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Juergen Klopp has said his Liverpool team must be prepared to play ugly football to secure Champions League qualification following the injury to productive forward Sadio Mane ahead of Wednesday&#39;s Premier League clash against Bournemouth.

Mane, who has scored 13 league goals this season, suffered a knee injury during Liverpool 3-1 win over Everton last weekend and could be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Liverpool won just one of their seven games in January when Mane was at the African Nations Cup with Senegal and Klopp is preparing alternate tactics to avoid a similar fate as they target a top-four finish in the league.

&quot;The line-up we will choose is to make them as strong, as compact and as ugly to play as possible,&quot; the 49-year-old German told reporters.

&quot;The best plan in the world is only as good as the players.

&quot;Maybe we can surprise one of the other teams with good organisation, good defending, good counter-attacks. Why not?&quot;

Bournemouth, 14th in the league, rallied to defeat third-placed Liverpool 4-3 in the reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadium last December and Klopp said his side would not underestimate their opponents.

&quot;We should stop thinking about this idea of weaker teams. Football is a game, as I understand it, with no weaker team,&quot; he said.

Liverpool will be without skipper Jordan Henderson and midfielder Adam Lallana for the Bournemouth clash, with striker Divock Origi set to replace Mane in the starting lineup.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

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His comments came after forward Sadio Mane suffered a knee injury during Liverpool's 3-1 win over Everton last weekend?

Juergen Klopp has said his Liverpool team must be prepared to play ugly football to secure Champions League qualification following the injury to productive forward Sadio Mane ahead of Wednesday's Premier League clash against Bournemouth. Mane, who has scored 13 league goals this season, suffered a knee injury during Liverpool 3-1 win over Everton last weekend and could be sidelined for the rest of the season. Liverpool won just one of their seven games in January when Mane was at the African Nations Cup with Senegal and Klopp is preparing alternate tactics to avoid a similar fate as they target a top-four finish in the league. "The line-up we will choose is to make them as strong, as compact and as ugly to play as possible," the 49-year-old German told reporters. "The best plan in the world is only as good as the players. "Maybe we can surprise one of the other teams with good organisation, good defending, good counter-attacks. Why not?" Bournemouth, 14th in the league, rallied to defeat third-placed Liverpool 4-3 in the reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadium last December and Klopp said his side would not underestimate their opponents. "We should stop thinking about this idea of weaker teams. Football is a game, as I understand it, with no weaker team," he said. Liverpool will be without skipper Jordan Henderson and midfielder Adam Lallana for the Bournemouth clash, with striker Divock Origi set to replace Mane in the starting lineup. (Reuters)

Football: Klopp says Liverpool must be ready to play 'ugly' football

Lionel Messi scored twice on his return from suspension as Barcelona piled the pressure on Real Madrid on Wednesday by moving top of La Liga with a 3-0 win over Sevilla.

Messi was banned for his last two outings for club and country but looked rested rather than rusty as he took his tally for the season to 43 goals in 41 games.

The Argentine also played his part in setting up Luis Suarez&#39;s stunning overhead kick to open the scoring.

Barca lead Real by a point, but Zinedine Zidane&#39;s men have two games in hand, starting at Leganes later Wednesday.

Madrid, though, will have to do without Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale after they were rested by Zidane.

Defeat continues Sevilla&#39;s slump and a sixth straight game without a win sees them remain three points behind Atletico Madrid in the battle for third place.

A visit to the Camp Nou offered Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli a final chance to make his case for the Barca job at the end of the season.

Sampaoli was one of the leading candidates when Luis Enrique announced his decision to step down at the end of the season last month.

However, Sampaoli was left to rue another night of missed chances as a three-goal blitz in eight first-half minutes secured the three points for the hosts before half time.

Messi fired an early warning as he blasted a shot off the underside of the bar from outside the area after just three minutes.

Sevilla had two glorious chances to open the scoring as Steven N&#39;Zonzi fired too close to Marc-Andre ter Stegen when clean through before Vitolo headed over when unmarked inside the area.

Suarez made no such mistake as he caught Messi&#39;s deflected cross flush with an overhead kick to break the deadlock with his 31st goal of the season.

Barca&#39;s star front three were all involved for their second on the counter-attack as Suarez turned Neymar&#39;s cross back into Messi&#39;s path to slot low past Sergio Rico.

Messi doubled his tally for the night six minutes later when he volleyed home a loose ball inside the Sevilla area.

The five-time World Player of the Year then passed up a huge chance for his hat-trick just after the break when he didn&#39;t get enough loft on an attempted chip to beat Rico.

Sevilla had a series of chances to at least claim a consolation as Pablo Sarabia twice tested Ter Stegen with fierce efforts.

Barca could afford the luxury of replacing Suarez, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic in the final half hour to keep them fresh for a huge month with both legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Juventus and a trip to Real Madrid to come in the next 18 days.

Sevilla&#39;s misery was complete when Spanish international Vitolo was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card after chopping down Neymar.

(AFP)

Three first-half goals against Sevilla lifted Barcelona to top of the league standings, though Real Madrid have two matches in hand

Lionel Messi scored twice on his return from suspension as Barcelona piled the pressure on Real Madrid on Wednesday by moving top of La Liga with a 3-0 win over Sevilla. Messi was banned for his last two outings for club and country but looked rested rather than rusty as he took his tally for the season to 43 goals in 41 games. The Argentine also played his part in setting up Luis Suarez's stunning overhead kick to open the scoring. Barca lead Real by a point, but Zinedine Zidane's men have two games in hand, starting at Leganes later Wednesday. Madrid, though, will have to do without Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale after they were rested by Zidane. Defeat continues Sevilla's slump and a sixth straight game without a win sees them remain three points behind Atletico Madrid in the battle for third place. A visit to the Camp Nou offered Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli a final chance to make his case for the Barca job at the end of the season. Sampaoli was one of the leading candidates when Luis Enrique announced his decision to step down at the end of the season last month. However, Sampaoli was left to rue another night of missed chances as a three-goal blitz in eight first-half minutes secured the three points for the hosts before half time. Messi fired an early warning as he blasted a shot off the underside of the bar from outside the area after just three minutes. Sevilla had two glorious chances to open the scoring as Steven N'Zonzi fired too close to Marc-Andre ter Stegen when clean through before Vitolo headed over when unmarked inside the area. Suarez made no such mistake as he caught Messi's deflected cross flush with an overhead kick to break the deadlock with his 31st goal of the season. Barca's star front three were all involved for their second on the counter-attack as Suarez turned Neymar's cross back into Messi's path to slot low past Sergio Rico. Messi doubled his tally for the night six minutes later when he volleyed home a loose ball inside the Sevilla area. The five-time World Player of the Year then passed up a huge chance for his hat-trick just after the break when he didn't get enough loft on an attempted chip to beat Rico. Sevilla had a series of chances to at least claim a consolation as Pablo Sarabia twice tested Ter Stegen with fierce efforts. Barca could afford the luxury of replacing Suarez, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic in the final half hour to keep them fresh for a huge month with both legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Juventus and a trip to Real Madrid to come in the next 18 days. Sevilla's misery was complete when Spanish international Vitolo was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card after chopping down Neymar. (AFP)

Messi's twin strikes, Suarez's screamer keep Barcelona's title hopes alive

Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his return from suspension with a 94th-minute penalty to earn Manchester United a 1-1 draw against Everton at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

A deliberate handball by Ashley Williams, who was sent off, allowed Ibrahimovic to cancel out Phil Jagielka&#39;s opener and extend United&#39;s unbeaten run in the Premier League to 20 matches.

But it remained an unwelcome result for Jose Mourinho&#39;s side, who have now drawn nine games at home this season and trail fourth-place Manchester City by four points.

Elsewhere, Leicester City&#39;s resurgence under Craig Shakespeare continued as they beat bottom club Sunderland 2-0 to record a sixth successive win since the dismissal of manager Claudio Ranieri.

Ibrahimovic&#39;s last-gasp spot-kick -- his 27th goal of the season -- meant United held on to fifth place, three points above Arsenal and Everton having played a game more than the former.

But the Europa League looks increasingly like their best hope of securing a return to the Champions League next season.

They face Belgian side Anderlecht in a two-legged quarter-final later this month, with the winners of the competition assured of a place at Europe&#39;s top table.

United manager Mourinho welcomed top scorer Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera back from suspension, while Paul Pogba returned to the bench following a hamstring injury.

His side fell behind in the 22nd minute when Williams flicked on Kevin Mirallas&#39;s right-wing corner and centre-back Jagielka held off Marcos Rojo to poke a volley between David de Gea&#39;s legs.

Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles, much criticised after his side&#39;s 3-1 derby loss at Liverpool, produced flying saves to repel a Daley Blind free-kick and a rasping Herrera drive.

Pogba came on at half-time and headed against a post from an Ashley Young free-kick, while Ibrahimovic had a 71st-minute header chalked off for a marginal offside.

But in the fourth minute of injury time, Williams was penalised for parrying a shot from substitute Luke Shaw -- brought in from the cold by Mourinho -- and Ibrahimovic dispatched the penalty.

Champions Leicester are now 10th, a healthy nine points above the bottom three, after sinking Sunderland to record a fifth league win in a row.

Substitute Islam Slimani opened the scoring with a 69th-minute header before Jamie Vardy smashed in his sixth goal in seven games from Marc Albrighton&#39;s pass.

Defeat completed a miserable few days for Sunderland manager David Moyes, who had to apologise after being caught on camera threatening to &quot;slap&quot; a female television reporter.

The result left Sunderland eight points from safety with eight games of the season remaining.

George Boyd struck as Burnley boosted their survival hopes by beating Stoke City 1-0, while goals from M&#39;Baye Niang and skipper Troy Deeney earned Watford a 2-0 home win over West Brom.

(AFP)

But the goal in the dying seconds was only sufficient to hand Manchester United their ninth home draw of the season

Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his return from suspension with a 94th-minute penalty to earn Manchester United a 1-1 draw against Everton at Old Trafford on Tuesday. A deliberate handball by Ashley Williams, who was sent off, allowed Ibrahimovic to cancel out Phil Jagielka's opener and extend United's unbeaten run in the Premier League to 20 matches. But it remained an unwelcome result for Jose Mourinho's side, who have now drawn nine games at home this season and trail fourth-place Manchester City by four points. Elsewhere, Leicester City's resurgence under Craig Shakespeare continued as they beat bottom club Sunderland 2-0 to record a sixth successive win since the dismissal of manager Claudio Ranieri. Ibrahimovic's last-gasp spot-kick -- his 27th goal of the season -- meant United held on to fifth place, three points above Arsenal and Everton having played a game more than the former. But the Europa League looks increasingly like their best hope of securing a return to the Champions League next season. They face Belgian side Anderlecht in a two-legged quarter-final later this month, with the winners of the competition assured of a place at Europe's top table. United manager Mourinho welcomed top scorer Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera back from suspension, while Paul Pogba returned to the bench following a hamstring injury. His side fell behind in the 22nd minute when Williams flicked on Kevin Mirallas's right-wing corner and centre-back Jagielka held off Marcos Rojo to poke a volley between David de Gea's legs. Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles, much criticised after his side's 3-1 derby loss at Liverpool, produced flying saves to repel a Daley Blind free-kick and a rasping Herrera drive. Pogba came on at half-time and headed against a post from an Ashley Young free-kick, while Ibrahimovic had a 71st-minute header chalked off for a marginal offside. But in the fourth minute of injury time, Williams was penalised for parrying a shot from substitute Luke Shaw -- brought in from the cold by Mourinho -- and Ibrahimovic dispatched the penalty. Champions Leicester are now 10th, a healthy nine points above the bottom three, after sinking Sunderland to record a fifth league win in a row. Substitute Islam Slimani opened the scoring with a 69th-minute header before Jamie Vardy smashed in his sixth goal in seven games from Marc Albrighton's pass. Defeat completed a miserable few days for Sunderland manager David Moyes, who had to apologise after being caught on camera threatening to "slap" a female television reporter. The result left Sunderland eight points from safety with eight games of the season remaining. George Boyd struck as Burnley boosted their survival hopes by beating Stoke City 1-0, while goals from M'Baye Niang and skipper Troy Deeney earned Watford a 2-0 home win over West Brom. (AFP)

Last-gasp Ibrahimovic penalty rescues Man United, Leicester surge on

Sunderland manager David Moyes said Monday he &quot;deeply regrets&quot; threatening to slap a female BBC reporter.&nbsp;

Earlier on Monday, Premier League strugglers Sunderland had issued an apology on behalf of Moyes for the remarks he made to Vicki Sparks after a goalless Premier League draw at home to Burnley on March 18.

Moyes, speaking at a press conference on Monday, said: &quot;It was in the heat of the moment. I deeply regret the comments I made.

&quot;That&#39;s certainly not the person I am. I&#39;ve accepted the mistake. I spoke to the BBC reporter, who accepted my apology.&quot;

Sparks had asked if Sunderland owner Ellis Short&#39;s presence at the Burnley game meant Moyes was under additional pressure, with the Black Cats yet again involved in a battle against relegation.

Video footage published by the Daily Star newspaper showed Scottish boss Moyes replying, &quot;No, none at all&quot; before the interview concluded.

However, the former Everton and Manchester United manager, believing he was off camera, added: &quot;You were just getting a wee bit naughty at the end there, so just watch yourself. You still might get a slap even though you&#39;re a woman.

&quot;Careful the next time you come in.&quot;

&#39;Inexcusable&#39;&nbsp;

Both Moyes and Sparks were seen laughing at this point and the reporter herself did not make a complaint.

Former England striker turned television football broadcaster Gary Lineker was among those who took to Twitter on Monday to criticise Moyes&#39;s behaviour, saying: &quot;Moyes incident highlights a tendency for some managers to treat interviewers with utter disdain. Pressured job. Well rewarded. Inexcusable.&quot;

Meanwhile, Britain&#39;s Women in Football, an umbrella group for women working in and around football, including female journalists, responded Monday by urging England&#39;s governing Football Association to help rid the game of sexism by &quot;educating&quot; managers.&nbsp;

&quot;We are deeply disappointed and concerned by the threatening language used by Sunderland manager David Moyes towards BBC reporter, Vicki Sparks,&quot; said a WIF statement. &quot;We are calling on the FA to help educate football managers against this type of behaviour.&quot;

A WIF spokeswoman added: &quot;We are pleased that David Moyes has apologised. No one should be made to feel threatened in the workplace for simply doing their job.

