Stoke City were relegated from the Premier League on Saturday after their dismal season culminated in them giving up a first-half lead against Crystal Palace before succumbing to a deserved 2-1 defeat.

The Potters had to win to give themselves the faintest hope of maintaining their 10-year stay in the top tier of the English game but Paul Lambert's ailing side, who have not won in 13 league matches, went down to a late Patrick van Aanholt goal.

Xherdan Shaqiri had given Stoke hope with a deflected 43rd- minute free kick, only for James McArthur to equalise midway through the second half after a slick counter-attack.

Then, as Palace piled on the pressure, Van Aanholt struck four minutes from time as Stoke's worst run in the top flight for 34 years sealed their fate while Roy Hodgson's resurgent Palace could celebrate another year of Premier League football.

A crestfallen Ryan Shawcross, Stoke's captain whose late mistake led to Van Aanholt's goal, admitted his team had not been good enough all season.

"We've had a right go every single game (under Lambert) but for whatever reason, we haven't got the goals we needed and ultimately it's cost us," he told Sky Sports.

"It's difficult to take but it's a great club this and we'll be back."

With Palace not at their sharpest in a nervy opening half, it took the quality of Shaqiri to break the deadlock as he began a promising move with a fine cross-field ball, then tempted Ruben Loftus-Cheek into a clumsy challenge 23 metres out.

The Swiss international's curled free-kick took a slight diversion off Loftus-Cheek in the Palace wall to give Stoke a lifeline.

Yet the home side increasingly retreated as Palace began to swarm over them after the interval, with McArthur, overlapping on the left, slotting home an excellent left-footed finish after the visitors broke from deep in their own half.

A draw would not realistically have been enough to save Stoke but their fate was sealed when Shawcross, trying to clear his lines, diverted the ball straight into the path of the charging fullback Van Aanholt.

"The goal was my fault. Sometimes you make mistakes and they cost you," said Shawcross.

The win sealed Palace's safety, a remarkable achievement for former England manager Hodgson, who had to pull off a considerable feat of escapology after the Eagles' desperate start to the season under Frank de Boer.

Stoke City were relegated from the Premier League on Saturday after their dismal season culminated in them giving up a first-half lead against Crystal Palace before succumbing to a deserved 2-1 defeat

Stoke City were relegated from the Premier League on Saturday after their dismal season culminated in them giving up a first-half lead against Crystal Palace before succumbing to a deserved 2-1 defeat. The Potters had to win to give themselves the faintest hope of maintaining their 10-year stay in the top tier of the English game but Paul Lambert's ailing side, who have not won in 13 league matches, went down to a late Patrick van Aanholt goal. Xherdan Shaqiri had given Stoke hope with a deflected 43rd- minute free kick, only for James McArthur to equalise midway through the second half after a slick counter-attack. Then, as Palace piled on the pressure, Van Aanholt struck four minutes from time as Stoke's worst run in the top flight for 34 years sealed their fate while Roy Hodgson's resurgent Palace could celebrate another year of Premier League football. A crestfallen Ryan Shawcross, Stoke's captain whose late mistake led to Van Aanholt's goal, admitted his team had not been good enough all season. "We've had a right go every single game (under Lambert) but for whatever reason, we haven't got the goals we needed and ultimately it's cost us," he told Sky Sports. "It's difficult to take but it's a great club this and we'll be back." With Palace not at their sharpest in a nervy opening half, it took the quality of Shaqiri to break the deadlock as he began a promising move with a fine cross-field ball, then tempted Ruben Loftus-Cheek into a clumsy challenge 23 metres out. The Swiss international's curled free-kick took a slight diversion off Loftus-Cheek in the Palace wall to give Stoke a lifeline. Yet the home side increasingly retreated as Palace began to swarm over them after the interval, with McArthur, overlapping on the left, slotting home an excellent left-footed finish after the visitors broke from deep in their own half. A draw would not realistically have been enough to save Stoke but their fate was sealed when Shawcross, trying to clear his lines, diverted the ball straight into the path of the charging fullback Van Aanholt. "The goal was my fault. Sometimes you make mistakes and they cost you," said Shawcross. The win sealed Palace's safety, a remarkable achievement for former England manager Hodgson, who had to pull off a considerable feat of escapology after the Eagles' desperate start to the season under Frank de Boer.

Stoke City relegated from Premier League after 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace

Liverpool's hopes of virtually securing a top-four Premier League spot were frustrated by a battling Stoke City side who restricted the usually free-scoring Reds to a goalless draw at Anfield on Saturday.

But Stoke's hard-won point may not be enough to secure the visitors' survival after Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace all won. With Swansea City due to play Chelsea later on Saturday, the fight for positions at both ends of the table will go to the final day.

Liverpool, who still have to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, lead the Blues by nine points with two games in hand although superior goal difference may prove decisive for Juergen Klopp's side.

Domestic finishing position would, of course, prove academic if Liverpool win the Champions League. They certainly looked like a side with their semi-final second leg in Rome on their mind as they failed to make the most of 72 per cent possession against visitors who had never won a league game at Anfield.

Even 43-goal Mohamed Salah had an off-day, marking the first time since Boxing Day that the Egyptian had failed to score after starting at home.

Liverpool, who made five changes from their semi-final first leg in midweek, felt they deserved a late penalty after Erik Pieters handled in an incident similar to the one that led to James Milner conceding a spot-kick against AS Roma.

"We had to make changes, that is always a bit of a rhythm breaker, in the final third everything is instinct between the regulars, and we missed a bit of that," said Klopp, who added Liverpool had not sustained any further injuries.

LATE HEROICS

Elsewhere, Southampton gave themselves a shot at safety by beating south coast rivals Bournemouth 2-1 with two goals from Dusan Tadic. Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy proved the real hero with a late save from Ryan Fraser, whose fierce shot looked destined for the net.

Bottom side West Brom continue to defy relegation after Matt Phillips' first-half shot gave them a 1-0 win at Newcastle United, their eighth point from four games under caretaker manager Darren Moore.

Heartening as the win was, a Swansea victory later on Saturday would still end Albion's eight-year top-flight stay.

Palace all but guaranteed their safety after thumping Leicester City 5-0, a result that will do little to halt the speculation over Claude Puel's future as Foxes' manager.

Wilfried Zaha scored Palace's first and laid on their second for James McArthur while substitute Christian Benteke rounded off the rout with a penalty.

Roy Hodgson's side are now six points clear of the drop zone although they have played one more match than four teams below them. Among them are Brighton & Hove Albion, who drew 0-0 with Burnley, and Huddersfield Town, who lost 2-0 at home to Everton.

Although Huddersfield are three points clear of 18th-placed Southampton, their run-in is difficult with trips to Manchester City and Chelsea and a home game against Arsenal, which will be Arsene Wenger's final match in charge of the Gunners.

Liverpool's hopes of virtually securing a top-four Premier League spot were frustrated by a battling Stoke City side who restricted the usually free-scoring Reds to a goalless draw at Anfield on Saturday

Liverpool's hopes of virtually securing a top-four Premier League spot were frustrated by a battling Stoke City side who restricted the usually free-scoring Reds to a goalless draw at Anfield on Saturday. But Stoke's hard-won point may not be enough to secure the visitors' survival after Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace all won. With Swansea City due to play Chelsea later on Saturday, the fight for positions at both ends of the table will go to the final day. Liverpool, who still have to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, lead the Blues by nine points with two games in hand although superior goal difference may prove decisive for Juergen Klopp's side. Domestic finishing position would, of course, prove academic if Liverpool win the Champions League. They certainly looked like a side with their semi-final second leg in Rome on their mind as they failed to make the most of 72 per cent possession against visitors who had never won a league game at Anfield. Even 43-goal Mohamed Salah had an off-day, marking the first time since Boxing Day that the Egyptian had failed to score after starting at home. Liverpool, who made five changes from their semi-final first leg in midweek, felt they deserved a late penalty after Erik Pieters handled in an incident similar to the one that led to James Milner conceding a spot-kick against AS Roma. "We had to make changes, that is always a bit of a rhythm breaker, in the final third everything is instinct between the regulars, and we missed a bit of that," said Klopp, who added Liverpool had not sustained any further injuries. LATE HEROICS Elsewhere, Southampton gave themselves a shot at safety by beating south coast rivals Bournemouth 2-1 with two goals from Dusan Tadic. Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy proved the real hero with a late save from Ryan Fraser, whose fierce shot looked destined for the net. Bottom side West Brom continue to defy relegation after Matt Phillips' first-half shot gave them a 1-0 win at Newcastle United, their eighth point from four games under caretaker manager Darren Moore. Heartening as the win was, a Swansea victory later on Saturday would still end Albion's eight-year top-flight stay. Palace all but guaranteed their safety after thumping Leicester City 5-0, a result that will do little to halt the speculation over Claude Puel's future as Foxes' manager. Wilfried Zaha scored Palace's first and laid on their second for James McArthur while substitute Christian Benteke rounded off the rout with a penalty. Roy Hodgson's side are now six points clear of the drop zone although they have played one more match than four teams below them. Among them are Brighton & Hove Albion, who drew 0-0 with Burnley, and Huddersfield Town, who lost 2-0 at home to Everton. Although Huddersfield are three points clear of 18th-placed Southampton, their run-in is difficult with trips to Manchester City and Chelsea and a home game against Arsenal, which will be Arsene Wenger's final match in charge of the Gunners.

EPL: Liverpool frustrated; Southampton and Palace boost survival chances

Mohamed Salah, Egyptian footballer also considered the 'Egyptian King' scored two goals against AS Roma on Wednesday at Anfield.&nbsp;

He plays as a forward for the English Premier League club 'Liverpool'&nbsp;

'He felt the love in Liverpool,' Salah said.&nbsp;

Salah was named Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year on Sunday. Leading with 43 goals in 47 games this season is indeed an incredible record.&nbsp;

He is next in line with the great attacking players, Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar.

There has been some news of him becoming the next winner of the most prestigious individual accolade in world football.

"I love that when I was a kid that I was playing the PlayStation as Liverpool," Salah jokes.

It was absolutely a delight for English Football League audiences to watch Salah throughout the season as some of his performances were awestruck.&nbsp;

When asked about him being the third best player in the world, he says, "I'll leave that for the people to decide".

The calm and relaxed player did not celebrate either of his goals against his former club.&nbsp;

Pressure builds upon him as his fellow teammate named him as "Player of the Year".&nbsp;

"It makes me work harder," he says due to fan's expectations. "It makes me give everything, more than before because now there's more pressure. Everyone is looking for you to do something. When I didn't score in one game, they said: 'Wow, he's playing badly'."

"Everyone is expecting something in each game I'm playing. I don't have to score in every game but I want to do my best. I want to give everything for the club for my teammates and myself also", he added.&nbsp;

He plays as a forward for the English Premier League club 'Liverpool'

Mohamed Salah, Egyptian footballer also considered the 'Egyptian King' scored two goals against AS Roma on Wednesday at Anfield. He plays as a forward for the English Premier League club 'Liverpool' 'He felt the love in Liverpool,' Salah said. Salah was named Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year on Sunday. Leading with 43 goals in 47 games this season is indeed an incredible record. He is next in line with the great attacking players, Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar. There has been some news of him becoming the next winner of the most prestigious individual accolade in world football. "I love that when I was a kid that I was playing the PlayStation as Liverpool," Salah jokes. It was absolutely a delight for English Football League audiences to watch Salah throughout the season as some of his performances were awestruck. When asked about him being the third best player in the world, he says, "I'll leave that for the people to decide". The calm and relaxed player did not celebrate either of his goals against his former club. Pressure builds upon him as his fellow teammate named him as "Player of the Year". "It makes me work harder," he says due to fan's expectations. "It makes me give everything, more than before because now there's more pressure. Everyone is looking for you to do something. When I didn't score in one game, they said: 'Wow, he's playing badly'." "Everyone is expecting something in each game I'm playing. I don't have to score in every game but I want to do my best. I want to give everything for the club for my teammates and myself also", he added.

Mohamed Salah felt the 'love in Liverpool'

Salomon Rondon completed a remarkable West Bromwich Albion comeback from two goals down against Liverpool although the hard-won point from a 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns on Saturday will probably only delay their relegation.

The visitors appeared to have half an eye on Tuesday's Champions League semi-final against AS Roma but still established a comfortable lead through Danny Ings and Mo Salah.

Ings's goal after just four minutes was his first in the Premier League since October 2015. The striker should have had a second soon afterwards and probably been awarded a penalty after being bundled over by Craig Dawson.

With Salah notching up his 31st of the season to equal Luis Suarez's club record for goals in a season, Liverpool appeared to have done enough to take the points.

Albion's caretaker manager Darren Moore has, however, injected resilience into his side and, with Liverpool's defence suddenly displaying their early-season sloppiness, Jake Livermore scrambled a goal from a corner after 79 minutes to give Albion hope.

The equaliser followed another set-piece late on when Chris Brunt delivered a perfect freekick into the area for Rondon to head home.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp, who had rested five players going into the game, complained that the pitch was too dry. "It makes a massive difference," said a visibly downbeat Klopp, whose team are still not guaranteed a top-four finish.

Klopp complained they did not get the "right decisions" on the penalty and the foul from Joe Gomez that led to Rondon's goal.

Albion's Livermore accepted that relegation remained almost inevitable with the bottom-of-the-table team eight points off survival with three games to play. "All we can do is keep fighting," he said.

His teammate Ahmed Hegazi may face retrospective action from the FA after television cameras clearly caught him punching Ings after a tackle.

Salomon Rondon completed a remarkable West Bromwich Albion comeback from two goals down against Liverpool

Salomon Rondon completed a remarkable West Bromwich Albion comeback from two goals down against Liverpool although the hard-won point from a 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns on Saturday will probably only delay their relegation. The visitors appeared to have half an eye on Tuesday's Champions League semi-final against AS Roma but still established a comfortable lead through Danny Ings and Mo Salah. Ings's goal after just four minutes was his first in the Premier League since October 2015. The striker should have had a second soon afterwards and probably been awarded a penalty after being bundled over by Craig Dawson. With Salah notching up his 31st of the season to equal Luis Suarez's club record for goals in a season, Liverpool appeared to have done enough to take the points. Albion's caretaker manager Darren Moore has, however, injected resilience into his side and, with Liverpool's defence suddenly displaying their early-season sloppiness, Jake Livermore scrambled a goal from a corner after 79 minutes to give Albion hope. The equaliser followed another set-piece late on when Chris Brunt delivered a perfect freekick into the area for Rondon to head home. Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp, who had rested five players going into the game, complained that the pitch was too dry. "It makes a massive difference," said a visibly downbeat Klopp, whose team are still not guaranteed a top-four finish. Klopp complained they did not get the "right decisions" on the penalty and the foul from Joe Gomez that led to Rondon's goal. Albion's Livermore accepted that relegation remained almost inevitable with the bottom-of-the-table team eight points off survival with three games to play. "All we can do is keep fighting," he said. His teammate Ahmed Hegazi may face retrospective action from the FA after television cameras clearly caught him punching Ings after a tackle.

Salomon Rondon's 88th-minute goal helps West Brom to draw against Liverpool

Arsene Wenger has spent almost 22 years with the club Arsenal and has announced his retirement on Friday. He said he will leave the club at the end of the season.

In 2017, Wenger had signed a two-year contract but now has overruled it, he said, "After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season."

The Frenchman also said, "I want to thank the staff, the players, the Directors and the fans who make this club so special."

He requested the fans for their love and support for the club and also asked them to take care of the values of the club.

In his statement he mentioned, "I urge our fans to stand behind the team to finish on a high. To all the Arsenal lovers take care of the values of the club."

<img alt="Arsene Wenger.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="690" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/sports/Arsene%20Wenger.JPG" width="885" />

The 68-year-old concluded his statement by saying, "My love and support forever."

After his announcement to step down as the Arsenal's manager, Twitterati reacted with emotional and heartfelt messages.

