Antonio Conte&#39;s press conference on Thursday was gatecrashed by an Italian comedian who attempted to give the Chelsea boss a Manchester United shirt signed by bitter rival Jose Mourinho.

Conte had already spoken of plans to rotate his team ahead of a demanding schedule in which they next play Barcelona, Manchester United and Manchester City when the comedian from Italia 1 satire Le Iene rose from his seat.

He spoke to Conte in Italian, showed him a video on a tablet -- United manager Mourinho&#39;s name could be heard via the video -- and then presented the shirt to him before it was refused and he was asked to leave.

When Conte saw the shirt he stopped smiling. Mourinho had signed it last month, unaware it featured Conte&#39;s name, when approached by comedians from the same programme in Manchester.

Conte and Mourinho have traded poisonous barbs this season, culminating in the pair saying they felt &quot;contempt&quot; for each other last month.

Conte remains without the injured Tiemoue Bakayoko, David Luiz and Ross Barkley for Friday&#39;s visit of Hull in the FA Cup fifth round and said he was preparing to make changes.

In response to Roy Keane, a one-time opponent with United while Conte played for Juventus, labelling his players &quot;unprofessional&quot;, Conte said: &quot;In every moment I have underlined the commitment of the players.

&quot;In this 18 months, we built a great mentality. In every training session I see great commitment and great behaviour. Under this aspect, I&#39;m very happy.&quot;

Friday&#39;s fixture is Hull&#39;s first since their midfielder Ryan Mason, 26, announced his retirement because of the fractured skull suffered in a challenge with Chelsea&#39;s Gary Cahill last year.

&quot;We are very sad for this bad news,&quot; added Conte, 48. &quot;He showed great strength to recover, to try to play again. It&#39;s a pity because to stop your career at such a young age, it&#39;s a pity.&quot;Prankster hands Conte signed Mourinho shirt 
&nbsp;

When Conte saw the shirt he stopped smiling. Mourinho had signed it last month, unaware it featured Conte's name, when approached by comedians from the same programme in Manchester.

Antonio Conte's press conference on Thursday was gatecrashed by an Italian comedian who attempted to give the Chelsea boss a Manchester United shirt signed by bitter rival Jose Mourinho. Conte had already spoken of plans to rotate his team ahead of a demanding schedule in which they next play Barcelona, Manchester United and Manchester City when the comedian from Italia 1 satire Le Iene rose from his seat. He spoke to Conte in Italian, showed him a video on a tablet -- United manager Mourinho's name could be heard via the video -- and then presented the shirt to him before it was refused and he was asked to leave. When Conte saw the shirt he stopped smiling. Mourinho had signed it last month, unaware it featured Conte's name, when approached by comedians from the same programme in Manchester. Conte and Mourinho have traded poisonous barbs this season, culminating in the pair saying they felt "contempt" for each other last month. Conte remains without the injured Tiemoue Bakayoko, David Luiz and Ross Barkley for Friday's visit of Hull in the FA Cup fifth round and said he was preparing to make changes. In response to Roy Keane, a one-time opponent with United while Conte played for Juventus, labelling his players "unprofessional", Conte said: "In every moment I have underlined the commitment of the players. "In this 18 months, we built a great mentality. In every training session I see great commitment and great behaviour. Under this aspect, I'm very happy." Friday's fixture is Hull's first since their midfielder Ryan Mason, 26, announced his retirement because of the fractured skull suffered in a challenge with Chelsea's Gary Cahill last year. "We are very sad for this bad news," added Conte, 48. "He showed great strength to recover, to try to play again. It's a pity because to stop your career at such a young age, it's a pity."Prankster hands Conte signed Mourinho shirt

Prankster hands Conte signed Mourinho shirt

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

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

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

EPL: Anthony Martial strike gives United points at Turf Moor

Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez pleaded guilty to two counts of tax fraud dating from when he played for Spanish team Barcelona and accepted a 16-month suspended jail sentence, his agent Fernando Felicevich said on Wednesday.

In a statement issued by the Barcelona prosecutor and seen by Reuters, Sanchez was accused of defrauding the Spanish state of a combined 983,000 euros ($1.2 million) in image rights in 2012 and 2013 by using a shell company in Malta and omitting the earnings from tax returns.

The Chilean was given a suspended sentence of eight months for each of those years and fines of 353,000 euros and 237,000 euros respectively.

Spanish law is such that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time.

Sanchez posted on social media a statement from Felicevich which criticised Spain&#39;s authorities for changing their criteria on tax returns and using the media to publicly shame players.

&quot;Despite proving Alexis did not commit any crime, we felt obliged, on the recommendation of our advisers, to accept the unfair pact offered to us to alleviate the emotional, personal and financial stress that comes from dealing with long and tedious court cases...&quot; the statement said.

&quot;Seeing the huge ordeals that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi etc have been put through, we came to the conclusion that it was best to accept this unfair deal so that we can move on and stop being the object of media and political pressure.&quot;

A spokesperson for Spain&#39;s tax agency said it could not comment on individual cases but that it uses the same criteria and measures for each taxpayer.

Sanchez, who joined United last month from Arsenal, is the latest in a long line of La Liga players past and present, including Ronaldo, Messi, Marcelo, Pepe and Javier Mascherano to face judicial process for allegedly defrauding the Spanish state.

Sanchez moved to Barcelona from Italian side Udinese in 2011 and joined Arsenal three years later.

Sanchez posted on social media a statement from Felicevich which criticised Spain's authorities for changing their criteria on tax returns and using the media to publicly shame players.

Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez pleaded guilty to two counts of tax fraud dating from when he played for Spanish team Barcelona and accepted a 16-month suspended jail sentence, his agent Fernando Felicevich said on Wednesday. In a statement issued by the Barcelona prosecutor and seen by Reuters, Sanchez was accused of defrauding the Spanish state of a combined 983,000 euros ($1.2 million) in image rights in 2012 and 2013 by using a shell company in Malta and omitting the earnings from tax returns. The Chilean was given a suspended sentence of eight months for each of those years and fines of 353,000 euros and 237,000 euros respectively. Spanish law is such that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time. Sanchez posted on social media a statement from Felicevich which criticised Spain's authorities for changing their criteria on tax returns and using the media to publicly shame players. "Despite proving Alexis did not commit any crime, we felt obliged, on the recommendation of our advisers, to accept the unfair pact offered to us to alleviate the emotional, personal and financial stress that comes from dealing with long and tedious court cases..." the statement said. "Seeing the huge ordeals that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi etc have been put through, we came to the conclusion that it was best to accept this unfair deal so that we can move on and stop being the object of media and political pressure." A spokesperson for Spain's tax agency said it could not comment on individual cases but that it uses the same criteria and measures for each taxpayer. Sanchez, who joined United last month from Arsenal, is the latest in a long line of La Liga players past and present, including Ronaldo, Messi, Marcelo, Pepe and Javier Mascherano to face judicial process for allegedly defrauding the Spanish state. Sanchez moved to Barcelona from Italian side Udinese in 2011 and joined Arsenal three years later.

Football: Sanchez accepts deal to avoid prison over tax fraud

Manchester United have to continue fighting for the Premier League title regardless of the 13-point gap to leaders Manchester City, defender Antonio Valencia said.

United are second on 56 points with 12 games remaining but Valencia said the club cannot lose hope yet, pointing to how their cross-town rivals overcame an eight-point deficit in the final six games to pip them to the title in the 2011-12 season.

&quot;We lost a title when we were eight points ahead and there were only a few games left. Now, we have a lot more games to play and we need to keep fighting,&quot; Valencia told the club`s website (www.manutd.com). &quot;We need to keep going.

&quot;The important thing is to get the three points, playing at home, playing well, and we will carry on with this mentality until the end of the season.&quot;

United bounced back from a 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur last Wednesday to beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 on Saturday.&nbsp;

&quot;We have shown that we have the quality and conditions to fight until the end of the season,&quot; Valencia added.

United travel to 16th-placed Newcastle United on Sunday.

United bounced back from a 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur last Wednesday to beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 on Saturday.

Manchester United have to continue fighting for the Premier League title regardless of the 13-point gap to leaders Manchester City, defender Antonio Valencia said. United are second on 56 points with 12 games remaining but Valencia said the club cannot lose hope yet, pointing to how their cross-town rivals overcame an eight-point deficit in the final six games to pip them to the title in the 2011-12 season. "We lost a title when we were eight points ahead and there were only a few games left. Now, we have a lot more games to play and we need to keep fighting," Valencia told the club`s website (www.manutd.com). "We need to keep going. "The important thing is to get the three points, playing at home, playing well, and we will carry on with this mentality until the end of the season." United bounced back from a 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur last Wednesday to beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 on Saturday. "We have shown that we have the quality and conditions to fight until the end of the season," Valencia added. United travel to 16th-placed Newcastle United on Sunday.

Football: Valencia urges United to stay in hunt for Premier League title

West Ham signed former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra on a free transfer on Wednesday, with the Frenchman set to link up again with former boss David Moyes.

Evra has won multiple league titles and the Champions League in an illustrious career but his spell at Marseille ended abruptly in November after he launched a kung-fu kick at a supporter.&nbsp;

Evra, who joins the Hammers on a contract until the end of June, worked with Hammers manager Moyes during his time at Old Trafford and is looking forward to linking up with his old boss.

&quot;Im really happy to be a Hammer, to be back in the Premier League and I love this game,&quot; said the left-back.

&quot;When you have to make a deal and money is not the issue, the deal could be done in five minutes,&quot; added the Evra in a statement on the club&#39;s website. &quot;The main thing was for me to join West Ham and to help my teammates to win as many games as we can.

&quot;It was the fastest thing I have done in my life, because both parties wanted to work together, so it was very easy to make an agreement.&quot;

West Ham are 12th in the Premier League with 12 matches to play, but are only three points above the teams in 18th and 19th, two of the three relegation places.

Evra&#39;s departure from France came after he lashed out in response to a group of supporters who had come to the pitchside to berate him for what they considered sub-par displays.

The 36-year-old, capped 81 times by France, was hit with a season-long ban that only applies to UEFA club competitions.

Alex Ferguson took the Senegal-born player to Manchester United from Monaco in January 2006, and won five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

After spending his final season at Old Trafford working under Moyes, the defender moved to Italian champions Juventus in 2014 and enjoyed more domestic success before moving back to France in January 2017.

Evra&#39;s career has been dogged by controversy, not all of his making. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa he led a revolt of the French players against coach Raymond Domenech.

A year later, while playing for United, Evra was the target of a racist insult from then Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan was banned for eight matches and fined over the incident.

Evra has won multiple league titles and the Champions League in an illustrious career but his spell at Marseille ended abruptly in November after he launched a kung-fu kick at a supporter

West Ham signed former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra on a free transfer on Wednesday, with the Frenchman set to link up again with former boss David Moyes. Evra has won multiple league titles and the Champions League in an illustrious career but his spell at Marseille ended abruptly in November after he launched a kung-fu kick at a supporter. Evra, who joins the Hammers on a contract until the end of June, worked with Hammers manager Moyes during his time at Old Trafford and is looking forward to linking up with his old boss. "Im really happy to be a Hammer, to be back in the Premier League and I love this game," said the left-back. "When you have to make a deal and money is not the issue, the deal could be done in five minutes," added the Evra in a statement on the club's website. "The main thing was for me to join West Ham and to help my teammates to win as many games as we can. "It was the fastest thing I have done in my life, because both parties wanted to work together, so it was very easy to make an agreement." West Ham are 12th in the Premier League with 12 matches to play, but are only three points above the teams in 18th and 19th, two of the three relegation places. Evra's departure from France came after he lashed out in response to a group of supporters who had come to the pitchside to berate him for what they considered sub-par displays. The 36-year-old, capped 81 times by France, was hit with a season-long ban that only applies to UEFA club competitions. Alex Ferguson took the Senegal-born player to Manchester United from Monaco in January 2006, and won five Premier League titles and the Champions League. After spending his final season at Old Trafford working under Moyes, the defender moved to Italian champions Juventus in 2014 and enjoyed more domestic success before moving back to France in January 2017. Evra's career has been dogged by controversy, not all of his making. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa he led a revolt of the French players against coach Raymond Domenech. A year later, while playing for United, Evra was the target of a racist insult from then Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan was banned for eight matches and fined over the incident.