&quot;We hope that the football authorities will work with us to educate football managers and those working within the game to prevent this kind of behaviour.&quot;

Meanwhile the FA said it was &quot;seeking observations&quot; from Sunderland regarding the incident.

A Sunderland spokesman said earlier Monday: &quot;David and the reporter spoke to one another subsequently and the matter was resolved amicably.&quot;

The BBC added the matter had been resolved, with a spokesman saying: &quot;Mr Moyes has apologised to our reporter and she has accepted his apology.&quot;

Sunderland remained bottom of the table and eight points adrift of safety after Saturday&#39;s 1-0 loss to Watford. They travel to resurgent champions Leicester on Tuesday.

(AFP)

David Moyes said he 'deeply regretted' threatening Vicki Sparks after a goalless Premier League draw at home to Burnley

Sunderland manager David Moyes said Monday he "deeply regrets" threatening to slap a female BBC reporter. Earlier on Monday, Premier League strugglers Sunderland had issued an apology on behalf of Moyes for the remarks he made to Vicki Sparks after a goalless Premier League draw at home to Burnley on March 18. Moyes, speaking at a press conference on Monday, said: "It was in the heat of the moment. I deeply regret the comments I made. "That's certainly not the person I am. I've accepted the mistake. I spoke to the BBC reporter, who accepted my apology." Sparks had asked if Sunderland owner Ellis Short's presence at the Burnley game meant Moyes was under additional pressure, with the Black Cats yet again involved in a battle against relegation. Video footage published by the Daily Star newspaper showed Scottish boss Moyes replying, "No, none at all" before the interview concluded. However, the former Everton and Manchester United manager, believing he was off camera, added: "You were just getting a wee bit naughty at the end there, so just watch yourself. You still might get a slap even though you're a woman. "Careful the next time you come in." 'Inexcusable' Both Moyes and Sparks were seen laughing at this point and the reporter herself did not make a complaint. Former England striker turned television football broadcaster Gary Lineker was among those who took to Twitter on Monday to criticise Moyes's behaviour, saying: "Moyes incident highlights a tendency for some managers to treat interviewers with utter disdain. Pressured job. Well rewarded. Inexcusable." Meanwhile, Britain's Women in Football, an umbrella group for women working in and around football, including female journalists, responded Monday by urging England's governing Football Association to help rid the game of sexism by "educating" managers. "We are deeply disappointed and concerned by the threatening language used by Sunderland manager David Moyes towards BBC reporter, Vicki Sparks," said a WIF statement. "We are calling on the FA to help educate football managers against this type of behaviour." A WIF spokeswoman added: "We are pleased that David Moyes has apologised. No one should be made to feel threatened in the workplace for simply doing their job. "We hope that the football authorities will work with us to educate football managers and those working within the game to prevent this kind of behaviour." Meanwhile the FA said it was "seeking observations" from Sunderland regarding the incident. A Sunderland spokesman said earlier Monday: "David and the reporter spoke to one another subsequently and the matter was resolved amicably." The BBC added the matter had been resolved, with a spokesman saying: "Mr Moyes has apologised to our reporter and she has accepted his apology." Sunderland remained bottom of the table and eight points adrift of safety after Saturday's 1-0 loss to Watford. They travel to resurgent champions Leicester on Tuesday. (AFP)

Ex-Man United manager Moyes 'regrets' threatening to slap reporter

Real Madrid moved five points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga despite a lacklustre performance as goals from Karim Benzema, Isco and Nacho secured a 3-0 win over Alaves on Sunday.

Benzema volleyed home Dani Carvajal&#39;s cutback for the opening goal just after the half hour mark.

However, the European champions were grateful to Alaves&#39; wastefulness in front of goal after the break as Deyverson and Edgar Mendez passed up huge chances to equalise.

Isco eventually made the game safe five minutes from time before Nacho rounded off the scoring moments later.

Barcelona can close back to within two points with victory at Granada later on Sunday.

&quot;Playing every three days you can&#39;t always play perfectly for 90 minutes,&quot; said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

&quot;We were having problems, we weren&#39;t playing well and then all of a sudden Cristiano (Ronaldo) gets the ball, passes it to Isco and he controls and scores.

&quot;That is what this team has. We know that at any moment we can hurt the opponent.&quot;

Zidane had handed a rest from the start to a host of his stars involved in international duty over the past week as captain Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and James Rodriguez were left out.

Yet, Zidane&#39;s plans were undone inside 10 minutes when Raphael Varane suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Carvajal.

&quot;Rafa has damaged the same area as before, it isn&#39;t as bad as three weeks ago and we hope it is nothing major.&quot;

Zidane did name his first-choice front three as Ronaldo and Gareth Bale flanked Benzema.

All three fired off target from the edge of the box as Madrid started brightly, but they had to wait 31 minutes for the opener.

Carvajal&#39;s burst of pace took him to the by-line and he picked out the unmarked Benzema to smash into the far corner.

Madrid&#39;s rhythm was disrupted by the half-time whistle, though, as Alaves were the better side for large spells of the second-half.

Deyverson headed over from point-blank range from Theo Hernandez&#39;s cross before Mendez passed up the visitors&#39; best chance when he slotted wide when unmarked at the back post.

Manu Garcia&#39;s flicked header also then dipped just beyond Kiko Casilla&#39;s far post as the Santiago Bernabeu crowd became restless.

However, Isco settled their nerves when he rocketed Ronaldo&#39;s through ball into the roof of the net from a narrow angle.

And Nacho gave the scoreline an unjustified gloss when he tapped into an empty net after Fernando Pacheco made a brilliant save to tip Bale&#39;s free-kick onto the bar.

Earlier, an unsettling week for Sevilla ended with another disappointing result as they were held 0-0 at home by Sporting Gijon, leaving them fourth in La Liga on Sunday.

In the wake of Sporting director Monchi&#39;s decision to leave the club after 17 years, Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli cast doubt on his future before kick-off with Argentina reportedly interested in hiring him to salvage their floundering World Cup qualifying campaign.

However, Sampaoli&#39;s stock has fallen in recent weeks as Sevilla&#39;s winless run stretched to five games in all competitions despite dominating for 95 minutes at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

A draw is far more valuable for Sporting at the other end of the table as they move to within five points of safety in 18th.

(AFP)

Karim Benzema, Isco and Nacho netted for Los Blancos

Real Madrid moved five points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga despite a lacklustre performance as goals from Karim Benzema, Isco and Nacho secured a 3-0 win over Alaves on Sunday. Benzema volleyed home Dani Carvajal's cutback for the opening goal just after the half hour mark. However, the European champions were grateful to Alaves' wastefulness in front of goal after the break as Deyverson and Edgar Mendez passed up huge chances to equalise. Isco eventually made the game safe five minutes from time before Nacho rounded off the scoring moments later. Barcelona can close back to within two points with victory at Granada later on Sunday. "Playing every three days you can't always play perfectly for 90 minutes," said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. "We were having problems, we weren't playing well and then all of a sudden Cristiano (Ronaldo) gets the ball, passes it to Isco and he controls and scores. "That is what this team has. We know that at any moment we can hurt the opponent." Zidane had handed a rest from the start to a host of his stars involved in international duty over the past week as captain Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and James Rodriguez were left out. Yet, Zidane's plans were undone inside 10 minutes when Raphael Varane suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Carvajal. "Rafa has damaged the same area as before, it isn't as bad as three weeks ago and we hope it is nothing major." Zidane did name his first-choice front three as Ronaldo and Gareth Bale flanked Benzema. All three fired off target from the edge of the box as Madrid started brightly, but they had to wait 31 minutes for the opener. Carvajal's burst of pace took him to the by-line and he picked out the unmarked Benzema to smash into the far corner. Madrid's rhythm was disrupted by the half-time whistle, though, as Alaves were the better side for large spells of the second-half. Deyverson headed over from point-blank range from Theo Hernandez's cross before Mendez passed up the visitors' best chance when he slotted wide when unmarked at the back post. Manu Garcia's flicked header also then dipped just beyond Kiko Casilla's far post as the Santiago Bernabeu crowd became restless. However, Isco settled their nerves when he rocketed Ronaldo's through ball into the roof of the net from a narrow angle. And Nacho gave the scoreline an unjustified gloss when he tapped into an empty net after Fernando Pacheco made a brilliant save to tip Bale's free-kick onto the bar. Earlier, an unsettling week for Sevilla ended with another disappointing result as they were held 0-0 at home by Sporting Gijon, leaving them fourth in La Liga on Sunday. In the wake of Sporting director Monchi's decision to leave the club after 17 years, Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli cast doubt on his future before kick-off with Argentina reportedly interested in hiring him to salvage their floundering World Cup qualifying campaign. However, Sampaoli's stock has fallen in recent weeks as Sevilla's winless run stretched to five games in all competitions despite dominating for 95 minutes at the Sanchez Pizjuan. A draw is far more valuable for Sporting at the other end of the table as they move to within five points of safety in 18th. (AFP)

Real Madrid win against Alaves to stretch La Liga lead

Arsene Wenger endured more frustration as Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw by top four rivals Manchester City, while Swansea and Middlesbrough remain in relegation danger after a 0-0 draw on Sunday.

With Arsenal fans once again calling for Wenger to resign during a pre-match protest march outside the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners boss desperately needed a dominant display from his team.

Instead, Arsenal twice had to come from behind to avoid a third successive Premier League defeat.

The north Londoners remain in sixth place, seven points behind fourth-placed City in the fight to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish.

&quot;We were nervous and surprised by their start. I feared that we could start with the handbrake on because of the pressure we are under,&quot; Wenger said.

&quot;We were not completely at our best because of the pressure but we showed mental strength and did not lie down.&nbsp;

&quot;Mathematically a draw is not the best solution for both teams but it is a point which will help us.&quot;

City manager Pep Guardiola added: &quot;We didn&#39;t play in the first half, after the goal we forgot to play, the desire went.

&quot;In the second half we played more. We suffered a lot in the first half because we did not make those passes together. &quot;

Arsenal fell behind after only five minutes when Leroy Sane held off Hector Bellerin as he accelerated onto Kevin De Bruyne&#39;s pass before rounding David Ospina and slotting home.

Theo Walcott equalised for Arsenal in the 40th minute when he stabbed in after City defender Gael Clichy played him onside following a half-cleared corner.

Just two minutes later, Sergio Aguero restored City&#39;s advantage with a predatory finish after more sloppy Arsenal defending.

Arsenal lost French defender Laurent Koscielny to an Achilles tendon injury at the interval.

But Wenger&#39;s side were back on level terms again eight minutes after half-time as Shkodran Mustafi headed in from Mesut Ozil&#39;s corner.

Stalemate&nbsp;

City had a penalty appeal turned down when Nacho Monreal appeared to handle in the final seconds.

Guardiola&#39;s side have now drawn their last three league matches and have a five-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester United, who have a game in hand on their local rivals.

At the Liberty Stadium, Middlesbrough wasted a chance to boost their survival bid in a stalemate with relegation rivals Swansea.

Steve Agnew&#39;s side would have moved within two points of safety with a victory at the Liberty Stadium.

But instead second-bottom Middlesbrough remain five points adrift of 17th-placed Swansea.

Middlesbrough, without a win in 12 league games, are four points behind third-bottom Hull, although they have a game in hand on both sides in the battle to avoid dropping into the Championship.

It was also a missed opportunity for Swansea, who could have pulled clear of the bottom three but instead remain deep in trouble themselves, just one point above Hull following their third successive game without a win.

&quot;It would have been harsh if we&#39;d lost that game on the chances we created. We just couldn&#39;t get over the line,&quot; Swansea boss Paul Clement said.

Middlesbrough manager Agnew added: &quot;The attitude and intensity of the players was there for all to see and that will hold us in good stead.&quot;

(AFP)

Arsenal twice had to come from behind to avoid a third successive Premier League defeat

Arsene Wenger endured more frustration as Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw by top four rivals Manchester City, while Swansea and Middlesbrough remain in relegation danger after a 0-0 draw on Sunday. With Arsenal fans once again calling for Wenger to resign during a pre-match protest march outside the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners boss desperately needed a dominant display from his team. Instead, Arsenal twice had to come from behind to avoid a third successive Premier League defeat. The north Londoners remain in sixth place, seven points behind fourth-placed City in the fight to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish. "We were nervous and surprised by their start. I feared that we could start with the handbrake on because of the pressure we are under," Wenger said. "We were not completely at our best because of the pressure but we showed mental strength and did not lie down. "Mathematically a draw is not the best solution for both teams but it is a point which will help us." City manager Pep Guardiola added: "We didn't play in the first half, after the goal we forgot to play, the desire went. "In the second half we played more. We suffered a lot in the first half because we did not make those passes together. " Arsenal fell behind after only five minutes when Leroy Sane held off Hector Bellerin as he accelerated onto Kevin De Bruyne's pass before rounding David Ospina and slotting home. Theo Walcott equalised for Arsenal in the 40th minute when he stabbed in after City defender Gael Clichy played him onside following a half-cleared corner. Just two minutes later, Sergio Aguero restored City's advantage with a predatory finish after more sloppy Arsenal defending. Arsenal lost French defender Laurent Koscielny to an Achilles tendon injury at the interval. But Wenger's side were back on level terms again eight minutes after half-time as Shkodran Mustafi headed in from Mesut Ozil's corner. Stalemate City had a penalty appeal turned down when Nacho Monreal appeared to handle in the final seconds. Guardiola's side have now drawn their last three league matches and have a five-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester United, who have a game in hand on their local rivals. At the Liberty Stadium, Middlesbrough wasted a chance to boost their survival bid in a stalemate with relegation rivals Swansea. Steve Agnew's side would have moved within two points of safety with a victory at the Liberty Stadium. But instead second-bottom Middlesbrough remain five points adrift of 17th-placed Swansea. Middlesbrough, without a win in 12 league games, are four points behind third-bottom Hull, although they have a game in hand on both sides in the battle to avoid dropping into the Championship. It was also a missed opportunity for Swansea, who could have pulled clear of the bottom three but instead remain deep in trouble themselves, just one point above Hull following their third successive game without a win. "It would have been harsh if we'd lost that game on the chances we created. We just couldn't get over the line," Swansea boss Paul Clement said. Middlesbrough manager Agnew added: "The attitude and intensity of the players was there for all to see and that will hold us in good stead." (AFP)

Wenger left frustrated as Arsenal held by Manchester City

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is confident the Premier League club will be doing &quot;interesting&quot; business during the next transfer window while acknowledging that he may not get all his first-choice targets.

United have been linked by the British media with a host of big-name players, including Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann and Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko.

