Gylfi Sigurdsson, Oumar Niasse and Tom Davies were on target as Everton eased past Crystal Palace 3-1 on Saturday to climb to ninth in the Premier League table.

After a committed but low-quality first half ended goalless, Everton struck twice within six minutes after the break as Sigurdsson beat Wayne Hennessey with a deflected shot before Niasse&#39;s header doubled the advantage.

Midfielder Davies all but sealed the victory with a low finish in the 75th minute against a Palace side who showed little threat until Luka Milivojevic converted a late penalty after Ashley Williams handled the ball.

Everton leapfrogged Bournemouth to climb to ninth on 34 points from 27 games and are within two points of out-of-form Burnley in seventh. Palace is 14th with 27 points.

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FT: ???? 3-1 ???? 
 
Blues climb to ninth and move within two points of seventh after goals from Sigurdsson, Niasse and Davies at Goodison Park. Well played, lads! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EFCmatchday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EFCmatchday</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rc3U7TO3AX">pic.twitter.com/Rc3U7TO3AX</a>
&mdash; Everton (@Everton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Everton/status/962368842830958592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;We have to look at our home record and that is where the mainstay of our season lies,&quot; Everton manager Sam Allardyce told the BBC.

&quot;In the eight home games I have been here, we have picked up 17 points and conceded just four goals. We are getting it right, entertaining the fans and getting the result.&quot;

Everton&#39;s quest to climb the table has been hindered by their form away from Goodison Park with only the bottom three of Stoke City, West Bromwich Abion and Huddersfield Town possessing a worse record.

&quot;The unfortunate away form is causing us the problems,&quot; Allardyce added. &quot;Goodison Park has always been a strong place to play, the supporters get behind you.

&quot;Away from home, it has been a longstanding problem. It is something we have to try and turn around. Now we can relax and enjoy the result. We got 3-0 up and the pressure was off. Even when they scored their penalty, we were not under too much pressure.

&quot;The Everton fans will wake up and be happy to see where we are, only two points off seventh.&quot;

&nbsp;

Everton struck twice within six minutes after the break as Sigurdsson beat Wayne Hennessey with a deflected shot before Niasse's header doubled the advantage

Gylfi Sigurdsson, Oumar Niasse and Tom Davies were on target as Everton eased past Crystal Palace 3-1 on Saturday to climb to ninth in the Premier League table. After a committed but low-quality first half ended goalless, Everton struck twice within six minutes after the break as Sigurdsson beat Wayne Hennessey with a deflected shot before Niasse's header doubled the advantage. Midfielder Davies all but sealed the victory with a low finish in the 75th minute against a Palace side who showed little threat until Luka Milivojevic converted a late penalty after Ashley Williams handled the ball. Everton leapfrogged Bournemouth to climb to ninth on 34 points from 27 games and are within two points of out-of-form Burnley in seventh. Palace is 14th with 27 points. FT: ???? 3-1 ???? Blues climb to ninth and move within two points of seventh after goals from Sigurdsson, Niasse and Davies at Goodison Park. Well played, lads! #EFCmatchday pic.twitter.com/Rc3U7TO3AX — Everton (@Everton) February 10, 2018 × "We have to look at our home record and that is where the mainstay of our season lies," Everton manager Sam Allardyce told the BBC. "In the eight home games I have been here, we have picked up 17 points and conceded just four goals. We are getting it right, entertaining the fans and getting the result." Everton's quest to climb the table has been hindered by their form away from Goodison Park with only the bottom three of Stoke City, West Bromwich Abion and Huddersfield Town possessing a worse record. "The unfortunate away form is causing us the problems," Allardyce added. "Goodison Park has always been a strong place to play, the supporters get behind you. "Away from home, it has been a longstanding problem. It is something we have to try and turn around. Now we can relax and enjoy the result. We got 3-0 up and the pressure was off. Even when they scored their penalty, we were not under too much pressure. "The Everton fans will wake up and be happy to see where we are, only two points off seventh."

EPL: Everton up to ninth with easy win over Palace

Harry Kane scored his 23rd Premier League goal of the season as Tottenham Hotspur beat Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday to dent their north London rivals&#39; top-four aspirations.

After a sluggish first half, Kane jumped highest to head home his seventh derby goal in seven games and Spurs would have won by a greater margin but for an inspired performance from goalkeeper Petr Cech.

Spurs climb two places to third and Arsenal now sit six points adrift of Liverpool in fourth - though Juergen Klopp&#39;s side has one game in hand.

&quot;I am so happy to win,&quot; Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said. &quot;We have had three massive games against (Manchester) United, Liverpool and Arsenal and seven points is good.

&quot;Harry Kane is not old-fashioned, he is the present and the future. We are so proud that he is in our side.&quot;

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Love a north London derby. ????⚽<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COYS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COYS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/THFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#THFC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Premierleague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Premierleague</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NLD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NLD</a> <a href="https://t.co/LNI8KDV2IH">pic.twitter.com/LNI8KDV2IH</a>
&mdash; Harry Kane (@HKane) <a href="https://twitter.com/HKane/status/962343859559845888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Spurs registered 18 shots to Arsenal&#39;s six with Kane, a constant thorn the visitor&#39;s side, wasting a number of opportunities to seal a more comfortable scoreline.

Arsenal, however, did have late chances to equalise with substitute Alexandre Lacazette - who replaced the ineffective Henrikh Mkhitaryan - twice going close in the closing minutes.

&quot;Kane made the difference, that&#39;s what he&#39;s about,&quot; Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. &quot;I have seen the replay, it is no foul, just good centre-forward play. We can only look at ourselves.

&quot;It will be more difficult to finish in the top four but we have to fight for it.&quot;

&nbsp;

Spurs climb two places to third and Arsenal now sit six points adrift of Liverpool in fourth

Harry Kane scored his 23rd Premier League goal of the season as Tottenham Hotspur beat Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday to dent their north London rivals' top-four aspirations. After a sluggish first half, Kane jumped highest to head home his seventh derby goal in seven games and Spurs would have won by a greater margin but for an inspired performance from goalkeeper Petr Cech. Spurs climb two places to third and Arsenal now sit six points adrift of Liverpool in fourth - though Juergen Klopp's side has one game in hand. "I am so happy to win," Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said. "We have had three massive games against (Manchester) United, Liverpool and Arsenal and seven points is good. "Harry Kane is not old-fashioned, he is the present and the future. We are so proud that he is in our side." Love a north London derby. ????⚽#COYS #THFC #Premierleague #NLD pic.twitter.com/LNI8KDV2IH — Harry Kane (@HKane) February 10, 2018 × Spurs registered 18 shots to Arsenal's six with Kane, a constant thorn the visitor's side, wasting a number of opportunities to seal a more comfortable scoreline. Arsenal, however, did have late chances to equalise with substitute Alexandre Lacazette - who replaced the ineffective Henrikh Mkhitaryan - twice going close in the closing minutes. "Kane made the difference, that's what he's about," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "I have seen the replay, it is no foul, just good centre-forward play. We can only look at ourselves. "It will be more difficult to finish in the top four but we have to fight for it."

EPL: Kane on target as Spurs take derby spoils

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has called for public backing from the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to put an end to growing speculation about his future as manager.

The Italian won the Premier League title in 2016-17 in his first year in England but there have been persistent rumours about his job being under threat this season due to the Blues&#39; indifferent form.

Conte has repeatedly expressed his desire to honour the remaining 18 months of his contract and now wants a public vote of confidence from his employers.

&quot;Maybe I&#39;d like that the club prepares a statement for me to tell (the media), &#39;I trust in his job, I trust in his work&#39;,&quot; said Conte ahead of Monday&#39;s trip to Watford.

&quot;But at the same time I know that in the past it never happened, this, and for this reason why would I hope for something different?

&quot;For sure, I think that I&#39;d like to have a statement to support this speculation.&quot;

Chelsea has failed to mount a serious defence of their title and travel to Vicarage Road 19 points adrift of runaway leaders Manchester City following last week&#39;s humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth.

After losing to Arsenal in the semi-finals of the League Cup, their only hopes of silverware lie in the Champions League and the FA Cup, while they face a fight to secure a top-four league finish.

Conte said he would welcome talks about extending his contract with the London club despite his struggles this season.

&quot;I&#39;m giving all of myself, me and my staff and also my players, for this club,&quot; he said.

&quot;And then I think that we are doing the maximum for this club and if the club understands this and the club wants to extend a new contract then we can talk, why not?&quot;

Conte could give debuts to new signings Olivier Giroud and Emerson Palmieri against the Hornets, although neither player is expected to start as they are short of fitness due to recent injuries.

&nbsp;

There have been persistent rumours about Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's job being under threat this season due to the Blues' indifferent form

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has called for public backing from the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to put an end to growing speculation about his future as manager. The Italian won the Premier League title in 2016-17 in his first year in England but there have been persistent rumours about his job being under threat this season due to the Blues' indifferent form. Conte has repeatedly expressed his desire to honour the remaining 18 months of his contract and now wants a public vote of confidence from his employers. "Maybe I'd like that the club prepares a statement for me to tell (the media), 'I trust in his job, I trust in his work'," said Conte ahead of Monday's trip to Watford. "But at the same time I know that in the past it never happened, this, and for this reason why would I hope for something different? "For sure, I think that I'd like to have a statement to support this speculation." Chelsea has failed to mount a serious defence of their title and travel to Vicarage Road 19 points adrift of runaway leaders Manchester City following last week's humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. After losing to Arsenal in the semi-finals of the League Cup, their only hopes of silverware lie in the Champions League and the FA Cup, while they face a fight to secure a top-four league finish. Conte said he would welcome talks about extending his contract with the London club despite his struggles this season. "I'm giving all of myself, me and my staff and also my players, for this club," he said. "And then I think that we are doing the maximum for this club and if the club understands this and the club wants to extend a new contract then we can talk, why not?" Conte could give debuts to new signings Olivier Giroud and Emerson Palmieri against the Hornets, although neither player is expected to start as they are short of fitness due to recent injuries.

Conte wants Chelsea vote of confidence

Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s hailed Harry Kane&#39;s bravery after he shrugged off missing a penalty to net his 100th Premier League goal from a second spot-kick to salvage Tottenham Hotspur a point from a thrilling 2-2 draw at&nbsp;Liverpool.

Kane had seen his first penalty saved by Loris Karius five minutes from time with the score at 1-1.

Mohamed Salah then looked to have snatched all three points from&nbsp;Liverpool&nbsp;in style with a stunning solo run and finish in stoppage time to pull level with Kane on 21 Premier League goals for the season.

However, Kane edged back ahead of the Egyptian when he sent Karius the wrong way after&nbsp;Liverpool&#39;s &pound;75 million club record signing Virgil van Dijk was adjudged to have clipped Erik Lamela inside the area two minutes later.

&quot;He is one of the best strikers. He can miss a penalty or a chance, but the personality to score 100 Premier League goals is because you have big, big balls,&quot; said Pochettino.

The England international is the second quickest ever player to reach a Premier League century with only Alan Shearer bettering his return of 100 goals in 141 games.

&quot;It&#39;s great to be in that 100 club now, and it&#39;s great to get something from the game after that rollercoaster of emotions,&quot; said Kane.

Despite the late drama, Spurs still trail third-placed&nbsp;Liverpool&nbsp;by two points down in fifth in the race for a place in the top four.

Failure to make the Champions League next season will further fuel speculation as to whether Spurs can retain even a man dubbed &quot;one of our own&quot; by the Tottenham faithful.

- &#39;One of the world&#39;s best&#39; -

&quot;Kane is one of the best players in the world, 100 per cent, if not the best pure striker in the world at the moment,&quot; even Klopp admitted to the Daily Mail before kick-off.

However, for all the talent available to Pochettino, Spurs&#39; challenge remains undermined by their record on the road against their closest challengers.

Under Pochettino, Spurs have still won just one of 19 away trips to the rest of the Premier League&#39;s top six at&nbsp;Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea.

The Argentine, though, insisted progress is being made after dominating possession at Anfield after falling behind to Salah&#39;s third-minute opener.

&quot;It was a fantastic performance,&quot; said Pochettino.

&quot;Against a team that is so difficult when they are up on the score the control and performance were amazing.

&quot;The feeling in the dressing room from the team is that we dropped two points.&quot;

Spurs had got off to the worst possible start when Salah latched onto a wayward backpass from Eric Dier to coolly slot past Hugo Lloris.

