Fairfax may tap IDBI bank’s excess capital to help fund ₹52,878 crore buyout

Ohio Senate seat JD Vance vacated for vice presidency flips to Democrats as Sherrod Brown defeats Husted

US midterms: Did Trump lose young voters, women and minorities? Here's how Americans voted

‘Dialled wrong number in season of dharna, go protest’: CJI’s quip on plea seeking rotation of SC-ST reserved seats

Who is Abdul El-Sayed’s wife Sarah Jukaku and what is her Indian connection?

US stocks rally as Dow surges 1,569 points after Democratic midterms sweep; biggest post-midterm gain in 44 years

Florida shooting: Two dead, including suspect, after gunfire at Citibank's Tampa-area complex

First handshake? Radio signal with all hallmarks of alien technology detected in China

Trump's 'best guy' Pete Hegseth on the chopping block? Why Republicans are now turning against him after midterms disaster

Trump has meltdown on Truth Social, vows to become ‘Political Pundit’

‘Iran handed Trump political defeat after strategic ones,’ says security chief Mohsen Rezaei

Ashwin shares reasons for Bhuvneshwar's struggle in NZ T20Is, says his 'chapter is maybe closed'

US Midterms 2026: Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan race, becomes first Muslim American to be elected to US Senate

US Midterms 2026: Pooja Sethi defeats bigotry, makes history as first Hindu, Indian-American woman elected to Texas Legislature

US midterms: What went wrong for Trump? | Gravitas

‘You can call me Senator’: From Texas To Maine, watch Democrats celebrate historic 2026 midterm wins

US midterm elections: Donald Trump enters 'lame-duck presidency' era. What does it mean?

Iran exempts ships from India, China, Iraq, and Qatar from Strait of Hormuz restrictions

Keran Heritage Centre to give new impetus to border tourism in North Kashmir

NASA invites people to fly their names to Saturn's moon, Titan, aboard Dragonfly

Spate of similar deaths raises alarm over heart health in children

What's behind the wave of doctors and nurses winning congressional seats in the US midterms?

"That run-out by Rohit changed the momentum": Gill reflects on India's 5-wicket win in 1st ODI vs NZ

Mahadev app co-founder Ravi Uppal arrested in Dubai days after kingpin Sourabh Chandrakar’s extradition

'Habibi, there's a delicious irony': What the word Abdul El-Sayed used on JD Vance actually means | US Midterms 2026

Doomsday warning? Why governments are warning people to stockpile emergency supplies for 72 hours

Drugs on the ballot: Did American voters back marijuana legalisation in 2026 US midterms?

'I was one of his child victims': Former Miss Teen USA contestant Larissa Portnoff accuses Trump of sexual abuse in viral video | WATCH

Israel's Ra'am party backs Gadi Eisenkot to lead next government after meeting with Herzog

US midterm elections: Major Republican upsets, historic firsts and an unexpected India connection | Gravitas

Indian Army marks Battle of Shalateng Day with veterans’ rally, educational outreach at Sharifabad

US Midterms: After Senate, House win, can Democrats force Trump to stop Iran war? Answer may surprise you

From Texas to South Carolina: How Democrats stormed Republican strongholds to redraw America's political map in US midterms 2026

He has been at Stamford Bridge for more than two decades, playing for them 713 times

Terry set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season

Goals from Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil ended Arsenal&#39;s run of four successive away defeats with a scratchy 2-1 victory over struggling Middlesbrough in their Premier League clash on Monday.

The Gunners&#39; performance was far from convincing but will still bring some relief to their beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger.

There was a period after Alvaro Negredo scored an equaliser when Middlesbrough, who have won only four league games this season, looked capable of going on to claim their fifth scalp.

Arsenal are now seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester City with a game in hand, while Middlesbrough lie six points from safety and have also played one game fewer than most of the teams above them.

At least Arsenal&rsquo;s trip to Teesside began far more smoothly than their previous away game at Crystal Palace when they were caught in London traffic and arrived shortly before the kick-off.

They reached Middlesbrough&rsquo;s Riverside Stadium with plenty of time to spare, yet there was still a lack of direction on the pitch as they searched for a route to goal in the opening stages.

Wenger had made the sort of selection decisions that he usually reserves for cup ties against teams from lower divisions.

The French manager announced six changes from the team that lost 3-0 at Palace seven days earlier and, even more significantly, employed wing-backs alongside a defensive trio for the first time since 1997.

His tactical alterations did not provide instant results, although they did enjoy the bulk of the early possession and Olivier Giroud&#39;s claims for a penalty when he was floored by Daniel Ayala certainly had some merit.

Arsenal&rsquo;s attacking difficulties were not unexpected because Middlesbrough went into the game after conceding only 37 goals -- two fewer than Wenger&rsquo;s under-performing side.

Deadlock broken

Marten de Roon headed past the Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech midway through the opening half, but was offside -- Middlesbrough were unimaginative and with 42 minutes gone, they were behind.

A foul by Adam Clayton on the edge of the area was a gift for Sanchez, the Chilean star flighted his free-kick over the wall and inside the post.

It was his 19th Premier League goal of the season and only three fewer than the entire Middlesbrough team going into this game, so it was a surprise that the home side suddenly looked capable of producing a response in the second half.

Middlesbrough were immediately on the front foot and levelled inside five minutes after Sanchez lost possession.

The hosts broke quickly down the right through Stewart Downing, whose cross was missed by Laurent Koscielny before Negredo steered it past Cech.

Suddenly, the game burst into life, with Downing heavily involved. The former England winger wasted an excellent opportunity when George Friend&#39;s cross was allowed to reach him at the far post, then the pair combined again to carve out a chance for Ayala.

Downing&#39;s cross was headed back towards goal by Friend and Ayala looked certain to score before he directed his header too close to Cech.

Arsenal&#39;s response was impressive in the 63rd minute as Sanchez&#39;s through ball picked out Ozil, but goalkeeper Brad Guzan sensed the danger and did well to save at the feet of the German international.

However, the outcome was different in their next confrontation eight minutes later.

Sanchez was involved again with a cross that was chested down by Aaron Ramsey, leaving Ozil with the chance to drill Arsenal back in front from close range.

