FOOTBALL: Arsenal dumped out of FA Cup, PSG clinch Ligue 1 title

Holders Arsenal dumped out of FA Cup by clinical Watford

Jamie McGeever, Reuters

Holders Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 home defeat by Watford in the quarter-finals on Sunday ending their quest to win the trophy for the third straight season and increasing the pressure on manager Arsene Wenger.

Goals from Odion Ighalo and Adlene Guedioura after the break put Watford in control while a late strike from Danny Welbeck was all the hosts could muster despite several chances, leaving them set to end the season without any silverware.

Arsenal were aiming to become the first side since Blackburn Rovers in the 1880s to win the Cup for three years in a row but instead they slumped to a third consecutive home defeat in all competitions for the first time since November 2002.

Having to overhaul a 2-0 deficit at European champions Barcelona in their Champions League last 16 return leg next week and standing eight points behind Premier League leaders Leicester City with only nine games left, the FA Cup was Arsenal's most realistic chance of a trophy this season.

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Martial keeps United's hopes alive after Payet masterpiece

Reuters

Manchester United striker Anthony Martial kept their FA Cup hopes alive when he struck eight minutes from time to salvage a 1-1 draw with West Ham United in Sunday's quarter-final tie at Old Trafford.

West Ham playmaker Dimitri Payet looked to be sending the 11-times Cup winners tumbling out of the competition with a wondrous, curling free kick in the 68th minute.

But with time running out, United's young French starlet Martial hooked Ander Herrera's cross back into the net from the narrowest of angles.

United will now have a replay at what will be the last Cup tie to be staged at West Ham's Boleyn Ground in the Londoners' final season there before they move to the Olympic Stadium.

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PSG demolish Troyes 9-0 to clinch Ligue 1 title

Reuters

Four goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic spurred Paris St Germain to their fourth successive Ligue 1 title with a 9-0 rout of Troyes, becoming the first team to win the championship after 30 matches.

Ibrahimovic's sensational nine-minute hat-trick at the start of the second half followed goals from Edinson Cavani, Javier Pastore and Adrien Rabiot. Matthieu Saunier's own goal and further strikes by Cavani and Ibrahimovic completed the biggest away victory in Ligue 1 history.

PSG moved up to 77 points, 25 clear of second-place Monaco, winning the league with eight games still to play.

The championship is the sixth in the club's history and the fastest-ever Ligue 1 victory, breaking the record set by Gerard Houllier's Olympique Lyonnais in 2007, who won the title after 33 matches.

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Dortmund ease past Mainz as fan dies in stands

Reuters

Borussia Dortmund scored in each half to ease past Mainz 05 2-0 on Sunday and stay five points off leaders Bayern Munich with eight matches left in the season.

The Ruhr valley club were never troubled in the game, overshadowed by the death of a fan in the tribunes from an apparent heart attack, and should have scored more goals were it not for Mainz's Loris Karius.

The keeper single-handedly kept the scoreline low, denying Dortmund on more than six occasions with a string of outstanding saves as fans kept quiet, stunned by the sudden death among them.

Dortmund said a second fan had also suffered a heart attack but was resuscitated and in a stable condition in hospital.

"During the game there was a tragic incident where two people had to be resuscitated. One person did not make it," Dortmund said in a brief statement. "We are filled with grief and our thoughts are with the families."

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"Unbelievable" Kane boosts Spurs' title push with double

Reuters

Harry Kane was hailed as "unbelievable" after the England striker's 21st and 22nd goals of the season inspired Tottenham Hotspur to a routine win at hapless Aston Villa on Sunday that boosted their Premier League title ambitions.

Kane ended Villa's resistance in the space of three minutes either side of halftime, taking his tally to 18 goals in his last 20 league appearances, assisted on each occasion by a superb delivery from Dele Alli.

Kane's double left a delighted Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino to enthuse in an interview with BBC: "Harry Kane is an unbelievable guy who works hard for the team. I am very pleased for him."

The victory for Spurs consigned bottom-placed Villa to a 20th league defeat of the season while Pochettino's side moved just two points behind leaders Leicester City at the top of the table.

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Third-placed Real grab last-gasp winner at Las Palmas

Reuters
Real Madrid's Casemiro headed a late winner to earn a barely deserved 2-1 victory at Las Palmas in La Liga on Sunday as they moved back within four points of second-placed Atletico Madrid.

Casemiro nodded home from a corner two minutes after the home side's Willian Jose struck in the 87th to equalise after a misplaced pass from Madrid substitute Mateo Kovacic.