The visitors controlled the game after the break but needed a spectacular strike from an unlikely source to get back level when substitute Victor Wanyama smashed into the top corner with his first touch.

A frantic final 10 minutes ensued as Kane atoned for his poor first penalty and stayed a step ahead of Salah in their personal rivalry for the golden boot.

&nbsp;

Mohamed Salah snatched all three points from Liverpool in style with a stunning solo run

Mauricio Pochettino's hailed Harry Kane's bravery after he shrugged off missing a penalty to net his 100th Premier League goal from a second spot-kick to salvage Tottenham Hotspur a point from a thrilling 2-2 draw at Liverpool. Kane had seen his first penalty saved by Loris Karius five minutes from time with the score at 1-1. Mohamed Salah then looked to have snatched all three points from Liverpool in style with a stunning solo run and finish in stoppage time to pull level with Kane on 21 Premier League goals for the season. However, Kane edged back ahead of the Egyptian when he sent Karius the wrong way after Liverpool's £75 million club record signing Virgil van Dijk was adjudged to have clipped Erik Lamela inside the area two minutes later. "He is one of the best strikers. He can miss a penalty or a chance, but the personality to score 100 Premier League goals is because you have big, big balls," said Pochettino. The England international is the second quickest ever player to reach a Premier League century with only Alan Shearer bettering his return of 100 goals in 141 games. "It's great to be in that 100 club now, and it's great to get something from the game after that rollercoaster of emotions," said Kane. Despite the late drama, Spurs still trail third-placed Liverpool by two points down in fifth in the race for a place in the top four. Failure to make the Champions League next season will further fuel speculation as to whether Spurs can retain even a man dubbed "one of our own" by the Tottenham faithful. - 'One of the world's best' - "Kane is one of the best players in the world, 100 per cent, if not the best pure striker in the world at the moment," even Klopp admitted to the Daily Mail before kick-off. However, for all the talent available to Pochettino, Spurs' challenge remains undermined by their record on the road against their closest challengers. Under Pochettino, Spurs have still won just one of 19 away trips to the rest of the Premier League's top six at Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea. The Argentine, though, insisted progress is being made after dominating possession at Anfield after falling behind to Salah's third-minute opener. "It was a fantastic performance," said Pochettino. "Against a team that is so difficult when they are up on the score the control and performance were amazing. "The feeling in the dressing room from the team is that we dropped two points." Spurs had got off to the worst possible start when Salah latched onto a wayward backpass from Eric Dier to coolly slot past Hugo Lloris. The visitors controlled the game after the break but needed a spectacular strike from an unlikely source to get back level when substitute Victor Wanyama smashed into the top corner with his first touch. A frantic final 10 minutes ensued as Kane atoned for his poor first penalty and stayed a step ahead of Salah in their personal rivalry for the golden boot.

EPL: Pochettino hails 'ballsy' Kane for 100th Premier League goal

Luka Milivojevic&#39;s second-half penalty secured a point for Crystal Palace as they recovered from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw at home to fellow strugglers Newcastle United on Sunday.

Mohamed Diame gave Newcastle the lead from a corner midway through the first half when he slotted the ball in at the far post after Ayoze Perez&rsquo;s cross from the right had gone through a packed goalmouth.

Palace equalised 10 minutes into the second half when they were awarded a penalty for Ciaran Clark&rsquo;s foul on Christian Benteke and Milivojevic converted despite Karl Darlow getting a hand to the ball.

Newcastle might have been two goals up at halftime but Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey made two good saves in quick succession, blocking Brazilian winger Kenedy&rsquo;s shot with his chest then diving to his left to palm away Perez&rsquo;s effort from the rebound.

Palace, who came close to a winner several times in a frantic final half hour, climbed to 14th on 27 points, three clear of the relegation zone and two ahead of Newcastle in 16th.

&nbsp;

Palace climbed to 14th on 27 points, three clear of the relegation zone and two ahead of Newcastle in 16th

Luka Milivojevic's second-half penalty secured a point for Crystal Palace as they recovered from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw at home to fellow strugglers Newcastle United on Sunday. Mohamed Diame gave Newcastle the lead from a corner midway through the first half when he slotted the ball in at the far post after Ayoze Perez’s cross from the right had gone through a packed goalmouth. Palace equalised 10 minutes into the second half when they were awarded a penalty for Ciaran Clark’s foul on Christian Benteke and Milivojevic converted despite Karl Darlow getting a hand to the ball. Newcastle might have been two goals up at halftime but Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey made two good saves in quick succession, blocking Brazilian winger Kenedy’s shot with his chest then diving to his left to palm away Perez’s effort from the rebound. Palace, who came close to a winner several times in a frantic final half hour, climbed to 14th on 27 points, three clear of the relegation zone and two ahead of Newcastle in 16th.

EPL: Crystal Palace fight back to draw relegation tussle with Newcastle

Manchester City winger Raheem&nbsp;Sterling&nbsp;has hit out at the quality of officials in England, claiming players could miss the World Cup because they&rsquo;re being &quot;butchered&quot; by bad challenges.

City star Leroy Sane was sidelined for up to seven weeks after a bad tackle by Cardiff&rsquo;s Joe Bennett in their 2-0 win in the FA Cup last weekend.

Referee Bobby Madley then failed to show a red card to West Brom&rsquo;s Matt Phillips after his knee-high challenge on youngster Brahim Diaz in the closing stages.

It follows a glut of incidents on City players this season, none of which were punished with dismissals.

Manager Pep Guardiola has repeatedly asked for referees to protect the players, but his calls appear to fall on deaf ears.

But now&nbsp;Sterling, 23, is backing up his manager, saying the nature of the tackles could put those on the receiving end in serious trouble.

He said: &ldquo;I find it a bit unfair at times. I feel that we haven&rsquo;t been protected enough in certain situations. I think some of the challenges have been awful.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not what I expect to see in a top-flight football match -- especially when teams are losing and just go out to kick players.

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s right. I do think we need to cut down on that because we&rsquo;ve got a World Cup at the end of the year and majority of the players in the top flight and in our team will be playing in it.

&ldquo;It would be sad to see someone miss the tournament due to a silly tackle and someone gets away with it.

&ldquo;These tackles can happen -- but it can&rsquo;t be every game we&rsquo;re getting two players coming in with injuries.

&ldquo;There are going to be challenges that are badly timed and probably not all of them are intentional, but at the same time, if it&rsquo;s a dangerous tackle, it&rsquo;s a dangerous tackle.

&ldquo;I think the referees and officials need to cut these tackles out because as you can see some of the players are getting butchered out there and it&rsquo;s sad to see.

&ldquo;But I just feel we need to try and cut this out of the game.&rdquo;

Guardiola has called for officials to protect not just his stars, but all players -- though he has not had much support from his peers.

Cardiff boss Neil Warnock commented after the FA Cup tie that Guardiola should expect strong challenges in England, while West Brom manager Alan Pardew accused the Catalan of trying to get the crowd to put pressure on the referee.

It was sparked by several weeks of incidents that could have left some of the Premier League leaders&rsquo; team badly hurt.

Kevin De Bruyne was stretchered off at Crystal Palace after being hacked down by Jason Puncheon, weeks after he was on the receiving end of a studs-up challenge by Tottenham&rsquo;s Dele Alli.

Sterling&nbsp;was also caught late by Harry Kane in the first half of that match, which finished 4-1 to City.

City already has long-term injury problems with Benjamin Mendy, Gabriel Jesus and Sane still missing.

&nbsp;

Raheem Sterling has hit out at the quality of officials in England, claiming players could miss the World Cup because they’re being "butchered" by bad challenges

Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has hit out at the quality of officials in England, claiming players could miss the World Cup because they’re being "butchered" by bad challenges. City star Leroy Sane was sidelined for up to seven weeks after a bad tackle by Cardiff’s Joe Bennett in their 2-0 win in the FA Cup last weekend. Referee Bobby Madley then failed to show a red card to West Brom’s Matt Phillips after his knee-high challenge on youngster Brahim Diaz in the closing stages. It follows a glut of incidents on City players this season, none of which were punished with dismissals. Manager Pep Guardiola has repeatedly asked for referees to protect the players, but his calls appear to fall on deaf ears. But now Sterling, 23, is backing up his manager, saying the nature of the tackles could put those on the receiving end in serious trouble. He said: “I find it a bit unfair at times. I feel that we haven’t been protected enough in certain situations. I think some of the challenges have been awful. “It’s not what I expect to see in a top-flight football match -- especially when teams are losing and just go out to kick players. “I don’t think that’s right. I do think we need to cut down on that because we’ve got a World Cup at the end of the year and majority of the players in the top flight and in our team will be playing in it. “It would be sad to see someone miss the tournament due to a silly tackle and someone gets away with it. “These tackles can happen -- but it can’t be every game we’re getting two players coming in with injuries. “There are going to be challenges that are badly timed and probably not all of them are intentional, but at the same time, if it’s a dangerous tackle, it’s a dangerous tackle. “I think the referees and officials need to cut these tackles out because as you can see some of the players are getting butchered out there and it’s sad to see. “But I just feel we need to try and cut this out of the game.” Guardiola has called for officials to protect not just his stars, but all players -- though he has not had much support from his peers. Cardiff boss Neil Warnock commented after the FA Cup tie that Guardiola should expect strong challenges in England, while West Brom manager Alan Pardew accused the Catalan of trying to get the crowd to put pressure on the referee. It was sparked by several weeks of incidents that could have left some of the Premier League leaders’ team badly hurt. Kevin De Bruyne was stretchered off at Crystal Palace after being hacked down by Jason Puncheon, weeks after he was on the receiving end of a studs-up challenge by Tottenham’s Dele Alli. Sterling was also caught late by Harry Kane in the first half of that match, which finished 4-1 to City. City already has long-term injury problems with Benjamin Mendy, Gabriel Jesus and Sane still missing.

EPL: Man City players butchered by poor tackles, says Sterling

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said his team would not concede defeat in the Premier League title race if they were in the same position as Manchester United.

United manager Jose Mourinho conceded the title to runaway leaders City for the first time on Friday with the 20-times champions running second, 15 points behind City with 13 games left.

Asked ahead of City&#39;s trip to seventh-placed Burnley on Saturday if he would give up on Mourinho&#39;s position, Guardiola said: &quot;No, I don&#39;t think so. That is not going to happen.

&quot;We have shown even in our two defeats this season that we will try until the very end. We play every game to give sense to what we are doing. I know the 15-point distance is quite big at the moment. It&#39;s the same gap from six games ago.

&quot;In football and in sports anything can happen. You are good today but tomorrow you are bad. The most important thing we have done is the focus. In my experience, until everything is done, you have to be prepared for anything to happen.&quot;

City has endured a hectic season having progressed to the Champions League last 16, the FA Cup fifth round and the League Cup final apart from dominating the league and Guardiola said he would rest his players following the Burnley game.

&quot;After the game against Burnley until next Wednesday the players will be resting,&quot; Guardiola added.

&quot;The players can do whatever they want, they can travel or whatever. If they want to go and find some sunshine or stay here in Manchester, they can do what they like. They are free.&quot;

&nbsp;

United manager Jose Mourinho conceded the title to runaway leaders City for the first time on Friday with the 20-times champions running second, 15 points behind City with 13 games left

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said his team would not concede defeat in the Premier League title race if they were in the same position as Manchester United. United manager Jose Mourinho conceded the title to runaway leaders City for the first time on Friday with the 20-times champions running second, 15 points behind City with 13 games left. Asked ahead of City's trip to seventh-placed Burnley on Saturday if he would give up on Mourinho's position, Guardiola said: "No, I don't think so. That is not going to happen. "We have shown even in our two defeats this season that we will try until the very end. We play every game to give sense to what we are doing. I know the 15-point distance is quite big at the moment. It's the same gap from six games ago. "In football and in sports anything can happen. You are good today but tomorrow you are bad. The most important thing we have done is the focus. In my experience, until everything is done, you have to be prepared for anything to happen." City has endured a hectic season having progressed to the Champions League last 16, the FA Cup fifth round and the League Cup final apart from dominating the league and Guardiola said he would rest his players following the Burnley game. "After the game against Burnley until next Wednesday the players will be resting," Guardiola added. "The players can do whatever they want, they can travel or whatever. If they want to go and find some sunshine or stay here in Manchester, they can do what they like. They are free."