&quot;I&#39;m sure, at the end of the summer, probably we won&#39;t have exactly my first options&nbsp;because it&#39;s difficult to succeed in every attempt,&quot; Mourinho told reporters. &quot;But I&#39;m sure we&#39;re going to do something interesting.

&quot;Something to improve our team for next season. I&#39;m not a silly manager to say I give the names and you have to give me the players - not at all.

&quot;I give the names, I give the options, I give the second options in case the first options are not possible, but I give all the information based on my analysis, my experience and projections for the future.&quot;

United, who are fifth in the table and host eighth-placed West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford on Saturday, face a challenging month with nine games including the Manchester derby and a home match against runaway league leaders Chelsea.

(Reuters)

The United manager also acknowledged that he may not get all his first-choice targets

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is confident the Premier League club will be doing "interesting" business during the next transfer window while acknowledging that he may not get all his first-choice targets. United have been linked by the British media with a host of big-name players, including Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann and Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko. "I'm sure, at the end of the summer, probably we won't have exactly my first options because it's difficult to succeed in every attempt," Mourinho told reporters. "But I'm sure we're going to do something interesting. "Something to improve our team for next season. I'm not a silly manager to say I give the names and you have to give me the players - not at all. "I give the names, I give the options, I give the second options in case the first options are not possible, but I give all the information based on my analysis, my experience and projections for the future." United, who are fifth in the table and host eighth-placed West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford on Saturday, face a challenging month with nine games including the Manchester derby and a home match against runaway league leaders Chelsea. (Reuters)

Mourinho looking forward to 'interesting' transfer window

Wilfried Zaha rocked Chelsea as Crystal Palace breathed new life into the Premier League title race with a stunning 2-1 win over the leaders at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

In a frantic start, the Ivory Coast winger cancelled out Cesc Fabregas&#39;s opener and teed up Christian Benteke for the winner as Chelsea lost at home for the first time since September 16.

Second-place Tottenham Hotspur took advantage by winning 2-0 at Burnley to trim Chelsea&#39;s lead to seven points.

&quot;I&#39;m stunned. They&#39;re top of the league. No-one would expect us to come here and do that,&quot; said Zaha, whose side have won four games in a row.

&quot;We know there&#39;s talent here. We just needed to work together. Everyone is seeing it now.&quot;

Liverpool closed to within 10 points of Chelsea, albeit having played a game more, after sinking Everton 3-1 in the Merseyside derby.

But Manchester United lost ground in the race for top-four places following a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion.

Zaha&#39;s headline-grabbing display against Chelsea followed a week of headlines about his decision to switch international allegiances from England to Ivory Coast last year.

His side fell behind in the fifth minute when Eden Hazard crossed from the left for Fabregas to score at the near post.

But Zaha levelled matters in the ninth minute, drilling home through a posse of defenders, and two minutes after his pass freed Benteke to dink a cocky finish over Thibaut Courtois.

Despite losing defenders James Tomkins and Scott Dann -- Tomkins&#39;s replacement -- to injury, Sam Allardyce&#39;s patched-up Palace side gallantly held on to stay four points clear of the bottom three.

&quot;This is football. We must accept this result,&quot; said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.

&quot;In every game in England, anything can happen. The league is so strong.&quot;

Tottenham kept their title hopes flickering after Eric Dier scored from close range and Son Heung-Min converted a cross from Dele Alli in the second half at Burnley.

However, victory came at the cost of injuries to midfielders Victor Wanyama and Harry Winks, who was taken to hospital with a potentially serious ankle injury.

Philippe Coutinho scored a dazzling goal and made another for Divock Origi as Liverpool overcame Everton at Anfield.

Leicester resurgence continues&nbsp;

Sadio Mane put Liverpool in front in the eighth minute, drilling in following a one-two with Roberto Firmino, but was later forced off by a knee injury.

Matthew Pennington equalised, but Coutinho strolled past him to restore Liverpool&#39;s lead with a fine, curling effort and then teed up Origi, Mane&#39;s replacement, to slam home Liverpool&#39;s third.

Everton midfielder Ross Barkley was fortunate to avoid a red card for a crude foul on Dejan Lovren, but his manager Ronald Koeman felt Liverpool&#39;s protests were excessive.

&quot;I don&#39;t like coaches from the bench the whole time shouting to referees and linesmen, making a big show about tackles,&quot; he said. &quot;They were crazy. It&#39;s a man&#39;s sport.&quot;

Victory lifted Liverpool to third place, two points above fourth-place Manchester City -- who visit Arsenal on Sunday -- having played two games more.

Manchester United now lie four points off the Champions League positions in fifth place after being held to an eighth draw of the season at Old Trafford by West Brom.

Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini squandered good chances for Jose Mourinho&#39;s men either side of half-time.

But former United midfielder Darren Fletcher almost snatched victory for West Brom with a shot that David de Gea pushed against the bar.

&quot;We have a lot of draws this season,&quot; Mourinho told the BBC in a spiky post-match interview.

&quot;Teams come here just to defend. Goalkeepers come here to be man of the match. We cannot score a goal even when we are one-on-one.&quot;

Leicester City&#39;s resurgence continued with a 2-0 home win over Stoke City that gave Craig Shakespeare a fifth successive victory since succeeding Claudio Ranieri as manager.

The champions prevailed through a glorious 25-yard strike from Wilfred Ndidi and a sharp Jamie Vardy volley, leaving them six points clear of the relegation zone.

Bottom club Sunderland remain seven points from safety after Miguel Britos&#39;s header earned Watford a 1-0 win at Vicarage Road.

Andy Robertson and Andrea Ranocchia wiped out Andy Carroll&#39;s opener as third-bottom Hull City came from behind to win 2-1 at home to West Ham United.

It left Marco Silva&#39;s side below fourth-bottom Swansea City on goal difference alone.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth&#39;s Harry Arter blazed a 78th-minute penalty high over the crossbar in his side&#39;s 0-0 draw at south-coast rivals Southampton.

(AFP)

Second-place Tottenham Hotspur took advantage by winning 2-0 at Burnley to trim Chelsea's lead to seven points

Wilfried Zaha rocked Chelsea as Crystal Palace breathed new life into the Premier League title race with a stunning 2-1 win over the leaders at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. In a frantic start, the Ivory Coast winger cancelled out Cesc Fabregas's opener and teed up Christian Benteke for the winner as Chelsea lost at home for the first time since September 16. Second-place Tottenham Hotspur took advantage by winning 2-0 at Burnley to trim Chelsea's lead to seven points. "I'm stunned. They're top of the league. No-one would expect us to come here and do that," said Zaha, whose side have won four games in a row. "We know there's talent here. We just needed to work together. Everyone is seeing it now." Liverpool closed to within 10 points of Chelsea, albeit having played a game more, after sinking Everton 3-1 in the Merseyside derby. But Manchester United lost ground in the race for top-four places following a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion. Zaha's headline-grabbing display against Chelsea followed a week of headlines about his decision to switch international allegiances from England to Ivory Coast last year. His side fell behind in the fifth minute when Eden Hazard crossed from the left for Fabregas to score at the near post. But Zaha levelled matters in the ninth minute, drilling home through a posse of defenders, and two minutes after his pass freed Benteke to dink a cocky finish over Thibaut Courtois. Despite losing defenders James Tomkins and Scott Dann -- Tomkins's replacement -- to injury, Sam Allardyce's patched-up Palace side gallantly held on to stay four points clear of the bottom three. "This is football. We must accept this result," said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. "In every game in England, anything can happen. The league is so strong." Tottenham kept their title hopes flickering after Eric Dier scored from close range and Son Heung-Min converted a cross from Dele Alli in the second half at Burnley. However, victory came at the cost of injuries to midfielders Victor Wanyama and Harry Winks, who was taken to hospital with a potentially serious ankle injury. Philippe Coutinho scored a dazzling goal and made another for Divock Origi as Liverpool overcame Everton at Anfield. Leicester resurgence continues Sadio Mane put Liverpool in front in the eighth minute, drilling in following a one-two with Roberto Firmino, but was later forced off by a knee injury. Matthew Pennington equalised, but Coutinho strolled past him to restore Liverpool's lead with a fine, curling effort and then teed up Origi, Mane's replacement, to slam home Liverpool's third. Everton midfielder Ross Barkley was fortunate to avoid a red card for a crude foul on Dejan Lovren, but his manager Ronald Koeman felt Liverpool's protests were excessive. "I don't like coaches from the bench the whole time shouting to referees and linesmen, making a big show about tackles," he said. "They were crazy. It's a man's sport." Victory lifted Liverpool to third place, two points above fourth-place Manchester City -- who visit Arsenal on Sunday -- having played two games more. Manchester United now lie four points off the Champions League positions in fifth place after being held to an eighth draw of the season at Old Trafford by West Brom. Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini squandered good chances for Jose Mourinho's men either side of half-time. But former United midfielder Darren Fletcher almost snatched victory for West Brom with a shot that David de Gea pushed against the bar. "We have a lot of draws this season," Mourinho told the BBC in a spiky post-match interview. "Teams come here just to defend. Goalkeepers come here to be man of the match. We cannot score a goal even when we are one-on-one." Leicester City's resurgence continued with a 2-0 home win over Stoke City that gave Craig Shakespeare a fifth successive victory since succeeding Claudio Ranieri as manager. The champions prevailed through a glorious 25-yard strike from Wilfred Ndidi and a sharp Jamie Vardy volley, leaving them six points clear of the relegation zone. Bottom club Sunderland remain seven points from safety after Miguel Britos's header earned Watford a 1-0 win at Vicarage Road. Andy Robertson and Andrea Ranocchia wiped out Andy Carroll's opener as third-bottom Hull City came from behind to win 2-1 at home to West Ham United. It left Marco Silva's side below fourth-bottom Swansea City on goal difference alone. Elsewhere, Bournemouth's Harry Arter blazed a 78th-minute penalty high over the crossbar in his side's 0-0 draw at south-coast rivals Southampton. (AFP)

Premier League round-up: Crystal Palace stun Chelsea, Man United draw a blank

FIFA announced its proposed slot allocation for the expanded 48-team World Cup on Thursday, including an automatic place for Oceania, 16 places for Europe - up from 13 - and a six-team inter-zonal playoff tournament for two more spots.

The proposals will be submitted to the FIFA Council at its next full meeting in Bahrain in May for a final decision, FIFA said.

Under the proposal, made by the FIFA Bureau, for the enlarged tournament beginning in 2026, Europe would get 16 direct places, Africa nine, Asia eight, South America six, CONCACAF six and Oceania one, totalling 46 teams.

The host nation would qualify automatically and its slot would be taken from the allocation of its confederation.

In the most innovative part of the proposal, the two remaining places would be decided by a six-team playoff tournament which would take place in the World Cup host nation, possibly in the November before the finals, FIFA said.

That tournament would include one team from each confederation, except UEFA, and an extra one from the continent of the host country.

FIFA decided in January to increase the tournament from 32 teams to 48.

The current allocation is 13 places to Europe, five to Africa, four to Asia and South America and three to CONCACAF.

Asia, South America, CONCACAF and Oceania also get a place in two inter-zonal playoffs.

The proposal shows how football has grown around the world over the last 40 years.

As recently as 1978, when the World Cup had only 16 teams, Africa and CONCACAF were given only one place each while Asia and Oceania had to share one place between them.

According to the FIFA world rankings, the top nine teams in Africa currently include Burkina Faso, who have never played at a World Cup, and Democratic Republic of Congo, who took part only once as Zaire in 1974.

CONCACAF&#39;S top six include Panama and Haiti while St Kitts and Nevis are seventh.

Asia&#39;s top eight include Uzbekistan and Qatar while China are ninth and Syria 10th.

(Reuters)

There'll be an automatic place for Oceania, 16 places for Europe - up from 13 - and a six-team inter-zonal playoff tournament for two slots

FIFA announced its proposed slot allocation for the expanded 48-team World Cup on Thursday, including an automatic place for Oceania, 16 places for Europe - up from 13 - and a six-team inter-zonal playoff tournament for two more spots. The proposals will be submitted to the FIFA Council at its next full meeting in Bahrain in May for a final decision, FIFA said. Under the proposal, made by the FIFA Bureau, for the enlarged tournament beginning in 2026, Europe would get 16 direct places, Africa nine, Asia eight, South America six, CONCACAF six and Oceania one, totalling 46 teams. The host nation would qualify automatically and its slot would be taken from the allocation of its confederation. In the most innovative part of the proposal, the two remaining places would be decided by a six-team playoff tournament which would take place in the World Cup host nation, possibly in the November before the finals, FIFA said. That tournament would include one team from each confederation, except UEFA, and an extra one from the continent of the host country. FIFA decided in January to increase the tournament from 32 teams to 48. The current allocation is 13 places to Europe, five to Africa, four to Asia and South America and three to CONCACAF. Asia, South America, CONCACAF and Oceania also get a place in two inter-zonal playoffs. The proposal shows how football has grown around the world over the last 40 years. As recently as 1978, when the World Cup had only 16 teams, Africa and CONCACAF were given only one place each while Asia and Oceania had to share one place between them. According to the FIFA world rankings, the top nine teams in Africa currently include Burkina Faso, who have never played at a World Cup, and Democratic Republic of Congo, who took part only once as Zaire in 1974. CONCACAF'S top six include Panama and Haiti while St Kitts and Nevis are seventh. Asia's top eight include Uzbekistan and Qatar while China are ninth and Syria 10th. (Reuters)

FIFA unveils new slot-allocation for 48-team World Cup in 2026

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his future was &quot;not sorted completely&quot; on Thursday as he ducked another opportunity to make an announcement about what he intends to do.

Wenger, Arsenal&#39;s manager since 1996, has come under fire from fans after the club were humiliated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League and dropped out of the Premier League top four.

The Frenchman said recently that he would make an announcement on his future &quot;very soon&quot;, but he did not divulge any new information when invited to do so at his weekly press conference.

&quot;Not today, but I&#39;m very clear in my mind,&quot; he told reporters at Arsenal&#39;s London Colney training base when asked if there was any news on his future.

&quot;Do I stay two months or two years? My commitment will be exactly the same. The time I spent here doesn&#39;t influence at all my attitude.

&quot;I&#39;ve always been very clear in my mind, but I think it&#39;s a subject that is not sorted completely out.&quot;

Wenger is reported to have been offered a new two-year contract by Arsenal.

It is 13 years since Arsenal last won the league and their 10-2 aggregate defeat by Bayern condemned them to a seventh successive last 16 exit in the Champions League.

