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Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo were on target as&nbsp;Real&nbsp;Madrid&nbsp;eased past Mexico&#39;s Club America 2-0 on Thursday to reach the Club World Cup final in Japan.

The Spanish giants will face shock finalists and local favourites Kashima Antlers in Yokohama on Sunday as they look to capture their second world title in three years.

With Ronaldo firing blanks until the very end of the game, Benzema struck in first-half stoppage time, the Frenchman finishing clinically with the outside of his right boot after a deft pass from Toni Kroos.

Ronaldo, who won his fourth Ballon d&#39;Or earlier this week, had already squandered a gilt-edged chance by heading against the post.

The Portuguese superstar also had two fierce shots saved by goalkeeper Moises Munoz but finally found the net deep into injury time as&nbsp;Real&nbsp;extended their club record unbeaten run to 36 matches in all competitions.

(AFP)

Los Blancos eased past Mexico's Club America 2-0 to reach a step closer to being the best club in the world

Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo were on target as Real Madrid eased past Mexico's Club America 2-0 on Thursday to reach the Club World Cup final in Japan. The Spanish giants will face shock finalists and local favourites Kashima Antlers in Yokohama on Sunday as they look to capture their second world title in three years. With Ronaldo firing blanks until the very end of the game, Benzema struck in first-half stoppage time, the Frenchman finishing clinically with the outside of his right boot after a deft pass from Toni Kroos. Ronaldo, who won his fourth Ballon d'Or earlier this week, had already squandered a gilt-edged chance by heading against the post. The Portuguese superstar also had two fierce shots saved by goalkeeper Moises Munoz but finally found the net deep into injury time as Real extended their club record unbeaten run to 36 matches in all competitions. (AFP)

Club World Cup: Real ride on Ronaldo, Benzema goals to enter final

Cesc Fabregas&#39;s goal earned Chelsea a 1-0 victory at Sunderland on Wednesday -- their 10th in succession -- as Antonio Conte&#39;s side surged six points clear at the Premier League summit.

Fabregas, who came in for Nemanja Matic, curled in from Willian&#39;s 40th-minute cut-back to establish Chelsea&#39;s longest winning run within the same league campaign since 2005-06.

There were also wins for Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39;s 88th-minute strike earned Manchester United a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

Chelsea, for whom Eden Hazard missed out due to a knock, have won all 10 league games they gave played since losing 3-0 at Arsenal on September 24, keeping eight clean sheets.

But it took a flying save from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to prevent Patrick van Aanholt snatching a point for bottom club Sunderland at the death.

Conte&#39;s men are six points clear of Liverpool, who stole above Arsenal into second place courtesy of a 3-0 win at Middlesbrough in which Adam Lallana scored twice.

Having seen his side beaten 4-3 at Bournemouth and then held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp dropped goalkeeper Lorus Karius for Simon Mignolet.

His team went ahead in the 29th minute when Lallana headed in from England team-mate Nathaniel Clyne&#39;s right-wing cross.

Lallana teed up Divock Origi to add a second on the hour and eight minutes later the Belgian returned the favour as Lallana claimed his second goal.

Liverpool moved above Arsenal on goal difference, Arsene Wenger&#39;s side having lost 2-1 at Everton on Tuesday.

In further bad news for Arsenal, City, Tottenham and United all closed in on them.

Rondon&#39;s headed hat-trick

Pep Guardiola&#39;s City hit back after successive defeats against Chelsea and champions Leicester City by winning 2-0 at home to Watford.

Guardiola, who dropped John Stones and reverted to a back four, saw his side prevail thanks to goals in each half by Pablo Zabaleta and David Silva.

City remain fourth, seven points adrift of Chelsea, but only a point below Liverpool and Arsenal.

Tottenham are three points back in fifth place after Christian Eriksen scored twice in a 3-0 home win over Hull City, with Victor Wanyama also on target.

Having beaten Spurs 1-0 on Sunday, United recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time since August by edging Palace to remain three points below Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s men in sixth place.

Jose Mourinho&#39;s side went ahead in first-half stoppage time at Selhurst Park when Ibrahimovic chested down Juan Mata&#39;s free-kick for Paul Pogba to score from close range.

United were pegged back in the 66th minute when James McArthur beat David de Gea at his near post, but with full-time beckoning Pogba freed Ibrahimovic to dink home his 14th goal of the season.

West Bromwich Albion climbed to the heady heights of seventh place after a hat-trick of headers by Salomon Rondon gave Tony Pulis&#39;s men a 3-1 home win over third-bottom Swansea City.

The Venezuelan striker became the first player to score a headed Premier League hat-trick since Everton&#39;s Duncan Ferguson in December 1997. Wayne Routledge replied for Swansea.

West Ham pulled clear of the relegation zone after Mark Noble tucked away the rebound from his own penalty to secure a 1-0 home win over Burnley.

Stoke City survived the 22nd-minute dismissal of Marko Arnautovic for a studs-up lunge at Sofiane Boufal to secure a 0-0 draw at home to Southampton.

(AFP)

Chelsea have won all 10 league games they gave played since losing 3-0 at Arsenal on September 24

Cesc Fabregas's goal earned Chelsea a 1-0 victory at Sunderland on Wednesday -- their 10th in succession -- as Antonio Conte's side surged six points clear at the Premier League summit. Fabregas, who came in for Nemanja Matic, curled in from Willian's 40th-minute cut-back to establish Chelsea's longest winning run within the same league campaign since 2005-06. There were also wins for Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 88th-minute strike earned Manchester United a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. Chelsea, for whom Eden Hazard missed out due to a knock, have won all 10 league games they gave played since losing 3-0 at Arsenal on September 24, keeping eight clean sheets. But it took a flying save from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to prevent Patrick van Aanholt snatching a point for bottom club Sunderland at the death. Conte's men are six points clear of Liverpool, who stole above Arsenal into second place courtesy of a 3-0 win at Middlesbrough in which Adam Lallana scored twice. Having seen his side beaten 4-3 at Bournemouth and then held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp dropped goalkeeper Lorus Karius for Simon Mignolet. His team went ahead in the 29th minute when Lallana headed in from England team-mate Nathaniel Clyne's right-wing cross. Lallana teed up Divock Origi to add a second on the hour and eight minutes later the Belgian returned the favour as Lallana claimed his second goal. Liverpool moved above Arsenal on goal difference, Arsene Wenger's side having lost 2-1 at Everton on Tuesday. In further bad news for Arsenal, City, Tottenham and United all closed in on them. Rondon's headed hat-trick Pep Guardiola's City hit back after successive defeats against Chelsea and champions Leicester City by winning 2-0 at home to Watford. Guardiola, who dropped John Stones and reverted to a back four, saw his side prevail thanks to goals in each half by Pablo Zabaleta and David Silva. City remain fourth, seven points adrift of Chelsea, but only a point below Liverpool and Arsenal. Tottenham are three points back in fifth place after Christian Eriksen scored twice in a 3-0 home win over Hull City, with Victor Wanyama also on target. Having beaten Spurs 1-0 on Sunday, United recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time since August by edging Palace to remain three points below Mauricio Pochettino's men in sixth place. Jose Mourinho's side went ahead in first-half stoppage time at Selhurst Park when Ibrahimovic chested down Juan Mata's free-kick for Paul Pogba to score from close range. United were pegged back in the 66th minute when James McArthur beat David de Gea at his near post, but with full-time beckoning Pogba freed Ibrahimovic to dink home his 14th goal of the season. West Bromwich Albion climbed to the heady heights of seventh place after a hat-trick of headers by Salomon Rondon gave Tony Pulis's men a 3-1 home win over third-bottom Swansea City. The Venezuelan striker became the first player to score a headed Premier League hat-trick since Everton's Duncan Ferguson in December 1997. Wayne Routledge replied for Swansea. West Ham pulled clear of the relegation zone after Mark Noble tucked away the rebound from his own penalty to secure a 1-0 home win over Burnley. Stoke City survived the 22nd-minute dismissal of Marko Arnautovic for a studs-up lunge at Sofiane Boufal to secure a 0-0 draw at home to Southampton. (AFP)

Premier League: Chelsea 1-0 Sunderland, Ibra rescues Man Utd

Football is all set for a big change with video refereeing poised to make its debut. In fact, the Club World Cup in Japan will see the technology being used for the first time at a FIFA competition.

Video Refereeing to debut at CWC (WION Sports)

Cristiano Ronaldo called it &quot;a dream come true again&quot; as he won his fourth Ballon d&#39;Or on Monday to get one over his nemesis Lionel Messi for the title of best player in the world.

It was the perfect ending to another fantastic year for the Real Madrid star, who won the Champions League for the second time in three seasons and then led Portugal to their first major title at Euro 2016 -- albeit he went off early injured and in tears in the surprise victory over France.

As has been the case for almost a decade now, the 31-year-old&#39;s main rival was Messi -- but the Barcelona and Argentine maestro had to relinquish the crown after a less-than-stellar year for club and country by his lofty standards.

Ronaldo is now one Ballon d&#39;Or behind Messi, who was second this time with French striker Antoine Griezmann third.

Never one to play down his achievements, Ronaldo was spotted midweek in training having dyed his hair gold in anticipation and several media outlets published a photo earlier on Monday appearing to confirm he was the winner, before organisers France Football magazine made the official announcement.

&quot;For me, it&#39;s a great honour to receive my fourth Ballon d&#39;Or. The emotion is like the first one -- it&#39;s a dream come true again,&quot; Ronaldo, who is at the Club World Cup in Japan, told L&#39;Equipe TV.

&quot;I never thought in my mind to win four times the Ballon d&#39;Or, I&#39;m so pleased and so happy.

&quot;I have to thank all my team-mates, the national team, Real Madrid, all the people, the players who helped me to win this individual trophy.

&quot;I want to enjoy this moment because it&#39;s not easy to win this.&quot;

Fourth was Luis Suarez and fifth his fellow Barcelona attacker Neymar, with Ronaldo&#39;s Welsh team-mate Gareth Bale sixth.

&#39;Sensational year&#39;

Ronaldo was the firm favourite to win, but the prestigious prize comes at a time when the prolific forward has generated negative headlines in the past week over accusations of tax evasion.

Denying any wrongdoing, he responded by publishing his financial records last week, showing last year he earned a whopping 227 million euros ($240 million).

&quot;You believe I am worried? He who owes nothing&nbsp;fears nothing,&quot; Ronaldo told broadcaster RTP at the time.

Ronaldo, the highest-paid sportsman in the world, first won the Ballon d&#39;Or in 2008 after Premier League and Champions League triumphs with Manchester United.&nbsp;

But it was only in 2013 that he added his second -- Messi had hogged it before then -- and Ronaldo made it a hat-trick the following year.

United were quick to offer their congratulations on Twitter, calling a fourth Ballon d&#39;Or &quot;incredible&quot;.

Real said Ronaldo, who last month signed a bumper new five-year contract, had enjoyed &quot;a sensational year&quot;.

The first Ballon d&#39;Or was won by Stanley Matthews, at the time with Blackpool, who beat Alfredo Di Stefano for the inaugural title in 1956.

The Ballon d&#39;Or is decided by a vote of 173 journalists.

(AFP)

It was the perfect ending to another fantastic year for the Real Madrid star, who won the Champions League for the second time in 3 seasons

Cristiano Ronaldo called it "a dream come true again" as he won his fourth Ballon d'Or on Monday to get one over his nemesis Lionel Messi for the title of best player in the world. It was the perfect ending to another fantastic year for the Real Madrid star, who won the Champions League for the second time in three seasons and then led Portugal to their first major title at Euro 2016 -- albeit he went off early injured and in tears in the surprise victory over France. As has been the case for almost a decade now, the 31-year-old's main rival was Messi -- but the Barcelona and Argentine maestro had to relinquish the crown after a less-than-stellar year for club and country by his lofty standards. Ronaldo is now one Ballon d'Or behind Messi, who was second this time with French striker Antoine Griezmann third. Never one to play down his achievements, Ronaldo was spotted midweek in training having dyed his hair gold in anticipation and several media outlets published a photo earlier on Monday appearing to confirm he was the winner, before organisers France Football magazine made the official announcement. "For me, it's a great honour to receive my fourth Ballon d'Or. The emotion is like the first one -- it's a dream come true again," Ronaldo, who is at the Club World Cup in Japan, told L'Equipe TV. "I never thought in my mind to win four times the Ballon d'Or, I'm so pleased and so happy. "I have to thank all my team-mates, the national team, Real Madrid, all the people, the players who helped me to win this individual trophy. "I want to enjoy this moment because it's not easy to win this." Fourth was Luis Suarez and fifth his fellow Barcelona attacker Neymar, with Ronaldo's Welsh team-mate Gareth Bale sixth. 'Sensational year' Ronaldo was the firm favourite to win, but the prestigious prize comes at a time when the prolific forward has generated negative headlines in the past week over accusations of tax evasion. Denying any wrongdoing, he responded by publishing his financial records last week, showing last year he earned a whopping 227 million euros ($240 million). "You believe I am worried? He who owes nothing fears nothing," Ronaldo told broadcaster RTP at the time. Ronaldo, the highest-paid sportsman in the world, first won the Ballon d'Or in 2008 after Premier League and Champions League triumphs with Manchester United. But it was only in 2013 that he added his second -- Messi had hogged it before then -- and Ronaldo made it a hat-trick the following year. United were quick to offer their congratulations on Twitter, calling a fourth Ballon d'Or "incredible". Real said Ronaldo, who last month signed a bumper new five-year contract, had enjoyed "a sensational year". The first Ballon d'Or was won by Stanley Matthews, at the time with Blackpool, who beat Alfredo Di Stefano for the inaugural title in 1956. The Ballon d'Or is decided by a vote of 173 journalists. (AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo wins Ballon d'Or for fourth time

Arsenal will have another chance to beat Bayern Munich in a Champions League knockout tie after the sides were paired yet again in the round of 16 following Monday&#39;s draw.

