Premier League leaders Manchester City brushed aside Leicester City 2-0 for their 16th successive win in all competitions as Manchester United welcomed back long-term absentees Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a 4-1 rout of Newcastle United.

With Tottenham Hotspur losing ground after a 2-0 derby defeat at neighbours Arsenal, the league continues to look an argument between Manchester&#39;s big two who are separated by eight points.

A tap-in by Gabriel Jesus and a stunning strike from Kevin De Bruyne provided the City goals against a Leicester team who have often troubled them in the past.

The home side went close to equalising when Harry McGuire hit the post after the break, but City went straight up the other end and put the result beyond doubt with a stunning counter-attack that De Bruyne rounded off with an unstoppable 20-yard shot in the 49th minute.

The only concern for City manager Pep Guardiola was an injury to John Stones, who hobbled off before the break and may not play again this year.

&quot;We are going to miss (John Stones) for a long time, maybe six weeks off,&quot; said Guardiola after the game.

&quot;It is tough because the calendar is so demanding. We don&#39;t have many central defenders and they will suffer but we will find a solution.&quot;

The successful return of Vincent Kompany from injury will provide compensation although the Belgian was fortunate to escape with a booking for a foul on Jamie Vardy in the third minute.

United&#39;s Pogba and Ibrahimovic were also back in action at Old Trafford. The Frenchman contributed an assist and scored United&#39;s third in an impressive 70-minute appearance before Ibrahimovic made an unexpected return from the bench after seven months out with a knee injury.

&quot;It&#39;s my head that is playing; my knee just needs to follow,&quot; he said after his 15-minute cameo.

Anthony Martial, Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku scored the other goals as United hit four in the league for the seventh time this season after Dwight Gayle had given Newcastle the lead.

At Arsenal, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said he was &quot;disappointed in the performance and the way we conceded the goals&quot; after the derby defeat scuppered suggestions of a permanent shift in the north London balance of power.

Arsenal went ahead through a controversial goal from Shkodran Mustafi, which Pochettino thought should not have stood.

&quot;The goal was offside. But we lose,&quot; he said. &quot;I&#39;m not blaming the referee. It&#39;s a strange situation. It changed the dynamic of the game. We need to accept that. We can&#39;t control that.&quot;

At Anfield, Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool beat Southampton 3-0 to record three consecutive Premier League wins for the first time in 2017.

The Egyptian&#39;s brace on 31 and 41 minutes made it 14 goals in 18 games for Liverpool with Philippe Coutinho rounding off the afternoon with their third to put them one point off the Champions League places.

Chelsea had an equally untroubled afternoon after beating West Bromwich Albion 4-0, a result that piled more pressure on Baggies manager Tony Pulis whose side are without a win in 11 games.

&quot;The defending was very poor,&quot; said Pulis after the defeat in which Eden Hazard scored twice. &quot;It leaves me in the position I was in before the game. The board of directors will decide what they have to do.&quot;

The Premier League&#39;s two worst defences, Crystal Palace and Everton, predictably leaked goals as honours were shared in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.

Palace were pegged back after twice taking the lead though James McCarthur and Wilfried Zaha although Christian Benteke should have sealed it with an easy chance for Roy Hodgson&#39;s side in the second half.

Callum Wilson scored a hat-trick to earn 10-man Bournemouth victory over Huddersfield Town.

&quot;We had to dig deep,&quot; said the striker, whose goals were his first since he fought back from serious injury.

Burnley continued their impressive start to the season with a 2-0 win over Swansea City. Jack Cork and Ashley Barnes scored the goals to leave seventh-placed Burnley level on points with Liverpool and Arsenal.

Anthony Martial, Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku scored the other goals as United hit four in the league for the seventh time this season after Dwight Gayle had given Newcastle the lead.

Premier League leaders Manchester City brushed aside Leicester City 2-0 for their 16th successive win in all competitions as Manchester United welcomed back long-term absentees Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a 4-1 rout of Newcastle United. With Tottenham Hotspur losing ground after a 2-0 derby defeat at neighbours Arsenal, the league continues to look an argument between Manchester's big two who are separated by eight points. A tap-in by Gabriel Jesus and a stunning strike from Kevin De Bruyne provided the City goals against a Leicester team who have often troubled them in the past. The home side went close to equalising when Harry McGuire hit the post after the break, but City went straight up the other end and put the result beyond doubt with a stunning counter-attack that De Bruyne rounded off with an unstoppable 20-yard shot in the 49th minute. The only concern for City manager Pep Guardiola was an injury to John Stones, who hobbled off before the break and may not play again this year. "We are going to miss (John Stones) for a long time, maybe six weeks off," said Guardiola after the game. "It is tough because the calendar is so demanding. We don't have many central defenders and they will suffer but we will find a solution." The successful return of Vincent Kompany from injury will provide compensation although the Belgian was fortunate to escape with a booking for a foul on Jamie Vardy in the third minute. United's Pogba and Ibrahimovic were also back in action at Old Trafford. The Frenchman contributed an assist and scored United's third in an impressive 70-minute appearance before Ibrahimovic made an unexpected return from the bench after seven months out with a knee injury. "It's my head that is playing; my knee just needs to follow," he said after his 15-minute cameo. Anthony Martial, Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku scored the other goals as United hit four in the league for the seventh time this season after Dwight Gayle had given Newcastle the lead. At Arsenal, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said he was "disappointed in the performance and the way we conceded the goals" after the derby defeat scuppered suggestions of a permanent shift in the north London balance of power. Arsenal went ahead through a controversial goal from Shkodran Mustafi, which Pochettino thought should not have stood. "The goal was offside. But we lose," he said. "I'm not blaming the referee. It's a strange situation. It changed the dynamic of the game. We need to accept that. We can't control that." At Anfield, Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool beat Southampton 3-0 to record three consecutive Premier League wins for the first time in 2017. The Egyptian's brace on 31 and 41 minutes made it 14 goals in 18 games for Liverpool with Philippe Coutinho rounding off the afternoon with their third to put them one point off the Champions League places. Chelsea had an equally untroubled afternoon after beating West Bromwich Albion 4-0, a result that piled more pressure on Baggies manager Tony Pulis whose side are without a win in 11 games. "The defending was very poor," said Pulis after the defeat in which Eden Hazard scored twice. "It leaves me in the position I was in before the game. The board of directors will decide what they have to do." The Premier League's two worst defences, Crystal Palace and Everton, predictably leaked goals as honours were shared in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park. Palace were pegged back after twice taking the lead though James McCarthur and Wilfried Zaha although Christian Benteke should have sealed it with an easy chance for Roy Hodgson's side in the second half. Callum Wilson scored a hat-trick to earn 10-man Bournemouth victory over Huddersfield Town. "We had to dig deep," said the striker, whose goals were his first since he fought back from serious injury. Burnley continued their impressive start to the season with a 2-0 win over Swansea City. Jack Cork and Ashley Barnes scored the goals to leave seventh-placed Burnley level on points with Liverpool and Arsenal.

