of 14 Premier League matches.

Mourinho has always been known for his pragmatic style and the steely mentality of his teams but Tottenham have dropped 20 points from winning positions this season.

"Jose and his coaching staff have been with us through some of our most challenging times as a club," Levy said on Monday.

"Jose is a true professional who showed enormous resilience during the pandemic. On a personal level I have enjoyed working with him and regret that things have not worked out as we both had envisaged."

Tottenham said former midfielder Ryan Mason will be in charge of the first team on Monday.

RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann is tipped as one of the favourites to take over from Mourinho, although he is also touted to replace Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich. 

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Catherine Evans and Angus MacSwan)

-reuters-

Football: Leipzig eliminate Spurs to claim first ever last eight spot

LEIPZIG, Germany - RB Leipzig's Marcel Sabitzer scored two early goals as they eased past last year's Champions League finalists Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 in their last 16 second leg tie on Tuesday to reach their first quarter-finals by 4-0 on aggregate.

Sabitzer fired the lively German side in front with a low shot from about 20 metres after 10 minutes and they never looked back, pinning the visitors, who were without injured strikers Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, in their own half.

Leipzig's captain was then given far too much space in the 21st to head home Angelino's cross at the near post after Serge Aurier's poor clearance as the Spurs' players heads started to drop.

Emil Forsberg completed the victory with a third goal from inside the box in the 87th as Leipzig, who only got promoted to the Bundesliga in 2016, reached their first quarter-final in Europe's premier club competition.

"We did it better than in our recent Bundesliga matches," Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann told reporters. Leipzig had drawn their last domestic league two matches.

"The fans are moved. This is a very big deal for the club. We are now looking forward to the draw. A special moment."

Leipzig were founded by Red Bull in 2009 by acquiring a fifth division licence and started in the amateur divisions.


STRUGGLING SPURS

Injury-ravaged Tottenham, who were also missing winger Steven Bergwijn and full back Ben Davies, struggled to keep up with Leipzig's pace and were constantly exposed at the back while posing no threat up front.

Leipzig pounced on almost every sloppy pass and inaccurate clearance and could have added several more goals in a dominant first half with Timo Werner and Patrik Schick coming close.

Spurs coach Jose Mourinho had warned the absence of "box sharks" Kane and Son would make it more difficult for his side to score and the Portuguese's prediction proved accurate.

His team had to wait until the 43rd minute for their first corner and managed to carve out only half a chance in the second period with a Dele Alli effort in the 75th.

"It's hard for us to score at the moment," Mourinho said.

"Our first couple of mistakes they score and then it's very difficult. Their physicality is incredible, their defenders win the duels, they stop the game. They are very fast in attack. They can hurt us all of the time. They deserve to go through."

Without a win in any competition since their 1-0 first-leg defeat by Leipzig in London last month, Tottenham must try to turn their Premier League season around if they are to have any chance of being back in the Champions League next term.

"People can say it is excuses but it (injuries) is pretty bad for anyone," Mourinho added. "We have matches to play and we go to our limits. Let’s see how we end the season." 

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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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)

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Football: Tottenham hit back to beat Olympiakos in Mourinho's home bow

LONDON - Jose Mourinho's first home game as Tottenham Hotspur manager suffered a shocking start but ended happily as Harry Kane's record-breaking double helped his side come from behind to beat Olympiakos Piraeus 4-2 to reach the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.

The unexpected arrival of the celebrated Portuguese former Chelsea boss after Mauricio Pochettino, who took Spurs to last season's Champions League final, has caused much head-scratching amongst the Spurs faithful.

A 3-2 Premier League win at West Ham United on Saturday won over some of the sceptics but when goals by Youssef El Arabi and Ruben Sabedo put Olympiakos, bottom of Group B, 2-0 up inside 20 minutes, Spurs fans were stunned into silence.

Mourinho's first decisive act, sending on playmaker Christian Eriksen for defensive midfielder Eric Dier after 29 minutes, changed the flow and Dele Alli's tap-in on the stroke of halftime proved crucial.

Tottenham looked a different side after the break and Kane struck twice, either side of Serge Aurier's thumping effort, to take his Champions League tally to 20 in a record 24 games -- beating the 26 it took Alessandro Del Piero to reach the mark.

Victory meant Tottenham are guaranteed to finish runners-up in the group to Bayern Munich who they face in a fortnight.

Mourinho, who won the competition with Porto and Inter Milan, shook hands with each of his players and applauded the fans who applauded back, if not singing his name.

"It was a disappointing start, we know we didn't come out with any energy," Kane said. "They got the early goal and then got the second and it was uphill from there.