The teams met at the same stage in 2005, 2013 and 2014 with the German champions winning on all three occasions - 3-2 on aggregate in 2005, on away goals after a 3-3 draw in 2013 and 3-1 in 2014.

Paris St Germain will also try to break a jinx when they face Spanish champions Barcelona, who knocked them out in the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2014.

Holders Real Madrid, who like Bayern finished as runners-up in their group and will therefore play the first leg at home, were given a tricky clash with Serie A side Napoli.

The draw also produced a potential grudge match as it pitted Bayer Leverkusen against Atletico Madrid, whose respective coaches Roger Schmidt and Diego Simeone were involved in an ugly touchline spat when the sides met two seasons ago.

On that occasion, Atletico went through on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw.

Arsenal may feel this could be their best chance to beat Bayern, whose domestic and European form has not been as dominant as in recent seasons.

&quot;We are through to the knockout stage for the 14th consecutive season, which is testament to Arsene Wenger and the teams throughout that time,&quot; club secretary David Miles said.

&quot;The fans will think we have got the rough end of the draw again - at some stage the tide has got to turn and we will beat them.&quot;

Serie A champions Juventus were drawn against Porto in a repeat of the 1984 European Cup Winners&#39; Cup final which the Italian side won 2-1.

Sevilla and English champions Leicester City will meet for the first time as will Manchester City and AS Monaco.

Benfica and Borussia Dortmund will renew their rivalry after a 52-year wait, the sides having previously met in the 1963-64 European Cup.

(Reuters)

Holders Real Madrid were given a difficult tie against Napoli as were Spanish champions Barcelona who take on Paris St Germain

Arsenal will have another chance to beat Bayern Munich in a Champions League knockout tie after the sides were paired yet again in the round of 16 following Monday's draw. The teams met at the same stage in 2005, 2013 and 2014 with the German champions winning on all three occasions - 3-2 on aggregate in 2005, on away goals after a 3-3 draw in 2013 and 3-1 in 2014. Paris St Germain will also try to break a jinx when they face Spanish champions Barcelona, who knocked them out in the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2014. Holders Real Madrid, who like Bayern finished as runners-up in their group and will therefore play the first leg at home, were given a tricky clash with Serie A side Napoli. The draw also produced a potential grudge match as it pitted Bayer Leverkusen against Atletico Madrid, whose respective coaches Roger Schmidt and Diego Simeone were involved in an ugly touchline spat when the sides met two seasons ago. On that occasion, Atletico went through on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw. Arsenal may feel this could be their best chance to beat Bayern, whose domestic and European form has not been as dominant as in recent seasons. "We are through to the knockout stage for the 14th consecutive season, which is testament to Arsene Wenger and the teams throughout that time," club secretary David Miles said. "The fans will think we have got the rough end of the draw again - at some stage the tide has got to turn and we will beat them." Serie A champions Juventus were drawn against Porto in a repeat of the 1984 European Cup Winners' Cup final which the Italian side won 2-1. Sevilla and English champions Leicester City will meet for the first time as will Manchester City and AS Monaco. Benfica and Borussia Dortmund will renew their rivalry after a 52-year wait, the sides having previously met in the 1963-64 European Cup. (Reuters)

Champions League last 16: Arsenal paired with Bayern Munich, City get Monaco

Jamie Vardy burst back to his predatory best with his first Leicester City hat-trick as the champions recaptured their title-winning mojo to earn a shock 4-2 win over Manchester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Vardy, hero of last season&#39;s fairytale triumph, finally ended his 16-match goalscoring drought for the club by scoring twice in the first 20 minutes as the Foxes, making a nonsense of their miserable recent form, raced into a three-goal lead.

After the England striker had struck in the third minute, club stalwart Andy King put Leicester two up with only four-and-a-half minutes on the clock and Vardy was then put in beautifully by Riyad Mahrez to score his second.

He completed his first hat-trick since his non-league days at Fleetwood Town from the narrowest of angles thanks to a careless back pass from John Stones.

Aleksandar Kolarov (82 minutes) and Nolito (90) scored consolation goals in a late rally for City, who remain fourth, four points adrift of leaders Chelsea.

Nobody could have imagined the drama of the opening minutes as Leicester awoke dramatically from what had, statistically, been the worst English title defence in 54 years since Ipswich Town in 1962-63.

Despite his heroics for Leicester, Vardy had never scored a hat-trick for them and his last treble had been for minor league Fleetwood in 2012.

Yet the King Power was transported back to heady May days, suddenly reminded why their team, languishing just three points off the foot of the table at the start of the day, were champions.

With a side unrecognisable from the second-string one that had been beaten 5-0 at Porto in midweek -- the heaviest defeat by any English team in European Cup history -- Leicester burst from the blocks on a rainy night.

A lovely touch from Mahrez fed Islam Slimani, whose neat through ball was finished brilliantly by Vardy, who had not scored in the league for a total of 741 minutes.

Within a couple of minutes, Slimani had teed up King, who curled one in from the edge of the box and the visitors were in disarray when a long ball from Christian Fuchs was cushioned delicately by Mahrez into Vardy&#39;s hungry path and the England striker evaded keeper Claudio Bravo to slot home.

City belatedly dominated but it was all huff and puff and when Stones hit a blind pass towards Bravo, Vardy nipped in to strike with the ball ruled to have just crept over the line via the post.

Kolarov, with a smashing free kick, and Nolito finally broke through but it could not mask what had been the most discouraging day yet of his new reign for visiting manager Pep Guardiola.

(Reuters)

Vardy finally ended his 16-match goalscoring drought for the club by scoring twice in the first 20 minutes

Jamie Vardy burst back to his predatory best with his first Leicester City hat-trick as the champions recaptured their title-winning mojo to earn a shock 4-2 win over Manchester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday. Vardy, hero of last season's fairytale triumph, finally ended his 16-match goalscoring drought for the club by scoring twice in the first 20 minutes as the Foxes, making a nonsense of their miserable recent form, raced into a three-goal lead. After the England striker had struck in the third minute, club stalwart Andy King put Leicester two up with only four-and-a-half minutes on the clock and Vardy was then put in beautifully by Riyad Mahrez to score his second. He completed his first hat-trick since his non-league days at Fleetwood Town from the narrowest of angles thanks to a careless back pass from John Stones. Aleksandar Kolarov (82 minutes) and Nolito (90) scored consolation goals in a late rally for City, who remain fourth, four points adrift of leaders Chelsea. Nobody could have imagined the drama of the opening minutes as Leicester awoke dramatically from what had, statistically, been the worst English title defence in 54 years since Ipswich Town in 1962-63. Despite his heroics for Leicester, Vardy had never scored a hat-trick for them and his last treble had been for minor league Fleetwood in 2012. Yet the King Power was transported back to heady May days, suddenly reminded why their team, languishing just three points off the foot of the table at the start of the day, were champions. With a side unrecognisable from the second-string one that had been beaten 5-0 at Porto in midweek -- the heaviest defeat by any English team in European Cup history -- Leicester burst from the blocks on a rainy night. A lovely touch from Mahrez fed Islam Slimani, whose neat through ball was finished brilliantly by Vardy, who had not scored in the league for a total of 741 minutes. Within a couple of minutes, Slimani had teed up King, who curled one in from the edge of the box and the visitors were in disarray when a long ball from Christian Fuchs was cushioned delicately by Mahrez into Vardy's hungry path and the England striker evaded keeper Claudio Bravo to slot home. City belatedly dominated but it was all huff and puff and when Stones hit a blind pass towards Bravo, Vardy nipped in to strike with the ball ruled to have just crept over the line via the post. Kolarov, with a smashing free kick, and Nolito finally broke through but it could not mask what had been the most discouraging day yet of his new reign for visiting manager Pep Guardiola. (Reuters)

Football: Vardy earns Leicester a shock 4-2 win over Manchester City

Italy international Stefano Okaka scored either side of halftime to give Watford a 3-2 Premier League win over Everton on Saturday, their first victory over the Merseyside club in any competition since 1987.

Watford, who started with players of 11 different nationalities in their line-up, went behind in the 17th minute when Romelu Lukaku scored from close range for Everton after Gareth Barry lobbed the defence.

The goal was the Belgian&#39;s eighth in the league this season but the lead was short-lived, Okaka equalising in the 36th with a back-heeled flick at the near post from Nordin Amrabat&#39;s cross.

Okaka followed up on his first Watford goal by heading in the Hornets&#39; third from a corner in the 64th after Austrian Sebastian Prodl had headed in his first league goal of the season from Jose Holebas&#39;s free kick.

Lukaku headed in his second of the afternoon with four minutes of normal time remaining but Watford hung on to go seventh in the standings on 21 points and ahead of ninth-placed Everton.

Okaka&#39;s goals were his first in the Premier League since May 2010, when he was on loan at Fulham. A summer signing from Anderlecht, he was making only his second start for Watford.

&quot;Stefano Okaka had to wait mainly because of injury but he has shown how important he is for the team,&quot; manager Walter Mazzarri said.

Apart from the 11 nations represented in the starting lineup, Watford have now also had 11 different goalscorers in the league this season - a feat that only Liverpool can match.

They are not, however, the first Premier League team to have such a diverse team -Manchester&nbsp;United also fielded players from 11 different countries against Stoke&nbsp;City&nbsp;in 2011.

Everton, sliding down the table after a bright start to the campaign and now with one win in 10 games, have conceded 11 goals in their last four away fixtures.

(Reuters)

This is their first victory over the Merseyside club in any competition since 1987

Italy international Stefano Okaka scored either side of halftime to give Watford a 3-2 Premier League win over Everton on Saturday, their first victory over the Merseyside club in any competition since 1987. Watford, who started with players of 11 different nationalities in their line-up, went behind in the 17th minute when Romelu Lukaku scored from close range for Everton after Gareth Barry lobbed the defence. The goal was the Belgian's eighth in the league this season but the lead was short-lived, Okaka equalising in the 36th with a back-heeled flick at the near post from Nordin Amrabat's cross. Okaka followed up on his first Watford goal by heading in the Hornets' third from a corner in the 64th after Austrian Sebastian Prodl had headed in his first league goal of the season from Jose Holebas's free kick. Lukaku headed in his second of the afternoon with four minutes of normal time remaining but Watford hung on to go seventh in the standings on 21 points and ahead of ninth-placed Everton. Okaka's goals were his first in the Premier League since May 2010, when he was on loan at Fulham. A summer signing from Anderlecht, he was making only his second start for Watford. "Stefano Okaka had to wait mainly because of injury but he has shown how important he is for the team," manager Walter Mazzarri said. Apart from the 11 nations represented in the starting lineup, Watford have now also had 11 different goalscorers in the league this season - a feat that only Liverpool can match. They are not, however, the first Premier League team to have such a diverse team -Manchester United also fielded players from 11 different countries against Stoke City in 2011. Everton, sliding down the table after a bright start to the campaign and now with one win in 10 games, have conceded 11 goals in their last four away fixtures. (Reuters)

Premier League: Watford beat Everton 3-2 with Okaka double

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter said successor Gianni Infantino disrespected him by not returning his phone calls.&nbsp;

&quot;After his election we had a very good contact and he stopped at my house and we had a chat,&quot; Blatter said. &quot;I told him I have a list of questions that should be solved in FIFA which has not been solved before.&quot;

&quot;[Infantino] said, &#39;I will work on that&#39;, and he never came back. I have asked him, I have sent him a letter and I have his personal number and I was told that it&#39;s still correct.

&quot;Never, never an answer, never,&quot; said Blatter. &quot;I have never seen in any company that the new president ... was not paying respect to the old president,&quot; he told BBC&#39;s World Football programme.&nbsp;

Blatter, who was facing a six-year ban for ethics violation, lost his appeal to Court of Arbitration (CAS) on Monday.