Premier League: Manchester clubs win again as United stars return

Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his return from suspension with a 94th-minute penalty to earn Manchester United a 1-1 draw against Everton at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

A deliberate handball by Ashley Williams, who was sent off, allowed Ibrahimovic to cancel out Phil Jagielka&#39;s opener and extend United&#39;s unbeaten run in the Premier League to 20 matches.

But it remained an unwelcome result for Jose Mourinho&#39;s side, who have now drawn nine games at home this season and trail fourth-place Manchester City by four points.

Elsewhere, Leicester City&#39;s resurgence under Craig Shakespeare continued as they beat bottom club Sunderland 2-0 to record a sixth successive win since the dismissal of manager Claudio Ranieri.

Ibrahimovic&#39;s last-gasp spot-kick -- his 27th goal of the season -- meant United held on to fifth place, three points above Arsenal and Everton having played a game more than the former.

But the Europa League looks increasingly like their best hope of securing a return to the Champions League next season.

They face Belgian side Anderlecht in a two-legged quarter-final later this month, with the winners of the competition assured of a place at Europe&#39;s top table.

United manager Mourinho welcomed top scorer Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera back from suspension, while Paul Pogba returned to the bench following a hamstring injury.

His side fell behind in the 22nd minute when Williams flicked on Kevin Mirallas&#39;s right-wing corner and centre-back Jagielka held off Marcos Rojo to poke a volley between David de Gea&#39;s legs.

Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles, much criticised after his side&#39;s 3-1 derby loss at Liverpool, produced flying saves to repel a Daley Blind free-kick and a rasping Herrera drive.

Pogba came on at half-time and headed against a post from an Ashley Young free-kick, while Ibrahimovic had a 71st-minute header chalked off for a marginal offside.

But in the fourth minute of injury time, Williams was penalised for parrying a shot from substitute Luke Shaw -- brought in from the cold by Mourinho -- and Ibrahimovic dispatched the penalty.

Champions Leicester are now 10th, a healthy nine points above the bottom three, after sinking Sunderland to record a fifth league win in a row.

Substitute Islam Slimani opened the scoring with a 69th-minute header before Jamie Vardy smashed in his sixth goal in seven games from Marc Albrighton&#39;s pass.

Defeat completed a miserable few days for Sunderland manager David Moyes, who had to apologise after being caught on camera threatening to &quot;slap&quot; a female television reporter.

The result left Sunderland eight points from safety with eight games of the season remaining.

George Boyd struck as Burnley boosted their survival hopes by beating Stoke City 1-0, while goals from M&#39;Baye Niang and skipper Troy Deeney earned Watford a 2-0 home win over West Brom.

(AFP)

But the goal in the dying seconds was only sufficient to hand Manchester United their ninth home draw of the season

Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his return from suspension with a 94th-minute penalty to earn Manchester United a 1-1 draw against Everton at Old Trafford on Tuesday. A deliberate handball by Ashley Williams, who was sent off, allowed Ibrahimovic to cancel out Phil Jagielka's opener and extend United's unbeaten run in the Premier League to 20 matches. But it remained an unwelcome result for Jose Mourinho's side, who have now drawn nine games at home this season and trail fourth-place Manchester City by four points. Elsewhere, Leicester City's resurgence under Craig Shakespeare continued as they beat bottom club Sunderland 2-0 to record a sixth successive win since the dismissal of manager Claudio Ranieri. Ibrahimovic's last-gasp spot-kick -- his 27th goal of the season -- meant United held on to fifth place, three points above Arsenal and Everton having played a game more than the former. But the Europa League looks increasingly like their best hope of securing a return to the Champions League next season. They face Belgian side Anderlecht in a two-legged quarter-final later this month, with the winners of the competition assured of a place at Europe's top table. United manager Mourinho welcomed top scorer Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera back from suspension, while Paul Pogba returned to the bench following a hamstring injury. His side fell behind in the 22nd minute when Williams flicked on Kevin Mirallas's right-wing corner and centre-back Jagielka held off Marcos Rojo to poke a volley between David de Gea's legs. Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles, much criticised after his side's 3-1 derby loss at Liverpool, produced flying saves to repel a Daley Blind free-kick and a rasping Herrera drive. Pogba came on at half-time and headed against a post from an Ashley Young free-kick, while Ibrahimovic had a 71st-minute header chalked off for a marginal offside. But in the fourth minute of injury time, Williams was penalised for parrying a shot from substitute Luke Shaw -- brought in from the cold by Mourinho -- and Ibrahimovic dispatched the penalty. Champions Leicester are now 10th, a healthy nine points above the bottom three, after sinking Sunderland to record a fifth league win in a row. Substitute Islam Slimani opened the scoring with a 69th-minute header before Jamie Vardy smashed in his sixth goal in seven games from Marc Albrighton's pass. Defeat completed a miserable few days for Sunderland manager David Moyes, who had to apologise after being caught on camera threatening to "slap" a female television reporter. The result left Sunderland eight points from safety with eight games of the season remaining. George Boyd struck as Burnley boosted their survival hopes by beating Stoke City 1-0, while goals from M'Baye Niang and skipper Troy Deeney earned Watford a 2-0 home win over West Brom. (AFP)

Last-gasp Ibrahimovic penalty rescues Man United, Leicester surge on

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to face disciplinary action after appearing to elbow Bournemouth&#39;s Tyrone Mings during Saturday&#39;s fiery 1-1 draw in the Premier League.