"The goal just before halftime changed the momentum. We knew we couldn't play any worse than we did in the first half."

There was no fanfare for Mourinho as he took his place in the technical area before kickoff.

But the challenge he faces at Tottenham immediately became apparent as they began in the sloppy fashion that has been a hallmark of their season so far.

Olympiakos were far more lively and took the lead in the fifth minute when Danny Rose's attempted clearance was gathered by El Arabi and the Moroccan cut in from the right before fizzing a low drive from 25 metres past Paulo Gazzaniga.

The hosts responded with Son Heung-min's glancing header producing a fine save from Jose Sa.

However, Olympiakos continued to cause trouble in the Spurs defence. The hosts needed a last-ditch tackle by Davinson Sanchez to deny Daniel Podence after he broke clear.

But it got worse for Spurs in the 19th minute when Portuguese centre back Sabedo poked home from a corner.

Mourinho shrugged his shoulders at his assistants and soon hauled off Dier, although there were other candidates, such was the hosts' lacklustre start.

Had Olympiakos, roared on by a huge and noisy following, reached halftime ahead it would have been tough for Spurs, but when Yassine Meriah swung and missed at a clearance Alli had the simplest task to reduce the deficit.

Five minutes after halftime, Tottenham were level. A quick throw-in by Aurier released Lucas Moura and he cut the ball back for Kane to fire home.

Suddenly Spurs were rampant and they went ahead in the 73rd minute when Aurier connected sweetly to thrash home a right-footed volley from an angle.

Kane sealed the points five minutes later when he headed in Eriksen's dangerous delivery -- his 23rd goal in 23 games in all competitions for club and country this season. 

(Reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Christian Radnedge)

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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.

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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?"

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Football: Bayern hand Spurs record defeat as Real Madrid blushes spared

PARIS, France -- Serge Gnabry scored four second-half goals as Bayern Munich came from behind to hand last season's runners-up Tottenham Hotspur a stunning 7-2 home defeat in the Champions League on Tuesday after Real Madrid escaped with a 2-2 draw against Club Brugge.

There were routine wins for Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid, while Cristiano Ronaldo netted in a comfortable Juventus victory, but most of the drama was in north London.

The evening started well for Spurs as Son Heung-min fired across Manuel Neuer and into the far corner to give Mauricio Pochettino's team the lead against Bayern.

However, the German champions came roaring back to leave Spurs on the receiving end of the biggest ever home defeat for an English team in Europe. It was the first time they had ever conceded seven goals in a home game.

"In football it can happen. Every single touch went in. We are very disappointed and very upset but we have to stay together," a shellshocked Pochettino told BT Sport.

Two super strikes from Joshua Kimmich and Robert Lewandowski had Bayern ahead at the break and Gnabry, the former Arsenal winger, then scored two goals two minutes apart to make it four early in the second half.

Harry Kane reduced the arrears from the penalty spot, but Gnabry ran through to complete his hat-trick on 83 minutes and he smacked in the seventh goal after Lewandowski had netted his second of the evening.

- In Messi's footsteps -

"It's difficult to put this into words, winning 7-2. None of us would have imagined this," Gnabry told SkySport.

"To have scored four goals is also an amazing feeling. I imagine all the Arsenal fans enjoyed that one!"

The last player to score four in a game against English opposition was Lionel Messi for Barcelona against Arsenal in 2010.

The result means last season's beaten finalists already face a struggle to qualify from Group B after they drew at Olympiakos in their opening game.

The Greek club were beaten 3-1 at Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday despite Ruben Semedo giving them the lead as the second-half sending-off of Yassine Benzia for the visitors changed the game.

Milos Vulic equalised for Red Star before late headers by Nemanja Milunovic and Richmond Boakye secured victory for the Serbs, who go to Spurs next.

Meanwhile, City beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium to make it two wins from two in Group C.

Ilkay Gundogan hit the bar for Pep Guardiola's team in the first half before Riyad Mahrez squared for Raheem Sterling to tap in the 66th-minute opener.

Sterling then turned provider for Phil Foden to secure the points in stoppage time.

- Casemiro rescues Real -

In the same group, Israeli forward Manor Solomon netted the winner deep in injury time as Shakhtar Donetsk came from behind to beat Atalanta 2-1 in Milan.

Duvan Zapata gave the Italian side a first-half lead after Josip Ilicic had a penalty saved, but Junior Moraes equalised for the Ukrainian champions prior to the break, before Solomon's late heroics.

In Madrid, record 13-time champions Real were 2-0 down at half-time against Club Brugge, for whom Nigerian forward Emmanuel Dennis scored a first-half brace.