'I won't concede title if in Man United's position' says Pep Guardiola

Antonio Conte had no doubt the pressure on his position would intensify after his&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;side&#39;s stunning 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

The Blues head coach insists his&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;team, the reigning Premier League champions, are over-achieving this season &ndash;- but claims he is &quot;relaxed&quot; if members of the club&rsquo;s hierarchy view things differently.

Defeat left&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;in fourth place in the Premier League, just two points above Tottenham Hotspur and Conte accepted there were concerns over whether the Blues would qualify for next season&#39;s Champions League.

&quot;The pressure, it&#39;s normal. It&#39;s normal for a coach, for a manager,&quot; Conte said. &quot;It&#39;s normal if you are&nbsp;Chelsea&#39;s coach.&nbsp;

&quot;After the first game this season, you (the media) tried to put pressure on my job. But I&#39;m trying to do my best.&quot;

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Chelsea&#39;s Italian head coach Antonio Conte gestures during the match. (AFP)
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The Italian added: &quot;If someone doesn&#39;t think this club deserves this table (position) or deserve this situation. I repeat: we are doing everything, we are doing 120 percent. I&#39;m exploiting this squad at the maximum level.

&quot;But, if someone doesn&#39;t agree about this, I&#39;m here. I have to accept every situation. I&#39;m very relaxed about this. I know that I&#39;m doing a great job, a great work, me and the staff and the players.&quot;

There have been reports that Conte has angered&nbsp;Chelsea&#39;s Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich with thinly veiled criticism of the London club&#39;s transfer policy. &nbsp;

&#39;Reality&#39;

Asked whether the transfer business conducted by&nbsp;Chelsea&#39;s top four rivals had made the task of claiming a top-four finish harder, Conte replied: &quot;We have to understand that, if we want to speak about football and if we think to understand football we know very well this (a top four place) will be very difficult for us.

&quot;If we want only to dream and not see the reality &ndash;- in this case, I can tell you now we can fight to win the title this season!&quot;, added Conte, whose side area huge 18 points behind leaders Manchester City.

&quot;It will be very important to look at the reality and to know that, if we are able to reach a place in the Champions League, it will be a great success for us. Otherwise, we have a normal season.

&quot;My task is to try to be more realistic and try to transfer this to the players because of the players... if they know and understand the danger... But the players are fantastic in their commitment. They understand very well what our situation is in this season.&rdquo;

New signing Olivier Giroud watched the game from behind the dug-out but Conte said: &quot;I don&#39;t think now is the right moment to speak about Giroud&nbsp;after a bad defeat.&rdquo;

&quot;Now the most important thing is to understand we have to fight. This season will be very tough. We must be ready to struggle this season for everything.&quot;

&#39;Best feeling&#39;

Goals from Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and Nathan Ake in 16 second-half minutes secured Bournemouth&rsquo;s impressive victory.

The win moved Bournemouth up to tenth place, although they remain just five points clear of the bottom three.

Eddie Howe said the victory at Stamford Bridge was the best moment in his nine years, spread over two spells, as Bournemouth manager.

Howe, who has steered the club through the leagues from third-division League One, said: &quot;This is the best (feeling) because of the performance.

&quot;When we won here in our first season in the Premier League it was a historic performance, but it was backed against the wall. There was no luck connected today. It was a very strong performance. We&#39;re improving, we&#39;re getting stronger, we were very brave in our approach.&rdquo;

&quot;Full credit to the players:&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;are an outstanding team, but we defended very well, attacked with purpose, and the shape and balance were very good.

&quot;We were unbeaten in five coming here and wanted to keep that going, picking up points,&quot; Howe added.

&quot;To win by the margin we have is something we didn&#39;t expect but are very proud of.&quot;

&nbsp;

The defeat has left Chelsea in fourth place in the Premier League, just two points above Tottenham Hotspur

Antonio Conte had no doubt the pressure on his position would intensify after his Chelsea side's stunning 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. The Blues head coach insists his Chelsea team, the reigning Premier League champions, are over-achieving this season –- but claims he is "relaxed" if members of the club’s hierarchy view things differently. Defeat left Chelsea in fourth place in the Premier League, just two points above Tottenham Hotspur and Conte accepted there were concerns over whether the Blues would qualify for next season's Champions League. "The pressure, it's normal. It's normal for a coach, for a manager," Conte said. "It's normal if you are Chelsea's coach. "After the first game this season, you (the media) tried to put pressure on my job. But I'm trying to do my best." Chelsea's Italian head coach Antonio Conte gestures during the match. (AFP) × The Italian added: "If someone doesn't think this club deserves this table (position) or deserve this situation. I repeat: we are doing everything, we are doing 120 percent. I'm exploiting this squad at the maximum level. "But, if someone doesn't agree about this, I'm here. I have to accept every situation. I'm very relaxed about this. I know that I'm doing a great job, a great work, me and the staff and the players." There have been reports that Conte has angered Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich with thinly veiled criticism of the London club's transfer policy. 'Reality' Asked whether the transfer business conducted by Chelsea's top four rivals had made the task of claiming a top-four finish harder, Conte replied: "We have to understand that, if we want to speak about football and if we think to understand football we know very well this (a top four place) will be very difficult for us. "If we want only to dream and not see the reality –- in this case, I can tell you now we can fight to win the title this season!", added Conte, whose side area huge 18 points behind leaders Manchester City. "It will be very important to look at the reality and to know that, if we are able to reach a place in the Champions League, it will be a great success for us. Otherwise, we have a normal season. "My task is to try to be more realistic and try to transfer this to the players because of the players... if they know and understand the danger... But the players are fantastic in their commitment. They understand very well what our situation is in this season.” New signing Olivier Giroud watched the game from behind the dug-out but Conte said: "I don't think now is the right moment to speak about Giroud after a bad defeat.” "Now the most important thing is to understand we have to fight. This season will be very tough. We must be ready to struggle this season for everything." 'Best feeling' Goals from Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and Nathan Ake in 16 second-half minutes secured Bournemouth’s impressive victory. The win moved Bournemouth up to tenth place, although they remain just five points clear of the bottom three. Eddie Howe said the victory at Stamford Bridge was the best moment in his nine years, spread over two spells, as Bournemouth manager. Howe, who has steered the club through the leagues from third-division League One, said: "This is the best (feeling) because of the performance. "When we won here in our first season in the Premier League it was a historic performance, but it was backed against the wall. There was no luck connected today. It was a very strong performance. We're improving, we're getting stronger, we were very brave in our approach.” "Full credit to the players: Chelsea are an outstanding team, but we defended very well, attacked with purpose, and the shape and balance were very good. "We were unbeaten in five coming here and wanted to keep that going, picking up points," Howe added. "To win by the margin we have is something we didn't expect but are very proud of."

EPL: Conte under pressure as Bournemouth shock Chelsea

Hector Bellerin came to Arsenal&#39;s rescue as the defender&#39;s last-gasp strike earned a dramatic 2-2 draw in a heated London derby against Chelsea on Wednesday.

Bellerin looked set to be the villain of the piece for Arsenal after the Spaniard&#39;s foul on Eden Hazard conceded a penalty that allowed the Chelsea star to cancel out Jack Wilshere&#39;s opener.

When Marcos Alonso put Chelsea in front with just six minutes left at the Emirates Stadium, Bellerin&#39;s misery seemed complete.

But the 22-year-old enjoyed a sweet moment of redemption in the 90th minute as he lashed in only his second goal of the season.

The frenetic conclusion to a thrilling encounter actually did little for either team&#39;s prospects in the Premier League.

Chelsea remain in third place, one point behind Manchester United and 16 adrift of runaway leaders Manchester City.

Arsenal, who have now won only once in 13 league meetings with Chelsea, are languishing in sixth place, five points behind fourth placed Liverpool in the battle to qualify for the Champions League.

In an early sign of the drama to come, Alvaro Morata squandered a golden opportunity to put Chelsea ahead when Arsenal defender Calum Chambers completely misjudged a long pass.

Morata pounced on the loose ball and sprinted clear but with only Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech to beat, the Spain striker scuffed woefully wide.

Foreshadowing the penalty angst to come for Wenger, Ainsley Maitland-Niles had a spot-kick appeal turned down following Victor Moses&#39; challenge.

It looked a good decision by referee Anthony Taylor however and there was more frustration for Wenger moments later.

Alexis Sanchez wriggled into position for a powerful shot that Thibaut Courtois pushed onto one post, with the ball rolling agonisingly along the goalline, then hitting the other post before rebounding into the keeper&#39;s arms.

If that was a stroke of luck for Chelsea, there was no fortune about Courtois&#39;s next contribution as he produced a fine save to deny Alexandre Lacazette after the Arsenal forward turned Gary Cahill and unleashed a powerful low strike.

Arsenal&#39;s Mesut Ozil almost opened the scoring just before half-time with a stinging drive that whistled narrowly wide.

- Conspiracies - 
Cech was called into action twice in quick succession after the interval as he repelled Hazard&#39;s low shot and palmed away Alonso&#39;s header.

Courtois was matching Cech save for save and the Belgian produced another brilliant block to stop Lacazette&#39;s close-range effort.

But the Chelsea keeper was finally beaten in the 63rd minute.

Ozil picked out Rob Holding on the edge of the area and when the defender&#39;s pass was deflected into Wilshere&#39;s path, he reacted instinctively to drive his shot high into the net at Courtois&#39;s near post.

It was Wilshere&#39;s first league goal since May 2015, although he might have been fortune to still be on the pitch after avoiding a second booking for a theatrical tumble just before he scored.

Yet the crucial moment in a pulsating clash came just four minutes later.&nbsp;

As Hazard twisted and turned inside the Arsenal area, Bellerin rashly stuck out a leg to halt his progress and Taylor pointed to the spot.

Hazard stepped up to convert the 67th minute penalty for his ninth Chelsea goal this season.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had ranted darkly about refereeing conspiracies after Arsenal&#39;s Calum Chambers conceded a debatable penalty for handball in Sunday&#39;s draw at West Bromwich Albion.

The Frenchman has already been charged by the Football Association for his angry protests at the weekend, but his expression after the decision suggests another blast is in the offing.

When Alonso timed his run perfectly to meet Davide Zappacosta&#39;s cross with a cool finish in the 84th minute, it seemed certain Chelsea would start 2018 in winning style.

But Bellerin was determined not to end the night as the fall guy and the wing-back pounced on Alonso&#39;s weak header to crash in the equaliser.

Even then there was almost a sting in the tale when Zappacosta smashed against the bar in stoppage-time.

The defender's last-gasp strike earned Arsenal a dramatic 2-2 draw in a heated London derby

Hector Bellerin came to Arsenal's rescue as the defender's last-gasp strike earned a dramatic 2-2 draw in a heated London derby against Chelsea on Wednesday. Bellerin looked set to be the villain of the piece for Arsenal after the Spaniard's foul on Eden Hazard conceded a penalty that allowed the Chelsea star to cancel out Jack Wilshere's opener. When Marcos Alonso put Chelsea in front with just six minutes left at the Emirates Stadium, Bellerin's misery seemed complete. But the 22-year-old enjoyed a sweet moment of redemption in the 90th minute as he lashed in only his second goal of the season. The frenetic conclusion to a thrilling encounter actually did little for either team's prospects in the Premier League. Chelsea remain in third place, one point behind Manchester United and 16 adrift of runaway leaders Manchester City. Arsenal, who have now won only once in 13 league meetings with Chelsea, are languishing in sixth place, five points behind fourth placed Liverpool in the battle to qualify for the Champions League. In an early sign of the drama to come, Alvaro Morata squandered a golden opportunity to put Chelsea ahead when Arsenal defender Calum Chambers completely misjudged a long pass. Morata pounced on the loose ball and sprinted clear but with only Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech to beat, the Spain striker scuffed woefully wide. Foreshadowing the penalty angst to come for Wenger, Ainsley Maitland-Niles had a spot-kick appeal turned down following Victor Moses' challenge. It looked a good decision by referee Anthony Taylor however and there was more frustration for Wenger moments later. Alexis Sanchez wriggled into position for a powerful shot that Thibaut Courtois pushed onto one post, with the ball rolling agonisingly along the goalline, then hitting the other post before rebounding into the keeper's arms. If that was a stroke of luck for Chelsea, there was no fortune about Courtois's next contribution as he produced a fine save to deny Alexandre Lacazette after the Arsenal forward turned Gary Cahill and unleashed a powerful low strike. Arsenal's Mesut Ozil almost opened the scoring just before half-time with a stinging drive that whistled narrowly wide. - Conspiracies - Cech was called into action twice in quick succession after the interval as he repelled Hazard's low shot and palmed away Alonso's header. Courtois was matching Cech save for save and the Belgian produced another brilliant block to stop Lacazette's close-range effort. But the Chelsea keeper was finally beaten in the 63rd minute. Ozil picked out Rob Holding on the edge of the area and when the defender's pass was deflected into Wilshere's path, he reacted instinctively to drive his shot high into the net at Courtois's near post. It was Wilshere's first league goal since May 2015, although he might have been fortune to still be on the pitch after avoiding a second booking for a theatrical tumble just before he scored. Yet the crucial moment in a pulsating clash came just four minutes later. As Hazard twisted and turned inside the Arsenal area, Bellerin rashly stuck out a leg to halt his progress and Taylor pointed to the spot. Hazard stepped up to convert the 67th minute penalty for his ninth Chelsea goal this season. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had ranted darkly about refereeing conspiracies after Arsenal's Calum Chambers conceded a debatable penalty for handball in Sunday's draw at West Bromwich Albion. The Frenchman has already been charged by the Football Association for his angry protests at the weekend, but his expression after the decision suggests another blast is in the offing. When Alonso timed his run perfectly to meet Davide Zappacosta's cross with a cool finish in the 84th minute, it seemed certain Chelsea would start 2018 in winning style. But Bellerin was determined not to end the night as the fall guy and the wing-back pounced on Alonso's weak header to crash in the equaliser. Even then there was almost a sting in the tale when Zappacosta smashed against the bar in stoppage-time.

