Manchester City stayed ahead of age-old local rivals Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a deserved 1-0 win away to champions Chelsea.

After Jose Mourinho&#39;s United romped to a 4-0 victory over bottom club Crystal Palace, City had much the better of the late game at Stamford Bridge.

&quot;We are so happy,&quot; City manager Pep Guardiola said. &quot;The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing.&quot;

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<h5>The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing,&#39; said Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola</h5>
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A second-half goal by former Chelsea forward Kevin de Bruyne won it and left City just ahead of United on goal difference.

Chelsea, starting the day three points behind the Manchester pair in third place, dropped to fourth after two more goals from Harry Kane helped Tottenham Hotspur to a comfortable 4-0 win away to Huddersfield Town.

Manager Antonio Conte blamed Champions League exertions from midweek for his team&#39;s subdued performance. &quot;It is logical when you play three games in seven (sic) days you risk something,&quot; he said.

United&#39;s win left Palace rooted to the bottom of the table after a record seventh successive defeat without a goal to start the season.

Beaten 5-0 away by City in their last game, Palace avoided a repetition but became only the second team since the Premier League began to lose their first seven games. Unlike Portsmouth in 2009-10, though, they have not scored a single goal.

Romelu Lukaku&#39;s late strike meant that free-scoring United have hit four goals in a game six times this season.

Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini scored before halftime and when Fellaini headed in his second just after the interval, the points were made even more secure.

&quot;We started strong and we finished strong,&quot; said Mourinho.

England striker Kane continued his astonishing run by following up a Champions League hat-trick in midweek with two more goals as Spurs went 3-0 up by halftime at promoted Huddersfield. Ben Davies scored the other first-half goal and Moussa Sissoko added a fourth just before the final whistle.

Kane, having failed to score at all in August once again, made it 13 for club and country during September.

&quot;Goals to games it is probably the best month I have had, especially after August,&quot; he said.

Watford recovered from two goals down at West Bromwich Albion to go fifth after the home team scored twice in three minutes in the first half through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans.

Abdoulaye Doucoure kept Watford in contention and Brazilian Richarlison headed an equaliser in the final minute of added time.

Substitute Peter Crouch earned Stoke City a 2-1 win at home to Southampton after Maya Yoshida had equalised Mame Biram Diouf&#39;s opener. Earlier Saido Berahino, who has not scored for 30 games, missed a penalty conceded by Southampton&#39;s Virgil van Dijk, playing his first game of the season.

In two key games at the wrong end of the table, West Ham United had a late 1-0 win over Swansea City to move above them but Bournemouth were held at home by Leicester City.

West Ham relieved some of the pressure on manager Slaven Bilic when two of his substitutes combined for a dramatic winning goal.

Arthur Masuaku crossed for Diafra Sakho to score, taking the London side out of the bottom three and putting Swansea there instead.

&quot;It was a difficult atmosphere in some ways,&quot; West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart said of a home crowd who grew increasingly restless.

&quot;I&#39;m never going to criticise the fans, they pay their money and have a right to their opinion.&quot;

Bournemouth stay bottom but one after dominating against Leicester but failing to score. Jermain Defoe came closest in the second minute, hitting the bar.

In Sunday&#39;s three matches, sixth-placed Liverpool meet up with their former manager Rafa Benitez, now in charge of Newcastle United; Arsenal host Brighton and Everton are at home to Burnley.

City beat Chelsea away 1-0, United romped 4-0 over Crystal Palace

Manchester City stayed ahead of age-old local rivals Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a deserved 1-0 win away to champions Chelsea. After Jose Mourinho's United romped to a 4-0 victory over bottom club Crystal Palace, City had much the better of the late game at Stamford Bridge. "We are so happy," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing." The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing,' said Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola × A second-half goal by former Chelsea forward Kevin de Bruyne won it and left City just ahead of United on goal difference. Chelsea, starting the day three points behind the Manchester pair in third place, dropped to fourth after two more goals from Harry Kane helped Tottenham Hotspur to a comfortable 4-0 win away to Huddersfield Town. Manager Antonio Conte blamed Champions League exertions from midweek for his team's subdued performance. "It is logical when you play three games in seven (sic) days you risk something," he said. United's win left Palace rooted to the bottom of the table after a record seventh successive defeat without a goal to start the season. Beaten 5-0 away by City in their last game, Palace avoided a repetition but became only the second team since the Premier League began to lose their first seven games. Unlike Portsmouth in 2009-10, though, they have not scored a single goal. Romelu Lukaku's late strike meant that free-scoring United have hit four goals in a game six times this season. Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini scored before halftime and when Fellaini headed in his second just after the interval, the points were made even more secure. "We started strong and we finished strong," said Mourinho. England striker Kane continued his astonishing run by following up a Champions League hat-trick in midweek with two more goals as Spurs went 3-0 up by halftime at promoted Huddersfield. Ben Davies scored the other first-half goal and Moussa Sissoko added a fourth just before the final whistle. Kane, having failed to score at all in August once again, made it 13 for club and country during September. "Goals to games it is probably the best month I have had, especially after August," he said. Watford recovered from two goals down at West Bromwich Albion to go fifth after the home team scored twice in three minutes in the first half through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans. Abdoulaye Doucoure kept Watford in contention and Brazilian Richarlison headed an equaliser in the final minute of added time. Substitute Peter Crouch earned Stoke City a 2-1 win at home to Southampton after Maya Yoshida had equalised Mame Biram Diouf's opener. Earlier Saido Berahino, who has not scored for 30 games, missed a penalty conceded by Southampton's Virgil van Dijk, playing his first game of the season. In two key games at the wrong end of the table, West Ham United had a late 1-0 win over Swansea City to move above them but Bournemouth were held at home by Leicester City. West Ham relieved some of the pressure on manager Slaven Bilic when two of his substitutes combined for a dramatic winning goal. Arthur Masuaku crossed for Diafra Sakho to score, taking the London side out of the bottom three and putting Swansea there instead. "It was a difficult atmosphere in some ways," West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart said of a home crowd who grew increasingly restless. "I'm never going to criticise the fans, they pay their money and have a right to their opinion." Bournemouth stay bottom but one after dominating against Leicester but failing to score. Jermain Defoe came closest in the second minute, hitting the bar. In Sunday's three matches, sixth-placed Liverpool meet up with their former manager Rafa Benitez, now in charge of Newcastle United; Arsenal host Brighton and Everton are at home to Burnley.

Manchester City stay ahead of United with win over champions Chelsea

Manchester City&#39;s Argentine striker Sergio Aguero &quot;sustained injuries&quot;&nbsp;in a car crash, the club said Friday.&nbsp;

The accident occurred in Amsterdam, Holland.&nbsp;

Aguero was returning to England Friday to have his injuries examined.&nbsp;

City will be playing Chelsea in London on Saturday.&nbsp;

&quot;Sergio Aguero will be assessed by club doctors today after being involved in a road accident on Thursday. The City forward was in Holland on his day off and has sustained injuries,&quot; AFP quoted a statement from the club as saying.

City have since announced Aguero will not be playing on Saturday.&nbsp;

AFP reported Amsterdam Police as saying they had attended to a car accident on Thursday evening at around 11 pm after a &quot;taxi-cab hit a lamp-post&quot;.&nbsp;

Amsterdam Police said there were two passengers in the taxi, but did not confirm their identities.&nbsp;

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Aguero was involved in a car crash in Amsterdam on Thursday in which a 'taxi-cab hit a lamp-post'

Manchester City's Argentine striker Sergio Aguero "sustained injuries" in a car crash, the club said Friday. The accident occurred in Amsterdam, Holland. Aguero was returning to England Friday to have his injuries examined. City will be playing Chelsea in London on Saturday. "Sergio Aguero will be assessed by club doctors today after being involved in a road accident on Thursday. The City forward was in Holland on his day off and has sustained injuries," AFP quoted a statement from the club as saying. City have since announced Aguero will not be playing on Saturday. AFP reported Amsterdam Police as saying they had attended to a car accident on Thursday evening at around 11 pm after a "taxi-cab hit a lamp-post". Amsterdam Police said there were two passengers in the taxi, but did not confirm their identities.

Injured in car crash, City's Aguero will not play Chelsea on Saturday

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/wenger-left-frustrated-as-arsenal-held-by-manchester-city-14093">Manchester City&#39;s Samir Nasri</a> is set to move to Antalyaspor after signing a two-year deal with the Turkish club.

30-year-old French national team player Nasri was loaned to La Liga team Sevilla but he returned to City for pre-season training.

The former Arsenal star was one of the main players during Manchester City&#39;s 2014 campaign scroring eleven goals as the club won the second league title.

Meanwhile, Burnley signed New Zealand national Chris Woods from Leeds United&nbsp;for a record $19.3 million four-year contract.&nbsp;

&quot;My ambition has been to play in the Premier League for years,&quot; Wood said.