He had sanctioned payments to former FIFA vice-president Michel Plantini over $2 million which amounted to &quot;undue gifts&quot; violating FIFA&#39;s ethics norms.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Blatter said he had and wanted to discuss with his successor a 'list of questions that should be solved in FIFA'

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter said successor Gianni Infantino disrespected him by not returning his phone calls. "After his election we had a very good contact and he stopped at my house and we had a chat," Blatter said. "I told him I have a list of questions that should be solved in FIFA which has not been solved before." "[Infantino] said, 'I will work on that', and he never came back. I have asked him, I have sent him a letter and I have his personal number and I was told that it's still correct. "Never, never an answer, never," said Blatter. "I have never seen in any company that the new president ... was not paying respect to the old president," he told BBC's World Football programme. Blatter, who was facing a six-year ban for ethics violation, lost his appeal to Court of Arbitration (CAS) on Monday. He had sanctioned payments to former FIFA vice-president Michel Plantini over $2 million which amounted to "undue gifts" violating FIFA's ethics norms. (WION with inputs Reuters)

Disrespectful Infantino won't answer my calls, complains ex FIFA chief Blatter

West Ham United will welcome back defender Aaron Cresswell and midfielder Michail Antonio for Sunday&#39;s Premier League trip to Liverpool, but Cheikhou Kouyate will miss the game.

All three players picked up groin injuries in West Ham&#39;s League Cup defeat by Manchester United on November 30.

&quot;From the three players who got injured in the EFL Cup game, a couple of them should be back,&quot; manager Slaven Bilic told a news conference on Friday.

&quot;Antonio and Cresswell are training with us today after the press conference and according to the medical reports they are fit and they are okay.

&quot;With Cheikhou Kouyate, it is a little bit different. We were hoping he would be okay for Sunday&#39;s game, but unfortunately, he will have to miss it.

&quot;It&#39;s not a big injury, but he has a great chance to make it for the Burnley game in midweek.&quot;

West Ham are 17th in the table and have not won in the league since October, but the under pressure Bilic said he had spoken to the club&#39;s chairman David Sullivan and felt he still had the support of the club&#39;s hierarchy.

&quot;We didn&#39;t have a meeting, we had a conversation like we normally have,&quot; the manager added.

&quot;Since I&#39;ve been here, I speak to the chairman a couple of days after every game. After Saturday&#39;s game we spoke on Monday and had a good conversation, but not a meeting.

&quot;I feel the support and have said that so many times and I felt that support in our conversation this week. I believe in myself and my staff and look at what we achieved last year and I believe there is time to turn it around.&quot;

West Ham&#39;s last league outing ended in a 5-1 home defeat by Arsenal, and Bilic said his players had reacted well in training ahead of their trip to third-placed Liverpool.

&quot;We all felt bad last Saturday,&quot; he added. &quot;We were one-down after 70 minutes so to lose 5-1 left us disappointed, frustrated and angry but you have to get over it, which we have done and we have a big game on Sunday.

&quot;I have told the players we have got to be positive and I&#39;ve had a great reaction from them this week in training.&quot;

(Reuters)

Both players, along with Cheikhou Kouyate, picked up groin injuries in West Ham's League Cup defeat by Manchester United on November 30

West Ham United will welcome back defender Aaron Cresswell and midfielder Michail Antonio for Sunday's Premier League trip to Liverpool, but Cheikhou Kouyate will miss the game. All three players picked up groin injuries in West Ham's League Cup defeat by Manchester United on November 30. "From the three players who got injured in the EFL Cup game, a couple of them should be back," manager Slaven Bilic told a news conference on Friday. "Antonio and Cresswell are training with us today after the press conference and according to the medical reports they are fit and they are okay. "With Cheikhou Kouyate, it is a little bit different. We were hoping he would be okay for Sunday's game, but unfortunately, he will have to miss it. "It's not a big injury, but he has a great chance to make it for the Burnley game in midweek." West Ham are 17th in the table and have not won in the league since October, but the under pressure Bilic said he had spoken to the club's chairman David Sullivan and felt he still had the support of the club's hierarchy. "We didn't have a meeting, we had a conversation like we normally have," the manager added. "Since I've been here, I speak to the chairman a couple of days after every game. After Saturday's game we spoke on Monday and had a good conversation, but not a meeting. "I feel the support and have said that so many times and I felt that support in our conversation this week. I believe in myself and my staff and look at what we achieved last year and I believe there is time to turn it around." West Ham's last league outing ended in a 5-1 home defeat by Arsenal, and Bilic said his players had reacted well in training ahead of their trip to third-placed Liverpool. "We all felt bad last Saturday," he added. "We were one-down after 70 minutes so to lose 5-1 left us disappointed, frustrated and angry but you have to get over it, which we have done and we have a big game on Sunday. "I have told the players we have got to be positive and I've had a great reaction from them this week in training." (Reuters)

West Ham's Antonio, Creswell back for Liverpool trip

Here's a look at the major Champions League matches that took place in the last two days

Champions League matches in snapshots

Barcelona have invited Chapecoense to play in a friendly at the Nou Camp next August as a tribute to the victims of the air crash that all but wiped out the Brazilian team last month, the Spanish champions announced on Thursday.

&quot;FC Barcelona want to pay homage to the 71 people that died in the accident and to their families so it is working on making the 2017 edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy a homage on behalf of the world of football to all of them,&quot; said a club statement.

&quot;With this invitation to Chapecoense, Barcelona wants to collaborate with the institutional and sporting restructuring of the club to help it recover the competitive level it had.&quot;

The Joan Gamper Trophy is Barcelona&#39;s traditional curtain raiser, taking place each year at the Nou Camp a week before the start of the La Liga season between Barca and an invited team. Sampdoria were Barca&#39;s opponents in the 2016 edition.

Nineteen Chapecoense players were killed in the plane crash in Colombia on Nov. 28 as the team were travelling to the first leg of the final of the Copa Sudamericana against Atletico Nacional, along with directors and their coaching staff and journalists.

(Reuters)

The blaugrana said it wanted to pay homage to 71 people that all but wiped out the Brazilian team last month

Barcelona have invited Chapecoense to play in a friendly at the Nou Camp next August as a tribute to the victims of the air crash that all but wiped out the Brazilian team last month, the Spanish champions announced on Thursday. "FC Barcelona want to pay homage to the 71 people that died in the accident and to their families so it is working on making the 2017 edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy a homage on behalf of the world of football to all of them," said a club statement. "With this invitation to Chapecoense, Barcelona wants to collaborate with the institutional and sporting restructuring of the club to help it recover the competitive level it had." The Joan Gamper Trophy is Barcelona's traditional curtain raiser, taking place each year at the Nou Camp a week before the start of the La Liga season between Barca and an invited team. Sampdoria were Barca's opponents in the 2016 edition. Nineteen Chapecoense players were killed in the plane crash in Colombia on Nov. 28 as the team were travelling to the first leg of the final of the Copa Sudamericana against Atletico Nacional, along with directors and their coaching staff and journalists. (Reuters)

Barcelona invites Chapecoense to play friendly

Juventus wrapped up top spot in their Champions League group as second-half goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Daniele Rugani secured a 2-0 home victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.

Higuain broke the deadlock with a powerful effort seven minutes after the restart for his first goal in any competition since the start of November.

Rugani headed home from Miralem Pjanic&#39;s corner with 17 minutes remaining to wrap up victory and seal the Italian champions&#39; position as Group H winners, three points clear of Sevilla.

It was another dismal night for Dinamo, who became only the third team not to score a goal in the competition&#39;s group stages.

(Reuters)

Second-half goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Daniele Rugani secured a 2-0 home victory

Juventus wrapped up top spot in their Champions League group as second-half goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Daniele Rugani secured a 2-0 home victory over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday. Higuain broke the deadlock with a powerful effort seven minutes after the restart for his first goal in any competition since the start of November. Rugani headed home from Miralem Pjanic's corner with 17 minutes remaining to wrap up victory and seal the Italian champions' position as Group H winners, three points clear of Sevilla. It was another dismal night for Dinamo, who became only the third team not to score a goal in the competition's group stages. (Reuters)

Juve wrap up top spot with Dinamo victory

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane criticised his players for switching off against Borussia Dortmund and throwing away a two-goal lead that cost the European champions top place in Champions League Group F on Wednesday.

Just as in Dortmund in September, Real conceded a late goal to draw 2-2 with Thomas Tuchel&#39;s side, although they still equalled a club record 34-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Karim Benzema scored in each half to put Real in a comfortable position to win the group, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang responded and Marco Reus levelled in the 88th minute.

&quot;When you see how the second half went you get a bit angry. We had the game in our hands but this is football. You need to carry on right until the end,&quot; Zidane told a news conference.

&quot;We created a lot of chances to score the third goal. Instead, we allowed Dortmund back into the game. Dortmund deserved first place. They demonstrated how strong they are.&quot;

Real failed to finish top of their group for the first time since 2012-13, when they also came second to Dortmund.

Finishing second could yet prove to be a blessing for Real, who will avoid fellow runners-up Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain as well as fellow Spaniards Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, but could meet Zidane&#39;s former side Juventus.

&quot;I haven&#39;t thought about the draw, I wanted us to finish top and we did everything to do that but I&#39;m not going to keep going over it. We&#39;ll see who we get on Monday,&quot; the coach said.

&quot;I don&#39;t want to get Juventus for two reasons, but there&#39;s nothing we can do about that.&quot;

The coach praised Benzema for becoming the sixth player to score 50 Champions League 50 goals and paid tribute to his players for matching Leo Beenhakker&#39;s side&#39;s run of 34 games without defeat in 1989-90.

&quot;For any player it&#39;s important to score and I&#39;m very happy with Benzema, his goals, his work and the team&#39;s work. He&#39;s happy and we&#39;re happy with him and the run goes on,&quot; Zidane said.

&quot;I have to congratulate the players because they&#39;re the ones that fight and work so hard. Our aim is to keep this run going, because there&#39;s still a long way to go in the season.&quot;

(Reuters)

The European champions threw away a two-goal lead against Dortmund that cost them top place in Group F

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane criticised his players for switching off against Borussia Dortmund and throwing away a two-goal lead that cost the European champions top place in Champions League Group F on Wednesday. Just as in Dortmund in September, Real conceded a late goal to draw 2-2 with Thomas Tuchel's side, although they still equalled a club record 34-game unbeaten run in all competitions. Karim Benzema scored in each half to put Real in a comfortable position to win the group, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang responded and Marco Reus levelled in the 88th minute. "When you see how the second half went you get a bit angry. We had the game in our hands but this is football. You need to carry on right until the end," Zidane told a news conference. "We created a lot of chances to score the third goal. Instead, we allowed Dortmund back into the game. Dortmund deserved first place. They demonstrated how strong they are." Real failed to finish top of their group for the first time since 2012-13, when they also came second to Dortmund. Finishing second could yet prove to be a blessing for Real, who will avoid fellow runners-up Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain as well as fellow Spaniards Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, but could meet Zidane's former side Juventus. "I haven't thought about the draw, I wanted us to finish top and we did everything to do that but I'm not going to keep going over it. We'll see who we get on Monday," the coach said. "I don't want to get Juventus for two reasons, but there's nothing we can do about that." The coach praised Benzema for becoming the sixth player to score 50 Champions League 50 goals and paid tribute to his players for matching Leo Beenhakker's side's run of 34 games without defeat in 1989-90. "For any player it's important to score and I'm very happy with Benzema, his goals, his work and the team's work. He's happy and we're happy with him and the run goes on," Zidane said. "I have to congratulate the players because they're the ones that fight and work so hard. Our aim is to keep this run going, because there's still a long way to go in the season." (Reuters)

Champions League: Zidane 'angry' as Real surrender lead and top spot

Real Madrid are targetting a second Club World Cup triumph in three years to complete a sensational year of renewal under former midfield great Zinedine Zidane.

The 11-times European champions are the top attraction at this year&#39;s tournament in Japan and can overtake arch-rivals Barcelona as the team with the most international trophies in world football.

Real were in a state of upheaval when they watched Barcelona stroll to a 3-0 win over River Plate in last year&#39;s final, having been expelled from their domestic cup competition for fielding an ineligible player and with coach Rafael Benitez on the brink of being sacked.

Their turn of fortunes under Zidane has been remarkable, the Frenchman quickly galvanising a demotivated squad and masterminding their march to glory in last season&#39;s Champions League and lifting the UEFA European Super Cup.

They are also guaranteed to be top of the league standings in Spain when they embark for Japan.

&quot;Zizou has that kind of magic that dazzles you,&quot; Real captain Sergio Ramos said of Zidane.

&quot;He&#39;s taken the group in the right direction and we&#39;re going places. There&#39;s a lot of harmony, he&#39;s more sympathetic than our last coach and everyone can see what he has achieved.&quot;

While Zidane&#39;s first full season will be judged on whether Real remain top of the league come the end of May and how far they go in their Champions League defence, the Frenchman is taking the Club World Cup seriously.