See some tweets:

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Congratulations on an incredible 22-year career at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, and best of luck for the rest of the season… apart from on your 60th game against us next Sunday ?
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/987292110301868033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhyb6xEFYEz/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">Wow. I never expected that but it shows the great dignity and class of the man. I will never forget his guidance and support, his tutelage and mentorship. He had faith in me from day one and I owe him a lot, he was like a father figure to me who always pushed me to be the best. Arsene, you deserve all the respect and happiness in the world. #classact ??</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cescf4bregas/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Cesc Fàbregas</a> (@cescf4bregas) on <time datetime="2018-04-20T09:58:14+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">Apr 20, 2018 at 2:58am PDT</time>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Arsene Wenger built the best teams that I played against in English Football .The 98 team was Amazing.The biggest compliment is that he played football that made us change the way we played against them. He now deserves the most incredible send off from all in the coming weeks.
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) <a href="https://twitter.com/GNev2/status/987257706858901505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Sad day for <a href="https://twitter.com/Arsenal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Arsenal</a> with Arsene leaving, can we now give him the send off/respect he deserves?!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rememberthetrophies?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#rememberthetrophies</a>
— David Seaman (@thedavidseaman) <a href="https://twitter.com/thedavidseaman/status/987261862109679617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Where it all began for Arsene Wenger in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PL</a>... <a href="https://t.co/gbhqBu9LTq">pic.twitter.com/gbhqBu9LTq</a>
— Premier League (@premierleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/987305506904657921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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? Arsène Wenger at Arsenal ⚪️ 
 
Appointed manager: 1996 
Total games in charge (so far): 1,228 
Premier League: ??? 
FA Cup: ??????? 
Club legend ✔️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MerciArs%C3%A8ne?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MerciArsène</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UEL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/GR4ac156la">pic.twitter.com/GR4ac156la</a>
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/987297733680750594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Arsene Wenger is to leave Arsenal at the end of the season

Arsene Wenger has spent almost 22 years with the club Arsenal and has announced his retirement on Friday. He said he will leave the club at the end of the season. In 2017, Wenger had signed a two-year contract but now has overruled it, he said, "After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season." The Frenchman also said, "I want to thank the staff, the players, the Directors and the fans who make this club so special." He requested the fans for their love and support for the club and also asked them to take care of the values of the club. In his statement he mentioned, "I urge our fans to stand behind the team to finish on a high. To all the Arsenal lovers take care of the values of the club." The 68-year-old concluded his statement by saying, "My love and support forever." After his announcement to step down as the Arsenal's manager, Twitterati reacted with emotional and heartfelt messages. See some tweets: Congratulations on an incredible 22-year career at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, and best of luck for the rest of the season… apart from on your 60th game against us next Sunday ? — Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 20, 2018 × Wow. I never expected that but it shows the great dignity and class of the man. I will never forget his guidance and support, his tutelage and mentorship. He had faith in me from day one and I owe him a lot, he was like a father figure to me who always pushed me to be the best. Arsene, you deserve all the respect and happiness in the world. #classact ?? A post shared by Cesc Fàbregas (@cescf4bregas) on Apr 20, 2018 at 2:58am PDT × Arsene Wenger built the best teams that I played against in English Football .The 98 team was Amazing.The biggest compliment is that he played football that made us change the way we played against them. He now deserves the most incredible send off from all in the coming weeks. — Gary Neville (@GNev2) April 20, 2018 × Sad day for @Arsenal with Arsene leaving, can we now give him the send off/respect he deserves?!! #rememberthetrophies — David Seaman (@thedavidseaman) April 20, 2018 × Where it all began for Arsene Wenger in the #PL... pic.twitter.com/gbhqBu9LTq — Premier League (@premierleague) April 20, 2018 × ? Arsène Wenger at Arsenal ⚪️ Appointed manager: 1996 Total games in charge (so far): 1,228 Premier League: ??? FA Cup: ??????? Club legend ✔️#MerciArsène #UEL pic.twitter.com/GR4ac156la — UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) April 20, 2018 ×

Arsene Wenger to quit as Arsenal manager - who's saying what

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is to stand down at the end of the season after a reign of almost 22 years that made him the most successful boss in the Premier League club's history.

The 68-year-old has been with the North Londoners since October 1996 and, with 1228 games in charge, is by far the longest-serving current manager in English soccer.

"After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season," the Frenchman said in a statement issued by the Gunners on Friday.

Wenger signed a two-year contract extension in 2017 and had said he planned to see it out.

He has faced mounting criticism, however, for the club's failure to sustain a serious title challenge in recent seasons, with some fans calling for him to be replaced.

The Gunners are a distant sixth in the league, 14 points adrift of fourth-placed North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur with five games remaining.

<img alt="Arsene Wenger.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/Arsene%20Wenger.JPG" width="770" />

They are also in the semi-finals of the Europa League, however, which represents their only realistic route to the lucrative Champions League next season.

"I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity," said Wenger, who urged the fans to stand behind the team and end the season on a high.

The club said a successor would be appointed as soon as possible with German Thomas Tuchel, out of work since leaving Borussia Dortmund almost a year ago, installed as the early bookmakers' favourite.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MerciArs%C3%A8ne?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MerciArsène</a> <a href="https://t.co/h3XAQvr2pw">pic.twitter.com/h3XAQvr2pw</a>
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Difficult Day

Arsenal's majority owner Stan Kroenke said it was "one of the most difficult days we have ever had in all our years in sport."

"One of the main reasons we got involved with Arsenal was because of what Arsene has brought to the club on and off the pitch," he said.

"His longevity and consistency over such a sustained period at the highest level of the game will never be matched."

Wenger won three Premier League titles, including in 2003-04 when 'The Invincibles' went unbeaten for an entire season, and seven FA Cups. He took Arsenal into the Champions League for 20 years in a row.

They won the league and FA cup double in 1998 and 2002.

"My personal situation is not so much my worry at the moment," he had told reporters on Thursday when asked about his future.

"My worry is to transform a season with many disappointments away from home into a success, and that’s what matters to me."

News of his decision drew a flood of tributes and reaction from throughout the game.

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"He is above Herbert Chapman and all of the guys who won trophies," former goalkeeper Bob Wilson told the BBC, adding that he was "shell-shocked" by the news.

"Arsene is not only the greatest manager in Arsenal's history, he has personally changed the face of the game in this country."

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said he respected the decision: "He is an influence in football. Had a fantastic career. Outstanding personality," the German told reporters.

"He was there for so long, 22 years is a long time. Maybe in the last few months not everybody was happy with this result or that... he was the dominating guy in the mid 1990s, 2000s."

Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman said it was a sad day for the club.

"Can we now give him the send off/respect he deserves," he asked on Twitter.

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&nbsp;

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is to stand down at the end of the season after a reign of almost 22 years that made him the most successful boss in the Premier League club's history

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is to stand down at the end of the season after a reign of almost 22 years that made him the most successful boss in the Premier League club's history. The 68-year-old has been with the North Londoners since October 1996 and, with 1228 games in charge, is by far the longest-serving current manager in English soccer. "After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season," the Frenchman said in a statement issued by the Gunners on Friday. Wenger signed a two-year contract extension in 2017 and had said he planned to see it out. He has faced mounting criticism, however, for the club's failure to sustain a serious title challenge in recent seasons, with some fans calling for him to be replaced. The Gunners are a distant sixth in the league, 14 points adrift of fourth-placed North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur with five games remaining. They are also in the semi-finals of the Europa League, however, which represents their only realistic route to the lucrative Champions League next season. "I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity," said Wenger, who urged the fans to stand behind the team and end the season on a high. The club said a successor would be appointed as soon as possible with German Thomas Tuchel, out of work since leaving Borussia Dortmund almost a year ago, installed as the early bookmakers' favourite. #MerciArsène pic.twitter.com/h3XAQvr2pw — Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 20, 2018 × Difficult Day Arsenal's majority owner Stan Kroenke said it was "one of the most difficult days we have ever had in all our years in sport." "One of the main reasons we got involved with Arsenal was because of what Arsene has brought to the club on and off the pitch," he said. "His longevity and consistency over such a sustained period at the highest level of the game will never be matched." Wenger won three Premier League titles, including in 2003-04 when 'The Invincibles' went unbeaten for an entire season, and seven FA Cups. He took Arsenal into the Champions League for 20 years in a row. They won the league and FA cup double in 1998 and 2002. "My personal situation is not so much my worry at the moment," he had told reporters on Thursday when asked about his future. "My worry is to transform a season with many disappointments away from home into a success, and that’s what matters to me." News of his decision drew a flood of tributes and reaction from throughout the game. #MerciArsène pic.twitter.com/bjP0wLMgee — Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 20, 2018 × "He is above Herbert Chapman and all of the guys who won trophies," former goalkeeper Bob Wilson told the BBC, adding that he was "shell-shocked" by the news. "Arsene is not only the greatest manager in Arsenal's history, he has personally changed the face of the game in this country." Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said he respected the decision: "He is an influence in football. Had a fantastic career. Outstanding personality," the German told reporters. "He was there for so long, 22 years is a long time. Maybe in the last few months not everybody was happy with this result or that... he was the dominating guy in the mid 1990s, 2000s." Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman said it was a sad day for the club. "Can we now give him the send off/respect he deserves," he asked on Twitter. #MerciArsène pic.twitter.com/7wqOwveCfz — Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 20, 2018 ×

Arsene Wenger to step down as Arsenal manager

Newly crowned Premier League champions Manchester City need to continue winning trophies if they want to be regarded among the great teams of English top-flight football, defender Kyle Walker has said.

City won their third title in seven seasons with five games to spare on Sunday after a record-breaking campaign that has seen manager Pep Guardiola's side outclass their rivals, but Walker believes there is potential to do more.

"There is still a lot of room for improvement," England international Walker told BBC Radio 5 live. "I have read some articles that say we need to win things continuously for a number of years before we are classed as a great team.

"Every single one of us wants to be recognised as one of the greatest teams to play in the Premier League."

City's march to the title and their League Cup triumph in February has been offset by a shock FA Cup exit to Wigan Athletic and the 5-1 aggregate defeat by Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals.

"If we concentrate on ourselves then as a team we can go on to great things," Walker added. "But the Liverpool game(s) showed us that we are not a perfect team."

The 27-year-old also credited perfectionist Guardiola for City's free-flowing style of play, which has led to their domestic dominance.

City can sweeten their title win by breaking several records in their five remaining league games, starting with Sunday's home match against struggling Swansea City.

'There is still a lot of room for improvement,' the City defender added

Newly crowned Premier League champions Manchester City need to continue winning trophies if they want to be regarded among the great teams of English top-flight football, defender Kyle Walker has said. City won their third title in seven seasons with five games to spare on Sunday after a record-breaking campaign that has seen manager Pep Guardiola's side outclass their rivals, but Walker believes there is potential to do more. "There is still a lot of room for improvement," England international Walker told BBC Radio 5 live. "I have read some articles that say we need to win things continuously for a number of years before we are classed as a great team. "Every single one of us wants to be recognised as one of the greatest teams to play in the Premier League." City's march to the title and their League Cup triumph in February has been offset by a shock FA Cup exit to Wigan Athletic and the 5-1 aggregate defeat by Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals. "If we concentrate on ourselves then as a team we can go on to great things," Walker added. "But the Liverpool game(s) showed us that we are not a perfect team." The 27-year-old also credited perfectionist Guardiola for City's free-flowing style of play, which has led to their domestic dominance. City can sweeten their title win by breaking several records in their five remaining league games, starting with Sunday's home match against struggling Swansea City.

Football: 'Every one of us wants to be recognised as one of the greatest teams,' says Manchester City's Walker

A week after an inspiring comeback win against Manchester City, Manchester United fell to a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford against bottom club West Bromwich Albion on Sunday and manager Jose Mourinho said such inconsistency needed to change if they were to challenge their neighbours next season.

The loss handed City the title, leaving United trailing by 16 points with five games remaining, and Mourinho immediately faced the question of whether he was confident his team could make a real challenge next year.

"I trust in my work, that is for sure, I have no reason not to trust. Eight titles are eight titles and three Premier Leagues are three Premier Leagues," he said.

"The last title was not 20 years ago it was three years ago. I know how to win, I believe in myself but I don't play," added the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager.

"In my experience you don't win titles with inconsistency, you win titles, of course with quality, without quality you have no chance, but you have to win titles with consistency at every level not just the performance level.

"The mental level, the day by day, everything must be consistent until the last day so one of the things we have to improve is consistency," he said.

Mourinho suggested his players might have over-reacted to the win against City at the Etihad.

"Probably because I won eight championships I was not on the moon with the victory against them because that doesn't make me feel super-happy. In my opinion it affected for sure some of the people that were too happy just with that," he said.

A 73rd-minute header from Jay Rodriguez after United had failed to defend a corner won the game for relegation-threatened West Brom and Mourinho said his team had not played the simple football he expects.

"We were masters in complication. Everything was complicated. We couldn't think fast, we couldn't play fast. Players didn't want to or didn't play simple. Everything was slow. Everyone was one more touch, one more trick, one more flick, one more turn.

"We always gave them the opportunity to be solid, compact, together with huge physical strong players, they always had time to organise themselves. When we had the ball, we wanted to run, dribble and everything was complicated," he said.

The Portuguese manager said that City deserved their title and he had offered them his congratulations after the derby win.

"I don't know if I was the first or second or third but I congratulated them face to face when I had chance to do it. I knew that sooner or later that would be and if I was in that position I would be very upset if someone said they won the title because Manchester United lost," he said.

"They won the title because they were the best team. They lost only two matches, that is why they were champions."

The loss handed City the title, leaving United trailing by 16 points

A week after an inspiring comeback win against Manchester City, Manchester United fell to a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford against bottom club West Bromwich Albion on Sunday and manager Jose Mourinho said such inconsistency needed to change if they were to challenge their neighbours next season. The loss handed City the title, leaving United trailing by 16 points with five games remaining, and Mourinho immediately faced the question of whether he was confident his team could make a real challenge next year. "I trust in my work, that is for sure, I have no reason not to trust. Eight titles are eight titles and three Premier Leagues are three Premier Leagues," he said. "The last title was not 20 years ago it was three years ago. I know how to win, I believe in myself but I don't play," added the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager. "In my experience you don't win titles with inconsistency, you win titles, of course with quality, without quality you have no chance, but you have to win titles with consistency at every level not just the performance level. "The mental level, the day by day, everything must be consistent until the last day so one of the things we have to improve is consistency," he said. Mourinho suggested his players might have over-reacted to the win against City at the Etihad. "Probably because I won eight championships I was not on the moon with the victory against them because that doesn't make me feel super-happy. In my opinion it affected for sure some of the people that were too happy just with that," he said. A 73rd-minute header from Jay Rodriguez after United had failed to defend a corner won the game for relegation-threatened West Brom and Mourinho said his team had not played the simple football he expects. "We were masters in complication. Everything was complicated. We couldn't think fast, we couldn't play fast. Players didn't want to or didn't play simple. Everything was slow. Everyone was one more touch, one more trick, one more flick, one more turn. "We always gave them the opportunity to be solid, compact, together with huge physical strong players, they always had time to organise themselves. When we had the ball, we wanted to run, dribble and everything was complicated," he said. The Portuguese manager said that City deserved their title and he had offered them his congratulations after the derby win. "I don't know if I was the first or second or third but I congratulated them face to face when I had chance to do it. I knew that sooner or later that would be and if I was in that position I would be very upset if someone said they won the title because Manchester United lost," he said. "They won the title because they were the best team. They lost only two matches, that is why they were champions."

EPL: Mourinho hits out at inconsistent and 'complicated' Manchester United

Eyebrows were raised last year when Manchester City spent almost 140 million pounds ($197 million) on two full backs and a goalkeeper, but manager Pep Guardiola showed he knew exactly what was needed to capture the Premier League title in style.

Having experienced his first-ever trophyless season as a head coach last campaign, Guardiola wasted no time in bringing in goalkeeper Ederson, as well as Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy to enhance City in areas they`d previously been lacking in.

Last season, the Spanish coach had replaced England international goalkeeper Joe Hart with Claudio Bravo. However, 19 goalkeepers who played more than 20 Premier League games finished the 2016-17 campaign with a better save percentage than the Chilean, as City conceded 39 goals.

Ederson did not come cheap at a reported 35 million pounds, but the results have been mightily impressive with the Brazilian being beaten only 25 times so far.

Firstly, he fulfils that ball-playing requirement that Guardiola demands from his keepers. Ederson`s pass success rate of more than 85 per cent is higher than players including Paul Pogba, Kevin De Bruyne, and Cesc Fabregas.&nbsp; 
It means the 24-year-old is the league`s most accurate goalkeeper by a comfortable distance.

Ederson has also made some crucial saves, such as the last-gasp penalty stop at Crystal Palace in December, as well making a significant improvement in the save percentage department -- contributions that can make all the difference in a title race.

"He is young and has to improve a lot of things, but he is, for me, already one of the best in the world," Guardiola said recently.

NEW ENERGY

Last year, ageing full backs Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov were tasked with providing extra width down the wing.

All three left in the close season and Guardiola invested in younger replacements on each side, which immediately reaped rewards.

Mendy`s unfortunate injury has deprived City of a potent threat for much of this season, after the Frenchman had settled in very quickly.

Kyle Walker, though, has continued to provide that additional option in attack. The England international has provided six Premier League assists, compared to two from Kolarov, Clichy and Zabaleta combined last campaign.

Further forward, Bernardo Silva has shown glimpses of his creative ability, but is yet to make a regular starting berth his own. Danilo is another who has provided quality in reserve.

Aymeric Laporte became City`s record signing in January, but it would be unfair to judge the young defender after such little time in England.&nbsp;

The likes of De Bruyne, David Silva and Sergio Aguero -- all players inherited by Guardiola -- have spearheaded City`s title triumph. But it was the signings in areas City were falling short in, which have helped propel them from nearly men into champions.

Guardiola wasted no time in bringing in goalkeeper Ederson

Eyebrows were raised last year when Manchester City spent almost 140 million pounds ($197 million) on two full backs and a goalkeeper, but manager Pep Guardiola showed he knew exactly what was needed to capture the Premier League title in style. Having experienced his first-ever trophyless season as a head coach last campaign, Guardiola wasted no time in bringing in goalkeeper Ederson, as well as Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy to enhance City in areas they`d previously been lacking in. Last season, the Spanish coach had replaced England international goalkeeper Joe Hart with Claudio Bravo. However, 19 goalkeepers who played more than 20 Premier League games finished the 2016-17 campaign with a better save percentage than the Chilean, as City conceded 39 goals. Ederson did not come cheap at a reported 35 million pounds, but the results have been mightily impressive with the Brazilian being beaten only 25 times so far. Firstly, he fulfils that ball-playing requirement that Guardiola demands from his keepers. Ederson`s pass success rate of more than 85 per cent is higher than players including Paul Pogba, Kevin De Bruyne, and Cesc Fabregas. It means the 24-year-old is the league`s most accurate goalkeeper by a comfortable distance. Ederson has also made some crucial saves, such as the last-gasp penalty stop at Crystal Palace in December, as well making a significant improvement in the save percentage department -- contributions that can make all the difference in a title race. "He is young and has to improve a lot of things, but he is, for me, already one of the best in the world," Guardiola said recently. NEW ENERGY Last year, ageing full backs Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov were tasked with providing extra width down the wing. All three left in the close season and Guardiola invested in younger replacements on each side, which immediately reaped rewards. Mendy`s unfortunate injury has deprived City of a potent threat for much of this season, after the Frenchman had settled in very quickly. Kyle Walker, though, has continued to provide that additional option in attack. The England international has provided six Premier League assists, compared to two from Kolarov, Clichy and Zabaleta combined last campaign. Further forward, Bernardo Silva has shown glimpses of his creative ability, but is yet to make a regular starting berth his own. Danilo is another who has provided quality in reserve. Aymeric Laporte became City`s record signing in January, but it would be unfair to judge the young defender after such little time in England. The likes of De Bruyne, David Silva and Sergio Aguero -- all players inherited by Guardiola -- have spearheaded City`s title triumph. But it was the signings in areas City were falling short in, which have helped propel them from nearly men into champions.