Sergio Ramos's flicked header had given Real the lead in the 24th against a determined Las Palmas, who had won their previous three league games to move clear of the relegation zone.

Third-placed Real are 10 points clear of Villarreal, who lost 4-2 at Sevilla in a game between fourth and fifth, but are 12 points off leaders Barcelona who beat Getafe 6-0 on Saturday.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

PREMIER LEAGUE: Leicester stretch lead as Sanchez frustrates Spurs

LONDON -- Leicester moved a step closer to fulfilling their improbable dream of winning the Premier League as Riyad Mahrez gave the surprise leaders a 1-0 win at Watford, while 10-man Arsenal rescued a 2-2 draw against title rivals Tottenham on Saturday.

Claudio Ranieri's side extended their lead over second placed Tottenham to five points thanks to the latest moment of magic from Footballer of the Year contender Mahrez.

The Algeria winger lashed a fine finish past Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes from just inside the penalty area in the 56th minute.

With just nine games remaining, the unfancied Foxes are closing in on the most unlikely title triumph in the history of English football.

"An important win, a big battle," said Ranieri, who eased injury fears over Mahrez after he limped off in the final minutes.

"We are so happy. We wanted to show what we have inside. The desire is so high and we have a great opportunity.

"The title is not ours. We have to fight a lot and keep our feet on the ground."

Leicester's title charge had already received a boost earlier in the day when Tottenham squandered the lead in a pulsating north London derby at White Hart Lane.

With Gunners midfielder Francis Coquelin sent off after Aaron Ramsey's 39th minute opener, Arsenal looked in trouble when Tottenham hit back with two goals in three minutes from Toby Alderweireld and Harry Kane after the interval.

But Arsenal, criticised after successive league defeats this week, recovered to equalise through Alexis Sanchez with 14 minutes remaining.

"I am proud of the spirit, but going down to 10 men was the big regret for the day and it was hard to take," said boss Arsene Wenger, whose side are eight points behind Leicester.

Although they wasted a chance to go top for the first time in seven years, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino was still satisfied.

"I am pleased. It's true, when it was 2-1 I am little bit disappointed with the result, but we have to be happy we keep the three-point gap to Arsenal," Pochettino said.

At Eastlands, Manchester City ended a run of three successive league defeats with a 4-0 rout of Aston Villa at Eastlands.

Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure broke the deadlock in the 48th minute and Sergio Aguero doubled the lead two minutes later.

Aguero struck again in the 60th minute and Raheem Sterling added the fourth six minutes later before Aguero squandered a chance for a hat-trick when his penalty hit a post.

Manuel Pellegrini's fourth-placed side remain 10 points behind Leicester, while woeful Villa are slipping closer to playing in the second tier for the first time since 1988 after their fourth consecutive defeat.

- Beleaguered -

Chelsea warmed up for their crucial Champions League showdown against Paris Saint Germain with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Stoke at Stamford Bridge.

With Diego Costa rested ahead of the last 16, second leg against PSG, who hold a 2-1 advantage, Burkina Faso forward Bertrand Traore bagged his fourth goal in his last five appearances in the 39th minute.

But Chelsea were pegged back five minutes from full-time when Stoke forward Mame Biram Diouf headed home.

Bournemouth piled more pressure on beleaguered Newcastle manager Steve McClaren with a 3-1 win over the crisis-torn Magpies at St James' Park.

After a week that featured reports of a dressing room rebellion against McClaren, who also became embroiled in an angry exchange with a journalist on Friday, Newcastle fell behind in the 28th minute through Steven Taylor's own goal.

Josh King increased Bournemouth's lead in the 70th minute and although Ayoze Perez got one back in the 80th minute, it was too late for second-from-bottom Newcastle, who are one point from safety, because Charlie Daniels added the visitors' third deep into stoppage-time.

"I'm very disappointed. That was definitely a poor performance and 'going down' material," McClaren said.

West Ham staged a superb fightback to remain in the hunt for a Champions League berth with a 3-2 win at 10-man Everton.

Romelu Lukaku struck in the 13th minute and, despite Kevin Mirallas's dismissal, Aaron Lennon doubled Everton's lead in the 56th minute.

But Lukaku saw a penalty saved by Adrian and Michail Antonio reduced the deficit in the 78th minute.

Diafra Sakho equalised three minutes later and Dimitri Payet won it in the last minute.

Struggling Sunderland had to settle for a 1-1 draw at 10-man Southampton, while Swansea climbed nine points clear of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over third bottom Norwich at the Liberty stadium.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com