&quot;I&rsquo;ve had tastes of being in there but I&rsquo;ve never had the chance to give it a proper bash.&quot;

&quot;Coming here I feel I&rsquo;ve got a proper opportunity to do that. I&rsquo;ve never started a Premier League game and this what I want to do,&quot; the Leeds player said. 
&nbsp;

Burnley signed New Zealand national Chris Woods from Leeds for a record $19.3 million four-year contract

Manchester City's Samir Nasri is set to move to Antalyaspor after signing a two-year deal with the Turkish club. 30-year-old French national team player Nasri was loaned to La Liga team Sevilla but he returned to City for pre-season training. The former Arsenal star was one of the main players during Manchester City's 2014 campaign scroring eleven goals as the club won the second league title. Meanwhile, Burnley signed New Zealand national Chris Woods from Leeds United for a record $19.3 million four-year contract. "My ambition has been to play in the Premier League for years," Wood said. "I’ve had tastes of being in there but I’ve never had the chance to give it a proper bash." "Coming here I feel I’ve got a proper opportunity to do that. I’ve never started a Premier League game and this what I want to do," the Leeds player said.

Nasri moves to Antalyaspor, Burnley in record deal for Chris Woods

Antonio Conte spent the immediate aftermath of Chelsea&#39;s title-winning 1-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion on Friday being bounced skywards by his players but once back on terra firma his mind was already focusing on the next target -- the double.

In claiming the Premier League title at the first time of asking Conte matched the feat of Chelsea predecessors Jose Mourinho in 2004-05 and Carlo Ancelotti in 2009-10.

Ancelotti went on to win the FA Cup as well and one suspects the insatiable Conte will feel a sense of anti-climax if his side do not beat Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on May 27.

&quot;My players show me a great attitude to try to do something great this season,&quot; Conte said after the title triumph.

&quot;We were not lucky, we did a great job. It&#39;s important to rest. It is a great season but now we can win the FA Cup.&quot;

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<h5>Chelsea play Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on May 27</h5>
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The Italian, winner of three Serie A titles as Juventus manager, has transformed Chelsea from flops to champions in one season with largely the same group of players.

Yet there were moments back in the autumn when things looked in danger of unravelling as defeats by Liverpool and Arsenal threatened to undermine a bright start to the season.

Conte said the drubbing by Arsenal, a game in which he switched to a three-at-the-back system midway through when his side trailed 3-0, was a turning point.

&quot;That decision changed our season. We had to change and find a new suit for our team,&quot; he said.

&quot;In my mind there was this option to play a 3-4-3 because I knew I had the players to do that.&quot;

PULIS PRAISE

West Brom manager Tony Pulis was full of praise for Conte -- both for his infectious touchline enthusiasm and his ability to alter the tactics when his approach was going wrong.

&quot;They&#39;re worthy champions alright. They had a poor start, and Conte had to change things,&quot; he said.

&quot;He&#39;s made it his team. Italian teams are tactically organised and well run. He changed their shape and they&#39;ve been superb from that moment onwards.

&quot;He recognised that he had to change it earlier in the season or he might have got changed himself.&quot;

Conte is the only manager in the top flight this term to use all three permitted substitutes in every league game.

He did it again on Friday and once more his touch turned to gold with Belgian misfit Michy Batshuayi, a 76th-minute replacement for Pedro, scoring the goal six minutes later that meant Chelsea&#39;s title party could start in earnest.

&quot;Michy paid me a lot with this change!&quot; Conte said.

&quot;It was great. It wasn&#39;t easy for me to arrive in England and try different habits, a different language and inherit players after a bad season.

&quot;Every game I feel like I have played with my players. I show my passion and my will, my desire to stay with my players in every moment of the game. This is me, I am this.&quot;

(Reuters)

Chelsea lifted the title after beating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 on Friday

Antonio Conte spent the immediate aftermath of Chelsea's title-winning 1-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion on Friday being bounced skywards by his players but once back on terra firma his mind was already focusing on the next target -- the double. In claiming the Premier League title at the first time of asking Conte matched the feat of Chelsea predecessors Jose Mourinho in 2004-05 and Carlo Ancelotti in 2009-10. Ancelotti went on to win the FA Cup as well and one suspects the insatiable Conte will feel a sense of anti-climax if his side do not beat Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on May 27. "My players show me a great attitude to try to do something great this season," Conte said after the title triumph. "We were not lucky, we did a great job. It's important to rest. It is a great season but now we can win the FA Cup." Chelsea play Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on May 27 × The Italian, winner of three Serie A titles as Juventus manager, has transformed Chelsea from flops to champions in one season with largely the same group of players. Yet there were moments back in the autumn when things looked in danger of unravelling as defeats by Liverpool and Arsenal threatened to undermine a bright start to the season. Conte said the drubbing by Arsenal, a game in which he switched to a three-at-the-back system midway through when his side trailed 3-0, was a turning point. "That decision changed our season. We had to change and find a new suit for our team," he said. "In my mind there was this option to play a 3-4-3 because I knew I had the players to do that." PULIS PRAISE West Brom manager Tony Pulis was full of praise for Conte -- both for his infectious touchline enthusiasm and his ability to alter the tactics when his approach was going wrong. "They're worthy champions alright. They had a poor start, and Conte had to change things," he said. "He's made it his team. Italian teams are tactically organised and well run. He changed their shape and they've been superb from that moment onwards. "He recognised that he had to change it earlier in the season or he might have got changed himself." Conte is the only manager in the top flight this term to use all three permitted substitutes in every league game. He did it again on Friday and once more his touch turned to gold with Belgian misfit Michy Batshuayi, a 76th-minute replacement for Pedro, scoring the goal six minutes later that meant Chelsea's title party could start in earnest. "Michy paid me a lot with this change!" Conte said. "It was great. It wasn't easy for me to arrive in England and try different habits, a different language and inherit players after a bad season. "Every game I feel like I have played with my players. I show my passion and my will, my desire to stay with my players in every moment of the game. This is me, I am this." (Reuters)

Premier League in bag, Conte sets sights on double

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City both issued timely reminders to Chelsea that the Premier League title race might not be over with impressive victories on Sunday.

After top-six rivals Arsenal and Manchester United dropped points on Saturday, second-placed Tottenham took full advantage as Harry Kane struck twice in a 3-2 home win against Everton.

That left Tottenham seven points behind Chelsea who face West Ham United on Monday, while City are a further point behind Tottenham with a game in hand after goals by Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane eased them to a 2-0 win at Sunderland who stay rooted to the bottom of the table.

City are three points above fourth-placed Liverpool while Arsenal have slipped out of the top-four after their 3-1 loss at Anfield on Saturday. United are sixth, three points worse off than Liverpool, after drawing with Bournemouth on Saturday.

Tottenham, as they did for most of last season when they pursued title winners Leicester City into the closing weeks, look like they are ready to go the distance again.

Kane opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a 25-metre rocket shot and doubled his side&#39;s advantage early in the second half -- his 19th league goal of the season and 14th strike in 12 games in all competitions.

Romelu Lukaku, vying for the Premier League&#39;s Golden Boot with Kane, struck his 18th of the season with 10 minutes left before Dele Alli struck for Spurs in stoppage time and Enner Valencia replied immediately for the visitors.

Tottenham have now won nine consecutive home Premier League games for the first time while Everton&#39;s nine-match unbeaten run in the league came to an end.

&quot;It was a fantastic performance even if we are a little disappointed to concede the goals,&quot; Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said. &quot;We dominated the game and played with a lot of confidence.

&quot;It&#39;s important because now comes the most important period in the season.&quot;

City, who have the chance to move second when they play at home to Stoke City on Wednesday, were in third gear at times against Sunderland but had far too much class.

It took them until three minutes before the break to edge ahead. A sweeping move saw David Silva release Raheem Sterling whose cross was dinked home by Aguero.

Silva was involved in City&#39;s second -- a perfectly-weighted pass allowing Sane to smash a shot past Jordan Pickford.

City have kept five successive away clean sheets in all competitions and have 10 away league wins, although Guardiola was still not totally satisfied.

&quot;It was a good victory,&quot; he said. &quot;But we were passing the ball between ourselves in the last 25 minutes.