(AFP)

The Gunners' performance was far from convincing but will still bring some relief to their beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger

Goals from Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil ended Arsenal's run of four successive away defeats with a scratchy 2-1 victory over struggling Middlesbrough in their Premier League clash on Monday. The Gunners' performance was far from convincing but will still bring some relief to their beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger. There was a period after Alvaro Negredo scored an equaliser when Middlesbrough, who have won only four league games this season, looked capable of going on to claim their fifth scalp. Arsenal are now seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester City with a game in hand, while Middlesbrough lie six points from safety and have also played one game fewer than most of the teams above them. At least Arsenal’s trip to Teesside began far more smoothly than their previous away game at Crystal Palace when they were caught in London traffic and arrived shortly before the kick-off. They reached Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium with plenty of time to spare, yet there was still a lack of direction on the pitch as they searched for a route to goal in the opening stages. Wenger had made the sort of selection decisions that he usually reserves for cup ties against teams from lower divisions. The French manager announced six changes from the team that lost 3-0 at Palace seven days earlier and, even more significantly, employed wing-backs alongside a defensive trio for the first time since 1997. His tactical alterations did not provide instant results, although they did enjoy the bulk of the early possession and Olivier Giroud's claims for a penalty when he was floored by Daniel Ayala certainly had some merit. Arsenal’s attacking difficulties were not unexpected because Middlesbrough went into the game after conceding only 37 goals -- two fewer than Wenger’s under-performing side. Deadlock broken Marten de Roon headed past the Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech midway through the opening half, but was offside -- Middlesbrough were unimaginative and with 42 minutes gone, they were behind. A foul by Adam Clayton on the edge of the area was a gift for Sanchez, the Chilean star flighted his free-kick over the wall and inside the post. It was his 19th Premier League goal of the season and only three fewer than the entire Middlesbrough team going into this game, so it was a surprise that the home side suddenly looked capable of producing a response in the second half. Middlesbrough were immediately on the front foot and levelled inside five minutes after Sanchez lost possession. The hosts broke quickly down the right through Stewart Downing, whose cross was missed by Laurent Koscielny before Negredo steered it past Cech. Suddenly, the game burst into life, with Downing heavily involved. The former England winger wasted an excellent opportunity when George Friend's cross was allowed to reach him at the far post, then the pair combined again to carve out a chance for Ayala. Downing's cross was headed back towards goal by Friend and Ayala looked certain to score before he directed his header too close to Cech. Arsenal's response was impressive in the 63rd minute as Sanchez's through ball picked out Ozil, but goalkeeper Brad Guzan sensed the danger and did well to save at the feet of the German international. However, the outcome was different in their next confrontation eight minutes later. Sanchez was involved again with a cross that was chested down by Aaron Ramsey, leaving Ozil with the chance to drill Arsenal back in front from close range. (AFP)

Premier League: Sanchez, Ozil secure 2-1 win for Arsenal over Middlesbrough

Lionel Messi kept Barcelona&#39;s title hopes alive with two goals and an assist to see off Real Sociedad 3-2 as Spain&#39;s top two edged five-goal thrillers ahead of next weekend&#39;s El Clasico.

Earlier on Saturday, Isco struck at the death to keep Real Madrid three points clear and with a game in hand at the top of the table after twice coming from behind to beat Sporting Gijon 3-2.

Barcelona will need Messi on this form if they are to produce another miracle Champions League fightback against Juventus on Wednesday from a 3-0 first leg defeat suffered in midweek.

&quot;I am more than happy with the performance of the players and their ability to manage the frustration after what we experienced in the Champions League this week,&quot; Barca boss Luis Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar.

The Argentine is now just two off his 500th Barca goal as he smashed home an effort from 25 yards to open the scoring.

Messi then took his tally to 45 goals in 44 games this season with a far less spectacular finish as he bundled home from close range after Geronimo Rulli had saved from Luis Suarez.

However, Barca passed up the chance to enjoy a comfortable evening in a three-goal spell in as many minutes just before half-time.

Firstly, Samuel Umtiti turned Inigo Martinez`s driven effort into his own net.

Paco Alcacer, deputising for the suspended Neymar, briefly restored Barca&#39;s two-goal lead with a composed finish from Messi&#39;s pass.

Yet, Sociedad scored again almost straight from kick-off as Xabi Prieto cushioned William Jose&#39;s cross into the bottom corner. Madrid can all but secure a first league title in five years with victory when they host Barca next weekend.

But not for the first time this season they needed a late show after Duje Cop and Mikel Vesga put Sporting in front early in both halves.

Isco&#39;s fine individual effort and a towering header from Alvaro Morata ensured neither lead lasted more than a few minutes. And Isco sealed the comeback when he drilled home from the edge of the box.

&quot;This is the spirit of Real Madrid,&quot; said Isco.

&quot;It is in the DNA of this shirt and this badge, we have shown it so many times and again today. Until the referee blows the full-time whistle it is not over.&quot;

The Spanish international is yet to agree a new contract with his current deal expiring at the end of next season.

And Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insists he wants Isco to stay despite his lack of starts and interest from Barcelona.

&quot;You know what I think of Isco, he is a player I like a lot and his place is here.&quot;

Isco&#39;s late intervention bailed out his coach after Zidane made nine changes from the side that beat Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in midweek.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were left out of the squad entirely alongside the injured Gareth Bale, while Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Marcelo had to settle for a place on the bench.

&quot;I feel like I am unfair with those that don`t play,&quot; added Zidane.

&quot;There are 24 players that can play in all positions. It is the difficult part of this job.&quot;

Atletico Madrid warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Leicester City with a comfortable 3-0 win over rock bottom Osasuna despite missing two penalties in the same game for the second time this season.

Coach Diego Simeone also left out a number of his first-team regulars with top scorer Antoine Griezmann on the bench for the full 90 minutes.

Yannick Carrasco`s low strike and back-post header put Atletico comfortably ahead either side of half-time.

Left-back Filipe Luis then added his third goal in five games.

However, Atletico&#39;s problems from the spot continued as they have now failed to score any of their last six penalties in La Liga.