Mings appeared to stamp on Ibrahimovic&#39;s head with his left foot as he jumped over him late in the first half and the Swedish striker seemed to elbow him in retaliation moments later.

Ibrahimovic, who also squandered a penalty, told BBC Sport: &quot;You have the TV, you can see the images. I jump up and jump high and he (Mings) jumps into my elbow. It is not my intention to hurt someone.&quot;

Elsewhere, champions Leicester City continued their smooth adaptation to life after Claudio Ranieri by winning 3-1 at home to fellow strugglers Hull City.

Marcos Rojo put United ahead in the 23rd minute at Old Trafford, but Joshua King levelled from the spot five minutes before half-time following a foul on Marc Pugh by Phil Jones.

Adam Smith&#39;s handball gave Ibrahimovic a chance to restore United&#39;s lead from the penalty spot, but his spot-kick was brilliantly palmed away by Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

Victory would have taken United into the Champions League places, but they remain sixth, a position they have occupied since November.

Jose Mourinho&#39;s side could lose ground in the race for Champions League qualification later on Saturday when fifth-place Liverpool welcome fourth-place Arsenal to Anfield.

Ibrahimovic was already on a booking when he tangled with Mings, but both players avoided punishment, raising the prospect of violent conduct charges from the Football Association.

The standard punishment for violent conduct in the Premier League is a three-game ban.

United captain Wayne Rooney felt Mings&#39;s stamp had been deliberate, saying: &quot;There&#39;s no place for it and I&#39;m sure there will be punishment for it after the game.&quot;

But Mings, whose side remain 14th, said the contact with Ibrahimovic had been accidental.

&quot;I would never do that. That&#39;s not in my game,&quot; Mings said. &quot;Hard and fair is how I like to tackle, but off-the-ball stuff like that isn&#39;t part of my game.&quot;

Boro into drop zone&nbsp;

Referee Kevin Friend also sent off Bournemouth&#39;s Andy Surman for two bookable offences, although he had to be reminded by United left-back Luke Shaw that the midfielder had already been booked.

United manager Mourinho said Friend had been &quot;very good&quot;.

&quot;Who can I blame?&quot; Mourinho said. &quot;Ourselves. Nobody else. We missed big chances.&quot;

Leicester&#39;s resurgence continued as they beat Hull 3-1 to pull five points clear of the relegation zone.

The champions beat Liverpool 3-1 last Monday in their first game since the sacking of popular manager Ranieri and caretaker coach Craig Shakespeare saw them record back-to-back wins for the first time since last April.

Sam Clucas gave Hull a 14th-minute lead, but Leicester stormed back to win through strikes from Christian Fuchs and Riyad Mahrez and a Tom Huddlestone own goal.

&quot;Results give players confidence,&quot; said Shakespeare. &quot;Back-to-back wins will give confidence for the last 11 games of the season.

&quot;Everyone looked at the game against Liverpool on Monday and to get the three points under pressure was important, but to back that up with another win was vitally important.&quot;

Hull are now four points from safety and they were joined in the bottom three by Middlesbrough, who fell to two Marko Arnautovic goals in a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City.

Swansea City also pulled five points clear of the bottom three after Fernando Llorente&#39;s 92nd-minute header gave Paul Clement&#39;s improving side a precious 3-2 win at home to Burnley.

Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend struck in the second half as Sam Allardyce&#39;s Crystal Palace moved three points clear of danger with a 2-0 success at West Bromwich Albion.

Meanwhile, Manolo Gabbiadini scored his sixth goal in four games as Southampton bounced back from last weekend&#39;s League Cup final loss to United by winning 4-3 in an entertaining game at Watford.

(AFP)

Manchester United's profligacy in front of goal denied them the opportunity to move back into the top four in months