&quot;I don&#39;t like to defend a result and be near our box. It is okay if you&#39;re 3-0 or 4-0 up but not 2-0.&quot;

(Reuters)

Both won on Sunday, are now respectively 7 & 8 points behind the league leaders

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City both issued timely reminders to Chelsea that the Premier League title race might not be over with impressive victories on Sunday. After top-six rivals Arsenal and Manchester United dropped points on Saturday, second-placed Tottenham took full advantage as Harry Kane struck twice in a 3-2 home win against Everton. That left Tottenham seven points behind Chelsea who face West Ham United on Monday, while City are a further point behind Tottenham with a game in hand after goals by Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane eased them to a 2-0 win at Sunderland who stay rooted to the bottom of the table. City are three points above fourth-placed Liverpool while Arsenal have slipped out of the top-four after their 3-1 loss at Anfield on Saturday. United are sixth, three points worse off than Liverpool, after drawing with Bournemouth on Saturday. Tottenham, as they did for most of last season when they pursued title winners Leicester City into the closing weeks, look like they are ready to go the distance again. Kane opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a 25-metre rocket shot and doubled his side's advantage early in the second half -- his 19th league goal of the season and 14th strike in 12 games in all competitions. Romelu Lukaku, vying for the Premier League's Golden Boot with Kane, struck his 18th of the season with 10 minutes left before Dele Alli struck for Spurs in stoppage time and Enner Valencia replied immediately for the visitors. Tottenham have now won nine consecutive home Premier League games for the first time while Everton's nine-match unbeaten run in the league came to an end. "It was a fantastic performance even if we are a little disappointed to concede the goals," Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said. "We dominated the game and played with a lot of confidence. "It's important because now comes the most important period in the season." City, who have the chance to move second when they play at home to Stoke City on Wednesday, were in third gear at times against Sunderland but had far too much class. It took them until three minutes before the break to edge ahead. A sweeping move saw David Silva release Raheem Sterling whose cross was dinked home by Aguero. Silva was involved in City's second -- a perfectly-weighted pass allowing Sane to smash a shot past Jordan Pickford. City have kept five successive away clean sheets in all competitions and have 10 away league wins, although Guardiola was still not totally satisfied. "It was a good victory," he said. "But we were passing the ball between ourselves in the last 25 minutes. "I don't like to defend a result and be near our box. It is okay if you're 3-0 or 4-0 up but not 2-0." (Reuters)

Tottenham, Man City keep up chase of Chelsea

Leicester City&#39;s beleaguered manager Claudio Ranieri suggested he is ready to drop some of the players who won them the Premier League title as the Italian seeks to stave off relegation just one season later.

The champions have yet to win -- or even score -- in six league matches in 2017 and were beaten 2-0 by fellow relegation strugglers Swansea City on Sunday.

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The latest setback leaves them just one point above the relegation zone with the club seemingly free-falling into the Championship.

When asked by reporters if he had been too loyal to the players from last season, Ranieri said: &quot;I could be. Of course, it is difficult when you achieve something so good, you want to give them one chance, two chances or three chances. Maybe now, it is too much.

&quot;Of course I must change something because it&#39;s not possible to continue in this way. We have two problems - we concede and we don&#39;t score. Everybody tries to say something positive to help each other. But after, we go back (to losing games).

&quot;I always question myself but then I always say &#39;come on, together we can do something good&#39;.&quot;

Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, who last year both signed new contracts reported in the British media to be worth 110,000 Pounds ($137,368.00) per week, have underperformed this season and could find their places under threat, along with another of last season&#39;s leading lights, Danny Drinkwater.

Leicester&#39;s astonishing decline could see them become the first English champions to be relegated from the top flight since Manchester City in 1938.

On Sunday Ranieri suggested the relegation fight will take priority over the Champions League and FA Cup, both of which competitions they remain involved in.

On Saturday they face an FA Cup fifth-round tie at Millwall, followed by the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 against Sevilla.

&quot;Now there are a few matches in front of us so we have to find a solution very, very soon,&quot; he said. &quot;There are two matches in front of us, one in the FA Cup and one in the Champions League but our mind is on the Premier League.

&quot;It is important to be strong. Now it is 10 hours without scoring a goal and we have to find a solution because it is not possible (that) everything is wrong this season.

&quot;The machine is not broken but when you don&#39;t play at a maximum level it is a difficult battle. We stick together. I&#39;m confident with my players because it only takes one moment for it to turn.&quot;

Last week the Italian received a vote of confidence from the club, who said he had their &quot;unwavering support&quot; but British bookmakers have him at short odds to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked.

(Reuters)

The champions have yet to win -- or even score -- in 6 league matches in 2017

Leicester City's beleaguered manager Claudio Ranieri suggested he is ready to drop some of the players who won them the Premier League title as the Italian seeks to stave off relegation just one season later. The champions have yet to win -- or even score -- in six league matches in 2017 and were beaten 2-0 by fellow relegation strugglers Swansea City on Sunday. Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, who last year both signed new contracts reported in the British media to be worth 110,000 Pounds ($137,368.00) per week, have underperformed this season and could find their places under threat, along with another of last season's leading lights, Danny Drinkwater × The latest setback leaves them just one point above the relegation zone with the club seemingly free-falling into the Championship. When asked by reporters if he had been too loyal to the players from last season, Ranieri said: "I could be. Of course, it is difficult when you achieve something so good, you want to give them one chance, two chances or three chances. Maybe now, it is too much. "Of course I must change something because it's not possible to continue in this way. We have two problems - we concede and we don't score. Everybody tries to say something positive to help each other. But after, we go back (to losing games). "I always question myself but then I always say 'come on, together we can do something good'." Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, who last year both signed new contracts reported in the British media to be worth 110,000 Pounds ($137,368.00) per week, have underperformed this season and could find their places under threat, along with another of last season's leading lights, Danny Drinkwater. Leicester's astonishing decline could see them become the first English champions to be relegated from the top flight since Manchester City in 1938. On Sunday Ranieri suggested the relegation fight will take priority over the Champions League and FA Cup, both of which competitions they remain involved in. On Saturday they face an FA Cup fifth-round tie at Millwall, followed by the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 against Sevilla. "Now there are a few matches in front of us so we have to find a solution very, very soon," he said. "There are two matches in front of us, one in the FA Cup and one in the Champions League but our mind is on the Premier League. "It is important to be strong. Now it is 10 hours without scoring a goal and we have to find a solution because it is not possible (that) everything is wrong this season. "The machine is not broken but when you don't play at a maximum level it is a difficult battle. We stick together. I'm confident with my players because it only takes one moment for it to turn." Last week the Italian received a vote of confidence from the club, who said he had their "unwavering support" but British bookmakers have him at short odds to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked. (Reuters)

After yet another loss, angry Ranieri suggests he's ready to drop Leicester stars

Chelsea extended their lead atop the Premier League to 10 points on Sunday as the team they seem destined to succeed as champions, Leicester City, sank to yet another defeat.

Bidding to go 12 points clear, Chelsea had to settle for a point after home debutant Robbie Brady&#39;s arcing 24th-minute free-kick earned Burnley a deserved 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.

While the title beckons for Chelsea, it is receding deeper into memory for Leicester, who were left one point and one place above the relegation zone by a 2-0 defeat at Swansea City.

&quot;I wanted the start of a &#39;new season&#39; today, but it is the same. It is unbelievable,&quot; said Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri.

&quot;We started well, but their first two shots on goal are goals. It is very difficult to come back from that. It is unbelievable, this season.

&quot;We have two problems: conceding goals and not scoring. We have to speak together to find the solutions. It is not possible to continue in this way.&quot;

Leicester became the first English champions to lose five successive games since Chelsea in 1956 and the first team to go six games without scoring at the start of the year since Stoke City in 1985.

Leicester&#39;s owners gave Ranieri a vote of confidence after last weekend&#39;s 3-0 loss to Manchester United, but the post-game rallying cry issued by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had little effect.

Swansea overcame the loss of former Leicester loanee Nathan Dyer to an early ankle injury to score twice in the latter stages of the first half at the Liberty Stadium.

Centre-back Alfie Mawson broke the deadlock in the 36th minute with an emphatic volley after Federico Fernandez had nodded Robert Huth&#39;s clearing header back into the penalty area.

Swedish left-back Martin Olsson landed a hammer blow in first-half stoppage time when he hared onto Gylfi Sigurdsson&#39;s first-time pass to rifle a shot past Schmeichel at his near post.

&nbsp;

Conte &#39;disappointed&#39; 
 
Ranieri made a double change at half-time, sending on Ben Chilwell and Islam Slimani, but the closest they came to establishing a foothold was a shot from the latter that was blocked by Lukasz Fabianski.

Swansea manager Paul Clement, named the Premier League&#39;s Manager of the Month for January, has now seen his team win four games from six since his appointment as the successor to Bob Bradley.

The Welsh club pulled four points clear of danger and now have a full two weeks to prepare for their trip to leaders Chelsea.

&quot;My job was to come in in January and put confidence back into the team, get them playing better and get them organised,&quot; said Clement. &quot;I&#39;m happy with the response from the players.&quot;

Chelsea continue to sit pretty at the top of the pile, although their advantage will be eroded to eight points if Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City win at Bournemouth on Monday.

Antonio Conte&#39;s side took a seventh-minute lead at Turf Moor when Victor Moses slipped Pedro in to steer a low shot past Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

But Burnley levelled through &pound;13 million ($16.2 million, 15.3 million euros) record signing Brady&#39;s fine free-kick and managed to prevent Chelsea from registering a single shot on target in the second half.