Carrasco was denied his hat-trick by a fine save from Salvatore Sirigu before the Italian `keeper made an even better stop to deny Thomas Partey seconds later.

Victory takes Atletico four points clear of Sevilla in third.

(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Lionel Messi kept Barcelona's title hopes alive with two goals and an assist to see off Real Sociedad 3-2

Lionel Messi kept Barcelona's title hopes alive with two goals and an assist to see off Real Sociedad 3-2 as Spain's top two edged five-goal thrillers ahead of next weekend's El Clasico. Earlier on Saturday, Isco struck at the death to keep Real Madrid three points clear and with a game in hand at the top of the table after twice coming from behind to beat Sporting Gijon 3-2. Barcelona will need Messi on this form if they are to produce another miracle Champions League fightback against Juventus on Wednesday from a 3-0 first leg defeat suffered in midweek. "I am more than happy with the performance of the players and their ability to manage the frustration after what we experienced in the Champions League this week," Barca boss Luis Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar. The Argentine is now just two off his 500th Barca goal as he smashed home an effort from 25 yards to open the scoring. Messi then took his tally to 45 goals in 44 games this season with a far less spectacular finish as he bundled home from close range after Geronimo Rulli had saved from Luis Suarez. However, Barca passed up the chance to enjoy a comfortable evening in a three-goal spell in as many minutes just before half-time. Firstly, Samuel Umtiti turned Inigo Martinez`s driven effort into his own net. Paco Alcacer, deputising for the suspended Neymar, briefly restored Barca's two-goal lead with a composed finish from Messi's pass. Yet, Sociedad scored again almost straight from kick-off as Xabi Prieto cushioned William Jose's cross into the bottom corner. Madrid can all but secure a first league title in five years with victory when they host Barca next weekend. But not for the first time this season they needed a late show after Duje Cop and Mikel Vesga put Sporting in front early in both halves. Isco's fine individual effort and a towering header from Alvaro Morata ensured neither lead lasted more than a few minutes. And Isco sealed the comeback when he drilled home from the edge of the box. "This is the spirit of Real Madrid," said Isco. "It is in the DNA of this shirt and this badge, we have shown it so many times and again today. Until the referee blows the full-time whistle it is not over." The Spanish international is yet to agree a new contract with his current deal expiring at the end of next season. And Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insists he wants Isco to stay despite his lack of starts and interest from Barcelona. "You know what I think of Isco, he is a player I like a lot and his place is here." Isco's late intervention bailed out his coach after Zidane made nine changes from the side that beat Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in midweek. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were left out of the squad entirely alongside the injured Gareth Bale, while Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Marcelo had to settle for a place on the bench. "I feel like I am unfair with those that don`t play," added Zidane. "There are 24 players that can play in all positions. It is the difficult part of this job." Atletico Madrid warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Leicester City with a comfortable 3-0 win over rock bottom Osasuna despite missing two penalties in the same game for the second time this season. Coach Diego Simeone also left out a number of his first-team regulars with top scorer Antoine Griezmann on the bench for the full 90 minutes. Yannick Carrasco`s low strike and back-post header put Atletico comfortably ahead either side of half-time. Left-back Filipe Luis then added his third goal in five games. However, Atletico's problems from the spot continued as they have now failed to score any of their last six penalties in La Liga. Carrasco was denied his hat-trick by a fine save from Salvatore Sirigu before the Italian `keeper made an even better stop to deny Thomas Partey seconds later. Victory takes Atletico four points clear of Sevilla in third. (AFP)

La Liga: Messi keeps Barca alive ahead of El Clasico

Title-chasing Tottenham thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 to move within four points of Premier League leaders Chelsea, while Manchester City climbed to third place after a 3-0 win at Southampton on Saturday.

Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side are hot on Chelsea&#39;s heels as the title race enters the final furlong and their dominant display at White Hart Lane keeps them in with a chance of being crowned champions for the first time since 1961.

Mousa Dembele opened the scoring with a close-range strike in the 16th minute and Son Heung-Min&#39;s cool finish doubled Tottenham&#39;s lead three minutes later.

Harry Kane, making his first start since suffering an ankle injury five weeks ago, scored his 20th league goal this season with a predatory 48th minute effort.&nbsp;

Vincent Janssen bagged a rare goal in second-half stoppage time as Tottenham chalked up seven successive league wins for the first time since 1967.

Kane is the first Tottenham player to score at least 20 league goals in three successive seasons since Jimmy Greaves in the 1960s.

Chelsea responded last weekend after Tottenham had trimmed their lead, beating Bournemouth 3-1, but Antonio Conte&#39;s men face a far more testing trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

&quot;I am proud of our players after that performance. We have to wait to see what happens,&quot; Pochettino said.

&quot;At the end of the season when everyone is tired, we need everyone to have the right mental attitude and happiness helps.&nbsp;

&quot;The three points are very important to keep our dream.&quot;

At St Mary&#39;s, City captain Vincent Kompany was given only his fourth league start of an injury-plagued campaign and he made up for lost time in the 55th minute.

The Belgian defender scored for the first time since August 2015 as his header from David Silva&#39;s corner evaded a weak attempted save by Fraser Forster.

Leroy Sane finished a flowing move to make it two in the 77th minute and Sergio Aguero headed home three minutes later as City moved one point above Liverpool, who travel to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

&quot;This result is so important for our qualification for the Champions League,&quot; City manager Pep Guardiola said.

&quot;Up front we could be better but our quality of play meant we had control.&quot;

Everton improved their prospects of qualifying for Europe as they rose above Arsenal and United into fifth place after a 3-1 win against Burnley.

Phil Jagielka broke the deadlock in the 49th minute before Sam Vokes equalised from the penalty spot for Burnley three minutes later.

Ross Barkley started for Everton amid the controversy over a British tabloid columnist&#39;s unsavoury criticism of the England midfielder and it was his shot that deflected off Ben Mee for a 71st minute own goal.

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku struck three minutes later for his 24th league goal this season.

Fightback&nbsp; 
 
Leicester suffered a dispiriting warm-up for their decisive Champions League quarter-final clash as they squandered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace.