How Pep Guardiola's signings turned Manchester City from nearly men into champions

Manchester&nbsp;City&nbsp;were confirmed as Premier League champions on Sunday as second-placed&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;United suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat by bottom club West Bromwich Albion.

United had to at least draw to keep the title race mathematically alive but were stunned at Old Trafford when Jay Rodriguez headed home after the break.

City&nbsp;manager Pep Guardiola might have missed the moment that his first English title was sealed, however, after admitting on Saturday he had a round of golf booked with his son.

He would have been as surprised as everyone else that the title, seemingly a foregone conclusion for months, was rubber-stamped in such strange circumstances.

A week after&nbsp;City&nbsp;surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to United and squander the chance to wrap up the title in perfect style against their arch-rivals, it was relegation-bound West Brom who served it up on a plate.

West Brom had lost eight of their previous nine games and last won on Jan. 13.

City, who rebounded from the United loss and a European exit at the hands of Liverpool by beating Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, have 87 points with five games left.

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Our Time. Our City. 
 
Premier League Champions 17/18 ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mancity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mancity</a> <a href="https://t.co/lztlN3lWFW">pic.twitter.com/lztlN3lWFW</a>
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United have 71 also with five to play.

It is Abu Dhabi-owned&nbsp;City's third title in seven seasons and their first since former boss Manuel Pellegrini achieved the feat in 2013-14.

Guardiola has won the League Cup already for&nbsp;City&nbsp;this season but a first Premier League title, to go with the three La Liga titles he won as manager of Barcelona and the three Bundesliga titles he delivered for Bayern Munich, will be particularly satisfying for the Spaniard.

"You cannot imagine," Guardiola said on Saturday. "It would be one of the best three seasons I have ever had as a player and as a manager. The amount of goals, chances and points, to do that in the Premier League, with the contenders we have, is because the players are so good."

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&nbsp;

Manchester City were confirmed as Premier League champions

Manchester City were confirmed as Premier League champions on Sunday as second-placed Manchester United suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat by bottom club West Bromwich Albion. United had to at least draw to keep the title race mathematically alive but were stunned at Old Trafford when Jay Rodriguez headed home after the break. City manager Pep Guardiola might have missed the moment that his first English title was sealed, however, after admitting on Saturday he had a round of golf booked with his son. He would have been as surprised as everyone else that the title, seemingly a foregone conclusion for months, was rubber-stamped in such strange circumstances. A week after City surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to United and squander the chance to wrap up the title in perfect style against their arch-rivals, it was relegation-bound West Brom who served it up on a plate. West Brom had lost eight of their previous nine games and last won on Jan. 13. City, who rebounded from the United loss and a European exit at the hands of Liverpool by beating Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, have 87 points with five games left. Our Time. Our City. Premier League Champions 17/18 ?#mancity pic.twitter.com/lztlN3lWFW — Manchester City (@ManCity) April 15, 2018 × United have 71 also with five to play. It is Abu Dhabi-owned City's third title in seven seasons and their first since former boss Manuel Pellegrini achieved the feat in 2013-14. Guardiola has won the League Cup already for City this season but a first Premier League title, to go with the three La Liga titles he won as manager of Barcelona and the three Bundesliga titles he delivered for Bayern Munich, will be particularly satisfying for the Spaniard. "You cannot imagine," Guardiola said on Saturday. "It would be one of the best three seasons I have ever had as a player and as a manager. The amount of goals, chances and points, to do that in the Premier League, with the contenders we have, is because the players are so good." https://t.co/NkjdwM1YR8 — Manchester City (@ManCity) April 15, 2018 ×

Manchester City win Premier League after United lose to bottom-placed West Brom

By winning their third title in seven seasons since first being backed by the petro-dollars of Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Mansour, Manchester City can justifiably claim to be the outstanding Premier League club of the current decade.

Even more alarming for their rivals, though, after Manchester United's 1-0 loss to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday sealed City's triumph is that Pep Guardiola's latest fabulous creation may only be at the dawn of a potential new dynasty.

Yet, even if City's season has already been a majestic success, what with a League Cup triumph and winning the Premier League with a record-equalling five matches to spare, a better measure will only come by the end of next season.

For no English champions have successfully defended their Premier League crown since City's once lordly neighbours United won the title for a third straight season in 2008-09.

That side, guided by Alex Ferguson and featuring Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in their pomp, completed a remarkable three-year spell, also featuring a Champions League win, another final appearance and a Club World Cup triumph.

This is the deafening level of dominance that the team once famously derided as "noisy neighbours" by Ferguson will now be out to cement after what could still end up as an unprecedented 100-goal, 100-point season.

The last decade, though, suggests back-to-back successes will be no given. Ferguson's last United triumph in 2012-13 was by 11 points from the then champions City the following season, under new management, they finished seventh.

Jose Mourinho's 2015 Chelsea side won the league handsomely but could only finish 10th the following campaign. Last season's champions, Chelsea, look unlikely to be in the top four this year.

Yet if any team look capable of bucking this trend, it is Guardiola's latest potential masterpiece, which, remember, is still a work in progress.

He won both La Liga, with Barcelona, and the Bundesliga at Bayern Munich three years in succession, changing attitudes in both the Spanish and German game with the sort of possession-based pass mastery at pace that some believed would be stifled in England. That theory has been wholly debunked.

Certainly, Liverpool's heroics in both the Champions League and Premier League, swarming all over City for three victories this term, and Manchester United's 3-2 comeback win at the Etihad which delayed the coronation, dented the aura.

Those performances offered others a blueprint of how to knock City out of their aristocratic stride, yet still this could not hide the extent of their overall dominance.

CONTINENTAL SUCCESS

The dynasty will only be built on European success, though, and after the quarter-final exit to Liverpool, City's owners, who want a gilded continental powerhouse to match United's global lustre, will demand it and back those demands with huge funding.

Guardiola's talent and commitment is the key to this.

City's fans must have been left with soaring hearts on hearing how the Spaniard, in the second of a three-year deal, had talked of his long-term ambitions to make City's name resonate more in global terms.

"(Manchester City) does not have a history behind it at the level of titles but it does have the desire to become winners," he told a South American TV company.

"I do not rule out continuing to lead in 10 years. It will depend how I feel and if they want me."

Of course, they will want him. Every club does. His imprint in just two seasons has already been immense, vastly improving youthful talent like Raheem Sterling, John Stones, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus, none of whom are older than 23.

Key men Fernandinho and David Silva are in their thirties now but much more can be still be expected of Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva alongside Kevin de Bruyne, the league's outstanding player this season.

"We need titles in Europe," Guardiola concedes. "After what this club has done in the last ten years, in terms of creating facilities and making it bigger, it will happen.

"But you need time. It might be next season or the season after that but it will happen, soon it will happen."

Guardiola sounded like a man who will be there when it does.

City have now won their third title in seven seasons

By winning their third title in seven seasons since first being backed by the petro-dollars of Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Mansour, Manchester City can justifiably claim to be the outstanding Premier League club of the current decade. Even more alarming for their rivals, though, after Manchester United's 1-0 loss to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday sealed City's triumph is that Pep Guardiola's latest fabulous creation may only be at the dawn of a potential new dynasty. Yet, even if City's season has already been a majestic success, what with a League Cup triumph and winning the Premier League with a record-equalling five matches to spare, a better measure will only come by the end of next season. For no English champions have successfully defended their Premier League crown since City's once lordly neighbours United won the title for a third straight season in 2008-09. That side, guided by Alex Ferguson and featuring Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in their pomp, completed a remarkable three-year spell, also featuring a Champions League win, another final appearance and a Club World Cup triumph. This is the deafening level of dominance that the team once famously derided as "noisy neighbours" by Ferguson will now be out to cement after what could still end up as an unprecedented 100-goal, 100-point season. The last decade, though, suggests back-to-back successes will be no given. Ferguson's last United triumph in 2012-13 was by 11 points from the then champions City the following season, under new management, they finished seventh. Jose Mourinho's 2015 Chelsea side won the league handsomely but could only finish 10th the following campaign. Last season's champions, Chelsea, look unlikely to be in the top four this year. Yet if any team look capable of bucking this trend, it is Guardiola's latest potential masterpiece, which, remember, is still a work in progress. He won both La Liga, with Barcelona, and the Bundesliga at Bayern Munich three years in succession, changing attitudes in both the Spanish and German game with the sort of possession-based pass mastery at pace that some believed would be stifled in England. That theory has been wholly debunked. Certainly, Liverpool's heroics in both the Champions League and Premier League, swarming all over City for three victories this term, and Manchester United's 3-2 comeback win at the Etihad which delayed the coronation, dented the aura. Those performances offered others a blueprint of how to knock City out of their aristocratic stride, yet still this could not hide the extent of their overall dominance. CONTINENTAL SUCCESS The dynasty will only be built on European success, though, and after the quarter-final exit to Liverpool, City's owners, who want a gilded continental powerhouse to match United's global lustre, will demand it and back those demands with huge funding. Guardiola's talent and commitment is the key to this. City's fans must have been left with soaring hearts on hearing how the Spaniard, in the second of a three-year deal, had talked of his long-term ambitions to make City's name resonate more in global terms. "(Manchester City) does not have a history behind it at the level of titles but it does have the desire to become winners," he told a South American TV company. "I do not rule out continuing to lead in 10 years. It will depend how I feel and if they want me." Of course, they will want him. Every club does. His imprint in just two seasons has already been immense, vastly improving youthful talent like Raheem Sterling, John Stones, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus, none of whom are older than 23. Key men Fernandinho and David Silva are in their thirties now but much more can be still be expected of Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva alongside Kevin de Bruyne, the league's outstanding player this season. "We need titles in Europe," Guardiola concedes. "After what this club has done in the last ten years, in terms of creating facilities and making it bigger, it will happen. "But you need time. It might be next season or the season after that but it will happen, soon it will happen." Guardiola sounded like a man who will be there when it does.

Manchester City win EPL. Start of a dynasty?

Manchester City can become English champions for the fifth time if they beat Manchester United on Saturday -- and Pep Guardiola's claim he was offered Paul Pogba has added to the occasion.

A City side that has lost just once in the league all season will seal their third Premier League title in seven seasons unless Jose Mourinho's side can throw a spanner in the works in what promises to be a memorable Manchester derby.

Liverpool's 3-0 defeat of City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday took some gloss off their impending coronation, but Guardiola has come out fighting by taunting United with the claim he was given the chance to sign the club's record signing Paul Pogba in January.

"I said no. We don't have the money to buy Pogba because he is so expensive," Guardiola told reporters on Friday as he attacked the conduct of Pogba's agent Mino Raiola.

Guardiola, who stressed he thought Pogba was an "incredible player", also suggested Raiola offered him then-United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan shortly before Arsenal signed him instead in part-exchange for the deal that took Alexis Sanchez to Old Trafford.

Pogba, who joined United for £89 million ($125 million, 102 million euros) from Juventus in 2016, has endured a wretched season and is by no means guaranteed to be in the starting line-up on Saturday.

The French midfielder responded to Guardiola's revelations with a picture on Twitter cupping his hand to his ear, captioned "Say what?"

United manager Jose Mourinho indicated last month that it was up to Pogba to explain why his form has been so inconsistent in recent months.

There is no suggestion that United had given their approval for Pogba to be offered to City and Guardiola's ire appeared to be aimed solely at Raiola -- the two men have feuded since the Catalan coach was managing Barcelona.

Raiola believes Guardiola forced another of his clients, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, out of Barcelona in 2011.

Their row was reignited two weeks ago when Raiola called Guardiola a "zero", a "coward" and a "dog" for the way he treats his players.

"Comparing someone to a dog is bad. It's not good. He has to respect the dogs," Guardiola said with heavy sarcasm on Friday.

Mourinho has not commented on the Pogba claims, but he said although it would not be "the end of the world" if United lost, "we don't want to offer them the game".

"We want to go there and want to compete and win the match if possible."&nbsp

Emirati riches

Despite Guardiola's suggestion that City could not stretch to Pogba's price tag, the investment by their owners from Abu Dhabi, who took over in 2008, has been phenomenal.

The CIES Football Observatory estimates that the current City squad, including Sergio Aguero and contender for player of the year Kevin De Bruyne, cost 878 million euros ($1.07 billion) to assemble.

That financial firepower has put City 16 points ahead of second-placed United.

Guardiola, also a former manager of German giants Bayern Munich, has himself splashed out nearly 600 million euros in his time in northwest England, but he defended the level of spending.

"I am so, so happy with what we have done this year," he said. "It's impossible to do that, to play the way we play, the results we achieved, without top players. It's impossible. And today the top players cost a lot of money.

"When the people say, 'You win because you spend 600 million euros', I don't know how much money we spent in two years. But it is impossible to do it without money.

"When people you say, 'You can do that, Pep, what you have done in Barcelona or Bayern Munich without those players, is it possible to do that?' No, it's impossible, so be calm."

Manchester City can become English champions for the fifth time if they beat Manchester United

Manchester City can become English champions for the fifth time if they beat Manchester United on Saturday -- and Pep Guardiola's claim he was offered Paul Pogba has added to the occasion. A City side that has lost just once in the league all season will seal their third Premier League title in seven seasons unless Jose Mourinho's side can throw a spanner in the works in what promises to be a memorable Manchester derby. Liverpool's 3-0 defeat of City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday took some gloss off their impending coronation, but Guardiola has come out fighting by taunting United with the claim he was given the chance to sign the club's record signing Paul Pogba in January. "I said no. We don't have the money to buy Pogba because he is so expensive," Guardiola told reporters on Friday as he attacked the conduct of Pogba's agent Mino Raiola. Guardiola, who stressed he thought Pogba was an "incredible player", also suggested Raiola offered him then-United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan shortly before Arsenal signed him instead in part-exchange for the deal that took Alexis Sanchez to Old Trafford. Pogba, who joined United for £89 million ($125 million, 102 million euros) from Juventus in 2016, has endured a wretched season and is by no means guaranteed to be in the starting line-up on Saturday. The French midfielder responded to Guardiola's revelations with a picture on Twitter cupping his hand to his ear, captioned "Say what?" United manager Jose Mourinho indicated last month that it was up to Pogba to explain why his form has been so inconsistent in recent months. There is no suggestion that United had given their approval for Pogba to be offered to City and Guardiola's ire appeared to be aimed solely at Raiola -- the two men have feuded since the Catalan coach was managing Barcelona. Raiola believes Guardiola forced another of his clients, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, out of Barcelona in 2011. Their row was reignited two weeks ago when Raiola called Guardiola a "zero", a "coward" and a "dog" for the way he treats his players. "Comparing someone to a dog is bad. It's not good. He has to respect the dogs," Guardiola said with heavy sarcasm on Friday. Mourinho has not commented on the Pogba claims, but he said although it would not be "the end of the world" if United lost, "we don't want to offer them the game". "We want to go there and want to compete and win the match if possible." Emirati riches Despite Guardiola's suggestion that City could not stretch to Pogba's price tag, the investment by their owners from Abu Dhabi, who took over in 2008, has been phenomenal. The CIES Football Observatory estimates that the current City squad, including Sergio Aguero and contender for player of the year Kevin De Bruyne, cost 878 million euros ($1.07 billion) to assemble. That financial firepower has put City 16 points ahead of second-placed United. Guardiola, also a former manager of German giants Bayern Munich, has himself splashed out nearly 600 million euros in his time in northwest England, but he defended the level of spending. "I am so, so happy with what we have done this year," he said. "It's impossible to do that, to play the way we play, the results we achieved, without top players. It's impossible. And today the top players cost a lot of money. "When the people say, 'You win because you spend 600 million euros', I don't know how much money we spent in two years. But it is impossible to do it without money. "When people you say, 'You can do that, Pep, what you have done in Barcelona or Bayern Munich without those players, is it possible to do that?' No, it's impossible, so be calm."