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to face disciplinary action after appearing to elbow Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings during Saturday's fiery 1-1 draw in the Premier League. Mings appeared to stamp on Ibrahimovic's head with his left foot as he jumped over him late in the first half and the Swedish striker seemed to elbow him in retaliation moments later. Ibrahimovic, who also squandered a penalty, told BBC Sport: "You have the TV, you can see the images. I jump up and jump high and he (Mings) jumps into my elbow. It is not my intention to hurt someone." Elsewhere, champions Leicester City continued their smooth adaptation to life after Claudio Ranieri by winning 3-1 at home to fellow strugglers Hull City. Marcos Rojo put United ahead in the 23rd minute at Old Trafford, but Joshua King levelled from the spot five minutes before half-time following a foul on Marc Pugh by Phil Jones. Adam Smith's handball gave Ibrahimovic a chance to restore United's lead from the penalty spot, but his spot-kick was brilliantly palmed away by Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc. Victory would have taken United into the Champions League places, but they remain sixth, a position they have occupied since November. Jose Mourinho's side could lose ground in the race for Champions League qualification later on Saturday when fifth-place Liverpool welcome fourth-place Arsenal to Anfield. Ibrahimovic was already on a booking when he tangled with Mings, but both players avoided punishment, raising the prospect of violent conduct charges from the Football Association. The standard punishment for violent conduct in the Premier League is a three-game ban. United captain Wayne Rooney felt Mings's stamp had been deliberate, saying: "There's no place for it and I'm sure there will be punishment for it after the game." But Mings, whose side remain 14th, said the contact with Ibrahimovic had been accidental. "I would never do that. That's not in my game," Mings said. "Hard and fair is how I like to tackle, but off-the-ball stuff like that isn't part of my game." Boro into drop zone Referee Kevin Friend also sent off Bournemouth's Andy Surman for two bookable offences, although he had to be reminded by United left-back Luke Shaw that the midfielder had already been booked. United manager Mourinho said Friend had been "very good". "Who can I blame?" Mourinho said. "Ourselves. Nobody else. We missed big chances." Leicester's resurgence continued as they beat Hull 3-1 to pull five points clear of the relegation zone. The champions beat Liverpool 3-1 last Monday in their first game since the sacking of popular manager Ranieri and caretaker coach Craig Shakespeare saw them record back-to-back wins for the first time since last April. Sam Clucas gave Hull a 14th-minute lead, but Leicester stormed back to win through strikes from Christian Fuchs and Riyad Mahrez and a Tom Huddlestone own goal. "Results give players confidence," said Shakespeare. "Back-to-back wins will give confidence for the last 11 games of the season. "Everyone looked at the game against Liverpool on Monday and to get the three points under pressure was important, but to back that up with another win was vitally important." Hull are now four points from safety and they were joined in the bottom three by Middlesbrough, who fell to two Marko Arnautovic goals in a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City. Swansea City also pulled five points clear of the bottom three after Fernando Llorente's 92nd-minute header gave Paul Clement's improving side a precious 3-2 win at home to Burnley. Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend struck in the second half as Sam Allardyce's Crystal Palace moved three points clear of danger with a 2-0 success at West Bromwich Albion. Meanwhile, Manolo Gabbiadini scored his sixth goal in four games as Southampton bounced back from last weekend's League Cup final loss to United by winning 4-3 in an entertaining game at Watford. (AFP)

Manchester United held at home by Bournemouth, Leicester continue resurgence

Chelsea&#39;s processional march towards the Premier League title continued at Swansea City&#39;s expense on Saturday as last season&#39;s champions Leicester City dropped into the bottom three.

Antonio Conte&#39;s side were not firing on all cylinders against a resolute Swansea side managed by their former assistant manager Paul Clement but second-half goals by Pedro and Diego Costa made sure of a 3-1 victory.

They are now 11 points ahead of Manchester City who have 13 games left to play and while Italian Conte is too cagey to start proclaiming his side winners already, only a monumental loss of form can deny them the title.

Chelsea&#39;s victory made it mathematically impossible for Leicester to catch them as they are 42 points behind the leaders going into their home clash with Liverpool on Monday - their first fixture since the sacking of manager Claudio Ranieri.

Leicester will start that game third bottom after Crystal Palace&#39;s 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park on Saturday took them out of the relegation zone.

Patrick van Aanholt&#39;s 34th-minute goal was enough to take Palace to 17th place with 22 points, one ahead of Leicester and Hull City who drew 1-1 at home with Burnley.

Boro also have 22 points but are sliding towards the drop zone after nine league games without a win.

Bournemouth are another side being sucked into the relegation battle after a 2-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion despite taking a fourth-minute lead through Josh King&#39;s penalty. Craig Dawson and Gareth McAuley replied for West Brom who are clear in eighth place.

In-form Everton continue to harbour hopes of catching the top four and beat bottom club Sunderland 2-0 to move within six points of fourth-placed Arsenal.

Romelu Lukaku made the points safe for Everton with 10 minutes remaining, taking his tally for the season 17, level at the top of the scoring charts with Arsenal&#39;s Alexis Sanchez.

Sunderland&#39;s fourth defeat in six games left them on 19 points.

Watford host West Ham United in the day&#39;s late kickoff while on Sunday Tottenham Hotspur can trim Chelsea&#39;s lead by a point if they win at home to Stoke City.

(Reuters)

Antonio Conte is too cagey to start proclaiming his side winners already, but only a monumental loss of form can deny them the title

Chelsea's processional march towards the Premier League title continued at Swansea City's expense on Saturday as last season's champions Leicester City dropped into the bottom three. Antonio Conte's side were not firing on all cylinders against a resolute Swansea side managed by their former assistant manager Paul Clement but second-half goals by Pedro and Diego Costa made sure of a 3-1 victory. They are now 11 points ahead of Manchester City who have 13 games left to play and while Italian Conte is too cagey to start proclaiming his side winners already, only a monumental loss of form can deny them the title. Chelsea's victory made it mathematically impossible for Leicester to catch them as they are 42 points behind the leaders going into their home clash with Liverpool on Monday - their first fixture since the sacking of manager Claudio Ranieri. Leicester will start that game third bottom after Crystal Palace's 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park on Saturday took them out of the relegation zone. Patrick van Aanholt's 34th-minute goal was enough to take Palace to 17th place with 22 points, one ahead of Leicester and Hull City who drew 1-1 at home with Burnley. Boro also have 22 points but are sliding towards the drop zone after nine league games without a win. Bournemouth are another side being sucked into the relegation battle after a 2-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion despite taking a fourth-minute lead through Josh King's penalty. Craig Dawson and Gareth McAuley replied for West Brom who are clear in eighth place. In-form Everton continue to harbour hopes of catching the top four and beat bottom club Sunderland 2-0 to move within six points of fourth-placed Arsenal. Romelu Lukaku made the points safe for Everton with 10 minutes remaining, taking his tally for the season 17, level at the top of the scoring charts with Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez. Sunderland's fourth defeat in six games left them on 19 points. Watford host West Ham United in the day's late kickoff while on Sunday Tottenham Hotspur can trim Chelsea's lead by a point if they win at home to Stoke City. (Reuters)

Chelsea surge 11 points clear, Leicester drop into bottom three

Claudio Ranieri said his &quot;dream died&quot; when he was sacked by Leicester City nine months after leading them to the Premier League title against all the odds.

The Italian was fired on Thursday with Leicester one place and one point above the relegation zone.