Craig Shakespeare made only two changes ahead of Tuesday&#39;s home second leg with Atletico Madrid, when Leicester will try to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

Beaten by a controversial penalty from Antoine Griezmann in Madrid, the Foxes took the lead in the less glamourous surroundings of Selhurst Park thanks to a Robert Huth header in the sixth minute.

Jamie Vardy doubled Leicester&#39;s advantage in the 52nd minute.

But Palace got one back through Yohan Cabaye two minutes later before Christian Benteke capped the fightback with a 70th minute header.

Hull&#39;s hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a blow as they lost 3-1 at Stoke.

Marko Arnautovic put Stoke in front in the sixth minute before Hull drew level through Harry Maguire in the 51st minute.

Peter Crouch nodded Stoke back ahead in the 66th minute and Xherdan Shaqiri sealed the points in the 80th minute to leave fourth bottom Hull only two points above the relegation zone.

Third bottom Swansea were unable to take advantage of Hull&#39;s slip as they lost 1-0 at Watford after Etienne Capoue netted in the 42nd minute.

Sunderland remain on the brink of relegation despite salvaging a 2-2 draw against West Ham at the Stadium of Light.

Andre Ayew put West Ham ahead in the fifth minute before Wahbi Khazri equalised in the 26th minute.

James Collins restored West Ham&#39;s lead two minutes after half time, but Fabio Borini rescued a 90th-minute equaliser before Hammers defender Sam Byram was sent off in stoppage time.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Title-chasing Tottenham thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 to move within four points of Premier League leaders Chelsea

Title-chasing Tottenham thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 to move within four points of Premier League leaders Chelsea, while Manchester City climbed to third place after a 3-0 win at Southampton on Saturday. Mauricio Pochettino's side are hot on Chelsea's heels as the title race enters the final furlong and their dominant display at White Hart Lane keeps them in with a chance of being crowned champions for the first time since 1961. Mousa Dembele opened the scoring with a close-range strike in the 16th minute and Son Heung-Min's cool finish doubled Tottenham's lead three minutes later. Harry Kane, making his first start since suffering an ankle injury five weeks ago, scored his 20th league goal this season with a predatory 48th minute effort. Vincent Janssen bagged a rare goal in second-half stoppage time as Tottenham chalked up seven successive league wins for the first time since 1967. Kane is the first Tottenham player to score at least 20 league goals in three successive seasons since Jimmy Greaves in the 1960s. Chelsea responded last weekend after Tottenham had trimmed their lead, beating Bournemouth 3-1, but Antonio Conte's men face a far more testing trip to Manchester United on Sunday. "I am proud of our players after that performance. We have to wait to see what happens," Pochettino said. "At the end of the season when everyone is tired, we need everyone to have the right mental attitude and happiness helps. "The three points are very important to keep our dream." At St Mary's, City captain Vincent Kompany was given only his fourth league start of an injury-plagued campaign and he made up for lost time in the 55th minute. The Belgian defender scored for the first time since August 2015 as his header from David Silva's corner evaded a weak attempted save by Fraser Forster. Leroy Sane finished a flowing move to make it two in the 77th minute and Sergio Aguero headed home three minutes later as City moved one point above Liverpool, who travel to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. "This result is so important for our qualification for the Champions League," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "Up front we could be better but our quality of play meant we had control." Everton improved their prospects of qualifying for Europe as they rose above Arsenal and United into fifth place after a 3-1 win against Burnley. Phil Jagielka broke the deadlock in the 49th minute before Sam Vokes equalised from the penalty spot for Burnley three minutes later. Ross Barkley started for Everton amid the controversy over a British tabloid columnist's unsavoury criticism of the England midfielder and it was his shot that deflected off Ben Mee for a 71st minute own goal. Everton striker Romelu Lukaku struck three minutes later for his 24th league goal this season. Fightback Leicester suffered a dispiriting warm-up for their decisive Champions League quarter-final clash as they squandered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace. Craig Shakespeare made only two changes ahead of Tuesday's home second leg with Atletico Madrid, when Leicester will try to overturn a 1-0 deficit. Beaten by a controversial penalty from Antoine Griezmann in Madrid, the Foxes took the lead in the less glamourous surroundings of Selhurst Park thanks to a Robert Huth header in the sixth minute. Jamie Vardy doubled Leicester's advantage in the 52nd minute. But Palace got one back through Yohan Cabaye two minutes later before Christian Benteke capped the fightback with a 70th minute header. Hull's hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a blow as they lost 3-1 at Stoke. Marko Arnautovic put Stoke in front in the sixth minute before Hull drew level through Harry Maguire in the 51st minute. Peter Crouch nodded Stoke back ahead in the 66th minute and Xherdan Shaqiri sealed the points in the 80th minute to leave fourth bottom Hull only two points above the relegation zone. Third bottom Swansea were unable to take advantage of Hull's slip as they lost 1-0 at Watford after Etienne Capoue netted in the 42nd minute. Sunderland remain on the brink of relegation despite salvaging a 2-2 draw against West Ham at the Stadium of Light. Andre Ayew put West Ham ahead in the fifth minute before Wahbi Khazri equalised in the 26th minute. James Collins restored West Ham's lead two minutes after half time, but Fabio Borini rescued a 90th-minute equaliser before Hammers defender Sam Byram was sent off in stoppage time. (AFP)

Football: Manchester City 3-0 Southampton, Tottenham thrash Bournemouth

Cristian Zapata hit a dramatic late leveller as AC Milan snatched a 2-2 draw with Inter Milan at the San Siro on Saturday in the city&#39;s first Chinese-owned derby.

Long-suffering Milan fans had reason to feel positive on Easter weekend after the club was taken over by Chinese-led consortium Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux two days ago in a multi-million euro deal.

But until Zapata&#39;s bundled effort hit the crossbar and bounced over the line following a corner in the seventh minute of added-on time, the Rossoneri were on their way to another morale-sapping defeat.

Despite a brilliant start from Vincenzo Montella&#39;s nominal visitors in the ground the two clubs share -- Carlos Bacca firing just over and on-loan Everton man Gerard Deulofeu hitting the upright in the opening minutes -- Inter were more clinical when it mattered.