The north London club are sixth in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday&#39;s home game with Manchester City, having lost four of their last five games.

But Wenger dismissed the suggestion that the uncertainty about his future was having a negative impact on his players.

&quot;No, I believe the priority in life is always to focus on what is important and not to look for excuses,&quot; he said.

&quot;At the moment our results are not going the way they should, but we have to make sure the priority is what happens on the pitch.&quot;

&#39;I&#39;m not answering&#39;&nbsp;

Arsenal chairman Chips Keswick refused to comment on Wenger&#39;s future after being doorstepped by a camera crew from Sky Sports News.

&quot;I never make press statements and I&#39;m not about to start now,&quot; Keswick said.

Asked if Wenger was still the right man for the job, he replied: &quot;I&#39;m not answering that.&quot;

Wenger also reacted to comments attributed to star forward Alexis Sanchez in the Chilean media.

Sanchez, said to be a target for Premier League leaders Chelsea, is reported to have said he is &quot;happy in London&quot;, but wants to play for a team with a &quot;winning mentality&quot;.

&quot;There&#39;s only one team in London, so he&#39;s happy,&quot; Wenger joked.

&quot;I think personally he&#39;s happy here. It&#39;s true we haven&#39;t extended his contract yet. I hope he&#39;ll stay at the club.

&quot;You always have to be cautious when people give interviews in their home countries because the interpretation is not always what they wanted to say.

&quot;But I don&#39;t see anything negative. He said he wants to win the championship. That&#39;s what everybody wants and I can understand that completely.&quot;

Sanchez and German playmaker Mesut Ozil are stalling over new contracts, but Wenger expressed confidence they will both elect to stay at the Emirates Stadium.

&quot;I personally believe that both of them want to stay and hope the club finds an agreement with them,&quot; he said.

Wenger said Ozil was in line to make his first league appearance since February 11 against City following illness and injury.

But Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla is not expected to feature again this season due to an Achilles problem.

&quot;I think the season is over for him,&quot; Wenger said.

(AFP)

Arsene Wenger, Arsenal's manager since 1996, has come under fire from fans after the club's poor displays this season

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his future was "not sorted completely" on Thursday as he ducked another opportunity to make an announcement about what he intends to do. Wenger, Arsenal's manager since 1996, has come under fire from fans after the club were humiliated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League and dropped out of the Premier League top four. The Frenchman said recently that he would make an announcement on his future "very soon", but he did not divulge any new information when invited to do so at his weekly press conference. "Not today, but I'm very clear in my mind," he told reporters at Arsenal's London Colney training base when asked if there was any news on his future. "Do I stay two months or two years? My commitment will be exactly the same. The time I spent here doesn't influence at all my attitude. "I've always been very clear in my mind, but I think it's a subject that is not sorted completely out." Wenger is reported to have been offered a new two-year contract by Arsenal. It is 13 years since Arsenal last won the league and their 10-2 aggregate defeat by Bayern condemned them to a seventh successive last 16 exit in the Champions League. The north London club are sixth in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday's home game with Manchester City, having lost four of their last five games. But Wenger dismissed the suggestion that the uncertainty about his future was having a negative impact on his players. "No, I believe the priority in life is always to focus on what is important and not to look for excuses," he said. "At the moment our results are not going the way they should, but we have to make sure the priority is what happens on the pitch." 'I'm not answering' Arsenal chairman Chips Keswick refused to comment on Wenger's future after being doorstepped by a camera crew from Sky Sports News. "I never make press statements and I'm not about to start now," Keswick said. Asked if Wenger was still the right man for the job, he replied: "I'm not answering that." Wenger also reacted to comments attributed to star forward Alexis Sanchez in the Chilean media. Sanchez, said to be a target for Premier League leaders Chelsea, is reported to have said he is "happy in London", but wants to play for a team with a "winning mentality". "There's only one team in London, so he's happy," Wenger joked. "I think personally he's happy here. It's true we haven't extended his contract yet. I hope he'll stay at the club. "You always have to be cautious when people give interviews in their home countries because the interpretation is not always what they wanted to say. "But I don't see anything negative. He said he wants to win the championship. That's what everybody wants and I can understand that completely." Sanchez and German playmaker Mesut Ozil are stalling over new contracts, but Wenger expressed confidence they will both elect to stay at the Emirates Stadium. "I personally believe that both of them want to stay and hope the club finds an agreement with them," he said. Wenger said Ozil was in line to make his first league appearance since February 11 against City following illness and injury. But Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla is not expected to feature again this season due to an Achilles problem. "I think the season is over for him," Wenger said. (AFP)

Arsenal future 'not sorted completely', says Wenger

Argentina forward Lionel Messi has been banned from their next four competitive internationals starting with Tuesday&#39;s World Cup qualifier away to Bolivia, FIFA said on Tuesday.

FIFA said Messi had &quot;directed insulting words at an assistant referee&quot; during the 1-0 win over Chile on Friday.

After the game in La Paz, FIFA said the &quot;remainder of the sanction will be served over Argentina&rsquo;s subsequent World Cup qualifying matches&quot;.

(Reuters)

FIFA said Messi had 'directed insulting words at an assistant referee' during the 1-0 win over Chile on Friday

Argentina forward Lionel Messi has been banned from their next four competitive internationals starting with Tuesday's World Cup qualifier away to Bolivia, FIFA said on Tuesday. FIFA said Messi had "directed insulting words at an assistant referee" during the 1-0 win over Chile on Friday. After the game in La Paz, FIFA said the "remainder of the sanction will be served over Argentina’s subsequent World Cup qualifying matches". (Reuters)

FIFA bans Lionel Messi for four international games

Cristiano Ronaldo had an international airport renamed in his honour on Wednesday but it was a newly unveiled bust of him that soon became a major talking point.

Five thousand screaming fans, the Portuguese talisman himself and the country&#39;s prime minister and the president were all in attendance at the airport of Madeira, the island where Ronaldo was born.

&quot;To see this airport bear my name is a very special thing,&quot; said Ronaldo, 32, who skippered Portugal to victory in the European championships last year. 
&quot;Everyone knows I am proud of my roots.&quot;

Real Madrid star Ronaldo, speaking at a naming ceremony also attended by his family, added: &quot;I didn&#39;t ask for this but I&#39;m not a hypocrite and I acknowledge that it honours me, and that makes me happy.&quot;

Also presented was a grinning bust of one of the greatest footballers of all time.

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<div class="media-description">
But aside from the hair, which looked suitably similar, social media users were quick to mock the statue as nothing like him and even horrifying. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;Seriously, I look more like Cristiano Ronaldo than that bust,&quot; said the Twitter user DiscoHobbit.

The BBC called the bust &quot;bizarre&quot;.

Ronaldo already has a museum and bronze statue in his honour in his birth town of Funchal.

He follows in the footsteps of Northern Ireland legend George Best, who also wore the number seven shirt in his time at Manchester United and had Belfast airport named after him.

Portugal played their first match in Madeira since 2001 on Tuesday, going down 3-2 to Sweden.

Ronaldo&#39;s 71st goal for his country in the defeat saw the striker go level in third place with German Miroslav Klose in the list of Europe`s all-time top international goalscorers behind Hungaria

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

(

Also presented was a 'bizarre' bust of the football star. Many said it didn't look like him

Cristiano Ronaldo had an international airport renamed in his honour on Wednesday but it was a newly unveiled bust of him that soon became a major talking point. Five thousand screaming fans, the Portuguese talisman himself and the country's prime minister and the president were all in attendance at the airport of Madeira, the island where Ronaldo was born. "To see this airport bear my name is a very special thing," said Ronaldo, 32, who skippered Portugal to victory in the European championships last year. "Everyone knows I am proud of my roots." Real Madrid star Ronaldo, speaking at a naming ceremony also attended by his family, added: "I didn't ask for this but I'm not a hypocrite and I acknowledge that it honours me, and that makes me happy." Also presented was a grinning bust of one of the greatest footballers of all time. But aside from the hair, which looked suitably similar, social media users were quick to mock the statue as nothing like him and even horrifying. (AFP) × "Seriously, I look more like Cristiano Ronaldo than that bust," said the Twitter user DiscoHobbit. The BBC called the bust "bizarre". Ronaldo already has a museum and bronze statue in his honour in his birth town of Funchal. He follows in the footsteps of Northern Ireland legend George Best, who also wore the number seven shirt in his time at Manchester United and had Belfast airport named after him. Portugal played their first match in Madeira since 2001 on Tuesday, going down 3-2 to Sweden. Ronaldo's 71st goal for his country in the defeat saw the striker go level in third place with German Miroslav Klose in the list of Europe`s all-time top international goalscorers behind Hungaria (AFP) (

Football: Madeira airport renamed after Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid&#39;s Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo was the best-paid footballer in 2016-17, with 87.5 million euros ($95.3m) in earnings, ahead of his Argentinian rival at Barcelona, Lionel Messi (76.5m), according to figures to appear in Tuesday&#39;s edition of France Football.

Messi&#39;s Brazilian teammate Neymar is third with 55.5 million euros ahead of Real Madrid&#39;s Welsh forward Gareth Bale (41m) and &nbsp;Argentina&#39;s Ezequiel Lavezzi (28.5m), who plays for Hebei Fortune in the Chinese Super League.

Manchester United&#39;s Jose Mourinho is the best-paid coach, with income of 28 million euros, the magazine said.

France Football said it based its figures on salary, bonuses and advertising income for the 2016-2017 season.

(AFP)

Barcelona duo Messi and Neymar were the next highest-paid footballers in 2016-17, according to France Football

Real Madrid's Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo was the best-paid footballer in 2016-17, with 87.5 million euros ($95.3m) in earnings, ahead of his Argentinian rival at Barcelona, Lionel Messi (76.5m), according to figures to appear in Tuesday's edition of France Football. Messi's Brazilian teammate Neymar is third with 55.5 million euros ahead of Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale (41m) and Argentina's Ezequiel Lavezzi (28.5m), who plays for Hebei Fortune in the Chinese Super League. Manchester United's Jose Mourinho is the best-paid coach, with income of 28 million euros, the magazine said. France Football said it based its figures on salary, bonuses and advertising income for the 2016-2017 season. (AFP)

Ronaldo best-paid footballer, Mourinho highest-paid manager

The chief executive of the English Premier League Richard Scudamore talks about the growing popularity of the Chinese Super League

'Not worried about the competition from Chinese clubs,' says Richard Scudamore (WION Sports)

Shortly after the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, three-time chief minister of a Congress state told me that the Gandhis have become a liability for the Congress. What sounded shocking to me then seems like a cold reality today. Post 2012, every election where Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi campaigned intensively has been lost by the party. The Congress has only been able to retain or regain those states where the state leadership has been strong. This development has been co-terminus with the rise of Modi&rsquo;s brand of politics and Rahul&rsquo;s elevation in the Congress Party. The rise of the BJP also became the rise of Narendra Modi which not only electorally marginalised the Congress but also damaged the Gandhi brand. His campaign model ran down Rahul Gandhi hence his capacity to attract and electrify the voters.

This happened when Narendra Modi had more political baggage than the young Rahul Gandhi. Despite the disadvantage he faced, Modi managed to turn it around. He did this through opportunities inadvertently handed down to him by the Opposition and by projecting himself as an outsider to the corrupt world of the Delhi Durbar. In the process, Rahul Gandhi was successfully projected as a lazy leader who was a product of power and pelf in front of an aspirational India which he has not been able to shake off till date.

Rahul Gandhi not only squandered away the opportunity to understand the humbling process of government work but also proved organisationally inept. Not only did his Youth Congress programme come under tremendous criticism but his transition, forced by his mother Sonia Gandhi, created deep fissures in the party. Married to the defeat of 2014 and 2017, one can safely say that Rahul Gandhi today is turning into a brand liability for the Congress as he fails to draw the voters out on his own account. The truth is that the dynasty is in decline. The truth is that majority of Indians aren&rsquo;t taking Rahul Gandhi seriously. It is failing to connect to a new India on its own accord. It is a difficult truth but stares the Congress in its face and it should worry everyone in the Congress a lot.

The sum and total of five polls is that Narendra Modi today stands as the only pan Indian leader who possesses the ability to move and mobilise multiple social constituencies. Even if concession is given to Rahul Gandhi that the Congress wrested a couple of states, its overall vote share continues to decline. Rahul&#39;s victories never gave him the legitimacy of a mass leader as people gave credit to the state leaders. This time, the family bastion in Uttar Pradesh (UP) was again swept away despite the alliance whereas all seats in Varanasi went into the BJP&rsquo;s pocket indicating that even the home turf of the Gandhis is in tatters.

To top it up is the issue of perception that no leader comes close to Modi. This image has been buffeted further by the economically-contested demonetisation which he used to the party&rsquo;s political advantage in Uttar Pradesh. This not only enhanced his stature but also made all adversaries look small, limited and regional in nature.

The UP results also made Rahul Gandhi fall into the trap of sectional politics. In the 2012 elections, &nbsp;he spoke about the issue of backward Muslims which failed miserably. This time also the same mistake was repeated, but in a different avatar.

Despite appealing to the developmental issues, the dog whisper campaign of the SP-Congress was that with the Muslim Yadav combine with the Congress, the upper-caste vote would do well. This was politically countered by the majority discrimination campaign by BJP which was spearheaded by the prime minister himself. Not only did it derail the alliance, but it also created a united Hindu vote which should worry Congress a lot.

Bluntly putting it, PM Modi has become the biggest Hindu mascot who makes his intention of not running after the minority votes very clear to the electorate. To say that the post-Godhra baggage of the PM has been forgotten by India as he speaks more on development would be to fool oneself. Modi represents a skillful combination of Hindutva and the right-of-center economy of the world. So, to say that the UP results showcase booth-management skills or caste management would be to fool oneself. The vote represents a majority vote against a minority veto which has resurfaced in a much more powerful manner after the 1990s. This is the reason why not a single Muslim candidate was fielded by the BJP in UP and similarly in Assam, where the Muslim population touches 30 per cent of the total votes. This is not limited to India. Through the world, a churn exists where the majority not only asserts itself but also wears its cultural and religious symbols dynamically in the political field.

It is in this contrast that Rahul Gandhi comes across as a perpetually struggling leader who has neither defined his idea nor politics. It is this reality that Rahul Gandhi needs to deal with. It will not resolve itself by visiting temples or talking about Saivism in public because it doesn&rsquo;t look organic.