But Zinedine Zidane's team came storming back as Sergio Ramos headed in before Casemiro claimed a dramatic equaliser in the 85th minute, seconds after Ruud Vormer had been sent off for the visitors.

"I would like to keep the second half and forget the first," said Zidane afterwards. "The goals we conceded were laughable."

It is a first point for Real in Group A, which is led by PSG. The French club, again missing the suspended Neymar, beat Galatasaray 1-0 in Istanbul thanks to Mauro Icardi's second-half goal.

- New Ronaldo landmark -

Meanwhile, Gonzalo Higuain set Juventus on their way to a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in Turin before he set up Federico Bernardeschi to double their lead and Ronaldo completed the scoring late on.

That strike means the 34-year-old Portuguese forward has now scored a Champions League goal against 33 different opponents, equalling a record set by Raul.

Maurizio Sarri's team share first place in Group D with Atletico, who ran out 2-0 winners at Lokomotiv Moscow thanks to second-half goals by Joao Felix and Thomas Partey.

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Football: Advantage Liverpool as City fume over Spurs stalemate

MANCHESTER - Manchester City were held to a controversial 2-2 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, allowing Premier League title rivals Liverpool, who won 2-1 at Southampton, to gain an early two-point advantage.

Only a point separated the two sides at the end of last season, with City winning their final nine home games, but their first outing of this campaign at the Etihad ended in a draw after a VAR review rubbed out Gabriel Jesus's injury-time effort.

The Brazilian drove in what looked like the winner but, as City celebrated, VAR officials spotted a handball by City defender Aymeric Laporte before Jesus struck home.

The incident had echoes of City's Champions League exit to Spurs in April, when they also had what would have been a decisive late goal ruled out by VAR.

"It was deja vu, deja vu," said City manager Pep Guardiola, unhappy at what he saw as inconsistency in the use of the video system.

City took the lead in the 20th minute through a Raheem Sterling header but three minutes later Erik Lamela brought Spurs back level.

Sergio Aguero restored City's lead 10 minutes before the break, with the excellent Kevin De Bruyne once again the provider with a low ball.

Mauricio Pochettino made an inspired Spurs substitution when he sent on Lucas Moura in the second half and the Brazilian scored with his first touch, beating Kyle Walker to head in a Lamela corner.

But despite an outstanding contest, the game will inevitably be remembered for the late overturning of Jesus's goal.

A nervy Liverpool, meanwhile, made it two wins from two as Sadio Mane scored against his former club.

Juergen Klopp's side, who had been in action in Istanbul on Wednesday when they beat Chelsea in UEFA's Super Cup, struggled to get going at St Mary's but produced a moment of quality at just the right time, Mane brilliantly giving them the lead on the stroke of half time.

Mane's 20th goal in all competitions in 2019 settled Liverpool who were vastly improved after the break, with Roberto Firmino making it two after capitalising on a defensive mistake from Saints.

Danny Ings's late goal against his former club was mere consolation for Southampton as Liverpool made it 11 consecutive Premier League wins, equalling their best winning streak in the competition.

"Once we scored the first goal it was easier for us. I'm sorry it is against my old team and sorry I have to score but I'm wearing a Liverpool shirt now," said Mane.

HARD WORK FOR ARSENAL

Earlier, Arsenal also kept up a 100 percent record but made hard work of getting the better of a determined Burnley side at the Emirates, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's seventh goal in four appearances against Burnley earning Arsenal a 2-1 win.

Arsenal manager Unai Emery gave first starts to new signings David Luiz and Dani Ceballos, with the latter involved immediately, setting up Alexandre Lacazette for Arsenal's opener.

Burnley, though, were level before half time through Ashley Barnes, who scored his third goal of the season from close range.

After the break, Ceballos continued to stand out, setting up Aubameyang for his superb winner in a match which saw Burnley have more shots at goal.

"In a lot of moments we couldn't impose our gameplan because they pushed and their gameplan was a struggle for us," Emery said.

Last season's Championship top goalscorer Teemu Pukki took his Premier League tally to four with a hat-trick to earn Premier League new boys Norwich a 3-1 win over Newcastle United.

Everton were far from their best against manager Marco Silva's former side Watford, but Brazilian Bernard's first home Premier League goal was enough for the hosts to secure the 1-0 victory.

A penalty conceded inside 40 seconds set Aston Villa on the back foot against Bournemouth, Josh King converting, before Harry Wilson put the visitors 2-0 in front.

Villa, who also lost their opening match, piled on the pressure in the second half but Douglas Luiz's 30-yard stunner was all they could muster in reply. 