Antonio Candreva, who hit Inter&#39;s opener in the corresponding fixture earlier this season which also finished 2-2, did well to hold off his marker and chip a long ball past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on 36 minutes.

Inter captain Mauro Icardi had the hosts 2-0 up on 44 minutes when he strolled in unmarked to poke Ivan Perisic&#39;s cross past the 18-year-old goalkeeper.

Inter, owned by Chinese group Suning since June 2016, had further chances early in the second half and although keeper Samir Handanovic was decisive more than once, the big Slovenian was left stranded when Alessio Romagnoli met Suso&#39;s cross at the back post to hit what initially seemed a late consolation on 83 minutes.

Inter looked nevertheless to be heading for a win that would have taken them up to sixth, one point ahead of Milan as both clubs fight for a Europa League place.

But Nerazzurri hopes were dashed when Bacca got on the end of Suso&#39;s corner to set up Zapata to bundle home from a tight angle.

The draw left Montella&#39;s men sixth, one point behind Atalanta in fifth and the final Europa League qualifying place. Atalanta travel to title-chasing Roma, who are six points behind leaders Juventus, later in the day.

Inter remain seventh, still two points behind their city rivals.

Milan enjoyed a great start, Bacca firing over from four yards seconds into the game after a mix-up in the Inter defence following Matias Fernandez&#39;s charge through the middle.

Icardi bundled over from five yards at the other end after a promising run by Portugal midfielder Joao Mario.&nbsp;

And after seeing Deulofeu hit the upright from a tight angle, the hosts took command when Candreva held off Mattia De Sciglio to beat Donnarumma with a fine chip.

The red and black section of the San Siro fell deadly silent when Icardi was allowed to run in unmarked on 44 minutes to poke Ivan Perisic&#39;s pinpoint delivery into the net.

Inter were far more enterprising after the break, Icardi breaking clear down the left and delivering for Perisic but the Croatian&#39;s effort was straight at Donnarumma.&nbsp;

Deulofeu, though, started exerting his influence and forced a great one-handed save from Handanovic with a bouncing strike before narrowly failing to reach Bacca&#39;s ball to the back post.

Montella urged his men up the pitch and with seven minutes remaining Romagnoli launched the fightback with a volley from Suso&#39;s cross that beat Handanovic.

With virtually the last kick of the game, Zapata put the smiles on Milan faces with an awkward effort that required goalline technology to confirm it had crossed the line.

(AFP)

Inter Milan were 2-0 up by the 44th minute before AC Milan leveled dramatically in the dying stages of the match

Cristian Zapata hit a dramatic late leveller as AC Milan snatched a 2-2 draw with Inter Milan at the San Siro on Saturday in the city's first Chinese-owned derby. Long-suffering Milan fans had reason to feel positive on Easter weekend after the club was taken over by Chinese-led consortium Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux two days ago in a multi-million euro deal. But until Zapata's bundled effort hit the crossbar and bounced over the line following a corner in the seventh minute of added-on time, the Rossoneri were on their way to another morale-sapping defeat. Despite a brilliant start from Vincenzo Montella's nominal visitors in the ground the two clubs share -- Carlos Bacca firing just over and on-loan Everton man Gerard Deulofeu hitting the upright in the opening minutes -- Inter were more clinical when it mattered. Antonio Candreva, who hit Inter's opener in the corresponding fixture earlier this season which also finished 2-2, did well to hold off his marker and chip a long ball past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on 36 minutes. Inter captain Mauro Icardi had the hosts 2-0 up on 44 minutes when he strolled in unmarked to poke Ivan Perisic's cross past the 18-year-old goalkeeper. Inter, owned by Chinese group Suning since June 2016, had further chances early in the second half and although keeper Samir Handanovic was decisive more than once, the big Slovenian was left stranded when Alessio Romagnoli met Suso's cross at the back post to hit what initially seemed a late consolation on 83 minutes. Inter looked nevertheless to be heading for a win that would have taken them up to sixth, one point ahead of Milan as both clubs fight for a Europa League place. But Nerazzurri hopes were dashed when Bacca got on the end of Suso's corner to set up Zapata to bundle home from a tight angle. The draw left Montella's men sixth, one point behind Atalanta in fifth and the final Europa League qualifying place. Atalanta travel to title-chasing Roma, who are six points behind leaders Juventus, later in the day. Inter remain seventh, still two points behind their city rivals. Milan enjoyed a great start, Bacca firing over from four yards seconds into the game after a mix-up in the Inter defence following Matias Fernandez's charge through the middle. Icardi bundled over from five yards at the other end after a promising run by Portugal midfielder Joao Mario. And after seeing Deulofeu hit the upright from a tight angle, the hosts took command when Candreva held off Mattia De Sciglio to beat Donnarumma with a fine chip. The red and black section of the San Siro fell deadly silent when Icardi was allowed to run in unmarked on 44 minutes to poke Ivan Perisic's pinpoint delivery into the net. Inter were far more enterprising after the break, Icardi breaking clear down the left and delivering for Perisic but the Croatian's effort was straight at Donnarumma. Deulofeu, though, started exerting his influence and forced a great one-handed save from Handanovic with a bouncing strike before narrowly failing to reach Bacca's ball to the back post. Montella urged his men up the pitch and with seven minutes remaining Romagnoli launched the fightback with a volley from Suso's cross that beat Handanovic. With virtually the last kick of the game, Zapata put the smiles on Milan faces with an awkward effort that required goalline technology to confirm it had crossed the line. (AFP)

AC Milan snatch late draw with Inter in first 'Chinese' Derby di Milano

Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. Novy Kapadia discusses what went wrong for Bayern Munich and Cristiano Ronaldo's remarkable feat in European Football

Champions League: Novy Kapadia discusses Real Madrid's win over Bayern Munich (WION Sports)

The Kings XI Punjab star heaps praise of Punjab's crop of young domestic bowlers, crediting them for the team's impressive start to the season in conversation with Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo

David Miller Exclusive: IPL's rare One-team overseas star (WION Sports)

Serie A giants AC Milan were sold to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux on Thursday in a deal which sees the Chinese-led consortium take a 99.9% stake in the club.