Congress under Rahul Gandhi can either continue to fight the BJP to preserve its past and the family or can call for internal elections to embrace fresh leadership. Who knows that a tough fight to take over the party might reinvent Rahul Gandhi himself. It did wonders to Sonia Gandhi when she was challenged by Jitendra Prasad. It gave her the legitimacy in front of workers and from there she went on to challenge the BJP. She challenged them state by state and in the process rebuilt a broken party.

The Congress will have to walk the same road again but will have to start the process by addressing the issue of the family first. There is not much of a choice. Fix it or replace it with an outsider. 
 
(WION)

&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Meanwhile, five-time world champions Brazil have virtually booked a place for the next edition to be held in Russia

Shortly after the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, three-time chief minister of a Congress state told me that the Gandhis have become a liability for the Congress. What sounded shocking to me then seems like a cold reality today. Post 2012, every election where Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi campaigned intensively has been lost by the party. The Congress has only been able to retain or regain those states where the state leadership has been strong. This development has been co-terminus with the rise of Modi’s brand of politics and Rahul’s elevation in the Congress Party. The rise of the BJP also became the rise of Narendra Modi which not only electorally marginalised the Congress but also damaged the Gandhi brand. His campaign model ran down Rahul Gandhi hence his capacity to attract and electrify the voters. This happened when Narendra Modi had more political baggage than the young Rahul Gandhi. Despite the disadvantage he faced, Modi managed to turn it around. He did this through opportunities inadvertently handed down to him by the Opposition and by projecting himself as an outsider to the corrupt world of the Delhi Durbar. In the process, Rahul Gandhi was successfully projected as a lazy leader who was a product of power and pelf in front of an aspirational India which he has not been able to shake off till date. Rahul Gandhi not only squandered away the opportunity to understand the humbling process of government work but also proved organisationally inept. Not only did his Youth Congress programme come under tremendous criticism but his transition, forced by his mother Sonia Gandhi, created deep fissures in the party. Married to the defeat of 2014 and 2017, one can safely say that Rahul Gandhi today is turning into a brand liability for the Congress as he fails to draw the voters out on his own account. The truth is that the dynasty is in decline. The truth is that majority of Indians aren’t taking Rahul Gandhi seriously. It is failing to connect to a new India on its own accord. It is a difficult truth but stares the Congress in its face and it should worry everyone in the Congress a lot. The sum and total of five polls is that Narendra Modi today stands as the only pan Indian leader who possesses the ability to move and mobilise multiple social constituencies. Even if concession is given to Rahul Gandhi that the Congress wrested a couple of states, its overall vote share continues to decline. Rahul's victories never gave him the legitimacy of a mass leader as people gave credit to the state leaders. This time, the family bastion in Uttar Pradesh (UP) was again swept away despite the alliance whereas all seats in Varanasi went into the BJP’s pocket indicating that even the home turf of the Gandhis is in tatters. To top it up is the issue of perception that no leader comes close to Modi. This image has been buffeted further by the economically-contested demonetisation which he used to the party’s political advantage in Uttar Pradesh. This not only enhanced his stature but also made all adversaries look small, limited and regional in nature. The UP results also made Rahul Gandhi fall into the trap of sectional politics. In the 2012 elections, he spoke about the issue of backward Muslims which failed miserably. This time also the same mistake was repeated, but in a different avatar. Despite appealing to the developmental issues, the dog whisper campaign of the SP-Congress was that with the Muslim Yadav combine with the Congress, the upper-caste vote would do well. This was politically countered by the majority discrimination campaign by BJP which was spearheaded by the prime minister himself. Not only did it derail the alliance, but it also created a united Hindu vote which should worry Congress a lot. Bluntly putting it, PM Modi has become the biggest Hindu mascot who makes his intention of not running after the minority votes very clear to the electorate. To say that the post-Godhra baggage of the PM has been forgotten by India as he speaks more on development would be to fool oneself. Modi represents a skillful combination of Hindutva and the right-of-center economy of the world. So, to say that the UP results showcase booth-management skills or caste management would be to fool oneself. The vote represents a majority vote against a minority veto which has resurfaced in a much more powerful manner after the 1990s. This is the reason why not a single Muslim candidate was fielded by the BJP in UP and similarly in Assam, where the Muslim population touches 30 per cent of the total votes. This is not limited to India. Through the world, a churn exists where the majority not only asserts itself but also wears its cultural and religious symbols dynamically in the political field. It is in this contrast that Rahul Gandhi comes across as a perpetually struggling leader who has neither defined his idea nor politics. It is this reality that Rahul Gandhi needs to deal with. It will not resolve itself by visiting temples or talking about Saivism in public because it doesn’t look organic. Congress under Rahul Gandhi can either continue to fight the BJP to preserve its past and the family or can call for internal elections to embrace fresh leadership. Who knows that a tough fight to take over the party might reinvent Rahul Gandhi himself. It did wonders to Sonia Gandhi when she was challenged by Jitendra Prasad. It gave her the legitimacy in front of workers and from there she went on to challenge the BJP. She challenged them state by state and in the process rebuilt a broken party. The Congress will have to walk the same road again but will have to start the process by addressing the issue of the family first. There is not much of a choice. Fix it or replace it with an outsider. (WION)

World Cup qualifiers: Messi-led Argentina beat Chile to exorcise Copa ghosts

Sergio Aguero netted a 69th-minute equaliser in a gripping 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday to prevent Manchester City losing ground in the battle for a top-four Premier League finish.

Liverpool looked poised to leapfrog City into third place after James Milner silenced the boos from fans of his former club to give the visitors the lead with a penalty early in the second half.

But Aguero&#39;s strike kept City a point above their rivals, who have played a game more, and provided a moment of solace after their mid-week Champions League elimination at Monaco&#39;s hands.

Both sides had chances to win the game in a breathless finale, Kevin De Bruyne hitting a post for City and Adam Lallana horribly miscuing with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Pep Guardiola had come in for criticism after City&#39;s 3-1 loss at Stade Louis II, but his side will approach back-to-back trips to Arsenal and Chelsea on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in the league.

While Jurgen Klopp failed to become the first manager to do a league double over Guardiola, his Liverpool team are now unbeaten in 10 games against their fellow top-six sides this season.

A rain-slicked pitch and two attack-minded teams made for a furious first half at the Etihad Stadium, characterised by City possession and Liverpool counter-attacks.

City unambiguously targeted the flanks, Leroy Sane on the left and ex-Liverpool man Raheem Sterling on the right whipping a succession of low, pacy crosses across Simon Mignolet&#39;s six-yard box.

Twice, Aguero felt he had been unfairly impeded as he tried to get on the end of them, first by Joel Matip and then Ragnar Klavan.

The latter incident, in the 43rd minute, also saw Sterling taken out by a despairing Milner as the pair stretched for David Silva&#39;s low cross, with Fernandinho sliding the ball wide at the back post.

City&#39;s clearest opening of the half saw Silva thrash the ball inches wide of the left-hand post after Mignolet had jutted out his left foot to fend off a drive from Sane.

Lallana misses kick&nbsp;

But the best chances of the first period were all Liverpool&#39;s.

An under-hit John Stones back-pass let in Sadio Mane, only for an authoritative sortie by goalkeeper Willy Caballero, allied to a subtle tug from Nicolas Otamendi, to save the day.

Philippe Coutinho bent a shot just over, Matip headed wide at a free-kick and Caballero showed agility to claw away a Roberto Firmino curler and touch over a thumping Lallana volley.

After Mane had seen a shot blocked by Stones, Liverpool went ahead in the sixth minute of the second half.

Gael Clichy was penalised for a high, untidy challenge on Firmino as the Brazilian chested down Emre Can&#39;s flighted pass and Milner swept the penalty into the bottom-left corner.

Firmino looked poised to double the visitors&#39; lead from Coutinho&#39;s measured through ball, but Caballero stood up well to save.

Eight minutes later it was all square as De Bruyne&#39;s brilliantly measured cross from the right was unerringly dispatched by Aguero.

Aguero looked poised to put City ahead in the 76th minute, but after a neat one-two with Sane he stumbled, De Bruyne scuffing the loose ball against the post.

An increasingly end-to-end contest then spat out a glorious chance for Lallana, but from Firmino&#39;s knock-down and with Mignolet&#39;s goal at his mercy, he missed his kick.

As the noise levels rose, Sterling and Aguero -- twice -- spurned late chances, but a draw felt an appropriate outcome.

(AFP)

Aguero's strike kept City a point above their rivals

Sergio Aguero netted a 69th-minute equaliser in a gripping 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday to prevent Manchester City losing ground in the battle for a top-four Premier League finish. Liverpool looked poised to leapfrog City into third place after James Milner silenced the boos from fans of his former club to give the visitors the lead with a penalty early in the second half. But Aguero's strike kept City a point above their rivals, who have played a game more, and provided a moment of solace after their mid-week Champions League elimination at Monaco's hands. Both sides had chances to win the game in a breathless finale, Kevin De Bruyne hitting a post for City and Adam Lallana horribly miscuing with only the goalkeeper to beat. Pep Guardiola had come in for criticism after City's 3-1 loss at Stade Louis II, but his side will approach back-to-back trips to Arsenal and Chelsea on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in the league. While Jurgen Klopp failed to become the first manager to do a league double over Guardiola, his Liverpool team are now unbeaten in 10 games against their fellow top-six sides this season. A rain-slicked pitch and two attack-minded teams made for a furious first half at the Etihad Stadium, characterised by City possession and Liverpool counter-attacks. City unambiguously targeted the flanks, Leroy Sane on the left and ex-Liverpool man Raheem Sterling on the right whipping a succession of low, pacy crosses across Simon Mignolet's six-yard box. Twice, Aguero felt he had been unfairly impeded as he tried to get on the end of them, first by Joel Matip and then Ragnar Klavan. The latter incident, in the 43rd minute, also saw Sterling taken out by a despairing Milner as the pair stretched for David Silva's low cross, with Fernandinho sliding the ball wide at the back post. City's clearest opening of the half saw Silva thrash the ball inches wide of the left-hand post after Mignolet had jutted out his left foot to fend off a drive from Sane. Lallana misses kick But the best chances of the first period were all Liverpool's. An under-hit John Stones back-pass let in Sadio Mane, only for an authoritative sortie by goalkeeper Willy Caballero, allied to a subtle tug from Nicolas Otamendi, to save the day. Philippe Coutinho bent a shot just over, Matip headed wide at a free-kick and Caballero showed agility to claw away a Roberto Firmino curler and touch over a thumping Lallana volley. After Mane had seen a shot blocked by Stones, Liverpool went ahead in the sixth minute of the second half. Gael Clichy was penalised for a high, untidy challenge on Firmino as the Brazilian chested down Emre Can's flighted pass and Milner swept the penalty into the bottom-left corner. Firmino looked poised to double the visitors' lead from Coutinho's measured through ball, but Caballero stood up well to save. Eight minutes later it was all square as De Bruyne's brilliantly measured cross from the right was unerringly dispatched by Aguero. Aguero looked poised to put City ahead in the 76th minute, but after a neat one-two with Sane he stumbled, De Bruyne scuffing the loose ball against the post. An increasingly end-to-end contest then spat out a glorious chance for Lallana, but from Firmino's knock-down and with Mignolet's goal at his mercy, he missed his kick. As the noise levels rose, Sterling and Aguero -- twice -- spurned late chances, but a draw felt an appropriate outcome. (AFP)

Premier League: Manchester City vs Liverpool ends in 1-1 draw

Runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea continued their relentless progress, moving 13 points clear at the top of the table as Gary Cahill scored a late winner in a hard-earned and feisty 2-1 win at Stoke City on Saturday.

Even without the injured Eden Hazard, Antonio Conte&#39;s men, who have lost just one game in 2017, triumphed again when Cahill struck three minutes from time to make amends for giving away a first-half penalty.

With only 10 games left, it seems wholly unlikely that the leaders can be caught now and their ecstatic celebrations at the end of a tough game suggested that they believed it may have been the victory that assures their title triumph.

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<h5>Not that Conte was remotely entertaining any complacency. &#39;We need to take 21 points for the title win. Today was a great win, a good signal, but it is important to continue with the same commitment and work rate as a team,&#39; he told the BBC</h5>
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Not that Conte was remotely entertaining any complacency. &quot;We need to take 21 points for the title win. Today was a great win, a good signal, but it is important to continue with the same commitment and work rate as a team,&quot; he told the BBC.

Others think the race is already won, though. &quot;It is Chelsea&#39;s title now and you could see from their celebrations, we ran them close,&quot; said Stoke manager Mark Hughes.

Chelsea had looked set for a comfortable afternoon when Willian scored a 13th-minute free kick, his shot squeezing into the net after a blunder from Stoke keeper Lee Grant, who could only fumble the ball over his own line.

Yet Stoke hit back when Jon Walters, having been fouled by Cahill, picked himself up to score from the penalty spot seven minutes before the break.

Diego Costa became embroiled in running battles with Stoke&#39;s defenders, who appeared to try to wind up the volatile striker as he endured a frustrating afternoon chasing his 50th Premier league goal.

He earning himself an early booking and was also involved in incidents which saw yellow cards shown to Bruno Martins Indi and Phil Bardsley.

Chelsea would not be denied and created most of the second-half chances, with Marcos Alonso hitting the bar with a free kick and Pedro being denied by Grant before Cahill swept in the winner.

It ultimately sealed their 19th win in their last 22 league games, with Stoke&#39;s misery completed when Bardsley received his marching orders in the dying seconds after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Cesc Fabregas.