&quot;We must be disappointed at the point because I think this type of game we could win,&quot; said Chelsea manager Conte.

&quot;We know there is a long way (to the end of the season). It is important to work and play this type of game and fight.&quot;

Burnley manager Sean Dyche, whose side have won 29 of their 30 points at home, said: &quot;It was a strong performance against a top, top side.

&quot;I want us to be awkward to play against and be productive and we showed that.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

While the title beckons for Chelsea, chances are receding for Leicester, who were left one point and one place above the relegation zone

Chelsea extended their lead atop the Premier League to 10 points on Sunday as the team they seem destined to succeed as champions, Leicester City, sank to yet another defeat. Bidding to go 12 points clear, Chelsea had to settle for a point after home debutant Robbie Brady's arcing 24th-minute free-kick earned Burnley a deserved 1-1 draw at Turf Moor. While the title beckons for Chelsea, it is receding deeper into memory for Leicester, who were left one point and one place above the relegation zone by a 2-0 defeat at Swansea City. "I wanted the start of a 'new season' today, but it is the same. It is unbelievable," said Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri. "We started well, but their first two shots on goal are goals. It is very difficult to come back from that. It is unbelievable, this season. "We have two problems: conceding goals and not scoring. We have to speak together to find the solutions. It is not possible to continue in this way." Leicester became the first English champions to lose five successive games since Chelsea in 1956 and the first team to go six games without scoring at the start of the year since Stoke City in 1985. Leicester's owners gave Ranieri a vote of confidence after last weekend's 3-0 loss to Manchester United, but the post-game rallying cry issued by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had little effect. Swansea overcame the loss of former Leicester loanee Nathan Dyer to an early ankle injury to score twice in the latter stages of the first half at the Liberty Stadium. Centre-back Alfie Mawson broke the deadlock in the 36th minute with an emphatic volley after Federico Fernandez had nodded Robert Huth's clearing header back into the penalty area. Swedish left-back Martin Olsson landed a hammer blow in first-half stoppage time when he hared onto Gylfi Sigurdsson's first-time pass to rifle a shot past Schmeichel at his near post. Conte 'disappointed' Ranieri made a double change at half-time, sending on Ben Chilwell and Islam Slimani, but the closest they came to establishing a foothold was a shot from the latter that was blocked by Lukasz Fabianski. Swansea manager Paul Clement, named the Premier League's Manager of the Month for January, has now seen his team win four games from six since his appointment as the successor to Bob Bradley. The Welsh club pulled four points clear of danger and now have a full two weeks to prepare for their trip to leaders Chelsea. "My job was to come in in January and put confidence back into the team, get them playing better and get them organised," said Clement. "I'm happy with the response from the players." Chelsea continue to sit pretty at the top of the pile, although their advantage will be eroded to eight points if Pep Guardiola's Manchester City win at Bournemouth on Monday. Antonio Conte's side took a seventh-minute lead at Turf Moor when Victor Moses slipped Pedro in to steer a low shot past Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton. But Burnley levelled through £13 million ($16.2 million, 15.3 million euros) record signing Brady's fine free-kick and managed to prevent Chelsea from registering a single shot on target in the second half. "We must be disappointed at the point because I think this type of game we could win," said Chelsea manager Conte. "We know there is a long way (to the end of the season). It is important to work and play this type of game and fight." Burnley manager Sean Dyche, whose side have won 29 of their 30 points at home, said: "It was a strong performance against a top, top side. "I want us to be awkward to play against and be productive and we showed that." (AFP)

Burnley ties Chelsea, Swansea City tops Leicester City 2-0

Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City were denied a morale-boosting Premier League victory as Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals down to earn a contentious 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Blunders by Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris allowed Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne to give City a deserved 2-0 lead, only for Dele Alli and substitute Son Heung-Min to grab a point for the visitors.

The game&#39;s main talking point occurred shortly before Son&#39;s 77th-minute leveller when Kyle Walker got away with a push on City forward Raheem Sterling inside the Spurs box as he took aim at Lloris.

Guardiola reacted furiously and having seen his team humiliated 4-0 at Everton on their previous outing he will know this was a huge missed opportunity for his misfiring team.

City, for whom &pound;27 million ($33 million, 31 million euros) new signing Gabriel Jesus made his debut, remain fifth and will fall 12 points off the pace if leaders Chelsea beat Hull City on Sunday.

While Spurs remain second, the point earned at the Etihad Stadium came at a cost for Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side, who had been chasing a seventh successive league win.

Toby Alderweireld was forced off by injury in the second half, meaning he will potentially join fellow Belgian centre-back Jan Vertonghen on the sidelines.

City&#39;s defeat at Everton was the heaviest league reverse of Guardiola&#39;s stellar coaching career, but his response was to go on the attack.

Centre-back John Stones was dropped again, while De Bruyne and David Silva joined Yaya Toure in an attacking midfield trio that enabled City to pierce holes in Spurs&#39; rearguard right from kick-off.

After sights of goal for Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero, Lloris turned a low Silva shot behind and then stood motionless as Zabaleta&#39;s drive from De Bruyne&#39;s corner skidded inches wide.

With Spurs incapable of playing through City&#39;s high press, Kevin Wimmer and Eric Dier were both booked inside the first 13 minutes.

Turning point

By the time De Bruyne rolled a cross-shot across goal and wide after Aguero had robbed Dier, Pochettino had seen enough, moving Dier into midfield and swapping his 3-4-2-1 for a more stable 4-3-2-1.

Still City came, with Sane heading wide and Lloris twice thwarting Aguero, springing to his right to catch a header and then getting down at his near post to parry a left-foot drive.

Pochettino made another change at the interval, sending on Son for Wimmer, but within nine minutes of kick-off his side were 2-0 down as Lloris unwittingly took centre stage.

Flying out to meet De Bruyne&#39;s 50-yard pass on the edge of his box, Lloris contrived to head the ball against Sane, who had the simple task of tapping into an empty net.

If fortune deserted Lloris on that occasion, he only had himself to blame five minutes later as his failure to gather Sterling&#39;s cross from the right allowed De Bruyne to bundle in City&#39;s second.

It was no more than the hosts deserved, but just four minutes later Spurs hit back, Alli heading in Walker&#39;s superb right-wing cross for his eighth goal in seven games.

Danny Rose had to produce a brilliant last-gasp tackle to prevent Sterling restoring City&#39;s two-goal cushion before Alderweireld limped off holding the back of his right thigh.

Then came the game&#39;s turning point.

Walker pushed Sterling as he raced through, meaning the England forward could only dink a tame shot straight at Lloris, and moments later Harry Kane&#39;s flicked lay-off was swept home by Son.

Nineteen-year-old Brazil starlet Jesus made his entrance with seven minutes to go, but there would be no late miracle as he headed narrowly over and saw a tap-in ruled out for offside.

(AFP)

Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals down to earn a contentious 2-2 draw on Saturday

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City were denied a morale-boosting Premier League victory as Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals down to earn a contentious 2-2 draw on Saturday. Blunders by Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris allowed Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne to give City a deserved 2-0 lead, only for Dele Alli and substitute Son Heung-Min to grab a point for the visitors. The game's main talking point occurred shortly before Son's 77th-minute leveller when Kyle Walker got away with a push on City forward Raheem Sterling inside the Spurs box as he took aim at Lloris. Guardiola reacted furiously and having seen his team humiliated 4-0 at Everton on their previous outing he will know this was a huge missed opportunity for his misfiring team. City, for whom £27 million ($33 million, 31 million euros) new signing Gabriel Jesus made his debut, remain fifth and will fall 12 points off the pace if leaders Chelsea beat Hull City on Sunday. While Spurs remain second, the point earned at the Etihad Stadium came at a cost for Mauricio Pochettino's side, who had been chasing a seventh successive league win. Toby Alderweireld was forced off by injury in the second half, meaning he will potentially join fellow Belgian centre-back Jan Vertonghen on the sidelines. City's defeat at Everton was the heaviest league reverse of Guardiola's stellar coaching career, but his response was to go on the attack. Centre-back John Stones was dropped again, while De Bruyne and David Silva joined Yaya Toure in an attacking midfield trio that enabled City to pierce holes in Spurs' rearguard right from kick-off. After sights of goal for Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero, Lloris turned a low Silva shot behind and then stood motionless as Zabaleta's drive from De Bruyne's corner skidded inches wide. With Spurs incapable of playing through City's high press, Kevin Wimmer and Eric Dier were both booked inside the first 13 minutes. Turning point By the time De Bruyne rolled a cross-shot across goal and wide after Aguero had robbed Dier, Pochettino had seen enough, moving Dier into midfield and swapping his 3-4-2-1 for a more stable 4-3-2-1. Still City came, with Sane heading wide and Lloris twice thwarting Aguero, springing to his right to catch a header and then getting down at his near post to parry a left-foot drive. Pochettino made another change at the interval, sending on Son for Wimmer, but within nine minutes of kick-off his side were 2-0 down as Lloris unwittingly took centre stage. Flying out to meet De Bruyne's 50-yard pass on the edge of his box, Lloris contrived to head the ball against Sane, who had the simple task of tapping into an empty net. If fortune deserted Lloris on that occasion, he only had himself to blame five minutes later as his failure to gather Sterling's cross from the right allowed De Bruyne to bundle in City's second. It was no more than the hosts deserved, but just four minutes later Spurs hit back, Alli heading in Walker's superb right-wing cross for his eighth goal in seven games. Danny Rose had to produce a brilliant last-gasp tackle to prevent Sterling restoring City's two-goal cushion before Alderweireld limped off holding the back of his right thigh. Then came the game's turning point. Walker pushed Sterling as he raced through, meaning the England forward could only dink a tame shot straight at Lloris, and moments later Harry Kane's flicked lay-off was swept home by Son. Nineteen-year-old Brazil starlet Jesus made his entrance with seven minutes to go, but there would be no late miracle as he headed narrowly over and saw a tap-in ruled out for offside. (AFP)