EPL: Bellerin strikes late to rescue Arsenal in Chelsea thriller

Tottenham Hotspur could afford to start Harry Kane on the bench and watch his replacement Fernando Llorente spearhead their hard-earned 2-0 Premier League win at bottom club Swansea City on Tuesday.

Former Swansea man Llorente, enjoying a rare start as Kane recovered from a heavy cold, headed Spurs in front after 12 minutes, although he was clearly offside when meeting Christian Eriksen&#39;s free kick.

In incessant driving rain at the Liberty Stadium, Spurs looked largely in control until after the break when Jordan Ayew went close and Jan Vertonghen inadvertently deflected a Swansea attack against his own post.

Yet Kane, brought on for the final 20 minutes, calmed nerves as he superbly set up an 89th-minute goal for Dele Alli that sealed the victory which lifted Spurs to fifth in the table, above their local rivals Arsenal.

A dramatic late win at Watford had given Swansea&#39;s new manager Carlos Carvalhal the ideal launch pad for a revival but the Portuguese&#39;s first home match in charge illustrated the magnitude of the task facing him.

&quot;You need luck to score and win, yes, but after 90 minutes I think it&#39;s clear we were better and deserved the points,&quot; Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino told the BBC.

&quot;The first half was so difficult to play football. The weather was horrible, but we dominated and tried to play football.&quot;

Even the absence of Kane, not risked from the start with Spurs due to play 48 hours later against West Ham United, did not stop the early one-way traffic in the pouring rain which left surface water on the pitch.

It did, however, mean the Spurs&#39; marksman, who was brought on midway through the second half, missed out on the chance of a third successive league hat-trick, a feat not achieved in English football for 72 years.

Instead, it was Spanish international Llorente who ghosted ahead of his marker and latched on to Eriksen&#39;s superb whipped free kick from the left flank to head home past Lukasz Fabianski.

The decision to award the goal clearly exasperated Carvalhal, who was right in thinking Llorente was offside but there could be no argument about the quality of the assist from Eriksen.

It meant the Dane has now been involved in either scoring or setting up 11 goals in eight league matches against Swansea.

Yet after dominating the first half against the side with the worst defensive record in the league, Spurs made heavy weather of the win, a resurgent Swansea coming closest when Mike van der Hoorn&#39;s header deflected off Vertonghen&#39;s back and struck the woodwork.

Spurs, though, reasserted their superiority when Kane came on, the goalscorer par excellence turning provider as his marvellous through ball on the counter-attack found Alli, who bundled the ball home at the second attempt.

Tottenham Hotspur could afford to start Harry Kane on the bench and watch his replacement Fernando Llorente spearhead their hard-earned 2-0 Premier League win at bottom club Swansea City on Tuesday. Former Swansea man Llorente, enjoying a rare start as Kane recovered from a heavy cold, headed Spurs in front after 12 minutes, although he was clearly offside when meeting Christian Eriksen's free kick. In incessant driving rain at the Liberty Stadium, Spurs looked largely in control until after the break when Jordan Ayew went close and Jan Vertonghen inadvertently deflected a Swansea attack against his own post. Yet Kane, brought on for the final 20 minutes, calmed nerves as he superbly set up an 89th-minute goal for Dele Alli that sealed the victory which lifted Spurs to fifth in the table, above their local rivals Arsenal. A dramatic late win at Watford had given Swansea's new manager Carlos Carvalhal the ideal launch pad for a revival but the Portuguese's first home match in charge illustrated the magnitude of the task facing him. "You need luck to score and win, yes, but after 90 minutes I think it's clear we were better and deserved the points," Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino told the BBC. "The first half was so difficult to play football. The weather was horrible, but we dominated and tried to play football." Even the absence of Kane, not risked from the start with Spurs due to play 48 hours later against West Ham United, did not stop the early one-way traffic in the pouring rain which left surface water on the pitch. It did, however, mean the Spurs' marksman, who was brought on midway through the second half, missed out on the chance of a third successive league hat-trick, a feat not achieved in English football for 72 years. Instead, it was Spanish international Llorente who ghosted ahead of his marker and latched on to Eriksen's superb whipped free kick from the left flank to head home past Lukasz Fabianski. The decision to award the goal clearly exasperated Carvalhal, who was right in thinking Llorente was offside but there could be no argument about the quality of the assist from Eriksen. It meant the Dane has now been involved in either scoring or setting up 11 goals in eight league matches against Swansea. Yet after dominating the first half against the side with the worst defensive record in the league, Spurs made heavy weather of the win, a resurgent Swansea coming closest when Mike van der Hoorn's header deflected off Vertonghen's back and struck the woodwork. Spurs, though, reasserted their superiority when Kane came on, the goalscorer par excellence turning provider as his marvellous through ball on the counter-attack found Alli, who bundled the ball home at the second attempt.

EPL: Llorente punishes old club as Spurs win at Swansea

Runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City returned to winning ways with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Watford on Tuesday, showing no signs of letting the festive flurry of fixtures impact their momentum.

City manager Pep Guardiola responded to Sunday&rsquo;s goalless draw at Crystal Palace, which ended their 18-match winning run, by fielding a full-strength side with John Stones and David Silva both returning.

Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who was stretchered off at Palace after a horrific challenge, was fit to start while Sergio Aguero replaced the injured Gabriel Jesus in the centre-forward role.

If that was a statement of intent - it was certainly backed up on the field. It took just 38 seconds for the leaders to get ahead when Silva fed Leroy Sane on the left flank and the German&rsquo;s low cross was turned in at the back post by an unmarked Raheem Sterling.

City looked in the mood to get the business settled early and they should have doubled their lead when Sane, after a clever piece of footwork, cut back to Stones but the defender&rsquo;s shot, while leaning back, flew high over the bar.

It was not long before the second came, however, and again it was a low ball across the face of the goal that proved Watford&rsquo;s undoing. Silva fed De Bruyne on the right and the midfielder&rsquo;s cross was turned into his own net by the sliding Christian Kabasele.

Marco Silva&rsquo;s Watford faced a long night of damage limitation and they had their keeper Heurelho Gomes to thank for tipping a curling De Bruyne free kick against the bar.

The counter-attack was Watford&rsquo;s only likely route to goal and that nearly proved fruitful in the 29th minute when Andre Gray broke clear and burst goalwards but his low shot was well saved by Ederson.

The City keeper did well again to keep out a low drive from Etienne Capoue two minutes before the break but only the most optimistic of Hornets fans would have seen that as a sign of things changing in the second half.

Aguero missed a clearcut chance to make it 3-0 three minutes after the restart, heading well wide when found unmarked 10 metres out by a trademark pinpoint cross from De Bruyne.

It was that combination, however, that put the game well and truly beyond Watford in the 63rd minute with the help of Gomes who fumbled the Belgian&rsquo;s cross to leave Aguero with the simplest of tap-ins.

De Bruyne drove into the side-netting from a tight angle in the 78th minute and was immediately taken off by Guardiola, receiving a richly deserved ovation from the Etihad crowd.

Gray got a consolation for Watford in the 82nd minute slotting home a low cross from Andre Carillo.

Manager Pep Guardiola responded to Sunday?s goalless draw at Crystal Palace, which ended their 18-match winning run, by fielding a full-strength side

Runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City returned to winning ways with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Watford on Tuesday, showing no signs of letting the festive flurry of fixtures impact their momentum. City manager Pep Guardiola responded to Sunday’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace, which ended their 18-match winning run, by fielding a full-strength side with John Stones and David Silva both returning. Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who was stretchered off at Palace after a horrific challenge, was fit to start while Sergio Aguero replaced the injured Gabriel Jesus in the centre-forward role. If that was a statement of intent - it was certainly backed up on the field. It took just 38 seconds for the leaders to get ahead when Silva fed Leroy Sane on the left flank and the German’s low cross was turned in at the back post by an unmarked Raheem Sterling. City looked in the mood to get the business settled early and they should have doubled their lead when Sane, after a clever piece of footwork, cut back to Stones but the defender’s shot, while leaning back, flew high over the bar. It was not long before the second came, however, and again it was a low ball across the face of the goal that proved Watford’s undoing. Silva fed De Bruyne on the right and the midfielder’s cross was turned into his own net by the sliding Christian Kabasele. Marco Silva’s Watford faced a long night of damage limitation and they had their keeper Heurelho Gomes to thank for tipping a curling De Bruyne free kick against the bar. The counter-attack was Watford’s only likely route to goal and that nearly proved fruitful in the 29th minute when Andre Gray broke clear and burst goalwards but his low shot was well saved by Ederson. The City keeper did well again to keep out a low drive from Etienne Capoue two minutes before the break but only the most optimistic of Hornets fans would have seen that as a sign of things changing in the second half. Aguero missed a clearcut chance to make it 3-0 three minutes after the restart, heading well wide when found unmarked 10 metres out by a trademark pinpoint cross from De Bruyne. It was that combination, however, that put the game well and truly beyond Watford in the 63rd minute with the help of Gomes who fumbled the Belgian’s cross to leave Aguero with the simplest of tap-ins. De Bruyne drove into the side-netting from a tight angle in the 78th minute and was immediately taken off by Guardiola, receiving a richly deserved ovation from the Etihad crowd. Gray got a consolation for Watford in the 82nd minute slotting home a low cross from Andre Carillo.

EPL: City back to winning ways with 3-1 victory over Watford

Manchester United put a smile back on Jose Mourinho&#39;s face as fine goals from Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard sealed a 2-0 win over Everton, while Liverpool left it late to snatch a 2-1 victory at Burnley.

Martial started in the absence of the injured Romelu Lukaku and the United forward broke the deadlock in the 57th minute at Goodison Park.

Paul Pogba teed up Martial on the edge of the area and he stroked a sublime finish into the top corner for his ninth goal of the season.

Having struggled towards the end of 2017, United were more commanding in their first match of the new year and Lingard wrapped up the points with a superb solo strike in the 81st minute.

The winger beat several Everton players before curling home from 20 yards for his fourth goal in his last five appearances.

It was a welcome tonic for Mourinho amid reports the United manager is beginning to lose the support of his players after branding them &quot;childish&quot; and &quot;immature&quot; and admitting the squad needs major investment to catch City.

United moved back into second place in the Premier League after ending a frustrating run of three successive draws during the congested Christmas period.

&quot;Our pride, our effort, everything was top class and on top of it we played very well. It wasn&#39;t a performance of tired boys, with the worst possible calendar,&quot; Mourinho said.

&quot;Jesse is more consistent, he is adaptable, he is going in a good direction.&quot;

United are 12 points behind leaders Manchester City, who host Watford on Tuesday, and two points ahead of third placed Chelsea, who play Arsenal tomorrow.

With Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah missing due to thigh and groin injuries respectively and Roberto Firmino left on the bench, Sadio Mane was the lone member of Liverpool&#39;s &#39;Fab Four&#39; to start at rain-lashed Turf Moor.