(Reuters)

They are now 13 points clear at the top of the table

Runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea continued their relentless progress, moving 13 points clear at the top of the table as Gary Cahill scored a late winner in a hard-earned and feisty 2-1 win at Stoke City on Saturday. Even without the injured Eden Hazard, Antonio Conte's men, who have lost just one game in 2017, triumphed again when Cahill struck three minutes from time to make amends for giving away a first-half penalty. With only 10 games left, it seems wholly unlikely that the leaders can be caught now and their ecstatic celebrations at the end of a tough game suggested that they believed it may have been the victory that assures their title triumph. Not that Conte was remotely entertaining any complacency. 'We need to take 21 points for the title win. Today was a great win, a good signal, but it is important to continue with the same commitment and work rate as a team,' he told the BBC × Not that Conte was remotely entertaining any complacency. "We need to take 21 points for the title win. Today was a great win, a good signal, but it is important to continue with the same commitment and work rate as a team," he told the BBC. Others think the race is already won, though. "It is Chelsea's title now and you could see from their celebrations, we ran them close," said Stoke manager Mark Hughes. Chelsea had looked set for a comfortable afternoon when Willian scored a 13th-minute free kick, his shot squeezing into the net after a blunder from Stoke keeper Lee Grant, who could only fumble the ball over his own line. Yet Stoke hit back when Jon Walters, having been fouled by Cahill, picked himself up to score from the penalty spot seven minutes before the break. Diego Costa became embroiled in running battles with Stoke's defenders, who appeared to try to wind up the volatile striker as he endured a frustrating afternoon chasing his 50th Premier league goal. He earning himself an early booking and was also involved in incidents which saw yellow cards shown to Bruno Martins Indi and Phil Bardsley. Chelsea would not be denied and created most of the second-half chances, with Marcos Alonso hitting the bar with a free kick and Pedro being denied by Grant before Cahill swept in the winner. It ultimately sealed their 19th win in their last 22 league games, with Stoke's misery completed when Bardsley received his marching orders in the dying seconds after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Cesc Fabregas. (Reuters)

EPL: Chelsea keep on keeping on, beat Stoke City 2-1

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he had made a decision about his future following his side&#39;s dispiriting 3-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Wenger, Arsenal&#39;s manager since 1996, has come under heavy pressure since his team&#39;s 10-2 Champions League thrashing by Bayern Munich and fans made renewed calls for him to step down at The Hawthorns.

&quot;I know what I&#39;ll do in my future&nbsp;and you&#39;ll know very soon,&quot; he told reporters after the game.

Rival groups of Arsenal supporters paid for planes trailing banners that were both critical and supportive of Wenger to fly over the stadium during the game.

A banner that read &quot;NO CONTRACT #WENGER OUT&quot; was seen flying above the stadium shortly before kick-off.

But in the 16th minute, with the score 1-1, another plane was spotted overhead with a banner that read: &quot;IN ARSENE WE TRUST #RESPECTAW&quot;.

Several fans brandished &quot;WENGER OUT&quot; banners at the final whistle.

The 67-year-old Frenchman is believed to have been offered a new two-year contract by the club.

Arsenal&#39;s support is split over Wenger, who won seven trophies in his first nine seasons as manager but has won only two FA Cups in the 12 years since.

(AFP)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he will announce his decision 'very soon'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he had made a decision about his future following his side's dispiriting 3-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Wenger, Arsenal's manager since 1996, has come under heavy pressure since his team's 10-2 Champions League thrashing by Bayern Munich and fans made renewed calls for him to step down at The Hawthorns. "I know what I'll do in my future and you'll know very soon," he told reporters after the game. Rival groups of Arsenal supporters paid for planes trailing banners that were both critical and supportive of Wenger to fly over the stadium during the game. A banner that read "NO CONTRACT #WENGER OUT" was seen flying above the stadium shortly before kick-off. But in the 16th minute, with the score 1-1, another plane was spotted overhead with a banner that read: "IN ARSENE WE TRUST #RESPECTAW". Several fans brandished "WENGER OUT" banners at the final whistle. The 67-year-old Frenchman is believed to have been offered a new two-year contract by the club. Arsenal's support is split over Wenger, who won seven trophies in his first nine seasons as manager but has won only two FA Cups in the 12 years since. (AFP)

Under-fire Wenger has made decision about future at Arsenal

Arsenal fans again rounded on under-fire manager Arsene Wenger as defender Craig Dawson scored twice in a comprehensive 3-1 victory for West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Dawson headed home from corners either side of half-time to book-end the goalscoring action in West Brom&#39;s eighth win in their last 10 Premier League home games.

In between Dawson&#39;s goals, Alexis Sanchez equalised for Arsenal before substitute Hal Robson-Kanu restored the home side&#39;s lead.

But it was the renewed criticism of Wenger that grabbed the attention as fans displayed &quot;Wenger Out&quot; banners after two aeroplanes had towed banners above The Hawthorns with rival views on the Frenchman.

One banner read &quot;NO CONTRACT #WENGER OUT&quot;, while another proclaimed &quot;IN ARSENE WE TRUST #RESPECTAW&quot;.

Wenger&#39;s decision to replace Sanchez late on prompted more abuse from travelling fans, who had earlier engaged in a muted chorus of &quot;We want Wenger out!&quot; as their side slid to a fourth defeat in five league games.

The result prevented Arsenal from whittling down the five-point gap separating them from the top five, further compromising their hopes of qualifying for next season&#39;s Champions League.

Compounding Arsenal&#39;s disappointment, the visitors also lost goalkeeper Petr Cech to an apparent muscular injury during the first half, with David Ospina taking his place.

West Brom began purposefully, with James McClean heading Nacer Chadli&#39;s cross tamely at Cech before bursting forwards and stinging the Arsenal goalkeeper&#39;s hands.

It was little surprise when West Brom went ahead from the corner that followed.

Chadli delivered it from the left and Dawson rose above Laurent Koscielny to head home as Cech flapped.

The visitors were level within four minutes as Granit Xhaka floated a pass to Sanchez, who coolly finished off the underside of the crossbar with his right foot.

West Brom responded well to the equaliser, though, and threatened the visitors on the break when Chadli raced down the right flank and threaded a pass to the feet of Salomon Rondon.

Cech injured&nbsp;

But the striker dragged his shot across goal and wide of the far post.

West Brom repelled an Arsenal attack when goalkeeper Ben Foster saved from Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott was crowded out as he tried to turn in the rebound.

Then Cech made a smart save to his right to keep out a dipping half-volley from Darren Fletcher.

Shortly afterwards the Arsenal goalkeeper limped off, having appeared to injure himself when he landed awkwardly while collecting a routine through-ball.

West Brom should have doubled their lead six minutes into the second half when Chris Brunt peeled out wide and delivered a superb cross to Rondon in the centre.

The striker beat Koscielny to a header, but glanced his effort wide.

That was Rondon&#39;s last action of the game and replacement Robson-Kanu grabbed the second Albion goal just a minute after stepping off the bench.

He pounced after Chadli&#39;s lofted pass from the edge of the area was spilt by substitute goalkeeper Ospina, the Wales striker firing home between the legs of McClean.

The goal was awarded despite Arsenal&#39;s appeals that the offside McClean had been interfering with play.

Arsenal had been sluggish, but they almost levelled again from a corner on 66 minutes, with Danny Welbeck heading against the crossbar.

The hosts then went close to wrapping up the game when Robson-Kanu raced onto a through-ball and was denied by a low save from Ospina, Nacho Monreal blocking Chadli&#39;s follow-up effort.

However, the third Albion goal arrived with 15 minutes remaining as McClean delivered a corner from the right and the unmarked Dawson dispatched another header.

Wenger responded by replacing fans&#39; favourite Sanchez with Alex Iwobi and was immediately derided by visiting fans, who sang: &quot;You don&#39;t know what you&#39;re doing!&quot;

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Craig Dawson scored twice on a day when two planes towed contrasting banners about manager Arsene Wenger's future

Arsenal fans again rounded on under-fire manager Arsene Wenger as defender Craig Dawson scored twice in a comprehensive 3-1 victory for West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Dawson headed home from corners either side of half-time to book-end the goalscoring action in West Brom's eighth win in their last 10 Premier League home games. In between Dawson's goals, Alexis Sanchez equalised for Arsenal before substitute Hal Robson-Kanu restored the home side's lead. But it was the renewed criticism of Wenger that grabbed the attention as fans displayed "Wenger Out" banners after two aeroplanes had towed banners above The Hawthorns with rival views on the Frenchman. One banner read "NO CONTRACT #WENGER OUT", while another proclaimed "IN ARSENE WE TRUST #RESPECTAW". Wenger's decision to replace Sanchez late on prompted more abuse from travelling fans, who had earlier engaged in a muted chorus of "We want Wenger out!" as their side slid to a fourth defeat in five league games. The result prevented Arsenal from whittling down the five-point gap separating them from the top five, further compromising their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League. Compounding Arsenal's disappointment, the visitors also lost goalkeeper Petr Cech to an apparent muscular injury during the first half, with David Ospina taking his place. West Brom began purposefully, with James McClean heading Nacer Chadli's cross tamely at Cech before bursting forwards and stinging the Arsenal goalkeeper's hands. It was little surprise when West Brom went ahead from the corner that followed. Chadli delivered it from the left and Dawson rose above Laurent Koscielny to head home as Cech flapped. The visitors were level within four minutes as Granit Xhaka floated a pass to Sanchez, who coolly finished off the underside of the crossbar with his right foot. West Brom responded well to the equaliser, though, and threatened the visitors on the break when Chadli raced down the right flank and threaded a pass to the feet of Salomon Rondon. Cech injured But the striker dragged his shot across goal and wide of the far post. West Brom repelled an Arsenal attack when goalkeeper Ben Foster saved from Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott was crowded out as he tried to turn in the rebound. Then Cech made a smart save to his right to keep out a dipping half-volley from Darren Fletcher. Shortly afterwards the Arsenal goalkeeper limped off, having appeared to injure himself when he landed awkwardly while collecting a routine through-ball. West Brom should have doubled their lead six minutes into the second half when Chris Brunt peeled out wide and delivered a superb cross to Rondon in the centre. The striker beat Koscielny to a header, but glanced his effort wide. That was Rondon's last action of the game and replacement Robson-Kanu grabbed the second Albion goal just a minute after stepping off the bench. He pounced after Chadli's lofted pass from the edge of the area was spilt by substitute goalkeeper Ospina, the Wales striker firing home between the legs of McClean. The goal was awarded despite Arsenal's appeals that the offside McClean had been interfering with play. Arsenal had been sluggish, but they almost levelled again from a corner on 66 minutes, with Danny Welbeck heading against the crossbar. The hosts then went close to wrapping up the game when Robson-Kanu raced onto a through-ball and was denied by a low save from Ospina, Nacho Monreal blocking Chadli's follow-up effort. However, the third Albion goal arrived with 15 minutes remaining as McClean delivered a corner from the right and the unmarked Dawson dispatched another header. Wenger responded by replacing fans' favourite Sanchez with Alex Iwobi and was immediately derided by visiting fans, who sang: "You don't know what you're doing!" (AFP)

West Brom's win over Arsenal leaves Wenger's job in peril

Holders Real Madrid were drawn to face their former coach Carlo Ancelotti&#39;s Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday.

Italian giants Juventus can take revenge for their 2015 final defeat against Barcelona, but face the daunting task of muting the competition&#39;s top marksman Lionel Messi.

English champions and wily underdogs Leicester landed last year&#39;s beaten finalists Atletico Madrid, a draw which prompted British bookmakers to slash the odds making Atletico third favourites to lift the trophy in the June 3 final at Cardiff behind Barcelona and Bayern.

France&#39;s free-scoring Monaco were drawn to meet Thomas Tuchel&#39;s Borussia Dortmund at home and away legs to be played on April 11-12 and April 18-19.

Bayern Munich, the 2012 champions, host ten-time winners Madrid in the first leg as they target a sixth consecutive semi-finals appearance.

(AFP)

Italian giants Juventus can take revenge for their 2015 final defeat against Barcelona

Holders Real Madrid were drawn to face their former coach Carlo Ancelotti's Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday. Italian giants Juventus can take revenge for their 2015 final defeat against Barcelona, but face the daunting task of muting the competition's top marksman Lionel Messi. English champions and wily underdogs Leicester landed last year's beaten finalists Atletico Madrid, a draw which prompted British bookmakers to slash the odds making Atletico third favourites to lift the trophy in the June 3 final at Cardiff behind Barcelona and Bayern. France's free-scoring Monaco were drawn to meet Thomas Tuchel's Borussia Dortmund at home and away legs to be played on April 11-12 and April 18-19. Bayern Munich, the 2012 champions, host ten-time winners Madrid in the first leg as they target a sixth consecutive semi-finals appearance. (AFP)

Champions League quarter-finals: Real Madrid clash against Bayern Munich, Juventus to play Barcelona

Jose Mourinho said &quot;enemies&quot; were undermining his team after Paul Pogba was injured in a 1-0 victory over FC Rostov that sent Manchester United into the Europa League quarter-finals.

Pogba, who turned 24 on Wednesday, hobbled off with a hamstring injury early in the second half of Thursday&#39;s 1-0 win, which completed a 2-1 aggregate last 16 success.

United had previously played on Monday, losing 1-0 at Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals after going down to 10 men, and travel to Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Sunday.

In an apparent reference to United&#39;s domestic fixture schedulers, Mourinho complained: &quot;We have lots of enemies. Normally the enemies should be Rostov, but we have a lot of enemies.

&quot;It&#39;s difficult to play Monday with 10 men. It&#39;s difficult to play now. It&#39;s difficult to play 12 o&#39;clock on Sunday. We have a lot of enemies.&quot;

Mourinho said Pogba would be out for around three weeks, ruling him out of the trip to Middlesbrough and France&#39;s forthcoming games against Luxembourg and Spain.

Asked if Pogba would be out for around three weeks, Mourinho replied: &quot;Yeah. I don&#39;t know for sure, but for sure, no Middlesbrough and no national team.&quot;

Warming to his theme, Mourinho suggested the compression of matches meant United were likely to lose at struggling Middlesbrough, who on Thursday sacked his former Real Madrid assistant Aitor Karanka.

&quot;A lot of people might say we should have scored more goals. But a lot of things are going against us,&quot; he told BT Sport at Old Trafford.

&quot;The boys are amazing boys. We will probably lose the game on Sunday. Fatigue has a price. I will remember forever when I spoke to the UEFA delegate in Rostov.

&quot;He told me if any of our players gets injured, the insurance paid. Whoever decided the Monday and Sunday games probably thinks the same way.&quot;

Banana baton

In a curious scene, Mourinho was seen relaying a banana to Argentine centre-back Marcos Rojo during the second half, which the United manager said was an attempt to combat fatigue.

&quot;If you were tired any time in your life, I was tired many times, I know what the body needs,&quot; said the Portuguese.

&quot;It needs anything. The player asked for a banana. But it&#39;s not to laugh at all. It&#39;s to respect the players.&quot;

France star Pogba departed in the 47th minute after pulling up as he chased an opponent towards the halfway line, with Marouane Fellaini taking his place.

United prevailed on the night thanks to a 70th-minute goal by Juan Mata, who finished from close range after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had flicked Henrikh Mkhitaryan&#39;s cross towards goal.

United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their quarter-final opponents in Friday&#39;s draw.

Russian club Rostov came close to taking the game to extra time late on, with United goalkeeper Sergio Romero obliged to save from substitute Aleksandr Bukharov and Christian Noboa.

&quot;It&#39;s another historic game for us,&quot; said beaten manager Ivan Daniliants, whose side had never previously gone so far in European competition.