Tottenham hit back to deny Manchester City 3 points

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho played down the touchline confrontation that flared up between him and Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp near the end of Sunday&#39;s Premier League draw. As both teams looked for a late winner in an increasingly tense match at Old Trafford, the rival managers squared up to each other but Mourinho reckoned after shaking Klopp&#39;s hand at the end of the game that there was no problem between them.

The incident occurred when United midfielder Ander Herrera pulled the shirt of Liverpool&#39;s Roberto Firmino, then fell to the floor holding his face after actually being pushed by the Brazilian in the chest. Klopp seemed to feel Mourinho was calling for Firmino to be sent off and the German evidently felt Herrera was feigning injury. The two managers then had a heated argument, Klopp getting particularly animated, as the fourth official separated them.

Asked if there had been a problem with Klopp, Mourinho told reporters: &quot;No. He thought I was asking for his player to be sent off. I wasn&#39;t. No problem at all. I think the game was correct, I think the players gave everything in an emotional way, professional way. I think the referee Michael Oliver managed very well that part of the game,&quot; Mourinho felt. &quot;I think the game was great publicity for the Premier League all around the world,&quot; he gushed.

The game ended in a tense 1-1 draw.

(Reuters)

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho had a heated touchline row with Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp during the premier league clash

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho played down the touchline confrontation that flared up between him and Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp near the end of Sunday's Premier League draw. As both teams looked for a late winner in an increasingly tense match at Old Trafford, the rival managers squared up to each other but Mourinho reckoned after shaking Klopp's hand at the end of the game that there was no problem between them. The incident occurred when United midfielder Ander Herrera pulled the shirt of Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, then fell to the floor holding his face after actually being pushed by the Brazilian in the chest. Klopp seemed to feel Mourinho was calling for Firmino to be sent off and the German evidently felt Herrera was feigning injury. The two managers then had a heated argument, Klopp getting particularly animated, as the fourth official separated them. Asked if there had been a problem with Klopp, Mourinho told reporters: "No. He thought I was asking for his player to be sent off. I wasn't. No problem at all. I think the game was correct, I think the players gave everything in an emotional way, professional way. I think the referee Michael Oliver managed very well that part of the game," Mourinho felt. "I think the game was great publicity for the Premier League all around the world," he gushed. The game ended in a tense 1-1 draw. (Reuters)

Mourinho downplays Klopp confrontation

&nbsp;

Portugal&#39;s star player Cristiano Ronaldo won FIFA&#39;s player of the year award for the fourth time, beating his old rival Argentinia&#39;s Lionel Messi. Italian Claudio Ranieri won the coach of the year award for leading rank outsiders Leicester City to the English Premier League title.

Ronaldo was rewarded for his performance in 2016 when he won the Champions League with his club Real Madrid and then Euro 2016 with Portugal. Five-times winner and four-times runner-up Messi was second and Frenchman Antoine Griezmann third.

&quot;I don`t have much more to say, I think the awards speak for themselves,&quot; he added. &quot;I&#39;m very happy and I can say that 2016 was the best year of my career, the trophy shows that people aren&#39;t blind and watch the games.&quot;

FIFA, which organised the award jointly with France Football magazine from 2010 to 2015 when it was named the Ballon d&#39;Or, rebranded it as &quot;The Best&quot; this year after splitting with the French publication. France Football continued with its own award which was also won by Ronaldo last month.

The ceremony, previously held at the Kongresshaus theatre in central Zurich, this year took place in the much more modest setting of a television studio on an industrial estate near the airport. Ronaldo previously won in 2008, 2013, 2014 with Messi second on each occasion. Messi won from 2009-12 and then again in 2015 with Ronaldo second on every occasion except in 2010 when Andres Iniesta was runner-up. Ranieri said he was &quot;crazy&quot; after winning the coach`s award ahead of Fernando Santos, who led Portugal to the Euro 2016 title.

&quot;I am crazy now,&quot; he said. &quot;What happened last season in England was something strange. The football gods said Leicester must win.&quot; Colombian side Atletico Nacional were given the Fair Play Award for conceding to Copa Sudamericana title to Brazilian side Chapecoense, whose team was decimated when a plane taking to the final crashed, killing 71 people.

&quot;We did nothing more than what we had to do....handing them this trophy as a gesture of hope,&quot; said club president Juan Carlos de La Cuesta.

American Carli Lloyd won the women&#39;s player of the year award for the second year in a row.&nbsp; Mohd Faiz Subri, of Malaysian Super League side Penang, won the goal of the year award for a 35-metre free kick in which the ball dipped and swung in a bewildering fashion to leave the goalkeeper stranded.

(Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo won the award for the fourth time, beating his old rival Lionel Messi

Portugal's star player Cristiano Ronaldo won FIFA's player of the year award for the fourth time, beating his old rival Argentinia's Lionel Messi. Italian Claudio Ranieri won the coach of the year award for leading rank outsiders Leicester City to the English Premier League title. Ronaldo was rewarded for his performance in 2016 when he won the Champions League with his club Real Madrid and then Euro 2016 with Portugal. Five-times winner and four-times runner-up Messi was second and Frenchman Antoine Griezmann third. "I don`t have much more to say, I think the awards speak for themselves," he added. "I'm very happy and I can say that 2016 was the best year of my career, the trophy shows that people aren't blind and watch the games." FIFA, which organised the award jointly with France Football magazine from 2010 to 2015 when it was named the Ballon d'Or, rebranded it as "The Best" this year after splitting with the French publication. France Football continued with its own award which was also won by Ronaldo last month. The ceremony, previously held at the Kongresshaus theatre in central Zurich, this year took place in the much more modest setting of a television studio on an industrial estate near the airport. Ronaldo previously won in 2008, 2013, 2014 with Messi second on each occasion. Messi won from 2009-12 and then again in 2015 with Ronaldo second on every occasion except in 2010 when Andres Iniesta was runner-up. Ranieri said he was "crazy" after winning the coach`s award ahead of Fernando Santos, who led Portugal to the Euro 2016 title. "I am crazy now," he said. "What happened last season in England was something strange. The football gods said Leicester must win." Colombian side Atletico Nacional were given the Fair Play Award for conceding to Copa Sudamericana title to Brazilian side Chapecoense, whose team was decimated when a plane taking to the final crashed, killing 71 people. "We did nothing more than what we had to do....handing them this trophy as a gesture of hope," said club president Juan Carlos de La Cuesta. American Carli Lloyd won the women's player of the year award for the second year in a row. Mohd Faiz Subri, of Malaysian Super League side Penang, won the goal of the year award for a 35-metre free kick in which the ball dipped and swung in a bewildering fashion to leave the goalkeeper stranded. (Reuters)

Ronaldo wins FIFA's player of the year award

&nbsp;

Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has become the latest big name player to join the Chinese Super League gold rush after leaving Chelsea for Tianjin Teda.

Mikel, who failed to make a single appearance for Antonio Conte&#39;s side this season, had a medical examination in the port city, 130 kilometres from Beijing as the Asian Football Confederation confirmed the deal.

The 29-year-old, who spent more than a decade at Stamford Bridge, was given a free transfer by the London club and will earn $173,432 a week in China, according to local media reports.

After joining Chelsea in 2006, Mikel was part of a squad that won a Champions League crown, two Premier League titles and four FA Cups.

Chinese clubs have made several high-profile signings over the last month with Argentine striker Carlos Tevez moving to Shanghai Shenhua for a reported $87.65 million. Less than a week later, Brazilian midfielder Oscar joined local rivals Shanghai SIPG from Chelsea. Elsewhere in Europe, Serbia midfielder Nemanja Gudelj, moved to Tianjin from Dutch club Ajax.