(Reporting by Simon Evans in Manchester and Peter Hall in Liverpool; editing by Tony Lawrence)

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Football: Liverpool beat Tottenham to win sixth European Cup

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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Football: Spurs draw with Arsenal, Man City go back on top

LONDON - As Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League with a battling 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday, the real drama came at Wembley where Tottenham Hotspur's 1-1 draw with Arsenal included two dubious penalties, one of which was saved, and a late sending-off.

Tottenham's first league draw of the season allowed Manchester United to make up ground with a 3-2 comeback win that included two goals from Romelu Lukaku and moved them one point above Arsenal into fourth place.

There were also wins for Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United against Burnley, Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City and Newcastle United respectively.

At Wembley, as the clock ticked down in an eventful north London derby, referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot for the second time when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang went down softly under a challenge from Davinson Sanchez.

But the Arsenal striker's spot-kick lacked power and direction and was easily parried by Hugo Lloris, with Jan Vertonghen preserving parity with a desperate follow-up clearance from Aubameyang.

There remained time for Taylor to send off Lucas Torreira in the final seconds for a reckless challenge on Danny Rose.

The referee had earlier awarded Spurs a penalty for a contested Shkodran Mustafi foul on Harry Kane, who got up to equalise from the spot after Aaron Ramsey's breakaway opener.

"It was another good derby, a passionate one, it had a bit of everything," said Kane. "Towards the end of the game, it went a bit crazy."

With Liverpool playing Everton on Sunday, Manchester City knew they had to win to keep up the pressure and move two points clear.

The outcome was never in doubt once substitute Riyad Mahrez put them in front early in the second half with a shot that Bournemouth keeper Artur Boruc would have been disappointed not to save.

But it was seldom easy for City and manager Pep Guardiola was forced to replace Kevin De Bruyne and John Stones with muscle injuries that are particularly unwelcome with many important games coming up.

The result delighted Guardiola, who put great store by victory after the double injury setback. "[It was] an incredible performance - one of the best performances we've ever played," he said.

Manchester United had to work hard to beat battling Southampton at Old Trafford after Yan Valery put the visitors ahead with a fierce strike before the break.

United's Andreas Pereira produced an even better strike to equalise before Lukaku scored a brace to ensure Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's unbeaten league record as caretaker manager continues.

Palace moved further away from the relegation zone with a 3-1 win at fellow strugglers Burnley thanks to second-half goals from Michy Batshuayi and Wilfried Zaha.

Brighton also did their survival chances a power of good after securing their first league win of the year against doomed Huddersfield.

Romanian striker Florin Andone headed the winner close to the end as Chris Hughton's side, who had taken just two points in 2019, finally halted their slide down the table.

"This was the perfect team to beat today and we knew before the game it was like a final," said Andone.

Wolves' 2-0 win came courtesy of goals from Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez. It moved them on to 43 points, the most they have ever achieved in the top-flight in the Premier League era.

West Ham brushed aside Newcastle 2-0 in Saturday's late game with an early header from Declan Rice and a Mark Noble penalty.

The Hammers' club legend Billy Bonds watched the triumph on the day a stand at the London Stadium was named after him.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond, Clare Fallon and Ian Chadband)

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Super Spurs end Sarri's unbeaten start at Chelsea

LONDON -- Mauricio Pochettino believes Tottenham are capable of "big things" this season if they consistently reach the heights of a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Wembley that barely reflected Spurs' dominance.

By inflicting Maurizio Sarri's first competitive defeat as Chelsea boss to move above their London rivals into third in the Premier League, Tottenham couldn't have started a big week in better fashion with a do-or-die Champions League clash with Inter Milan and the North London derby against Arsenal to come.

"We need to be humble and recognise playing like this we can do big things," said Pochettino.

"Our challenge is to keep going and be consistent. That's our challenge for the rest of the season."

Victory saw Spurs close back to within five points of leaders Manchester City and three points of second-placed Liverpool.

A title challenge is likely to be beyond Pochettino's men given the relentless pace being set by City, but just qualifying for the Champions League for a fourth straight season would be seen as success given the upheaval as the club wait to move into their stadium and a host of injuries to players involved at the World Cup.

Dele Alli is one of nine players in Pochettino's squad to have suffered a muscle injury after his exertions in Russia, but back fit and close to his best, the England international headed Spurs in front from Christian Eriksen's free-kick.

"Chelsea are a top side and they have made some great signings but we are a top side ourselves," said Alli.

"At 2-0 we could have sat back but we didn't. We created a lot of chances - maybe on another day if we had been more clinical we could have scored more."