&quot;Yesterday my dream died,&quot; Ranieri said in a statement on Friday. &quot;After the euphoria of last season and being crowned Premier League champions all I dreamt of was staying with Leicester; the club I love for always. Sadly this was not to be.&quot;

Ranieri&#39;s dismissal has been met with widespread shock.

&quot;The adventure was amazing and will live with me forever,&quot; the 65-year-old manager said.

&quot;My heartfelt thanks to everybody at the club, everybody who was part of what we achieved, but mostly to the supporters. You took me into your hearts from day one and loved me. I love you too.&quot;

Leicester started last season as 5,000-1 outsiders to win the English top-flight title for the first time in their history.

&quot;No-one can ever take away what we achieved together and I hope you think about it and smile every day the way I always will,&quot; Ranieri said.

&quot;It was a time of wonderfulness and happiness that I will never forget. It&#39;s been a pleasure and an honour to be a champion with all of you.&quot;

(Reuters)

The Italian was fired on Thursday with Leicester City one place and one point above the relegation zone

Claudio Ranieri said his "dream died" when he was sacked by Leicester City nine months after leading them to the Premier League title against all the odds. The Italian was fired on Thursday with Leicester one place and one point above the relegation zone. "Yesterday my dream died," Ranieri said in a statement on Friday. "After the euphoria of last season and being crowned Premier League champions all I dreamt of was staying with Leicester; the club I love for always. Sadly this was not to be." Ranieri's dismissal has been met with widespread shock. "The adventure was amazing and will live with me forever," the 65-year-old manager said. "My heartfelt thanks to everybody at the club, everybody who was part of what we achieved, but mostly to the supporters. You took me into your hearts from day one and loved me. I love you too." Leicester started last season as 5,000-1 outsiders to win the English top-flight title for the first time in their history. "No-one can ever take away what we achieved together and I hope you think about it and smile every day the way I always will," Ranieri said. "It was a time of wonderfulness and happiness that I will never forget. It's been a pleasure and an honour to be a champion with all of you." (Reuters)

My dream has died, says sacked Ranieri

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ronaldo wins FIFA's player of the year award

Leicester&nbsp;kept their Champions League dreams aflame Tuesday, cruising into the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Belgium&#39;s Club Brugge, where they were joined by Real Madrid -- but not a crestfallen Tottenham.

Joining the hopeful debutants and the holders on the night were Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco.

They join last year&#39;s runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who had already booked their tickets to the knockout phase with two group games to spare.

Leicester&#39;s success saw the Foxes advance as Group G winners in their maiden season in the event, giving a major fillip to Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side, who are just two points above the domestic drop zone.

&quot;We&#39;re on another journey. I don&#39;t know where, but we&#39;re excited!&quot; Ranieri said afterwards.

Referring to his side&#39;s poor league form the Italian added: &quot;Maybe we have been more concentrated in the Champions League. Now the group is won, (it is) important to come back in the Premier League.&quot; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Shinji Okazaki netted after just five minutes and a Riyad Mahrez penalty made it 2-0 before Jose Izquierdo notched a second-half consolation for Brugge.

&quot;We wanted to finish first in the group. It wasn&#39;t easy today but we did it,&quot; said Foxes&#39; Algerian star Mahrez.

The Colombian&#39;s strike was the first goal&nbsp;Leicester&nbsp;have conceded in the tournament to date.

As&nbsp;Leicester&nbsp;celebrated, Tottenham in contrast saw their adventure in Europe&#39;s top club competition come to a grinding halt after a 2-1 loss at Monaco, who won Group E in the process.&nbsp;

Spurs had a let off when their French keeper Hugo Lloris saved Radamel Falcao&#39;s early spotkick.

But quickfire goals from Djibril Sidibe and Thomas Lemar just after the break, sandwiching a Harry Kane penalty, did for the Londoners.&nbsp;

In the same group Bayer Leverkusen drew 1-1 at CSKA Moscow to take the Germans into the knockout stages following Spurs&#39; loss.

Kevin Volland put Leverkusen ahead after 16 minutes before Israeli international Bibras Natcho levelled.

Spurs will host CSKA in a final game whose outcome will decide who goes into the Europa League. In any case, &#39;home&#39; advantage at Wembley Stadium has hardly shone on Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side, given that they succumbed to defeats by Monaco and Leverkusen.

Kane said those games sank them.

&quot;I&#39;m gutted. We wanted to go far but it is something we will have to deal with.

&quot;We will look back and say it was the home games were we should&#39;ve been better,&quot; the striker told BT Sport.

Holders and 11-times winners Real Madrid joined 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund in qualifying from Group F after a 2-1 win at star man Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s former club Sporting Lisbon.

Raphael Varane gave the &#39;meringues&#39; the lead before Adrien Silva netted a spot-kick for the Portuguese only for substitute Karim Benzema to pop up with the winner for Real.

The Spaniards suffered a huge injury scare, however, just 11 days before facing Barcelona in La Liga as Welsh star Gareth Bale exited with an ankle injury shortly after half-time.

&quot;We knew it would be complicated, but we got the three points,&quot; said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, who won the 2002 title as a player for the Spanish giants and then as coach last May.

&quot;When you concede a goal you can think it will be tough but we continued to play and responded and finally had our reward with Karim&#39;s goal,&quot; Zidane told &nbsp;beIn Sports.

Record goalfest

Dortmund secured the group win with a game to play after swatting Poland&#39;s Legia Warsaw 8-4 -- a record goalfest for a Champions League encounter.

The Germans became one of an elite clique to notch five goals in a single Champions League half having led 5-2 at the interval.

Marco Reus scored a hat-trick and Japanese star Shinji Kagawa netted a brace as Dortmund ran riot.

Two-times champions Juventus are through after defeating previous Group H leaders Sevilla, Europa League champions for the past three seasons, 3-1 in Spain.