The seven-time European champions who are Italy&#39;s most successful club in international competition, have been owned by former three-time Italy prime minister Silvio Berlusconi since 1986.

A joint statement by AC Milan&#39;s holding company Fininvest and Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux said: &quot;Today Fininvest has completed the sale of the entire stake owned in AC Milan - equal to 99.93% - to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux.&quot;

(AFP)

Italy's celebrated Serie A giants AC Milan were sold to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux

Serie A giants AC Milan were sold to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux on Thursday in a deal which sees the Chinese-led consortium take a 99.9% stake in the club. The seven-time European champions who are Italy's most successful club in international competition, have been owned by former three-time Italy prime minister Silvio Berlusconi since 1986. A joint statement by AC Milan's holding company Fininvest and Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux said: "Today Fininvest has completed the sale of the entire stake owned in AC Milan - equal to 99.93% - to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux." (AFP)

Italian football club AC Milan sold to China-backed consortium

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 100th European goal on Wednesday to give holders Real Madrid a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, first-leg.

Arturo Vidal headed Bayern into a first-half lead, but then skied a penalty attempt on the stroke of half-time before Ronaldo volleyed the defending champions&#39; level.

Bayern played the last half an hour a man down after centre-back Javi Martinez was sent off for two fouls on Ronaldo within three minutes of each other.

Four-time world player of the year Ronaldo then slotted in the winner between goalkeeper Manuel Neuer&#39;s legs for the winner 13 minutes from time.

Security was tight at the Allianz Arena in the wake of Tuesday&#39;s attacks on the Borussia Dortmund team bus and both teams arrived with a heavy police escort.

There was a large police presence and inside the stadium, there was polite applause before kick-off when the announcer made reference to Dortmund&#39;s ordeal in the preceding 24 hours.&nbsp;

Bayern suffered a blow before kick-off when top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, who has netted 38 goals this season, dropped out with a bruised shoulder and Thomas Muller deputised as striker.

Bayern were also missing injured Germany defender Mats Hummels against Real&#39;s formidable BBC attack - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo.

Bayern went ahead on 25 minutes when playmaker Thiago Alcantara swung in a corner from the right which Vidal powered through Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas&#39;s hands.

The Chile midfielder could have added a second when he headed Arjen Robben&#39;s cross wide of the post soon after.

Real made a poor start, rarely threatening Germany&#39;s goalkeeper Neuer, back after minor foot surgery a fortnight ago.

A strong drive from Ronaldo on 41 minutes which Neuer blocked having palmed a Benzema header onto the woodwork with 18 minutes played were their best first-half chances.

Vidal could have finished with a first-half hat-trick when he stepped up to take a penalty after Dani Carvajal&#39;s handball from a Franck Ribery shot.

However, the Chilean smashed the spot-kick high over the crossbar.

It was a miss Bayern were soon to regret.

Real were level two minutes after the break when Carvajal found space on the right and fired in a cross which Ronaldo volleyed past Neuer.

Bale, who has laboured with an ankle injury recently, came off on 58 minutes and Real raised the tempo after he trudged off.

Having already picked up a yellow card for pulling Ronaldo back on 58 minutes, Martinez was shown a red for again fouling the Portugal captain just three minutes later.

Real&#39;s superstar then hit the winner as substitute Marco Asensio, on for Bale, put in a low pass for Ronaldo to tap the ball home between Neuer&#39;s legs.

Real defender Sergio Ramos had the ball in the Bayern net with time running out, but the goal was ruled offside but the Spaniards have the upper hand for the second leg at home next Tuesday.

(AFP)

Real Madrid made a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, first-leg

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 100th European goal on Wednesday to give holders Real Madrid a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, first-leg. Arturo Vidal headed Bayern into a first-half lead, but then skied a penalty attempt on the stroke of half-time before Ronaldo volleyed the defending champions' level. Bayern played the last half an hour a man down after centre-back Javi Martinez was sent off for two fouls on Ronaldo within three minutes of each other. Four-time world player of the year Ronaldo then slotted in the winner between goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's legs for the winner 13 minutes from time. Security was tight at the Allianz Arena in the wake of Tuesday's attacks on the Borussia Dortmund team bus and both teams arrived with a heavy police escort. There was a large police presence and inside the stadium, there was polite applause before kick-off when the announcer made reference to Dortmund's ordeal in the preceding 24 hours. Bayern suffered a blow before kick-off when top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, who has netted 38 goals this season, dropped out with a bruised shoulder and Thomas Muller deputised as striker. Bayern were also missing injured Germany defender Mats Hummels against Real's formidable BBC attack - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo. Bayern went ahead on 25 minutes when playmaker Thiago Alcantara swung in a corner from the right which Vidal powered through Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas's hands. The Chile midfielder could have added a second when he headed Arjen Robben's cross wide of the post soon after. Real made a poor start, rarely threatening Germany's goalkeeper Neuer, back after minor foot surgery a fortnight ago. A strong drive from Ronaldo on 41 minutes which Neuer blocked having palmed a Benzema header onto the woodwork with 18 minutes played were their best first-half chances. Vidal could have finished with a first-half hat-trick when he stepped up to take a penalty after Dani Carvajal's handball from a Franck Ribery shot. However, the Chilean smashed the spot-kick high over the crossbar. It was a miss Bayern were soon to regret. Real were level two minutes after the break when Carvajal found space on the right and fired in a cross which Ronaldo volleyed past Neuer. Bale, who has laboured with an ankle injury recently, came off on 58 minutes and Real raised the tempo after he trudged off. Having already picked up a yellow card for pulling Ronaldo back on 58 minutes, Martinez was shown a red for again fouling the Portugal captain just three minutes later. Real's superstar then hit the winner as substitute Marco Asensio, on for Bale, put in a low pass for Ronaldo to tap the ball home between Neuer's legs. Real defender Sergio Ramos had the ball in the Bayern net with time running out, but the goal was ruled offside but the Spaniards have the upper hand for the second leg at home next Tuesday. (AFP)

Ronaldo hits 100th European goal as Real win at Bayern

Teenager Kylian Mbappe scored twice to give AS Monaco a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in a Champions League quarter-final first-leg match that was postponed following an attack on the home team&#39;s bus.