At the end of December, Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s agent had said the World Player of the Year had turned down the chance to leave Real Madrid for an unnamed Chinese club for a transfer fee of $315.24 million.

Amid the spending spree, the country&#39;s General Administration of Sport described the excess of some Chinese clubs as &quot;a grave phenomenon&quot;.

(Reuters)

John Obi Mikel has become the latest big name player to join the Chinese Super League

Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has become the latest big name player to join the Chinese Super League gold rush after leaving Chelsea for Tianjin Teda. Mikel, who failed to make a single appearance for Antonio Conte's side this season, had a medical examination in the port city, 130 kilometres from Beijing as the Asian Football Confederation confirmed the deal. The 29-year-old, who spent more than a decade at Stamford Bridge, was given a free transfer by the London club and will earn $173,432 a week in China, according to local media reports. After joining Chelsea in 2006, Mikel was part of a squad that won a Champions League crown, two Premier League titles and four FA Cups. Chinese clubs have made several high-profile signings over the last month with Argentine striker Carlos Tevez moving to Shanghai Shenhua for a reported $87.65 million. Less than a week later, Brazilian midfielder Oscar joined local rivals Shanghai SIPG from Chelsea. Elsewhere in Europe, Serbia midfielder Nemanja Gudelj, moved to Tianjin from Dutch club Ajax. At the end of December, Cristiano Ronaldo's agent had said the World Player of the Year had turned down the chance to leave Real Madrid for an unnamed Chinese club for a transfer fee of $315.24 million. Amid the spending spree, the country's General Administration of Sport described the excess of some Chinese clubs as "a grave phenomenon". (Reuters)

Chelsea's Mikel joins Chinese Super League

The English Premier League has sold its television rights in China to streaming service PPTV for $700 million, a source familiar with the matter said, several times the size of past deals as it cashes in on a growing enthusiasm for soccer.

A spokesman for PPTV, part of retail group Suning, confirmed a three-year deal that will kick in from the 2019/20 season. He did not comment on the value as the agreement has not yet been formalised.

&quot;We were successful in our bid, but it hasn`t formally been signed yet,&quot; said PPTV spokesman Sun Xiaobo. &quot;We`ve definitely already won the tender.&quot;

The Premier League has not confirmed the deal. PPTV is one of China`s largest streaming services and already owns the rights to Spain`s La Liga.

Under President Xi Jinping, China has been looking to expand its global presence in the sport.&nbsp;

It has invested billions of dollars to develop grassroots soccer academies, brought high-profile players and managers into China from overseas, and is buying into global assets from Italian club Inter Milan to Manchester City.

The Premier League, for its part, has seen television revenues shoot up globally in recent years - back home in Britain, pay-TV group Sky last year agreed to pay 4.2 billion pounds ($5.21 billion) to show 126 live English Premier League matches a season from 2016 to 2019.

NBC last year paid around $1 billion for a six-year deal to broadcast the league in the United States until the end of the 2021/22 season, near double that of their prior three-year deal.

Beijing-based Super Sports Media is the current rights holders in China with local media reports suggesting they paid more than 1 billion yuan ($145.13 million) for a six-year deal until the end of the 2018/19 season.&nbsp;

The deal with PPTV will allow the English Premier League to tap into the growing market for pay-per-view online streaming and subscription services in China.

A 2014 survey by Repucom estimated there were 170 million fans of the English Premier League in China, while Chinese state media last year reported that some 350 million had tuned into matches beamed live from Britain.

Suning have been enthusiastic supporters of President Xi`s ambitious plans for China to become a dominant force in the global sports market.&nbsp;

The acquisition of nearly 70 percent of Italian glamour club Inter for about $300 million in June was the first major step in its plan to create a global sports empire stretching from soccer clubs to online broadcasting.

(Reuters)

A spokesman for streaming service PPTV confirmed a three-year deal that will kick in from the 2019/20 season

The English Premier League has sold its television rights in China to streaming service PPTV for $700 million, a source familiar with the matter said, several times the size of past deals as it cashes in on a growing enthusiasm for soccer. A spokesman for PPTV, part of retail group Suning, confirmed a three-year deal that will kick in from the 2019/20 season. He did not comment on the value as the agreement has not yet been formalised. "We were successful in our bid, but it hasn`t formally been signed yet," said PPTV spokesman Sun Xiaobo. "We`ve definitely already won the tender." The Premier League has not confirmed the deal. PPTV is one of China`s largest streaming services and already owns the rights to Spain`s La Liga. Under President Xi Jinping, China has been looking to expand its global presence in the sport. It has invested billions of dollars to develop grassroots soccer academies, brought high-profile players and managers into China from overseas, and is buying into global assets from Italian club Inter Milan to Manchester City. The Premier League, for its part, has seen television revenues shoot up globally in recent years - back home in Britain, pay-TV group Sky last year agreed to pay 4.2 billion pounds ($5.21 billion) to show 126 live English Premier League matches a season from 2016 to 2019. NBC last year paid around $1 billion for a six-year deal to broadcast the league in the United States until the end of the 2021/22 season, near double that of their prior three-year deal. Beijing-based Super Sports Media is the current rights holders in China with local media reports suggesting they paid more than 1 billion yuan ($145.13 million) for a six-year deal until the end of the 2018/19 season. The deal with PPTV will allow the English Premier League to tap into the growing market for pay-per-view online streaming and subscription services in China. A 2014 survey by Repucom estimated there were 170 million fans of the English Premier League in China, while Chinese state media last year reported that some 350 million had tuned into matches beamed live from Britain. Suning have been enthusiastic supporters of President Xi`s ambitious plans for China to become a dominant force in the global sports market. The acquisition of nearly 70 percent of Italian glamour club Inter for about $300 million in June was the first major step in its plan to create a global sports empire stretching from soccer clubs to online broadcasting. (Reuters)

English Premier League sells China TV rights for $700 million

United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with misconduct in the wake of his comments about referee Anthony Taylor before Manchester United&#39;s goalless draw with Liverpool last week, the Football Association said on Thursday.

Mourinho said it would be &quot;difficult&quot; for Taylor, who is from the Greater Manchester area, to have &quot;a very good performance&quot; after being put in charge of the Premier League game between two fierce rivals.

&quot;Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with misconduct, in respect of comments he made relating to the appointed match referee prior to the Liverpool FC v Manchester United FC fixture on Monday 17 October 2016,&quot; the FA said in a statement.

The FA had earlier asked Mourinho to explain comments he made about the match referee. The 53-year-old has until Monday to respond to the charge.

FA rules prohibit managers and players from making comments about officials which could be viewed as intimidatory or influential before games.

On a busy day for the FA&#39;s disciplinary department, Sunderland boss Davis Moyes was also hit with a misconduct charge after he was sent off at Southampton in the League Cup on Wednesday.

Moyes has been accused by the FA of using &quot;abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official&quot; in their 1-0 defeat at St Mary&#39;s.

The Sunderland manager, who has until Tuesday to respond to the charge, was sent to the stands after referee Chris Kavanagh waved away a late penalty appeal.

Moyes, whose side are bottom of the Premier League, later admitted that he had deserved to be banished from the touchline.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Manchester United and Sunderland managers were both hit with misconduct charges after making inappropriate comments about match referees

United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with misconduct in the wake of his comments about referee Anthony Taylor before Manchester United's goalless draw with Liverpool last week, the Football Association said on Thursday. Mourinho said it would be "difficult" for Taylor, who is from the Greater Manchester area, to have "a very good performance" after being put in charge of the Premier League game between two fierce rivals. "Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with misconduct, in respect of comments he made relating to the appointed match referee prior to the Liverpool FC v Manchester United FC fixture on Monday 17 October 2016," the FA said in a statement. The FA had earlier asked Mourinho to explain comments he made about the match referee. The 53-year-old has until Monday to respond to the charge. FA rules prohibit managers and players from making comments about officials which could be viewed as intimidatory or influential before games. On a busy day for the FA's disciplinary department, Sunderland boss Davis Moyes was also hit with a misconduct charge after he was sent off at Southampton in the League Cup on Wednesday. Moyes has been accused by the FA of using "abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official" in their 1-0 defeat at St Mary's. The Sunderland manager, who has until Tuesday to respond to the charge, was sent to the stands after referee Chris Kavanagh waved away a late penalty appeal. Moyes, whose side are bottom of the Premier League, later admitted that he had deserved to be banished from the touchline. (Reuters)

EPL: Mourinho, Moyes charged with misconduct by FA

Chelsea made it a miserable return for Jose Mourinho as they hammered his Manchester United side 4-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in the Premier League.

Pedro Rodriguez opened the scoring after just 30 seconds and Chelsea did not look back, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N&#39;Golo Kante completing an emphatic victory.

He saw his side squander a chance to level when Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed over after Antonio Valencia had stood up a cross from the right.

More slack defending allowed Chelsea to double their lead in the 21st minute, Cahill slamming home after Hazard&#39;s corner had struck Ander Herrera and bounced down inside the six-yard box.