Claudio Marchisio with a penalty, Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzucic scored for the &#39;Old Lady&#39; of Turin after Nicolas Pareja had put Sevilla ahead early on. &nbsp;

Perennial challengers Barcelona and Manchester City were hoping to book their tickets Wednesday with wins over Celtic and Borussia Moenchengladbach respectively.

(AFP)

Leicester and Real Madrid join last year's runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern and Dortmund in the next round

Leicester kept their Champions League dreams aflame Tuesday, cruising into the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Belgium's Club Brugge, where they were joined by Real Madrid -- but not a crestfallen Tottenham. Joining the hopeful debutants and the holders on the night were Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco. They join last year's runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who had already booked their tickets to the knockout phase with two group games to spare. Leicester's success saw the Foxes advance as Group G winners in their maiden season in the event, giving a major fillip to Claudio Ranieri's side, who are just two points above the domestic drop zone. "We're on another journey. I don't know where, but we're excited!" Ranieri said afterwards. Referring to his side's poor league form the Italian added: "Maybe we have been more concentrated in the Champions League. Now the group is won, (it is) important to come back in the Premier League." Shinji Okazaki netted after just five minutes and a Riyad Mahrez penalty made it 2-0 before Jose Izquierdo notched a second-half consolation for Brugge. "We wanted to finish first in the group. It wasn't easy today but we did it," said Foxes' Algerian star Mahrez. The Colombian's strike was the first goal Leicester have conceded in the tournament to date. As Leicester celebrated, Tottenham in contrast saw their adventure in Europe's top club competition come to a grinding halt after a 2-1 loss at Monaco, who won Group E in the process. Spurs had a let off when their French keeper Hugo Lloris saved Radamel Falcao's early spotkick. But quickfire goals from Djibril Sidibe and Thomas Lemar just after the break, sandwiching a Harry Kane penalty, did for the Londoners. In the same group Bayer Leverkusen drew 1-1 at CSKA Moscow to take the Germans into the knockout stages following Spurs' loss. Kevin Volland put Leverkusen ahead after 16 minutes before Israeli international Bibras Natcho levelled. Spurs will host CSKA in a final game whose outcome will decide who goes into the Europa League. In any case, 'home' advantage at Wembley Stadium has hardly shone on Mauricio Pochettino's side, given that they succumbed to defeats by Monaco and Leverkusen. Kane said those games sank them. "I'm gutted. We wanted to go far but it is something we will have to deal with. "We will look back and say it was the home games were we should've been better," the striker told BT Sport. Holders and 11-times winners Real Madrid joined 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund in qualifying from Group F after a 2-1 win at star man Cristiano Ronaldo's former club Sporting Lisbon. Raphael Varane gave the 'meringues' the lead before Adrien Silva netted a spot-kick for the Portuguese only for substitute Karim Benzema to pop up with the winner for Real. The Spaniards suffered a huge injury scare, however, just 11 days before facing Barcelona in La Liga as Welsh star Gareth Bale exited with an ankle injury shortly after half-time. "We knew it would be complicated, but we got the three points," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, who won the 2002 title as a player for the Spanish giants and then as coach last May. "When you concede a goal you can think it will be tough but we continued to play and responded and finally had our reward with Karim's goal," Zidane told beIn Sports. Record goalfest Dortmund secured the group win with a game to play after swatting Poland's Legia Warsaw 8-4 -- a record goalfest for a Champions League encounter. The Germans became one of an elite clique to notch five goals in a single Champions League half having led 5-2 at the interval. Marco Reus scored a hat-trick and Japanese star Shinji Kagawa netted a brace as Dortmund ran riot. Two-times champions Juventus are through after defeating previous Group H leaders Sevilla, Europa League champions for the past three seasons, 3-1 in Spain. Claudio Marchisio with a penalty, Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzucic scored for the 'Old Lady' of Turin after Nicolas Pareja had put Sevilla ahead early on. Perennial challengers Barcelona and Manchester City were hoping to book their tickets Wednesday with wins over Celtic and Borussia Moenchengladbach respectively. (AFP)

Champions League round-up: Leicester continue fairytale run, Real through to last 16

Riyad Mahrez secured another Champions League victory for Leicester City on Tuesday while big boys Real Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund were also in winning form.

Leicester maintained a perfect record in Group G in their first foray in Europe&#39;s elite club competition by edging FC Copenhagen 1-0 at the King Power Stadium with Mahrez getting the only goal of the game.

Islam Slimani headed down a Jamie Vardy cross for Mahrez to score with a close-range volley with the outside of his left foot five minutes before half-time.

With Porto winning 2-1 away to Club Brugge in the group&#39;s other game, Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side now know a win away to Copenhagen in their next match on November 2 will secure a place in the last 16.

&quot;We&#39;re in a good position now,&quot; said Ranieri.

&quot;We knew it would be tough. Copenhagen tried until the end. It was difficult at the start, but the performance was good.&quot;

In Bruges, Jelle Vossen put the home side in front early on but Miguel Layun lashed in the equaliser midway through the second half and Andre Silva scored a stoppage-time winner from the penalty spot.

For Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas it was a 92nd win in the Champions League, allowing him to surpass Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez and establish a new record.

Leicester&#39;s Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur found themselves hanging on for a point as they claimed a 0-0 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany in Group E.

A Vincent Janssen header that came back off the bar was the closest Spurs came to scoring at the BayArena.

The home side piled on the pressure in the second half but Javier Hernandez was denied by a brilliant save on the line by Hugo Lloris and Stefan Kiessling missed a great chance late on.

&quot;We can be pleased with the point,&quot; said Lloris.

&quot;The game turned in the second half, Leverkusen pressed high and we struggled a bit. I think the draw is a good result for us.&quot;

Just three points separate all four teams in the section, but it is Monaco who are on top after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at CSKA Moscow.

Ivorian striker Lacina Traore, on loan from Monaco, scored against his parent club in the 34th minute but Bernardo Silva equalised for the visitors late on.