Evra, kicked out of Marseille, joins West Ham on free transfer

The&nbsp;Munich&nbsp;air&nbsp;disaster that destroyed the famed &quot;Busby Babes&quot; still resonates for present Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho 60 years after the tragedy he said on Friday.

The&nbsp;crash&nbsp;killed eight of the United team and three backroom staff -- 23 people in all died -- who had won successive league titles and left manager Matt Busby so badly injured he was given the last rites twice.

However, he survived and rebuilt the side leading it 10 years on with an epic European Cup victory.

Though the 60th anniversary of the&nbsp;crash&nbsp;-- United were returning via&nbsp;Munich&nbsp;from Belgrade after seeing off Red Star Belgrade to reach the European Cup semi-finals -- falls on Tuesday a minute&#39;s silence will be held ahead of Saturday&#39;s home Premier League match against Huddersfield.

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We will never forget. <a href="https://t.co/Bjo3QrvnmS">pic.twitter.com/Bjo3QrvnmS</a>
&mdash; Manchester United (@ManUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/959879502330347525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;This is something that is part of my life, or part of my football culture before I become Manchester United manager and why?&quot; said Mourinho, who sported a&nbsp;Munich&nbsp;pin badge on his eve of match press conference.

&quot;Because it was such a tragedy that it stayed over these last 60 years.&quot;

Mourinho said the way the club had reacted to such a huge loss and rebuilt the side illustrated what was so special about United.

&quot;So as Manchester United manager, obviously it means much more but I think it belongs to every sportsman as one of the biggest tragedies and at the same time is a crucial point in Man United history,&quot; said Mourinho.

&quot;The reaction, the strength, the union after that situation and I think tomorrow is an amazing day to show the respect, to show the passion for the club, respect for them, the families and I think is a day to play well.&quot;

The club is also holding a commemorative service at Old Trafford on Tuesday -- just two of the players who survived are still alive Bobby Charlton and Harry Gregg -- while around 2,000 fans are expected to travel to&nbsp;Munich&nbsp;itself.

&nbsp;

Mourinho said the way the club had reacted to such a huge loss and rebuilt the side illustrated what was so special about United

The Munich air disaster that destroyed the famed "Busby Babes" still resonates for present Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho 60 years after the tragedy he said on Friday. The crash killed eight of the United team and three backroom staff -- 23 people in all died -- who had won successive league titles and left manager Matt Busby so badly injured he was given the last rites twice. However, he survived and rebuilt the side leading it 10 years on with an epic European Cup victory. Though the 60th anniversary of the crash -- United were returning via Munich from Belgrade after seeing off Red Star Belgrade to reach the European Cup semi-finals -- falls on Tuesday a minute's silence will be held ahead of Saturday's home Premier League match against Huddersfield. We will never forget. pic.twitter.com/Bjo3QrvnmS — Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 3, 2018 × "This is something that is part of my life, or part of my football culture before I become Manchester United manager and why?" said Mourinho, who sported a Munich pin badge on his eve of match press conference. "Because it was such a tragedy that it stayed over these last 60 years." Mourinho said the way the club had reacted to such a huge loss and rebuilt the side illustrated what was so special about United. "So as Manchester United manager, obviously it means much more but I think it belongs to every sportsman as one of the biggest tragedies and at the same time is a crucial point in Man United history," said Mourinho. "The reaction, the strength, the union after that situation and I think tomorrow is an amazing day to show the respect, to show the passion for the club, respect for them, the families and I think is a day to play well." The club is also holding a commemorative service at Old Trafford on Tuesday -- just two of the players who survived are still alive Bobby Charlton and Harry Gregg -- while around 2,000 fans are expected to travel to Munich itself.

Munich air crash left mark on Mourinho

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

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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<h5>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,&#39; said Mouringo&nbsp;</h5>
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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

Pep Guardiola refused to be drawn into a war of words with Jose Mourinho after Manchester City maintained their impressive progress towards the Premier League title.

City stretched their commanding advantage at the top to 15 points over Manchester United as Raheem Sterling sealed a 1-0 win at Newcastle to record an 18th consecutive league victory, one short of Bayern Munich&#39;s current best for Europe&#39;s top five leagues of 19 straight wins.

United manager Mourinho attempted to provoke Guardiola on Tuesday after pointing to their rivals&#39; huge spending power by claiming &quot;City buy full-backs for the price of strikers&quot; and insisting that the &pound;300 million ($402 million) he has spent since taking charge at Old Trafford 18 months ago as &quot;not enough&quot;.

Mourinho paid &pound;93 million to sign France midfielder Paul Pogba, while also recruiting &pound;30 million defender Eric Bailly, and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan for &pound;26.3 million.&nbsp;

This year, United spent &pound;75 million on striker Romelu Lukaku, as well as &pound;31 million on defender Victor Lindelof and &pound;40 million for midfielder Nemanja Matic.

In comparison, City bought three defenders -- Kyle Walker from Tottenham for an initial &pound;45 million, Benjamin Mendy from Monaco for &pound;52 million and Danilo from Real Madrid for &pound;26.5 million as part of a summer outlay that topped &pound;200 million.

When asked about the comments made by the Portuguese, Guardiola said: &quot;I&#39;m so delighted to be here to speak about what happened on the pitch.&nbsp;

&quot;About what happened with my colleague speaking off the pitch in the press conference, I&#39;m not the right guy. You want to talk about what happened today on the pitch, I will answer.&quot;

City remain on course to win the title in record time after equalling Chelsea&#39;s English top flight record of 11 consecutive away wins.&nbsp;

But Guardiola will await medical updates on Vincent Kompany, after the injury-prone skipper limped off with a recurrence of a long-term calf problem.

City face a minimum of eight games in 34 days in a hectic start to the New Year, and Guardiola added: &quot;Of course we are happy to break records but when we prepare for games we don&#39;t speak about them. Until now, we have found a way to win.

&quot;I saw the schedule in my office the other day and I wanted to escape, because it&#39;s terrible. The games we are going to play, it&#39;s tough.&nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;ve played all these games in December then in January you have the Carabao Cup and FA Cup and then the return of the Champions League in February.&nbsp;

&quot;It will be tough but it will also be tough for our opponents.&quot;&nbsp;

Guardiola&#39;s opposite number Rafa Benitez hit back at criticism of his negative approach after his team slid to a fifth consecutive home defeat, Newcastle&#39;s worst run at St James&#39; Park for 64 years to leave them just a point above the bottom three after one win in their last 11 matches.

Substitute Dwight Gayle almost snatched a dramatic late equaliser to in-part justify the manager&#39;s ultra-cautious approach, and the Spaniard said: &quot;We were in the game until the end and very close to getting a point against a very good team.&quot;

Newcastle face the key visit of relegation rivals Brighton before the turn of the year, and Benitez added: &quot;We have a couple of games in the space of a few days against teams near the bottom of the table and hopefully we&#39;ll have some of our injured players back before then.&quot;

'City buy full-backs for the price of strikers,' Mourinho said

Pep Guardiola refused to be drawn into a war of words with Jose Mourinho after Manchester City maintained their impressive progress towards the Premier League title. City stretched their commanding advantage at the top to 15 points over Manchester United as Raheem Sterling sealed a 1-0 win at Newcastle to record an 18th consecutive league victory, one short of Bayern Munich's current best for Europe's top five leagues of 19 straight wins. United manager Mourinho attempted to provoke Guardiola on Tuesday after pointing to their rivals' huge spending power by claiming "City buy full-backs for the price of strikers" and insisting that the £300 million ($402 million) he has spent since taking charge at Old Trafford 18 months ago as "not enough". Mourinho paid £93 million to sign France midfielder Paul Pogba, while also recruiting £30 million defender Eric Bailly, and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan for £26.3 million. This year, United spent £75 million on striker Romelu Lukaku, as well as £31 million on defender Victor Lindelof and £40 million for midfielder Nemanja Matic. In comparison, City bought three defenders -- Kyle Walker from Tottenham for an initial £45 million, Benjamin Mendy from Monaco for £52 million and Danilo from Real Madrid for £26.5 million as part of a summer outlay that topped £200 million. When asked about the comments made by the Portuguese, Guardiola said: "I'm so delighted to be here to speak about what happened on the pitch. "About what happened with my colleague speaking off the pitch in the press conference, I'm not the right guy. You want to talk about what happened today on the pitch, I will answer." City remain on course to win the title in record time after equalling Chelsea's English top flight record of 11 consecutive away wins. But Guardiola will await medical updates on Vincent Kompany, after the injury-prone skipper limped off with a recurrence of a long-term calf problem. City face a minimum of eight games in 34 days in a hectic start to the New Year, and Guardiola added: "Of course we are happy to break records but when we prepare for games we don't speak about them. Until now, we have found a way to win. "I saw the schedule in my office the other day and I wanted to escape, because it's terrible. The games we are going to play, it's tough. "We've played all these games in December then in January you have the Carabao Cup and FA Cup and then the return of the Champions League in February. "It will be tough but it will also be tough for our opponents." Guardiola's opposite number Rafa Benitez hit back at criticism of his negative approach after his team slid to a fifth consecutive home defeat, Newcastle's worst run at St James' Park for 64 years to leave them just a point above the bottom three after one win in their last 11 matches. Substitute Dwight Gayle almost snatched a dramatic late equaliser to in-part justify the manager's ultra-cautious approach, and the Spaniard said: "We were in the game until the end and very close to getting a point against a very good team." Newcastle face the key visit of relegation rivals Brighton before the turn of the year, and Benitez added: "We have a couple of games in the space of a few days against teams near the bottom of the table and hopefully we'll have some of our injured players back before then."

Mourinho provokes Guardiola but he does not bite

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he is not interested in the individual goal tallies of his attacking players because they will all get opportunities to find the net.

Two goals from Roberto Firmino and one each from Philippe Coutinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain helped Liverpool to an emphatic 5-0 win over Swansea City at Anfield.

The victory ensured Liverpool remain in the thick of the battle for the Champions League places in fourth spot &ndash; five points behind second-placed Manchester United.

Brazilian duo Coutinho and Firmino were both particularly influential in the Boxing Day win at Anfield.

However, Klopp preferred to extol the virtues of the collective efforts of his players rather than single out individuals.

Klopp said: &ldquo;I am happy for all the boys when they score but I couldn&rsquo;t say how many he has, or how many he has, I don&rsquo;t care.

&ldquo;That is not in my interest. If we play like we play in our good moments then the boys will be in good situations. They will all score.

&ldquo;Sadio Mane didn&rsquo;t play here but he will score if we play like this, if we bring the different players in the different moments in the different situations.

&ldquo;When you see the result is 5-0 that it was an easy game but it wasn&rsquo;t an easy game. It was really hard work, I&rsquo;ve no problem with that.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really happy with what we learned from the game. It is a perfect result for us, nobody injured I don&rsquo;t think. Important three points, five goals, clean sheet so it&rsquo;s all good.&rdquo;

Klopp withdrew Firmino in the 68th minute and the German explained that he did so with one eye on a hectic period of games over the festive period even though Firmino, who has scored six in in his last seven games, wanted to remain on the pitch.

&ldquo;You could see he wasn&rsquo;t the happiest in the stadium when I took him off but at least I have to stay reasonable or serious because there are a lot of games to come,&rdquo; Klopp said

&ldquo;I appreciate Roberto&rsquo;s effort and performance always and I am happy that he scored twice but I could not say how many he has scored so far in the season.

&ldquo;I feel he is always involved and always in and around the dangerous situations for the opponents. In the first half he was right full back, he was left full back, he was everywhere. At the end he scored two goals so that&rsquo;s nice, very nice.&rdquo;

Klopp also revealed that captain Jordan Henderson and left-back Alberto Moreno, both absent from the win over Swansea through injury, will miss forthcoming fixtures against Leicester City and Burnley.

Swansea caretaker manager Leon Brittan, who expects to be in charge for their next game with Watford as no managerial appointment is imminent, felt his players were guilty of making fundamental errors at Anfield.