Chelsea 'keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga could have done better as he got a hand to Alli's header and the world's most expensive goalkeeper was questioned again as he stood motionless and Harry Kane drilled home from long range to give Spurs a 2-0 lead inside 16 minutes.

The visitors felt aggrieved as they could have had a penalty seconds before Kane's goal when Juan Foyth appeared to trip Eden Hazard inside the area.

However, they could have no complaints as an 18-game unbeaten run in all competitions since the Community Shield in August was comprehensively ended.

"I think we played very badly in all directions - physically, mentally, technically and tactically," said Sarri.

"I knew we had some problems and with this performance today it was clear to everybody we have problems to solve.

"I think in the last three or four matches we have started not really very well."

Spurs' solitary second-half goal was delivered in style by Son as he accelerated past Jorginho and David Luiz before slotting his 50th goal for the club into the far corner.

Kane then somehow fired over with the goal at his mercy and Alli also skewed a great chance off target as Sarri bellowed at his side to regain some composure.

The Italian managed to make a difference with the introduction of Ross Barkley, Pedro Rodriguez and Giroud from the bench.

And it was Giroud who grabbed Chelsea's consolation five minutes from time when he powered home Cesar Azpilicueta's cross at the back post.

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Chelsea and Spurs win away as promoted teams struggle

HUDDERSFIELD, England - Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed away wins on the opening Saturday of the Premier League season while promoted Fulham and Cardiff City were given quick reminders of the tough task they face on their returns to the top flight.

Goals from N'Golo Kante, Jorginho (penalty) and Pedro gave Chelsea an impressive 3-0 win at Huddersfield Town as their new Italian coach Maurizio Sarri watched his team respond well after enduring early pressure from David Wagner's side.

Chelsea gave a debut to the world's most expensive goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, who joined from Athletic Bilbao for 72 million pounds ($92 million) last week, but the Spaniard had little work to do.

Sarri, who took over from Antonio Conte in July, said that he now had a month to try to shape his new side before midweek Europa League games were added to the mix.

"We are lucky now because for three to four weeks we can work with only one match a week, so we have to improve in this month," he said.

"Then it will be difficult with three matches in a week, with the suspension for the national teams. I hope in this month to improve the team," he said.

Spurs fans' concerns about their club's lack of transfer business may have eased after Jan Vertonghen and Dele Alli scored as Mauricio Pochettino's team began the campaign with an entertaining 2-1 victory at Newcastle United.

All three goals came in a frantic opening 20 minutes on Tyneside, with two headed goals for the north London team coming either side of Joselu's equaliser for Rafa Benitez's Newcastle.

Like several clubs who had players competing at the World Cup, Spurs have had to cope without several key performers during pre-season and Pochettino was delighted with the approach his players had taken.

“I feel very proud. The players showed great character and commitment," he said. "We fought hard and they deserve full credit because the mentality was amazing.

“It wasn’t easy to connect everything in a few days -- a massive challenge -- but we kept going and made a massive effort in our performance.”

Well-taken goals by Jeffrey Schlupp and Wilfried Zaha fired confident-looking Crystal Palace to a 2-0 win over promoted Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic said his team needed to adjust quickly to the new level of quality they will face.

"The Premier League is more power, more speed and more quality and we must adapt," he said.

"We have to trust ourselves and work hard and we know we can play better than today."

Cardiff City also tasted defeat on their return to the elite -- midfielder Ryan Fraser's first-half goal and forward Callum Wilson's late strike securing the three points for Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Promoted Wolves needed an 80th-minute equaliser from Mexican forward Raul Jimenez to secure a 2-2 draw at home to 10-man Everton at Molineux.

Everton's new Brazilian signing Richarlison scored twice on his Premier League debut for the club but Marco Silva's side, who had Phil Jagielka sent off in the 40th minute, had to settle for a point.

Richarlison slotted home from close range in the 17th minute but five minutes after Jagielka's red card,Wolves drew level thanks to a superbly executed free-kick from Ruben Neves.

But Everton held firm and Richarlison struck again in the 67th minute with a delightful finish that looked to have won the game until Jimenez's header from a Neves cross 10 minutes from the end.

Argentine Roberto Pereyra scored twice -- the first a superb volley -- as Watford enjoyed a 2-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Champions Manchester City begin their title defense at the Emirates against Arsenal on Sunday while Liverpool, tipped by many to challenge Pep Guardiola's side this season, host West Ham United.

Manchester United kicked off the season on Friday with a 2-1 win over Leicester City at Old Trafford.