Manchester City to clash Man United for title win

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/indore-building-collapse-death-toll-rises-to-10-127558">Indore building collapse: Death toll rises to 10</a>

At least 10 were killed in a building collapse in Madhya Pradesh's Indore last night. According to reports, a four storeyed-building in Sarwate area collapsed around 9:20 pm last night.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/gaza-sees-bloodiest-day-in-years-127556">Gaza sees </a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/gaza-sees-bloodiest-day-in-years-127556">bloodiest</a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/gaza-sees-bloodiest-day-in-years-127556"> day in years</a>

Gazans buried their dead on Saturday with calls for "revenge" a day after a mass protest led to clashes that saw Israeli forces kill 16 Palestinians in the bloodiest day since a 2014 war.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/two-encounters-in-kashmir-1-terrorist-killed-one-held-127564">Two encounters in Kashmir 1 terrorist killed, one held</a> 
 
An encounter between security forces and terrorists in Dialgam area of Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir got one terrorist killed while another has been held. The operation has finally come to an end.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/sports/epl-manchester-city-one-win-away-from-title-127565">EPL: Manchester City one win away from </a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/sports/epl-manchester-city-one-win-away-from-title-127565">title</a> 
 
Pep Guardiola's side, who will be champions if they win next Saturday's Manchester derby, grabbed the lead in the fourth minute through Leroy Sane's sizzling volley from a tight angle at the back post after a pinpoint cross from David Silva.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/the-indian-beauty-queen-that-no-one-has-heard-of-127568">The Indian beauty queen that no one has heard of</a> 
 
Varsha Rajkhowa, 26, won the Miss Scuba International beauty pageant in Malaysia in November 2016. Miss Scuba International is a beauty pageant with a slight twist – the contestants all have to be scuba divers.&nbsp;

Indore building collapse: Death toll rises to 10 At least 10 were killed in a building collapse in Madhya Pradesh's Indore last night. According to reports, a four storeyed-building in Sarwate area collapsed around 9:20 pm last night. Gaza sees bloodiest day in years Gazans buried their dead on Saturday with calls for "revenge" a day after a mass protest led to clashes that saw Israeli forces kill 16 Palestinians in the bloodiest day since a 2014 war. Two encounters in Kashmir 1 terrorist killed, one held An encounter between security forces and terrorists in Dialgam area of Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir got one terrorist killed while another has been held. The operation has finally come to an end. EPL: Manchester City one win away from title Pep Guardiola's side, who will be champions if they win next Saturday's Manchester derby, grabbed the lead in the fourth minute through Leroy Sane's sizzling volley from a tight angle at the back post after a pinpoint cross from David Silva. The Indian beauty queen that no one has heard of Varsha Rajkhowa, 26, won the Miss Scuba International beauty pageant in Malaysia in November 2016. Miss Scuba International is a beauty pageant with a slight twist – the contestants all have to be scuba divers.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Manchester City moved to within one win of the Premier League title after an impressive 3-1 win at Everton on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's side, who will be champions if they win next Saturday's Manchester derby, grabbed the lead in the fourth minute through Leroy Sane's sizzling volley from a tight angle at the back post after a pinpoint cross from David Silva.

Eight minutes later it was 2-0 to City after Kevin De Bruyne did well with a high bouncing ball to find Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus who confidently headed home.

City were utterly dominant and Silva was again the provider for the third goal, in the 37th minute, when he slipped the ball across the area and Raheem Sterling drove past Jordan Pickford.

Everton gained encouragement in the 63rd minute when Yannick Bolasie's low drive from the edge of the area flew in off the inside of the post but City, preserving energy ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg at Liverpool, comfortably saw out the game.

Pep Guardiola's side will be champions if they win next Saturday's Manchester derby

Manchester City moved to within one win of the Premier League title after an impressive 3-1 win at Everton on Saturday. Pep Guardiola's side, who will be champions if they win next Saturday's Manchester derby, grabbed the lead in the fourth minute through Leroy Sane's sizzling volley from a tight angle at the back post after a pinpoint cross from David Silva. Eight minutes later it was 2-0 to City after Kevin De Bruyne did well with a high bouncing ball to find Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus who confidently headed home. City were utterly dominant and Silva was again the provider for the third goal, in the 37th minute, when he slipped the ball across the area and Raheem Sterling drove past Jordan Pickford. Everton gained encouragement in the 63rd minute when Yannick Bolasie's low drive from the edge of the area flew in off the inside of the post but City, preserving energy ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg at Liverpool, comfortably saw out the game.

EPL: Manchester City one win away from title

<big>WION&#39;S PICK OF THE WEEK</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/never-let-people-limit-your-achievement-because-you-are-a-woman-mary-kom-to-wion-35237">Never let people limit your achievement because you are a woman: Mary Kom to WION</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-bill-gates-teams-up-with-roger-federer-for-tennis-match-34871">Watch: Bill Gates teams up with Roger Federer for tennis match</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/roger%20federer%20and%20bill%20gates-20180306084503.jpg" />
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Roger Federer and Bill Gates during the practice session. (Twitter)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-3-reasons-why-sachin-tendulkar-cannot-be-compared-to-virat-kohli-34840">Opinion: 3 reasons why Sachin Tendulkar cannot be compared to Virat Kohli</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-jacob-moore-accuses-larry-nassar-of-sexual-abuse-34879">Watch: Jacob Moore accuses Larry Nassar of sexual abuse</a>

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A Michigan gymnast became the first man to accuse Larry Nassar of sexual abuse on Monday (5 March). (AP)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/top-5-unusual-celebrations-by-cricketers-of-the-indian-subcontinent-35391">Unusual celebrations by cricketers from the Indian subcontinent&nbsp;</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/vijay-hazare-the-breadman-and-bradman-of-indian-cricket-35380">Remembering Vijay Hazare: The &#39;Bread-man and Bradman&#39; of Indian cricket</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/untitled%20design%20(1)-20180311072938.jpg" />
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A file photo of Vijay Hazare. (Twitter)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339">Throwback</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339">&nbsp;to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339"> and most remembered century in IPL history</a>

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Watch: Brendon McCullum scored 158 off 73 balls in the inaugural match and registered the first century in IPL history<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ipl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ipl</a> <a href="https://t.co/4WYp3yTw50">https://t.co/4WYp3yTw50</a>
&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/972701411929722880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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From Dhoni to Kohli, here&#39;s a list of all the leading run-scorers in IPL. Number 1 rank might surprise you (Zee News Network)
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&nbsp;

<big>Football</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/griezmann-angel-vitolo-shine-as-atletico-madrid-stroll-past-celta-35445">Griezmann, Angel, Vitolo shine as Atletico Madrid stroll past Celta</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tottenham-hotspur-beat-bournemouth-to-climb-third-place-35443">Tottenham Hotspur beat Bournemouth to climb </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tottenham-hotspur-beat-bournemouth-to-climb-third-place-35443">third</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tottenham-hotspur-beat-bournemouth-to-climb-third-place-35443"> place</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/sergio-aguero-suffers-injury-out-for-2-weeks-35439">Sergio Aguero suffers injury, out for 2 weeks</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/rashford-shines-as-man-united-sinks-liverpool-35341">Rashford shines as Man United sink Liverpool</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/suarez-coutinho-inspire-barca-to-win-against-malaga-35360">Suarez, Coutinho inspire Barca to win against Malaga</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/chelsea-registers-vital-victory-ahead-of-barca-clash-35352">Chelsea register vital victory ahead of Barca clash</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/conte-lauds-willian-as-chelsea-set-sights-on-barcelona-35346">Conte lauds Willian as Chelsea set sights on Barcelona</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/messi-out-of-barca-squad-to-welcome-baby-ciro-35329">Messi out of Barca squad to welcome baby &#39;Ciro&#39;</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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FC Barcelona striker shared a beautiful photo on social networking sites quoting, &quot;Welcome Ciro!!&#39;&#39;<a href="https://t.co/Ob8RMH6xm2">https://t.co/Ob8RMH6xm2</a>
&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/972585388173811713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ronaldo-strikes-twice-to-defeat-eibar-35340">Ronaldo strikes twice to defeat Eibar</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/barcelona-set-to-buy-brazilian-midfielder-arthur-35431">Barcelona set to buy Brazilian midfielder Arthur</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/football-real-on-song-as-psg-falter-again-in-champions-league-34934">Real Madrid on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/football-real-on-song-as-psg-falter-again-in-champions-league-34934">song</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/football-real-on-song-as-psg-falter-again-in-champions-league-34934"> as PSG falter again in Champions League</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/messi-just-one-in-the-world-fcb-coach-ernesto-valverde-34711">Messi just one in the world: FCB coach Ernesto Valverde</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/sanchez-transferred-to-manchester-united-at-the-wrong-time-jose-mourinho-35284">Sanchez transferred to Manchester United at &#39;wrong&#39; time: Jose Mourinho</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/arsenal-beat-ac-milan-to-register-much-awaited-victory-35183">Arsenal beat AC Milan to register </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/arsenal-beat-ac-milan-to-register-much-awaited-victory-35183">much-awaited</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/arsenal-beat-ac-milan-to-register-much-awaited-victory-35183"> victory</a>

&nbsp;

<big>Cricket</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-registers-easy-win-against-new-zealand-to-clinch-series-35292">England registers easy win against New </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-registers-easy-win-against-new-zealand-to-clinch-series-35292">Zealand,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-registers-easy-win-against-new-zealand-to-clinch-series-35292"> clinches series</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-mushfiqur-rahim-performs-naagin-dance-on-ground-to-celebrate-victory-over-sri-lanka-35374">Watch: Mushfiqur Rahim performs &#39;Naagin dance&#39; to celebrate victory over Sri Lanka</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/warner-de-kock-fined-for-bringing-the-game-into-disrepute-35164">Warner, De Kock fined for &#39;bringing the game into disrepute&#39;</a>

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A leaked CCTV footage of the incident happened between Australian batsman David Warner and South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock. (Twitter)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-bangladesh-t20i-nidahas-trophy-in-colombo-india-beat-bangladesh-by-six-wickets-35143">Nidahas T20I Trophy: India beat Bangladesh by six wickets</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/selecting-kohli-in-2008-ended-my-career-as-selector-claims-former-captain-vengsarkar-35159">&#39;Selecting Kohli in 2008 ended my career as selector&#39;, claims former captain Vengsarkar</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mohammed-shami-loses-bccis-player-contract-after-wife-alleges-domestic-abuse-35019">Mohammed Shami loses BCCI&#39;s player contract after wife alleges domestic abuse</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/hasin%20jahan-20180307110243.jpg" />
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Mohammed Shami and his wife Hasin Jahan. (Photo courtesy: Instagram) (Zee News Network)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-announces-new-pay-contract-ms-dhoni-not-in-the-top-group-mohammed-shami-completely-excluded-35005">BCCI announces new pay contracts; MS Dhoni not in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-announces-new-pay-contract-ms-dhoni-not-in-the-top-group-mohammed-shami-completely-excluded-35005">top</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-announces-new-pay-contract-ms-dhoni-not-in-the-top-group-mohammed-shami-completely-excluded-35005"> group, Mohammed Shami gets nothing</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-gautam-gambhir-appointed-delhi-daredevils-captain-34969">IPL: Gautam Gambhir appointed Delhi Daredevils captain</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nidahas-trophy-kusal-thisara-power-sri-lanka-to-5-wicket-victory-in-1st-t20-against-india-34927">Nidahas Trophy: Kusal, Thisara power Sri Lanka to 5-wicket victory in 1st T20 against India</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-australia-calls-bull-on-warner-tantrum-34829">Cricket: Australia calls &#39;&#39;Bull&#39;&#39; on Warner tantrum</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-bowler-nathan-lyon-fined-for-disrespecting-ab-de-villiers-34801">Australian bowler Nathan Lyon fined for &#39;disrespecting&#39; AB de Villiers</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/kagiso-rabada-faces-suspension-for-disrespecting-steve-smith-35308">Kagiso Rabada faces suspension for disrespecting Steve Smith</a>

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Kagiso Rabada walking towards Steve Smith. (Twitter)
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&nbsp;

<big>Golf</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/golf-englands-matt-wallace-claims-indian-open-title-35432">Golf: England&#39;s Matt Wallace claims Indian Open title</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/wgc-mexico-championship-mickelson-wins-indias-shubnakar-sharma-ties-at-9-34700">After leading WGC Mexico Championship, India&#39;s Shubnakar Sharma ties at 9th</a>

&nbsp;

<big>Tennis</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/taro-daniel-outplays-novak-djokovic-in-indian-wells-35446">Taro Daniel outplays Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/welcome-back-lady-serena-marks-winning-return-at-wta-indian-wells-35199">Serena Williams marks winning comeback at WTA Indian Wells</a>

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Serena Williams celebrates after winning. (Twitter)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-serenas-comeback-her-greatest-challenge-says-coach-mouratoglou-34764">Serena&#39;s comeback her greatest challenge, says coach Mouratoglou</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-halep-pliskova-advance-muguruza-suffers-shock-defeat-35311">Halep, Pliskova advance, Muguruza suffers shock defeat</a>

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Simona Halep of Romania celebrates her win over Kristyna Pliskova of Czech Republic during the BNP Paribas Open. (AFP)
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&nbsp;

<big>Shooting</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/issf-world-cup-shooter-anjum-moudgil-wins-silver-35278">ISSF World Cup: Shooter Anjum Moudgil wins silver</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cbse-reschedules-10th-exams-dates-for-shooter-anish-bhanwala-35288">CBSE reschedules board exams dates for shooter Anish Bhanwala</a>

&nbsp;

<big>Winter Paralympics</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/winter-paralympics-two-koreas-wont-march-together-at-opening-ceremony-35191">Winter Paralympics: Two Koreas won&#39;t march together at </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/winter-paralympics-two-koreas-wont-march-together-at-opening-ceremony-35191">opening</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/winter-paralympics-two-koreas-wont-march-together-at-opening-ceremony-35191"> ceremony</a>

&nbsp;

<big>Others</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/new-badminton-serve-rule-a-tall-order-champs-say-35405">New badminton serve rule a tall order, say champs</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nba-legend-kobe-bryant-wins-oscar-for-best-animated-short-34818">NBA legend Kobe Bryant wins Oscar for best animated short</a>

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Kobe Bryant posing with the Oscar trophy. (AFP)
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&nbsp;

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Weekly compilation of sports and other related news (March 5 to March 11)

WION'S PICK OF THE WEEK Never let people limit your achievement because you are a woman: Mary Kom to WION Watch: Bill Gates teams up with Roger Federer for tennis match Roger Federer and Bill Gates during the practice session. (Twitter) × Opinion: 3 reasons why Sachin Tendulkar cannot be compared to Virat Kohli Watch: Jacob Moore accuses Larry Nassar of sexual abuse A Michigan gymnast became the first man to accuse Larry Nassar of sexual abuse on Monday (5 March). (AP) × Unusual celebrations by cricketers from the Indian subcontinent Remembering Vijay Hazare: The 'Bread-man and Bradman' of Indian cricket A file photo of Vijay Hazare. (Twitter) × Throwback to first and most remembered century in IPL history Watch: Brendon McCullum scored 158 off 73 balls in the inaugural match and registered the first century in IPL history#ipl https://t.co/4WYp3yTw50 — WION (@WIONews) March 11, 2018 × From Dhoni to Kohli, here's a list of all the leading run-scorers in IPL. Number 1 rank might surprise you (Zee News Network) × Football Griezmann, Angel, Vitolo shine as Atletico Madrid stroll past Celta Tottenham Hotspur beat Bournemouth to climb third place Sergio Aguero suffers injury, out for 2 weeks Rashford shines as Man United sink Liverpool Suarez, Coutinho inspire Barca to win against Malaga Chelsea register vital victory ahead of Barca clash Conte lauds Willian as Chelsea set sights on Barcelona Messi out of Barca squad to welcome baby 'Ciro' FC Barcelona striker shared a beautiful photo on social networking sites quoting, "Welcome Ciro!!''https://t.co/Ob8RMH6xm2 — WION (@WIONews) March 10, 2018 × Ronaldo strikes twice to defeat Eibar Barcelona set to buy Brazilian midfielder Arthur Real Madrid on song as PSG falter again in Champions League Messi just one in the world: FCB coach Ernesto Valverde Sanchez transferred to Manchester United at 'wrong' time: Jose Mourinho Arsenal beat AC Milan to register much-awaited victory Cricket England registers easy win against New Zealand, clinches series Watch: Mushfiqur Rahim performs 'Naagin dance' to celebrate victory over Sri Lanka Warner, De Kock fined for 'bringing the game into disrepute' A leaked CCTV footage of the incident happened between Australian batsman David Warner and South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock. (Twitter) × Nidahas T20I Trophy: India beat Bangladesh by six wickets 'Selecting Kohli in 2008 ended my career as selector', claims former captain Vengsarkar Mohammed Shami loses BCCI's player contract after wife alleges domestic abuse Mohammed Shami and his wife Hasin Jahan. (Photo courtesy: Instagram) (Zee News Network) × BCCI announces new pay contracts; MS Dhoni not in top group, Mohammed Shami gets nothing IPL: Gautam Gambhir appointed Delhi Daredevils captain Nidahas Trophy: Kusal, Thisara power Sri Lanka to 5-wicket victory in 1st T20 against India Cricket: Australia calls ''Bull'' on Warner tantrum Australian bowler Nathan Lyon fined for 'disrespecting' AB de Villiers Kagiso Rabada faces suspension for disrespecting Steve Smith Kagiso Rabada walking towards Steve Smith. (Twitter) × Golf Golf: England's Matt Wallace claims Indian Open title After leading WGC Mexico Championship, India's Shubnakar Sharma ties at 9th Tennis Taro Daniel outplays Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells Serena Williams marks winning comeback at WTA Indian Wells Serena Williams celebrates after winning. (Twitter) × Serena's comeback her greatest challenge, says coach Mouratoglou Halep, Pliskova advance, Muguruza suffers shock defeat Simona Halep of Romania celebrates her win over Kristyna Pliskova of Czech Republic during the BNP Paribas Open. (AFP) × Shooting ISSF World Cup: Shooter Anjum Moudgil wins silver CBSE reschedules board exams dates for shooter Anish Bhanwala Winter Paralympics Winter Paralympics: Two Koreas won't march together at opening ceremony Others New badminton serve rule a tall order, say champs NBA legend Kobe Bryant wins Oscar for best animated short Kobe Bryant posing with the Oscar trophy. (AFP) ×

WION Sports News: Top sports results this week

Tottenham Hotspur overcame a worrying injury to talismanic striker Harry Kane to beat mid-table Bournemouth 4-1 with a Son Heung-min double and goals from Dele Alli and Serge Aurier to move up to third in the Premier League.