Mbappe gave Monaco a 19th-minute lead shortly after Fabinho had missed a penalty for the visitors, and they went further ahead when Dortmund defender Sven Bender headed into his own net.

Ousmane Dembele pulled one back for Dortmund in the 57th minute but another defensive mistake allowed Mbappe to break away and grab a third goal for the Ligue 1 side. Shinji Kagawa gave the German side hope with a neat finish six minutes from time.

German media had questioned whether the game should have gone ahead so soon after Tuesday&#39;s attack in which three explosions went off as the Dortmund team bus travelled to the stadium, injuring their Spanish defender Marc Bartra.

Monaco, who beat Manchester City on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw in the last 16, should have gone ahead in the 18th minute after Mbappe won a penalty but Fabinho pulled his spot-kick wide of the post.

One minute later Bernardo Silva burst out of the Monaco half and flicked a clever pass to Thomas Lemar whose low ball across the face of goal bounced off Mbappe&#39;s knee and into the net.

Monaco went further ahead in the 35th minute when Andrea Raggi sent an inswinging cross towards Radamel Falcao and, although Bender got to it first, he only succeeded in heading it past Roman Buerki and into the net.

Thomas Tuchel&#39;s double substitution at halftime galvanized Dortmund who went out on the attack and deservedly pulled one back in the 57th minute.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cleverly flicked Raphael Guerreiro&#39;s cross into the path of Kagawa and the Japanese laid the ball into Ousmane Dembele&#39;s path for the 19-year-old to tap into an open goal.

It was the first time two teenagers had scored in a Champions League knockout tie.

Falcao missed an open goal for Monaco before Mbappe, 18, intercepted a poor Lukasz Piszczek pass, ran on and calmly fired his shot past Buerki.

The drama continued as Kagawa grabbed another goal for Dortmund and Aubameyang headed over the bar in stoppage time from six metres.

(Reuters)

Kylian Mbappe bundled Monaco ahead on 19 minutes with Sven Bender heading into his own net to compound Dortmund's problems

Teenager Kylian Mbappe scored twice to give AS Monaco a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in a Champions League quarter-final first-leg match that was postponed following an attack on the home team's bus. Mbappe gave Monaco a 19th-minute lead shortly after Fabinho had missed a penalty for the visitors, and they went further ahead when Dortmund defender Sven Bender headed into his own net. Ousmane Dembele pulled one back for Dortmund in the 57th minute but another defensive mistake allowed Mbappe to break away and grab a third goal for the Ligue 1 side. Shinji Kagawa gave the German side hope with a neat finish six minutes from time. German media had questioned whether the game should have gone ahead so soon after Tuesday's attack in which three explosions went off as the Dortmund team bus travelled to the stadium, injuring their Spanish defender Marc Bartra. Monaco, who beat Manchester City on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw in the last 16, should have gone ahead in the 18th minute after Mbappe won a penalty but Fabinho pulled his spot-kick wide of the post. One minute later Bernardo Silva burst out of the Monaco half and flicked a clever pass to Thomas Lemar whose low ball across the face of goal bounced off Mbappe's knee and into the net. Monaco went further ahead in the 35th minute when Andrea Raggi sent an inswinging cross towards Radamel Falcao and, although Bender got to it first, he only succeeded in heading it past Roman Buerki and into the net. Thomas Tuchel's double substitution at halftime galvanized Dortmund who went out on the attack and deservedly pulled one back in the 57th minute. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cleverly flicked Raphael Guerreiro's cross into the path of Kagawa and the Japanese laid the ball into Ousmane Dembele's path for the 19-year-old to tap into an open goal. It was the first time two teenagers had scored in a Champions League knockout tie. Falcao missed an open goal for Monaco before Mbappe, 18, intercepted a poor Lukasz Piszczek pass, ran on and calmly fired his shot past Buerki. The drama continued as Kagawa grabbed another goal for Dortmund and Aubameyang headed over the bar in stoppage time from six metres. (Reuters)

Champions League: Monaco beat Dortmund 3-2 day after bus attack

Eden Hazard fired Premier League leaders Chelsea to a crucial 2-1 win over Manchester City, but Tottenham are hot on their heels after a sensational fightback in their 3-1 victory at Swansea on Wednesday.

Chelsea remain seven points clear of second placed Tottenham with eight games to play, yet with just minutes left on a dramatic evening it seemed the Blues would have a much greater lead.

Rocked by Saturday&#39;s shock 2-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace, Antonio Conte&#39;s Chelsea side took only 10 minutes to take the lead through Hazard&#39;s 12th goal of the season.

Hazard&#39;s effort deflected off Vincent Kompany and beat Willy Caballero, whose weak attempted save drew a frustrated look from City boss Pep Guardiola as he contemplated the latest in a growing list of gaffes from his goalkeepers this season.

Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois was guilty of an even worse blunder, spilling David Silva&#39;s shot to Sergio Aguero, who tapped in City&#39;s 26th minute equaliser.

Conte&#39;s team were back in front after 35 minutes when Fernandinho conceded a penalty with a foul on Pedro.

Hazard&#39;s spot-kick was saved by Caballero, but the Belgian recovered quickly to finish off the rebound.

Kompany, back in the line-up for the first time since November, hit the crossbar with a second half header, but fourth placed City crashed to their first defeat in nine games, while Chelsea are still in pole position for the title.

&quot;Another step, a big step, against a great team,&quot; Conte said.

&quot;We must think that Tottenham could win all their games. We are playing a great season but to win the title there is a long way to go.&quot;

Guardiola added: &quot;We created enough to score goals. It&#39;s our problem. In the boxes we are not good enough.&quot;

At the Liberty Stadium, Tottenham fell behind in the 11th minute when Wayne Routledge turned in Jordan Ayew&#39;s cross for Swansea.

But Tottenham staged an incredible finale as England midfielder Dele Alli equalised with an 88th minute tap-in.