($1 = 0.7833 pounds) (Reporting by Simon Evans, editing by Ed Osmond, Neville Dalton)

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Ronaldo back in style for Real, Spurs end Wembley jinx

PARIS, France -- Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a brace on his return from suspension for Real Madrid, as Tottenham Hotspur ended their Wembley jinx and Liverpool were held on their Champions League comeback on Wednesday.

Real have sorely missed their Portuguese superstar as he serves a five-match domestic ban for pushing a referee.

But he wasted no time in making his towering presence felt against APOEL Nicosia, scoring after just 12 minutes from Gareth Bale's low cross, and then doubling his tally from the penalty spot before Sergio Ramos's overhead kick rounded off the cosy 3-0 win.

Ronaldo has now struck 12 times in his last six Champions League games.

"He is the best in the world. We know he will always score goals," said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

"With a bit more luck today he could have scored four. Cristiano has so many goals in him and we feel it."

"Hopefully he stays in form. You can't question the levels he reaches every year," added Ramos.

The titleholders top Group H with Tottenham, who ended their woeful Wembley run with an impressive Harry Kane-inspired 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund.

Already scarred by damaging Wembley defeats in the Champions League and FA Cup semi-finals last term, Tottenham had lost to Chelsea and drawn with Burnley this season, sparking alarmist talk that they were jinxed at the hallowed north London venue.

But, after losing eight of their previous 12 matches at Wembley, Kane's predatory finishing ensured Tottenham finally enjoyed a night to remember in their temporary lodgings.

Son Heung-Min's first goal of the season put Tottenham ahead early on with Andriy Yarmolenko conjuring a sublime equaliser.

Kane, who scored twice in Saturday's win at Everton, restored Tottenham's advantage before the interval and wrapped up the victory with his second goal after half-time.

The only blemish for Spurs was a late sending off for a second bookable offence for Jan Vertonghen, who swung his forearm into Mario Gotze's face.

"It was so important to win, we are so happy. We increased our level in the second half and were very clinical," Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said.

"It is more than three points. The team is more mature now. Harry Kane was fantastic."

- Costly Firmino miss -

At Anfield, Roberto Firmino's first-half penalty miss proved costly for Liverpool as Joaquin Correa scored a dramatic equaliser to grab Sevilla a 2-2 draw.

Anfield was in jubilant mood as the English club welcomed back Champions League football after a two-year absence, but it took Sevilla just four minutes to dampen the enthusiasm.

After Wissam Ben Yedder had given the Spanish side an early lead, goals from Firmino and Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead, only for Firmino to miss a penalty.

On the hour, Sevilla manager Eduardo Berizzo was dismissed for throwing the ball away from Liverpool's Joe Gomez as he tried to take a throw-in, but his disappointment was eased, thanks to Correa, on 72 minutes.

"Of course I'm not happy with the result but I'm happy with a big part of the game," said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

"A lot of times when good teams play each other, the games are kind of boring, but this game was the opposite. And that was due to the desire, the passion, the greed of my team."

Liverpool and Sevilla were joined on one point in Group E by Spartak Moscow and Maribor, who drew 1-1 in Slovenia.

Manchester City ran out the biggest winners of the night with a 4-0 rout of Feyenoord in Rotterdam courtesy of goals from Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and John Stones' double.

City coach Pep Guardiola commented: "We did not play back... We were aggressive... We had the legs to run on the side, especially on the right and created the chances. Enough to win the game comfortably."

Shakhtar Donetsk beat Napoli 2-1 to share the summit in Group F.

French champions Monaco were held 1-1 at competition newcomers RB Leipzig in Germany as Besiktas topped Group G with a 3-1 win at Porto.

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Liverpool halt Spurs run, Arsenal and United win

LONDON - Liverpool roared back into the mix for a top-four finish with a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday that opened the door for Chelsea to strengthen their vice-like hold on the Premier League title race.

Two goals from Sadio Mane in a vibrant first half scuppered second-placed Tottenham's hopes of cutting Chelsea's lead to six points and the Blues will go 12 points clear with 13 matches left if they win at Burnley on Sunday.

While Chelsea look unstoppable, the real battle is below them where only two points separate Tottenham and sixth-placed Manchester United.

Arsenal put two Premier League defeats - and days of uncertainty about manager Arsene Wenger - behind them to beat Hull City 2-0 and move above Manchester City into third.

United stayed sixth after beating Watford 2-0 - a victory that meant they become the first club to reach 2,000 points in the Premier League since it began in 1992.

Fifth-placed Manchester City play Bournemouth on Monday when victory would leapfrog them into second.