&ldquo;The second half after conceding a goal all belief and confidence drained from the players,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We made a lot of errors, basic mistakes, and you do it against a team of Liverpool&#39;s quality you get punished. We are bottom of the league and confidence is low. It&#39;s unacceptable.&quot; 
&nbsp;

Jurgen Klopp preferred to extol the virtues of the collective efforts of his players rather than single out individuals

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he is not interested in the individual goal tallies of his attacking players because they will all get opportunities to find the net. Two goals from Roberto Firmino and one each from Philippe Coutinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain helped Liverpool to an emphatic 5-0 win over Swansea City at Anfield. The victory ensured Liverpool remain in the thick of the battle for the Champions League places in fourth spot – five points behind second-placed Manchester United. Brazilian duo Coutinho and Firmino were both particularly influential in the Boxing Day win at Anfield. However, Klopp preferred to extol the virtues of the collective efforts of his players rather than single out individuals. Klopp said: “I am happy for all the boys when they score but I couldn’t say how many he has, or how many he has, I don’t care. “That is not in my interest. If we play like we play in our good moments then the boys will be in good situations. They will all score. “Sadio Mane didn’t play here but he will score if we play like this, if we bring the different players in the different moments in the different situations. “When you see the result is 5-0 that it was an easy game but it wasn’t an easy game. It was really hard work, I’ve no problem with that. “I’m really happy with what we learned from the game. It is a perfect result for us, nobody injured I don’t think. Important three points, five goals, clean sheet so it’s all good.” Klopp withdrew Firmino in the 68th minute and the German explained that he did so with one eye on a hectic period of games over the festive period even though Firmino, who has scored six in in his last seven games, wanted to remain on the pitch. “You could see he wasn’t the happiest in the stadium when I took him off but at least I have to stay reasonable or serious because there are a lot of games to come,” Klopp said “I appreciate Roberto’s effort and performance always and I am happy that he scored twice but I could not say how many he has scored so far in the season. “I feel he is always involved and always in and around the dangerous situations for the opponents. In the first half he was right full back, he was left full back, he was everywhere. At the end he scored two goals so that’s nice, very nice.” Klopp also revealed that captain Jordan Henderson and left-back Alberto Moreno, both absent from the win over Swansea through injury, will miss forthcoming fixtures against Leicester City and Burnley. Swansea caretaker manager Leon Brittan, who expects to be in charge for their next game with Watford as no managerial appointment is imminent, felt his players were guilty of making fundamental errors at Anfield. “The second half after conceding a goal all belief and confidence drained from the players,” he said. “We made a lot of errors, basic mistakes, and you do it against a team of Liverpool's quality you get punished. We are bottom of the league and confidence is low. It's unacceptable."

Klopp refuses to be star struck at Liverpool

Antonio Conte insists the battle for a top-four finish is providing Chelsea with all the motivation they need, even if Premier League leaders Manchester City out of reach.

Conte&#39;s side recovered from the disappointment of a pre-Christmas draw at Everton by beating Brighton 2-0 on Tuesday to move within a point of second-placed Manchester United.

With City on a record-breaking run of victories, Blues boss Conte admits there appears to be little chance of closing the gap.

But the Italian insisted last season&#39;s champions are still motivated.

&quot;I think in this league there is a great motivation for all. To try, I repeat, to stay there and to fight until the end,&quot; he said.

&quot;I don&#39;t know if it will win the title. It depends upon Manchester City. They are doing something extraordinary to win every game and draw only once up to now. That means you&#39;re having a fantastic run.

&quot;Otherwise, Chelsea, United, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool would be staying there to fight. We fight for a place in the Champions League next season.

&quot;There are four places for six top teams. Last season, Manchester United and Arsenal finished fifth and sixth, no?. There is this great motivation for me, for the players, and we want to try and improve.

&quot;Our start wasn&#39;t easy this season, for many reasons. But we want to work and improve. There are many competitions.&nbsp;It&#39;s important to face every competition and be very proud to play every game.&quot;

Alvaro Morata headed Chelsea ahead immediately after half-time and Marcos Alonso added the second on the hour at Stamford Bridge.

&quot;Today it was positive to score for Alvaro,&quot; said Conte. &quot;He&#39;s our No9. Against Everton, he didn&#39;t play.&nbsp;Also, Alonso, to score five goals up to now, for a wing-back, is a great achievement.&nbsp;

&quot;But it&#39;s important to continue. Not to stop scoring. We need this alternative from our strikers.&quot;

Conte wants to strengthen his squad in January and expressed his admiration for Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal after being questioned about reports linking the Chile midfielder with a move to Chelsea.

&quot;I must be honest, it&#39;s not right to talk about a player of another team,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;Especially if you try to link this player with us. Arturo is a fantastic player, I have a great respect for Arturo, and we spent many years in Juventus together. I&#39;d always want him with me.&quot;

Brighton manager Chris Hughton also responded to reports claiming Albion have agreed a fee for Celtic striker Moussa Dembele.

&quot;I&#39;ve heard reports. As manager of this football club, I&#39;m quite sure I&#39;d know. There&#39;s been no contact between the two clubs,&quot; he said.

Albion remains close to mid-table our a solid run following last season&#39;s promotion and Hughton added: &quot;I want them to feel proud of where we are and what we&#39;ve achieved so far, but frustrated because we could have done better.

&quot;Would we have been happy at the start of the season to be in the position we are in now? The answer would be yes. But we could have done better.&nbsp;

&quot;If anything, in the second half of the season, it won&#39;t get any easier. It will get harder, if anything.&quot;

Conte's side recovered from the disappointment of a pre-Christmas draw at Everton by beating Brighton 2-0 on Tuesday to move within a point of second-placed Manchester United

Antonio Conte insists the battle for a top-four finish is providing Chelsea with all the motivation they need, even if Premier League leaders Manchester City out of reach. Conte's side recovered from the disappointment of a pre-Christmas draw at Everton by beating Brighton 2-0 on Tuesday to move within a point of second-placed Manchester United. With City on a record-breaking run of victories, Blues boss Conte admits there appears to be little chance of closing the gap. But the Italian insisted last season's champions are still motivated. "I think in this league there is a great motivation for all. To try, I repeat, to stay there and to fight until the end," he said. "I don't know if it will win the title. It depends upon Manchester City. They are doing something extraordinary to win every game and draw only once up to now. That means you're having a fantastic run. "Otherwise, Chelsea, United, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool would be staying there to fight. We fight for a place in the Champions League next season. "There are four places for six top teams. Last season, Manchester United and Arsenal finished fifth and sixth, no?. There is this great motivation for me, for the players, and we want to try and improve. "Our start wasn't easy this season, for many reasons. But we want to work and improve. There are many competitions. It's important to face every competition and be very proud to play every game." Alvaro Morata headed Chelsea ahead immediately after half-time and Marcos Alonso added the second on the hour at Stamford Bridge. "Today it was positive to score for Alvaro," said Conte. "He's our No9. Against Everton, he didn't play. Also, Alonso, to score five goals up to now, for a wing-back, is a great achievement. "But it's important to continue. Not to stop scoring. We need this alternative from our strikers." Conte wants to strengthen his squad in January and expressed his admiration for Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal after being questioned about reports linking the Chile midfielder with a move to Chelsea. "I must be honest, it's not right to talk about a player of another team,” he said. "Especially if you try to link this player with us. Arturo is a fantastic player, I have a great respect for Arturo, and we spent many years in Juventus together. I'd always want him with me." Brighton manager Chris Hughton also responded to reports claiming Albion have agreed a fee for Celtic striker Moussa Dembele. "I've heard reports. As manager of this football club, I'm quite sure I'd know. There's been no contact between the two clubs," he said. Albion remains close to mid-table our a solid run following last season's promotion and Hughton added: "I want them to feel proud of where we are and what we've achieved so far, but frustrated because we could have done better. "Would we have been happy at the start of the season to be in the position we are in now? The answer would be yes. But we could have done better. "If anything, in the second half of the season, it won't get any easier. It will get harder, if anything."

Chelsea still have plenty to achieve, says Conte

Jose Mourinho slammed his Manchester United stars after they conceded a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw against 10-man Leicester that left them 13 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.&nbsp;United was already trailing in City&#39;s wake, but Harry Maguire&#39;s 94th-minute leveler at the King Power Stadium on Saturday was another hammer blow to their title hopes just hours after their rivals had beaten Bournemouth.

Mourinho&#39;s side had missed several superb chances to move 3-1 ahead and effectively kill off Leicester and the United boss was furious with his players&#39; finishing and the sloppy way they allowed Maguire to equalise.&nbsp;&quot;It is as bad as a defeat&quot;, said Mourinho. &quot;Sometimes you take a point and you say &#39;OK&#39; and you accept it as it was hard to get a positive result.&nbsp;

&quot;That is not the case. It is a game to win easily. It is a big frustration as they are easy goals to score and easy goals to kill the game but not just the goals we missed, also some easy way out to counter-attack where we lost the ball quite easily.&nbsp;&quot;On top of that, in the last couple of minutes, we allow the opposition to throw a few balls into the box, with Christian Fuchs&#39; hands and crosses.

&quot;We couldn&#39;t defend the last cross so I think we were punished by our mistakes in both penalty areas.&nbsp;&quot;There was a lack of maturity. I cannot stop the game and give a team talk&quot;, said Mourinho.&nbsp;

&quot;For the last two minutes, the players had to immediately adapt, to read the game, which they didn&#39;t so we had childish decisions in front of goal and bad decisions as it was not just about the goals we missed, or dribbling or hitting the post. &quot;It was not just about missing chances with an open goal, it was also about decisions. Easy decisions to make in easy transitions to counter-attack&quot;.

Childish decisions

Mourinho admitted he does not know whether all of his players will develop the maturity he needs.&nbsp;&quot;Some players they have childish decisions and time helps them to have the maturity and to decide better but some other players stay with childish decisions until the end of their career&quot;, he said.

&quot;You know it depends on what is inside and the way they learn or they don&#39;t learn&quot;.&nbsp;Leicester fought back despite having substitute Daniel Amartey sent off for two yellow cards in the space of five minutes.&nbsp;Foxes manager Claude Puel said: &quot;He took the second yellow card with naivety. Perhaps the first yellow card was a little harsh, but the second he needed to manage better.&nbsp;

&quot;He&#39;s a young player, he came into the game when there was a little pressure, there was intensity, rhythm, it was a difficult to come into the game.&nbsp;&quot;It was a good game for us against a great team. We started well. It was a fantastic first goal after regaining the possession&quot;, said Puel.

&quot;In the second half, we started well also, with quality. We made some fantastic opportunities to score, just after this, we conceded the free-kick. And just after it was a little harsh with the sending off of Amartey.&nbsp;&quot;It was a difficult scenario. We saw a fantastic spirit, the character of my players. They believed until the end&quot;.

'It is as bad as a defeat,' said Mourinho

Jose Mourinho slammed his Manchester United stars after they conceded a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw against 10-man Leicester that left them 13 points adrift of leaders Manchester City. United was already trailing in City's wake, but Harry Maguire's 94th-minute leveler at the King Power Stadium on Saturday was another hammer blow to their title hopes just hours after their rivals had beaten Bournemouth. Mourinho's side had missed several superb chances to move 3-1 ahead and effectively kill off Leicester and the United boss was furious with his players' finishing and the sloppy way they allowed Maguire to equalise. "It is as bad as a defeat", said Mourinho. "Sometimes you take a point and you say 'OK' and you accept it as it was hard to get a positive result. "That is not the case. It is a game to win easily. It is a big frustration as they are easy goals to score and easy goals to kill the game but not just the goals we missed, also some easy way out to counter-attack where we lost the ball quite easily. "On top of that, in the last couple of minutes, we allow the opposition to throw a few balls into the box, with Christian Fuchs' hands and crosses. "We couldn't defend the last cross so I think we were punished by our mistakes in both penalty areas. "There was a lack of maturity. I cannot stop the game and give a team talk", said Mourinho. "For the last two minutes, the players had to immediately adapt, to read the game, which they didn't so we had childish decisions in front of goal and bad decisions as it was not just about the goals we missed, or dribbling or hitting the post. "It was not just about missing chances with an open goal, it was also about decisions. Easy decisions to make in easy transitions to counter-attack". Childish decisions Mourinho admitted he does not know whether all of his players will develop the maturity he needs. "Some players they have childish decisions and time helps them to have the maturity and to decide better but some other players stay with childish decisions until the end of their career", he said. "You know it depends on what is inside and the way they learn or they don't learn". Leicester fought back despite having substitute Daniel Amartey sent off for two yellow cards in the space of five minutes. Foxes manager Claude Puel said: "He took the second yellow card with naivety. Perhaps the first yellow card was a little harsh, but the second he needed to manage better. "He's a young player, he came into the game when there was a little pressure, there was intensity, rhythm, it was a difficult to come into the game. "It was a good game for us against a great team. We started well. It was a fantastic first goal after regaining the possession", said Puel. "In the second half, we started well also, with quality. We made some fantastic opportunities to score, just after this, we conceded the free-kick. And just after it was a little harsh with the sending off of Amartey. "It was a difficult scenario. We saw a fantastic spirit, the character of my players. They believed until the end".