He is expected to bring an almost full strength squad, minus the injured Gareth Bale, to Japan as Real target a record 21st international title to take them past Barca and Egyptian side Al-Ahly.

Real&#39;s first game in Yokohama will be a semi-final on December 15 against South Korea&#39;s Jeonbuk Motors or Mexican side Club America. The final is scheduled for December 18.

(Reuters)

They are also guaranteed to be top of the league standings in Spain when they embark for Japan

Real Madrid are targetting a second Club World Cup triumph in three years to complete a sensational year of renewal under former midfield great Zinedine Zidane. The 11-times European champions are the top attraction at this year's tournament in Japan and can overtake arch-rivals Barcelona as the team with the most international trophies in world football. Real were in a state of upheaval when they watched Barcelona stroll to a 3-0 win over River Plate in last year's final, having been expelled from their domestic cup competition for fielding an ineligible player and with coach Rafael Benitez on the brink of being sacked. Their turn of fortunes under Zidane has been remarkable, the Frenchman quickly galvanising a demotivated squad and masterminding their march to glory in last season's Champions League and lifting the UEFA European Super Cup. They are also guaranteed to be top of the league standings in Spain when they embark for Japan. "Zizou has that kind of magic that dazzles you," Real captain Sergio Ramos said of Zidane. "He's taken the group in the right direction and we're going places. There's a lot of harmony, he's more sympathetic than our last coach and everyone can see what he has achieved." While Zidane's first full season will be judged on whether Real remain top of the league come the end of May and how far they go in their Champions League defence, the Frenchman is taking the Club World Cup seriously. He is expected to bring an almost full strength squad, minus the injured Gareth Bale, to Japan as Real target a record 21st international title to take them past Barca and Egyptian side Al-Ahly. Real's first game in Yokohama will be a semi-final on December 15 against South Korea's Jeonbuk Motors or Mexican side Club America. The final is scheduled for December 18. (Reuters)

Real Madrid eye record 21st international title in Japan

The true value of Arsenal&#39;s table-topping display against Basel will not become clear until Monday&#39;s draw for the Champions League last 16 but a 4-1 win proved they are starting to punch&nbsp;their weight again in the competition.

Despite 19 consecutive group stage campaigns, defeat at the last 16 stage for the past six seasons has reduced Arsenal to members of the supporting cast.

While the A-listers -- the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich -- march into Spring eyeing Europe&#39;s most prized club trophy, Arsenal have sloped away for domestic chores. Not even a title chase, rather just grinding out a top-four spot in the Premier League.

Things might just be different this season though.

Beaten only twice in 23 matches in all competitions so far, Arsenal look far more resilient than in recent seasons, without losing any of their customary flair.

Hat-trick man Lucas Perez&#39;s second goal on Tuesday was the end product of a 33-pass move -- the longest sequence to goal so far in this season&#39;s Champions League. Arsenal went through Group A undefeated, the first time they had managed that since the 2005/06 season, and qualified for the last 16 as group winners for the first time since 2011/12.

That will guarantee they are spared a meeting with Lionel Messi&#39;s Barcelona in the last 16, although Bayern Munich or any two from Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Sevilla could be blocking their path after Christmas.

Arsenal will also enjoy a home second leg in the last 16, an advantage they have not had since 2012, although that year they were thumped 4-0 by Milan in the San Siro leaving them mission impossible in the return.

&quot;It&#39;s difficult to know (the advantages of finishing top) you feel a bit less guilty,&quot; Wenger said. &quot;At least we have done our job and let&#39;s see what happens.&quot;

In some respects the Champions League winter break may have come at the wrong time for Arsenal.

Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez, scorer of a hat-trick in Saturday&#39;s 5-1 thrashing of West Ham United, is playing some of his best football since joining the club, while Mesut Ozil in also in a rich vein of form.

On Tuesday, Wenger left the talents of Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench while Lucas, a 17 million pounds ($21.54 million) signing from Deportivo La Coruna in August, grabbed his chance to shine.

Captain Laurent Koscielny said Arsenal&#39;s win maintained the momentum.

&quot;We needed to finish the group stage well to have no regrets and we started the game well by scoring two early goals,&quot; he said. &quot;It was a good win for us to have after our big win on Saturday. It&#39;s important to finish first because we have the second game at home.&quot;

(Reuters)

Arsenal went through Group A undefeated, the first time they had managed that since the 2005/06 season

The true value of Arsenal's table-topping display against Basel will not become clear until Monday's draw for the Champions League last 16 but a 4-1 win proved they are starting to punch their weight again in the competition. Despite 19 consecutive group stage campaigns, defeat at the last 16 stage for the past six seasons has reduced Arsenal to members of the supporting cast. While the A-listers -- the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich -- march into Spring eyeing Europe's most prized club trophy, Arsenal have sloped away for domestic chores. Not even a title chase, rather just grinding out a top-four spot in the Premier League. Things might just be different this season though. Beaten only twice in 23 matches in all competitions so far, Arsenal look far more resilient than in recent seasons, without losing any of their customary flair. Hat-trick man Lucas Perez's second goal on Tuesday was the end product of a 33-pass move -- the longest sequence to goal so far in this season's Champions League. Arsenal went through Group A undefeated, the first time they had managed that since the 2005/06 season, and qualified for the last 16 as group winners for the first time since 2011/12. That will guarantee they are spared a meeting with Lionel Messi's Barcelona in the last 16, although Bayern Munich or any two from Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Sevilla could be blocking their path after Christmas. Arsenal will also enjoy a home second leg in the last 16, an advantage they have not had since 2012, although that year they were thumped 4-0 by Milan in the San Siro leaving them mission impossible in the return. "It's difficult to know (the advantages of finishing top) you feel a bit less guilty," Wenger said. "At least we have done our job and let's see what happens." In some respects the Champions League winter break may have come at the wrong time for Arsenal. Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez, scorer of a hat-trick in Saturday's 5-1 thrashing of West Ham United, is playing some of his best football since joining the club, while Mesut Ozil in also in a rich vein of form. On Tuesday, Wenger left the talents of Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench while Lucas, a 17 million pounds ($21.54 million) signing from Deportivo La Coruna in August, grabbed his chance to shine. Captain Laurent Koscielny said Arsenal's win maintained the momentum. "We needed to finish the group stage well to have no regrets and we started the game well by scoring two early goals," he said. "It was a good win for us to have after our big win on Saturday. It's important to finish first because we have the second game at home." (Reuters)

Arsenal punching their weight again in Europe

South American football confederation CONMEBOL agreed Monday to award the Copa Sudamericana to Brazilian club&nbsp;Chapecoense, whose team was wiped out in a plane crash while heading to the final.

The body issued a statement announcing the posthumous honor to the previously unsung club, which was having a fairy tale season until the disaster a week ago.

Chapecoense&nbsp;vice-president Ivan Tozzo hailed the decision as &quot;justice.&quot;

&quot;We were sure that &#39;Chape&#39; would be champions. It is a beautiful tribute,&quot; he told a news conference.

The charter plane flying the team to the biggest match in its history ran out of fuel and crashed into the mountains in northwestern Colombia.

A total of 71 people died -- most of the club members, including players, management and staff. Three players, two crew members and a journalist survived.

The side was heading to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Colombian club Atletico Nacional in the city of Medellin.

Fair play

Nacional responded to the crash by calling for&nbsp;Chapecoense&nbsp;to be granted the Copa Sudamericana, the second highest club football title in South America.

The Paraguay-based confederation said Monday it had heeded Nacional&#39;s request in deciding to hand the title to&nbsp;Chapecoense.

&quot;CONMEBOL awards the title for the 2016 Copa Sudamericana championship to&nbsp;Chapecoense,&quot; including the $2 million in prize money, the confederation said in a statement.

It awarded Nacional its $1 million CONMEBOL Centenary Fair Play award.

&quot;There is no greater demonstration of the spirit of understanding and fair play... than the consideration and respect shown by Atletico Nacional to its brothers in&nbsp;ChapecoenseFootball Club,&quot; the statement said.

Starting over

The small Brazilian city of Chapeco held a massive funeral on Saturday for its team after the victims&#39; coffins arrived home, each draped in the club&#39;s green and white flag.

A minute&#39;s silence for the team was scheduled to be held before every Champions League and Europa League game this week.

Chapeco awoke meanwhile to the steep task of rebuilding a top-flight team from virtually nothing.

&quot;We have lost practically all our assets,&quot; said Tozzo last week.

He took over from president Sandro Pallaoro, who died in the crash.

&quot;After everything we have achieved, now we have to start again from scratch,&quot; Tozzo said.

&quot;We will have to start to think, because we do not have 11 players to put on the field.

&quot;We will need a great deal of help from the Brazilian Football Federation and the broadcaster Globo,&quot; which owns the rights to screen the matches, he added.

Including the title award and winnings from earlier rounds,&nbsp;Chapecoense&nbsp;will take home just under $4 million from the tournament.

By taking the Sudamericana title,&nbsp;Chapecoense&nbsp;will be allowed to compete next season in the region&#39;s top club tournament, the Copa Libertadores.

They will also face Atletico Nacional in the Recopa Sudamericana, a fixture between the title-holders of the Sudamericana and Libertadores cups.

New members

Chapecoense&nbsp;said 13,000 people had applied in just two days for membership of the club, which previously had just 9,000 members.

Other Brazilian football teams have offered to farm out their players to&nbsp;Chapecoense.

Ten of the team&#39;s players did not travel on the doomed flight. The club also has an under-20 squad with potential new first-team players.

Italian champions Torino took three decades to win a trophy again from an air crash that killed 18 of its players in 1949.

In England, Manchester United waited a decade to recover fully by winning the European Cup following the Munich air disaster in 1958 that killed 23 people, including eight players.

(AFP)

Chapecoense lost 71 people -- including players, management and staff -- while the team was heading to play the final against Nacional

South American football confederation CONMEBOL agreed Monday to award the Copa Sudamericana to Brazilian club Chapecoense, whose team was wiped out in a plane crash while heading to the final. The body issued a statement announcing the posthumous honor to the previously unsung club, which was having a fairy tale season until the disaster a week ago. Chapecoense vice-president Ivan Tozzo hailed the decision as "justice." "We were sure that 'Chape' would be champions. It is a beautiful tribute," he told a news conference. The charter plane flying the team to the biggest match in its history ran out of fuel and crashed into the mountains in northwestern Colombia. A total of 71 people died -- most of the club members, including players, management and staff. Three players, two crew members and a journalist survived. The side was heading to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Colombian club Atletico Nacional in the city of Medellin. Fair play Nacional responded to the crash by calling for Chapecoense to be granted the Copa Sudamericana, the second highest club football title in South America. The Paraguay-based confederation said Monday it had heeded Nacional's request in deciding to hand the title to Chapecoense. "CONMEBOL awards the title for the 2016 Copa Sudamericana championship to Chapecoense," including the $2 million in prize money, the confederation said in a statement. It awarded Nacional its $1 million CONMEBOL Centenary Fair Play award. "There is no greater demonstration of the spirit of understanding and fair play... than the consideration and respect shown by Atletico Nacional to its brothers in ChapecoenseFootball Club," the statement said. Starting over The small Brazilian city of Chapeco held a massive funeral on Saturday for its team after the victims' coffins arrived home, each draped in the club's green and white flag. A minute's silence for the team was scheduled to be held before every Champions League and Europa League game this week. Chapeco awoke meanwhile to the steep task of rebuilding a top-flight team from virtually nothing. "We have lost practically all our assets," said Tozzo last week. He took over from president Sandro Pallaoro, who died in the crash. "After everything we have achieved, now we have to start again from scratch," Tozzo said. "We will have to start to think, because we do not have 11 players to put on the field. "We will need a great deal of help from the Brazilian Football Federation and the broadcaster Globo," which owns the rights to screen the matches, he added. Including the title award and winnings from earlier rounds, Chapecoense will take home just under $4 million from the tournament. By taking the Sudamericana title, Chapecoense will be allowed to compete next season in the region's top club tournament, the Copa Libertadores. They will also face Atletico Nacional in the Recopa Sudamericana, a fixture between the title-holders of the Sudamericana and Libertadores cups. New members Chapecoense said 13,000 people had applied in just two days for membership of the club, which previously had just 9,000 members. Other Brazilian football teams have offered to farm out their players to Chapecoense. Ten of the team's players did not travel on the doomed flight. The club also has an under-20 squad with potential new first-team players. Italian champions Torino took three decades to win a trophy again from an air crash that killed 18 of its players in 1949. In England, Manchester United waited a decade to recover fully by winning the European Cup following the Munich air disaster in 1958 that killed 23 people, including eight players. (AFP)

Brazilian team wiped out in plane crash awarded Copa Sudamericana

Chelsea came from behind to secure a dramatic 3-1 win at Manchester City and forge clear at the top of the Premier League as their top-of-the-table clash ended in a mass brawl and two City players were sent off on Saturday.