The loss of England international Kane, Tottenham&#39;s top scorer, who went off with an ankle injury on the half-hour, took some of the gloss off a hard-won comeback victory with the visitors slightly flattered by two late goals.

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Four goals, three points, third in the <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@premierleague</a>. ???? 
 
???? Thank you for your support today! ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COYS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COYS</a> <a href="https://t.co/oBIzXXUGgP">pic.twitter.com/oBIzXXUGgP</a>
&mdash; Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpursOfficial/status/972947775976452096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A high-octane Bournemouth startled to Junior Stanislas hitting the bar and then scoring after six minutes but Alli, who had not found the net in 15 games, ended his worst barren spell by equalising from a position usually occupied by Kane.

Alli also played a major part in Spurs&#39; second goal, crossing for Son to score with a scuffed shot before the South Korean netted his seventh goal in four games from a late breakaway.

Fullback Serge Aurier made it 4-1 late on after Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic failed to clear his lines.

&nbsp;

Tottenham Hotspur overcame a worrying injury to talismanic striker Harry Kane to beat mid-table Bournemouth 4-1

Tottenham Hotspur overcame a worrying injury to talismanic striker Harry Kane to beat mid-table Bournemouth 4-1 with a Son Heung-min double and goals from Dele Alli and Serge Aurier to move up to third in the Premier League. The loss of England international Kane, Tottenham's top scorer, who went off with an ankle injury on the half-hour, took some of the gloss off a hard-won comeback victory with the visitors slightly flattered by two late goals. Four goals, three points, third in the @premierleague. ???? ???? Thank you for your support today! ????#COYS pic.twitter.com/oBIzXXUGgP — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 11, 2018 × A high-octane Bournemouth startled to Junior Stanislas hitting the bar and then scoring after six minutes but Alli, who had not found the net in 15 games, ended his worst barren spell by equalising from a position usually occupied by Kane. Alli also played a major part in Spurs' second goal, crossing for Son to score with a scuffed shot before the South Korean netted his seventh goal in four games from a late breakaway. Fullback Serge Aurier made it 4-1 late on after Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic failed to clear his lines.

Tottenham Hotspur beat Bournemouth to climb to third place

Arsenal eased their way past Watford 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, marking their first clean sheet in 12 league matches and settling nerves at the Emirates after a string of losses in 2018.

A first-half header from Shkodran Mustafi and second-half strikes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed the win for the Gunners.

Watford won a penalty when Arsenal&#39;s Ainsley Maitland-Niles was deemed to have brought down Roberto Pereyra, but Petr Cech got his fingertips to Troy Deeney&#39;s spot kick, nudging the ball onto the post and back out to roars of approval from the home crowd.

The win leaves Arsenal 10 points off Champions League qualification in sixth place in the standings, while Watford stay in 10th.

A first-half header from Shkodran Mustafi and second-half strikes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed the win for the Gunners

Arsenal eased their way past Watford 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, marking their first clean sheet in 12 league matches and settling nerves at the Emirates after a string of losses in 2018. A first-half header from Shkodran Mustafi and second-half strikes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed the win for the Gunners. Watford won a penalty when Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles was deemed to have brought down Roberto Pereyra, but Petr Cech got his fingertips to Troy Deeney's spot kick, nudging the ball onto the post and back out to roars of approval from the home crowd. The win leaves Arsenal 10 points off Champions League qualification in sixth place in the standings, while Watford stay in 10th.

EPL: Arsenal beat Watford 3-0 for first clean sheet in 12 league matches

Willian inspired Chelsea&#39;s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday as the Blues got back to winning ways ahead of their Champions League showdown with Barcelona.

After successive defeats by Manchester City and Manchester United, injury-hit Palace proved to be the ideal opponents for Antonio Conte&#39;s side at Stamford Bridge.

Willian opened the scoring in the first half and Martin Kelly&#39;s own goal doubled the champions&#39; lead before the break.

A late goal for Palace by Patrick van Aanholt made things uncomfortable in the closing stages, but it was a valuable victory for Chelsea over a London rival who had proved troublesome in recent seasons.

Fifth-placed Chelsea are now two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who face Bournemouth on Sunday as the battle hots up for places in next season&#39;s Champions League.

For now, Chelsea can focus on this season&#39;s edition of the Champions League, in which they travel to Barcelona on Wednesday with the last-16 tie level at 1-1 after the first leg.

Palace had beaten Chelsea in their previous two encounters and won on their past two visits to Stamford Bridge, but they have now lost four games in succession and remain in the bottom three.

Olivier Giroud went close twice for Chelsea and both Christian Benteke and Andros Townsend missed as the two sides traded early chances.

But after that, it was Chelsea, with Davide Zappacosta given the freedom of the right flank, who enjoyed the majority of possession, even if their final pass was often inaccurate and too many shots were comfortably close to Wayne Hennessey.

Willian got it right after 25 minutes. Gaining possession five yards from the left touchline, the Brazilian cut in past two covering players and shot from 25 yards with his right foot.&nbsp;

The ball seemed to take a fractional deflection as it sped past Kelly and Giroud and went in off the near post.

Farcical goal

It was 2-0 seven minutes later with a goal that was as elegant in its creation as it was farcical in its final moments.

Cesc Fabregas began it with an inch-perfect pass out to Marcos Alonso on the left.

Willian dummied the wing-back&#39;s cross for Eden Hazard to collect and spread play out to Zappacosta. His angled shot hit Kelly, bounced off the head of Hennessey, back onto Kelly, and in.

Palace was reeling. Giroud&#39;s header was cleared off the goal-line and Alonso&#39;s volley was blocked.

It would have been 3-0 if James Tomkins had not anticipated Giroud&#39;s shot from Hazard&#39;s pass and dived in to block.

Roy Hodgson sent on Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha for the second half in place of Benteke, and it almost paid off instantly.

Zaha caught Zappacosta in possession and Alexander Sorloth was left with only Thibaut Courtois to beat.

The Norwegian must have thought his first goal in English football was a formality, but he hit his shot against the post.

Chelsea nearly took advantage of that let-off but Tomkins threw himself in the way of yet another goal-bound shot, this time from Willian, and Hennessey saved from Hazard.

Giroud then hit the post after 66 minutes with a first-time shot from a low cross by Alonso.

But although Chelsea continued to make most of the chances, Zaha&#39;s arrival had boosted Palace.

However, the 90th-minute goal he eventually created for Van Aanholt against his former club came too late.

The left-back&#39;s shot from Zaha&#39;s diagonal pass went almost straight through Courtois but Chelsea held on. 
&nbsp;

Willian inspired Chelsea's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday as the Blues got back to winning ways ahead of their Champions League showdown with Barcelona

Willian inspired Chelsea's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday as the Blues got back to winning ways ahead of their Champions League showdown with Barcelona. After successive defeats by Manchester City and Manchester United, injury-hit Palace proved to be the ideal opponents for Antonio Conte's side at Stamford Bridge. Willian opened the scoring in the first half and Martin Kelly's own goal doubled the champions' lead before the break. A late goal for Palace by Patrick van Aanholt made things uncomfortable in the closing stages, but it was a valuable victory for Chelsea over a London rival who had proved troublesome in recent seasons. Fifth-placed Chelsea are now two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who face Bournemouth on Sunday as the battle hots up for places in next season's Champions League. For now, Chelsea can focus on this season's edition of the Champions League, in which they travel to Barcelona on Wednesday with the last-16 tie level at 1-1 after the first leg. Palace had beaten Chelsea in their previous two encounters and won on their past two visits to Stamford Bridge, but they have now lost four games in succession and remain in the bottom three. Olivier Giroud went close twice for Chelsea and both Christian Benteke and Andros Townsend missed as the two sides traded early chances. But after that, it was Chelsea, with Davide Zappacosta given the freedom of the right flank, who enjoyed the majority of possession, even if their final pass was often inaccurate and too many shots were comfortably close to Wayne Hennessey. Willian got it right after 25 minutes. Gaining possession five yards from the left touchline, the Brazilian cut in past two covering players and shot from 25 yards with his right foot. The ball seemed to take a fractional deflection as it sped past Kelly and Giroud and went in off the near post. Farcical goal It was 2-0 seven minutes later with a goal that was as elegant in its creation as it was farcical in its final moments. Cesc Fabregas began it with an inch-perfect pass out to Marcos Alonso on the left. Willian dummied the wing-back's cross for Eden Hazard to collect and spread play out to Zappacosta. His angled shot hit Kelly, bounced off the head of Hennessey, back onto Kelly, and in. Palace was reeling. Giroud's header was cleared off the goal-line and Alonso's volley was blocked. It would have been 3-0 if James Tomkins had not anticipated Giroud's shot from Hazard's pass and dived in to block. Roy Hodgson sent on Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha for the second half in place of Benteke, and it almost paid off instantly. Zaha caught Zappacosta in possession and Alexander Sorloth was left with only Thibaut Courtois to beat. The Norwegian must have thought his first goal in English football was a formality, but he hit his shot against the post. Chelsea nearly took advantage of that let-off but Tomkins threw himself in the way of yet another goal-bound shot, this time from Willian, and Hennessey saved from Hazard. Giroud then hit the post after 66 minutes with a first-time shot from a low cross by Alonso. But although Chelsea continued to make most of the chances, Zaha's arrival had boosted Palace. However, the 90th-minute goal he eventually created for Van Aanholt against his former club came too late. The left-back's shot from Zaha's diagonal pass went almost straight through Courtois but Chelsea held on.

Chelsea register vital victory ahead of Barca clash

Lionel Messi was away attending the birth of his son but Barcelona still had more than enough to beat 10-man Malaga 2-0 on Saturday and move 11 points clear at the top of La Liga.

Messi was watching the game on a television in the hospital as Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho put his team two up inside half an hour at La Rosaleda Stadium, before Samuel Garcia was sent off in the 30th minute for a dangerous tackle on Jordi Alba.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgJ67QJn9Hi/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Listos !!!</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/leomessi/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Leo Messi</a> (@leomessi) on <time datetime="2018-03-10T19:48:55+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Mar 10, 2018 at 11:48am PST</time>
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Down a man and without a win in 12 matches, Malaga might have feared a rout but Barca settled for a straightforward victory, perhaps with one eye on Wednesday&#39;s Champions League last-16 clash against Chelsea.

Messi is expected back at the Camp Nou, where the score is 1-1 from the first leg, but Ernesto Valverde will have been delighted with how his attackers filled the void, as Suarez, Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele all delivered excellent displays.

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???? Final whistle! 
⚽ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/M%C3%A1lagaBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#M&aacute;lagaBar&ccedil;a</a> 
???? <a href="https://twitter.com/LuisSuarez9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LuisSuarez9</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Phil_Coutinho?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Phil_Coutinho</a> ???? 
 
???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#For&ccedil;aBar&ccedil;a</a> <a href="https://t.co/UKxbiVmwBM">pic.twitter.com/UKxbiVmwBM</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/972586771933466625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In particular, Dembele&#39;s brilliant turn and the pass was bettered only by Coutinho&#39;s flicked finish for what was a superb second goal.

The win means Barca extend their advantage over second-placed Atletico Madrid, who can pull the deficit back to eight points with a win over Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Malaga, meanwhile, remains rooted to the bottom of the table.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Without Messi, Barcelona defeated10-man Malaga 2-0 and move 11 points clear at the top of La Liga

Lionel Messi was away attending the birth of his son but Barcelona still had more than enough to beat 10-man Malaga 2-0 on Saturday and move 11 points clear at the top of La Liga. Messi was watching the game on a television in the hospital as Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho put his team two up inside half an hour at La Rosaleda Stadium, before Samuel Garcia was sent off in the 30th minute for a dangerous tackle on Jordi Alba. Listos !!! A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi) on Mar 10, 2018 at 11:48am PST × Down a man and without a win in 12 matches, Malaga might have feared a rout but Barca settled for a straightforward victory, perhaps with one eye on Wednesday's Champions League last-16 clash against Chelsea. Messi is expected back at the Camp Nou, where the score is 1-1 from the first leg, but Ernesto Valverde will have been delighted with how his attackers filled the void, as Suarez, Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele all delivered excellent displays. ???? Final whistle! ⚽ #MálagaBarça ???? @LuisSuarez9, @Phil_Coutinho ???? ???????? #ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/UKxbiVmwBM — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 10, 2018 × In particular, Dembele's brilliant turn and the pass was bettered only by Coutinho's flicked finish for what was a superb second goal. The win means Barca extend their advantage over second-placed Atletico Madrid, who can pull the deficit back to eight points with a win over Celta Vigo on Sunday. Malaga, meanwhile, remains rooted to the bottom of the table.

Suarez, Coutinho inspire Barca to win against Malaga

&quot;I think the pundit has to use the head when you speak tactics because you must have the knowledge to speak about tactics,&quot; said&nbsp;Chelsea manager Antonio Conte while defending&nbsp;the tactics of his team in the Sunday&#39;s match, which they eventually lost by 0-1 against the table leader Manchester City.

Conte defended his cautious approach despite his side failing to register a shot on target as they went down 1-0 to Premier League champions-elect Manchester City.

The Italian&#39;s tactics were lambasted by pundits and Chelsea fans alike as he started without a recognised striker by leaving club-record signing Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud on the bench.

City moved 18 points clear at the top of the table, and 25 ahead of Chelsea in fifth, as Bernardo Silva&#39;s goal 35 seconds into the second half broke the visitors&#39; resistance.

However, Conte claimed it would be &quot;stupid&quot; to open up against the runaway league leaders, citing criticism of Arsenal`s back-to-back 3-0 defeats to City in the League Cup final and Premier League in the past week.

&quot;I&#39;m not so stupid to play against Man City open and lose 3-0 or 4-0,&quot; said Conte.

&quot;If I remember well, Arsenal three days ago played against them and you criticise (Arsene) Wenger because they concede three goals.

Chelsea, though, had no response after going behind as Conte waited until 12 minutes from time to introduce Giroud, whilst Morata wasn`t brought on until the final minute when he replaced Chelsea&#39;s top scorer Eden Hazard.

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Great performance boys! A step closer! ???????????????????????? <a href="https://t.co/pfG1tbk2gB">pic.twitter.com/pfG1tbk2gB</a>
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The Belgian ploughed a lonely furrow as an auxiliary central forward but had no impact on the game before trudging off with his head bowed to make way for Morata.

&quot;I try to wait because the (Morata) substitution was with (Eden) Hazard and you hope until the end that a player like Hazard can invent something in the game,&quot; added Conte.

A fourth defeat in five Premier League games leaves Chelsea&#39;s ambitions of Champions League football next season in serious peril.

Conte&#39;s men now trail Tottenham Hotspur in fourth by five points. 
However, the former Juventus boss insisted it wasn&#39;t his side&#39;s performance at the Etihad that will come back to haunt them if they fail to make the top four.

&quot;We must have a big regret for the defeat against Bournemouth, Watford, (Manchester) United, but I don&#39;t think today because today we played against a team that is showing to be a strong team,&quot; he said.

&quot;Today they showed the difference between them and us in this moment. Twenty-five points is a big gap and I think that we can have a regret for the other games but not for this.&quot;

City boss Pep Guardiola wouldn`t be drawn on Chelsea`s tactics as his side registered 902 passes - the most of any team in a Premier League game for 14 years.

However, he hailed the standards set by his players.

&quot;In all aspects we were better. We make an amazing high pressing, they could not contact with Hazard, Willian or Pedro (Rodriguez).

&quot;We didn&#39;t concede one shot on target, we create enough chances to win, and I think we made an amazing performance because (it) is against Chelsea, the last champion.&quot;

Guardiola admitted even he has been surprised by the extent of City&#39;s dominance this season, but insisted it is to their credit rather than the other contenders falling away.

&quot;To have the distance from five or six contenders: 25 to Chelsea; 33 for Arsenal; United tomorrow (are) going to play; 20 to Tottenham, in March it is a lot.