Senegal winger Mane showed Liverpool can thrive without his star team-mates as he opened the scoring in the 61st minute, hammering home from the edge of the area for his eighth club goal this season.

Burnley equalised with just three minutes left as Sam Vokes flicked on and Johann Gudmundsson pounced to slot home.

But Liverpool&#39;s Dejan Lovren headed on a free-kick four minutes into stoppage-time and Estonia defender Ragnar Klavan poked home from close-range.

Liverpool&#39;s third successive win extended their unbeaten league run to 13 games as they cemented their place in the top four.

&quot;A very difficult game, the weather made it so hard, windy, rainy,&quot; Klopp said.

&quot;This is one of the toughest places to play all season. Did we deserve to win? I don&#39;t care. We got the three points.&quot;

Stoke manager Mark Hughes faced calls for his sacking after a 1-0 home defeat against Newcastle.

Stoke&#39;s latest lacklustre display piled pressure on Hughes, whose gamble of fielding a weakened team in Saturday&#39;s 5-0 thrashing at Chelsea proved an unwise move.

Newcastle took a deserved lead in the 73rd minute when Ayoze Perez stabbed past Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland from close-range.

That triggered chants for Hughes&#39;s dismissal from Stoke fans, with a &#39;Hughes out&#39; banner held aloft in the stands.

Stoke have won once in their last six games and sit two points above the relegation zone.

High standards

Asked if he feared the sack, a defiant Hughes said: &quot;Who else is going to do it?

&quot;In terms of the knowledge of the group and the progress in my time here, I&#39;m the best person to do it.&quot;

Algeria duo Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani inspired Leicester&#39;s 3-0 win over Huddersfield.

Claude Puel&#39;s side took the lead through Mahrez in the 53rd minute, the winger meeting Marc Albrighton&#39;s cross with a well-taken volley for his eighth goal of the season.

With Leicester striker Jamie Vardy sidelined by a groin injury, Islam Slimani who marked only his second league start this season with his first league goal since April -- a chipped finish in the 60th minute.

Albrighton&#39;s 90th minute goal capped a good afternoon for Leicester, who ended a four-match winless run.

Callum Wilson&#39;s second goal in three games earned Bournemouth a 2-2 draw at south coast rivals Brighton.&nbsp;

Manchester United beat Everton 2-0, Liverpool beat Burnley 2-1

Manchester United put a smile back on Jose Mourinho's face as fine goals from Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard sealed a 2-0 win over Everton, while Liverpool left it late to snatch a 2-1 victory at Burnley. Martial started in the absence of the injured Romelu Lukaku and the United forward broke the deadlock in the 57th minute at Goodison Park. Paul Pogba teed up Martial on the edge of the area and he stroked a sublime finish into the top corner for his ninth goal of the season. Having struggled towards the end of 2017, United were more commanding in their first match of the new year and Lingard wrapped up the points with a superb solo strike in the 81st minute. The winger beat several Everton players before curling home from 20 yards for his fourth goal in his last five appearances. It was a welcome tonic for Mourinho amid reports the United manager is beginning to lose the support of his players after branding them "childish" and "immature" and admitting the squad needs major investment to catch City. United moved back into second place in the Premier League after ending a frustrating run of three successive draws during the congested Christmas period. "Our pride, our effort, everything was top class and on top of it we played very well. It wasn't a performance of tired boys, with the worst possible calendar," Mourinho said. "Jesse is more consistent, he is adaptable, he is going in a good direction." United are 12 points behind leaders Manchester City, who host Watford on Tuesday, and two points ahead of third placed Chelsea, who play Arsenal tomorrow. With Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah missing due to thigh and groin injuries respectively and Roberto Firmino left on the bench, Sadio Mane was the lone member of Liverpool's 'Fab Four' to start at rain-lashed Turf Moor. Senegal winger Mane showed Liverpool can thrive without his star team-mates as he opened the scoring in the 61st minute, hammering home from the edge of the area for his eighth club goal this season. Burnley equalised with just three minutes left as Sam Vokes flicked on and Johann Gudmundsson pounced to slot home. But Liverpool's Dejan Lovren headed on a free-kick four minutes into stoppage-time and Estonia defender Ragnar Klavan poked home from close-range. Liverpool's third successive win extended their unbeaten league run to 13 games as they cemented their place in the top four. "A very difficult game, the weather made it so hard, windy, rainy," Klopp said. "This is one of the toughest places to play all season. Did we deserve to win? I don't care. We got the three points." Stoke manager Mark Hughes faced calls for his sacking after a 1-0 home defeat against Newcastle. Stoke's latest lacklustre display piled pressure on Hughes, whose gamble of fielding a weakened team in Saturday's 5-0 thrashing at Chelsea proved an unwise move. Newcastle took a deserved lead in the 73rd minute when Ayoze Perez stabbed past Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland from close-range. That triggered chants for Hughes's dismissal from Stoke fans, with a 'Hughes out' banner held aloft in the stands. Stoke have won once in their last six games and sit two points above the relegation zone. High standards Asked if he feared the sack, a defiant Hughes said: "Who else is going to do it? "In terms of the knowledge of the group and the progress in my time here, I'm the best person to do it." Algeria duo Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani inspired Leicester's 3-0 win over Huddersfield. Claude Puel's side took the lead through Mahrez in the 53rd minute, the winger meeting Marc Albrighton's cross with a well-taken volley for his eighth goal of the season. With Leicester striker Jamie Vardy sidelined by a groin injury, Islam Slimani who marked only his second league start this season with his first league goal since April -- a chipped finish in the 60th minute. Albrighton's 90th minute goal capped a good afternoon for Leicester, who ended a four-match winless run. Callum Wilson's second goal in three games earned Bournemouth a 2-2 draw at south coast rivals Brighton.

EPL roundup: United lift Mourinho, Liverpool leave it late

Jose Mourinho has lambasted former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes after he criticised the manager and key players in his role as a TV pundit.

Scholes singled out Paul Pogba, the club&#39;s record signing, after his anonymous performance in the weekend draw with Southampton.

But the French international was far more impressive in the 2-0 victory at Everton on New Year&#39;s Day, which ended a run of three consecutive United draws and put the Red Devils 12 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City.

The victory allowed Mourinho to launch a remarkable verbal attack on Scholes, one of the storied &quot;Class of 92&quot; who was a key part of some of the greatest successes in United&#39;s history.

&quot;I think the only thing Paul Scholes does is criticise,&quot; said Mourinho. &quot;I don&#39;t think he comments, I think he criticises, which is a different thing.

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&quot;Not every one of us has to be phenomenal like he was as a player. That does not mean that we all have to be phenomenal.&quot;

Scholes accused Pogba of coasting through games and failing to make the sort of impact his &pound;89 million ($120 million) transfer fee demands.

But Mourinho was clearly in the mood to defend his player and claimed that part of Scholes&#39; attitude was fuelled by jealousy.

&quot;Paul tries to do his best all the time,&quot; he said. &quot;Sometimes he plays very well, sometimes he plays well, sometimes he doesn&#39;t play so well.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s not Paul&#39;s fault that he made much more money than Paul Scholes. It&#39;s just the way football is.&nbsp;

&quot;I think Scholes will be in history as a phenomenal player, not as a pundit. I prefer to look at him as a phenomenal player that gave so much to the club that I am proud to represent.&quot;

The United manager, who won at Goodison thanks to superb goals from Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, both of which were set up by Pogba, also believes that Scholes has a desire to break into management.

The former United player recently claimed that his application for a job managing United&rsquo;s under-23 team was turned down by the club&#39;s management.

&quot;If Paul one day decides to be a manager I wish that he can be 25 percent as successful as myself,&quot; said Mourinho.&nbsp;

&quot;50 percent of that is 12.5 silverware, 25 percent is around six. If he&#39;s 25 percent, he&#39;ll be quite happy.&quot;

Mourinho did round off his criticism by adding that he believed Scholes was &quot;a phenomenal player&quot; and called him &quot;one of the best I&#39;ve ever seen playing in midfield&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;The prestige of this club is based on people like him, so successful here,&quot; he said.

&#39;Kings of rock and roll&#39; 
Scholes is the latest of the &quot;Class of 92&quot; to have voiced criticism of United under Mourinho, after Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville also made uncomplimentary comments - a point not lost on Mourinho who described them as &quot;the kings of rock and roll.&quot;

He said: &quot;I think the performance was really good so maybe I am lucky this time - and the kings of rock and roll who say I was under-performing last match say, this time, I performed.

&quot;I think they would love to be here. They would love to be at the club and that&#39;s a problem I cannot resolve.&quot;

Giggs was an assistant to previous United manager Louis Van Gaal.

Mourinho also revealed that Romelu Lukaku, who was stretchered off early in the draw with Southampton, did not suffer a concussion and will be available for selection for United&#39;s FA Cup tie with Derby on Friday.

Arsene Wenger made a similar criticism of former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry on Sunday, saying &quot;I don&#39;t listen to what he says&quot; after the Frenchman claimed the Arsenal squad was riven by divisions over the attitude of Chilean star Alexis Sanchez.

Scholes criticised both Mourinho and key players in his role as TV pundit. The former Manchester United played especially singled out Paul Pogba

Jose Mourinho has lambasted former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes after he criticised the manager and key players in his role as a TV pundit. Scholes singled out Paul Pogba, the club's record signing, after his anonymous performance in the weekend draw with Southampton. But the French international was far more impressive in the 2-0 victory at Everton on New Year's Day, which ended a run of three consecutive United draws and put the Red Devils 12 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City. The victory allowed Mourinho to launch a remarkable verbal attack on Scholes, one of the storied "Class of 92" who was a key part of some of the greatest successes in United's history. "I think the only thing Paul Scholes does is criticise," said Mourinho. "I don't think he comments, I think he criticises, which is a different thing. It's not Paul's fault that he made much more money than Paul Scholes. It's just the way football is,' said Mouringo × "Not every one of us has to be phenomenal like he was as a player. That does not mean that we all have to be phenomenal." Scholes accused Pogba of coasting through games and failing to make the sort of impact his £89 million ($120 million) transfer fee demands. But Mourinho was clearly in the mood to defend his player and claimed that part of Scholes' attitude was fuelled by jealousy. "Paul tries to do his best all the time," he said. "Sometimes he plays very well, sometimes he plays well, sometimes he doesn't play so well. "It's not Paul's fault that he made much more money than Paul Scholes. It's just the way football is. "I think Scholes will be in history as a phenomenal player, not as a pundit. I prefer to look at him as a phenomenal player that gave so much to the club that I am proud to represent." The United manager, who won at Goodison thanks to superb goals from Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, both of which were set up by Pogba, also believes that Scholes has a desire to break into management. The former United player recently claimed that his application for a job managing United’s under-23 team was turned down by the club's management. "If Paul one day decides to be a manager I wish that he can be 25 percent as successful as myself," said Mourinho. "50 percent of that is 12.5 silverware, 25 percent is around six. If he's 25 percent, he'll be quite happy." Mourinho did round off his criticism by adding that he believed Scholes was "a phenomenal player" and called him "one of the best I've ever seen playing in midfield". "The prestige of this club is based on people like him, so successful here," he said. 'Kings of rock and roll' Scholes is the latest of the "Class of 92" to have voiced criticism of United under Mourinho, after Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville also made uncomplimentary comments - a point not lost on Mourinho who described them as "the kings of rock and roll." He said: "I think the performance was really good so maybe I am lucky this time - and the kings of rock and roll who say I was under-performing last match say, this time, I performed. "I think they would love to be here. They would love to be at the club and that's a problem I cannot resolve." Giggs was an assistant to previous United manager Louis Van Gaal. Mourinho also revealed that Romelu Lukaku, who was stretchered off early in the draw with Southampton, did not suffer a concussion and will be available for selection for United's FA Cup tie with Derby on Friday. Arsene Wenger made a similar criticism of former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry on Sunday, saying "I don't listen to what he says" after the Frenchman claimed the Arsenal squad was riven by divisions over the attitude of Chilean star Alexis Sanchez.

Mourinho lashes out at 'critical' Scholes

Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool to stay motivated to reach their target of a place in next season&#39;s Champions League by the end of the season.

Klopp has acknowledged ahead of Liverpool&#39;s clash with bottom side Swansea at Anfield on Tuesday that a Premier League title challenge is beyond them given they trail leaders Manchester City by 20 points.

But the German believes there is still plenty for the fourth-placed Reds to play for and they should not get complacent just because City are so far ahead.