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had been relatively untroubled up to that point, although he produced a smart double save to repel Herrera&#39;s left-foot effort and Jesse Lingard&#39;s follow-up.

It was an ideal first half for Chelsea, but David Luiz was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after planting his studs in Marouane Fellaini&#39;s knee five minutes before half-time.

Mourinho changed tack at half-time, sending on Juan Mata for Fellaini and moving Marcus Rashford up front alongside Ibrahimovic in a 4-4-2 formation.

Lingard sought to sound the revolt for United, wriggling away from a pair of Chelsea players and unleashing a crisp drive that Courtois had to push away.

But in the 62nd minute it was game over. Nemanja Matic&#39;s pass down the inside-left channel found Hazard, who checked inside Smalling and steered a shot into the bottom-right corner.

Kante completed the rout, darting between Smalling and the sleep-walking Paul Pogba to tuck away his first Chelsea goal since his close-season switch from Leicester City.

Mourinho was appointed by United in May after being sacked by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for a second time last December. With seven major titles across two spells, Mourinho is Chelsea&#39;s most successful ever manager, but his return to his old stomping ground ended in one of the most chastening results of his career.

Antonio Conte&#39;s side have now won three consecutive league games without conceding a goal and climbed to fourth place, just a point below leaders Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Pedro, Cahill, Hazard & Kante ripped apart Manchester United's poor defence, taking Chelsea to fourth place in the Premier League standings

Chelsea made it a miserable return for Jose Mourinho as they hammered his Manchester United side 4-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in the Premier League. Pedro Rodriguez opened the scoring after just 30 seconds and Chelsea did not look back, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante completing an emphatic victory. He saw his side squander a chance to level when Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed over after Antonio Valencia had stood up a cross from the right. More slack defending allowed Chelsea to double their lead in the 21st minute, Cahill slamming home after Hazard's corner had struck Ander Herrera and bounced down inside the six-yard box. Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had been relatively untroubled up to that point, although he produced a smart double save to repel Herrera's left-foot effort and Jesse Lingard's follow-up. It was an ideal first half for Chelsea, but David Luiz was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after planting his studs in Marouane Fellaini's knee five minutes before half-time. Mourinho changed tack at half-time, sending on Juan Mata for Fellaini and moving Marcus Rashford up front alongside Ibrahimovic in a 4-4-2 formation. Lingard sought to sound the revolt for United, wriggling away from a pair of Chelsea players and unleashing a crisp drive that Courtois had to push away. But in the 62nd minute it was game over. Nemanja Matic's pass down the inside-left channel found Hazard, who checked inside Smalling and steered a shot into the bottom-right corner. Kante completed the rout, darting between Smalling and the sleep-walking Paul Pogba to tuck away his first Chelsea goal since his close-season switch from Leicester City. Mourinho was appointed by United in May after being sacked by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for a second time last December. With seven major titles across two spells, Mourinho is Chelsea's most successful ever manager, but his return to his old stomping ground ended in one of the most chastening results of his career. Antonio Conte's side have now won three consecutive league games without conceding a goal and climbed to fourth place, just a point below leaders Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. (AFP)

Football: Chelsea thrash Mourinho's Manchester United 4-0

An 81st-minute Gareth McAuley goal prevented Liverpool from provisionally going top in the Premier League as they defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-1 on Saturday.

Needing a two-goal win to move above leaders Arsenal, Liverpool took a 2-0 lead through Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho, but McAuley&#39;s strike left them in second place on goal difference.

&quot;I&#39;m really pleased with the performance,&quot; Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. &quot;It was unbelievably difficult against West Brom. You have to always concentrate. They are so dangerous at set-pieces. But I think it would have been kind of a joke if we hadn&#39;t won today. It was unbelievable, how we played.&quot;

Klopp made one change to the Liverpool team held 0-0 by United last Monday, with the fit-again Adam Lallana returning to the starting XI at the expense of Daniel Sturridge.

Arsenal had earlier been held to a 0-0 draw by Middlesbrough. Arsenal, 6-0 winners over Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League in mid-week, were seeking an eighth successive win in all competitions.

But Middlesbrough came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half at the Emirates Stadium when Gaston Ramirez curled a 21st-minute free-kick against the post.

Arsenal dominated the second half, but had goalkeeper Petr Cech to thank for ensuring the visitors&#39; counter-attacks came to nought.

Fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur too played out a goalless stalemate at Bournemouth. Both teams hit the woodwork in the early stages, Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris diverting Charlie Daniels&#39;s shot onto the bar and Erik Lamela clipping the post from distance.

Tottenham extended their unbeaten start to the season to nine games. &quot;We had control, but we didn&#39;t create enough chances to score,&quot; said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino. &quot;I think we need to be pleased in the end because it&#39;s one point more, one clean sheet, but it&#39;s true for us to be contenders we should be winning the games like today.&quot;

Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City can reclaim first place by avoiding defeat at home to Southampton on Sunday, when Jose Mourinho makes his return to Chelsea with Manchester United.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Liverpool, which needed a two-goal win to replace leaders Arsenal, missed out on goal difference

An 81st-minute Gareth McAuley goal prevented Liverpool from provisionally going top in the Premier League as they defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-1 on Saturday. Needing a two-goal win to move above leaders Arsenal, Liverpool took a 2-0 lead through Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho, but McAuley's strike left them in second place on goal difference. "I'm really pleased with the performance," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. "It was unbelievably difficult against West Brom. You have to always concentrate. They are so dangerous at set-pieces. But I think it would have been kind of a joke if we hadn't won today. It was unbelievable, how we played." Klopp made one change to the Liverpool team held 0-0 by United last Monday, with the fit-again Adam Lallana returning to the starting XI at the expense of Daniel Sturridge. Arsenal had earlier been held to a 0-0 draw by Middlesbrough. Arsenal, 6-0 winners over Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League in mid-week, were seeking an eighth successive win in all competitions. But Middlesbrough came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half at the Emirates Stadium when Gaston Ramirez curled a 21st-minute free-kick against the post. Arsenal dominated the second half, but had goalkeeper Petr Cech to thank for ensuring the visitors' counter-attacks came to nought. Fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur too played out a goalless stalemate at Bournemouth. Both teams hit the woodwork in the early stages, Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris diverting Charlie Daniels's shot onto the bar and Erik Lamela clipping the post from distance. Tottenham extended their unbeaten start to the season to nine games. "We had control, but we didn't create enough chances to score," said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino. "I think we need to be pleased in the end because it's one point more, one clean sheet, but it's true for us to be contenders we should be winning the games like today." Pep Guardiola's Manchester City can reclaim first place by avoiding defeat at home to Southampton on Sunday, when Jose Mourinho makes his return to Chelsea with Manchester United. (AFP)

English Premier League: Liverpool climb to second spot as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur misfire

Danny Rose scored a second-half equaliser to cancel out James Milner&#39;s penalty as Tottenham Hotspur were fortunate to come from behind to draw 1-1 with Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Saturday. 
 
Erik Lamela nodded Eric Dier&#39;s cross into the path of Rose in the 72nd minute and the England left back controlled the ball and slammed it past Simon Mignolet to extend Spurs&#39; unbeaten start to the season. 
 
Milner beat Michel Vorm from the spot in the 43rd minute after Erik Lamela had tripped Roberto Firmino in the box, as Spurs struggled to deal with Liverpool&#39;s firepower. 
 
&quot;A draw&#39;s probably the fair result,&quot; Rose told Sky Sports. &quot;In the first half, Vorm was our man of the match but I thought we played much better in the second.&quot; 
 
Tottenham missed the presence of suspended Mousa Dembele as Liverpool, who had been toothless in a 2-0 loss at Burnley last weekend, ran riot during the first 45 minutes. 
 
The hosts suffered a setback in the 28th minute Kyle Walker was replaced by new signing Vincent Janssen, although it was Liverpool&#39;s Mane, a 34 million euro ($38 million) signing from Southampton, who dazzled in the first half. 
 
Stand-in goalkeeper Vorm was twice called out of his area to tackle the outstanding Mane and made an excellent save to deny Philippe Coutinho from close range as the visitors created chance after chance during the first half and Spurs&#39; resistance ended when Lamela clipped Firmino. 
 
&quot;Philippe had a brilliant chance,&quot; Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren told Sky Sports. &quot;I think if we went 2-0 up it&#39;s a different result. 
 
&quot;We always want to win so we&#39;re not satisfied. We&#39;re just missing a few goals more.&quot; 
 
Tottenham started slowly last term and looked set for their first defeat of season when Mane tapped in at the back post from Adam Lallana cross, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. 
 
Simon Mignolet produced two excellent saves to thwart Lamela and Toby Alderweireld as Spurs sought an equaliser before Rose&#39;s decisive intervention, although Harry Kane was again off the pace and his goalless start to the season continued. 
 