&quot;I think Tottenham, Liverpool, United even, they make good results but we were so good so far.&quot;

&nbsp;

 
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Manchester City moved 18 points clear at the top of the table, and 25 ahead of Chelsea in fifth, as Bernardo Silva's goal 35 seconds into the second half broke the visitors' resistance

"I think the pundit has to use the head when you speak tactics because you must have the knowledge to speak about tactics," said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte while defending the tactics of his team in the Sunday's match, which they eventually lost by 0-1 against the table leader Manchester City. Conte defended his cautious approach despite his side failing to register a shot on target as they went down 1-0 to Premier League champions-elect Manchester City. The Italian's tactics were lambasted by pundits and Chelsea fans alike as he started without a recognised striker by leaving club-record signing Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud on the bench. City moved 18 points clear at the top of the table, and 25 ahead of Chelsea in fifth, as Bernardo Silva's goal 35 seconds into the second half broke the visitors' resistance. However, Conte claimed it would be "stupid" to open up against the runaway league leaders, citing criticism of Arsenal`s back-to-back 3-0 defeats to City in the League Cup final and Premier League in the past week. "I'm not so stupid to play against Man City open and lose 3-0 or 4-0," said Conte. "If I remember well, Arsenal three days ago played against them and you criticise (Arsene) Wenger because they concede three goals. Chelsea, though, had no response after going behind as Conte waited until 12 minutes from time to introduce Giroud, whilst Morata wasn`t brought on until the final minute when he replaced Chelsea's top scorer Eden Hazard. Great performance boys! A step closer! ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/pfG1tbk2gB — David Silva (@21LVA) March 4, 2018 × The Belgian ploughed a lonely furrow as an auxiliary central forward but had no impact on the game before trudging off with his head bowed to make way for Morata. "I try to wait because the (Morata) substitution was with (Eden) Hazard and you hope until the end that a player like Hazard can invent something in the game," added Conte. A fourth defeat in five Premier League games leaves Chelsea's ambitions of Champions League football next season in serious peril. Conte's men now trail Tottenham Hotspur in fourth by five points. However, the former Juventus boss insisted it wasn't his side's performance at the Etihad that will come back to haunt them if they fail to make the top four. "We must have a big regret for the defeat against Bournemouth, Watford, (Manchester) United, but I don't think today because today we played against a team that is showing to be a strong team," he said. "Today they showed the difference between them and us in this moment. Twenty-five points is a big gap and I think that we can have a regret for the other games but not for this." City boss Pep Guardiola wouldn`t be drawn on Chelsea`s tactics as his side registered 902 passes - the most of any team in a Premier League game for 14 years. However, he hailed the standards set by his players. "In all aspects we were better. We make an amazing high pressing, they could not contact with Hazard, Willian or Pedro (Rodriguez). "We didn't concede one shot on target, we create enough chances to win, and I think we made an amazing performance because (it) is against Chelsea, the last champion." Guardiola admitted even he has been surprised by the extent of City's dominance this season, but insisted it is to their credit rather than the other contenders falling away. "To have the distance from five or six contenders: 25 to Chelsea; 33 for Arsenal; United tomorrow (are) going to play; 20 to Tottenham, in March it is a lot. "I think Tottenham, Liverpool, United even, they make good results but we were so good so far."

Bernardo Silva thrashes Chelsea's 'tactics' to stretch City's lead

Arsene Wenger said Arsenal must recover quickly if they are to avoid suffering a fifth successive defeat when they visit AC Milan in the Europa League this week.

The under-fire Gunners manager accepted winning the competition marks his side&#39;s best hope of returning to the Champions League next season after a 2-1 defeat at Brighton left Arsenal 13 points adrift of the Premier League&#39;s top four.

But Wenger warned the effects of the London club`s recent schedule that included back-to-back 3-0 losses to Manchester City in the League Cup final and the league, had taken their toll on his players.

Wenger gave fatigue as the reason he opted to leave Aaron Ramsey, Hector Bellerin and Danny Welbeck out of his starting line-up at south coast club Brighton&#39;s Amex Stadium and the veteran manager is hoping his decision means he can call on fresh legs at the San Siro.

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&quot;It is important to recover mentally and physically, we are still jaded today, we gave a lot on Thursday night (against Manchester City) and you can see that today,&quot; he said after Sunday`s latest setback.

&quot;We have to continue, first to recover now. We play Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Sunday... it&#39;s nearly physically impossible to play this number of games.

&quot;The veteran French boss, who took charge at Arsenal in 1996, added: &quot;I left Ramsey out completely of the squad, left him at home, after everything he gave physically. We have to be realistic, we need two teams to collapse to qualify for the Champions League, and I don`t see that happening.

&quot;Two teams to drop so many points is very difficult to imagine. But we have to give our best as long as we can, and the Europa League becomes important.&quot;

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First-half goals from Brighton`s Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray put Chris Hughton&#39;s side in control, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang replying for Arsenal.

Wenger admitted his side&#39;s confidence is low after a woeful run that has brought eight defeats since the turn of the year and he said he did not wish to add to that problem by criticising the display against Brighton.

&quot;It&#39;s difficult for me to get into any negative assessment,&quot; he explained. &quot;The team needs more support at the moment. Tough objective judgement as well.&quot;

Wenger, in a somewhat bizarre analogy more befitting the occasional ramblings of compatriot Eric Cantona, the former Manchester United star, added: &quot;When you struggle for confidence, it&#39;s difficult as well when you have just the trousers on... It&#39;s easy to take the trousers off as well, but when you are naked completely you have to try and find a shirt and get dressed properly again.&quot;

Defeat intensified the pressure on Wenger but he insisted he had more immediate concerns.

&quot;At the moment, my future is not my main worry. My worry is to get Arsenal winning football games. Then we&#39;ll see where we go from there. I`ll try and give my best as long as I am here.&quot;

Brighton is now seven points clear of the bottom three and manager Hughton said: &quot;It&#39;s relieved a bit of the pressure of having to get a result. It&#39;s a nice position to be in.

&quot;Hopefully it will create some confidence. This group are working that hard, giving themselves every chance.&quot;

Hughton added: &quot;But we`re all professionals around here and, come tomorrow, our thoughts have to be in the next game -- can we get more points to make it even more comforting?&nbsp;&quot;As soon as you take your foot off the pedal, there are too many good teams around who can knock you down again.&quot;

&nbsp;

The under-fire Gunners manager accepted winning the competition marks his side's best hope of returning to the Champions League next season

Arsene Wenger said Arsenal must recover quickly if they are to avoid suffering a fifth successive defeat when they visit AC Milan in the Europa League this week. The under-fire Gunners manager accepted winning the competition marks his side's best hope of returning to the Champions League next season after a 2-1 defeat at Brighton left Arsenal 13 points adrift of the Premier League's top four. But Wenger warned the effects of the London club`s recent schedule that included back-to-back 3-0 losses to Manchester City in the League Cup final and the league, had taken their toll on his players. Wenger gave fatigue as the reason he opted to leave Aaron Ramsey, Hector Bellerin and Danny Welbeck out of his starting line-up at south coast club Brighton's Amex Stadium and the veteran manager is hoping his decision means he can call on fresh legs at the San Siro. "Couldn't have been placed better"#GoalOfTheDay @OfficialBHAFC pic.twitter.com/n9GHoSmham — Premier League (@premierleague) March 4, 2018 × "It is important to recover mentally and physically, we are still jaded today, we gave a lot on Thursday night (against Manchester City) and you can see that today," he said after Sunday`s latest setback. "We have to continue, first to recover now. We play Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Sunday... it's nearly physically impossible to play this number of games. "The veteran French boss, who took charge at Arsenal in 1996, added: "I left Ramsey out completely of the squad, left him at home, after everything he gave physically. We have to be realistic, we need two teams to collapse to qualify for the Champions League, and I don`t see that happening. "Two teams to drop so many points is very difficult to imagine. But we have to give our best as long as we can, and the Europa League becomes important." Chris Hughton is only the 3rd manager to beat Arsene Wenger in the #PL with three different clubs (after Mark Hughes & Sam Allardyce)#BHAARS pic.twitter.com/t5y8caNm4j — Premier League (@premierleague) March 4, 2018 × First-half goals from Brighton`s Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray put Chris Hughton's side in control, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang replying for Arsenal. Wenger admitted his side's confidence is low after a woeful run that has brought eight defeats since the turn of the year and he said he did not wish to add to that problem by criticising the display against Brighton. "It's difficult for me to get into any negative assessment," he explained. "The team needs more support at the moment. Tough objective judgement as well." Wenger, in a somewhat bizarre analogy more befitting the occasional ramblings of compatriot Eric Cantona, the former Manchester United star, added: "When you struggle for confidence, it's difficult as well when you have just the trousers on... It's easy to take the trousers off as well, but when you are naked completely you have to try and find a shirt and get dressed properly again." Defeat intensified the pressure on Wenger but he insisted he had more immediate concerns. "At the moment, my future is not my main worry. My worry is to get Arsenal winning football games. Then we'll see where we go from there. I`ll try and give my best as long as I am here." Brighton is now seven points clear of the bottom three and manager Hughton said: "It's relieved a bit of the pressure of having to get a result. It's a nice position to be in. "Hopefully it will create some confidence. This group are working that hard, giving themselves every chance." Hughton added: "But we`re all professionals around here and, come tomorrow, our thoughts have to be in the next game -- can we get more points to make it even more comforting? "As soon as you take your foot off the pedal, there are too many good teams around who can knock you down again."

Arsene Wenger wary of Milan as Arsenal try to snap losing run

Tottenham Hotspur apparently affected early in the season by playing home games at Wembley, achieved a sixth straight win there by beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 with a double by Son Heung-min in the Premier League on Saturday.

It was their 17th game unbeaten in all competitions and moved them up to provisional third place, a point ahead of Liverpool, who were playing later at home to Newcastle United.

South Korean Son Heung-min gave Spurs a halftime lead and added the second with a header from Harry Kane&#39;s superb cross before being substituted to an ovation.

&quot;We feel comfortable at Wembley, we enjoy playing here,&quot; Son said after scoring four times this week at the national stadium where Tottenham are playing while they build a new home ground.

Spurs, who did not win in their first three league games there, are a point behind second-placed Manchester United, who play at Crystal Palace on Monday and five ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea, who visit runaway leaders Manchester City on Sunday.

The defeat pushed Huddersfield right back into the relegation mix, only three points above the bottom three, after winning their two previous games.

Swansea City were the big winners at the bottom, moving above five teams to 13th, including West Ham United who they beat 4-1.

The first half was extended by 10 minutes after a bad injury to West Ham&#39;s New Zealand defender Winston Reid and by the interval the visitors were two goals down.

Ki Sung-Yeung scored the first after nine minutes and the unmarked Mike van der Hoon added a second in the 32nd.

Andy King&#39;s goal and Jordan Ayew&#39;s penalty ensured victory before a consolation by Michail Antonio.

West Ham manager David Moyes, whose team travelled seven hours by coach to reach Swansea from London on Friday after their flight was cancelled, was bitterly disappointed with the performance, their worst since he took over in November.

&quot;I&#39;m embarrassed,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;We played so bad. I couldn&#39;t assess it, it was that poor. The fans travelled through the snow to get here and we let them down badly. That was the poorest performance since I came here.&quot;

Victory continued Swansea&#39;s improved form under Portuguese manager Carlos Carvalhal.

Since he joined the club at the end of December with Swansea bottom they have won five league games and lost only two.

Pardew despair

In contrast, West Bromwich Albion&#39;s change of manager in the same month has not paid off.

Alan Pardew&#39;s job appears to be under greater threat than ever after a 1-0 defeat at Watford.

Albion has now won one of 15 league games since Pardew took over at the start of December and are seven points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Watford captain Troy Deeney was sent clear by Will Hughes to score the only goal.

&quot;The players gave me everything today and I cannot ask for more than that,&quot; Pardew said.

&quot;It is tough but it isn&#39;t about me, it about West Brom and it is tough for the fans and the players.&quot;

Stoke City stayed second-bottom but earned a valuable point in a 0-0 draw at Southampton.

Burnley supporters must have despaired when their team went a goal down at home to Everton. Sean Dyche&#39;s team have never won a Premier League game after falling behind.

This time they did, however, celebrating Dyche&#39;s 250th game as manager by winning 2-1 with goals from Ashley Barnes and substitute Chris Wood.

Everton captain Ashley Williams was sent off four minutes from the end for a wild swipe at Barnes.

In Sunday&#39;s other match, Arsene Wenger&#39;s struggling sixth-placed Arsenal visit mid-table Brighton &amp; Hove Albion.

Tottenham Hotspur achieved a sixth straight win there by beating Huddersfield Town 2-0

Tottenham Hotspur apparently affected early in the season by playing home games at Wembley, achieved a sixth straight win there by beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 with a double by Son Heung-min in the Premier League on Saturday. It was their 17th game unbeaten in all competitions and moved them up to provisional third place, a point ahead of Liverpool, who were playing later at home to Newcastle United. South Korean Son Heung-min gave Spurs a halftime lead and added the second with a header from Harry Kane's superb cross before being substituted to an ovation. "We feel comfortable at Wembley, we enjoy playing here," Son said after scoring four times this week at the national stadium where Tottenham are playing while they build a new home ground. Spurs, who did not win in their first three league games there, are a point behind second-placed Manchester United, who play at Crystal Palace on Monday and five ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea, who visit runaway leaders Manchester City on Sunday. The defeat pushed Huddersfield right back into the relegation mix, only three points above the bottom three, after winning their two previous games. Swansea City were the big winners at the bottom, moving above five teams to 13th, including West Ham United who they beat 4-1. The first half was extended by 10 minutes after a bad injury to West Ham's New Zealand defender Winston Reid and by the interval the visitors were two goals down. Ki Sung-Yeung scored the first after nine minutes and the unmarked Mike van der Hoon added a second in the 32nd. Andy King's goal and Jordan Ayew's penalty ensured victory before a consolation by Michail Antonio. West Ham manager David Moyes, whose team travelled seven hours by coach to reach Swansea from London on Friday after their flight was cancelled, was bitterly disappointed with the performance, their worst since he took over in November. "I'm embarrassed," he told reporters. "We played so bad. I couldn't assess it, it was that poor. The fans travelled through the snow to get here and we let them down badly. That was the poorest performance since I came here." Victory continued Swansea's improved form under Portuguese manager Carlos Carvalhal. Since he joined the club at the end of December with Swansea bottom they have won five league games and lost only two. Pardew despair In contrast, West Bromwich Albion's change of manager in the same month has not paid off. Alan Pardew's job appears to be under greater threat than ever after a 1-0 defeat at Watford. Albion has now won one of 15 league games since Pardew took over at the start of December and are seven points adrift at the bottom of the table. Watford captain Troy Deeney was sent clear by Will Hughes to score the only goal. "The players gave me everything today and I cannot ask for more than that," Pardew said. "It is tough but it isn't about me, it about West Brom and it is tough for the fans and the players." Stoke City stayed second-bottom but earned a valuable point in a 0-0 draw at Southampton. Burnley supporters must have despaired when their team went a goal down at home to Everton. Sean Dyche's team have never won a Premier League game after falling behind. This time they did, however, celebrating Dyche's 250th game as manager by winning 2-1 with goals from Ashley Barnes and substitute Chris Wood. Everton captain Ashley Williams was sent off four minutes from the end for a wild swipe at Barnes. In Sunday's other match, Arsene Wenger's struggling sixth-placed Arsenal visit mid-table Brighton & Hove Albion.

EPL: Tottenham win at Wembley again, West Brom sinking fast

Manchester City tore Arsenal apart for the second time in five days on Thursday, beating them 3-0 on a freezing night at The Emirates to restore their 16-point lead as they close in on the Premier League title.

Arsenal hoped for redemption after City thrashed them by the same scoreline in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday but first-half goals by Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Leroy Sane handed the Gunners their second home league loss this season.

Arsenal&#39;s club record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added to the home side&#39;s woes when his penalty was saved by Ederson early in the second half after fellow new arrival Henrikh Mkhitaryan was brought down just inside the area.

The win leaves Pep Guardiola&#39;s scintillating City side on 75 points from 28 games ahead of second-placed Manchester United and they only have to win five of their last 10 matches to be crowned champions for the third time in seven seasons.

&quot;We are close. It&#39;s in our hands, we can&#39;t deny it,&quot; Guardiola said, while stressing his team must focus on the next game at home to last season&#39;s champions Chelsea on Sunday.

He expressed some sympathy for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has faced renewed speculation over his future at the London club as the Gunners slide out of contention for Champions League football next season for the second year in a row.

&quot;He knows my admiration for him... I know all the managers can be in that situation. I&#39;m sure he&#39;s going to take the right decision for him and for the club,&quot; Guardiola told a post-match news conference without elaborating.

LOW CONFIDENCE

The result leaves Arsenal sixth, 10 points outside the top four places that guarantee Champions League football next term.

They can still qualify for Europe&#39;s elite club competition, but to do so they will almost certainly have to win the Europa League in which they meet AC Milan in the last 16.

&quot;We played with low confidence, you could see that at the start of the game and we paid for it,&quot; said Wenger.

&quot;We needed the penalty to go in, but that was another negative. We lost to a team that is the best in the country at the moment... The difference in the league is no coincidence.&quot;

On a snowy night at The Emirates, City&#39;s Portuguese forward Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the 14th minute, collecting a pass after a long weaving run from Leroy Sane and delightfully curling his shot into the far corner past goalkeeper Petr Cech.

City sliced open Arsenal&#39;s defence again just before the half-hour, moving the ball swiftly upfield to Aguero who laid it into the path of David Silva racing up on the left, and the Spaniard drove a low shot into the corner to double the lead.

Sane made it 3-0 five minutes later, walking the ball into the goal after another quick-fire City move had bamboozled Arsenal&#39;s ramshackle defence who were left chasing shadows.

The young German&#39;s goal drew the first of many boos from the home fans in the less than full stadium as their team headed for home and away defeats by City for the first time in 42 years.

Arsenal had a chance to get back into the game when they won a penalty early in the second half but their Gabon striker Aubameyang saw his spot kick saved by Ederson to complete a miserable night that piles more pressure on Wenger&#39;s team.