Trouble mars Madrid win

Reigning champions Real Madrid cruised to a 5-1 victory at home to Legia Warsaw in Group F after supporter violence marred the build-up to the game at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Five fans and two police officers were treated for minor injuries following clashes outside the stadium before kick-off.

When the game began, Vadis Odjidja struck the post for the visitors before Gareth Bale fired in the opener and a Marcelo shot went in off Tomasz Jodlowiec.

Miroslav Radovic pulled one back from the penalty spot but Marco Asensio made it 3-1 before the interval and substitutes Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Morata added further goals in the second half.

Zinedine Zidane&#39;s side are level on seven points at the top of the group with Borussia Dortmund, who were 2-1 winners over Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang burst through for an early opener and a superb Julian Weigl strike made it 2-0 but Dortmund were hanging on after Bruno Cesar reduced the deficit midway through the second half.

In Group H Juan Cuadrado came off the bench to score a late winner as 10-man Juventus beat Lyon 1-0 in France.

Gianluigi Buffon was in fine form for the Italian champions as he saved a first-half Alexandre Lacazette penalty, while Juve had Mario Lemina sent off early in the second period.

But Cuadrado netted the winner 14 minutes from the end as the hosts failed to make their man advantage count.

&quot;I should thank Mario Lemina for his sending-off because I thought we played better with a man less,&quot; said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri.

They are level at the top of the group with Sevilla, who were 1-0 winners away to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Samir Nasri netting the only goal.

(AFP)

Riyad Mahrez helped Leicester win their third straight game while Real Madrid romped to a 4-1 win over Legia Warsaw

Riyad Mahrez secured another Champions League victory for Leicester City on Tuesday while big boys Real Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund were also in winning form. Leicester maintained a perfect record in Group G in their first foray in Europe's elite club competition by edging FC Copenhagen 1-0 at the King Power Stadium with Mahrez getting the only goal of the game. Islam Slimani headed down a Jamie Vardy cross for Mahrez to score with a close-range volley with the outside of his left foot five minutes before half-time. With Porto winning 2-1 away to Club Brugge in the group's other game, Claudio Ranieri's side now know a win away to Copenhagen in their next match on November 2 will secure a place in the last 16. "We're in a good position now," said Ranieri. "We knew it would be tough. Copenhagen tried until the end. It was difficult at the start, but the performance was good." In Bruges, Jelle Vossen put the home side in front early on but Miguel Layun lashed in the equaliser midway through the second half and Andre Silva scored a stoppage-time winner from the penalty spot. For Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas it was a 92nd win in the Champions League, allowing him to surpass Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez and establish a new record. Leicester's Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur found themselves hanging on for a point as they claimed a 0-0 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany in Group E. A Vincent Janssen header that came back off the bar was the closest Spurs came to scoring at the BayArena. The home side piled on the pressure in the second half but Javier Hernandez was denied by a brilliant save on the line by Hugo Lloris and Stefan Kiessling missed a great chance late on. "We can be pleased with the point," said Lloris. "The game turned in the second half, Leverkusen pressed high and we struggled a bit. I think the draw is a good result for us." Just three points separate all four teams in the section, but it is Monaco who are on top after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at CSKA Moscow. Ivorian striker Lacina Traore, on loan from Monaco, scored against his parent club in the 34th minute but Bernardo Silva equalised for the visitors late on. Trouble mars Madrid win Reigning champions Real Madrid cruised to a 5-1 victory at home to Legia Warsaw in Group F after supporter violence marred the build-up to the game at the Santiago Bernabeu. Five fans and two police officers were treated for minor injuries following clashes outside the stadium before kick-off. When the game began, Vadis Odjidja struck the post for the visitors before Gareth Bale fired in the opener and a Marcelo shot went in off Tomasz Jodlowiec. Miroslav Radovic pulled one back from the penalty spot but Marco Asensio made it 3-1 before the interval and substitutes Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Morata added further goals in the second half. Zinedine Zidane's side are level on seven points at the top of the group with Borussia Dortmund, who were 2-1 winners over Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang burst through for an early opener and a superb Julian Weigl strike made it 2-0 but Dortmund were hanging on after Bruno Cesar reduced the deficit midway through the second half. In Group H Juan Cuadrado came off the bench to score a late winner as 10-man Juventus beat Lyon 1-0 in France. Gianluigi Buffon was in fine form for the Italian champions as he saved a first-half Alexandre Lacazette penalty, while Juve had Mario Lemina sent off early in the second period. But Cuadrado netted the winner 14 minutes from the end as the hosts failed to make their man advantage count. "I should thank Mario Lemina for his sending-off because I thought we played better with a man less," said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri. They are level at the top of the group with Sevilla, who were 1-0 winners away to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Samir Nasri netting the only goal. (AFP)

Champions League: Leicester maintain perfect record; Real, Dortmund post wins

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri wants more from his title-winning squad this season and is eager to see how his team will compete against Europe&#39;s top clubs in their Champions League debut. 
 
Ranieri led the 5,0000-1 outsiders to a historic league title last season and they have been drawn in Group G along with Porto, Club Bruges and FC Copenhagen. 
 
&quot;Last season was wonderful but I want more. Now we are in the Champions League and we have another wonderful opportunity to show our quality,&quot; Ranieri told the club&#39;s website. (www.lcfc.com) 
 
&quot;Now that the teams have been drawn that excitement is building even more and although it won&#39;t be easy against great champions like Porto, like everyone, I&#39;m curious to see how my players perform. 
 
&quot;It will be tough, but we come into this competition to win games and we want so much to progress into the knockout stages.&quot; 
 
The Italian conceded that his side would be underdogs. 
 
&quot;For this reason we must fight for everything,&quot; he said. &quot;I want to see my players fight against the best in Europe. 
 
&quot;Every team in the competition will fight like champions and we must give 100 percent to make our supporters proud. 
 