Mourinho lashes United after Leicester draw

Manchester United survived a tense finale to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at the Hawthorns on Sunday and close to within 11 points of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

United&#39;s former West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku scored his 15th goal of the season in the 27th minute by heading home Marcus Rashford&rsquo;s left-wing cross.

Midfielder Jesse Lingard doubled the lead with a deflected shot from the edge of the penalty area eight minutes later.

United appeared to be on course for a comfortable win, but West Brom set up a nervous finish for Jose Mourinho&rsquo;s side when substitute Gareth Barry poked home from close range following a corner in the 77th minute.

United hung on, however, to restore their three-point advantage over third-placed Chelsea. West Brom have now gone 16 league matches without a win and remained second bottom, two points from safety.

&quot;I think we deserved the win,&quot; Mourinho told Sky Sports. &quot;We were the best team. We controlled the game for a long, long time.&quot;

United spurned opportunities to kill the game off when Rashford slashed a right-footed shot wide in the 57th minute and Lingard fired straight at West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster.

They then switched off at a set-piece to allow Barry to score and were lucky not to concede an equaliser when Jay Rodriguez headed wide from point-blank range with five minutes remaining.

&quot;We had a few chances to kill the game but I knew they would react,&quot; Mourinho added. &quot;The intensity in the first half maybe we didn&#39;t have in the second half.&quot;

West Brom manager Alan Pardew, who was appointed last month after Tony Pulis was sacked, made one change to the side who drew 0-0 against Liverpool on Wednesday.

&quot;The team I picked, in hindsight, was not the right team,&quot; Pardew said. &quot;I should have put some fresh legs in there, but they did so well at Liverpool that, I&rsquo;m a new manager, I wanted to show some faith in those players.

&quot;But I should have maybe made two or three changes. We looked leggy.&quot;

Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion, Premier League, Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford

Manchester United survived a tense finale to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at the Hawthorns on Sunday and close to within 11 points of Premier League leaders Manchester City. United's former West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku scored his 15th goal of the season in the 27th minute by heading home Marcus Rashford’s left-wing cross. Midfielder Jesse Lingard doubled the lead with a deflected shot from the edge of the penalty area eight minutes later. United appeared to be on course for a comfortable win, but West Brom set up a nervous finish for Jose Mourinho’s side when substitute Gareth Barry poked home from close range following a corner in the 77th minute. United hung on, however, to restore their three-point advantage over third-placed Chelsea. West Brom have now gone 16 league matches without a win and remained second bottom, two points from safety. "I think we deserved the win," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "We were the best team. We controlled the game for a long, long time." United spurned opportunities to kill the game off when Rashford slashed a right-footed shot wide in the 57th minute and Lingard fired straight at West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster. They then switched off at a set-piece to allow Barry to score and were lucky not to concede an equaliser when Jay Rodriguez headed wide from point-blank range with five minutes remaining. "We had a few chances to kill the game but I knew they would react," Mourinho added. "The intensity in the first half maybe we didn't have in the second half." West Brom manager Alan Pardew, who was appointed last month after Tony Pulis was sacked, made one change to the side who drew 0-0 against Liverpool on Wednesday. "The team I picked, in hindsight, was not the right team," Pardew said. "I should have put some fresh legs in there, but they did so well at Liverpool that, I’m a new manager, I wanted to show some faith in those players. "But I should have maybe made two or three changes. We looked leggy."

Football: Lukaku, Lingard lift nervy Man United past West Brom

Premier League champions Chelsea will not underestimate Southampton on Saturday as they aim to keep up the pressure on the sides around them in the top four, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said.

Chelsea are third in the league, 14 points adrift of leaders Manchester City and three behind second-placed Manchester United after 17 games, and Courtois says the London side must continue winning to either chase down City or at least finish second.

&quot;It`s a tough game, Southampton drew against Arsenal and it`s always difficult against them home or away,&quot; Courtois told the club`s website.

&quot;We have to be careful because these are the games we have to win if we want to stay near the top and try to close the gap on Man City. Obviously, we are far away but we want to keep on pushing and if we can`t catch them, we want to finish second.

&quot;It was very good that we showed from the start we wanted to win against Huddersfield and that`s the mentality we need in every game.&quot;

Chelsea beat promoted Huddersfield Town 3-1 on Tuesday to maintain a four-point gap above Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Burnley with seventh-placed Arsenal a further point behind.

Southampton are 11th in the standings and winless in their last four league games.

Chelsea beat promoted Huddersfield Town 3-1 on Tuesday to maintain a four-point gap

Premier League champions Chelsea will not underestimate Southampton on Saturday as they aim to keep up the pressure on the sides around them in the top four, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said. Chelsea are third in the league, 14 points adrift of leaders Manchester City and three behind second-placed Manchester United after 17 games, and Courtois says the London side must continue winning to either chase down City or at least finish second. "It`s a tough game, Southampton drew against Arsenal and it`s always difficult against them home or away," Courtois told the club`s website. "We have to be careful because these are the games we have to win if we want to stay near the top and try to close the gap on Man City. Obviously, we are far away but we want to keep on pushing and if we can`t catch them, we want to finish second. "It was very good that we showed from the start we wanted to win against Huddersfield and that`s the mentality we need in every game." Chelsea beat promoted Huddersfield Town 3-1 on Tuesday to maintain a four-point gap above Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Burnley with seventh-placed Arsenal a further point behind. Southampton are 11th in the standings and winless in their last four league games.

Courtois says Chelsea expect tough challenge from Saints

Manchester City set a new top-flight record of 15 consecutive wins as their seemingly unstoppable march towards the Premier League title continued with a 4-0 romp at bottom club Swansea City on Wednesday.

David Silva struck twice for Pep Guardiola&#39;s side as they went past Arsenal&#39;s 14-match winning sequence, although unlike the London club&#39;s, City&#39;s streak has been in a single season.

Manchester United kept up a distant pursuit as they toiled to a 1-0 defeat of Bournemouth at Old Trafford to remain 11 points adrift in second place, Romelu Lukaku&#39;s ninth league goal of the season proving just enough.

Liverpool and Arsenal could only draw 0-0 with struggling West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United respectively, allowing Tottenham Hotspur to move into fourth spot behind Chelsea thanks top a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion as Serge Aurier scored his first goal for the club.

City have 49 points to United&#39;s 38 with champions Chelsea, who won at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday, on 35. Tottenham have 31, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference while Arsenal dropped to seventh with 30 points.

It was an enjoyable night for managers returning to former clubs as Sam Allardyce watched his Everton side win 1-0 at Newcastle United and Claude Puel&#39;s fast-improving Leicester City triumphed 4-1 at Southampton, the club who sacked him at the end of last season despite taking them to the League Cup final.

City hardly broke sweat as they turned their trip to south Wales into a training session despite making four changes to the side that won 2-1 at Manchester United on Sunday.

Silva opened the scoring from Bernardo Silva&#39;s cross and Kevin De Bruyne made it 2-0 with a free kick.

It was all over when the silky Silva played a one-two with Raheem Sterling to make it 3-0 early in the second half with his fourth goal in his last three games.

Sergio Aguero, back in the side with Gabriel Jesus rested, fired past Lukasz Fabianski to complete another masterclass from Guardiola&#39;s City slickers.

City form

While the purists are purring at City&#39;s form, you could only sympathise with Swansea boss Paul Clement who summed up what many of his peers might be feeling.

&quot;At times it was horrible to be on the sideline watching that, seeing my side trying but suffering for long periods,&quot; he said.

&quot;It was hard to watch at times because they were so dominant. One of the best sides I&#39;ve ever come across.&quot;

United looked flat after their chastening defeat against City and were indebted to Lukaku&#39;s powerful header and several good saves by David de Gea against a plucky Bournemouth.

Manager Jose Mourinho, distracted by reports of a fracas after the City defeat in which he was reported to have had milk thrown at him, admitted his side had been low on energy.

&quot;It was difficult match. They had one more day&#39;s rest than us, they were fresher than us, and mentally fresher because a big match takes more from our players,&quot; he said.

&quot;They were difficult opponents and difficult conditions. If we had scored the second it would have been a calm night.&quot;

Liverpool were left to rue a late disallowed goal for Dominic Solanke as they could find no way past West Brom, their second home draw in four days.

&quot;We can do better and we have to do better but on a night like this when you are not at your best you need a bit of luck,&quot; manager Juergen Klopp said.

Shinji Okazaki scored twice for Leicester as they racked up a fourth consecutive win, while Wayne Rooney earned Everton a 1-0 win at Newcastle United whose night ended in depressing fashion with a red card for Jonjo Shelvey.

United kept up a distant pursuit as they toiled to a 1-0 defeat of Bournemouth at Old Trafford to remain 11 points adrift in second place

Manchester City set a new top-flight record of 15 consecutive wins as their seemingly unstoppable march towards the Premier League title continued with a 4-0 romp at bottom club Swansea City on Wednesday. David Silva struck twice for Pep Guardiola's side as they went past Arsenal's 14-match winning sequence, although unlike the London club's, City's streak has been in a single season. Manchester United kept up a distant pursuit as they toiled to a 1-0 defeat of Bournemouth at Old Trafford to remain 11 points adrift in second place, Romelu Lukaku's ninth league goal of the season proving just enough. Liverpool and Arsenal could only draw 0-0 with struggling West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United respectively, allowing Tottenham Hotspur to move into fourth spot behind Chelsea thanks top a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion as Serge Aurier scored his first goal for the club. City have 49 points to United's 38 with champions Chelsea, who won at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday, on 35. Tottenham have 31, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference while Arsenal dropped to seventh with 30 points. It was an enjoyable night for managers returning to former clubs as Sam Allardyce watched his Everton side win 1-0 at Newcastle United and Claude Puel's fast-improving Leicester City triumphed 4-1 at Southampton, the club who sacked him at the end of last season despite taking them to the League Cup final. City hardly broke sweat as they turned their trip to south Wales into a training session despite making four changes to the side that won 2-1 at Manchester United on Sunday. Silva opened the scoring from Bernardo Silva's cross and Kevin De Bruyne made it 2-0 with a free kick. It was all over when the silky Silva played a one-two with Raheem Sterling to make it 3-0 early in the second half with his fourth goal in his last three games. Sergio Aguero, back in the side with Gabriel Jesus rested, fired past Lukasz Fabianski to complete another masterclass from Guardiola's City slickers. City form While the purists are purring at City's form, you could only sympathise with Swansea boss Paul Clement who summed up what many of his peers might be feeling. "At times it was horrible to be on the sideline watching that, seeing my side trying but suffering for long periods," he said. "It was hard to watch at times because they were so dominant. One of the best sides I've ever come across." United looked flat after their chastening defeat against City and were indebted to Lukaku's powerful header and several good saves by David de Gea against a plucky Bournemouth. Manager Jose Mourinho, distracted by reports of a fracas after the City defeat in which he was reported to have had milk thrown at him, admitted his side had been low on energy. "It was difficult match. They had one more day's rest than us, they were fresher than us, and mentally fresher because a big match takes more from our players," he said. "They were difficult opponents and difficult conditions. If we had scored the second it would have been a calm night." Liverpool were left to rue a late disallowed goal for Dominic Solanke as they could find no way past West Brom, their second home draw in four days. "We can do better and we have to do better but on a night like this when you are not at your best you need a bit of luck," manager Juergen Klopp said. Shinji Okazaki scored twice for Leicester as they racked up a fourth consecutive win, while Wayne Rooney earned Everton a 1-0 win at Newcastle United whose night ended in depressing fashion with a red card for Jonjo Shelvey.

Unstoppable City break record, United edge out Bournemouth

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took a big step towards his first title in the English football with a 2-1 derby victory over arch-rival Manchester United on Sunday which sent his team 11 points clear at the top of the P remier League.

Guardiola, who won three Spanish league titles and two Champions League crowns during his time with Barcelona and then won three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, had faced criticism about whether his trademark possession style would work in the premier league.&nbsp;

City finished 15 points behind Chelsea in third place last season but it will take a major collapse for them to not win this season&#39;s championship.