At the other end of the table, the bottom three all lost with 20th-placed Sunderland thrashed 4-0 at home by Southampton, for whom new striker Manolo Gabbiadini scored twice, and 19th- placed Crystal Palace going down 1-0 at Stoke City.

Liverpool were without a league win in 2017 and had been knocked out of both domestic cups during a recent slump, but rediscovered their verve to outplay a lackluster Tottenham side whose nine-game uneaten league run came to shuddering halt.

Senegalese Mane, whose absence on African Nations Cup duty coincided with Liverpool's slump, scored in the 16th and 18th minutes and could have doubled his total.

Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp was delighted as his side moved into fourth place, a point behind the two north London clubs and ahead of Manchester City on goal difference.

"Today the pressure was on us but we dealt with it," Klopp said. "We had a really bad period. We are still around, not with Chelsea but with the rest."

Alexis Sanchez scored both goals for Arsenal at the Emirates, although his first in the 34th minute owed much to luck as the ball went into the via his hand.

"The referee apologized to us after halftime and said it was a handball," Hull defender Andrew Robertson said.

The Chilean's second also came via a goalline handball, this time from Hull's Sam Clucas in stoppage time, which led to a penalty and sending-off. Sanchez's spot-kick took his tally to 17 goals in 25 league games, including four against Hull.

At Old Trafford, Manchester United looked unrecognizable from the side who spluttered through the early months of the season and extended their unbeaten league run to 16 games.

Juan Mata put them ahead before Anthony Martial doubled their lead after the break.

"Sixteen games unbeaten is an amazing record," United manager Jose Mourinho said.

INSTANT RETURN

Southampton are getting an instant return on the 14 million pounds ($17.5 million) they paid Napoli for Italy striker Gabbiadini on transfer deadline day.

His brace against Sunderland, including a brilliant turn and shot, means he has now scored three in two games.

Sunderland and Palace remained rooted to the bottom on 19 points after Joe Allen's sixth league goal of the season for Stoke - his best-ever haul - was enough to see off Sam Allardyce's struggling Palace side.

Fifteenth-placed Middlesbrough earned a valuable 0-0 draw to move two points clear of third-bottom Hull. Champions Leicester City face a relegation battle at Swansea City on Sunday.

Mid-table West Bromwich Albion had Gareth McAuley's last-gasp equalizer to thank for a 2-2 draw at West Ham United.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

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Liverpool, Tottenham drop points, Rooney record

LONDON - Liverpool's defensive gremlins returned again as their Premier League title ambitions suffered a painful body blow in a shock 3-2 home defeat by relegation battlers Swansea City on Saturday.

In what turned out to be a great day for leaders Chelsea without kicking a ball, second-placed Tottenham Hotspur battled back to draw 2-2 at fifth-placed Manchester City and Manchester United were held 1-1 at Stoke City.

Wayne Rooney salvaged a point for United with a sublime free kick that made him the club's record scorer with 250 goals, one ahead of Old Trafford great Bobby Charlton.

Rooney's curler four minutes into stoppage time cancelled out an own goal from Juan Mata as United remained in sixth spot.

"It means a hell of a lot. It is a great honour and I am very proud," the 31-year-old Rooney said.

"It is difficult at the minute to be over-pleased because of the result but in the grand scheme it is huge honour."

   
Gylfi Sigurdsson's 74th-minute winner ended Liverpool's 17-match unbeaten league run at Anfield and left Juergen Klopp's side seven points behind leaders Chelsea who can widen their lead against strugglers Hull City on Sunday.

Spain striker Fernando Llorente scored twice shortly after halftime to put Swansea in charge but Liverpool retaliated and two goals by Roberto Firmino dragged them level.

Klopp's side were the first top-flight team to score 50 goals this season but their defensive deficiencies again proved a thorn in their side as memories of a 4-3 defeat at Bournemouth in December came flooding back minutes later.

A Liverpool victory had looked the most likely outcome with half an hour left but Swansea had other ideas and from a rare foray forward the ball fell to Sigurdsson and the Icelander coolly put the Welsh side back ahead.

KLOPP CRESTFALLEN

Liverpool could not respond, leaving Klopp crestfallen.

"The most disappointing moment was the third goal and I can't explain it as we had so many chances to challenge," the German said. "It's really difficult to accept at this moment.

"It is fair Swansea won, no - but was it deserved, yes."

Tottenham's six-match winning run was ended by City but it could have been far worse for Mauricio Pochettino's side in a compelling late kickoff at the Etihad.

City, smarting from last week's 4-0 drubbing at Everton, dominated a scoreless first half and were gifted a two-goal lead within nine minutes of the restart as howlers by Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris allowed Leroy Sane and Kevin de Bruyne to tap in.