Diego Costa, the league&#39;s leading marksman, scored his 11th of the season on the hour to equalise, substitute Willian notched on the counter-attack 10 minutes later and Eden Hazard sealed Chelsea&#39;s eighth straight win in the 90th minute.

Gary Cahill had given City a deserved lead just before halftime, slicing the ball into his own net with a clumsy attempted clearance, and the home side had chances to wrap up the points after the break as Kevin De Bruyne missed from three metres when it seemed easier to score.

In stoppage time, with Chelsea already guaranteed a four-point lead at the top, mayhem broke out following a terrible tackle by Sergio Aguero on David Luiz.

The Argentine was shown a red card and, as players piled in, Fernandinho was also dismissed for pushing Cesc Fabregas over the advertising hoardings.

It was the first time a team had finished a game with nine men in the Premier League for eight years yet, for large parts, it had looked as if it could be the end of Chelsea&#39;s purple patch with City largely dominating until Pep Guardiola&#39;s men were again found out defensively.

Several times, Aguero came close, thwarted by a brilliant Cesar Azpilicueta block and heading wide from De Bruyne&#39;s pinpoint cross.

Yet City&#39;s goal was a soft one with Cahill displaying technical deficiency, trying to clear Jesus Navas&#39;s cross with his right foot when he needed to use his left.

City piled on the pressure after the break with De Bruyne forcing a fine save from Courtois and more comedy defending almost gifting a goal for Aguero before De Bruyne&#39;s open-goal miss from Navas&#39;s cross.

It was a costly error as Fabregas found Costa with a lovely, long ball which he controlled on his chest before outsmuscling Nicolas Otamendi and firing the equaliser.

Costa then put Willian clean through, the Brazilian firing across Claudio Bravo into the corner before he marked his goal with an emotional raising of his black armband to honour those who died in the Chapecoense air crash.

After Hazard had latched on to a long ball from Marcos Alonso to sprint clear of Aleksandar Kolarov and net the third, City&#39;s frustration got the better of them as Aguero&#39;s wild knee-high lunge on Luiz resulted in furious scenes with all 22 players and staff being involved in a melee.

Luiz, with his knee bandaged afterwards, refused to be drawn on Aguero&#39;s challenge.

&quot;I don&#39;t like to speak about these type of things. Aguero is an amazing player who does a lot for football,&quot; he told Sky Sports.

&quot;I want to dedicate this win to the people who died in Brazil. It was difficult to get my head together as I had some friends there. We just need to pray for the victim&#39;s families.&quot;

(Reuters)

The top-of-the-table clash ended in a mass brawl that saw two City players sent off

Chelsea came from behind to secure a dramatic 3-1 win at Manchester City and forge clear at the top of the Premier League as their top-of-the-table clash ended in a mass brawl and two City players were sent off on Saturday. Diego Costa, the league's leading marksman, scored his 11th of the season on the hour to equalise, substitute Willian notched on the counter-attack 10 minutes later and Eden Hazard sealed Chelsea's eighth straight win in the 90th minute. Gary Cahill had given City a deserved lead just before halftime, slicing the ball into his own net with a clumsy attempted clearance, and the home side had chances to wrap up the points after the break as Kevin De Bruyne missed from three metres when it seemed easier to score. In stoppage time, with Chelsea already guaranteed a four-point lead at the top, mayhem broke out following a terrible tackle by Sergio Aguero on David Luiz. The Argentine was shown a red card and, as players piled in, Fernandinho was also dismissed for pushing Cesc Fabregas over the advertising hoardings. It was the first time a team had finished a game with nine men in the Premier League for eight years yet, for large parts, it had looked as if it could be the end of Chelsea's purple patch with City largely dominating until Pep Guardiola's men were again found out defensively. Several times, Aguero came close, thwarted by a brilliant Cesar Azpilicueta block and heading wide from De Bruyne's pinpoint cross. Yet City's goal was a soft one with Cahill displaying technical deficiency, trying to clear Jesus Navas's cross with his right foot when he needed to use his left. City piled on the pressure after the break with De Bruyne forcing a fine save from Courtois and more comedy defending almost gifting a goal for Aguero before De Bruyne's open-goal miss from Navas's cross. It was a costly error as Fabregas found Costa with a lovely, long ball which he controlled on his chest before outsmuscling Nicolas Otamendi and firing the equaliser. Costa then put Willian clean through, the Brazilian firing across Claudio Bravo into the corner before he marked his goal with an emotional raising of his black armband to honour those who died in the Chapecoense air crash. After Hazard had latched on to a long ball from Marcos Alonso to sprint clear of Aleksandar Kolarov and net the third, City's frustration got the better of them as Aguero's wild knee-high lunge on Luiz resulted in furious scenes with all 22 players and staff being involved in a melee. Luiz, with his knee bandaged afterwards, refused to be drawn on Aguero's challenge. "I don't like to speak about these type of things. Aguero is an amazing player who does a lot for football," he told Sky Sports. "I want to dedicate this win to the people who died in Brazil. It was difficult to get my head together as I had some friends there. We just need to pray for the victim's families." (Reuters)

EPL: Chelsea come from behind to beat Man City 3-1, top league

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique believes his side remains the team to beat in Spain but admits that victory over leaders Real Madrid in El Clasico on Saturday is paramount to their title chances.

With millions watching around the world Madrid travel into enemy territory in Catalonia on the back of a 32-game unbeaten run and boast a six-point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

However, despite describing Barca&#39;s last league performance in a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad as the worst of his three-season tenure, Enrique insists the reigning champions have the talent to be considered the best team in the world.

&quot;There are good teams at a high level but none of them are better than us. That is what makes me optimistic,&quot; he said on Friday.

Barca received a huge injury boost on Friday when captain Andres Iniesta was cleared to make his return after six weeks out with a knee injury.

&quot;Iniesta is our captain and a reference point for Barca&#39;s style,&quot; said Enrique.

&quot;It is great news for the person that he is and what he represents as captain.&quot;

Defenders Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba also look set to shrug off injuries to start and Enrique may be able to name his strongest side for the first time since September.

Injuries have been a key factor in the Catalans&#39; worst league start for nine years, but midfielder Arda Turan also claimed they remain the world&#39;s best once they hit top form.

&quot;Barca are the best team and when we play like we know how, we are unstoppable,&quot; the Turkish international told Barca TV.

&quot;I have a very good feeling ahead of the Clasico.&quot;

Madrid high in confidence

Madrid, under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane, might be in red-hot form but the former midfield general wants to see his side perform more like they did in swatting aside Atletico Madrid 3-0 two weeks ago than on their last trip to the Camp Nou -- when they registered a shock 2-1 win in April.

&quot;Tomorrow will be totally different,&quot; said the Frenchman.

&quot;Last term we went there with our buttocks clenched, I apologise for the language, but we need to have the same mentality.

&quot;I want us to be just as prepared as we were last year, but play like we are now.&quot;

Real are not so lucky on the injury front as Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos remain sidelined.

However, the visitors can rely on an on-form Cristiano Ronaldo fresh from scoring five times in his last two outings.

&quot;He is very important for the rest of the team because he has tremendous energy,&quot; Zidane added.

&quot;He still has the hunger to win and that is good for the group.&quot;

The biggest match in club football, which kicks off at 15:15 GMT, is expected to capture an audience of 650 million people worldwide, according to figures released by La Liga.

&quot;I am not going to say it is just another game, it is a very important match, it has a special meaning.... a special taste,&quot; Real president Florentino Perez told AFP.

&quot;No one hides that is has a worldwide impact, it is seen by millions of people across the world, like the World cup final.&quot;

Barca defender Javier Mascherano also made little attempt to play down the significance of the clash.

&quot;Despite there being just three points at stake, like in the rest of the matches, the attention before and after the game makes it a special match,&quot; the Argentine told Barca TV.

(AFP)

Barca received an injury boost on Friday when captain Andres Iniesta was cleared to make his return after six weeks out with a knee injury.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique believes his side remains the team to beat in Spain but admits that victory over leaders Real Madrid in El Clasico on Saturday is paramount to their title chances. With millions watching around the world Madrid travel into enemy territory in Catalonia on the back of a 32-game unbeaten run and boast a six-point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga. However, despite describing Barca's last league performance in a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad as the worst of his three-season tenure, Enrique insists the reigning champions have the talent to be considered the best team in the world. "There are good teams at a high level but none of them are better than us. That is what makes me optimistic," he said on Friday. Barca received a huge injury boost on Friday when captain Andres Iniesta was cleared to make his return after six weeks out with a knee injury. "Iniesta is our captain and a reference point for Barca's style," said Enrique. "It is great news for the person that he is and what he represents as captain." Defenders Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba also look set to shrug off injuries to start and Enrique may be able to name his strongest side for the first time since September. Injuries have been a key factor in the Catalans' worst league start for nine years, but midfielder Arda Turan also claimed they remain the world's best once they hit top form. "Barca are the best team and when we play like we know how, we are unstoppable," the Turkish international told Barca TV. "I have a very good feeling ahead of the Clasico." Madrid high in confidence Madrid, under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane, might be in red-hot form but the former midfield general wants to see his side perform more like they did in swatting aside Atletico Madrid 3-0 two weeks ago than on their last trip to the Camp Nou -- when they registered a shock 2-1 win in April. "Tomorrow will be totally different," said the Frenchman. "Last term we went there with our buttocks clenched, I apologise for the language, but we need to have the same mentality. "I want us to be just as prepared as we were last year, but play like we are now." Real are not so lucky on the injury front as Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos remain sidelined. However, the visitors can rely on an on-form Cristiano Ronaldo fresh from scoring five times in his last two outings. "He is very important for the rest of the team because he has tremendous energy," Zidane added. "He still has the hunger to win and that is good for the group." The biggest match in club football, which kicks off at 15:15 GMT, is expected to capture an audience of 650 million people worldwide, according to figures released by La Liga. "I am not going to say it is just another game, it is a very important match, it has a special meaning.... a special taste," Real president Florentino Perez told AFP. "No one hides that is has a worldwide impact, it is seen by millions of people across the world, like the World cup final." Barca defender Javier Mascherano also made little attempt to play down the significance of the clash. "Despite there being just three points at stake, like in the rest of the matches, the attention before and after the game makes it a special match," the Argentine told Barca TV. (AFP)

Desperate Barca primed to end Madrid's unbeaten streak

Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho could have been involved in a multimillion-euro system of &quot;tax evasion and money laundering&quot;, according to leaked documents obtained by a number of media outlets.

A group of 12 European newspapers said it intends to disclose over the next three weeks the results of investigations into widespread alleged corruption at the heart of football under the banner &quot;Football Leaks&quot;.

Based on leaked documents obtained by German weekly Der Spiegel, the outlets claim that Real Madrid and Portuguese star Ronaldo could have &quot;hidden 150 million euros in tax havens in Switzerland and the British Virgin Islands&quot;.

Ronaldo, it is claimed, benefits from &quot;a system developed by his agent Jorge Mendes&quot;.&nbsp;

They cite two operations related to advertising revenue of the Portuguese star.&nbsp;

The first, between 2009 and 2014, could represent &quot;74.8 million euros via an offshore company called Tollin, registered in the British Virgin Islands&quot;, said the report released Friday.&nbsp;

&quot;He would have eventually declared a part of it,&quot; added the report sent to AFP by the Mediapart organisation.

&quot;The lawyers of the player told the (media) consortium that a Spanish tax audit aimed at Cristiano Ronaldo was still in progress,&quot; the newspapers said.&nbsp;

In the second operation, Ronaldo could have &quot;avoided 31 million euros of taxes&quot; according to these newspapers, making the most of &quot;12 days of an ultra-advantageous tax regime&quot; on his marketing rights for the period 2015-2020.

According to the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) consortium, Manchester United manager Mourinho is said -- again via Mendes -- to have &quot;concealed 12 million euros in a Swiss account owned by a British Virgin Islands company.&quot;&nbsp;

It was &quot;subject to a tax audit in Spain... which resulted in a recovery of 4.4 million euros, penalties included&quot;.&nbsp;

Friday&#39;s first batch of leaks centred on &quot;a system&quot; put in place, according to the newspapers, by Mendes, the super-agent of Ronaldo and Mourinho.

The system overall would have accounted for a loss of &quot;at least 185 million euros of sponsorship income from the tax administrations through a network of offshore accounts and offshore companies in Ireland, the British Virgin Islands, Panama and Switzerland&quot;.

In response, Mendes&#39;s company Gestifute said Friday that Ronaldo and Mourinho had &quot;fully respected their obligations vis-a-vis the Spanish and British authorities&quot;.&nbsp;

The company accused the media consortium of operating in an &quot;insidious&quot; way concerning the stars&#39; tax obligations.&nbsp;

It said that neither Ronaldo nor Mourinho &quot;have been implicated in legal proceedings of the tax evasion commission in Spain&quot;.