The Spaniard also responded to comments from his United counterpart Jose Mourinho who had blamed the referee&#39;s failure to give his team a penalty for the loss.

&quot;We tried to keep playing and we came here like we were in Stamford Bridge and all the games since I came here to try to win, to make our job, and I&#39;m so happy that people say in England you cannot play in that way in England, in England you can play in that way as well,&quot; Guardiola said

&quot;Through the passes, we created the chances, it&#39;s not easy to create chances at United because they are so tough defensively but we created enough, the people say an amazing save from Ederson, that&#39;s true, it was amazing. But I think (David) De Gea had more saves, much much more than Ederson. Those statistics were better, the way we played was better so that&#39;s why it&#39;s well-done guys, well done,&quot; he added.

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho, Manchester United manager, said that he expected City to score two great goals. Not disgraceful goals.

&quot;I think when you see Manchester City play you expect Manchester City to score great goals, not to score two disgraceful goals (they) are the last goals that you would expect to concede against a quality team like Manchester City. Two very bad goals in one corner and one free kick with rebounds and incredibly lucky or unlucky depending on the perspective, so yes they had much more of the ball, yes they had that apparent control of the game with the ball, but the biggest save of the game is the double save by their goalkeeper and the big decision of the game is the unlucky (penalty) decision of (referee) Michael (Oliver), &quot; said Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.&nbsp;

City finished 15 points behind Chelsea in third place last season but it will take a major collapse for them to not win this season's championship.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took a big step towards his first title in the English football with a 2-1 derby victory over arch-rival Manchester United on Sunday which sent his team 11 points clear at the top of the P remier League. Guardiola, who won three Spanish league titles and two Champions League crowns during his time with Barcelona and then won three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, had faced criticism about whether his trademark possession style would work in the premier league. City finished 15 points behind Chelsea in third place last season but it will take a major collapse for them to not win this season's championship. The Spaniard also responded to comments from his United counterpart Jose Mourinho who had blamed the referee's failure to give his team a penalty for the loss. "We tried to keep playing and we came here like we were in Stamford Bridge and all the games since I came here to try to win, to make our job, and I'm so happy that people say in England you cannot play in that way in England, in England you can play in that way as well," Guardiola said "Through the passes, we created the chances, it's not easy to create chances at United because they are so tough defensively but we created enough, the people say an amazing save from Ederson, that's true, it was amazing. But I think (David) De Gea had more saves, much much more than Ederson. Those statistics were better, the way we played was better so that's why it's well-done guys, well done," he added. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho, Manchester United manager, said that he expected City to score two great goals. Not disgraceful goals. "I think when you see Manchester City play you expect Manchester City to score great goals, not to score two disgraceful goals (they) are the last goals that you would expect to concede against a quality team like Manchester City. Two very bad goals in one corner and one free kick with rebounds and incredibly lucky or unlucky depending on the perspective, so yes they had much more of the ball, yes they had that apparent control of the game with the ball, but the biggest save of the game is the double save by their goalkeeper and the big decision of the game is the unlucky (penalty) decision of (referee) Michael (Oliver), " said Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.

Pep Guardiola takes big step towards first title in EPL with 2-1 derby victory

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola&#39;s commitment to possession football is well established but ahead of Sunday&#39;s derby clash with Manchester United, the former Barcelona coach revealed he had once doubted his philosophy - but only for 48 hours.

The Spaniard&#39;s zeal for passing and possession with intelligent use of space is almost ideological but he said that early in his career he had questioned if it was the right way.

Guardiola began his coaching career in 2007 with Barcelona&#39;s B team, who played in the lower divisions of the Spanish league and it was there that his commitment to &#39;total football&#39; was tested.

&quot;Yes I had doubts a little bit in the beginning,&quot; he told reporters.

&quot;I remember the first three games, I won, I draw and I lost, we played in the fourth division on artificial pitches, and they were so small. On the Monday I thought I have to change it because we cannot play (on those pitches),&quot; he said.

&quot;Arrived Tuesday and I said we have to change because the pitch is so small. But arrived Wednesday and I said &lsquo;no, I am not going to change&rsquo; because the alternative to playing the way I believe didn&rsquo;t convince me,&quot; said Guardiola.

The decision to stick by his principles paid off for the Spaniard.

&quot;It was so good because at the end of the season, we were champions and promoted and at that moment I said - if we were able to win quite good and play quite good football, if you can do that on small pitch, artificial pitch, then I can do that at a higher level with better pitches, better players,&quot; he said with a grin.

Guardiola&#39;s almost dogmatic belief in the &quot;right way&quot; of playing was questioned last season as City struggled to adjust to the former Barca and Bayern Munich coach&#39;s demands.

Early days

But with City heading into the derby unbeaten in the Premier League and with an eight-point lead over United, Guardiola was comfortable looking back on his early coaching days.

&quot;That was an important moment...I was 37 years old, never trained big players and I had to prove myself. That showed me. But at the end it depends on results.

&quot;I said many times &ndash; the manager has to do what they believe, that is the most important thing. If someone comes to me for advice or comments, always I say, do what you believe. That is the only thing that works,&quot; he said.

The Catalan said sticking to his guns was not just a wise move in terms of tactics but is an honest and authentic approach.

&quot;People who have success in many other aspects in life it is because they believe 100 percent what they do. When it doesn&rsquo;t work &ndash; of course you have to change, but always with something from inside,&quot; he said, while conceding there are multiple tactical approaches that can work in football.

&quot;Teams (have) success when the manager is convinced to do (things) 100 percent. In all the history, the 1940&rsquo;s, 50&rsquo;s, 60&rsquo;s 70&rsquo;s, (teams won) titles in many, many different ways, there is not one (pattern). That is why football is magnificent because you face teams with long balls, more defensive, more attacking, different ways and that is why it is top.&quot;

The doubt did not last very long -- only 48 hours

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's commitment to possession football is well established but ahead of Sunday's derby clash with Manchester United, the former Barcelona coach revealed he had once doubted his philosophy - but only for 48 hours. The Spaniard's zeal for passing and possession with intelligent use of space is almost ideological but he said that early in his career he had questioned if it was the right way. Guardiola began his coaching career in 2007 with Barcelona's B team, who played in the lower divisions of the Spanish league and it was there that his commitment to 'total football' was tested. "Yes I had doubts a little bit in the beginning," he told reporters. "I remember the first three games, I won, I draw and I lost, we played in the fourth division on artificial pitches, and they were so small. On the Monday I thought I have to change it because we cannot play (on those pitches)," he said. "Arrived Tuesday and I said we have to change because the pitch is so small. But arrived Wednesday and I said ‘no, I am not going to change’ because the alternative to playing the way I believe didn’t convince me," said Guardiola. The decision to stick by his principles paid off for the Spaniard. "It was so good because at the end of the season, we were champions and promoted and at that moment I said - if we were able to win quite good and play quite good football, if you can do that on small pitch, artificial pitch, then I can do that at a higher level with better pitches, better players," he said with a grin. Guardiola's almost dogmatic belief in the "right way" of playing was questioned last season as City struggled to adjust to the former Barca and Bayern Munich coach's demands. Early days But with City heading into the derby unbeaten in the Premier League and with an eight-point lead over United, Guardiola was comfortable looking back on his early coaching days. "That was an important moment...I was 37 years old, never trained big players and I had to prove myself. That showed me. But at the end it depends on results. "I said many times – the manager has to do what they believe, that is the most important thing. If someone comes to me for advice or comments, always I say, do what you believe. That is the only thing that works," he said. The Catalan said sticking to his guns was not just a wise move in terms of tactics but is an honest and authentic approach. "People who have success in many other aspects in life it is because they believe 100 percent what they do. When it doesn’t work – of course you have to change, but always with something from inside," he said, while conceding there are multiple tactical approaches that can work in football. "Teams (have) success when the manager is convinced to do (things) 100 percent. In all the history, the 1940’s, 50’s, 60’s 70’s, (teams won) titles in many, many different ways, there is not one (pattern). That is why football is magnificent because you face teams with long balls, more defensive, more attacking, different ways and that is why it is top."

Before Manchester derby, Guardiola says he once doubted his philosophy

Fabian Delph and Ashley Young are not two names that, at the start of this season, would have been high on many lists of key players for the Manchester derby but with the wide areas likely to be a major battleground in Sunday&#39;s Premier League clash their roles will be vital.

Delph, a midfielder throughout his career, was forced into left-wingback duty when first choice Benjamin Mendy suffered a knee ligament injury in September and the 28-year-old has handled the new position with aplomb.

Young, who has been converted to fullback duty after making his name as a winger, has made the United left-back slot his own with impressive performances this season earning him a recall to the England squad at the age of 32 after a four-year absence.

With Antonio Valencia on the right flank, United have been able to develop a counter-attacking style down the flanks, allied to their attacking wide players such as Anthony Martial.

City&#39;s formation is similar, with Kyle Walker advancing with pace down the right, in alliance with Raheem Sterling, while Delph provides wide support to Leroy Sane on the opposite side.

Pep Guardiola&#39;s side often push their fullbacks so far forward that is questionable whether they can be considered defenders in any real sense.

The Spanish coach is aware that against United&#39;s counter-attack his team will need to be alert to the spaces in the wide areas that Jose Mourinho&#39;s side will look to exploit.

&quot;You have to defend these areas, definitely. With fullbacks, attacking midfielders or holding midfielders or wingers, you have to close that space,&quot; said Guardiola.

&quot;The teams from Jose Mourinho -- Chelsea, Real Madrid and here, they are the masters of that. When you lose the ball they are going to immediately counter-attack with Lukaku or make movements behind our full backs with Martial, (Marcus) Rashford or (Jesse) Lingard.

&quot;You know if you are not well organised they punish you in one action and win the game,&quot; he said.

&quot;They have the potential to run 30 metres and create problems. That space beside our centre-backs and behind our fullbacks is the space we have to be careful about, definitely,&quot; he added.

Guardiola, though, is not ready to sacrifice the attacking potency of Walker, a close-season signing from Tottenham.

&quot;It depends on the players and if you have the energy of Kyle Walker, you have to attack with him,&quot; said Guardiola.

League leaders Manchester City take on second-placed Manchester United tonight at 10 pm

Fabian Delph and Ashley Young are not two names that, at the start of this season, would have been high on many lists of key players for the Manchester derby but with the wide areas likely to be a major battleground in Sunday's Premier League clash their roles will be vital. Delph, a midfielder throughout his career, was forced into left-wingback duty when first choice Benjamin Mendy suffered a knee ligament injury in September and the 28-year-old has handled the new position with aplomb. Young, who has been converted to fullback duty after making his name as a winger, has made the United left-back slot his own with impressive performances this season earning him a recall to the England squad at the age of 32 after a four-year absence. With Antonio Valencia on the right flank, United have been able to develop a counter-attacking style down the flanks, allied to their attacking wide players such as Anthony Martial. City's formation is similar, with Kyle Walker advancing with pace down the right, in alliance with Raheem Sterling, while Delph provides wide support to Leroy Sane on the opposite side. Pep Guardiola's side often push their fullbacks so far forward that is questionable whether they can be considered defenders in any real sense. The Spanish coach is aware that against United's counter-attack his team will need to be alert to the spaces in the wide areas that Jose Mourinho's side will look to exploit. "You have to defend these areas, definitely. With fullbacks, attacking midfielders or holding midfielders or wingers, you have to close that space," said Guardiola. "The teams from Jose Mourinho -- Chelsea, Real Madrid and here, they are the masters of that. When you lose the ball they are going to immediately counter-attack with Lukaku or make movements behind our full backs with Martial, (Marcus) Rashford or (Jesse) Lingard. "You know if you are not well organised they punish you in one action and win the game," he said. "They have the potential to run 30 metres and create problems. That space beside our centre-backs and behind our fullbacks is the space we have to be careful about, definitely," he added. Guardiola, though, is not ready to sacrifice the attacking potency of Walker, a close-season signing from Tottenham. "It depends on the players and if you have the energy of Kyle Walker, you have to attack with him," said Guardiola.

Young and Delph unlikely key men for Manchester derby

Chelsea must beat West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday to capitalise on points dropped by rivals in Sunday&#39;s Manchester derby, defender Cesar Azpilicueta said.