(Reuters)

Ranieri had led the team to a historic league title last season

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri wants more from his title-winning squad this season and is eager to see how his team will compete against Europe's top clubs in their Champions League debut. Ranieri led the 5,0000-1 outsiders to a historic league title last season and they have been drawn in Group G along with Porto, Club Bruges and FC Copenhagen. "Last season was wonderful but I want more. Now we are in the Champions League and we have another wonderful opportunity to show our quality," Ranieri told the club's website. (www.lcfc.com) "Now that the teams have been drawn that excitement is building even more and although it won't be easy against great champions like Porto, like everyone, I'm curious to see how my players perform. "It will be tough, but we come into this competition to win games and we want so much to progress into the knockout stages." The Italian conceded that his side would be underdogs. "For this reason we must fight for everything," he said. "I want to see my players fight against the best in Europe. "Every team in the competition will fight like champions and we must give 100 percent to make our supporters proud. (Reuters)

Leicester manager urges players to deliver in Champions League

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is confident Riyad Mahrez will stay at the club after midfielder N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s Chelsea move triggered speculation that the influential winger could follow suit. 
 
Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp, and Ranieri was certain of retaining the majority of the Premier League title-winning squad. 
 
Mahrez remains the subject of interest from several clubs, including Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the British media, while Vardy rejected Arsenal and signed a new deal at Leicester last month. 
 
&quot;Only Kante wanted to go, that&#39;s okay. But I understood him, he came from a little team in France and had a fantastic season. I said to him, stay with us and have another year with us, but he wanted to go,&quot; Ranieri told British media. 
 
&quot;Everybody here is happy and yes, he wants to stay. No other players will go away. We will stay together. The football continues without Riyad or without Kante, but Riyad will stay with us for all of the years.&nbsp;It&#39;s important to maintain the group, with the spirit, with the humility. That&#39;s important for me.&quot; 
 
Leicester&#39;s head of recruitment Steve Walsh, who was instrumental in bringing both Mahrez and Kante to the club, has been heavily linked with the director of football role at Everton. 
 
Ranieri has already lost a major part of his backroom staff when highly-rated scout Ben Wrigglesworth went to Arsenal in January and Rob MacKenzie was installed as Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s head of talent identification in February.&nbsp;Leicester will kick off their title defence with a trip to the KC Stadium, where they will face promoted Hull City on August 13. 
 
(Reuters)

Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is confident Riyad Mahrez will stay at the club after midfielder N'Golo Kante's Chelsea move triggered speculation that the influential winger could follow suit. Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp, and Ranieri was certain of retaining the majority of the Premier League title-winning squad. Mahrez remains the subject of interest from several clubs, including Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the British media, while Vardy rejected Arsenal and signed a new deal at Leicester last month. "Only Kante wanted to go, that's okay. But I understood him, he came from a little team in France and had a fantastic season. I said to him, stay with us and have another year with us, but he wanted to go," Ranieri told British media. "Everybody here is happy and yes, he wants to stay. No other players will go away. We will stay together. The football continues without Riyad or without Kante, but Riyad will stay with us for all of the years. It's important to maintain the group, with the spirit, with the humility. That's important for me." Leicester's head of recruitment Steve Walsh, who was instrumental in bringing both Mahrez and Kante to the club, has been heavily linked with the director of football role at Everton. Ranieri has already lost a major part of his backroom staff when highly-rated scout Ben Wrigglesworth went to Arsenal in January and Rob MacKenzie was installed as Tottenham Hotspur's head of talent identification in February. Leicester will kick off their title defence with a trip to the KC Stadium, where they will face promoted Hull City on August 13. (Reuters)

Riyad Mahrez will not follow Kante out of Leicester, says Ranieri

Leicester City&#39;s Premier League title defence got off to a terrible start as they were beaten 2-1 at promoted Hull City, who shrugged off an injury crisis to shock the champions on the opening day of the new season today. 
 
Robert Snodgrass thumped home a left-footed winner in the 57th minute after Leicester, who lost only three games last season, failed to clear their lines. Riyad Mahrez&#39;s second-half penalty for Leicester had earlier cancelled out Adama Diomande&#39;s acrobatic overhead kick. 
 
Diomande gave Hull the lead against the run of play in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, leaping in tandem with Abel Hernandez to meet Kasper Schmeichel&#39;s punched clearance from a Curtis Davies header. 
 
Mahrez responded from the penalty spot two minutes into the second half after Tom Huddlestone had clipped Demarai Gray on the edge of the area, before Snodgrass slammed home the winner, providing some respite for Hull, who had only 13 fit first-team players available. 
 
(Reuters)

Leicester City, who lost only three games last season, were beaten 2-1 by Hull City today

Leicester City's Premier League title defence got off to a terrible start as they were beaten 2-1 at promoted Hull City, who shrugged off an injury crisis to shock the champions on the opening day of the new season today. Robert Snodgrass thumped home a left-footed winner in the 57th minute after Leicester, who lost only three games last season, failed to clear their lines. Riyad Mahrez's second-half penalty for Leicester had earlier cancelled out Adama Diomande's acrobatic overhead kick. Diomande gave Hull the lead against the run of play in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, leaping in tandem with Abel Hernandez to meet Kasper Schmeichel's punched clearance from a Curtis Davies header. Mahrez responded from the penalty spot two minutes into the second half after Tom Huddlestone had clipped Demarai Gray on the edge of the area, before Snodgrass slammed home the winner, providing some respite for Hull, who had only 13 fit first-team players available. (Reuters)

Premier League: Champions Leicester stunned by Hull in season opener

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. 
 
United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football&#39;s third and fourth tiers, was made today. 
 
But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. 
 
In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 &#39;category one&#39; academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one &#39;invited&#39; club. 
 
Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London&#39;s Wembley Stadium on April 2. 
 
(AFP)

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament was made

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football's third and fourth tiers, was made today. But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 'category one' academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one 'invited' club. Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London's Wembley Stadium on April 2. (AFP)

Premier League giants refuse English Football League Trophy invites

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