(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

German weekly claimed it had obtained documents that the Real Madrid star could have 'hidden 150 million euros in tax havens'

Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho could have been involved in a multimillion-euro system of "tax evasion and money laundering", according to leaked documents obtained by a number of media outlets. A group of 12 European newspapers said it intends to disclose over the next three weeks the results of investigations into widespread alleged corruption at the heart of football under the banner "Football Leaks". Based on leaked documents obtained by German weekly Der Spiegel, the outlets claim that Real Madrid and Portuguese star Ronaldo could have "hidden 150 million euros in tax havens in Switzerland and the British Virgin Islands". Ronaldo, it is claimed, benefits from "a system developed by his agent Jorge Mendes". They cite two operations related to advertising revenue of the Portuguese star. The first, between 2009 and 2014, could represent "74.8 million euros via an offshore company called Tollin, registered in the British Virgin Islands", said the report released Friday. "He would have eventually declared a part of it," added the report sent to AFP by the Mediapart organisation. "The lawyers of the player told the (media) consortium that a Spanish tax audit aimed at Cristiano Ronaldo was still in progress," the newspapers said. In the second operation, Ronaldo could have "avoided 31 million euros of taxes" according to these newspapers, making the most of "12 days of an ultra-advantageous tax regime" on his marketing rights for the period 2015-2020. According to the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) consortium, Manchester United manager Mourinho is said -- again via Mendes -- to have "concealed 12 million euros in a Swiss account owned by a British Virgin Islands company." It was "subject to a tax audit in Spain... which resulted in a recovery of 4.4 million euros, penalties included". Friday's first batch of leaks centred on "a system" put in place, according to the newspapers, by Mendes, the super-agent of Ronaldo and Mourinho. The system overall would have accounted for a loss of "at least 185 million euros of sponsorship income from the tax administrations through a network of offshore accounts and offshore companies in Ireland, the British Virgin Islands, Panama and Switzerland". In response, Mendes's company Gestifute said Friday that Ronaldo and Mourinho had "fully respected their obligations vis-a-vis the Spanish and British authorities". The company accused the media consortium of operating in an "insidious" way concerning the stars' tax obligations. It said that neither Ronaldo nor Mourinho "have been implicated in legal proceedings of the tax evasion commission in Spain". (AFP)

Football: Ronaldo, Mourinho in 'tax evasion, money laundering' claims

England manager Gareth Southgate confirmed Wayne Rooney will remain captain on Thursday as he faced the media for the first time since his appointment on a permanent basis.

Rooney, 31, apologised after being pictured looking the worse for wear as he mingled with wedding guests at the England team hotel in the early hours during the most recent international break.

Southgate had dropped him for a 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw in Slovenia, but recalled him for England&#39;s 3-0 win over Scotland, before injury forced the Manchester United forward to withdraw from the squad.

&quot;Wayne Rooney is the England captain,&quot; Southgate told reporters at Wembley.

&quot;I said that from the beginning of the interim period. What&#39;s also clear is that I&#39;ve only selected him to start in two of the four matches we&#39;ve had.

&quot;It is not a case that Wayne expects to play every game. It&#39;s important we develop more leaders in that group.

&quot;When I played for England at Euro 96, there were leaders throughout the team. Wayne has played an important part up to this point, but we also need to develop others.&quot;

Southgate, 46, was appointed England manager on a four-year contract on Wednesday, having previously been in charge for four games on an interim basis.

Reports suggested Southgate&#39;s contract contained a break clause after the 2018 World Cup, but he said that was not the case.

The former Middlesbrough manager was promoted from his role as England Under-21s coach after Sam Allardyce was forced to depart in the aftermath of a Daily Telegraph sting.

Southgate&#39;s first game as full-time manager will be a friendly against Germany in Dortmund on March 22, followed by a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley four days later.

England, humiliated by Iceland in the last 16 at Euro 2016, top their World Cup qualifying group by two points.

(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Southgate had dropped Rooney for a WC qualifier but recalled him for England's win over Scotland

England manager Gareth Southgate confirmed Wayne Rooney will remain captain on Thursday as he faced the media for the first time since his appointment on a permanent basis. Rooney, 31, apologised after being pictured looking the worse for wear as he mingled with wedding guests at the England team hotel in the early hours during the most recent international break. Southgate had dropped him for a 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw in Slovenia, but recalled him for England's 3-0 win over Scotland, before injury forced the Manchester United forward to withdraw from the squad. "Wayne Rooney is the England captain," Southgate told reporters at Wembley. "I said that from the beginning of the interim period. What's also clear is that I've only selected him to start in two of the four matches we've had. "It is not a case that Wayne expects to play every game. It's important we develop more leaders in that group. "When I played for England at Euro 96, there were leaders throughout the team. Wayne has played an important part up to this point, but we also need to develop others." Southgate, 46, was appointed England manager on a four-year contract on Wednesday, having previously been in charge for four games on an interim basis. Reports suggested Southgate's contract contained a break clause after the 2018 World Cup, but he said that was not the case. The former Middlesbrough manager was promoted from his role as England Under-21s coach after Sam Allardyce was forced to depart in the aftermath of a Daily Telegraph sting. Southgate's first game as full-time manager will be a friendly against Germany in Dortmund on March 22, followed by a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley four days later. England, humiliated by Iceland in the last 16 at Euro 2016, top their World Cup qualifying group by two points. (AFP)

Football: Southgate confirms Rooney as England captain

Anthony Martial and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice each to help Manchester United ease into the League Cup semi-finals with a 4-1 home victory over West Ham United on Wednesday as Arsenal suffered a 2-0 home defeat by Southampton.

Martial netted twice in the second half to take the tie at Old Trafford away from West Ham, who had levelled through Ashley Fletcher following Ibrahimovic&#39;s opener after two minutes. The Swede added the fourth deep into stoppage-time.

Southampton clinched their first appearance in the last four of the competition since 1987 with powerful first-half efforts from Jordy Clasie and Ryan Bertrand against a weakened Arsenal, who made 10 changes to their side.

United were then drawn to face Hull City in the semi-finals and Southampton will play Liverpool.

United and West Ham met at the same venue in the Premier League on Sunday when United boss Jose Mourinho let his frustrations boil over and earned a second touchline ban of the season for booting a water bottle.

The Portuguese was banned from the dugout on Wednesday, but would have been delighted with the way United carved open their opponents after just two minutes with a fluent break.

West Ham opened the scoring on Sunday equally early, but they were caught cold as Wayne Rooney, one goal short of Bobby Charlton&#39;s all-time club scoring record, fed Henrikh Mkhitaryan, whose backheel picked out Ibrahimovic to dink the ball into the net.

The Swede should have doubled the lead when he waltzed through the heart of the West Ham defence before twice being denied by keeper Adrian.

That could have proved a costly miss because for all United&#39;s first-half dominance, they were pegged back 10 minutes before the break by one of their former players.

Having come through the youth ranks at United, Fletcher was allowed to join West Ham in the close season and punished his former employers by scoring from close range after David de Gea had spilled a shot from Dimitri Payet.

Payet, however, was the villain two minutes after halftime as his poor clearance was pounced on and fed to Mkhitaryan, who claimed his second assist by laying the ball off for Martial to blast past Adrian.

With 30 minutes remaining, Martial grabbed his second, tapping home Antonio Valencia&#39;s cross before Ibrahimovic added the fourth from close range.

&quot;Goals plus performance means the real happiness,&quot; Mourinho, who would not divulge where he watched the match, told Sky Sports.

&quot;The performance is something we are used to, we are playing very well at home. Today was more of the same.&quot;

The League Cup has not been kind to Arsenal in recent years with the club having now progressed from just one of their previous six quarter-finals, which was perhaps the reason why manager Arsene Wenger chose to make wholesale changes to his side to face Southampton.

The Saints began the brighter and were ahead after just 12 minutes when Dutchman Clasie fired powerfully into the net for his first goal for the club.

The lead was doubled eight minutes before the break when Carl Jenkinson was outmuscled deep in his own half, allowing Sofiane Boufal to break and tee up Bertrand to drill a low finish into the bottom corner.

(Reuters)

Manchester United eased into the League Cup semi-finals with a 4-1 home victory over West Ham United

Anthony Martial and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice each to help Manchester United ease into the League Cup semi-finals with a 4-1 home victory over West Ham United on Wednesday as Arsenal suffered a 2-0 home defeat by Southampton. Martial netted twice in the second half to take the tie at Old Trafford away from West Ham, who had levelled through Ashley Fletcher following Ibrahimovic's opener after two minutes. The Swede added the fourth deep into stoppage-time. Southampton clinched their first appearance in the last four of the competition since 1987 with powerful first-half efforts from Jordy Clasie and Ryan Bertrand against a weakened Arsenal, who made 10 changes to their side. United were then drawn to face Hull City in the semi-finals and Southampton will play Liverpool. United and West Ham met at the same venue in the Premier League on Sunday when United boss Jose Mourinho let his frustrations boil over and earned a second touchline ban of the season for booting a water bottle. The Portuguese was banned from the dugout on Wednesday, but would have been delighted with the way United carved open their opponents after just two minutes with a fluent break. West Ham opened the scoring on Sunday equally early, but they were caught cold as Wayne Rooney, one goal short of Bobby Charlton's all-time club scoring record, fed Henrikh Mkhitaryan, whose backheel picked out Ibrahimovic to dink the ball into the net. The Swede should have doubled the lead when he waltzed through the heart of the West Ham defence before twice being denied by keeper Adrian. That could have proved a costly miss because for all United's first-half dominance, they were pegged back 10 minutes before the break by one of their former players. Having come through the youth ranks at United, Fletcher was allowed to join West Ham in the close season and punished his former employers by scoring from close range after David de Gea had spilled a shot from Dimitri Payet. Payet, however, was the villain two minutes after halftime as his poor clearance was pounced on and fed to Mkhitaryan, who claimed his second assist by laying the ball off for Martial to blast past Adrian. With 30 minutes remaining, Martial grabbed his second, tapping home Antonio Valencia's cross before Ibrahimovic added the fourth from close range. "Goals plus performance means the real happiness," Mourinho, who would not divulge where he watched the match, told Sky Sports. "The performance is something we are used to, we are playing very well at home. Today was more of the same." The League Cup has not been kind to Arsenal in recent years with the club having now progressed from just one of their previous six quarter-finals, which was perhaps the reason why manager Arsene Wenger chose to make wholesale changes to his side to face Southampton. The Saints began the brighter and were ahead after just 12 minutes when Dutchman Clasie fired powerfully into the net for his first goal for the club. The lead was doubled eight minutes before the break when Carl Jenkinson was outmuscled deep in his own half, allowing Sofiane Boufal to break and tee up Bertrand to drill a low finish into the bottom corner. (Reuters)

Football: Man United sweep past West Ham, Arsenal ousted by Southampton

Gareth Southgate will lead England towards the 2018 World Cup and 2020 European Championship after being appointed permanent manager of the national team by &nbsp;the &nbsp;FA on Wednesday.

The 46-year-old succeeds Sam Allardyce who departed 67 days into his reign after being caught up in a newspaper sting.

In a statement released after a meeting of the Football Association board at St George`s Park, the FA said the former England defender had agreed for a four-year contract.

Southgate, who was in charge of England&#39;s under 21s for 32 games, has overseen two wins and a draw in the three World Cup qualifying games as interim manager, leaving England top of the group. He also saw his side draw with Spain.

&quot;I am extremely proud to be appointed England manager. However, I`m also conscious that getting the job is one thing, now I want to do the job successfully,&quot; the former Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough player said.

&quot;I`ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the players over these past four games and I think there`s huge potential.

&quot;For me, the hard work starts now.&quot;

His first match in permanent charge will be away to Germany in a friendly in March, followed by a World Cup qualifier at home to Lithuania later that month.

(Reuters)&nbsp;

Southgate signed a four-year contract which includes England's campaigns for the 2018 World Cup and the 2020 European Championship

Gareth Southgate will lead England towards the 2018 World Cup and 2020 European Championship after being appointed permanent manager of the national team by the FA on Wednesday. The 46-year-old succeeds Sam Allardyce who departed 67 days into his reign after being caught up in a newspaper sting. In a statement released after a meeting of the Football Association board at St George`s Park, the FA said the former England defender had agreed for a four-year contract. Southgate, who was in charge of England's under 21s for 32 games, has overseen two wins and a draw in the three World Cup qualifying games as interim manager, leaving England top of the group. He also saw his side draw with Spain. "I am extremely proud to be appointed England manager. However, I`m also conscious that getting the job is one thing, now I want to do the job successfully," the former Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough player said. "I`ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the players over these past four games and I think there`s huge potential. "For me, the hard work starts now." His first match in permanent charge will be away to Germany in a friendly in March, followed by a World Cup qualifier at home to Lithuania later that month. (Reuters)

Southgate appointed England's football manager

Liverpool starlet Ben Woodburn made history as the teenage striker became the club&#39;s youngest ever goalscorer in Tuesday&#39;s 2-0 win over Leeds in the League Cup quarter-finals.