Champions Chelsea, who are 11 points behind leaders Manchester City, could go level with second-placed Manchester United with a win at West Ham&#39;s London Stadium in the lunchtime kickoff.

&quot;The two (Manchester) teams can&#39;t both take three points, so every time you get an opportunity to get close, you have to take it,&quot; Azpilicueta told Sky Sports.

&quot;We have to be intelligent to look at ourselves and then we&#39;ll see how the opponents will react.&quot;

After a sloppy start to the season, Antonio Conte&#39;s Chelsea have collected six wins in last seven league games, with their only dropped points coming against Liverpool in a 1-1 draw at Anfield last month.

The festive fixture list looks a good chance for Chelsea to collect a healthy points haul as they are set to face opponents outside the top six in their next six league matches.

West Ham are second from bottom and have not won in their last eight league games.

&quot;We have to go game by game in this busy period in December - every three days you are fighting for a big three points. We have to look at ourselves,&quot; Azpilicueta added.

&quot;We will then see where we are in the final weeks of the season, where we could fight for it.&quot;

Chelsea must beat West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday to capitalise on points dropped by rivals in Sunday's Manchester derby, defender Cesar Azpilicueta said. Champions Chelsea, who are 11 points behind leaders Manchester City, could go level with second-placed Manchester United with a win at West Ham's London Stadium in the lunchtime kickoff. "The two (Manchester) teams can't both take three points, so every time you get an opportunity to get close, you have to take it," Azpilicueta told Sky Sports. "We have to be intelligent to look at ourselves and then we'll see how the opponents will react." After a sloppy start to the season, Antonio Conte's Chelsea have collected six wins in last seven league games, with their only dropped points coming against Liverpool in a 1-1 draw at Anfield last month. The festive fixture list looks a good chance for Chelsea to collect a healthy points haul as they are set to face opponents outside the top six in their next six league matches. West Ham are second from bottom and have not won in their last eight league games. "We have to go game by game in this busy period in December - every three days you are fighting for a big three points. We have to look at ourselves," Azpilicueta added. "We will then see where we are in the final weeks of the season, where we could fight for it."

EPL: Chelsea ready to exploit dropped points in Manchester derby, says Azpilicueta

The 175th Manchester derby pits a United side unbeaten in 40 home games in all competitions against a City side who have not lost this season in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola&#39;s City currently lead by eight points from United in the standings, giving the game much more significance than just local pride.

Here are five big issues that will go a long way to determining the outcome of Sunday&#39;s clash at Old Trafford:

Will Mourinho &#39;park the bus&#39; at home?&nbsp;

United manager Jose Mourinho received plenty of criticism for the negative way his team approached rivals Liverpool at Anfield in October&#39;s goalless draw.

But defending in numbers and attacking on the break is also an approach that can work well for United. Relying on the counter-attack certainly paid off handsomely in the 3-1 win at Arsenal last Saturday, even if United keeper David de Gea had to make a string of saves to keep his side in front.

United are at home, but given City&#39;s ability to dominate possession, the game may, tactically at least, be more like an away match for Mourinho&#39;s team.

City have produced more passes than any other team in the league this season while United are ranked seventh in that area and it would be no surprise if Guardiola&#39;s side enjoy most of the ball.

In recent weeks, United have switched to playing with a three-man defence which allows Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young to attack down the flanks - an attacking formation which matches that of City.

But the loss to suspension of central midfielder Paul Pogba may tempt Mourinho into a more defensive line-up in the centre of the field as he looks to counter the influence of City&#39;s key creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.

Who will dominate the flanks?

City are great at keeping the ball in the tight spaces in midfield and United, with Serbian enforcer Nemanja Matic expected to be fit, will look to crowd the centre of the park and give De Bruyne and David Silva little room to exploit.

But the key areas are likely to be out wide where City have the speed and skill of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling allied with the threat from their wing-backs - Kyle Walker on the right and Fabian Delph on the left.

United match-up well in that area - Valencia was brilliant going forward against Arsenal and can work up and down the right tirelessly, while Young on the left has been one of the biggest positive surprises of the campaign so far for Mourinho.

Anthony Martial, or if preferred Marcus Rashford, have a tendency to play much wider than the typical support striker and that might limit Walker&#39;s desire to push forward, lest he leave space behind for United to exploit. If Juan Mata is chosen to replace Pogba, he could offer another wide threat on the right.

Whichever wingers and wing-backs come out on top is going to have a huge impact on the outcome.

Can United stop De Bruyne?

The stats tell the story. No-one has had more touches of the ball this season in the Premier League than the Belgian. De Bruyne also shares, with team mate David Silva, the most assists with eight so far.

Brilliant with both feet and capable of running at a defence from deep and also delivering the killer pass to City&#39;s deadly strike force, De Bruyne has been fundamental to the success of Guardiola&#39;s team.

United have in Matic, however, a player who could certainly do a close-marking job but that would rob Mourinho of the Serb&#39;s overall role of marshalling the midfield and protecting the defence. It could be a job for Ander Herrera or Marouane Fellaini.

Will Lukaku deliver when it matters most?

The former Everton forward scored 11 goals in his first 10 appearances for United but has managed just two in his last 12 and while Zlatan Ibrahimovic is fit, Mourinho is unlikely to drop his main striker for the derby.

The big trouble with Romelu Lukaku is that he has struggled throughout his career when facing the top teams. He failed to score against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool this year and since 2014/15 he has only scored five goals in 39 games against the &#39;big six&#39;.

The Belgian could put all those doubts to bed with a winner against City. But if he misses chances, Mourinho may well turn to the fit-again Swedish great on his bench.

Pep Guardiola's City currently lead by eight points from United in the standings, giving the game much more significance than just local pride.

The 175th Manchester derby pits a United side unbeaten in 40 home games in all competitions against a City side who have not lost this season in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola's City currently lead by eight points from United in the standings, giving the game much more significance than just local pride. Here are five big issues that will go a long way to determining the outcome of Sunday's clash at Old Trafford: Will Mourinho 'park the bus' at home? United manager Jose Mourinho received plenty of criticism for the negative way his team approached rivals Liverpool at Anfield in October's goalless draw. But defending in numbers and attacking on the break is also an approach that can work well for United. Relying on the counter-attack certainly paid off handsomely in the 3-1 win at Arsenal last Saturday, even if United keeper David de Gea had to make a string of saves to keep his side in front. United are at home, but given City's ability to dominate possession, the game may, tactically at least, be more like an away match for Mourinho's team. City have produced more passes than any other team in the league this season while United are ranked seventh in that area and it would be no surprise if Guardiola's side enjoy most of the ball. In recent weeks, United have switched to playing with a three-man defence which allows Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young to attack down the flanks - an attacking formation which matches that of City. But the loss to suspension of central midfielder Paul Pogba may tempt Mourinho into a more defensive line-up in the centre of the field as he looks to counter the influence of City's key creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. Who will dominate the flanks? City are great at keeping the ball in the tight spaces in midfield and United, with Serbian enforcer Nemanja Matic expected to be fit, will look to crowd the centre of the park and give De Bruyne and David Silva little room to exploit. But the key areas are likely to be out wide where City have the speed and skill of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling allied with the threat from their wing-backs - Kyle Walker on the right and Fabian Delph on the left. United match-up well in that area - Valencia was brilliant going forward against Arsenal and can work up and down the right tirelessly, while Young on the left has been one of the biggest positive surprises of the campaign so far for Mourinho. Anthony Martial, or if preferred Marcus Rashford, have a tendency to play much wider than the typical support striker and that might limit Walker's desire to push forward, lest he leave space behind for United to exploit. If Juan Mata is chosen to replace Pogba, he could offer another wide threat on the right. Whichever wingers and wing-backs come out on top is going to have a huge impact on the outcome. Can United stop De Bruyne? The stats tell the story. No-one has had more touches of the ball this season in the Premier League than the Belgian. De Bruyne also shares, with team mate David Silva, the most assists with eight so far. Brilliant with both feet and capable of running at a defence from deep and also delivering the killer pass to City's deadly strike force, De Bruyne has been fundamental to the success of Guardiola's team. United have in Matic, however, a player who could certainly do a close-marking job but that would rob Mourinho of the Serb's overall role of marshalling the midfield and protecting the defence. It could be a job for Ander Herrera or Marouane Fellaini. Will Lukaku deliver when it matters most? The former Everton forward scored 11 goals in his first 10 appearances for United but has managed just two in his last 12 and while Zlatan Ibrahimovic is fit, Mourinho is unlikely to drop his main striker for the derby. The big trouble with Romelu Lukaku is that he has struggled throughout his career when facing the top teams. He failed to score against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool this year and since 2014/15 he has only scored five goals in 39 games against the 'big six'. The Belgian could put all those doubts to bed with a winner against City. But if he misses chances, Mourinho may well turn to the fit-again Swedish great on his bench.

Football: Four big questions ahead of the Manchester derby

There have been few Manchester derbies with as much on the line as Sunday&#39;s meeting at Old Trafford of the top two teams in the Premier League -- the most anticipated clash of the campaign so far.

Pep Guardiola&#39;s City have built an eight-point lead following an unbeaten start to the season that has included 13 straight victories - equalling the record for the longest winning run in a single Premier League campaign.

Not to be completely outdone, however, Jose Mourinho&rsquo;s Manchester United have equalled a historic club record by remaining unbeaten at Old Trafford for 40 matches in all competitions.

And with former Barcelona boss Guardiola and ex-Real Madrid manager Mourinho having developed a fierce rivalry during their time together in Spain, Sunday&#39;s meeting promises to be one to savour.

The last team to beat United at home were City in September, 2016 and a repeat performance would leave the club, once derided as &quot;noisy neighbours&quot; by former United boss Alex Ferguson, 11 points clear at the summit.

City have been playing some exhilarating football this campaign with coach Guardiola&#39;s style of play, which served him so well at his previous clubs, bringing the expected rewards after a disappointing lack of consistency last season.

Yet while United have suffered two defeats on the road - to Huddersfield Town and Chelsea - they too have looked like champions at home.

The 40 games unbeaten have included 29 wins and 11 draws with 85 goals scored and just 17 conceded.

This season&#39;s Premier League record at Old Trafford is played seven, won seven - 20 goals for and just one against.

Mourinho, however, will be without his key French midfielder Paul Pogba, who starts a three-match ban following his red card in Saturday&#39;s crucial 3-1 win at Arsenal.

United have produced their best football when they have had Pogba and Serbian anchorman Nemanja Matic on the field together and the former Juventus midfielder will be sorely missed.

Given the gap between the two clubs in the table, it will be intriguing to see if Mourinho maintains his habit of playing defensively against title rivals, a tactic which has been much criticised following the goalless draw at Liverpool in October.

Pogba, however, says United will approach the game in a positive fashion.

&quot;We want to win. We need to win as well. They need to win because they know that we are behind and we are closing and closing,&quot; he said.

&quot;If I didn&#39;t believe that (we can win it), I&#39;d stop playing football now,&quot; he added.

United&#39;s Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic should be fit to feature at some stage in the game but defender Eric Bailly remains sidelined.

Pep Guardiola's City have built an eight-point lead following an unbeaten start to the season that has included 13 straight victories - equalling the record for the longest winning run in a single Premier League campaign.

There have been few Manchester derbies with as much on the line as Sunday's meeting at Old Trafford of the top two teams in the Premier League -- the most anticipated clash of the campaign so far. Pep Guardiola's City have built an eight-point lead following an unbeaten start to the season that has included 13 straight victories - equalling the record for the longest winning run in a single Premier League campaign. Not to be completely outdone, however, Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United have equalled a historic club record by remaining unbeaten at Old Trafford for 40 matches in all competitions. And with former Barcelona boss Guardiola and ex-Real Madrid manager Mourinho having developed a fierce rivalry during their time together in Spain, Sunday's meeting promises to be one to savour. The last team to beat United at home were City in September, 2016 and a repeat performance would leave the club, once derided as "noisy neighbours" by former United boss Alex Ferguson, 11 points clear at the summit. City have been playing some exhilarating football this campaign with coach Guardiola's style of play, which served him so well at his previous clubs, bringing the expected rewards after a disappointing lack of consistency last season. Yet while United have suffered two defeats on the road - to Huddersfield Town and Chelsea - they too have looked like champions at home. The 40 games unbeaten have included 29 wins and 11 draws with 85 goals scored and just 17 conceded. This season's Premier League record at Old Trafford is played seven, won seven - 20 goals for and just one against. Mourinho, however, will be without his key French midfielder Paul Pogba, who starts a three-match ban following his red card in Saturday's crucial 3-1 win at Arsenal. United have produced their best football when they have had Pogba and Serbian anchorman Nemanja Matic on the field together and the former Juventus midfielder will be sorely missed. Given the gap between the two clubs in the table, it will be intriguing to see if Mourinho maintains his habit of playing defensively against title rivals, a tactic which has been much criticised following the goalless draw at Liverpool in October. Pogba, however, says United will approach the game in a positive fashion. "We want to win. We need to win as well. They need to win because they know that we are behind and we are closing and closing," he said. "If I didn't believe that (we can win it), I'd stop playing football now," he added. United's Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic should be fit to feature at some stage in the game but defender Eric Bailly remains sidelined.