&quot;Ultimately, we&#39;re disappointed,&quot; Milner said. &quot;We didn&#39;t do enough in the second half so it was probably a fair result in the end.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Tottenham missed the presence of suspended Mousa Dembele as Liverpool ran riot in the first 45 minutes

Danny Rose scored a second-half equaliser to cancel out James Milner's penalty as Tottenham Hotspur were fortunate to come from behind to draw 1-1 with Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Saturday. Erik Lamela nodded Eric Dier's cross into the path of Rose in the 72nd minute and the England left back controlled the ball and slammed it past Simon Mignolet to extend Spurs' unbeaten start to the season. Milner beat Michel Vorm from the spot in the 43rd minute after Erik Lamela had tripped Roberto Firmino in the box, as Spurs struggled to deal with Liverpool's firepower. "A draw's probably the fair result," Rose told Sky Sports. "In the first half, Vorm was our man of the match but I thought we played much better in the second." Tottenham missed the presence of suspended Mousa Dembele as Liverpool, who had been toothless in a 2-0 loss at Burnley last weekend, ran riot during the first 45 minutes. The hosts suffered a setback in the 28th minute Kyle Walker was replaced by new signing Vincent Janssen, although it was Liverpool's Mane, a 34 million euro ($38 million) signing from Southampton, who dazzled in the first half. Stand-in goalkeeper Vorm was twice called out of his area to tackle the outstanding Mane and made an excellent save to deny Philippe Coutinho from close range as the visitors created chance after chance during the first half and Spurs' resistance ended when Lamela clipped Firmino. "Philippe had a brilliant chance," Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren told Sky Sports. "I think if we went 2-0 up it's a different result. "We always want to win so we're not satisfied. We're just missing a few goals more." Tottenham started slowly last term and looked set for their first defeat of season when Mane tapped in at the back post from Adam Lallana cross, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. Simon Mignolet produced two excellent saves to thwart Lamela and Toby Alderweireld as Spurs sought an equaliser before Rose's decisive intervention, although Harry Kane was again off the pace and his goalless start to the season continued. "Ultimately, we're disappointed," Milner said. "We didn't do enough in the second half so it was probably a fair result in the end." (Reuters)

EPL: Rose equaliser denies Liverpool victory at Tottenham

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Henrikh Mkhitaryan after making an &quot;improved offer&quot; for the midfielder, the Bundesliga club&#39;s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said. 
 
The Armenia international has been linked by British media with a move to Old Trafford under new manager Jose Mourinho. 
 
&quot;The situation is now different. Manchester have made a much improved offer,&quot; Watzke told Sport Bild magazine. 
 
&quot;In situations like this there are always a lot of different things to consider and in the end at one point we have to make a decision. 
 
&quot;As we are back in training on Monday we will decide at the weekend. I have contacted the relevant people and we will weigh things up ...then the board will make the decision.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old scored 11 goals in 31 league games as Dortmund finished second last season and could be Mourinho&#39;s second signing at United after defender Eric Bailly&#39;s arrival from Villarreal. 
 
(Reuters)

The midfielder displayed good form for the German club which finished second in the Bundesliga last season

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Borussia Dortmund's Henrikh Mkhitaryan after making an "improved offer" for the midfielder, the Bundesliga club's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said. The Armenia international has been linked by British media with a move to Old Trafford under new manager Jose Mourinho. "The situation is now different. Manchester have made a much improved offer," Watzke told Sport Bild magazine. "In situations like this there are always a lot of different things to consider and in the end at one point we have to make a decision. "As we are back in training on Monday we will decide at the weekend. I have contacted the relevant people and we will weigh things up ...then the board will make the decision." The 27-year-old scored 11 goals in 31 league games as Dortmund finished second last season and could be Mourinho's second signing at United after defender Eric Bailly's arrival from Villarreal. (Reuters)

United make 'improved offer' for Dortmund's Mkhitaryan

Midfield enforcer Victor Wanyama became the first player from Southampton to join up with former manager Mauricio Pochettino when he signed for Tottenham from their Premier League rivals on Thursday. 
 
The 24-year-old Kenyan international, who Southampton refused to sell to Spurs last year, will cost a reported $13.4 million although with add-ons it could rise to more than $16 million. 
 
Wanyama signed a five-year contract and is Pochettino&#39;s first signing of the close season, as he builds a side not only for the Premier League campaign but also the Champions League after they finished third last term. 
 
Wanyama said in an open letter that he was sad to leave the club that in 2013 gave him the chance to become the first Kenyan to play in the Premier League. 
 
&quot;I write to you with a heavy heart to announce that I will be leaving Southampton Football Club,&quot; he said. &quot;As you can imagine it is very emotional for me to say goodbye to the club that gave me the chance to be the first Kenyan to play in Premier League.&quot; 
 
&quot;Firstly, I would like to thank the most important part of every club, the fans. It took a while for me to win you all over but I can truly say that with your support and affection I have grown as a player and a person. I will never forget my time in Southampton Football Club, I will keep the club forever in my heart.&quot; 
 
Wanyama, who made his international debut at only 15-years-old, impressed for the Saints last season as they finished a best-ever sixth in the Premier League. 
 
The Kenyan player, who scored four goals in 85 league appearances and had a year to run on his contract, is the second big loss to Southampton in the past week, after manager Ronald Koeman left to take over at Everton. 
 
Pochettino was the man responsible for bringing Wanyama to Southampton, signing him from Celtic for the 2013-14 campaign, but the Argentine left for the Spurs at the end of that season.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The 24-year-old Kenyan international, who Southampton refused to sell to Spurs last year, will cost up to $16 million

Midfield enforcer Victor Wanyama became the first player from Southampton to join up with former manager Mauricio Pochettino when he signed for Tottenham from their Premier League rivals on Thursday. The 24-year-old Kenyan international, who Southampton refused to sell to Spurs last year, will cost a reported $13.4 million although with add-ons it could rise to more than $16 million. Wanyama signed a five-year contract and is Pochettino's first signing of the close season, as he builds a side not only for the Premier League campaign but also the Champions League after they finished third last term. Wanyama said in an open letter that he was sad to leave the club that in 2013 gave him the chance to become the first Kenyan to play in the Premier League. "I write to you with a heavy heart to announce that I will be leaving Southampton Football Club," he said. "As you can imagine it is very emotional for me to say goodbye to the club that gave me the chance to be the first Kenyan to play in Premier League." "Firstly, I would like to thank the most important part of every club, the fans. It took a while for me to win you all over but I can truly say that with your support and affection I have grown as a player and a person. I will never forget my time in Southampton Football Club, I will keep the club forever in my heart." Wanyama, who made his international debut at only 15-years-old, impressed for the Saints last season as they finished a best-ever sixth in the Premier League. The Kenyan player, who scored four goals in 85 league appearances and had a year to run on his contract, is the second big loss to Southampton in the past week, after manager Ronald Koeman left to take over at Everton. Pochettino was the man responsible for bringing Wanyama to Southampton, signing him from Celtic for the 2013-14 campaign, but the Argentine left for the Spurs at the end of that season. (AFP)

Wanyama rejoins old boss Pochettino at Spurs

Manchester United winger Memphis Depay is keen to breathe fresh life into his faltering career in England under new manager Jose Mourinho after enduring a disappointing debut campaign under former boss Louis van Gaal.

The Netherlands international, who joined United from PSV Eindhoven in June last year, scored two goals in 29 Premier League appearances in his first season, 13 of which came as a substitute.

&quot;I did not play as many games as I hoped and I am obviously disappointed about that,&quot; Memphis told British media.

&quot;I had different expectations. But I have to deal with that. You have to make decisions on when to go for an individual action.

&quot;The old Memphis, who beat every opponent, will soon be back again. It&#39;s now on to next season. I have to prove my worth during pre-season.&quot;

The 22-year-old scored 22 league goals to fire PSV to the Dutch championship in the 2014-15 season but failed to provide a similar spark for United, who missed out on Champions League qualification after finishing fifth.

The winger wants to make amends for a less-than-perfect debut season

Manchester United winger Memphis Depay is keen to breathe fresh life into his faltering career in England under new manager Jose Mourinho after enduring a disappointing debut campaign under former boss Louis van Gaal. The Netherlands international, who joined United from PSV Eindhoven in June last year, scored two goals in 29 Premier League appearances in his first season, 13 of which came as a substitute. "I did not play as many games as I hoped and I am obviously disappointed about that," Memphis told British media. "I had different expectations. But I have to deal with that. You have to make decisions on when to go for an individual action. "The old Memphis, who beat every opponent, will soon be back again. It's now on to next season. I have to prove my worth during pre-season." The 22-year-old scored 22 league goals to fire PSV to the Dutch championship in the 2014-15 season but failed to provide a similar spark for United, who missed out on Champions League qualification after finishing fifth.

United's Depay vows to return stronger next season

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