Aged 17 years and 45 days, Woodburn enjoyed a moment to remember forever in the 81st minute at Anfield when he fired home in front of the famous Kop End to eclipse the previous record set by Michael Owen, who was 17 years and 143 days old when he scored against Wimbledon in May 1997.

Cheshire-born Woodburn, who recently signed a long-term contract with Liverpool, is a Wales Under-19 international, but he still remains eligible to play for England at senior level.

Klopp`s side are through to the League Cup semi-finals for the third successive year thanks to Woodburn and Divock Origi.

Klopp has now won seven of his nine League Cup games with Liverpool, who hope to lift the trophy for the ninth time after losing to Manchester City in the final last term.Before kick-off, Liverpool`s Brazilian captain Lucas and his team-mates, all wearing black armbands, stood for a minutes` silence following the plane crash that killed 71 people, including members of the Brazilian Chapecoense team.

With Philippe Coutinho sidelined for five weeks with ankle ligament damage, Klopp gave starts to teenagers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ovie Ejaria as the Reds boss selected a team featuring eight changes.

Second tier Leeds, whose last League Cup semi-final appearance was in 1996, should have been ahead early on when Hadi Sacko broke the offside trap and saw his shot saved by Simon Mignolet.

Liverpool gradually took charge and Sadio Mane`s pass slipped Georginio Wijnaldum into the penalty area, but the Dutchman&#39;s shot struck the far post.

Then, in the 76th minute, Alexander-Arnold whipped in a cross from the right and Belgian striker Origi stretched to guide the ball home at the near post for his fourth goal of the season and third in the League Cup.

Woodburn came on in the 67th minute and his dream came to true when he smashed home a flowing move involving Origi, Mane and Wijnaldum in the 81st minute.

(AFP)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ben Woodburn became Liverpool's youngest scorer as the team beat Leeds 2-0 to reach the semis of the League Cup

Liverpool starlet Ben Woodburn made history as the teenage striker became the club's youngest ever goalscorer in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Leeds in the League Cup quarter-finals. Aged 17 years and 45 days, Woodburn enjoyed a moment to remember forever in the 81st minute at Anfield when he fired home in front of the famous Kop End to eclipse the previous record set by Michael Owen, who was 17 years and 143 days old when he scored against Wimbledon in May 1997. Cheshire-born Woodburn, who recently signed a long-term contract with Liverpool, is a Wales Under-19 international, but he still remains eligible to play for England at senior level. Klopp`s side are through to the League Cup semi-finals for the third successive year thanks to Woodburn and Divock Origi. Klopp has now won seven of his nine League Cup games with Liverpool, who hope to lift the trophy for the ninth time after losing to Manchester City in the final last term.Before kick-off, Liverpool`s Brazilian captain Lucas and his team-mates, all wearing black armbands, stood for a minutes` silence following the plane crash that killed 71 people, including members of the Brazilian Chapecoense team. With Philippe Coutinho sidelined for five weeks with ankle ligament damage, Klopp gave starts to teenagers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ovie Ejaria as the Reds boss selected a team featuring eight changes. Second tier Leeds, whose last League Cup semi-final appearance was in 1996, should have been ahead early on when Hadi Sacko broke the offside trap and saw his shot saved by Simon Mignolet. Liverpool gradually took charge and Sadio Mane`s pass slipped Georginio Wijnaldum into the penalty area, but the Dutchman's shot struck the far post. Then, in the 76th minute, Alexander-Arnold whipped in a cross from the right and Belgian striker Origi stretched to guide the ball home at the near post for his fourth goal of the season and third in the League Cup. Woodburn came on in the 67th minute and his dream came to true when he smashed home a flowing move involving Origi, Mane and Wijnaldum in the 81st minute. (AFP)

Record-breaker Woodburn helps Liverpool reach League Cup semis

Former coach Barry Bennell, who is at the centre of a scandal rocking English football, was on Tuesday charged with eight counts of child abuse, prosecutors said.

Bennell, who has already served three jail terms for previous child sex offences, has faced a slew of new allegations by at least 20 former footballers spanning three decades beginning in the 1970s when he was working for Crewe Alexandra, Manchester City and Stoke City.

&quot;Following a review of the evidence, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, Mr Bennell, 62, has today been charged with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy under the age of 14,&quot; said a statement from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Bennell, who it was revealed on Monday had to be hospitalised when he was found unconscious in a hotel near London, will appear in court on December 14. &nbsp;

The latest charges stem from Cheshire Police but six other police forces are investigating accusations made against Bennell in a scandal Football Association Chairman Greg Clarke has called &quot;the greatest crisis&quot; in English football he could recall.&nbsp;

Former Newcastle player Derek Bell, who waived his anonymity to the Guardian, claimed he was subjected to &quot;horrendous&quot; sexual abuse at his local boys football club in the 1970s.

&quot;It was pure, unbelievable heartache. Thinking my mam and dad were next door and he was performing these sexual acts. He had groomed us for a couple of years and he thought it was normal,&quot; Bell said.

&quot;Deep down in my mind I knew it wasn&#39;t normal, but I was so scared to speak and come out and say it wasn&#39;t right.&quot;

Former Northern Ireland international Mark Williams spoke out, with Sky News revealing he had waived his anonymity to describe his torment.

&quot;My life has been affected irreversibly both personally and professionally and it has been soul-destroying to carry this burden for 30 years,&quot; he said.

Police Scotland have also confirmed they have launched a probe following abuse allegations north of the border.

The FA has also launched its own internal review appointing leading lawyer Kate Gallafent, an expert in child protection, to head it up.

The British Government announced on Tuesday they will bring the police and the FA together for a meeting on the developing scandal.

Clarke took over as FA chairman in August and has already had to deal with the removal of Sam Allardyce as England coach over comments he made in a newspaper sting and the &#39;poppygate&#39; row with FIFA.

Unacceptable

He told Sky News it was time to finally deal with the issues after they had been ignored.

&quot;It&#39;s certainly the biggest (crisis) I can remember,&quot; said Clarke.

&quot;I think the moral consequences of failing to deal with some of these issues in the past we must get to the bottom of.&quot;

Clarke doesn&#39;t know if the FA at the time deliberately turned a blind eye to the goings on although a reporter who made a documentary about sex abuse in football for Channel Four in 1997 has claimed there is a FA report from 2005 detailing 250 victims and spread over a number of clubs.

&quot;I don&#39;t know if there was a cover-up or not, I really don&#39;t know,&quot; said Clarke.

&quot;I suspect like many big problems, people aren&#39;t drawn towards them. My methodology is, if there&#39;s a problem, run towards it, embrace it, fix it, disclose everything that happened.

&quot;I think institutionally, all organisations in the old days used to protect themselves by keeping quiet and closing ranks.

&quot;That&#39;s completely inappropriate and unacceptable today.&quot;

Clarke told the BBC the FA review would not seek to speak to alleged victims nor would he confer with his predecessors as chairman.

&quot;We&#39;ve agreed with the police that we won&#39;t talk to any of the victims formally, because they have to talk to them, they have to take statements and we&#39;re not allowed to interfere in that process,&quot; said Clarke.

Meanwhile, Chelsea announced they have retained an external law firm to carry out an investigation concerning an individual employed by the club in the 1970s, who is now dead.

&quot;The club has contacted the FA to ensure that all possible assistance is provided as part of their wider investigation,&quot; a Chelsea statement read.

&quot;This will include providing the FA with any relevant information arising out of the club&#39;s investigation.&quot;

(AFP)

The FA chairman has called it the 'greatest crisis' in English football

Former coach Barry Bennell, who is at the centre of a scandal rocking English football, was on Tuesday charged with eight counts of child abuse, prosecutors said. Bennell, who has already served three jail terms for previous child sex offences, has faced a slew of new allegations by at least 20 former footballers spanning three decades beginning in the 1970s when he was working for Crewe Alexandra, Manchester City and Stoke City. "Following a review of the evidence, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, Mr Bennell, 62, has today been charged with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy under the age of 14," said a statement from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Bennell, who it was revealed on Monday had to be hospitalised when he was found unconscious in a hotel near London, will appear in court on December 14. The latest charges stem from Cheshire Police but six other police forces are investigating accusations made against Bennell in a scandal Football Association Chairman Greg Clarke has called "the greatest crisis" in English football he could recall. Former Newcastle player Derek Bell, who waived his anonymity to the Guardian, claimed he was subjected to "horrendous" sexual abuse at his local boys football club in the 1970s. "It was pure, unbelievable heartache. Thinking my mam and dad were next door and he was performing these sexual acts. He had groomed us for a couple of years and he thought it was normal," Bell said. "Deep down in my mind I knew it wasn't normal, but I was so scared to speak and come out and say it wasn't right." Former Northern Ireland international Mark Williams spoke out, with Sky News revealing he had waived his anonymity to describe his torment. "My life has been affected irreversibly both personally and professionally and it has been soul-destroying to carry this burden for 30 years," he said. Police Scotland have also confirmed they have launched a probe following abuse allegations north of the border. The FA has also launched its own internal review appointing leading lawyer Kate Gallafent, an expert in child protection, to head it up. The British Government announced on Tuesday they will bring the police and the FA together for a meeting on the developing scandal. Clarke took over as FA chairman in August and has already had to deal with the removal of Sam Allardyce as England coach over comments he made in a newspaper sting and the 'poppygate' row with FIFA. Unacceptable He told Sky News it was time to finally deal with the issues after they had been ignored. "It's certainly the biggest (crisis) I can remember," said Clarke. "I think the moral consequences of failing to deal with some of these issues in the past we must get to the bottom of." Clarke doesn't know if the FA at the time deliberately turned a blind eye to the goings on although a reporter who made a documentary about sex abuse in football for Channel Four in 1997 has claimed there is a FA report from 2005 detailing 250 victims and spread over a number of clubs. "I don't know if there was a cover-up or not, I really don't know," said Clarke. "I suspect like many big problems, people aren't drawn towards them. My methodology is, if there's a problem, run towards it, embrace it, fix it, disclose everything that happened. "I think institutionally, all organisations in the old days used to protect themselves by keeping quiet and closing ranks. "That's completely inappropriate and unacceptable today." Clarke told the BBC the FA review would not seek to speak to alleged victims nor would he confer with his predecessors as chairman. "We've agreed with the police that we won't talk to any of the victims formally, because they have to talk to them, they have to take statements and we're not allowed to interfere in that process," said Clarke. Meanwhile, Chelsea announced they have retained an external law firm to carry out an investigation concerning an individual employed by the club in the 1970s, who is now dead. "The club has contacted the FA to ensure that all possible assistance is provided as part of their wider investigation," a Chelsea statement read. "This will include providing the FA with any relevant information arising out of the club's investigation." (AFP)

Football: Ex Man City coach Bennell charged with eight counts of child abuse

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was sent off as his side lost more ground in the Premier League title race by drawing 1-1 with West Ham United on Sunday.

After Diafra Sakho&#39;s second-minute opener was cancelled out by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mourinho was sent to the stands for kicking a water bottle in protest at Paul Pogba&#39;s booking for diving.

It was United&#39;s fourth successive home draw in the league -- a first since 1980 -- and left them 11 points below leaders Chelsea in sixth place.

United assistant manager Rui Faria, filling in for Mourinho, told BBC Sport: &quot;We all believe the results will appear.

&quot;The referee explained it to Jose and there is nothing more to say. I think it was frustration from Jose after the yellow card for Pogba.

&quot;It should be a foul for us, but the referee understood it in another way.&quot;

Elsewhere, Alexis Sanchez scored twice as Arsenal kept pace within the leading pack by winning 3-1 at home to Bournemouth.

Mourinho made six changes to his starting XI at Old Trafford, but his bench created the biggest stir as formerly exiled midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger made an unexpected return to the match-day squad.

West Ham needed just 90 seconds to go ahead as Dimitri Payet&#39;s free-kick from the right was headed in by Sakho.

In the 21st minute, Pogba&#39;s deep cross was nodded in by Ibrahimovic, who has now scored seven league goals this season.

Moments later referee Jonathan Moss booked Pogba for diving after the France midfielder took evasive action as Mark Noble moved in to tackle him.

Mourinho reacted by furiously kicking a plastic bottle and was duly sent to the stands for the second time this season.

Wayne Rooney, whose next goal will equal Bobby Charlton&#39;s 249-goal club scoring record, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan came on for United in the second half.

Jesse Lingard saw a goal chalked off for offside after Mkhitaryan had hit the post, while United were indebted to goalkeeper David de Gea for a crucial late save to deny Ashley Fletcher.