Football: Stakes are high in Manchester derby

Manchester United reached the Champions League last-16 as Group A winners after coming from behind to beat CSKA Moscow 2-1 at home and finish ahead of Basel who also went through with a 2-0 win at Benfica on Tuesday.

The result left United top of the section on 15 points, three more than second-placed Basel and six ahead of third-placed CSKA who will carry on in the second-tier Europa League after the winter break.

Having missed a string of good chances in the opening period, United fell behind to a freakish Vitinho goal, heavily deflected off Alan Dzagoev, on the stroke of halftime before Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford struck within a minute to turn the match on its head.&nbsp;

Rashford hit the post in the fourth minute and saw a shot from a tight angle saved by CSKA`s busy keeper Igor Akinfeev, who also kept out a Luke Shaw volley as United`s left back enjoyed a fine evening after making his first start since April.

CSKA struck out of the blue as Mario Fernandes broke down the right and set up Vitinho, whose miscued shot struck Dzagoev in the back and bounced into the net.&nbsp;

United piled the pressure after the break and Akinfeev parried another fierce Rashford shot before the home side`s siege finally paid dividends.&nbsp;

Lukaku used his physical strength to steer in the equaliser in the 64th minute, as he got on the end of a probing Paul Pogba pass despite being tugged by CSKA centre back Viktor Vasin.

Rashford got his reward for tireless work less than a minute later, drilling in a sublime Juan Mata chip with a fierce left-footed shot from 13 metres which gave Akinfeev no chance.

Needing to match CSKA`s result to go through, Basel quickly established their grip on a knockout stage berth as Mohamed Elyounoussi headed the Swiss side into an early lead in Lisbon after Michael Lang`s inch-perfect cross.

Another close-range header by striker Dimitri Oberlin doubled Basel`s lead midway through the second half as Benfica finished bottom of the group with zero points from six games.&nbsp;

They came from behind to beat CSKA Moscow

Manchester United reached the Champions League last-16 as Group A winners after coming from behind to beat CSKA Moscow 2-1 at home and finish ahead of Basel who also went through with a 2-0 win at Benfica on Tuesday. The result left United top of the section on 15 points, three more than second-placed Basel and six ahead of third-placed CSKA who will carry on in the second-tier Europa League after the winter break. Having missed a string of good chances in the opening period, United fell behind to a freakish Vitinho goal, heavily deflected off Alan Dzagoev, on the stroke of halftime before Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford struck within a minute to turn the match on its head. Rashford hit the post in the fourth minute and saw a shot from a tight angle saved by CSKA`s busy keeper Igor Akinfeev, who also kept out a Luke Shaw volley as United`s left back enjoyed a fine evening after making his first start since April. CSKA struck out of the blue as Mario Fernandes broke down the right and set up Vitinho, whose miscued shot struck Dzagoev in the back and bounced into the net. United piled the pressure after the break and Akinfeev parried another fierce Rashford shot before the home side`s siege finally paid dividends. Lukaku used his physical strength to steer in the equaliser in the 64th minute, as he got on the end of a probing Paul Pogba pass despite being tugged by CSKA centre back Viktor Vasin. Rashford got his reward for tireless work less than a minute later, drilling in a sublime Juan Mata chip with a fierce left-footed shot from 13 metres which gave Akinfeev no chance. Needing to match CSKA`s result to go through, Basel quickly established their grip on a knockout stage berth as Mohamed Elyounoussi headed the Swiss side into an early lead in Lisbon after Michael Lang`s inch-perfect cross. Another close-range header by striker Dimitri Oberlin doubled Basel`s lead midway through the second half as Benfica finished bottom of the group with zero points from six games.

Champions League: Man United reach last 16 after 2-1 home win over CSKA

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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

Manchester United saw off a determined Brighton &amp; Hove Albion 1-0 on Saturday to reduce Manchester City&#39;s lead at the top of the Premier League to five points, while the three teams below them all dropped points.

Liverpool and Chelsea drew 1-1 at Anfield while Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s pursuit stalled with a home draw against West Bromwich Albion.

Those results offered an opportunity to Arsenal and surprise packets Burnley, either of whom would move into fourth if they win Sunday&#39;s meeting at Turf Moor.

With Manchester City on 34 points from 12 games, neighbours United took closer order on 29 points from 13 games, ahead of Pep Guardiola&#39;s leaders visiting Huddersfield Town on Sunday.

Chelsea have 26 points in third place but Tottenham stayed fourth on 24 while Liverpool are fifth on 23. Arsenal and Burnley both have 22.

Manchester United&#39;s unbeaten home record stretches back to when City beat them in September 2016, but it was not plain sailing against promoted Brighton, who proved spirited opposition in the first league meeting between the sides since 1983.

Ashley Young forced the goal in the 66th minute, his shot deflecting off defender Lewis Dunk to beat goalkeeper Matt Ryan.

&quot;Brighton deserved more than they got,&quot; United&#39;s manager Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports. &quot;They played really well and when they had the ball they were dangerous.&quot;

Liverpool&#39;s recent high-scoring run came to an end in the day&#39;s late game when it looked as if Mohamed Salah&#39;s 64th minute goal against his old club would earn a crucial win.

Instead, substitute Willian&#39;s mishit cross five minutes from time eluded goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to become only the second goal Juergen Klopp&#39;s side have conceded at home in seven league games.

&quot;Chelsea fought hard and deserved a point,&quot; said Klopp, who was angry that the officials took so long to allow a substitution just before Antonio Conte&#39;s side scored.

&quot;We wanted to go to five at the back, to change the situation and it&#39;s not too cool to have conceded,&quot; he added.

Spurs dropped two points against managerless West Bromwich Albion at Wembley.

They were behind at halftime to an early goal by Salomon Rondon and needed an equaliser from the ever-reliable Harry Kane 16 minutes from fulltime to salvage a draw.

Bottom club Crystal Palace earned only their second win of the season as a goal by Mamadou Sakho in added time beat visiting Stoke City 2-1.

A brilliant individual effort by Xherdan Shaqiri eight minutes after halftime ensured they would not keep a first clean sheet, but within three minutes new England international Ruben Loftus-Cheek, on loan from Chelsea, scored the equaliser.

Sakho&#39;s winner, jabbing in a rebound off the post, brought Palace within three points of 17th-placed West Brom.

&quot;That goal is worth its weight in gold,&quot; said manager Roy Hodgson.

His team made up two points on Swansea City, who could only draw 0-0 at home to Bournemouth.

The Welsh side were upset to have a goal disallowed just before the interval when Wilfried Bony, starting in place of Tammy Abraham, found the net.

The referee decided that team mate Jordan Ayew had fouled a defender.

Watford maintained their run of having scored at least twice in every away game with a comfortable 3-0 win at Newcastle to consolidate eighth place.

Will Hughes and Andre Gray scored either side of an own goal by American DeAndre Yedlin to secure a victory that further enhanced the credentials of manager Marco Silva, who has been coveted by Everton.

Manchester United's unbeaten home record stretches back to when City beat them in September 2016

Manchester United saw off a determined Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 on Saturday to reduce Manchester City's lead at the top of the Premier League to five points, while the three teams below them all dropped points. Liverpool and Chelsea drew 1-1 at Anfield while Tottenham Hotspur's pursuit stalled with a home draw against West Bromwich Albion. Those results offered an opportunity to Arsenal and surprise packets Burnley, either of whom would move into fourth if they win Sunday's meeting at Turf Moor. With Manchester City on 34 points from 12 games, neighbours United took closer order on 29 points from 13 games, ahead of Pep Guardiola's leaders visiting Huddersfield Town on Sunday. Chelsea have 26 points in third place but Tottenham stayed fourth on 24 while Liverpool are fifth on 23. Arsenal and Burnley both have 22. Manchester United's unbeaten home record stretches back to when City beat them in September 2016, but it was not plain sailing against promoted Brighton, who proved spirited opposition in the first league meeting between the sides since 1983. Ashley Young forced the goal in the 66th minute, his shot deflecting off defender Lewis Dunk to beat goalkeeper Matt Ryan. "Brighton deserved more than they got," United's manager Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports. "They played really well and when they had the ball they were dangerous." Liverpool's recent high-scoring run came to an end in the day's late game when it looked as if Mohamed Salah's 64th minute goal against his old club would earn a crucial win. Instead, substitute Willian's mishit cross five minutes from time eluded goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to become only the second goal Juergen Klopp's side have conceded at home in seven league games. "Chelsea fought hard and deserved a point," said Klopp, who was angry that the officials took so long to allow a substitution just before Antonio Conte's side scored. "We wanted to go to five at the back, to change the situation and it's not too cool to have conceded," he added. Spurs dropped two points against managerless West Bromwich Albion at Wembley. They were behind at halftime to an early goal by Salomon Rondon and needed an equaliser from the ever-reliable Harry Kane 16 minutes from fulltime to salvage a draw. Bottom club Crystal Palace earned only their second win of the season as a goal by Mamadou Sakho in added time beat visiting Stoke City 2-1. A brilliant individual effort by Xherdan Shaqiri eight minutes after halftime ensured they would not keep a first clean sheet, but within three minutes new England international Ruben Loftus-Cheek, on loan from Chelsea, scored the equaliser. Sakho's winner, jabbing in a rebound off the post, brought Palace within three points of 17th-placed West Brom. "That goal is worth its weight in gold," said manager Roy Hodgson. His team made up two points on Swansea City, who could only draw 0-0 at home to Bournemouth. The Welsh side were upset to have a goal disallowed just before the interval when Wilfried Bony, starting in place of Tammy Abraham, found the net. The referee decided that team mate Jordan Ayew had fouled a defender. Watford maintained their run of having scored at least twice in every away game with a comfortable 3-0 win at Newcastle to consolidate eighth place. Will Hughes and Andre Gray scored either side of an own goal by American DeAndre Yedlin to secure a victory that further enhanced the credentials of manager Marco Silva, who has been coveted by Everton.

Manchester pair in the clear as main rivals all draw

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is enjoying life at the club and says he is open to extending his four-year stay at Old Trafford.

The Spain international has made over 150 appearances for United since joining in 2014. His contract expires next year though the club have the option to extend it until 2019.

&quot;I&#39;m happy here. The club is massive, the support we have is massive. I&#39;ve been settled down in the city since year one,&quot; Mata, who has scored once in 13 appearances this season, told ESPN.

&quot;I&#39;m 29 and hopefully I can play football for some more years. It would be great to play until I&#39;m 40 like Ryan Giggs. But that&#39;s still a bit far, still 11 years.

&quot;You never know what can happen in football and in life. But my feeling now is that I&#39;m happy here and I wouldn&#39;t have any problem continuing here for more time.&quot;

United, who are second in the Premier League, eight points behind Manchester City, host Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is enjoying life at the club and says he is open to extending his four-year stay at Old Trafford

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is enjoying life at the club and says he is open to extending his four-year stay at Old Trafford. The Spain international has made over 150 appearances for United since joining in 2014. His contract expires next year though the club have the option to extend it until 2019. "I'm happy here. The club is massive, the support we have is massive. I've been settled down in the city since year one," Mata, who has scored once in 13 appearances this season, told ESPN. "I'm 29 and hopefully I can play football for some more years. It would be great to play until I'm 40 like Ryan Giggs. But that's still a bit far, still 11 years. "You never know what can happen in football and in life. But my feeling now is that I'm happy here and I wouldn't have any problem continuing here for more time." United, who are second in the Premier League, eight points behind Manchester City, host Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Mata keen to extend long-term Manchester United stay

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

&nbsp;Jose Mourinho returns to his old club Chelsea on Sunday with his Manchester United trailing leaders Manchester City by five points and the challenge against the champions will be a major indicator of his team&#39;s ability to close the gap.