&quot;We have to qualify for the Champions League. We have to finish as high as possible,&quot; Klopp said.

&quot;It looks like we could be second, third or fourth this year, that&#39;s a fantastic situation. Not the dream but a fantastic situation.&nbsp;

&quot;That&#39;s what we are working on and for this we have to improve in all departments.

&quot;This year, I don&#39;t think that anyone apart from Manchester City and maybe Manchester United are thinking too much about how they can win the league.

&quot;In a very difficult league, performance-wise we are really consistent so far. If we stay consistent and avoid our mistakes, mistakes like in the 3-3 draw with Arsenal, we will win much more games than we lose or draw.

&quot;As it was and so it will be against Swansea, we have to perform first of all and then we have to see how the other team can react.&quot;

Even though Swansea are at the foot of the table, Klopp does not want his players to assume the result will be a foregone conclusion.

&quot;They are under pressure and that&#39;s clear because they fight for the league, 100 per cent, and that will not change before Boxing Day,&quot; Klopp added.

&quot;But we will be ready and we will perform, if possible, like against Arsenal but avoid the mistakes we made.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t really remember the game from last year, to be honest. I remember that we lost it. But that&#39;s not the plan!&quot;

Step by step 
Klopp confirmed Liverpool will be without captain Jordan Henderson after he limped out of their 3-3 draw with Arsenal last Friday.

Defender Joel Matip could be fit enough to feature after he recently returning to training following a muscle injury while striker Daniel Sturridge has recovered from illness.

Alberto Moreno (ankle) and Nathanial Clyne (back) remain on the sidelines.

Swansea caretaker manager Leon Britton will take charge of his second game following the sacking of Paul Clement last week.

Britton is a modern-day Swansea great with more than 500 appearances to his name, and guided the club to a 1-1 draw in his first match against Crystal Palace.

A match against free-scoring Liverpool at Anfield, however, will present a somewhat more difficult prospect for the South Wales club.

Swansea striker Jordan Ayew admits the draw against Palace, in which he scored, has helped them take at least some confidence into the trip to Merseyside.

&quot;We all have a job to do. I think we responded well,&quot; Ayew said. &quot;We will take it day by day and see what happens in the future.

&quot;We will do our best to get something out of the game against Liverpool. We will build step by step and things will get better. It is important for us to get a good result.&quot;

Swansea will give a fitness test to striker Wilfried Bony (hamstring) and midfielder Leroy Fer (back), who both missed the game against Palace.

Liverpool are currently fourth in the league

Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool to stay motivated to reach their target of a place in next season's Champions League by the end of the season. Klopp has acknowledged ahead of Liverpool's clash with bottom side Swansea at Anfield on Tuesday that a Premier League title challenge is beyond them given they trail leaders Manchester City by 20 points. But the German believes there is still plenty for the fourth-placed Reds to play for and they should not get complacent just because City are so far ahead. "We have to qualify for the Champions League. We have to finish as high as possible," Klopp said. "It looks like we could be second, third or fourth this year, that's a fantastic situation. Not the dream but a fantastic situation. "That's what we are working on and for this we have to improve in all departments. "This year, I don't think that anyone apart from Manchester City and maybe Manchester United are thinking too much about how they can win the league. "In a very difficult league, performance-wise we are really consistent so far. If we stay consistent and avoid our mistakes, mistakes like in the 3-3 draw with Arsenal, we will win much more games than we lose or draw. "As it was and so it will be against Swansea, we have to perform first of all and then we have to see how the other team can react." Even though Swansea are at the foot of the table, Klopp does not want his players to assume the result will be a foregone conclusion. "They are under pressure and that's clear because they fight for the league, 100 per cent, and that will not change before Boxing Day," Klopp added. "But we will be ready and we will perform, if possible, like against Arsenal but avoid the mistakes we made. "I don't really remember the game from last year, to be honest. I remember that we lost it. But that's not the plan!" Step by step Klopp confirmed Liverpool will be without captain Jordan Henderson after he limped out of their 3-3 draw with Arsenal last Friday. Defender Joel Matip could be fit enough to feature after he recently returning to training following a muscle injury while striker Daniel Sturridge has recovered from illness. Alberto Moreno (ankle) and Nathanial Clyne (back) remain on the sidelines. Swansea caretaker manager Leon Britton will take charge of his second game following the sacking of Paul Clement last week. Britton is a modern-day Swansea great with more than 500 appearances to his name, and guided the club to a 1-1 draw in his first match against Crystal Palace. A match against free-scoring Liverpool at Anfield, however, will present a somewhat more difficult prospect for the South Wales club. Swansea striker Jordan Ayew admits the draw against Palace, in which he scored, has helped them take at least some confidence into the trip to Merseyside. "We all have a job to do. I think we responded well," Ayew said. "We will take it day by day and see what happens in the future. "We will do our best to get something out of the game against Liverpool. We will build step by step and things will get better. It is important for us to get a good result." Swansea will give a fitness test to striker Wilfried Bony (hamstring) and midfielder Leroy Fer (back), who both missed the game against Palace.

Klopp: Premier League title beyond us, play for Champions League place

Goals by Sergio Aguero, who scored twice, Raheem Sterling and Danilo enabled leaders Manchester City to extend their record-breaking run to 17 successive Premier League wins as they thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 on Saturday.

The run had begun with victory in added time away to the same opposition in August. This one was much more comfortable and dropped Bournemouth into the bottom three.

Aguero set Pep Guardiola&#39;s team on their way in the 27th minute. Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic lost possession with a poor clearance and Aguero met Fernandinho&#39;s pass with a diving header.

Soon after halftime leading scorer Sterling finished a fine move involving David Silva and Aguero, who then headed his second of the afternoon from a cross by substitute Bernardo Silva.

Danilo, another substitute, scored the fourth within three minutes of coming on to leave manager Guardiola satisfied at having overcome defensive opposition again.

&quot;It was so tough because they play five at the back and 10 players behind (the ball),&quot; he said.

&quot;So space was almost impossible to find and we were lucky to score the first goal. The last 20 minutes they pushed up and after that we played a really good game.

&quot;A good performance and we were ready mentally again.

&quot;Now it&#39;s a merry Christmas and thinking about (playing) Newcastle.&quot;

Manchester City thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 on Saturday

Goals by Sergio Aguero, who scored twice, Raheem Sterling and Danilo enabled leaders Manchester City to extend their record-breaking run to 17 successive Premier League wins as they thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 on Saturday. The run had begun with victory in added time away to the same opposition in August. This one was much more comfortable and dropped Bournemouth into the bottom three. Aguero set Pep Guardiola's team on their way in the 27th minute. Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic lost possession with a poor clearance and Aguero met Fernandinho's pass with a diving header. Soon after halftime leading scorer Sterling finished a fine move involving David Silva and Aguero, who then headed his second of the afternoon from a cross by substitute Bernardo Silva. Danilo, another substitute, scored the fourth within three minutes of coming on to leave manager Guardiola satisfied at having overcome defensive opposition again. "It was so tough because they play five at the back and 10 players behind (the ball)," he said. "So space was almost impossible to find and we were lucky to score the first goal. The last 20 minutes they pushed up and after that we played a really good game. "A good performance and we were ready mentally again. "Now it's a merry Christmas and thinking about (playing) Newcastle."

EPL: City make it 17 in a row

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/epl-league-leaders-manchester-city-win-chasers-keep-chasing-25474" target="_blank">EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing</a>

With Manchester United having cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola&#39;s side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

US warns North Korean leadership will be 'utterly destroyed' if war breaks out The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range. Now, Assam's Brahmaputra river also turns black: Report After reports that the colour of the water of the river Siang in Arunachal Pradesh turned black, comes a report that the water downstream of the river Brahmaputra in Assam has changed to black as well. Trump attacks British PM May after she criticises his retweeting of anti-Islam videos Donald Trump hit back publicly at British Prime Minister Theresa May after she criticised his retweeting of anti-Islam videos. Bosnian-Croat war crimes convict dies after taking 'poison' in court: Report A Bosnian Croat wartime commander died after swallowing what he said was poison in a UN war crimes courtroom on Wednesday after losing an appeal against a 20-year prison sentence, Croatian state TV said. EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing With Manchester United having cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola's side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

WION morning news brief, November 30, 2017

Just when the chasing pack thought the Manchester City juggernaut was suffering a misfire Raheem Sterling scored a stunning stoppage-time winner to give the Premier League leaders a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Wednesday.

With Manchester United having cut the gap to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola&#39;s side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

Former Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu had cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne&#39;s opener in the 75th minute but six minutes into stoppage time Sterling, for the third match running, snatched City&#39;s winner, this time with a sublime curling shot.

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Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Rudiger&#39;s first Premier League goal sealed victory.

&quot;I have apologised because I did the wrong thing,&quot; Conte said of his angry reaction to a fourth official when his side were denied a corner in the first half.

&quot;I have been in to see them after the game. It&#39;s right to speak and apologise with them.&quot;

Arsenal struck three goals in four second-half minutes as they thrashed Huddersfield Town 5-0 with Mesut Ozil scoring one and supplying assists for Olivier Giroud, who scored a brace, and Alexis Sanchez.

Alexandre Lacazette&#39;s early goal had separated the sides before the interval although the French striker went off with a suspected groin injury and will probably miss Saturday&#39;s home clash against Manchester United. Arsenal have won 12 consecutive home matches.

Liverpool moved into fifth place with Mohamed Salah taking his tally for the season to a chart-topping 12 thanks to a double in a 3-0 victory at Stoke City.

After 14 games City have 40 points, with United on 32, Chelsea 29, Arsenal 28 and Liverpool 26.

Heady sixth

Burnley rose to a heady sixth, ahead of a sliding Tottenham Hotspur, as Chris Wood and Robbie Brady scored in a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth - their fourth win in five league games.

&quot;Where we are in the league, everyone will be surprised by that,&quot; Burnley boss Sean Dyche said.

Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick, the third with a wonder goal from inside his own half, as Everton thrashed West Ham United 4-0 on a horrible return to Goodison Park for David Moyes whose West Ham side remained in the bottom three.

Sam Allardyce, who will be named shortly as Everton&#39;s new manager, watched on from the stands as caretaker boss David Unsworth signed off with a victory that lifted Everton to 13th.

Whatever happens below them, City are looking unstoppable and with 40 points from 14 games and a goal difference of 35 they have recorded the best start in Premier League history.

They were not at their fluent best and Southampton came closest to scoring before the break with Wesley Hoedt striking the woodwork for the visitors.

But Sterling&#39;s effort sparked wild celebrations at the Etihad as the former Liverpool player struck yet another late goal to take his tally for the season to 13.

He has now earned City nine extra points this season with his timely interventions and his latest effort was arguably his best, picking out the top corner with an unstoppable effort.

&quot;Raheem is a match-winner, I am so happy for him. He is special, it was an amazing goal. It is more than important, it is beautiful,&quot; Guardiola, whose side have dropped only two points this season, said.

City are now two wins away from matching Arsenal&#39;s record 14-match winning run in the Premier League.

City beat Southampton 2-1. This was City's 12th successive league victory

Just when the chasing pack thought the Manchester City juggernaut was suffering a misfire Raheem Sterling scored a stunning stoppage-time winner to give the Premier League leaders a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Wednesday. With Manchester United having cut the gap to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola's side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory. Former Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu had cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne's opener in the 75th minute but six minutes into stoppage time Sterling, for the third match running, snatched City's winner, this time with a sublime curling shot. Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City × Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Rudiger's first Premier League goal sealed victory. "I have apologised because I did the wrong thing," Conte said of his angry reaction to a fourth official when his side were denied a corner in the first half. "I have been in to see them after the game. It's right to speak and apologise with them." Arsenal struck three goals in four second-half minutes as they thrashed Huddersfield Town 5-0 with Mesut Ozil scoring one and supplying assists for Olivier Giroud, who scored a brace, and Alexis Sanchez. Alexandre Lacazette's early goal had separated the sides before the interval although the French striker went off with a suspected groin injury and will probably miss Saturday's home clash against Manchester United. Arsenal have won 12 consecutive home matches. Liverpool moved into fifth place with Mohamed Salah taking his tally for the season to a chart-topping 12 thanks to a double in a 3-0 victory at Stoke City. After 14 games City have 40 points, with United on 32, Chelsea 29, Arsenal 28 and Liverpool 26. Heady sixth Burnley rose to a heady sixth, ahead of a sliding Tottenham Hotspur, as Chris Wood and Robbie Brady scored in a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth - their fourth win in five league games. "Where we are in the league, everyone will be surprised by that," Burnley boss Sean Dyche said. Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick, the third with a wonder goal from inside his own half, as Everton thrashed West Ham United 4-0 on a horrible return to Goodison Park for David Moyes whose West Ham side remained in the bottom three. Sam Allardyce, who will be named shortly as Everton's new manager, watched on from the stands as caretaker boss David Unsworth signed off with a victory that lifted Everton to 13th. Whatever happens below them, City are looking unstoppable and with 40 points from 14 games and a goal difference of 35 they have recorded the best start in Premier League history. They were not at their fluent best and Southampton came closest to scoring before the break with Wesley Hoedt striking the woodwork for the visitors. But Sterling's effort sparked wild celebrations at the Etihad as the former Liverpool player struck yet another late goal to take his tally for the season to 13. He has now earned City nine extra points this season with his timely interventions and his latest effort was arguably his best, picking out the top corner with an unstoppable effort. "Raheem is a match-winner, I am so happy for him. He is special, it was an amazing goal. It is more than important, it is beautiful," Guardiola, whose side have dropped only two points this season, said. City are now two wins away from matching Arsenal's record 14-match winning run in the Premier League.

EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing

Manchester United sent a timely message to leaders Manchester City as they won 4-2 at Watford but Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s Premier League challenge is fading fast after they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Leicester City on Tuesday.

Ashley Young was on target for the first time in 18 months as he scored twice for second-placed United who led 3-0 at the break before Watford produced a late fightback.

United&#39;s win moves them to 32 points and they are within five points of leaders City who host Southampton on Wednesday.

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Leicester&#39;s Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez turned the clock back two years as they both scored in a first-half display reminiscent of when the Foxes won the title in 2015-16.

Harry Kane replied for Tottenham after the break but the visitors could not prevent a third defeat in five league games which left them in fifth place -- 13 points off top spot.

West Bromwich Albion&#39;s caretaker manager Gary Megson looked set for a morale-boosting victory as his side led Newcastle United 2-0 with goals from Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Field.

But Newcastle rallied to avoid a fifth straight league defeat with Ciaran Clark halving the deficit and an own goal by West Brom&#39;s Jonny Evans frustrating the hosts who are expected to name a successor to sacked Tony Pulis this week.

The BBC reported after Tuesday&#39;s match that former Newcastle and Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew, 56, was set to be appointed as the new West Brom manager as early as Wednesday.

Basement club Palace drew 0-0 at Brighton &amp; Hove Albion to move level on nine points with second-bottom Swansea City.

Likely challengers

Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City look unstoppable but neighbours United are emerging as their most likely challengers with a derby looming next month.

United have been hamstrung by their poor away form, losing their last two on the road in the league, but they found a cure for travel sickness at a freezing Vicarage Road where manager Jose Mourinho said they could have scored seven or eight goals.

As it was they were hanging on towards the end after Tory Deeney&#39;s converted a 77th minute penalty and Abdoulaye Doucoure stabbed home to make it 3-2 with six minutes left before Jesse Lingard&#39;s superb solo goal sealed the win.

&quot;The second half should have been five or six nil, it was easier to score than the first,&quot; Mourinho said.

&quot;We missed chances. Out of nothing, they got a penalty for 3-1, then it was a different game. We should be smoking cigars but then we&#39;re in trouble.

&quot;It&#39;s important we have three wins in a row, nine points in three matches is good.&quot;

Former Watford winger Young had put United ahead after 19 minutes with a powerful near-post effort, celebrating by cupping his ear to the home faithful who responded with boos.

He topped that with a superb free kick that gave goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes no chance six minutes later.

Anthony Martial made it 3-0 in the 32nd but home substitute Deeney&#39;s spot kick breathed new life into the hosts who began the night seeking a third straight league win of their own.

Needless to say their manager Marco Silva was not inclined to agree with fellow Portuguese Mourinho&#39;s verdict that United could have won by a much larger margin.

&quot;The result is hard to take for us, we didn&#39;t deserve this result,&quot; he said.

United beat Watford 4-2, Tottenham lost 1-2 to Leicester City

Manchester United sent a timely message to leaders Manchester City as they won 4-2 at Watford but Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League challenge is fading fast after they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Leicester City on Tuesday. Ashley Young was on target for the first time in 18 months as he scored twice for second-placed United who led 3-0 at the break before Watford produced a late fightback. United's win moves them to 32 points and they are within five points of leaders City who host Southampton on Wednesday. United's win moves them to 32 points and they are within five points of leaders City who host Southampton on Wednesday × Leicester's Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez turned the clock back two years as they both scored in a first-half display reminiscent of when the Foxes won the title in 2015-16. Harry Kane replied for Tottenham after the break but the visitors could not prevent a third defeat in five league games which left them in fifth place -- 13 points off top spot. West Bromwich Albion's caretaker manager Gary Megson looked set for a morale-boosting victory as his side led Newcastle United 2-0 with goals from Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Field. But Newcastle rallied to avoid a fifth straight league defeat with Ciaran Clark halving the deficit and an own goal by West Brom's Jonny Evans frustrating the hosts who are expected to name a successor to sacked Tony Pulis this week. The BBC reported after Tuesday's match that former Newcastle and Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew, 56, was set to be appointed as the new West Brom manager as early as Wednesday. Basement club Palace drew 0-0 at Brighton & Hove Albion to move level on nine points with second-bottom Swansea City. Likely challengers Pep Guardiola's Manchester City look unstoppable but neighbours United are emerging as their most likely challengers with a derby looming next month. United have been hamstrung by their poor away form, losing their last two on the road in the league, but they found a cure for travel sickness at a freezing Vicarage Road where manager Jose Mourinho said they could have scored seven or eight goals. As it was they were hanging on towards the end after Tory Deeney's converted a 77th minute penalty and Abdoulaye Doucoure stabbed home to make it 3-2 with six minutes left before Jesse Lingard's superb solo goal sealed the win. "The second half should have been five or six nil, it was easier to score than the first," Mourinho said. "We missed chances. Out of nothing, they got a penalty for 3-1, then it was a different game. We should be smoking cigars but then we're in trouble. "It's important we have three wins in a row, nine points in three matches is good." Former Watford winger Young had put United ahead after 19 minutes with a powerful near-post effort, celebrating by cupping his ear to the home faithful who responded with boos. He topped that with a superb free kick that gave goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes no chance six minutes later. Anthony Martial made it 3-0 in the 32nd but home substitute Deeney's spot kick breathed new life into the hosts who began the night seeking a third straight league win of their own. Needless to say their manager Marco Silva was not inclined to agree with fellow Portuguese Mourinho's verdict that United could have won by a much larger margin. "The result is hard to take for us, we didn't deserve this result," he said.

EPL: Man United stay in touch, Tottenham stumble again

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insisted his side&#39;s Premier League title ambitions were still intact despite a 1-0 loss away to former club Chelsea on Sunday.

Alvaro Morata&#39;s 55th-minute goal at Stamford Bridge was enough to give reigning champions Chelsea victory and leave United eight points behind in-form leaders Manchester City. &nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/epl-wenger-says-difficult-to-see-anyone-stopping-city-23555" target="_blank">Also read: Wenger says &#39;difficult&#39; to see anyone stopping City</a>

&quot;We are second -- not fifth, sixth or seventh or eight,&quot; Mourinho told Sky Sports after his third straight loss at Stamford Bridge since he became United manager.

&quot;We have several teams in a more difficult position than we have. Eight points is eight points.

&quot;We went through a very difficult phase with important matches against Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea without important players.&quot;

The Portuguese manager added: &quot;The game was controlled by us and the game was controlled by them. We had chances and they had chances and with the first goal they were able to bring more people to defend.&nbsp;

&quot;We tried to change the direction of our game, we created chances to equalise but we couldn&#39;t.

&quot;We had chances. If I remember (Romelu) Lukaku shot in the first half and in the last part of the game with the (Marcus) Rashford shot...We had lots of chances to score goals,&quot; Mourinho said.

Victory saw Chelsea move to within nine points of top spot and eased the pressure on the London club&#39;s Italian manager Antonio Conte following a 3-0 loss away to Roma in the Champions League earlier this week.

&quot;It&rsquo;s an important victory,&quot; said Conte. &quot;When you play against Manchester United it&rsquo;s always a massive game. This type of win is important for our confidence. We showed great desire and passion to win this kind of game.

&ldquo;We can win or lose but our spirit must be this. Last season our spirit was in every game -&ndash; we started this season with a lot of problems. We were up and down. This game showed if we want we can.&quot;

Chelsea defender David Luiz was not even on the bench for this match and Conte was coy when asked if the Brazilian, in his second stint with the Blues, still had future with the west London club. &nbsp;

&quot;I don&rsquo;t know,&quot; Conte replied. &quot;He has to work really hard otherwise they are on the bench or in the stand.&rdquo;

Meanwhile Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who said the Blues might have won by an even bigger margin, was proud of the team&#39;s resilience.

&quot;It is fantastic to defend well but this is a team full of fantastic players and we need to take advantage of that,&quot; he said. &quot;We played like a big team, defended like a big team and we have to be proud.&quot;

United are eight points behind league leaders Manchester City

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insisted his side's Premier League title ambitions were still intact despite a 1-0 loss away to former club Chelsea on Sunday. Alvaro Morata's 55th-minute goal at Stamford Bridge was enough to give reigning champions Chelsea victory and leave United eight points behind in-form leaders Manchester City. Also read: Wenger says 'difficult' to see anyone stopping City "We are second -- not fifth, sixth or seventh or eight," Mourinho told Sky Sports after his third straight loss at Stamford Bridge since he became United manager. "We have several teams in a more difficult position than we have. Eight points is eight points. "We went through a very difficult phase with important matches against Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea without important players." The Portuguese manager added: "The game was controlled by us and the game was controlled by them. We had chances and they had chances and with the first goal they were able to bring more people to defend. "We tried to change the direction of our game, we created chances to equalise but we couldn't. "We had chances. If I remember (Romelu) Lukaku shot in the first half and in the last part of the game with the (Marcus) Rashford shot...We had lots of chances to score goals," Mourinho said. Victory saw Chelsea move to within nine points of top spot and eased the pressure on the London club's Italian manager Antonio Conte following a 3-0 loss away to Roma in the Champions League earlier this week. "It’s an important victory," said Conte. "When you play against Manchester United it’s always a massive game. This type of win is important for our confidence. We showed great desire and passion to win this kind of game. “We can win or lose but our spirit must be this. Last season our spirit was in every game -– we started this season with a lot of problems. We were up and down. This game showed if we want we can." Chelsea defender David Luiz was not even on the bench for this match and Conte was coy when asked if the Brazilian, in his second stint with the Blues, still had future with the west London club. "I don’t know," Conte replied. "He has to work really hard otherwise they are on the bench or in the stand.” Meanwhile Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who said the Blues might have won by an even bigger margin, was proud of the team's resilience. "It is fantastic to defend well but this is a team full of fantastic players and we need to take advantage of that," he said. "We played like a big team, defended like a big team and we have to be proud."

EPL: ManU lose to Chelsea, Mourinho says title ambitions intact

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

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

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

Manchester City stay ahead of United with win over champions Chelsea

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

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

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

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

In a forward-thinking move, the ruling body of English football, the Football Association (FA), has <a href="http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39962886">introduced</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/18/football-association-introduce-retrospective-bans-diving-feigning-injury-next-season">bans</a> for players who simulate getting fouled or hurt in order to gain an advantage.

If a player is seen to have deceived a referee into giving a penalty or getting another player sent off, the footage of the incident will be reviewed on Mondays by a <a href="http://www.thefa.com/news/2017/may/18/fa-to-punish-simulation-retrospectively-180517">three-member panel</a> consisting of an ex-player, an ex-manager or an ex-referee. If, in the view of the panel, the player has indeed deceived a referee, the player will get a two-match ban.

Now if such deception happens during a game, and the referee cottons on to what a player is trying to do, he can penalise a player with a yellow card for &#39;unsportsmanlike&#39; conduct.

Instead of just giving a retrospective yellow card for such action, the English FA&#39;s contention is that by giving a more severe punishment such as this two-match ban, it would act as a deterrent.

Now it could be argued that football is played so instinctually and at such a breakneck pace, that a knowledge of such rules would hardly be on people&#39;s minds and affect their decisions during the game.