Manchester City tore Arsenal apart for the second time in five day, beating them 3-0 at The Emirates to restore their 16-point lead at the top of the table

Manchester City tore Arsenal apart for the second time in five days on Thursday, beating them 3-0 on a freezing night at The Emirates to restore their 16-point lead as they close in on the Premier League title. Arsenal hoped for redemption after City thrashed them by the same scoreline in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday but first-half goals by Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Leroy Sane handed the Gunners their second home league loss this season. Arsenal's club record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added to the home side's woes when his penalty was saved by Ederson early in the second half after fellow new arrival Henrikh Mkhitaryan was brought down just inside the area. The win leaves Pep Guardiola's scintillating City side on 75 points from 28 games ahead of second-placed Manchester United and they only have to win five of their last 10 matches to be crowned champions for the third time in seven seasons. "We are close. It's in our hands, we can't deny it," Guardiola said, while stressing his team must focus on the next game at home to last season's champions Chelsea on Sunday. He expressed some sympathy for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has faced renewed speculation over his future at the London club as the Gunners slide out of contention for Champions League football next season for the second year in a row. "He knows my admiration for him... I know all the managers can be in that situation. I'm sure he's going to take the right decision for him and for the club," Guardiola told a post-match news conference without elaborating. LOW CONFIDENCE The result leaves Arsenal sixth, 10 points outside the top four places that guarantee Champions League football next term. They can still qualify for Europe's elite club competition, but to do so they will almost certainly have to win the Europa League in which they meet AC Milan in the last 16. "We played with low confidence, you could see that at the start of the game and we paid for it," said Wenger. "We needed the penalty to go in, but that was another negative. We lost to a team that is the best in the country at the moment... The difference in the league is no coincidence." On a snowy night at The Emirates, City's Portuguese forward Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the 14th minute, collecting a pass after a long weaving run from Leroy Sane and delightfully curling his shot into the far corner past goalkeeper Petr Cech. City sliced open Arsenal's defence again just before the half-hour, moving the ball swiftly upfield to Aguero who laid it into the path of David Silva racing up on the left, and the Spaniard drove a low shot into the corner to double the lead. Sane made it 3-0 five minutes later, walking the ball into the goal after another quick-fire City move had bamboozled Arsenal's ramshackle defence who were left chasing shadows. The young German's goal drew the first of many boos from the home fans in the less than full stadium as their team headed for home and away defeats by City for the first time in 42 years. Arsenal had a chance to get back into the game when they won a penalty early in the second half but their Gabon striker Aubameyang saw his spot kick saved by Ederson to complete a miserable night that piles more pressure on Wenger's team.

EPL: Sparkling City close in on title by thrashing Arsenal again

Mohamed Salah was inevitably on the scoresheet as Liverpool took full advantage of the inactivity of their top-four rivals to thrash West Ham United 4-1 at Anfield and provisionally move into second in the Premier League.

With leaders, Manchester City facing Arsenal in the League Cup final on Sunday, when Manchester United host Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur travel to Crystal Palace in the league, Juergen Klopp&#39;s free scorers topped 100 goals for the season in their 40th match.

Emre Can, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane also netted in another Liverpool goal rush that moved them 15 points behind Pep Guardiola&#39;s City.

At the bottom of the table, the future of West Bromwich Albion manager Alan Pardew looks increasingly bleak after their 2-1 defeat at home to relegation rivals Huddersfield Town.

Swansea City crashed 4-1 at Brighton &amp; Hove Albion and Bournemouth came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Newcastle United.

Liverpool&#39;s win was not quite as routine as the scoreline suggested with West Ham occasionally threatening on another nerve-tingling Anfield afternoon although David Moyes&#39; long wait for a first win at the ground continues.

Salah scored for the sixth successive game in all competitions and his goal took him level with Harry Kane at the top of the Premier League scoring charts with 23 this season.

But Can was equally influential in Liverpool&#39;s win, heading the opener and laying on a superb through pass for Firmino to score Liverpool&#39;s third before Mane chipped in with a fourth goal in two games.

&quot;It is difficult to be top, Manchester City is too far away, but of course we want to finish second,&quot; said the German, whose six league goals represent the best haul of his Liverpool career which could be in its final season as his contract expires at the end of the campaign.

Pressure on Padrew

Elsewhere, West Brom&#39;s defeat will add to the pressure on manager Pardew whose side are now seven points off safety. Rajiv van La Parra and Steve Mounie scored for Huddersfield, whose win moved them three points up the table, one point ahead of Newcastle.

Rafa Benitez&#39;s side looked to be guaranteed back-to-back victories for the first time since September after Dwight Gayle ended his recent goal drought by scoring twice before the interval.

Yet Adam Smith and former Newcastle midfielder Dan Gosling completed an astonishing comeback by one of the league&#39;s never-say-die specialists.

&quot;It&#39;s another point that nudges us towards where we want to be -- everyone could be vital at the end of the season,&quot; said Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe.

Swansea also scored late at Brighton but Lewis Dunk&#39;s own goal proved academic with the home side already 3-0 up. Dutchman Juergen Locadia&#39;s goal on his Premier League debut completed the rout.

Swansea drops back into the relegation zone just ahead of Stoke City, who drew 1-1 with Leicester City.

It would have been better for Paul Lambert&#39;s side had keeper Jack Butland not parried the ball into his own net when under no obvious pressure, a howler made all the more embarrassing by the presence of former Stoke, Leicester and England legend Peter Shilton in the stands.

Manager Lambert refused to criticise his keeper, whom he described as &quot;the best in Britain&quot; although such an obvious howler will do little to help Butland secure the England jersey for the World Cup.

At Turf Moor, Southampton&#39;s Manolo Gabbiadini scored a 90th-minute equaliser as the visitors secured a nerve-jangling 1-1 draw at Burnley, who still await their first win of the year.

Watford was due to play Everton in Saturday&#39;s late kickoff.

Swansea City crashed 4-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Newcastle United

Mohamed Salah was inevitably on the scoresheet as Liverpool took full advantage of the inactivity of their top-four rivals to thrash West Ham United 4-1 at Anfield and provisionally move into second in the Premier League. With leaders, Manchester City facing Arsenal in the League Cup final on Sunday, when Manchester United host Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur travel to Crystal Palace in the league, Juergen Klopp's free scorers topped 100 goals for the season in their 40th match. Emre Can, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane also netted in another Liverpool goal rush that moved them 15 points behind Pep Guardiola's City. At the bottom of the table, the future of West Bromwich Albion manager Alan Pardew looks increasingly bleak after their 2-1 defeat at home to relegation rivals Huddersfield Town. Swansea City crashed 4-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Newcastle United. Liverpool's win was not quite as routine as the scoreline suggested with West Ham occasionally threatening on another nerve-tingling Anfield afternoon although David Moyes' long wait for a first win at the ground continues. Salah scored for the sixth successive game in all competitions and his goal took him level with Harry Kane at the top of the Premier League scoring charts with 23 this season. But Can was equally influential in Liverpool's win, heading the opener and laying on a superb through pass for Firmino to score Liverpool's third before Mane chipped in with a fourth goal in two games. "It is difficult to be top, Manchester City is too far away, but of course we want to finish second," said the German, whose six league goals represent the best haul of his Liverpool career which could be in its final season as his contract expires at the end of the campaign. Pressure on Padrew Elsewhere, West Brom's defeat will add to the pressure on manager Pardew whose side are now seven points off safety. Rajiv van La Parra and Steve Mounie scored for Huddersfield, whose win moved them three points up the table, one point ahead of Newcastle. Rafa Benitez's side looked to be guaranteed back-to-back victories for the first time since September after Dwight Gayle ended his recent goal drought by scoring twice before the interval. Yet Adam Smith and former Newcastle midfielder Dan Gosling completed an astonishing comeback by one of the league's never-say-die specialists. "It's another point that nudges us towards where we want to be -- everyone could be vital at the end of the season," said Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe. Swansea also scored late at Brighton but Lewis Dunk's own goal proved academic with the home side already 3-0 up. Dutchman Juergen Locadia's goal on his Premier League debut completed the rout. Swansea drops back into the relegation zone just ahead of Stoke City, who drew 1-1 with Leicester City. It would have been better for Paul Lambert's side had keeper Jack Butland not parried the ball into his own net when under no obvious pressure, a howler made all the more embarrassing by the presence of former Stoke, Leicester and England legend Peter Shilton in the stands. Manager Lambert refused to criticise his keeper, whom he described as "the best in Britain" although such an obvious howler will do little to help Butland secure the England jersey for the World Cup. At Turf Moor, Southampton's Manolo Gabbiadini scored a 90th-minute equaliser as the visitors secured a nerve-jangling 1-1 draw at Burnley, who still await their first win of the year. Watford was due to play Everton in Saturday's late kickoff.

EPL: Salah scores again as Liverpool thrash West Ham

Pep Guardiola is anxious to play down suggestions that winning his first piece of silverware for Manchester City in Sunday&#39;s League Cup final against Arsenal would herald a period of dominance.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach takes his side to Wembley with the Premier League title virtually in the bag and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals looking certain.

But despite City&#39;s dominance this season, Guardiola will be eager to get his hands on a trophy, even if it would have been fourth on the list of his priorities when the campaign began.

City are clear favourites to beat Arsenal but Arsene Wenger&#39;s men have made a habit of cup success in recent years, winning the FA Cup in three of the past four seasons.

&quot;Not even in Barcelona when we won the first title in the cup did I expect to win 14 titles in four years,&quot; said Guardiola, anxious not to over-burden his players. &quot;I&#39;m more pragmatic.

&quot;I think in football it&#39;s a big mistake to think what might happen in the next three years. It&#39;s a big mistake for our heads, our targets, it makes no sense.

&quot;When people asked in the beginning, about winning four titles (this season), I said of course we&#39;ll try, but the big teams have not been able to do that -- the big Liverpools, the big Uniteds, the big Arsenals, the big Chelseas.&quot;

Defeat for City could lead to a certain feeling of anti-climax at the Etihad as it would follow hot on the heels of their FA Cup exit at the hands of lowly Wigan Athletic -- ending their quest for a historic quadruple.

Shock Jesus return?

Striker Gabriel Jesus could make a shock return at Wembley after being out with a knee injury since the end of December, although there are doubts over Raheem Sterling&#39;s fitness.

Guardiola confirmed second-choice goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will start, having done so in all domestic cup matches this season, but Fabian Delph is suspended after being sent off against Wigan.

The Catalan boss earlier this season questioned the value of the League Cup, saying &quot;you waste a lot of energy&quot; but it could serve as a springboard to further success, as it has done previously for the likes of Jose Mourinho.

Wenger has won the FA Cup a record seven times since he took the helm at Arsenal but has twice been beaten in the final of the League Cup, by Chelsea in 2007 and Birmingham City in 2011.

The French manager was asked at his pre-match press conference what the key was to beating City.

&quot;To first of all have a strong belief that we can do it, be well-organised and take every opportunity to go forward and play our offensive game,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

He acknowledged the threat from players such as Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne but said it was difficult to focus on shutting down individuals.

&quot;One of the big strengths of Man City is De Bruyne of course, because he has become a very complete player,&quot; Wenger said.&nbsp;

&quot;He is a modern midfielder for me, he can be decisive in the final third, he works very hard, he is right-footed, left-footed and he is a fighter as well so overall I am not surprised he has done well.

&quot;They have so many players that you have to stop that it is better to focus on the team plan rather than on any individual.&quot;

Alexandre Lacazette is unavailable because of injury and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is ineligible because he played in the competition for Manchester United earlier this season.

Wenger said David Ospina would play in goal at the expense of Petr Cech, continuing his role as the go-to &#39;keeper for cup matches.

He said Mesut Ozil was likely to play and he would make a decision on Aaron Ramsey on Saturday.

&nbsp;

But despite City's dominance this season, Guardiola will be eager to get his hands on a trophy, even if it would have been fourth on the list of his priorities when the campaign began

Pep Guardiola is anxious to play down suggestions that winning his first piece of silverware for Manchester City in Sunday's League Cup final against Arsenal would herald a period of dominance. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach takes his side to Wembley with the Premier League title virtually in the bag and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals looking certain. But despite City's dominance this season, Guardiola will be eager to get his hands on a trophy, even if it would have been fourth on the list of his priorities when the campaign began. City are clear favourites to beat Arsenal but Arsene Wenger's men have made a habit of cup success in recent years, winning the FA Cup in three of the past four seasons. "Not even in Barcelona when we won the first title in the cup did I expect to win 14 titles in four years," said Guardiola, anxious not to over-burden his players. "I'm more pragmatic. "I think in football it's a big mistake to think what might happen in the next three years. It's a big mistake for our heads, our targets, it makes no sense. "When people asked in the beginning, about winning four titles (this season), I said of course we'll try, but the big teams have not been able to do that -- the big Liverpools, the big Uniteds, the big Arsenals, the big Chelseas." Defeat for City could lead to a certain feeling of anti-climax at the Etihad as it would follow hot on the heels of their FA Cup exit at the hands of lowly Wigan Athletic -- ending their quest for a historic quadruple. Shock Jesus return? Striker Gabriel Jesus could make a shock return at Wembley after being out with a knee injury since the end of December, although there are doubts over Raheem Sterling's fitness. Guardiola confirmed second-choice goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will start, having done so in all domestic cup matches this season, but Fabian Delph is suspended after being sent off against Wigan. The Catalan boss earlier this season questioned the value of the League Cup, saying "you waste a lot of energy" but it could serve as a springboard to further success, as it has done previously for the likes of Jose Mourinho. Wenger has won the FA Cup a record seven times since he took the helm at Arsenal but has twice been beaten in the final of the League Cup, by Chelsea in 2007 and Birmingham City in 2011. The French manager was asked at his pre-match press conference what the key was to beating City. "To first of all have a strong belief that we can do it, be well-organised and take every opportunity to go forward and play our offensive game," he said. He acknowledged the threat from players such as Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne but said it was difficult to focus on shutting down individuals. "One of the big strengths of Man City is De Bruyne of course, because he has become a very complete player," Wenger said. "He is a modern midfielder for me, he can be decisive in the final third, he works very hard, he is right-footed, left-footed and he is a fighter as well so overall I am not surprised he has done well. "They have so many players that you have to stop that it is better to focus on the team plan rather than on any individual." Alexandre Lacazette is unavailable because of injury and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is ineligible because he played in the competition for Manchester United earlier this season. Wenger said David Ospina would play in goal at the expense of Petr Cech, continuing his role as the go-to 'keeper for cup matches. He said Mesut Ozil was likely to play and he would make a decision on Aaron Ramsey on Saturday.

Arsenal stand in way of Pep's first Man City silverware

Liverpool&#39;s poor first-half display against Premier League bottom side Swansea City left manager Juergen Klopp angry and frustrated as they lost 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium on Monday.

Swansea went ahead five minutes before the break when an attempt to clear by Liverpool&#39;s 75 million pounds ($104.88 million) defender Virgil Van Dijk landed at the feet of Mawson who swept the ball home for his sixth league goal this season.

Van Dijk, playing in his first league game since signing from Southampton, had earlier flashed over a header from a first-half corner, while Mohamed Salah blazed the Dutch defender&#39;s lofted pass over the bar on the half-hour mark.

Liverpool upped the tempo in the second half, dominating possession and attacking from all angles, and Roberto Firmino saw his late header come back off the post, but Swansea managed to hold on for only their fifth league win of the season.

Liverpool had not lost in 18 games, having just ended the unbeaten league record of runaway leaders Manchester City, but they fluffed their lines in the face of some stout defending.

The loss leaves the Reds on 47 points, three behind Chelsea and six off Manchester United, with Tottenham Hotspur two points outside the top four after a draw at Southampton on Sunday.

Manchester City leads the way with 65 points from 24 games.

Klopp criticised his players for not sticking to their positions in the first half, allowing Swansea to score after a poor clearance by Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool's poor first-half display against Premier League bottom side Swansea City left manager Juergen Klopp angry and frustrated as they lost 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium on Monday. Swansea went ahead five minutes before the break when an attempt to clear by Liverpool's 75 million pounds ($104.88 million) defender Virgil Van Dijk landed at the feet of Mawson who swept the ball home for his sixth league goal this season. Van Dijk, playing in his first league game since signing from Southampton, had earlier flashed over a header from a first-half corner, while Mohamed Salah blazed the Dutch defender's lofted pass over the bar on the half-hour mark. Liverpool upped the tempo in the second half, dominating possession and attacking from all angles, and Roberto Firmino saw his late header come back off the post, but Swansea managed to hold on for only their fifth league win of the season. Liverpool had not lost in 18 games, having just ended the unbeaten league record of runaway leaders Manchester City, but they fluffed their lines in the face of some stout defending. The loss leaves the Reds on 47 points, three behind Chelsea and six off Manchester United, with Tottenham Hotspur two points outside the top four after a draw at Southampton on Sunday. Manchester City leads the way with 65 points from 24 games.

EPL: Liverpool suffers surprise defeat against Swansea

A superbly taken 54th-minute goal from Anthony Martial gave Manchester United a hard-earned 1-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor in the Premier League on Saturday.

Romelu Lukaku showed strength and skill as he held off two challenges on the right flank before delivering a perfect cross-field pass to Martial whose powerful shot crashed in off the underside of the bar.

Burnley responded well, though, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson hitting the bar with a free kick and the Clarets put United under plenty of pressure throughout the second half.

Home goalkeeper Nick Pope produced a fine save to deny Martial another goal as second-placed United closed the gap on leaders Manchester City to nine points ahead of their rival&#39;s game against Newcastle United later on Saturday.

It may not have been thrilling, but it was the kind of disciplined performance that United need to keep delivering if they are to be in a position to take advantage of any slip-ups from City.

&quot;You never know,&quot; said defender Phil Jones, when asked if United could make up the gap.