Dele Alli and Son Heung-min replied for Tottenham but the visitors enjoyed a huge slice of good fortune seconds before Son's equaliser when Kyle Walker got away with a blatant shove in the back of Raheem Sterling as he seemed set to score.

"It doesn't matter, we had the same argument against Chelsea but we lost because we missed a lot of chances. When you score a goal the ref doesn't matter, the rules here are the rules," City boss Pep Guardiola said, ruing a glut of missed chances.

"We were outstanding, it's a pity. We created so many chances and were not able to score."

Tottenham moved clear in second spot, six points behind Chelsea, although Arsenal could rise above them with victory over Burnley on Sunday.

Improving West Ham United won for the fifth time in seven league games to move into the top half - Andy Carroll again on target with two goals in a 3-1 victory at Middlesbrough.

Sunderland sunk to the bottom after goals by West Bromwich Albion's Darren Fletcher and Chris Brunt condemned them to a fourth defeat in five league games.

Bournemouth drew 2-2 with Watford and Crystal Palace ended the day in the bottom three for the first time this season after a tame 1-0 home defeat by Everton, Seamus Coleman thumping home a late winner for the visitors.

Champions Leicester City are at Southampton on Sunday.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

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Spurs and Alli deny Chelsea record win

LONDON, United Kingdom -- In-form midfielder Dele Alli scored two near-identical headers as Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea 2-0 on Wednesday to torpedo the Premier League leaders' hopes of a record 14th consecutive victory.

Chelsea were bidding to become the first team to win 14 successive games within the same English top-flight season, but Alli's goals, both set up by Christian Eriksen, brought them down to earth.

"We were competitive against a team in very good form, one of the best in Europe, and we feel very proud and pleased because the performance was very solid," said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Antonio Conte's Chelsea must content themselves with having equalled Arsenal's season record of 13 wins in a row from 2001-02 and they remain five points clear of second-place Liverpool.

But the end of their winning streak will give hope to their pursuers, not least Tottenham, who rose above Manchester City and Arsenal to third place in the table, seven points below the leaders.

"It is a pity to stop this run, but Tottenham is a good team, a really strong team and I think is for sure one of the teams that can fight for the title until the end," Conte told Sky Sports.

"My team are top of the table because we are working a lot. This league is very tough and it is important to continue to work."

Alli, 20, has now scored braces in three successive games and his latest double allowed Pochettino's men to register a fifth win in a row -- their best such run in nearly a year.

It also enabled Spurs to claim a measure of revenge, both for their 2-1 defeat at Chelsea in November and the fiery 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge last May that ended their title challenge.

Pochettino, meanwhile, could celebrate his 150th Premier League game as a manager with a deeply satisfying victory.

"We are in a good position, third in the table," he said. "But it is a long way to finish the season."

- Carbon copy -

Whereas Spurs had gone with four at the back in November's 2-1 loss at the Bridge, here they effectively matched Chelsea's 3-4-3 shape, which made for an attritional first half at White Hart Lane.

Spurs saw most of the ball, their wing-backs Kyle Walker and Danny Rose carrying the fight, but they struggled to pick holes in Chelsea's rearguard and the visitors posed a threat on the break.

In the fifth minute, Nemanja Matic's lofted pass over Spurs' right-sided centre-back Eric Dier found Eden Hazard in ample space, only for the Belgian to shoot narrowly wide with his left foot.

Victor Wanyama and Eriksen sent low efforts wide from range for Spurs and when the hosts finally got in behind, Dier ghosting in to meet Rose's deep free-kick, Thibaut Courtois was on hand to save.

But in first-half injury time, Spurs struck, Eriksen shaping a cross into the box from the right and Alli, hitherto close to anonymous, leaping to plant a glorious header in the top-right corner.

It was the England midfielder's sixth goal in four games and within nine minutes of kick-off in the second half, he would have a seventh.

Urged on by a typically animated Conte, Chelsea flew out of the traps, Diego Costa testing Hugo Lloris with a skidding strike and Hazard nodding Marcos Alonso's header wide from point-blank range.

The celebrations, though, were Tottenham's thanks to a near carbon copy of their first goal, Eriksen swinging a cross to the back post and Alli outleaping Victor Moses and Cesar Azpilicueta to head home.

Conte made three bold changes, sending on Willian, Cesc Fabregas and Michy Batshuayi for Marcos Alonso, N'Golo Kante and Moses, with Pedro Rodriguez moving to a left wing-back role.

But his players, finally, appeared spent and Eriksen came close to adding a third with a dipping free-kick that narrowly eluded the left-hand upright.

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