&quot;We played against one of the best teams in the world. They were obviously stronger, but we fought until the end. We&#39;re thankful to our fans for their support.&quot;

(AFP)

In an apparent reference to United's domestic fixture schedulers, Mourinho complained: 'We have lots of enemies'

Jose Mourinho said "enemies" were undermining his team after Paul Pogba was injured in a 1-0 victory over FC Rostov that sent Manchester United into the Europa League quarter-finals. Pogba, who turned 24 on Wednesday, hobbled off with a hamstring injury early in the second half of Thursday's 1-0 win, which completed a 2-1 aggregate last 16 success. United had previously played on Monday, losing 1-0 at Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals after going down to 10 men, and travel to Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Sunday. In an apparent reference to United's domestic fixture schedulers, Mourinho complained: "We have lots of enemies. Normally the enemies should be Rostov, but we have a lot of enemies. "It's difficult to play Monday with 10 men. It's difficult to play now. It's difficult to play 12 o'clock on Sunday. We have a lot of enemies." Mourinho said Pogba would be out for around three weeks, ruling him out of the trip to Middlesbrough and France's forthcoming games against Luxembourg and Spain. Asked if Pogba would be out for around three weeks, Mourinho replied: "Yeah. I don't know for sure, but for sure, no Middlesbrough and no national team." Warming to his theme, Mourinho suggested the compression of matches meant United were likely to lose at struggling Middlesbrough, who on Thursday sacked his former Real Madrid assistant Aitor Karanka. "A lot of people might say we should have scored more goals. But a lot of things are going against us," he told BT Sport at Old Trafford. "The boys are amazing boys. We will probably lose the game on Sunday. Fatigue has a price. I will remember forever when I spoke to the UEFA delegate in Rostov. "He told me if any of our players gets injured, the insurance paid. Whoever decided the Monday and Sunday games probably thinks the same way." Banana baton In a curious scene, Mourinho was seen relaying a banana to Argentine centre-back Marcos Rojo during the second half, which the United manager said was an attempt to combat fatigue. "If you were tired any time in your life, I was tired many times, I know what the body needs," said the Portuguese. "It needs anything. The player asked for a banana. But it's not to laugh at all. It's to respect the players." France star Pogba departed in the 47th minute after pulling up as he chased an opponent towards the halfway line, with Marouane Fellaini taking his place. United prevailed on the night thanks to a 70th-minute goal by Juan Mata, who finished from close range after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had flicked Henrikh Mkhitaryan's cross towards goal. United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their quarter-final opponents in Friday's draw. Russian club Rostov came close to taking the game to extra time late on, with United goalkeeper Sergio Romero obliged to save from substitute Aleksandr Bukharov and Christian Noboa. "It's another historic game for us," said beaten manager Ivan Daniliants, whose side had never previously gone so far in European competition. "We played against one of the best teams in the world. They were obviously stronger, but we fought until the end. We're thankful to our fans for their support." (AFP)

After Pogba's injury, Mourinho says 'enemies' undermining his team

Juan Mata scored the only goal as Manchester United recorded an underwhelming 1-0 victory over FC Rostov on Thursday to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

Mata struck 20 minutes from the end of a subdued game, completing a 2-1 aggregate win that sent United into the last eight of Europe&#39;s second-tier club competition for the first time since 1985.

But victory came at the cost of an injury to world-record signing Paul Pogba, who left the fray with an apparent hamstring injury early in the second half at an unseasonably cold Old Trafford.

United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their last-eight opponents in Friday&#39;s draw in Nyon.

Jose Mourinho&#39;s men are seeking to add the trophy to the League Cup they won last month and have the added incentive of knowing it will yield a place in next season&#39;s Champions League.

Mourinho kept faith with the back three he had deployed in Monday&#39;s 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea, but whereas it was a defensive tactic at Stamford Bridge, there was very little defending to do against Rostov.

Decried for a below-par display at Chelsea, Pogba was able to spray diagonal passes around to his heart&#39;s content, such was the Russian side&#39;s stubborn determination to defend the edge of their own box.

Marcos Rojo had an early header swatted away by visiting goalkeeper Nikita Medvedev, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic putting the rebound against the post from a tight angle.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan ran through and chipped wide from Mata&#39;s pass and might have won a penalty in the 27th minute following a push by Medvedev, but Lithuanian referee Gediminas Mazeika said no.

Ibrahimovic also saw a shot deflected over by Medvedev and later left the right-hand post quaking with a thunderous shot, while Pogba&#39;s left-foot curler drew a full-length save from Medvedev.

Pogba departed in the 47th minute, Marouane Fellaini taking his place, and Rostov briefly threatened to take the upper hand, Sergio Romero saving from Sardar Azmoun and Christian Noboa.

United also lost Daley Blind after he took a bang to the head, which resulted in the curious sight of Phil Jones coming on as a jobbing left wing-back.

The hosts finally made the breakthrough in the 70th minute after Mata intercepted a loose pass in midfield and spread the ball wide to Mkhitaryan on the United right.

The Armenian&#39;s low cross was back-heeled towards goal by Ibrahimovic and Mata charged in at the back post to slam home from close range.

Aleksandr Bukharov, Rostov&#39;s scorer in the first leg, threatened to peg United back in the 79th minute, but Romero was equal to both his glancing header and Noboa&#39;s dangerous stoppage-time free-kick. 
 
(AFP)

 
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Juan Mata scored the only goal as Manchester United recorded an underwhelming 1-0 victory over FC Rostov

Juan Mata scored the only goal as Manchester United recorded an underwhelming 1-0 victory over FC Rostov on Thursday to reach the Europa League quarter-finals. Mata struck 20 minutes from the end of a subdued game, completing a 2-1 aggregate win that sent United into the last eight of Europe's second-tier club competition for the first time since 1985. But victory came at the cost of an injury to world-record signing Paul Pogba, who left the fray with an apparent hamstring injury early in the second half at an unseasonably cold Old Trafford. United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their last-eight opponents in Friday's draw in Nyon. Jose Mourinho's men are seeking to add the trophy to the League Cup they won last month and have the added incentive of knowing it will yield a place in next season's Champions League. Mourinho kept faith with the back three he had deployed in Monday's 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea, but whereas it was a defensive tactic at Stamford Bridge, there was very little defending to do against Rostov. Decried for a below-par display at Chelsea, Pogba was able to spray diagonal passes around to his heart's content, such was the Russian side's stubborn determination to defend the edge of their own box. Marcos Rojo had an early header swatted away by visiting goalkeeper Nikita Medvedev, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic putting the rebound against the post from a tight angle. Henrikh Mkhitaryan ran through and chipped wide from Mata's pass and might have won a penalty in the 27th minute following a push by Medvedev, but Lithuanian referee Gediminas Mazeika said no. Ibrahimovic also saw a shot deflected over by Medvedev and later left the right-hand post quaking with a thunderous shot, while Pogba's left-foot curler drew a full-length save from Medvedev. Pogba departed in the 47th minute, Marouane Fellaini taking his place, and Rostov briefly threatened to take the upper hand, Sergio Romero saving from Sardar Azmoun and Christian Noboa. United also lost Daley Blind after he took a bang to the head, which resulted in the curious sight of Phil Jones coming on as a jobbing left wing-back. The hosts finally made the breakthrough in the 70th minute after Mata intercepted a loose pass in midfield and spread the ball wide to Mkhitaryan on the United right. The Armenian's low cross was back-heeled towards goal by Ibrahimovic and Mata charged in at the back post to slam home from close range. Aleksandr Bukharov, Rostov's scorer in the first leg, threatened to peg United back in the 79th minute, but Romero was equal to both his glancing header and Noboa's dangerous stoppage-time free-kick. (AFP)

Manchester United beat FC Rostov to reach Europa League quarter-finals

Schalke 04 hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 and overcome fellow Germans Borussia Moenchenglach on away goals in their Europa League last 16 tie while Manchester United edged Rostov 1-0 to progress on Thursday.

Juan Mata&#39;s second-half goal gave the English Premier League&#39;s only survivors in the competition a 2-1 aggregate win over the Russians.

Olympique Lyon clung on to eliminate AS Roma 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-1 defeat, while former European trophy winners Ajax Amsterdam and Anderlecht also went through along with Racing Genk.

Russia&#39;s interest in this season&#39;s European competitions ended as Krasnodar threw away a promising position at home to Celta and lost 2-0 for a 4-1 aggregate defeat.

Besiktas hammered Olympiakos Piraeus 4-1 (5-2 on aggregate) despite having Vincent Aboubakar, scorer of their first goal, sent off six minutes before halftime.

Schalke, trailing at halftime to a deflected shot from Andreas Christensen and a 30-metre rocket from Mahmoud Dahoud, were helped by a bumpy pitch as they hit back against Gladbach.

Leon Goretzka&#39;s low shot appeared to be going straight to Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer but hit a divot and looped over the Swiss and into the net in the 54th minute. &quot;It&#39;s tough, I can&#39;t say anything other than that,&quot; said Sommer.

Dahoub then turned villain as his handball led to a Schalke penalty converted by Nabil Bentaleb in the 68th to give the Royal Blues an away goals win after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

Mata Strikes

Manchester United, who held Rostov 1-1 on a difficult pitch in the first leg, needed a 70th minute goal from Juan Mata, who turned the ball home from Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39;s back-heel, and two good saves from Sergio Romero.

However, midfielder Paul Pogba was forced off with an injury in the second half, putting a dampener on the win.

Lyon took a 4-2 lead to the Stadio Olimpico and quickly added to it when Mactour Diakhaby was allowed a free header from six metres in the 16th minute against Roma.

Kevin Strootman levelled within a minute, turning in Daniele De Rossi&#39;s free kick at the back post, and it was one-way traffic after that as the home side poured forward.

Lyon&#39;s Lucas Tousart turned Stephan El Shaarawy&#39;s cross into his own net to put Roma 2-1 ahead on the hour and the hosts thought they had done enough to progress with an Edin Dzeko effort but the Bosnia forward was ruled offside.

First-half goals from Bertrand Traore and Kasper Dolberg gave Ajax a 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen which took the four-times European champions through 3-2 on aggregate.

Frank Acheampong&#39;s second half goal was enough for former European Cup Winners&#39; Cup and UEFA Cup holders Anderlecht to beat APOEL 1-0 and go through2-0 on aggregate.

Racing Genk coasted through 6-3 on aggregate against fellow Belgians Gent after a 1-1 draw.

Besiktas, who drew 1-1 at Olympiakos last week, got off to a flying start as Aboubakar and Ryan Babel scored inside the first 22 minutes.

The Greek side pulled one back with Tarik Elyounoussi&#39;s acrobatic volley in the 31st and were given more hope when Aboubakar was dismissed for violent conduct eight minutes later.

But Olympiakos left themselves too open and further late goals from Babel and Cenk Tosun saw the Turks ease through.

The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on Friday.

(Reuters)

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Manchester United went through after beating Rostov 1-0

Schalke 04 hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 and overcome fellow Germans Borussia Moenchenglach on away goals in their Europa League last 16 tie while Manchester United edged Rostov 1-0 to progress on Thursday. Juan Mata's second-half goal gave the English Premier League's only survivors in the competition a 2-1 aggregate win over the Russians. Olympique Lyon clung on to eliminate AS Roma 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-1 defeat, while former European trophy winners Ajax Amsterdam and Anderlecht also went through along with Racing Genk. Russia's interest in this season's European competitions ended as Krasnodar threw away a promising position at home to Celta and lost 2-0 for a 4-1 aggregate defeat. Besiktas hammered Olympiakos Piraeus 4-1 (5-2 on aggregate) despite having Vincent Aboubakar, scorer of their first goal, sent off six minutes before halftime. Schalke, trailing at halftime to a deflected shot from Andreas Christensen and a 30-metre rocket from Mahmoud Dahoud, were helped by a bumpy pitch as they hit back against Gladbach. Leon Goretzka's low shot appeared to be going straight to Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer but hit a divot and looped over the Swiss and into the net in the 54th minute. "It's tough, I can't say anything other than that," said Sommer. Dahoub then turned villain as his handball led to a Schalke penalty converted by Nabil Bentaleb in the 68th to give the Royal Blues an away goals win after a 3-3 aggregate draw. Mata Strikes Manchester United, who held Rostov 1-1 on a difficult pitch in the first leg, needed a 70th minute goal from Juan Mata, who turned the ball home from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's back-heel, and two good saves from Sergio Romero. However, midfielder Paul Pogba was forced off with an injury in the second half, putting a dampener on the win. Lyon took a 4-2 lead to the Stadio Olimpico and quickly added to it when Mactour Diakhaby was allowed a free header from six metres in the 16th minute against Roma. Kevin Strootman levelled within a minute, turning in Daniele De Rossi's free kick at the back post, and it was one-way traffic after that as the home side poured forward. Lyon's Lucas Tousart turned Stephan El Shaarawy's cross into his own net to put Roma 2-1 ahead on the hour and the hosts thought they had done enough to progress with an Edin Dzeko effort but the Bosnia forward was ruled offside. First-half goals from Bertrand Traore and Kasper Dolberg gave Ajax a 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen which took the four-times European champions through 3-2 on aggregate. Frank Acheampong's second half goal was enough for former European Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup holders Anderlecht to beat APOEL 1-0 and go through2-0 on aggregate. Racing Genk coasted through 6-3 on aggregate against fellow Belgians Gent after a 1-1 draw. Besiktas, who drew 1-1 at Olympiakos last week, got off to a flying start as Aboubakar and Ryan Babel scored inside the first 22 minutes. The Greek side pulled one back with Tarik Elyounoussi's acrobatic volley in the 31st and were given more hope when Aboubakar was dismissed for violent conduct eight minutes later. But Olympiakos left themselves too open and further late goals from Babel and Cenk Tosun saw the Turks ease through. The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on Friday. (Reuters)

Football: Schalke, Lyon and Ajax also advance to Europa League last eight

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak was the hero as the Spanish side reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row after drawing 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen in an open last-16 second leg on Wednesday.

Slovenia international Oblak made an outstanding triple save to deny Julian Brandt and Kevin Volland in the second half and he made further impressive stops late in the game to shut out the Germans and secure a 4-2 aggregate success.

Atletico had the better of the first half and it took a top-class save from Oblak&#39;s opposite number Bernd Leno to prevent Angel Correa giving the Spaniards the lead before the break, flying to his left to tip away a goalbound shot.

The impressive Correa nearly crafted an outstanding goal in the second half but could not find the target while top scorer Antoine Griezmann also came close to putting Atletico out of sight, sending a classy chip just wide.