&quot;It is not going to be easy, but you never say never.&quot;

United played a fluid formation with Lukaku as the lone central striker, Nemanja Matic the holding midfielder and then a flexible four of Martial, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard.

That produced some attractive passing and movement from Mourinho&#39;s side but not always too much to worry a Burnley defence, marshalled by James Tarkowski and Ben Mee.

Likewise, Burnley enjoyed plenty of possession, especially after Martial&#39;s strike, but did not pose enough of a threat in attack and when Gudmundsson did slip the ball across the face of goal, Tarkowski was unable to connect.

&quot;It was very hard, we played against a brave team, a team that plays with their strength and a team that knows how to get points - that&#39;s why season after season they are in a comfortable position. We were not brilliant, but we were very good,&quot; said Mourinho.

&quot;I prefer to win 4-0 and to sit on the bench and enjoy the game but it is good to see the way the team fought for it,&quot; he added.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche, whose team have now gone seven league games without a win and dropped to eighth on the table, was upbeat about his team&#39;s performance.

&quot;That&#39;s a very good performance and I&#39;m very pleased with the players,&quot; he said.

&quot;The challenge of the Premier League, that&#39;s why the top six are the top six, is often they can just about hang in there and find a moment of quality, and they do it enough.&quot;

&nbsp;

Burnley manager Sean Dyche, whose team have now gone seven league games without a win and dropped to eighth on the table, was upbeat about his team's performance

A superbly taken 54th-minute goal from Anthony Martial gave Manchester United a hard-earned 1-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor in the Premier League on Saturday. Romelu Lukaku showed strength and skill as he held off two challenges on the right flank before delivering a perfect cross-field pass to Martial whose powerful shot crashed in off the underside of the bar. Burnley responded well, though, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson hitting the bar with a free kick and the Clarets put United under plenty of pressure throughout the second half. Home goalkeeper Nick Pope produced a fine save to deny Martial another goal as second-placed United closed the gap on leaders Manchester City to nine points ahead of their rival's game against Newcastle United later on Saturday. It may not have been thrilling, but it was the kind of disciplined performance that United need to keep delivering if they are to be in a position to take advantage of any slip-ups from City. "You never know," said defender Phil Jones, when asked if United could make up the gap. "It is not going to be easy, but you never say never." United played a fluid formation with Lukaku as the lone central striker, Nemanja Matic the holding midfielder and then a flexible four of Martial, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard. That produced some attractive passing and movement from Mourinho's side but not always too much to worry a Burnley defence, marshalled by James Tarkowski and Ben Mee. Likewise, Burnley enjoyed plenty of possession, especially after Martial's strike, but did not pose enough of a threat in attack and when Gudmundsson did slip the ball across the face of goal, Tarkowski was unable to connect. "It was very hard, we played against a brave team, a team that plays with their strength and a team that knows how to get points - that's why season after season they are in a comfortable position. We were not brilliant, but we were very good," said Mourinho. "I prefer to win 4-0 and to sit on the bench and enjoy the game but it is good to see the way the team fought for it," he added. Burnley manager Sean Dyche, whose team have now gone seven league games without a win and dropped to eighth on the table, was upbeat about his team's performance. "That's a very good performance and I'm very pleased with the players," he said. "The challenge of the Premier League, that's why the top six are the top six, is often they can just about hang in there and find a moment of quality, and they do it enough."

EPL: Anthony Martial strike gives United points at Turf Moor

Jurgen Klopp blamed his players for becoming embroiled in a fight at Swansea City as they lost their unbeaten 18-match run to the Premier League&#39;s bottom club.

It was Liverpool&#39;s first defeat since October, but the points were priceless for Swansea, who cut the gap between themselves and those above the relegation places to just three points.

He said, &quot;I am more frustrated about the performance than the result.

&quot;We were just not good enough, especially in the first half. We didn&rsquo;t play how we wanted to play.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/epl-liverpool-suffers-surprise-defeat-against-swansea-30417" target="_blank">EPL: Liverpool suffers surprise defeat against Swansea</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-five-facts-on-alexis-sanchez-647">In pictures: Five facts on Alexis Sanchez</a>

&quot;We didn&#39;t keep the right positions we needed to, to cause them problems and didn&rsquo;t stretch them.

&quot;We gave them the opportunity to score and then we did exactly what Swansea wanted.

&quot;They didn&rsquo;t need to play, they needed to fight and we did exactly what they wanted and their confidence grew.&quot;

Klopp added: &quot;Swansea knew that to win today they needed our help and unfortunately we gave it to them.

&ldquo;They did the right things to deserve to win a game like this tonight and we didn&rsquo;t deserve it.

We could have equalised at the end, but didn&rsquo;t have that luck.&quot;

&nbsp;

Jurgen Klopp: "We were just not good enough, especially in the first half. We didn’t play how we wanted to play"

Jurgen Klopp blamed his players for becoming embroiled in a fight at Swansea City as they lost their unbeaten 18-match run to the Premier League's bottom club. It was Liverpool's first defeat since October, but the points were priceless for Swansea, who cut the gap between themselves and those above the relegation places to just three points. He said, "I am more frustrated about the performance than the result. "We were just not good enough, especially in the first half. We didn’t play how we wanted to play." EPL: Liverpool suffers surprise defeat against Swansea In pictures: Five facts on Alexis Sanchez "We didn't keep the right positions we needed to, to cause them problems and didn’t stretch them. "We gave them the opportunity to score and then we did exactly what Swansea wanted. "They didn’t need to play, they needed to fight and we did exactly what they wanted and their confidence grew." Klopp added: "Swansea knew that to win today they needed our help and unfortunately we gave it to them. “They did the right things to deserve to win a game like this tonight and we didn’t deserve it. We could have equalised at the end, but didn’t have that luck."

'Frustrated about performance,' says Jurgen Klopp

It was back to thrilling business as usual for&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;City&nbsp;on Saturday as Sergio Aguero&#39;s hat-trick helped the Premier League leaders to a 3-1 victory over abject Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola demanded a response from his table-toppers following the 4-3 loss to Liverpool last Sunday that ended their unbeaten start to the league season.

The&nbsp;City manager got just that as the hosts dominated, despite Newcastle making it interesting for a while in the second half thanks to Jacob Murphy&#39;s fine finish.

The city&nbsp;is again 12 points clear of second-placed&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;United thanks to a ruthless performance capped by the brilliant Aguero, their all-time leading scorer, whose 11th hat-trick for the club took his tally for the season to 22 goals.

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Newcastle&#39;s supporters must look at&nbsp;City&nbsp;and wonder how close they are to getting their own rich new owners after a week in which a potential takeover of the club by British businesswoman Amanda Staveley was branded &quot;frustrating and a complete waste of time&quot; by owner Mike Ashley.

With Newcastle suffering from a lack of investment and hovering at the wrong end of the table, this contest was never going to be a comfortable one for Rafa Benitez&#39;s visitors, especially as the gifted David Silva returned for&nbsp;City&nbsp;after overcoming a stomach complaint.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Yet Newcastle still looked sharper at the start as Christian Atsu snatched at a great chance just 90 seconds in, failing to connect properly when well positioned on the penalty spot.&nbsp;

City&nbsp;then began to dictate the match and John Stones went close for the hosts, poking just wide after an intelligent ball from Silva inside the area.&nbsp;

The city&nbsp;remained on top, with Silva, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kevin De Bruyne posing problems for Newcastle.

&nbsp;

Manchester City is again 12 points clear of second-placed Manchester United

It was back to thrilling business as usual for Manchester City on Saturday as Sergio Aguero's hat-trick helped the Premier League leaders to a 3-1 victory over abject Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola demanded a response from his table-toppers following the 4-3 loss to Liverpool last Sunday that ended their unbeaten start to the league season. The City manager got just that as the hosts dominated, despite Newcastle making it interesting for a while in the second half thanks to Jacob Murphy's fine finish. The city is again 12 points clear of second-placed Manchester United thanks to a ruthless performance capped by the brilliant Aguero, their all-time leading scorer, whose 11th hat-trick for the club took his tally for the season to 22 goals. Back on track ????#cityvnufc highlights... SHORT: https://t.co/Wr7IPLf2zx EXTENDED: https://t.co/Cum2pNAv2t pic.twitter.com/9wep6bVA09 — Manchester City (@ManCity) January 21, 2018 × Newcastle's supporters must look at City and wonder how close they are to getting their own rich new owners after a week in which a potential takeover of the club by British businesswoman Amanda Staveley was branded "frustrating and a complete waste of time" by owner Mike Ashley. With Newcastle suffering from a lack of investment and hovering at the wrong end of the table, this contest was never going to be a comfortable one for Rafa Benitez's visitors, especially as the gifted David Silva returned for City after overcoming a stomach complaint. Yet Newcastle still looked sharper at the start as Christian Atsu snatched at a great chance just 90 seconds in, failing to connect properly when well positioned on the penalty spot. City then began to dictate the match and John Stones went close for the hosts, poking just wide after an intelligent ball from Silva inside the area. The city remained on top, with Silva, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kevin De Bruyne posing problems for Newcastle.

EPL: Aguero hat-trick reboots Man City's title charge

Matt Ritchie condemned Manchester United to a shock 1-0 defeat at struggling Newcastle, while Huddersfield climbed out of the relegation zone after a 4-1 win against Bournemouth on Sunday.

United&#39;s second defeat in their last three Premier League games leaves them 16 points behind leaders Manchester City.

Jose Mourinho&#39;s second placed side, beaten by Tottenham in their last away game, were rarely at their best at St James&#39; Park and paid the price in the 65th minute.

United defender Chris Smalling was booked for diving inside his own half and from the resulting Jonjo Shelvey free-kick, Dwight Gayle latched onto a header and played a backheel towards Ritchie.

Ritchie&#39;s run was completely untracked by United&#39;s sloppy defence and the Newcastle winger fired low past David De Gea.

Mourinho responded by pulling off Paul Pogba after another underwhelming display from the France midfielder.

And United should have equalised soon after, but when Newcastle failed to clear a corner, Anthony Martial saw two shots blocked on the line by Gayle.

Newcastle had kicked off in the relegation zone, but a first win in five league games -- their first success against United since 2013 -- lifts them to 13th place.

At the John Smith&#39;s Stadium, David Wagner&#39;s team took a seventh-minute lead as Alex Pritchard took Mounie&#39;s pass and drilled in his first Huddersfield goal since his January move from Norwich.

Junior Stanislas equalised for Bournemouth with a cool finish from Ryan Fraser&#39;s cross seven minutes later.

But Mounie restored Huddersfield&#39;s advantage with a 27th-minute header and the Benin striker netted again from Aaron Mooy&#39;s pass to put the hosts in control in the 66th minute.&nbsp;

Rajiv van La Parra converted a stoppage-time penalty to lift Huddersfield out of the bottom three after they had sunk to five consecutive league games.

The Terriers are one point above the relegation zone, while Bournemouth remain in mid-table.

Huddersfield&#39;s first league win in nine matches was marred by an injury to Australia midfielder Mooy, who was stretchered off with a knee problem 15 minutes from time.

Later on Sunday, Liverpool face Southampton at St Mary&#39;s as Jurgen Klopp&#39;s side look to bolster their bid for Champions League qualification via a top-four finish.

United's second defeat in their last three Premier League games leaves them 16 points behind leaders Manchester City

Matt Ritchie condemned Manchester United to a shock 1-0 defeat at struggling Newcastle, while Huddersfield climbed out of the relegation zone after a 4-1 win against Bournemouth on Sunday. United's second defeat in their last three Premier League games leaves them 16 points behind leaders Manchester City. Jose Mourinho's second placed side, beaten by Tottenham in their last away game, were rarely at their best at St James' Park and paid the price in the 65th minute. United defender Chris Smalling was booked for diving inside his own half and from the resulting Jonjo Shelvey free-kick, Dwight Gayle latched onto a header and played a backheel towards Ritchie. Ritchie's run was completely untracked by United's sloppy defence and the Newcastle winger fired low past David De Gea. Mourinho responded by pulling off Paul Pogba after another underwhelming display from the France midfielder. And United should have equalised soon after, but when Newcastle failed to clear a corner, Anthony Martial saw two shots blocked on the line by Gayle. Newcastle had kicked off in the relegation zone, but a first win in five league games -- their first success against United since 2013 -- lifts them to 13th place. At the John Smith's Stadium, David Wagner's team took a seventh-minute lead as Alex Pritchard took Mounie's pass and drilled in his first Huddersfield goal since his January move from Norwich. Junior Stanislas equalised for Bournemouth with a cool finish from Ryan Fraser's cross seven minutes later. But Mounie restored Huddersfield's advantage with a 27th-minute header and the Benin striker netted again from Aaron Mooy's pass to put the hosts in control in the 66th minute. Rajiv van La Parra converted a stoppage-time penalty to lift Huddersfield out of the bottom three after they had sunk to five consecutive league games. The Terriers are one point above the relegation zone, while Bournemouth remain in mid-table. Huddersfield's first league win in nine matches was marred by an injury to Australia midfielder Mooy, who was stretchered off with a knee problem 15 minutes from time. Later on Sunday, Liverpool face Southampton at St Mary's as Jurgen Klopp's side look to bolster their bid for Champions League qualification via a top-four finish.

EPL: Newcastle rock Man United as Huddersfield win at last

Pep Guardiola hailed Sergio Aguero as an &quot;authentic legend&quot; of Manchester City after his four second-half goals continued the club&#39;s emphatic march towards the Premier League title with a 5-1 thrashing of Leicester.

Raheem Sterling had given City an early lead on Saturday but Leicester went into the break on level terms thanks to Jamie Vardy&#39;s equaliser.

However, Aguero took centre stage with a finishing masterclass to take his tally in City&#39;s last seven home games to 14 goals as Guardiola&#39;s side moved 16 points clear.

&quot;An authentic legend of this club,&quot; said Guardiola of his prolific Argentine striker.

&quot;In the second half he scored four goals. Sergio is like this, he has a special talent in the box. He&#39;s clinical... especially the third one and fourth one are amazing.&quot;

Aguero now has 28 goals in all competitions this season -&ndash; eight more than Sterling.

&ldquo;So we try to create a lot of chances to score the goals he does, and he always does. Congratulations to him because it&#39;s not easy to score four goals,&quot; added Guardiola.

&ldquo;When one player&nbsp;is able to score four goals, he deserves all the credit and the nice words. He fights, he plays really good and he scored. We needed it.&ldquo;

Guardiola believes the win was &ldquo;one of the best&rdquo; performances his players have produced since he took over at City but urged them not to let their intensity drop.

&ldquo;My advice for the players is not to think how many games are left, just to look to the next one,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;Every time we dropped points this season, the next game we won, which is so, so important. Keeping that consistency is so important for us. If we are able to win the title it will be something special for us.&quot;

Leicester manager Claude Puel brought Riyad Mahrez off the bench in the second half as the winger made his first appearance since a self-imposed exile following the collapse of a deadline day transfer to City.

And Puel claimed both he and the Algeria international will not focus their efforts on the rest of the season without any issues.

&ldquo;I said before my last press conference it was important for him to come back quick,&rdquo; Puel said.

&ldquo;He maintained a good level and it was important he was back in the squad. We have lost time and now it is important to look forward. The transfer window is finished.

&ldquo;Since the beginning of the transfer window we took a decision with the club, to protect the squad. Riyad came back, and he is an important player.

&ldquo;Now it is about time to move on together and of course we are stronger with him. It is important to move together with good solidarity and understanding together.&quot;

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"An authentic legend of this club," said the City coach Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola hailed Sergio Aguero as an "authentic legend" of Manchester City after his four second-half goals continued the club's emphatic march towards the Premier League title with a 5-1 thrashing of Leicester. Raheem Sterling had given City an early lead on Saturday but Leicester went into the break on level terms thanks to Jamie Vardy's equaliser. However, Aguero took centre stage with a finishing masterclass to take his tally in City's last seven home games to 14 goals as Guardiola's side moved 16 points clear. "An authentic legend of this club," said Guardiola of his prolific Argentine striker. "In the second half he scored four goals. Sergio is like this, he has a special talent in the box. He's clinical... especially the third one and fourth one are amazing." Aguero now has 28 goals in all competitions this season -– eight more than Sterling. “So we try to create a lot of chances to score the goals he does, and he always does. Congratulations to him because it's not easy to score four goals," added Guardiola. “When one player is able to score four goals, he deserves all the credit and the nice words. He fights, he plays really good and he scored. We needed it.“ Guardiola believes the win was “one of the best” performances his players have produced since he took over at City but urged them not to let their intensity drop. “My advice for the players is not to think how many games are left, just to look to the next one,” he said. “Every time we dropped points this season, the next game we won, which is so, so important. Keeping that consistency is so important for us. If we are able to win the title it will be something special for us." Leicester manager Claude Puel brought Riyad Mahrez off the bench in the second half as the winger made his first appearance since a self-imposed exile following the collapse of a deadline day transfer to City. And Puel claimed both he and the Algeria international will not focus their efforts on the rest of the season without any issues. “I said before my last press conference it was important for him to come back quick,” Puel said. “He maintained a good level and it was important he was back in the squad. We have lost time and now it is important to look forward. The transfer window is finished. “Since the beginning of the transfer window we took a decision with the club, to protect the squad. Riyad came back, and he is an important player. “Now it is about time to move on together and of course we are stronger with him. It is important to move together with good solidarity and understanding together."

EPL: Sergio Aguero's four-goal show inspires Man City to stylish win

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