But more than that, the problem with anything given retrospectively is that the punishments are given after the match is over, long after the player has affected the course of the game and potentially changed what the result would be.

For example, take one of the most historic dives in world football, the dive by German football legend Jurgen Klinsmann in the final of the 1990 World Cup. Here&#39;s a video of the dive:

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LaPZnPzmNPA?ecver=1" width="560"></iframe>

As Argentinian player Pedro Monzon sticks a leg out, Klinsmann soars over it long before Monzon even gets a chance to touch him. The referee gets fooled and sends Monzon off, the first player to be sent off in World Cup final, and Argentina is reduced to 10 men. West Germany eventually won&nbsp;the final 1-0.

Now imagine a scenario where retrospective action for simulation was a part of international football law in 1990. A retrospective ban wouldn&#39;t even begin to make up for the fact that Klinsmann&#39;s dive cost Argentina the World Cup. There is nothing fair and proportionate about this punishment.

If a punishment has to be given, it has to be given during the game, not after it, and for that you have to introduce video replays.

In football, TV viewers around the world can see,&nbsp;immediately after the incident, slow-motion replays of how&nbsp;a player has dived or faked getting hurt. But the lawmakers in football have contrived to keep this away from the people who need it the most, the referees.

One of the arguments against video replays is that it disrupts the flow of the game.&nbsp;But I think taking an extra minute is a small price to play football the way it deserves to be, justly and fairly.

The issue with the retrospective ban for diving is that it penalises players after the game, but the result stays the same

In a forward-thinking move, the ruling body of English football, the Football Association (FA), has introduced bans for players who simulate getting fouled or hurt in order to gain an advantage. If a player is seen to have deceived a referee into giving a penalty or getting another player sent off, the footage of the incident will be reviewed on Mondays by a three-member panel consisting of an ex-player, an ex-manager or an ex-referee. If, in the view of the panel, the player has indeed deceived a referee, the player will get a two-match ban. Now if such deception happens during a game, and the referee cottons on to what a player is trying to do, he can penalise a player with a yellow card for 'unsportsmanlike' conduct. Instead of just giving a retrospective yellow card for such action, the English FA's contention is that by giving a more severe punishment such as this two-match ban, it would act as a deterrent. Now it could be argued that football is played so instinctually and at such a breakneck pace, that a knowledge of such rules would hardly be on people's minds and affect their decisions during the game. But more than that, the problem with anything given retrospectively is that the punishments are given after the match is over, long after the player has affected the course of the game and potentially changed what the result would be. For example, take one of the most historic dives in world football, the dive by German football legend Jurgen Klinsmann in the final of the 1990 World Cup. Here's a video of the dive: As Argentinian player Pedro Monzon sticks a leg out, Klinsmann soars over it long before Monzon even gets a chance to touch him. The referee gets fooled and sends Monzon off, the first player to be sent off in World Cup final, and Argentina is reduced to 10 men. West Germany eventually won the final 1-0. Now imagine a scenario where retrospective action for simulation was a part of international football law in 1990. A retrospective ban wouldn't even begin to make up for the fact that Klinsmann's dive cost Argentina the World Cup. There is nothing fair and proportionate about this punishment. If a punishment has to be given, it has to be given during the game, not after it, and for that you have to introduce video replays. In football, TV viewers around the world can see, immediately after the incident, slow-motion replays of how a player has dived or faked getting hurt. But the lawmakers in football have contrived to keep this away from the people who need it the most, the referees. One of the arguments against video replays is that it disrupts the flow of the game. But I think taking an extra minute is a small price to play football the way it deserves to be, justly and fairly.

Football: Retrospective ban on diving good move, but not enough

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said his side were &quot;another little step&quot; from the Premier League title after they crushed Middlesbrough 3-0 to move to within touching distance of glory.

Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s surprise defeat at West Ham United last week handed Chelsea the initiative and they can now seal a second title triumph in three years if they win at West Bromwich Albion on Friday.

&quot;We&#39;re very close. We must be honest. But we need to do another little step and win another game,&quot; Conte told reporters after Monday&#39;s match, which condemned Middlesbrough to relegation.

&quot;For sure now I&#39;m a bit relaxed. This step was big for us, a big win.

&quot;Now we need to do another step. We have the possibility to do this on Friday against West Brom.

&quot;For sure it won&#39;t be easy, because West Brom is a really good team, a physical team, and we must pay great attention.

&quot;We are very close, but we need another step to become champions of the Premier League, which would be a fantastic achievement for us.&quot;

While victory at West Brom will deliver the title, Chelsea also have home games against Watford and Sunderland in which to snare the three points they need to make it across the finish line.

Cesc Fabregas was Chelsea&#39;s match-winner, inventively creating goals for Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic either side of half-time at a festive Stamford Bridge.

Marcos Alonso also found the net in the first half.

Fabregas began the season on the bench after new signing N&#39;Golo Kante took his place, but he has played an increasingly prominent role in recent weeks.

&quot;Cesc is one of the best examples of our season,&quot; Conte said.

&quot;Because in this season, Cesc at the start didn&#39;t play a lot. And then through hard work, he improved a lot. And then he&#39;s playing in every game.

&quot;This development of Cesc is our development, because we started the season with a lot of problems. But through hard work, together we found the right way.

&quot;Cesc is showing (himself) to be a fantastic player and I&#39;m pleased for him. Because I saw in this season that he put himself in this team in every moment, if he played or didn&#39;t play. Now he&#39;s deserving this.&quot;

Boro &#39;devastated&#39; 
Needing victory to stand a realistic chance of preserving their top-flight status, Boro succumbed to a defeat that sent them into the Championship alongside northeast rivals Sunderland.

Conte made a point of saluting Boro&#39;s travelling fans after the game.

&quot;It&#39;s great to see a team that got relegated and to see the fans clapping the players and the players staying there to receive the applause and to clap the fans,&quot; said the Italian.

&quot;It&#39;s important to celebrate your win, but also to have great respect and clap this type of situation.

&quot;Because I think this situation happens only in England. In Italy it&#39;s very, very difficult to see a team getting relegated and the players receive (applause).&quot;

Boro manager Steve Agnew said his dressing room was &quot;devastated&quot;.

&quot;We&#39;ve worked so hard for a number of years to get back into the Premier League and we know how tough the Premier League is,&quot; he said. &quot;Obviously we&#39;ve come up short.&quot;

Agnew, who took over in a caretaker capacity after Aitor Karanka was sacked in March, would not be drawn on whether he would like the role on a permanent basis.

&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s about my situation. It&#39;s about the football club,&quot; he said.

&quot;We all know it&#39;s a Premier League football club in terms of everything about it &ndash;- the supporters, the stadium, the training ground. The infrastructure is all there.

&quot;So we have to finish the season strong. We have two games to go. We need to gain more points.

&quot;And then everything moving forward will be towards getting Middlesbrough Football Club back into the Premier League as soon as possible.&quot;

(AFP)

Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 3-0 Monday to move to within touching distance of glory

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said his side were "another little step" from the Premier League title after they crushed Middlesbrough 3-0 to move to within touching distance of glory. Tottenham Hotspur's surprise defeat at West Ham United last week handed Chelsea the initiative and they can now seal a second title triumph in three years if they win at West Bromwich Albion on Friday. "We're very close. We must be honest. But we need to do another little step and win another game," Conte told reporters after Monday's match, which condemned Middlesbrough to relegation. "For sure now I'm a bit relaxed. This step was big for us, a big win. "Now we need to do another step. We have the possibility to do this on Friday against West Brom. "For sure it won't be easy, because West Brom is a really good team, a physical team, and we must pay great attention. "We are very close, but we need another step to become champions of the Premier League, which would be a fantastic achievement for us." While victory at West Brom will deliver the title, Chelsea also have home games against Watford and Sunderland in which to snare the three points they need to make it across the finish line. Cesc Fabregas was Chelsea's match-winner, inventively creating goals for Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic either side of half-time at a festive Stamford Bridge. Marcos Alonso also found the net in the first half. Fabregas began the season on the bench after new signing N'Golo Kante took his place, but he has played an increasingly prominent role in recent weeks. "Cesc is one of the best examples of our season," Conte said. "Because in this season, Cesc at the start didn't play a lot. And then through hard work, he improved a lot. And then he's playing in every game. "This development of Cesc is our development, because we started the season with a lot of problems. But through hard work, together we found the right way. "Cesc is showing (himself) to be a fantastic player and I'm pleased for him. Because I saw in this season that he put himself in this team in every moment, if he played or didn't play. Now he's deserving this." Boro 'devastated' Needing victory to stand a realistic chance of preserving their top-flight status, Boro succumbed to a defeat that sent them into the Championship alongside northeast rivals Sunderland. Conte made a point of saluting Boro's travelling fans after the game. "It's great to see a team that got relegated and to see the fans clapping the players and the players staying there to receive the applause and to clap the fans," said the Italian. "It's important to celebrate your win, but also to have great respect and clap this type of situation. "Because I think this situation happens only in England. In Italy it's very, very difficult to see a team getting relegated and the players receive (applause)." Boro manager Steve Agnew said his dressing room was "devastated". "We've worked so hard for a number of years to get back into the Premier League and we know how tough the Premier League is," he said. "Obviously we've come up short." Agnew, who took over in a caretaker capacity after Aitor Karanka was sacked in March, would not be drawn on whether he would like the role on a permanent basis. "I don't think it's about my situation. It's about the football club," he said. "We all know it's a Premier League football club in terms of everything about it –- the supporters, the stadium, the training ground. The infrastructure is all there. "So we have to finish the season strong. We have two games to go. We need to gain more points. "And then everything moving forward will be towards getting Middlesbrough Football Club back into the Premier League as soon as possible." (AFP)

Chelsea one 'little step' from Premier League title: Conte

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tottenham, Man City keep up chase of Chelsea

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

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

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

Tottenham hit back to deny Manchester City 3 points

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

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

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

EPL: Mourinho, Moyes charged with misconduct by FA

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

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

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

Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League on goal difference after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Southampton at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola&#39;s side, which&nbsp;began the season with 10 straight victories, have now gone five games without a win in all competitions, equalling the Spaniard&#39;s worst run as a manager when he was at Barcelona.

&quot;You can win 10 times and then you are not able to win five times,&quot; said Guardiola. &quot;I have to discover the reason why and I am going to find that.

&quot;We had problems creating our build-up. There is a difference between the first and second half. Unfortunately, we could not win.&quot;

It could have been even worse for City after they gifted Southampton the lead when a wayward pass from John Stones put Nathan Redmond in on goal after 27 minutes.

Moments later Stones thought he had atoned by bundling the ball into the net but his goal was disallowed for a Sergio Aguero offside.

Guardiola reacted to the poor first half by replacing Kevin De Bruyne with Kelechi Iheanacho, who made an immediate impact by scoring from close range after Fernandinho found Leroy Sane with an exquisite crossfield pass.

Saints remained a threat on the break and Claudio Bravo saved well from Charlie Austin on 74 minutes while Aguero went close at the other end, where Raheem Sterling was a constant threat as City pushed for the elusive winner.

(Reuters)

Pep Guardiola's side, which?began the season with 10 straight victories, have now gone five games without a win in all competitions

Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League on goal difference after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Southampton at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Pep Guardiola's side, which began the season with 10 straight victories, have now gone five games without a win in all competitions, equalling the Spaniard's worst run as a manager when he was at Barcelona. "You can win 10 times and then you are not able to win five times," said Guardiola. "I have to discover the reason why and I am going to find that. "We had problems creating our build-up. There is a difference between the first and second half. Unfortunately, we could not win." It could have been even worse for City after they gifted Southampton the lead when a wayward pass from John Stones put Nathan Redmond in on goal after 27 minutes. Moments later Stones thought he had atoned by bundling the ball into the net but his goal was disallowed for a Sergio Aguero offside. Guardiola reacted to the poor first half by replacing Kevin De Bruyne with Kelechi Iheanacho, who made an immediate impact by scoring from close range after Fernandinho found Leroy Sane with an exquisite crossfield pass. Saints remained a threat on the break and Claudio Bravo saved well from Charlie Austin on 74 minutes while Aguero went close at the other end, where Raheem Sterling was a constant threat as City pushed for the elusive winner. (Reuters)

EPL: Manchester City draw 1-1 with Southampton, go top of league

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

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

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

United make 'improved offer' for Dortmund's Mkhitaryan

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

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

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

Wanyama rejoins old boss Pochettino at Spurs

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