- Debuchy blow -

United will hope their luck changes when West Ham return to Old Trafford in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Arsenal ended a run of three straight draws in all competitions with victory over Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium.

With England midfielder Jack Wilshere watching from the stands due to the terms of his loan from Arsenal to Bournemouth, the home side took a 12th-minute lead courtesy of a horror moment from Simon Cook.

In seeking to play the ball back to goalkeeper Adam Federici from the right, he undercooked his pass horribly, giving Sanchez the time to pick his spot and put Arsenal ahead.&nbsp;

Bournemouth equalised in the 23rd minute when Callum Wilson netted from the penalty spot after Nacho Monreal was harshly adjudged to have fouled him.

But Arsenal equalised in the 53rd minute when Theo Walcott headed in Monreal&#39;s masterful cross and Sanchez made the game safe in stoppage time by tapping in substitute Olivier Giroud&#39;s cross.

&quot;I felt we started well, but when they equalised we were nervous and that&#39;s where having three consecutive draws played a little bit on our minds,&quot; said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose team trail Chelsea by three points.

Right-back Mathieu Debuchy, making his first Arsenal start for 370 days, was forced off by a hamstring injury in the first half and Wenger expressed fear the problem was &quot;severe&quot;.

Everton manager Ronald Koeman made an unhappy return to former club Southampton as his current side fell 1-0 to his previous employers.

Charlie Austin scored the game&#39;s only goal after just 41 seconds, heading in from close range after 19-year-old debutant Josh Sims helped on Cedric&#39;s cross.

Stoke City climbed to 11th in the table with a 1-0 win at Watford.

A 29th-minute own goal from Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes settled the game, with Charlie Adam&#39;s header hitting the post and bouncing into the net off the unfortunate Brazilian.

(AFP)

Manchester United manager Mourinho was sent to the stands for kicking a water bottle in protest of Paul Pogba's booking for diving

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was sent off as his side lost more ground in the Premier League title race by drawing 1-1 with West Ham United on Sunday. After Diafra Sakho's second-minute opener was cancelled out by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mourinho was sent to the stands for kicking a water bottle in protest at Paul Pogba's booking for diving. It was United's fourth successive home draw in the league -- a first since 1980 -- and left them 11 points below leaders Chelsea in sixth place. United assistant manager Rui Faria, filling in for Mourinho, told BBC Sport: "We all believe the results will appear. "The referee explained it to Jose and there is nothing more to say. I think it was frustration from Jose after the yellow card for Pogba. "It should be a foul for us, but the referee understood it in another way." Elsewhere, Alexis Sanchez scored twice as Arsenal kept pace within the leading pack by winning 3-1 at home to Bournemouth. Mourinho made six changes to his starting XI at Old Trafford, but his bench created the biggest stir as formerly exiled midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger made an unexpected return to the match-day squad. West Ham needed just 90 seconds to go ahead as Dimitri Payet's free-kick from the right was headed in by Sakho. In the 21st minute, Pogba's deep cross was nodded in by Ibrahimovic, who has now scored seven league goals this season. Moments later referee Jonathan Moss booked Pogba for diving after the France midfielder took evasive action as Mark Noble moved in to tackle him. Mourinho reacted by furiously kicking a plastic bottle and was duly sent to the stands for the second time this season. Wayne Rooney, whose next goal will equal Bobby Charlton's 249-goal club scoring record, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan came on for United in the second half. Jesse Lingard saw a goal chalked off for offside after Mkhitaryan had hit the post, while United were indebted to goalkeeper David de Gea for a crucial late save to deny Ashley Fletcher. - Debuchy blow - United will hope their luck changes when West Ham return to Old Trafford in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday. Arsenal ended a run of three straight draws in all competitions with victory over Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium. With England midfielder Jack Wilshere watching from the stands due to the terms of his loan from Arsenal to Bournemouth, the home side took a 12th-minute lead courtesy of a horror moment from Simon Cook. In seeking to play the ball back to goalkeeper Adam Federici from the right, he undercooked his pass horribly, giving Sanchez the time to pick his spot and put Arsenal ahead. Bournemouth equalised in the 23rd minute when Callum Wilson netted from the penalty spot after Nacho Monreal was harshly adjudged to have fouled him. But Arsenal equalised in the 53rd minute when Theo Walcott headed in Monreal's masterful cross and Sanchez made the game safe in stoppage time by tapping in substitute Olivier Giroud's cross. "I felt we started well, but when they equalised we were nervous and that's where having three consecutive draws played a little bit on our minds," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose team trail Chelsea by three points. Right-back Mathieu Debuchy, making his first Arsenal start for 370 days, was forced off by a hamstring injury in the first half and Wenger expressed fear the problem was "severe". Everton manager Ronald Koeman made an unhappy return to former club Southampton as his current side fell 1-0 to his previous employers. Charlie Austin scored the game's only goal after just 41 seconds, heading in from close range after 19-year-old debutant Josh Sims helped on Cedric's cross. Stoke City climbed to 11th in the table with a 1-0 win at Watford. A 29th-minute own goal from Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes settled the game, with Charlie Adam's header hitting the post and bouncing into the net off the unfortunate Brazilian. (AFP)

Football: Mourinho sent off in Man Utd draw, Sanchez fires for Arsenal

Chelsea fought back for a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur that cemented their place on top of the Premier League, while title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool kept pace with the leaders on Saturday.

Antonio Conte&#39;s Chelsea had been knocked out of pole position by City&#39;s 2-1 win at Burnley and Liverpool&#39;s 2-0 success against Sunderland earlier in the afternoon.

But they regained their one-point lead over second-placed Liverpool, who are level on points with third-placed City, thanks to a gritty London derby success at Stamford Bridge that made it seven successive league wins for the Blues.

Chelsea hadn&#39;t conceded a league goal since September 24, but Christian Eriksen fired Tottenham ahead in the 11th minute with a ferocious long-range strike.

Despite being outplayed for much of the first half, Chelsea went back to the dressing room on level terms thanks to a sublime curling effort from Pedro just before the interval.

In the 51st minute, Diego Costa picked out Victor Moses at the far post and his shot was deflected into the net off Jan Vertonghen as Chelsea ended Tottenham&#39;s 12-match unbeaten league run.

&quot;These games are difficult, It was a tough game with a lot of intensity,&quot; Conte said.

&quot;It&#39;s important to continue in this way and improve the confidence. It&#39;s too early to talk of the title. This league is very tough.&quot;

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino added: &quot;If we analyse the game, we were better. All the stats are for us but football is not just about stats. You need to be clinical and score.&quot;

Earlier, Sergio Aguero scored two scruffy goals as City saw off Burnley and Liverpool followed suit by downing Sunderland with goals from Divock Origi and James Milner after losing Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho to a worrying injury.

&quot;It was an intense game for us and a deserved win at the end,&quot; said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

&quot;It (Coutinho&#39;s injury) is an ankle injury, but we can&#39;t say any more until we see a scan.&quot;

Swansea City claimed an extraordinary 5-4 win over fellow strugglers Crystal Palace, while champions Leicester City narrowly avoided a seventh defeat of the campaign in a 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough.

Having seen City prevail at Turf Moor in the early game, Liverpool were under pressure to produce the goods against a Sunderland team who had won their two previous matches.

In the first half, the influential Coutinho was stretchered off with his right ankle in a brace after hurting himself in a challenge by Didier Ndong.

Origi took the Brazil international&#39;s place and he gave Liverpool a reward for their dominance in the 75th minute with his first league goal of the season.

Jordan Henderson picked the Belgian forward out on the left and he cut inside onto his right foot and swept a shot inside the far post.

Milner completed the victory from the penalty spot in the first minute of injury time.

Burnley took a shock 14th-minute lead against City when Dean Marney met Nicolas Otamendi&#39;s headed clearance with a thumping 25-yard volley that nestled in the bottom-left corner.

Pardew woe

But Aguero equalised in the 37th minute, stabbing home after Burnley failed to clear a corner, and the hosts&#39; luck continued to desert them as both Marney and Johann Berg Gudmundsson went off injured.

A defensive mix-up allowed City to net the decisive goal on the hour, with Fernandinho&#39;s cross striking Aguero and going in after Ben Mee and Stephen Ward had got in each other&#39;s way.

&quot;We are so satisfied for the points and the performance, especially two days after the Champions League,&quot; said City manager Pep Guardiola, whose side host Chelsea next weekend.

&quot;All of the players showed huge character and a lot of personality.&quot;

Swansea upped the pressure on Palace manager Alan Pardew by condemning the south London club to a sixth straight defeat in a madcap game that gave Bob Bradley his first win since becoming manager.

Palace led 1-0, fell 3-1 down, fought back to go 4-3 up, but eventually succumbed courtesy of a remarkable brace of injury-time goals from Spanish striker Fernando Llorente.

&quot;Crazy, at 3-1 I thought we were in control. That&#39;s one we won&#39;t forget,&quot; Bradley said.

&quot;I&#39;m going to give the players all the credit today. They fought until the end.&quot;

The victory took Swansea off the foot of the table, where they were replaced by Sunderland, and left Palace above the bottom three on goal difference.

Hull City and West Bromwich Albion drew 1-1.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Chelsea fought back for a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur that cemented their place on top of the Premier League

Chelsea fought back for a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur that cemented their place on top of the Premier League, while title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool kept pace with the leaders on Saturday. Antonio Conte's Chelsea had been knocked out of pole position by City's 2-1 win at Burnley and Liverpool's 2-0 success against Sunderland earlier in the afternoon. But they regained their one-point lead over second-placed Liverpool, who are level on points with third-placed City, thanks to a gritty London derby success at Stamford Bridge that made it seven successive league wins for the Blues. Chelsea hadn't conceded a league goal since September 24, but Christian Eriksen fired Tottenham ahead in the 11th minute with a ferocious long-range strike. Despite being outplayed for much of the first half, Chelsea went back to the dressing room on level terms thanks to a sublime curling effort from Pedro just before the interval. In the 51st minute, Diego Costa picked out Victor Moses at the far post and his shot was deflected into the net off Jan Vertonghen as Chelsea ended Tottenham's 12-match unbeaten league run. "These games are difficult, It was a tough game with a lot of intensity," Conte said. "It's important to continue in this way and improve the confidence. It's too early to talk of the title. This league is very tough." Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino added: "If we analyse the game, we were better. All the stats are for us but football is not just about stats. You need to be clinical and score." Earlier, Sergio Aguero scored two scruffy goals as City saw off Burnley and Liverpool followed suit by downing Sunderland with goals from Divock Origi and James Milner after losing Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho to a worrying injury. "It was an intense game for us and a deserved win at the end," said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. "It (Coutinho's injury) is an ankle injury, but we can't say any more until we see a scan." Swansea City claimed an extraordinary 5-4 win over fellow strugglers Crystal Palace, while champions Leicester City narrowly avoided a seventh defeat of the campaign in a 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough. Having seen City prevail at Turf Moor in the early game, Liverpool were under pressure to produce the goods against a Sunderland team who had won their two previous matches. In the first half, the influential Coutinho was stretchered off with his right ankle in a brace after hurting himself in a challenge by Didier Ndong. Origi took the Brazil international's place and he gave Liverpool a reward for their dominance in the 75th minute with his first league goal of the season. Jordan Henderson picked the Belgian forward out on the left and he cut inside onto his right foot and swept a shot inside the far post. Milner completed the victory from the penalty spot in the first minute of injury time. Burnley took a shock 14th-minute lead against City when Dean Marney met Nicolas Otamendi's headed clearance with a thumping 25-yard volley that nestled in the bottom-left corner. Pardew woe But Aguero equalised in the 37th minute, stabbing home after Burnley failed to clear a corner, and the hosts' luck continued to desert them as both Marney and Johann Berg Gudmundsson went off injured. A defensive mix-up allowed City to net the decisive goal on the hour, with Fernandinho's cross striking Aguero and going in after Ben Mee and Stephen Ward had got in each other's way. "We are so satisfied for the points and the performance, especially two days after the Champions League," said City manager Pep Guardiola, whose side host Chelsea next weekend. "All of the players showed huge character and a lot of personality." Swansea upped the pressure on Palace manager Alan Pardew by condemning the south London club to a sixth straight defeat in a madcap game that gave Bob Bradley his first win since becoming manager. Palace led 1-0, fell 3-1 down, fought back to go 4-3 up, but eventually succumbed courtesy of a remarkable brace of injury-time goals from Spanish striker Fernando Llorente. "Crazy, at 3-1 I thought we were in control. That's one we won't forget," Bradley said. "I'm going to give the players all the credit today. They fought until the end." The victory took Swansea off the foot of the table, where they were replaced by Sunderland, and left Palace above the bottom three on goal difference. Hull City and West Bromwich Albion drew 1-1. (AFP)

Football: Chelsea down Spurs as City, Liverpool keep pace

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