When City visited Stamford Bridge at the end of September they delivered a statement performance in their 1-0 win, answering many of the doubts about whether they had the defensive soundness to go with their undoubted attacking flair.

It was a win - and performance - which suggested that City are capable of playing the kind of tight, disciplined tactical performance that had been lacking at times during Pep Guardiola&#39;s first season at the club.

United face some different questions in what is their toughest test yet away from home.

Mourinho&#39;s side were given a gentle start to the season by the fixtures computer with modest opposition for their opening seven games and they took advantage with 21 goals and six wins along with plenty of entertaining football.

But in their first challenge against one of the &#39;big six&#39;, at Liverpool, United went into their shell - clearly under instructions to not allow Juergen Klopp&#39;s side space and to limit their own forward movement.

Debate has raged about whether or not that was an appropriate approach to take at Anfield or whether United should have been more adventurous and tried to exploit the vulnerabilities in Liverpool&#39;s back line.

Mourinho typically dismissed such talk, viewing the draw as a point gained. But a defeat at Huddersfield in his team&#39;s next game added to the sense that United&#39;s early season momentum had been lost.

Last week, though, United came through another test - beating Tottenham 1-0 at Old Trafford and a 2-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League in midweek has helped to dispel any talk of United losing their way.

But the challenge against the champions on Sunday is for United to show that they can replicate the confident and businesslike win that City showed a month ago.

Fragile Chelsea

United won&#39;t want to let City, who host Arsenal on Sunday, open up a seven or eight-point lead and a defeat would allow Chelsea to move within a point of Mourinho&#39;s men.

To get three points from their trip to West London, United need to combine the defensive solidity they showed on Merseyside with the ability to carve open Antonio Conte&#39;s back line.

Judging by Chelsea&#39;s woeful 3-0 loss to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, United can have some confidence that it will be fruitful to take the game to Conte&#39;s team.

A repeat of last season&#39;s 4-0 mauling in this fixture certainly looks unlikely and Chelsea&#39;s defence, so solid last season, looks far more fragile.

United will need Romelu Lukaku, who Chelsea wanted to re-sign before his move to Old Trafford in the close-season, to get back to the form he showed before his six-game barren streak.

They will also need his support striker, whether that be Frenchman Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford, to work closer to him than in the draw with Liverpool where Martial wandered in deep positions leaving the Belgian isolated.

At Anfield, United&#39;s midfield sat deep and rarely advanced in numbers. Whatever permutation Mourinho sends out to do battle on Sunday will need to be braver in committing to forward positions or countering in numbers.

It is a balancing act, of course, as Chelsea possess in Eden Hazard in particular, the means to punish opponents who over-commit.

But City showed that perfect balance and if United want to replicate their rivals, they too will need to show a willingness to do more than just frustrate.

When City visited Stamford Bridge at the end of September they delivered a statement performance in their 1-0 win, answering many of the doubts about whether they had the defensive soundness to go with their undoubted attacking flair.

Jose Mourinho returns to his old club Chelsea on Sunday with his Manchester United trailing leaders Manchester City by five points and the challenge against the champions will be a major indicator of his team's ability to close the gap. When City visited Stamford Bridge at the end of September they delivered a statement performance in their 1-0 win, answering many of the doubts about whether they had the defensive soundness to go with their undoubted attacking flair. It was a win - and performance - which suggested that City are capable of playing the kind of tight, disciplined tactical performance that had been lacking at times during Pep Guardiola's first season at the club. United face some different questions in what is their toughest test yet away from home. Mourinho's side were given a gentle start to the season by the fixtures computer with modest opposition for their opening seven games and they took advantage with 21 goals and six wins along with plenty of entertaining football. But in their first challenge against one of the 'big six', at Liverpool, United went into their shell - clearly under instructions to not allow Juergen Klopp's side space and to limit their own forward movement. Debate has raged about whether or not that was an appropriate approach to take at Anfield or whether United should have been more adventurous and tried to exploit the vulnerabilities in Liverpool's back line. Mourinho typically dismissed such talk, viewing the draw as a point gained. But a defeat at Huddersfield in his team's next game added to the sense that United's early season momentum had been lost. Last week, though, United came through another test - beating Tottenham 1-0 at Old Trafford and a 2-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League in midweek has helped to dispel any talk of United losing their way. But the challenge against the champions on Sunday is for United to show that they can replicate the confident and businesslike win that City showed a month ago. Fragile Chelsea United won't want to let City, who host Arsenal on Sunday, open up a seven or eight-point lead and a defeat would allow Chelsea to move within a point of Mourinho's men. To get three points from their trip to West London, United need to combine the defensive solidity they showed on Merseyside with the ability to carve open Antonio Conte's back line. Judging by Chelsea's woeful 3-0 loss to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, United can have some confidence that it will be fruitful to take the game to Conte's team. A repeat of last season's 4-0 mauling in this fixture certainly looks unlikely and Chelsea's defence, so solid last season, looks far more fragile. United will need Romelu Lukaku, who Chelsea wanted to re-sign before his move to Old Trafford in the close-season, to get back to the form he showed before his six-game barren streak. They will also need his support striker, whether that be Frenchman Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford, to work closer to him than in the draw with Liverpool where Martial wandered in deep positions leaving the Belgian isolated. At Anfield, United's midfield sat deep and rarely advanced in numbers. Whatever permutation Mourinho sends out to do battle on Sunday will need to be braver in committing to forward positions or countering in numbers. It is a balancing act, of course, as Chelsea possess in Eden Hazard in particular, the means to punish opponents who over-commit. But City showed that perfect balance and if United want to replicate their rivals, they too will need to show a willingness to do more than just frustrate.

Manchester City set the standard for United at Chelsea

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has praised his former manager Mauricio Pochettino and is hopeful of reuniting with the Tottenham Hotspur coach in the future.

Shaw played under Pochettino at Southampton during the latter half of the 2012-13 season as the Saints finished eighth in the Premier League. The England International moved to United at the end of the season.

In the epilogue of Spanish pundit Guillem Balague`s new book &quot;Brave New World: Inside Pochettino`s Spurs&quot;, the 22-year-old hailed his fantastic relationship with the Argentine and reckoned Pochettino would like to work with him again as well.

&quot;I think with Southampton he achieved the impossible. We were one of the best footballing teams in the league...I do hope that I can play for him again one day. And I think he really wants me to play under him again,&quot; Shaw wrote.

&quot;He used to call me his son, that`s how good our relationship was. I`ve had lots of ups and downs, but when I was with Pochettino it was only ever up, up, up.

&quot;He made me feel that I was the best. He`d show me clips of my games and say, `You should do this better`. Not in a horrible way. Not I could have done better, but I should have done better because he knows I can be better.&quot;

Shaw is struggling to get playing time at United after falling out with manager Jose Mourinho and could meet Pochettino when second-placed United host third-placed Tottenham in the league on Saturday.

Shaw played under Pochettino at Southampton during the latter half of the 2012-13 season as the Saints finished eighth in the Premier League. The England International moved to United at the end of the season.

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has praised his former manager Mauricio Pochettino and is hopeful of reuniting with the Tottenham Hotspur coach in the future. Shaw played under Pochettino at Southampton during the latter half of the 2012-13 season as the Saints finished eighth in the Premier League. The England International moved to United at the end of the season. In the epilogue of Spanish pundit Guillem Balague`s new book "Brave New World: Inside Pochettino`s Spurs", the 22-year-old hailed his fantastic relationship with the Argentine and reckoned Pochettino would like to work with him again as well. "I think with Southampton he achieved the impossible. We were one of the best footballing teams in the league...I do hope that I can play for him again one day. And I think he really wants me to play under him again," Shaw wrote. "He used to call me his son, that`s how good our relationship was. I`ve had lots of ups and downs, but when I was with Pochettino it was only ever up, up, up. "He made me feel that I was the best. He`d show me clips of my games and say, `You should do this better`. Not in a horrible way. Not I could have done better, but I should have done better because he knows I can be better." Shaw is struggling to get playing time at United after falling out with manager Jose Mourinho and could meet Pochettino when second-placed United host third-placed Tottenham in the league on Saturday.

Manchester United's Luke Shaw praises Mauricio Pochettino, optimistic of reunion

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

The absence of key midfielders due to injury will have no impact on the Manchester&nbsp;United&nbsp;team&#39;s quality in their Champions League match against CSKA Moscow, manager <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/mourinho-ready-to-make-move-for-bale-18682" target="_blank">Jose Mourinho</a> said.

United&nbsp;will be without Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick, leaving Mourinho with Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera as the only experienced central midfielders available for the game on Wednesday.

&quot;We don&#39;t have Fellaini, we don&#39;t have Pogba, we don&#39;t have Carrick. So all three midfield players we lose this match. The solutions are not many,&quot; Mourinho told a news conference on Tuesday.

&quot;We try not to focus on individual battles or specific areas on the pitch. We try to focus on the bigger picture. And we are going to have a team with quality, with balance.&quot;

Mourinho expects Fellaini to be back soon after sustaining an ankle injury in the 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday.

&quot;It was only when I saw it on TV that I realised that Fellaini was very lucky,&quot; Mourinho added. &quot;I do not expect him to be out for long.&quot;

CSKA Moscow lies fourth in the Russian Premier League with six wins from 11 games but Mourinho believes they are &quot;the best CSKA I am going to play against&quot;.

&quot;I don&#39;t like to speak about opponents,&quot; he said.

&quot;If I speak good, I motivate them. If I speak bad, I motivate them.&quot;

United, unbeaten this season and level on points with&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;City at the top of the Premier League, started their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win over Basel at Old Trafford.

CSKA beat Benfica 2-1 in Lisbon in their opening match.

Mourinho expects Fellaini to be back soon after sustaining an ankle injury in the 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday

The absence of key midfielders due to injury will have no impact on the Manchester United team's quality in their Champions League match against CSKA Moscow, manager Jose Mourinho said. United will be without Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick, leaving Mourinho with Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera as the only experienced central midfielders available for the game on Wednesday. "We don't have Fellaini, we don't have Pogba, we don't have Carrick. So all three midfield players we lose this match. The solutions are not many," Mourinho told a news conference on Tuesday. "We try not to focus on individual battles or specific areas on the pitch. We try to focus on the bigger picture. And we are going to have a team with quality, with balance." Mourinho expects Fellaini to be back soon after sustaining an ankle injury in the 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday. "It was only when I saw it on TV that I realised that Fellaini was very lucky," Mourinho added. "I do not expect him to be out for long." CSKA Moscow lies fourth in the Russian Premier League with six wins from 11 games but Mourinho believes they are "the best CSKA I am going to play against". "I don't like to speak about opponents," he said. "If I speak good, I motivate them. If I speak bad, I motivate them." United, unbeaten this season and level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, started their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win over Basel at Old Trafford. CSKA beat Benfica 2-1 in Lisbon in their opening match.

Manchester United midfield injuries won't affect quality: Mourinho

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manchester united

Prankster hands Conte signed Mourinho shirt

EPL: Anthony Martial strike gives United points at Turf Moor

Football: Sanchez accepts deal to avoid prison over tax fraud

Football: Valencia urges United to stay in hunt for Premier League title

Evra, kicked out of Marseille, joins West Ham on free transfer

Munich air crash left mark on Mourinho

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

EPL roundup: United lift Mourinho, Liverpool leave it late

Mourinho lashes out at 'critical' Scholes

Mourinho provokes Guardiola but he does not bite

Klopp refuses to be star struck at Liverpool

Chelsea still have plenty to achieve, says Conte

Mourinho lashes United after Leicester draw

Mourinho lashes United after Leicester draw

Football: Lukaku, Lingard lift nervy Man United past West Brom

Courtois says Chelsea expect tough challenge from Saints

Unstoppable City break record, United edge out Bournemouth

Pep Guardiola takes big step towards first title in EPL with 2-1 derby victory

Before Manchester derby, Guardiola says he once doubted his philosophy

Young and Delph unlikely key men for Manchester derby

EPL: Chelsea ready to exploit dropped points in Manchester derby, says Azpilicueta

Football: Four big questions ahead of the Manchester derby

Football: Stakes are high in Manchester derby

Champions League: Man United reach last 16 after 2-1 home win over CSKA