A minute into stoppage-time, South Korea forward Son Heung-Min bagged his 16th goal of the season with a clinical finish and there was still time for Christian Eriksen&#39;s strike to put the seal on Tottenham&#39;s fifth successive win.

&quot;It is crazy how the goals came in the last few minutes but we pushed and we created chances to win. This season we are fighting again,&quot; Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said.

Arsenal eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger and climbed back into the race for Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win over West Ham.

Wenger had endured repeated calls for his resignation from frustrated fans in recent weeks, but the protests at the Emirates Stadium were more muted for once as Arsenal ended a three-match winless run with only their second victory in their last seven league games.

Mesut Ozil broke the deadlock in the 58th minute with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area.

Sucker punch&nbsp;

Theo Walcott bagged Arsenal&#39;s second in the 68th minute and Olivier Giroud&#39;s superb strike in the 83rd minute ensured his side moved above Manchester United into fifth place, four points behind Manchester City with a game in hand.

&quot;We come out of a difficult period and our confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly,&quot; Wenger said.

West Ham&#39;s fifth successive defeat leaves them just three points above the relegation zone.

Liverpool were hit by a late sucker punch as Bournemouth snatched a 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Benik Afobe struck for Bournemouth in the seventh minute, but Philippe Coutinho bagged Liverpool&#39;s equaliser with a typically cool 40th minute finish.

That made Coutinho the joint highest Brazilian scorer in Premier League history, alongside former Middlesbrough playmaker Juninho, with 29 goals.

Divock Origi put Liverpool in front in the 59th minute, but Josh King blasted his eighth goal in eight appearances to rescue Bournemouth in the 87th minute.

Liverpool&#39;s latest slip against lowly opposition leaves Jurgen Klopp&#39;s third-placed side six points above fifth place in the race for the Champions League.

Hull climbed out of the relegation zone with a priceless 4-2 win over relegation rivals Middlesbrough at the KCOM Stadium.

The Tigers move two points above the bottom three, while second bottom Middlesbrough are seven points from safety.

Southampton defender Maya Yoshida&#39;s first Premier League goal for 14 months inspired a 3-1 win over struggling Crystal Palace at St Mary&#39;s.

(AFP)

Tottenham scored three late goals against Swansea to remain in the title hunt

Eden Hazard fired Premier League leaders Chelsea to a crucial 2-1 win over Manchester City, but Tottenham are hot on their heels after a sensational fightback in their 3-1 victory at Swansea on Wednesday. Chelsea remain seven points clear of second placed Tottenham with eight games to play, yet with just minutes left on a dramatic evening it seemed the Blues would have a much greater lead. Rocked by Saturday's shock 2-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace, Antonio Conte's Chelsea side took only 10 minutes to take the lead through Hazard's 12th goal of the season. Hazard's effort deflected off Vincent Kompany and beat Willy Caballero, whose weak attempted save drew a frustrated look from City boss Pep Guardiola as he contemplated the latest in a growing list of gaffes from his goalkeepers this season. Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois was guilty of an even worse blunder, spilling David Silva's shot to Sergio Aguero, who tapped in City's 26th minute equaliser. Conte's team were back in front after 35 minutes when Fernandinho conceded a penalty with a foul on Pedro. Hazard's spot-kick was saved by Caballero, but the Belgian recovered quickly to finish off the rebound. Kompany, back in the line-up for the first time since November, hit the crossbar with a second half header, but fourth placed City crashed to their first defeat in nine games, while Chelsea are still in pole position for the title. "Another step, a big step, against a great team," Conte said. "We must think that Tottenham could win all their games. We are playing a great season but to win the title there is a long way to go." Guardiola added: "We created enough to score goals. It's our problem. In the boxes we are not good enough." At the Liberty Stadium, Tottenham fell behind in the 11th minute when Wayne Routledge turned in Jordan Ayew's cross for Swansea. But Tottenham staged an incredible finale as England midfielder Dele Alli equalised with an 88th minute tap-in. A minute into stoppage-time, South Korea forward Son Heung-Min bagged his 16th goal of the season with a clinical finish and there was still time for Christian Eriksen's strike to put the seal on Tottenham's fifth successive win. "It is crazy how the goals came in the last few minutes but we pushed and we created chances to win. This season we are fighting again," Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said. Arsenal eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger and climbed back into the race for Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win over West Ham. Wenger had endured repeated calls for his resignation from frustrated fans in recent weeks, but the protests at the Emirates Stadium were more muted for once as Arsenal ended a three-match winless run with only their second victory in their last seven league games. Mesut Ozil broke the deadlock in the 58th minute with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area. Sucker punch Theo Walcott bagged Arsenal's second in the 68th minute and Olivier Giroud's superb strike in the 83rd minute ensured his side moved above Manchester United into fifth place, four points behind Manchester City with a game in hand. "We come out of a difficult period and our confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly," Wenger said. West Ham's fifth successive defeat leaves them just three points above the relegation zone. Liverpool were hit by a late sucker punch as Bournemouth snatched a 2-2 draw at Anfield. Benik Afobe struck for Bournemouth in the seventh minute, but Philippe Coutinho bagged Liverpool's equaliser with a typically cool 40th minute finish. That made Coutinho the joint highest Brazilian scorer in Premier League history, alongside former Middlesbrough playmaker Juninho, with 29 goals. Divock Origi put Liverpool in front in the 59th minute, but Josh King blasted his eighth goal in eight appearances to rescue Bournemouth in the 87th minute. Liverpool's latest slip against lowly opposition leaves Jurgen Klopp's third-placed side six points above fifth place in the race for the Champions League. Hull climbed out of the relegation zone with a priceless 4-2 win over relegation rivals Middlesbrough at the KCOM Stadium. The Tigers move two points above the bottom three, while second bottom Middlesbrough are seven points from safety. Southampton defender Maya Yoshida's first Premier League goal for 14 months inspired a 3-1 win over struggling Crystal Palace at St Mary's. (AFP)

Premier League round-up: Chelsea beat City, Liverpool trip & Arsenal gain ground

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;

&nbsp;

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.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_n337t-20170329050628.jpg" />
<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

football

Football, News on Football, stories on Football, articles on Football, Football stories at Wion, Football news, Football latest news