Atletico&#39;s ruthless counter-attacking in Leverkusen meant the second leg was always going to be less tense than the last time the sides met at the Vicente Calderon in 2015, when the Spaniards sneaked through to the last eight after a penalty shootout.

Playing their first European game under new coach Tayfun Korkut, Leverkusen sought an early advantage and had the chance to do so when Volland broke into the area but flashed a shot beyond the far post.

The Germans had more wayward efforts but Atletico came closer at the other end, first Koke drawing a save from Leno then Correa forcing the Germany international into action.

The most stunning intervention between the posts, however, came from Oblak who made himself big to deny Brandt before getting up immediately to dive in front of Volland&#39;s shot and blocking the German forward&#39;s follow-up.

Oblak then thwarted Karim Bellarabi on two separate occasions, keeping an exciting end-to-end spectacle goalless.

&quot;It feels great for Atletico to reach the quarter-finals four years in a row, it&#39;s very important for us and we have had to fight to get there,&quot; said Oblak, who was on the losing side in last year&#39;s Champions League final with Atletico against Real Madrid.

&quot;It hasn&#39;t been easy at all to get this far four years in a row and I hope we continue to grow as we have done in those years.&quot;

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Oblak made an outstanding triple save and further impressive stops late in the game to shut out Bayer

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak was the hero as the Spanish side reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row after drawing 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen in an open last-16 second leg on Wednesday. Slovenia international Oblak made an outstanding triple save to deny Julian Brandt and Kevin Volland in the second half and he made further impressive stops late in the game to shut out the Germans and secure a 4-2 aggregate success. Atletico had the better of the first half and it took a top-class save from Oblak's opposite number Bernd Leno to prevent Angel Correa giving the Spaniards the lead before the break, flying to his left to tip away a goalbound shot. The impressive Correa nearly crafted an outstanding goal in the second half but could not find the target while top scorer Antoine Griezmann also came close to putting Atletico out of sight, sending a classy chip just wide. Atletico's ruthless counter-attacking in Leverkusen meant the second leg was always going to be less tense than the last time the sides met at the Vicente Calderon in 2015, when the Spaniards sneaked through to the last eight after a penalty shootout. Playing their first European game under new coach Tayfun Korkut, Leverkusen sought an early advantage and had the chance to do so when Volland broke into the area but flashed a shot beyond the far post. The Germans had more wayward efforts but Atletico came closer at the other end, first Koke drawing a save from Leno then Correa forcing the Germany international into action. The most stunning intervention between the posts, however, came from Oblak who made himself big to deny Brandt before getting up immediately to dive in front of Volland's shot and blocking the German forward's follow-up. Oblak then thwarted Karim Bellarabi on two separate occasions, keeping an exciting end-to-end spectacle goalless. "It feels great for Atletico to reach the quarter-finals four years in a row, it's very important for us and we have had to fight to get there," said Oblak, who was on the losing side in last year's Champions League final with Atletico against Real Madrid. "It hasn't been easy at all to get this far four years in a row and I hope we continue to grow as we have done in those years." (Reuters)

Champions League: Atletico march into quarters as Oblak shines

Tiemoue Bakayoko&#39;s superb header fired Monaco into the Champions League quarter-finals as Wednesday&#39;s 3-1 victory condemned Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City to a painful exit on away goals.

Trailing 5-3 from the first leg in England, teenage starlet Kylian Mbappe put Monaco ahead on the night after just eight minutes at the Stade Louis II and Brazilian midfielder Fabinho converted the home side&#39;s second just before the half hour.

Leroy Sane&#39;s 71st-minute goal handed City a 6-5 advantage on aggregate, but Bakayoko turned home Thomas Lemar&#39;s free-kick 13 minutes from time as Monaco claimed a famous win.

Monaco go through to Friday&#39;s draw for the last eight in Nyon carrying French hopes following Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s shock elimination, while Guardiola suffered his earliest Champions League exit as a manager.

&quot;We played an exceptional second half, but the first one we forgot to be there,&quot; Guardiola told BT Sport.

&quot;In the second half we were much, much better but it was not enough. It happens and we&#39;ll learn, we have a team with not a lot of experience in this competition.&quot;

Monaco hero Bakayoko will miss the first leg of the quarter-final through suspension but was delighted to advance.

&quot;It&#39;s an immense joy to score in the Champions League. I didn&#39;t expect this,&quot; he said.

&quot;Over two games we deserved to qualify. Now we want to keep going.&quot;

The French league leaders suffered a blow before kick-off as Radamel Falcao, who scored twice in the first leg, failed to recover from a hip injury in time and was replaced by the versatile Valere Germain.

Jemerson returned in place of the suspended Kamil Glik in defence, while Guardiola, who took charge of his 100th game in Europe, made two changes with Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov given the nod ahead of Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure.&nbsp;

Coach Leonardo Jardim had challenged Monaco to draw inspiration from the side which dumped out Real Madrid en route to the 2004 final, recovering from a 4-2 defeat in the first leg of that year&#39;s quarter-finals before knocking the Spanish giants out on away goals.

And the hosts were inspired by 18-year-old Mbappe, who has emerged as one of Europe&#39;s most promising talents amid Monaco&#39;s thrilling pursuit of the French title this season.

Fast start dazzles City

Willy Caballero stood tall to repel Mbappe&#39;s crisp early strike as he knifed through the City defence, but the Argentine goalkeeper was helpless as the teenager poked home Bernardo Silva&#39;s driven low cross just a minute later.

City recovered from twice falling behind in the first leg, but the opening goal emboldened Monaco as Germain unleashed a searing strike from distance that zipped not too far over.&nbsp;

Guardiola had emphasised the best form of defence would be attack for City, yet the visitors struggled to settle and Monaco grabbed their second goal in not dissimilar fashion on 29 minutes.

Lemar fed the ball into the overlapping run of Benjamin Mendy, a reported target of City&#39;s this summer, and the left-back picked out Fabinho to side-foot beyond Caballero.

Mbappe&#39;s electrifying pace posed a constant threat for City, but the Premier League side gradually began to pose Monaco problems as well although Raheem Sterling&#39;s hesitancy allowed the hosts to clear as the England winger looked to tee up Sergio Aguero.

The Argentine striker then skied over from close range after Sane skipped past Andrea Raggi down the the left-hand flank, before Danijel Subasic thrust himself superbly in the way after Aguero was picked out by David Silva inside the area.

Sane broke in behind the Monaco backline once more but steered his effort the wrong side of the near post with Subasic charging off his line, but City finally broke through with 19 minutes left.

Sterling broke in from the right and his low shot was palmed away by Subasic, but Sane reacted quickest to thump the rebound into the roof of the net and change the complexion of the tie.&nbsp;

However that merely drew an immediate response from Monaco as Lemar whipped in a devilish free-kick that Bakayoko expertly planted into the far corner to consign Guardiola to a first-ever last 16 European exit. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The two sides were 6-6 on aggregate after both the home and away match but Pep's side had to go on the away goals rule

Tiemoue Bakayoko's superb header fired Monaco into the Champions League quarter-finals as Wednesday's 3-1 victory condemned Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to a painful exit on away goals. Trailing 5-3 from the first leg in England, teenage starlet Kylian Mbappe put Monaco ahead on the night after just eight minutes at the Stade Louis II and Brazilian midfielder Fabinho converted the home side's second just before the half hour. Leroy Sane's 71st-minute goal handed City a 6-5 advantage on aggregate, but Bakayoko turned home Thomas Lemar's free-kick 13 minutes from time as Monaco claimed a famous win. Monaco go through to Friday's draw for the last eight in Nyon carrying French hopes following Paris Saint-Germain's shock elimination, while Guardiola suffered his earliest Champions League exit as a manager. "We played an exceptional second half, but the first one we forgot to be there," Guardiola told BT Sport. "In the second half we were much, much better but it was not enough. It happens and we'll learn, we have a team with not a lot of experience in this competition." Monaco hero Bakayoko will miss the first leg of the quarter-final through suspension but was delighted to advance. "It's an immense joy to score in the Champions League. I didn't expect this," he said. "Over two games we deserved to qualify. Now we want to keep going." The French league leaders suffered a blow before kick-off as Radamel Falcao, who scored twice in the first leg, failed to recover from a hip injury in time and was replaced by the versatile Valere Germain. Jemerson returned in place of the suspended Kamil Glik in defence, while Guardiola, who took charge of his 100th game in Europe, made two changes with Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov given the nod ahead of Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure. Coach Leonardo Jardim had challenged Monaco to draw inspiration from the side which dumped out Real Madrid en route to the 2004 final, recovering from a 4-2 defeat in the first leg of that year's quarter-finals before knocking the Spanish giants out on away goals. And the hosts were inspired by 18-year-old Mbappe, who has emerged as one of Europe's most promising talents amid Monaco's thrilling pursuit of the French title this season. Fast start dazzles City Willy Caballero stood tall to repel Mbappe's crisp early strike as he knifed through the City defence, but the Argentine goalkeeper was helpless as the teenager poked home Bernardo Silva's driven low cross just a minute later. City recovered from twice falling behind in the first leg, but the opening goal emboldened Monaco as Germain unleashed a searing strike from distance that zipped not too far over. Guardiola had emphasised the best form of defence would be attack for City, yet the visitors struggled to settle and Monaco grabbed their second goal in not dissimilar fashion on 29 minutes. Lemar fed the ball into the overlapping run of Benjamin Mendy, a reported target of City's this summer, and the left-back picked out Fabinho to side-foot beyond Caballero. Mbappe's electrifying pace posed a constant threat for City, but the Premier League side gradually began to pose Monaco problems as well although Raheem Sterling's hesitancy allowed the hosts to clear as the England winger looked to tee up Sergio Aguero. The Argentine striker then skied over from close range after Sane skipped past Andrea Raggi down the the left-hand flank, before Danijel Subasic thrust himself superbly in the way after Aguero was picked out by David Silva inside the area. Sane broke in behind the Monaco backline once more but steered his effort the wrong side of the near post with Subasic charging off his line, but City finally broke through with 19 minutes left. Sterling broke in from the right and his low shot was palmed away by Subasic, but Sane reacted quickest to thump the rebound into the roof of the net and change the complexion of the tie. However that merely drew an immediate response from Monaco as Lemar whipped in a devilish free-kick that Bakayoko expertly planted into the far corner to consign Guardiola to a first-ever last 16 European exit. (AFP)

Monaco beat Man City 3-1, enter Champions League quarter-finals

Silvio Berlusconi would retain ownership of AC Milan if the Chinese consortium currently struggling to purchase the Serie A giants fails to complete the deal, his son Pier Silvio said.

&quot;If the Chinese walk away, it wouldn&#39;t be very pleasing to my father because selling the club is a very emotional experience for him,&quot; Pier Silvio Berlusconi, a vice-president of AC Milan, told Italian radio.

&quot;If that was the case, we would happily forge on ahead.&quot;

Sino-Europe Sports (SES), led by mystery figure Yonghong Li, was scheduled Thursday to make a third down payment of 100m euros as part of a deal that values AC Milan at 740 million euros ($825.4 million).

Despite already making two separate down payments of 100m euros totalling 200m, there was growing speculation the takeover of one of Italy&#39;s most successful and emblematic clubs could collapse.

Silvio Berlusconi has already given SES several extensions and reports from New York on Wednesday said key backer, Haixia Capital Management Co, has been forced to pull out amid a Chinese government clampdown on investments made outside the country.

After SES failed to meet a March 3 deadline for the takeover, Milan and SES were pilloried on social media with fans and rivals alike comparing the saga to Michael Ende&#39;s &#39;Never Ending Story&#39;, which has been adapted to both film and theatre.

Berlusconi&#39;s patience is reportedly wearing thin, although his son suggested that would be tempered by his father walking away with the down payments already made. As part of the agreement between Li and Berlusconi, the Italian media tycoon would retain SES&#39;s deposits in the event the deal collapses.

&quot;From an economic point of view it wouldn&#39;t be damaging (for AC Milan) given the penalty, if we can call it that, is quite substantial,&quot; added Pier Silvio.

&quot;But the agreements and the down payments give me faith.&quot;

If the takeover collapses, the 80-year-old Berlusconi is unlikely to put the club up for sale again, said his son: &quot;I&#39;m sure the deal will be completed. But if we don&#39;t sell to the Chinese, there will be only one other owner: my father.&quot;

Berlusconi has overseen the most successful period in the club&#39;s history, Milan winning eight Serie A and five Champions League titles since he took over as president in 1986.

(AFP)

There is uncertainty over Chinese-owned Sino-Europe Sports' ability to buy the club

Silvio Berlusconi would retain ownership of AC Milan if the Chinese consortium currently struggling to purchase the Serie A giants fails to complete the deal, his son Pier Silvio said. "If the Chinese walk away, it wouldn't be very pleasing to my father because selling the club is a very emotional experience for him," Pier Silvio Berlusconi, a vice-president of AC Milan, told Italian radio. "If that was the case, we would happily forge on ahead." Sino-Europe Sports (SES), led by mystery figure Yonghong Li, was scheduled Thursday to make a third down payment of 100m euros as part of a deal that values AC Milan at 740 million euros ($825.4 million). Despite already making two separate down payments of 100m euros totalling 200m, there was growing speculation the takeover of one of Italy's most successful and emblematic clubs could collapse. Silvio Berlusconi has already given SES several extensions and reports from New York on Wednesday said key backer, Haixia Capital Management Co, has been forced to pull out amid a Chinese government clampdown on investments made outside the country. After SES failed to meet a March 3 deadline for the takeover, Milan and SES were pilloried on social media with fans and rivals alike comparing the saga to Michael Ende's 'Never Ending Story', which has been adapted to both film and theatre. Berlusconi's patience is reportedly wearing thin, although his son suggested that would be tempered by his father walking away with the down payments already made. As part of the agreement between Li and Berlusconi, the Italian media tycoon would retain SES's deposits in the event the deal collapses. "From an economic point of view it wouldn't be damaging (for AC Milan) given the penalty, if we can call it that, is quite substantial," added Pier Silvio. "But the agreements and the down payments give me faith." If the takeover collapses, the 80-year-old Berlusconi is unlikely to put the club up for sale again, said his son: "I'm sure the deal will be completed. But if we don't sell to the Chinese, there will be only one other owner: my father." Berlusconi has overseen the most successful period in the club's history, Milan winning eight Serie A and five Champions League titles since he took over as president in 1986. (AFP)

Berlusconi to keep hold of AC Milan if takeover talks collapse

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